HRE Campaign Session 10
Published:
9/26/1631:
Sid, Yohann, and Toblar-Oun delve back to the second level of the catacombs.
They ignore the checker board room with the petrified spiders and take a closer look at the room with the wall paintings. Behind the painting with the labyrinth, they find two clerical (Detect Evil, Protection from Evil) scrolls and two arcane scrolls (Ventriloquism, Light/Darkness). When Yohann breaks down the wall of the Southern painting, a black tentacle made from saltwater attacks. A quick scuffle ensues and Sid eventually cuts the tentacle down.
Further North, they find a large, brown stone spider. They carefully approach without any torch and destroy the spider before it awakes. The group has learned to keep Yohann and his torch in the back while exploring this level.
Behind some rumble in a eastward corridor, Toblar-oun and Sid find grave niches filled with human skulls and gold ducats. Whenever they take one the room gets colder. After three coins are taken, frost bite saps the tow of some of their strength and they decide to retreat.
Further north, they find a large domed area full of cobwebs. Sid hears a noise. They carefully approach and find two more cannibals, feasting on a dead body. They spring an ambush on the cannibals. They take them down quickly but not without Sid taking a knife wound.
After having taken care of the cannibal threat in the area, they investigate a wax-covered altar and find two sheepskin scrolls. One is sheet music for Songs of the Frog: Death Fugue (whatever will this music do?) and a magical incantation of unknown provenance. After some study, Sid discerns the incantation will restore vitality to the caster by taking it from someone else. They also find a passage to a room with an unsafe floor and a door protected with a rune mark. They decide to leave that tomb unopened for now.
The explore the corridors to the South. They find a room with a young cannibal, holding and petting a stone spider in his lap. He is very close to the checker-board room full of additional spiders. They take no risk and surprise the cannibal. Toblar-Oun takes him down with one skilled shot.
They break open a small tomb. The curse mark on the door conjured maggots that eat their way out of Yohann’s left eye, going partially blind. Behind the cursed tomb’s seal, they find a beautiful woman, resting on a black stone slab, with a wooden stake through her heart. A cloud of black moths flutter over her body. Her head is resting on a red leather-bound folio. The group carefuly approaches, holy water in hand. Toblar-Oun quickly snatches the book and does not wake the woman. They party retreats as quickly as possible. The book contains insights into arcane magic–certainly of use to an Elf or Magic-User!
They explore further West, beyond the blade trap that felled Gerenscer. They find a room with a suspicious ceiling and several undisturbed grave niches. They, for now, ignore this room and stride further North. They find three rooms full of old wood coffins. They take one hour to carefully scour the coffins, recovering some small treasures. They also find the tomb of Heinz Braustich (Alchemist, 1271-1308). Inside, they recover three mysterious bottles:
- A bellied glass bottle with the inscription „Wisdom“.
- Vial with cloudy liquid, labeled: „Life force - unsafe“.
- Vial with inscription „Against petrification“. Inside, crystal clear liquid with reddish material at the bottom.
Total recovered treasure: 4 regular scrolls (Detect Evil, Protection Against Evil, Ventriloquism, Light/Darkness), 3 golden ducats (each worth 100 gp), small valuables worth 52 gp, 3 mysterious bottles, a red folio (worth 200gp if sold), sheet music (Songs of the Frog: Death Fugue), and a scroll with a magical incantation.