Cast of Characters
Theren Moonshadow, a Moon Elf Bard played by Payson
Lutheo, a Halfling Paladin played by Dale
Otep, a Half Orc Fighter played by Nelson
Akronos, a Human Wizard played by Alec
Ceress, a Saurien Monk played by Graham
Tykor, very old half elven innkeeper that has forgotten he used to go by Illanor, an arch mage of the Conclave of Freedom - NPC
Nikos, friend of Tykor and entertainment manager for the Inn of the Broken Staff - NPC
The party has just teleported to just outside the city of Freeport. They decide that they will skirt around the city and avoid talking to anyone. They won't visit the offices of General Tomas Harn to take the city up on the deal of cleaning the haunted mansion earns it, but only if they inform the city in advance. They figure it would be better to clear it without anyone knowing they are doing it and then fake cleaning it later to claim it.
They get to the mansion around three in the afternoon. It has been rebounded up since their attempt on it several months ago. They pry the boards from the front door and with some prepared spells, they head in. Otep, Lutheo and Ceress lead the way with Theren and Akronos at the rear. Nikos and Tykor stay outside waiting for the party to give them the all clear to follow them in (despite the parties urging them to join and help).
Battle is joined before Otep has even had a chance to make it across the entry hall. Several very tough zombies with glowing blue eyes, come in and there is a pounding fight that rages for many rounds. Some of the zombies are dressed in various types of armor and cary swords, staves or other weapons and some look like they may have been a maid, butler or other house staff and attack with their clawed hands.
Ceress is struck with fear and can't proceed in much further at the start of the battle, but he soon gets over it. Akronos launches spells from the back ranks, creating with one of his destructive spells rough terrain for the zombies to cross over to get to the party. Theren throws several fireballs at groups of the zombies, once catching Lutheo at the edge of the blast.
The wailing apparition appears early in the battle and lets out her blood curtailing screams, damaging all close by that hear her. Akronos, Tykor and Nikos all back up outside to get out of her range, with Tykor and Nikos chatting about how it sounds like it is going for the battle inside and what they look forward to most when they get back to the Inn of the Broken Staff.
At one point, the whispering madness effects Theren and he draws his rapier and takes a swing at Otep, but misses him. At another point, the madness gets inside Otep's head and he spends the next several moments in the deep despair of what he heard, missing out on the battle raging around him.
Still fighting in the entry hall, the party finally whittles down the zombies. They wailing spirit retreats as they do damage it it with a fireball and other spells. The party is badly battered and spent and decide that they need to retreat and heal up. Otep explores the main room and discovers that it has an open ceiling to the second floor but he doesn't see any more undead right away.
Ceress and Otep take to dragging a few of the zombie bodies out of the building to see if they regenerate over night. When Otep goes back in for a sixth body two more zombies attack him with a third coming towards him.
The party makes a hasty retreat and close the front door and the board it up again.
With healing all around, they devise a plan to check to see if the zombies will regenerate over night while the party rests and regains their abilities before starting the assault the next day.
Of the five bodies recovered they take three bodies outside the estate's perimeter, about 100 feet past the entry gate to the main grounds. Two of these bodies are burned to ash, any remaining bones are pulverized by Otep. The third is stripped of gear but otherwise untouched. The other two bodies are left inside the estate perimeter, one burnt and pulverized, the other without gear but untouched.
The party rotates sleep and watch, camping between the two groups of remains with two sentries on either side close to the bodies. They make sure that their sentries able to see bodies and easily able to wake sleepers if anything happens. They watch through the night in shifts to see if any of the captured remains regenerate but when the sun rises in the morning they see that the dead are still dead with no signs of regenerating.
This is where the session ends. Next session, the party will once again assault the mansion and hope to clear it out. If they don't, they can always join Nikos and Tykor back at the Inn of the Broken Staff and retire from this crazy adventuring life, at least until the demon Draxorith breaks lose and wreaks havoc on the world...