SUNDAY, MAY 24TH - THE ORDER OF THE FLAGON SESSIONS 4 & 5 COMBINED RECAP
The party made their way down a narrow corridor, the air grew colder and a stale, pungent odor of rot met their nostrils. They passed through an open archway into a large, domed, round room. One wall was occupied by large wooden tables laden with glass jars and beakers of filled with all manner of spell components for dark magics. Ulbrik set about smashing them, meaning to deny them to those that would practice the dark arts.
Milosh moved about the chamber with Forlan and Rhonin, searching for anything of value. They found the remnants of a chalk summoning circle in the center of the room, black candles burned down to nearly nothing but stubs. Milosh found a glyph of warding on a loose stone in the left wall, it’s magic weakened from age and neglect. Having no way to dispel the glyph, they instead triggered it with a well placed firebolt unleashing the restrained magic. Once safely discharged they discovered a hidden niche behind the loose stone that hid a black spell book, the magic contained within coming from the school of Necromancy. Seeing the contents and knowing it would fetch a good price, Milosh put the book away for safe transport.
Satisfied there was nothing else of interest in the chamber, they moved to the door on the wall opposite of the archway they had used to enter the room. They found the door locked, but in a few moments time they had the lock open and found a stairway beyond leading down in darkness, the way heavy with cobwebs and the walls glistening with moisture.
Lighting a fresh torch the party descended, pushing aside the webs and attempting to see what lay at the bottom of the stairs. The air became colder, evidence of how far underground they were now. The stairs ended at an open archway, the chamber beyond was dark and silent. Passing the torch through the open doorway they could see pillars on either side, each holding an unlit lantern, the far end lost in shadow.
Rhonin led the way cautiously, the torch held high. As he passed between the first set of pillars, the lanterns blazed to life, pushing back the shadows. The group watched as the room illuminated, showing them the far end held an altar of some sort, its top covered in fabric of some sort that seemed draped over something. They moved in to investigate, as they did, the six pillars in the room opened, exposing hollow spaces that held zombies which moved to attack the intruders. The fight was intense, but brief, the party making short work of the undead, Ulbrik’s intense hatred of the abominations fueling him past the wounds he took in the fight.
Searching the room afterward they found a few items they could sell later or use including a bullseye lantern that Rhonin took and made sure it was still in usable order. They found another way out of the room, another set of stairs that led downward, deeper underground. The air in the stairwell was cold enough that Rhonin could see his breath as he extended his torch down the narrow opening.
Making their way down the stairs they found it ended in what appeared to be a storage room. Milosh casted Detect Magic and got a faint aura from under a stone table along the right wall. Large tuns stood along the left wall, each nearly five foot in height with a heavy ceramic lid atop them. Ulbrik stood on his tip toes, but could not see over the lip of the tun. Forlan moved over to remove the lid and took a step back when he saw what was inside. The tun was filled nearly to the top with bones and skulls of humanoids and other creatures.
Fearing the presence of undead, Ulbrik gripped his warhammer with both gauntleted hands and smashed the side of the vessel, spilling the contents out onto the floor. Amongst the bones was the skull of what appeared to be an Ogre.
As the Dwarf and Ranger investigated the tuns, Milosh and Rhonin tried to move the table, but found it too heavy for them to manage. Rhonin went down on all fours to investigate the area that the Wizard pointed out as giving a glow of magical energy. The Monk found a loose floor stone and began to check it for mechanical traps. Finding none, he pulled the loose stone away to reveal a cubby where a leather wrapped bundle lay within.
As Rhonin moved the stone, the others heard the sound of stone grinding against stone. Parts of the walls between the tuns opened freeing several zombies who moved to attack the party. At the same time the bones spilled by Ulbrik began to move of their own accord, pulling and pushing themselves together, forming a vaguely large humanoid shape that grasped a large straight femur in each hand like a club. The appearance of the undead abomination set the Dwarven Cleric into a rage. As the battle began the party used teamwork to their advantage, focusing on the zombies first, then Milosh used a simple illusion to make it appear as if a helpless child lay in the corner crying, drawing the undead’s attention. The ploy worked and it allowed the party to get strikes in against them as they broke contact to pursue easier prey.
With the battle won, the party turned back to the leather bound bundle, thinking it possible they had discovered the book they had been sent here for. Rhonin unwrapped the bundle to find a leather bound, heavy tome, its color impossibly black, a faint feeling of something familiar crossed the edges of his awareness. As he hands caressed the book, almost unconsciously, he felt himself pulled away, as if his spirit was whisked to another place. At the edges of his darkening vision he saw shadows pressing in, the room around him fell away as he saw a swirling mass of dark mists and nothing else.
Milosh watched as thin tendrils of mist crawled off of the book, snaking around the Monk’s arms, swirling around him. Rhonin’s eyes stared off into nothingness, holding the book firmly with both hands. Milosh called his name, but if heard, his companion gave no notice.
Forlan and Ulbrik pressed in closer, sensing something was amiss. They questioned Milosh, but he simply shook his head, unaware of what was amiss, but his concern marked his face for all to see. After observing Rhonin for several moments the Elf finally reached over, seized the book and with a heave yanked it free with both hands. The book leaving his possession snapped the Monk from his stupor, he was suddenly, almost violently brought back into the room, this moment and to his companions whose looks told him that something had been amiss. For Rhonin only a few seconds had passed, but for the rest of the party their friend had been in his own world for several minutes.
After several moments of discussion it was decided that the book had some sort of adverse reaction when Rhonin came into contact with it, so they rewrapped the book and Milosh put it into his pack. They made their way back out through the lower level, back out to the tower and into the waning afternoon light. They decided to put some distance between themselves and the ruin before they set up camp to rest and take stock of what they had just been through.
They quietly made their way back into the Spiderhaunt Woods, searching for a secluded spot where they might safely set up camp. They found a small glade that would shield them from unwanted attention. Forlan scouted around the area and found it free of any dangers. They set up their bedrolls, set watches, and they rested through the night.
Taking their time, and moving cautiously, the party made their way back to Anathar’s Dell to meet with their benefactor to show him what they had found and tell them that the tome they had been sent to find was not there. They had more questions than they had answers and it was concerning.
When the familiar sight of Anathar’s Dell came into view, their excitement grew. The Dell meant warm beds, hot food, and drink, not to mention their reward for finishing their task. They made their way to the Inn and spoke with the innkeeper, Foleg Oakbrand, and asked if their employer, Aledyr, had been through looking for them. Foleg told them he had seen the wizard several days earlier, but that he had left, mentioning to the innkeeper that if he saw the party he was to tell them he would return within the week to see if they had returned. Foleg told them that their stay had been extended by Aledyr so they settled in, washed up, had a meal and drinks.
Ulbrik drank his fill, gambled with the other dwarves and made a little coin. Milosh used his illusion magic to stir up a bar fight for a bit of entertainment, but eventually the night grew long, the patrons began filtering out to find the comfort of their beds and so too did our heroes. Each of them retired to their own hut, save Forlan, who sought the comfort of the familiar woods surrounding the Dell. It was well past midnight when Milosh sat upon the comfortable cot in his hut and began to enter the Reverie, the meditative trance Elves utilized to refresh their minds and bodies as they did not need sleep as other races do. As he started to slip into the trance-like stance he noticed movement in the dark corner of his hut near the brass tub. He brought himself out of his meditation in time to see part of the darkness pull itself free of the corner and launch itself at him.
This is where we will leave off for now. What is happening? What was lying in wait for the Wizard? Stay tuned for the next recap coming in a few days to find out what comes next. Thanks for reading and we will see you back here next time, in… The Maze!
