Players/Characters
Crumpus (Russell) 4th level male Human Fighter
Elzara (Will) 5th level female Elven Monk
Tovar Hammerguild (Ian) 4th level Male Dwarven Paladin
Tanith (Ewar) 3rd/1st level male Human Sorcerer/Warmage
Alexis Serria (Andrew) 3rd /2nd level female Human Cleric/Fighter
Eolias (Richard) 4th/1st level male Elven Ranger/Wizard
Game Events
Not wanting to brave the dangers of the Mistmarsh in the dark the party decided to rest at the Keep before setting out to follow the Lizardfolk and their captive companions, and it was around this time that a solitary traveler who had been drawn by the smoke and sounds of battle arrived. The human fighter introduced himself as Crumpus, and as the group were now down 2 members he was willingly co-opted into the party to enhance their firepower.
The Mistmarsh ( so named due to the mist that covers it every morning from an hour before dawn to just around midday) consists of waterways that are either too shallow or too full of crocodiles to make use of boats, and many sections with mud over knee high as you struggle to bypass the huge mangrove-type trees that help to make this a very eerie place to be.
Eolias' tracking skills were put to good use as he found the best path through the treacherous marshes, but even then the party were forced to wade through waist-deep scummy stagnant water on more than one occasion.
Towards the end of the first day when in one of these patches the party were surprised by a pair of crocodiles who had managed to close with them unseen, just showing eyes and nostrils above the water's surface. Alexis was bitten and dragged under, but was rescued before she could take too much damage.
A little shaken by this encounter the party found a small mound of muddy ground slightly higher than the surrounding swamp to rest on overnight before continuing on their search for their missing companions.
Towards the end of the next morning the group had their second encounter with the denizens of
the swamp when four jumping spiders leapt from the branches above and sank their poison-filled fangs into several characters, causing severe pain and loss of Strength before they too were dispatched.
Battered and bruised, the party managed to continue along the trail and managed to find the Lizardman lair which was made amongst the roots of a group of ancient swamp-trees.
Following what looked like human bootprints the adventurers came across a large pile of compost in the middle of a corridor. Eolias stepped up to investigate and was promptly attacked by an animated vine which was clinging to the corridor wall.
Retreating from this and trying another tunnel the characters entered into a high roofed area which was inhabited by two foul Harpies who immediately started to sing their mesmerising song.
Eolias and Torvar were captivated by the sounds and started to walk forwards but Alexis activated her shield's special property and caused a brilliant flash to fill the room, temporarily blinding one of the harpies, but also affected Tanith and Crumpus, leaving Alexis as the only unaffected member of the party!
In a moment of great, if rare, insight, Alexis suddenly remembered that she had a scroll of silence tucked away in her backpack. Reading this scroll neutralised the beguiling song of the harpies and released Eolias and Torvar to deal damage to the filthy creatures who were then soon defeated. The party discovered a magical circlet of persuasion and a pair of Boots of Springing & Striding made of an exotic red scaly leather in the creatures' nest.
Moving to the next chamber, a group of five lizardmen were surprised and easily defeated but one managed to escape to the next chamber with the party chasing hard behind. In this new room the group were pleased to find Elzara, two guards and the battlemage from the keep, bound and unconcious. Perched on Elzara's shoulder was a large spider that seemed intent on defending her from harm! Also in the room was an ancient-looking Lizardman Shaman, who bargained with the party for the release of the hostages in exchange for a service.
He explained how the recent aggressive attitude of the lizardfolk was essentially due to a relatively recent arrival who had defeated the old king in battle and taken his place. This new King had made a deal with a 'giant black lizard' who had offered to protect the tribe if they started a war with the humans. The black lizard had not been seen for some time. The deal was simple - kill or chase off the new King and his Lieutenant, and the prisoners would be released unharmed. The raids would cease and he also asked the PC's to visit the Free City to negotiate peace on their behalf. He also gifted them with two potions of Cure Moderate Wounds.
The party readily agreed, and Elzara was released, the other prisoners being kept as surety against the party completing their part of the bargain.
The group decided to move against the Lieutenant first, and found him in the next room along - he was a large lizardfolk with unusual black tinges to the scales around his mouth and throat along with a normal female lizardfolk. When the party entered he threatened to kill a pair of tower guard who were bound and unconcious at his feet, but the group swarmed around him and attacked.
The Lieutenant immediately raged, and laid about him with claws and bite to such an extent that things were looking bad for the group until a couple of well placed shots from Eolias knocked him from his feet. Pausing only briefly to loot the body of it's hide armour + 1, and an Amulet of Natural Armour +1 the group charged onto the King's chambers, only realising later, with hindsight, that they had left to two tower guards, still unconcious and bound, on the floor.
The King was a huge lizardman, with more a pronounced black tinge then his Lieutenant, who hurled his +1 Returning Tridentat Torvar as soon as he appeared in the doorway. The weapon then wrenched itself free and flew back to the King's hands leaving the poor Dwarf in a very weakened state.
Alexis healed Torvar, and then Elzara, Crumpus and Torvar charged in as one to attack, but the King struck first and Torvar slid to the floor unconcious.
After a prolonged fight the King was dragged down, more by weight of numbers than good tactics and planning. Elzara's missing equipment was discovered in this room, along with the battlemage's gear and the King's +1 Returning Trident, Amulet of Natural Armour +1 and Bracers of Armour +1.
Returning to the Shaman, the party recovered the survivors from the Keep, and were about to leave when the Shaman asked for more help. It appeared that the black lizard had left some more guards around who were stopping the Lizardfolk from tending their egg pool - the party were asked to assist with removing them, to which they readily agreed, looking forwards to another fight.
The Shaman led them to a submerged tunnel and indicated that the egg chamber was about 40' along. Eolias led the way, followed by Torvar. None of the others were able to hold their breath long enough to get through in time to help in the following combat, so the Elf and Dwarf had to face the 8 kobolds that awaited them alone.
These kobolds also had the by now familiar black tinge to their scales and fought the two characters almost to a standstill before finally being defeated.
The rest of the group made it through the submerged tunnel to find a huge chamber filled with hundreds of tiny pale leathery eggs, and one halfling-sized black egg towering over them all, which Alexis identified as being that of a Black Dragon!!! On the other side of the pool was an earthen bank with three chests on it.
Elzara carefully moved through the egg pool to the chests, which proved to be empty, then returned to the dragon egg. Upon investigating the egg she realised that it was filled with sqirming green worms!
Gingerly picking up the egg in one of the empty chests Elzara carried it back to where the rest of the party were waiting. Tanith Magic Missiled the egg, which simply released a tide of worms to swarm towards the group until Tanith flame-breathed them to a green-brown paste.
In this room the group found four potions of Cure Light, two Cure Serious, two Bull's Strength, one Haste, one Invisibility and a Minor Ring of Spell Storing.
Assuring the Shaman that they would go to the Free City to speak on their behalf the party returned to the Keep to find the few remaining soldiers in a state of terror. It transpired that the Keep's previous Battlemage succumbed to a strange disease a couple of years ago, and had been locked in the basement to either die or recover. It seems that neither has happened, and in the Lizardfolk raid the baricade on the basement room was broken and let him out.
Two soldiers have been taken and dragged into the basement where the survivors can hear at least two monsters roaming around. The soldiers describe the creatures as being like a zombie crawling with green worms!!
The party readied themselves to combat the monsters.....
Magical Items Found
- Circlet of Persuasion
- Boots of Springing & Striding
- Hide Armour +1
- 2 x Amulet of Natural Armour +1
- +1 Returning Trident
- Bracers of Armour + 1
- Minor Ring of Spell Storing
- 4 x Cure Light Potions
- 2 x Cure Moderate Potions
- 2 x Cure Serious Potions
- 2 x Bulls Strength Potions
- Potion of Haste
- Potion of Invisibilty
- 2 Crocodiles - 1,120 XP
- 4 Medium Spiders - 2,240 XP
- Assassin Vine - 780 XP
- 2 Harpies - 2,240 XP
- 6 Lizardfolk - 1,800 XP
- Lieutenant - 1,548 XP
- King - 4,650 XP
- 8 x Kobolds - 4,400 XP
- Negotiating with Shaman - 3,099 XP
- Egg Chamber - 4,650 XP
Torvar - 6,509
Eolias - 5,750
Crumpus 4,109
Tanith, 4,109
Alexis - 3,750
Elzara - 2,300
Current Totals
Torvar - 15,550 - double level up!
Eolias - 17,237 - level up!
Crumpus 11,909 - level up!
Tanith, 13,600 - level up!
Alexis - 16,681 - level up!
Elzara - 12,641
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