Session 30 recap
The party:
Hector, a 7th level Archontean fighter
Coco, an 8th level Archontean magic-user
Julia, a 7th level Archontean cleric of Lucreon
Melnax, a 6th level elf
Batengis, a 7th level Khumus acolyte of Tingri
Susarra, a 6th level Archontean fighter (retainer)
Scylla, a 5th level Archontean ranger
After having spent the previous two days clearing the Crypt of the Everlasting Brotherhood of the lesser undead occupying the sarcophagi, the party now turned its attention to the greater mummy Pannius the Discordant. The first part of the plan involved Batengis casting Silence on Hector, who then spiked the other mausoleums shut. With this accomplished, they then opened the mausoleum containing Pannius. A protracted battle ensued, but with Pannius unable to cast spells due to the Silence effect on Hector it was much less of a one sided affair. After infecting both Scylla and Hector with greater mummy rot, the concerted efforts of the party eventually brought the powerful mummy down.
Taking a moment to catch their breath, the party searched Pannius’ mausoleum, finding their long lost Rug of Instant Access and the usual assortment of ancient coinage they had become accustomed to recovering from the sarcophagi and mausoleums in the crypt. A magical amulet and brooch were found on the corpse of the greater mummy.
After recovering some of their stamina the party turned their attention to the remaining mausoleums. After dispatching first a wight and then a mummy with little difficulty, the accumulated toll on the party’s psyche began to show, and the appearance of the second mummy caused most of them to cower in fear. This mummy was eventually killed, but not before inflicting Hector with regular mummy rot. The last mausoleum contained another wight which was easily taken care of. After looting the remaining mausoleums the party retreated to Lankios’ basement for a week earned rest.
Rising early on the morning of Molivios 16th, Julis began by casting Cure Disease on Scylla and Hector. This cured Hector’s regular mummy rot and kept the greater mummy rot on both of them from progressing further, but did not cure it. They then retrieved their horses from the Inn of the Broken Head and rode back to Gosterwick on a cold breezy day to visit the Temple of Mitra. After examining Hector and Scylla the high priestess Jador the Just determined that only a Regenerate spell (paid for by a sizable donation the church of course) could cure the pair of their affliction, and she could only cast once per pay. Hector chivalrously let Scylla secured immediately, and told Jador he would return for healing on the morrow. The party took advantage of being in town to have some magic items identified at the Rarities Factor, inlcuinf the amulet and brooch found on Pannius the Discordant. The amulet was identified as an Amulet of Fire Resistance while the brooch was the Brooch of the Everlasting Brotherhood. An evil item in the form of a skull molded of silver, with tiny pieces of jet for eyes, it makes the wearer more charismatic towards other evil beings and allows for controlling lesser undead.
Returning to the villa to spend the night and wait until Hector could return to the Temple of Mitra to receive his healing, the party found that waiting for them was the historical they had contracted to travel to Narsileon and research the villa northeast of the surface ruins of Arden Vul that they had explored over a month before [see Session 18 and Session 19 recaps]. The researcher informed them that the last recorded owner of the villa had been the famous Lady Isadora, a “known aesthete, artist, philosopher, and hostess of one of the great intellectual and political salons of her age”. She had been a known compatriot and rumored lover of Priscus Pulcher, the leader of the Sortians whose execution had helped precipitate the Archontean Civil War some 1200 years prior. Further research had shown that the estate was owned for 700 years prior to the sacking of the city by a succession of women whose names always began with the letter ‘I’: Ianthe, Isabella, Iola, Irene, Isolde, and finally, Isadora.
After getting Hector’s greater mummy rot cured n the morning of Molivios 16th, they returned by horse to Arden Vul. Dropping off their horses at the Inn of the Broken Head, they made their way to what they now knew was Lady Isadora’s villa. Placating the giant wolverine that laired there with food once more, they pressed the glyphs that spelled out “ISADORA”, which accomplished nothing but the summoning of another invisible stalker which was quickly dispatched..
Rather than try other passwords and fight invisible stalkers all day the party decided to continue their search for the wizard on the baboon level. Returning to the secret natural tunnel that they had explored some days earlier, they continued to the west and found that it connected to a network of secret five foot wide passages. A secret door was found at the top of a small flight stair and the party opened it to find a chamber of defaced frescoes of gilt and lapis that once depicted priests of Thoth in full ceremonial robes performing various rituals. By the west wall sat an enormous statue of Thoth, seated and in human guise. Behind it was a fresco showing an ibis emitting rays, with robed figures genuflecting before it. Above the fresco was a phrase in Mithric: “Let the Faithful Render Honor and Glory to the Light Which Reveals All.” Two sections of mosaic portrayed the Whispering Hall and the Great Hall. These were shown to be Living Mosaics as the image of a chasm cephalopod floated across the Whispering Hall as the party watched. A large mound of clothing lay in one corner and three dead goats and two dead goblins hung from hooks set in the east wall, while a rectangular stone water basin was located against the south wall. A pair of leather sacks were attached to a hook in the ceiling.
Also attached to a set of manacles stapled to the ceiling was an emaciated human male. Four baboons occupied the room, and these began hooting in alarm as the party entered the chamber. An answer to this hooting came in the form of heavy footsteps approaching rapidly as Sisko the huge four armed albino baboon burst into the chamber and demanded to know why the party was in his private chamber. The charismatic Hector was able to defuse the situation and explained to Sisco that they had discovered the secret door leading to his chamber while searching for the wizard. This somewhat mollified Sisco and he agree that he party could return the way they came. Hector said the party would gladly do so, but wanted first to barter for the life of the human captive. Sisco was amenable to this, and the party paid four rubies for the man, who gratefully accompanied them back into the secret hallway.
He introduced himself as Burris, a Thorcin fighter who had come to Arden Vul to seek his fortune and had been quickly captured by the baboons. After Batangis vouched for his high moral character the party provided him with healing and equipment and said they would bring him to the surface with them when they had finished their exploring for the day.
Continuing south down the passage, they had just turned to the west when another secret door was found to the south. No sounds were detected beyond the portal and the party opened the door to reveal a triangular chamber lit by torches and almost completely undecorated save for a huge white ibis head painted over door through which they entered. The southeast wall of the room contained a long workbench with a variety of wizardly and priestly objects on it. Against the northern wall rested an interrogation table made of stone, with bronze manacles; still shackled to the table is the desiccated corpse of a human being. The western wall has two sections of mosaic, one showing the Audience Chamber while the other showed the Judgment Hall. The center of the room is carpeted; on the circular carpet is a table, four chairs, and an additional easy chair, in which slumped a middle aged man with greying hair wearing elaborate formal robes and a Thothian headdress.
As the party entered the room, the man in the easy chair stirred and came awake, looking befuddled and confused. Introducing himself as Arpostas, the party learned over a brief conversation that his name was Arpostas, and the corpse on the interrogation table had been Xerxastes, who Arpostas described as untrustworthy and duplicitous. As the conversation took place and Arpostas invited the party to sit with him and converse, Melnax surreptitiously used the Wand of Enemy Detection, and he was not surprised to find that the wand indicated that Arpostas was indeed not as benign as he presented himself to be.
The party decided to gain the initiative and attack first. As Susarra stepped onto the circular rug in the middle of the room, the entire visage of the chamber changed. The party now saw a smudged summoning circle with a pentagram inside it, as well as a desiccated corpse where the illusionary table used to be, all amid a well stocked laboratory. The man in the chair was revealed to have a devilish demeanor, and as the party moved to attack he Dominated Hector who then attacked Scylla to protect his new “friend”. As Scylla and Susarra attacked the demon, Batengis was able to cast Hold Person from a magic item and prevent Hector from further attacking the party. The devil soon dominated Scylla as well, and as Coco gave the Bones of Jaken the Proud to Burris and he presented them, the devil man summoned an Ice Devil and, unable to reach anyone to take with him, departed alone for his home dimension.
The party now found themselves in a small chamber with a rather large and angry Ice Devil. As they backed towards the door to make their escape, dragging the held Scylla and Susarra with them, the Ice Devil, unable to engage them in melee, called down a great Ice Storm, the large hailstone soft which killed Burris and knocked Batengis unconscious. Coco retrieved the Bones of Jaken the Proud and used them to hold the devil at bay as they exited the chamber.
Once they were back in the passageway Julia cast Warding Chain of Glyphs from a scroll, and as the Ice Devil burst through the door the glyphs severely wounded but did not defeat it. As the party retreated to the east and north, the Ice Devil ran off to the west, where the party heard first hooting and then screams of pain from a host of baboons. The party practiced the better part of valor and retreated to Lankios’ basement to lick their wounds and regroup.
RIP:
Burris, a Thorcin fighter, pummeled to death by hail from an Ice Storm
Foes defeated:
Pannius the Discordant, greater mummy and High Priest of the Everlasting Brotherhood
Two mummies
Two wights
One invisible stalker