Session 9 – Orrin’t You Glad We Came Back?
Campaign II, session 9. Previous: Session 8. Next: Session 10.
The party bashes down a locked door after hearing someone shouting for help. Orrin is here! He’s been tormented by the kobolds, surviving on a diet of undercooked rat; they were probably going to eat him soon. He notes that the goblins used him as some part of a prisoner exchange.
Continuing to bash down doors, the party alerts another small gang of kobolds, which they handily dispatch. Afterwards a bit of exploring small rooms, they find themselves back in the room where Cassion died so many weeks ago - and they know they are close to the exit. They hatch a plan to move the kobold queen’s treasure into this room to make it easier to get out when the time comes. During the move, though, the party gets flanked by a larger group of kobolds!
Cresilde goes down in the first round. The party manages to finish off the remaining kobolds quickly, but Arelle (now affectionately known as “tortilla lady”) also falls in the battle. Jan is able to resuscitate Cresilde (broken ribs, can’t force march), and Cresilde is able to guide Jan in treating Arelle’s wounds (mangled arm, no longer able to use it to climb or fight).
The party decides not to wait any longer before getting the treasure out to their waiting cart. Unfortunately, during the climb up, Jan loses her grip on the rope and takes a bad fall. Cresilde is able to help, but Jan’s knee is now crippled (permanent 3 stone of encumbrance).
The uninjured party members decide to make a brief jaunt back in to test their dragon key and see if there’s any more treasure - they will retreat at the first sign of resistance. They open the large door and discover a second door, this time with five dragon heads carved into it:
There are also five orbs on pedestals:
Each plaque has an imperative in the draconic language, such as “let there be fire” or “let there be frost”. The party touches the red orb with their torch, and it begins to glow. Also one of the heads on the door begins to glow!
With this knowledge, the party retreats once more and returns to town
Jan ends up retiring (will be replaced by a monk-like Student of Throden, name TBD). The busted knee was just too much. Mexiffeles allows Arelle to depart with her share of treasure rather than asking her to fight on. Likewise, none of the party wishes to re-hire Orrin either.
Mex speaks to the group: “I’m not a man of letters myself, but perhaps there would be more information on these types of things in the local library?”
This prompts Fenmyra to hit the books. She will eventually turn up a map of the Citadel!
Cresilde copies some spells from the kobold queen’s spellbook, then sells it to the local Hall of Scrolls. She also learns thunderclap in hopes of potentially triggering the blue orb.
Vierath returns to the apothecary and asks for an additional dose of Yew poison, in hopes of triggering the green orb.
Fenmyra visits a local alchemist to identify a potion and acquire some alchemist’s acid, with hopes of triggering the black orb.
(It’s midwinter in the tundra, so they will try packing some snow and/or ice to trigger the white orb).
Between Fenmyra’s gnose for potions and the local alchemist, they are able to identify two potions from their treasure: one of delay disease and one of night terrors. The alchemist is able to find a quick buyer for the potion of delay disease (500gp) and also, suspiciously, for the potion of night terrors (1000gp).