9th Day of the Claw of winter (February): DAY FIVE
Harpshield Castle’s Gricks (9:00 pm):
Vicross and Sir Ly are surprised by the 2 Gricks that were by the dead Magical Orc, camouflaged by the rocky ground, and Kelson Moves in to protect their rear from the 3rd Grick.
Kelson kills his Grick while Vicross casts ‘Colour Spray’, knocking one of the Gricks unconscious and Sir Ly does battle with the last of the Gricks.
Vicross keeps an eye on the southern two 4’ foot-wide circular passages open in the south wall near the floor.
After the Gricks are killed the Adventurers notice the other Tree Truck Barrier had been opened and was left that way.
Vicross proposes that both Tree Truck Barriers should be closed to stop any more Gricks for appearing.
Sir Ly: “That what all the Green Ichor was then.”
The Adventurers then move back to the Throne Room where they use the ‘Cup of Healing’ and a ‘Cure Light Wounds’ Spell from Kelson to Heal the Paladin.
The Adventurers then move into a chamber at the bottom of the 2 sets of stairs.
Vicross: “Remember that this is where the Zombies fled to when you ‘Turned’ them Sir Ly and I can still hear some noise from below.”
Sir Ly goes down, Holy Symbol in one hand and his New ‘Shield’ in the other and followed by Kelson Darktreader with his ‘Eleven Longbow’. Sir Ly makes the 4 human Zombies escape via the eastern stairs and Vicross moves down.
This room contains large wooden crates, mostly open or broken and empty.
The Adventurers look around the chamber but can see everything that was of worth has been taken.
Kelson Darktreader: “I believe that we should hunt Wartsnak Direlord down.”
Vicross: “If it is in fact Wartsnak Direlord.”
The Adventurers, feeling they have plenty of time discuss their next plan of action with the Wizard feeling he was depleted, the Paladin want to rid this once noble Castle of the Undead within it and Kelson Darktreader chases his mission objectives.
Sir Ly: “What is it that you seek Kelson?”
Kelson Darktreader: “I have been told that I will find that which will protect my Duke and the Item that I myself have been seeking.”
Sir Ly: “What are they?”
Kelson Darktreader: “Not they good Paladin, but both come from the same item. For what I seek I cannot say to you for now. The other though is your duty to the Duke and Daggerford.”
The Adventurers realise that there is a missing Fanged Moon Orc Captain that had run down into this chamber, but was not seen inside or his tracks were not in the Grick Corridor. Kelson Darktreader uses his Tracking skills and finds that the Fanged Moon Orc Captain along with 4 Orogs had moved into this room and disappeared through a Secret Door.
Vicross then elects to active the ‘Sending Stones’ for the third time this day.
A pivoting slab of stone, 5’ feet on each side and 6’’ inches thick, can be opened in the wall 5’ feet above the floor.
Vicross casts a Spell to summon an ‘Unseen Servant’ which he sends to open the Secret Door and then drop down into what every was beyond.
Sir Ly: “I will follow behind the ‘Unseen Servant’ and attack anything it scares out.”
Sir Ly and Vicross, once the Secret Door was open could see into the chamber beyond.
The walls of this room are dressed white stone and contain several empty niches. A stairway near the middle of the north wall is choked with rubble. Another passage leads north at the west end of the room.
The sound of Sword play can be heard when the ‘Unseen Servant’ enters the chamber with a ‘Continual Light’ sling bullet in its grasp, but only steel on stone.
Sir Ly moves, as best he can, down the narrow corridor and can see that there are 2 Orogs swinging their Two-Handed Swords at the ‘Unseen Servant’ and the sly Fanged Moon Orc Captain hiding in the opening of the passage leading north at the west end of the chamber.
Fanged Moon Orc Captain: “Stop attacking the light you fools and deal with the Fish Skin Man.”
Sir Ly jumps down and begins to do battle as Kelson Darktreader follows the Paladin, ‘Elven Longbow’ in hand. The Orogs are both killed and Sir Ly is about to follow after the Fanged Moon Orc Captain but a call in Elven stops him in his tracks.
Vicross: “I heard a noise coming from the stairway to the North, beware Paladin.”
Sir Ly engages with another 2 Orogs that were hiding in the stairway and Kelson Darktreader fires his ‘Eleven Longbow’. Both Orogs lay dead on the floor and Sir Ly can see that the stairway is full of rubble and impassable. The Paladin then waits for the other 2 Adventurers to descend into the chamber and he rushes off to hunt down the Fanged Moon Orc Captain.
The Fanged Moon Orc Captain is waiting for them, Hand-Axe in hand and throws it at the Paladin, as he is the first through the Door, praise be unto Saint Cuthbert that he does it so well. They Fanged Moon Orc Captain put up a resistance until Kelson Darktreader and Vicross join the fight and he is soon dispatched.
This room contains a large chest, open and full of hundreds of Copper and Silver coins, and a display stand on which rests a small ‘Crystal Decanter’.
Vicross looks at the clear liquid and smells it, it smells of Lilacs to him and he sets about collecting all empty potion bottles and filling them with the clear liquid.
Vicross: “It’s full of ‘Potions of Extra-Healing’ and we only have 3 spare Potion Bottles. Sir Ly drink this last one as we cannot take it.”
Sir Ly immediately regrets the kind offer as he suddenly notices its ill effects and throws up as much as he can, only taking slight damage from the Poison.
Vicross: “This room looks too important to just leave unsearched.”
The Adventures all spend a very long time searching the Antechamber, taking it in turn searching walls in turn. Nothing is found.
After about 20 minutes they still find nothing in the niches of this chamber.
Vicross: “I feel that the treasure room looks too important to just leave unsearched.”
After about 45 minutes, and all looking at their last section of wall, Sir Ly discovers another Secret Door in the north wall of this False Treasure Room. Beyond Sir Ly find an Old Treasure Room.
“Sir Ly: “It looks to me as if no one has been in this chamber in centuries.”
This room contains two small chests, three display stands, three large clay urns, and a bench, on which sits a gilded, life-sized statue of a Cat.
The first chest contains several Electrum and hundreds of Silver coins, and the second chest contains hundreds of Gold coins and about 40 or so Gems.
One stand holds a suit of well-made suit of Chain Mail, another holds a Magnificent Warhammer, and the third holds a Great Shield.
All the urns are old Kingdom of Man artwork, ancient indeed.
Kelson Darktreader stays to the back and keeps his keen eyes and ears open. Sir Ly looks into the chests and finds their Treasure within and Vicross selects to examine the Gilded Cat.
The Gilded Cat Statue shatters, magically releasing a Tiger that attacks that which triggered it, Vicross.
Sir Ly instantly moves to aid Vicross, while Vicross is viciously clawed by the Tiger. Next followed a frantic battle with Vicross Casting his ‘Slow’ Spell at the Tiger, Sir Ly finding it hard to damage the Tiger, while the Tiger itself fought with the Strength and Speed, even though ‘Slowed’ by the Wizards Spell, enough to his the Wizard with both its Claws and then it Raked him with its Rear Claws.
The Nobel creature is eventually dispatched, but not without causing serious damage.