Session 07 - I Think I Filged My Pants

10th of Marpenoth, 1371 DR
The door into the main portion of the observatory lead directly into the Dinner Party of Terror! Nine corpses, in varying stages of decomposition, were seated around a table as if they were guests at a fancy dinner party. Trogdor recognized them as simply corpses and not Undead. Dolgun took that information along with previous instructions to not burn down the observatory and came up with a clever solution to this non-problem.

He breathed fire all over the corpses!

The fire set off some sort of magical trap (a Magic Mouth perhaps) and set all the corpses to screamin’. The fire also started fillin’ the room with putrid, greasy, smoke that threatened to choke us all. At least Dolgun managed to provide some ventilation, buy smashing the priceless stained-glass window.

I would start referrin’ to Dolgun as “Brain Trust,” but I don’t want him spittin’ flamin’ snot all over me.

Aside from the charred (and now frozen) corpses, the only other things we found were a storage closet full of chairs and a kitchen. So, we headed up the stairs where we found a creepy bedroom. I wish I had Trogdor’s medical training. Then I may have noticed that Storn managed to contract the same mind-debilitatin’ disease that Dolgun was sufferin’ from. I, however, never received that kind of trainin’, and was therefore surprised to see the infection spread so fast.

Storn went up to the most disturbin’ part of the bedroom (a rag-wrapped corpse holdin’ a head on a silver platter; its blackened tongue sticking out with a platinum coin on it) and took the coin. Proof of his infected state, Storn was shocked that this resulted in another Magic Mouth alarm. We were basically givin’ Filge a room-by-room update of where we were and when we would be along to meet him.

As Sparrow (probably as annoyed at the Dwarves as I was) checked under the bed, she was attacked by another Tome Mote. Although it nibbled on Sparrow and Dolgun a bit, Storn managed to kill it and then proceeded to scream and howl like a blood-crazed barbarian as he jumped up and down on the remains of the Tome Mote until there was nothing left but a pile of bones and grit, which Dolgun then mixed into his keg of ale and drank.

Okay, that last part didn’t really happen, but it wouldn’t have surprised me if it did.

That’s when we heard the mad, cacklin’ laughter coming from upstairs and a voice (Filge, as it turns out) that said, “Arise! Arise!” We got up the stairs just in time to see four glass vats burst asunder, spillin’ yellowish green liquid all over the floor. Steppin’ out of the wreckage of the vats, four grotesque Zombies that were somehow…meatier what I would have expected. As if that weren’t bad enough, Filge himself had a ghostly hand hoverin’ near his head, a Tome Mote at his feat, and another Skeleton as a personal bodyguard!

Dolgun rushed into the room and spewed clingin’ ice all over the closest Zombie. That didn’t stop the Tome Mote from rushin’ in to bite him. Then Flige cast some kind of necromantic spell, the ghostly hand was suffused with a hellish, red glow and rushed forward to touch Dolgun’s throat. Dolgun groaned and visibly paled as the hand seemed to absorb somethin’ from the Dwarf and in pulse of blood red light, transmitted that somethin’ to Filge who was then suffused with a healthy glow. Hine grazed the Necromancer with an arrow, but Filge didn’t even flinch. I moved up the stairs and squeezed my way next to the blazin’ hot mirror that was focusin’ sunlight on Filge’s horrible operatin’ theatre (more on that later) – I wanted to be able to see him. The other Zombies converged on Dolgun, surroundin’ him in Undead flesh. Sparrow shot the nearest Zombie, but the arrow just stuck in the thing’s body with no visible effect. Storn’s great falchion strike, however, had a visible effect and nearly cleaved off the thing’s arm. Trogdor made it to the top of the stairs and called forth Lathander’s power upon the Undead.

Dolgun wisely disengaged from the fight, barely able to stay on his feet. The Tome Mote fled across the room away from Lathander’s holy light. Filge began to cast another Vampiric Touch spell, but I was waitin’ for him. Before he could complete the spell, I blasted him with a trio of Magic Missiles (reachin’ deep for my reserves). Filge’s powers of concentration were formidable and he managed to maintain concentration on the spell. The ghostly hand touched my chest and I felt a cold chill course through my body even as Filge seemed to grow stronger! That added strength was short-lived, however, as a pair of arrows from Hine whittled away the Necromancer’s magically reinforced life. Three of the four Zombies shambled away from Trogdor and his god, but the last one stuck around to flail uselessly at Hine. Sparrow moved up on the operatin’ theatre and got clawed by the Zombie when she got too close. She still managed to shoot Filge with an arrow. With the Zombies out of the way, Storn moved around the room towards Filge. As soon as he rounded the stairs, Filge’s Skeleton (the last member of the Land family as it turned out) charged Storn, its scimitar deflecting off the Dwarf’s armor. Trogdor moved to the stairs and started healin’ Dolgun.

Somewhat refreshed, Dolgun moved back into the room and breathed ice all over the only Zombie still fightin’. Filge started castin’ a Scare spell, I hammered him with another barrage of Magic Missiles, and again he managed to maintain his concentration enough to complete the magic words. Storn proved too brave to be scared off with such a simple spell, however (although he was noticeably shaken). A pair of Hine’s arrows flew wide of their marks. The Zombie shambled over a slammed into the archer. Sparrow shot Filge again. Storn dodged around the Skeleton and scored a glancin’ blow against the evil Wizard. We had finally gotten through all Filge’s stolen life energy and were finally spillin’ his blood. Trogdor cast another healin’ spell on Dolgun.

Dolgun moved to get an angle on Filge. Filge started castin’ another spell, but I was ready for him again. Although I’d expended my reserves on the first two spells, he was so hurt that this pair of Magic Missiles proved his undoin’. He collapsed on the floor unconscious or dead. Sparrow made sure he was dead a moment later with a fatal bow shot. We finished off the other Undead in short order and proceeded to loot the observatory.

On the operatin’ table was a man who had his tongue cut out and his chest opened up – flaps of skin pinned in place with large needles. Through some awful magic, the man was still alive! We put his chest back together as well as we could and Trogdor graced him with a lot of healin’ magic. Finally, the horrible wounds healed, but his tongue didn’t grow back and the man was clearly in shock. Frankly, I can’t see how he wasn’t reduced to a gibberin’ mess after such an ordeal.

Back to the guild house, we picked up Allistor, who was very happy Carenthal had been able to reassemble his family’s remains. We buried all the Lands. Allistor told us he had unlocked the large iron door for us. Then we went to the Cult of Final Passage to let ‘em know about the Necromancer and the fact that Smenk himself had set this villain up in Diamond Lake! Then we dropped the tongueless man off at the church if Ilmater. I figured they’d be able to help the poor soul after all the sufferin’ he’d been through.

I almost forgot! We found this note on Filge’s desk (along with some potions with strange, Undead worms in ‘em):

Filge,

I need you in Diamond Lake, my boy. The cult situation has grown worse. Deep within Dourstone Mine they’re studying things brought in from the southern hills. Green worms and unkillable Zombies. I nicked on of the worms for you to study.

I’ll put you up in the old observatory. Show this letter to the big white Half-Orc at the feral Dog. He’ll help you get settled. I trust you’ll find these coins sufficient to cover your travel from the free city.

S.

What cult? What’s goin’ on in the Dourstone Mine? What’s with these worms? Could these worms actually tie into the insane ramblins we’ve been hearin’ about an “Age of Worms?” And when the hell did Kullen learn to read?

That night, on the way back home, we were ambushed by a band of Grimlocks. We sustained some minor injuries but managed to kill most of them and drive away a pair of survivors.


11th of Marpenoth, 1371 DR
Dropped by Allustan’s today and left him the Undead worm in a bottle to study. I wonder if he can figure out what the thing is.

Then we delivered Kullen’s 25% and went to the garrison to deliver Filge’s body and let the garrison know what Smenk has been up to. They really appreciated our report and our decisive action and gave us a hefty sack of coins as a reward. Maybe another night of drinkin’ and stories with the garrison boys is forthcoming.

I have to say, all this action has really honed my spellcastin’ skills. I am findin’ I can conjure up more spell energy than ever before. My Magic Missiles are hittin’ harder and I can cast them more often before becomin’ exhausted. Best of all, I think I’ve figured out a new way to mold the force energy of the Magic Missiles. Now, instead of several thin bolts, I am combinin’ the power into one large bolt. It manifests as a green bolt of lightin’ about as thick as my arm and the front looks a bit like a clenched fist!

Unlike my beloved Magic Missiles, this thing don’t seem to home in on targets automatically. I have to aim it. But when it hits, it strikes like a hammer! Based on the little experimentation I’ve done, I’m sure I can knock a person off their feet if I can manage to hit ‘em right.

I can’t wait to try this thing out for real!