Session Summary #7

[Nathan Sherman]

Session Summary #7

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

The party is getting close to Freeport and have decided to skirt the town and follow the finger to the east of Freeport.

That morning they check the magical scroll from Boazman and he has responded to their request to find out more about the Conclave Freedom members.

Boazman has written:

I've done some more research for you on the 6 members of the Conclave of Freedom. Here is what I've been able to discover:
Tarmondan was a Female Wizard originally from Rukemia.
Hardin was a Male Cleric originally from Kitar
Geldan was a Male Wizard originally from Ormek
Kelandor was a Female Cleric originally from Rukemia
Illanor was a Male Wizard originally from the War Vale
Nikova was a Male Wizard originally from Mercia

After the war, Kelandor dedicated her life to healing others, working from sun up to sun down using her spells and natural skills with medicine and first aid to heal any that needed her. She lived for 35 years after the war, dedicating her life in Aridorn working at the Basiliarch, the famous cathedral of the Imarusian faith. After her death she was declared a saint by the church and has been interred in the Basiliarch.

Nikova went on to become a politician back in his home nation of Mercia. He rose to the status of Advisor to the King and served for many years. He had a large family and a large estate there in Freeport where he passed away at an old age. Nothing is mentioned about where he is buried but a family crypt or graveyard is typical in the Mercia tradition for nobles with estates.

Hardin became a crusader leading many battles for his home nation of Kitar into the borderlands with Duthelm. He spent the 12 years following the end of the Demon Wars helping Kitar retake lands that were lost to Duthelm. He finally lost his life fighting in the Duthelm held city of Storm Port, trying to retake it. His death was the end of the Kitar reclamation of land and the boundaries haven't changed much since that time. As far a I can tell, his body was lost behind enemy lines.

Tarmondan, Geldan and Illanor were lost to the history books within a year of the end of the war. I haven't been able to find where they went much less where or how they died.

The party responds and asks Boazman about the king at the time of Nikova's return to Mercia. Later in the day he responds and lets them know that Jorit Mercia, the first of his name was King of Mercia 150 years ago when Nikova was his advisor.

The party decides to ask him two more questions, one based in where they are and what they are discovering and the other based on a false trail in case Boazman has been compromised. They ask him:

"What history can you give us about that king.

Is there any record of Tarmondan in the Myrian jungle and can you recommend a city to stay at in that area."

The response is "I'll look up some information about Jorit of Mercia. No record of Tarmondan after the war. I know almost nothing about Myria except that the closest civilized nation is Kalimura and its capitol is Orrojek."

The party continues on and they pick up the eastern road leading out of Freeport. It follows the coast for a few miles before turning inland towards Fishbaugh and eventually forking off to Brian's Port. Several miles after leaving the coast there is a side lane that is greatly overgrown heading south. It obviously hasn't been used in many years based on the growth and downed trees that haven't been cleared off the road. About 100 feet off the main road down this side lane is a sign stating "By the Order of General Tomas Harn: Go No Further". The party takes this as a good sign and are comforted in knowing that they probably won't be bothered by others while they are exploring this area.

Theren turns Ceress invisible and the party sends him down the lane to scope it out. His moving is slow since he is trying to be quiet and he makes it a ways down the lane without finding anything except for overgrowth and neglect. He returns to the party and they all head down the lane to discover what lays at the end of fit.

The overgrowth is severe in this area with nature taking back the land that was once manicured and tamed. Rock walls can be seen peaking out from the overgrowth at the sides of the road leading to the south. After three miles down the lane and the party comes on what was once a grand gate. A pair of rock pillars that stretch 15 feet into the air and twin 10 foot wide iron doors would have been the entrance to an imposing and sprawling estate grounds. Now the left side of the gate hangs on by just the top hinge the the right gate is laying just inside the entrance buried by the grass and brambles.

The estate has fallen into terrible disrepair. Trees are overgrown or fallen down from past storms and neglect. The grass has gone wild and in many areas is overtaken by wild brambles.

The mansion is boarded up and run down. There are multiple signs placed around it stating "By the Order of General Tomas Harn, Do Not Enter on Pain of Possession, Death and Eternal Damnation". This does not deter them and Otep strides up to the boarded up front door of the estate.

As Otep approaches the mansion with the rest of the party following him they can hear the sounds of the wind picking up, lightly whispering at first but increasing to a murmur and then a howl by the time they have gotten right up to the property.  There is the sound of the wind but no movement of air to accompany it. As they get closer to the mansion they can pick out voices in the wind but can't decipher what they are saying. Occasionally, the noise is pierced by a blood chilling wail, an otherworldly sound of anguish.

This doesn't phase Otep at all and he takes his mighty maul and smashes the boards across the front door. He then bashes in the door, breaking the door frame and sending the door swinging wide open. It's dark and covered in dust inside with no signs of life. All of the windows are boarded up from the outside and the curtains are drawn closed on the inside. Otep strides in and he is followed by Lutheo. Theren and Akronos try to enter but are gripped by fear and can't go more than a foot into the mansion. Ceress joins Lutheo and Otep and they start to explore the entrance way with the rest of their party staying outside.

The wailing picks up and and a floating apparition comes around the corner and into the entryway. The party quickly discovers that Otep is the only one that can hit it since he is the only one in the mansion with a magical weapon and all other attacks pass right through it. It attacks with both wicked screams damaging all and causing waves of fear as well as raking claws of necrotic damage. Otep does some good damage to it in return to the damage it is doing to the party but it eventually sinks into the floor, leaving battle. Many shambling undead with glowing blue eyes come down the halls to join battle with the party but they flee since they are already damaged and running out of resources.

Once clear of the house Theren uses his magical ring and throws two fireballs into the entrance to kill them. Something inside slams the damaged door closed and the party retreats to lick their wounds and devise a plan. They go back toward the main the road and camp for the night and make an attempt the next morning. 

While camping they ask Boazman "Do you know anything about undead that wail and make you cold and afraid and that float and are female? What are their vulnerabilities? Do you know if they regenerate?"

He lets them know that he doesn't know what type of undead that would indicate but that ghosts often have a touchstone that would revitalize them.

The next morning they make another attempt on the mansion despite apparently being severely outclassed. They break open a window and plan to have Otep enter and fight while Ceress goes in another way to look for whatever the finger is pointing at with the help of Theren's invisibility. Akronos casts Protection from Evil on Otep and Ceres to help them with the fear effects. It all goes pretty bad pretty quickly when the sounds of the breaking window attracts the apparition and it comes and attacks. Akronos and Theren both fail to hold themselves together and decide that leaving in fear is better than staying and dying. They loose concentration on their spells and the invisibility and and protection from evil wards end.

With the final words of "When luck is on your side, you roll with it" Ceress goes into an adjoining room through a window despite the plan falling apart.

Bad luck continues to be on his side and he catches his heel on the window sill while sneaking into the room. He keeps himself from falling but his clumsy entry alerts a pair of zombies that then chase him into the next room. Realizing that things are going exponentially bad he decides to dive out a partially boarded up window instead of getting cornered by these zombies with the glowing eyes.

Back with the rest of the party, Akronos and Theren support Otep with spells and the thrown Shadow Blade from a distance. Fire and ice doesn't seem to effect the ghost but force effects do.

This is where session #7 ends. The party's attempt on the mansion has not been going smoothly. The ghost is resistant to most of what the party has thrown at it, makes many of them terrified and the zombies with glowing eyes seem to be everywhere.