Session 9 : 8/15/14

Party:
Polarion the Seer (M:2), Brother Burkey (C:4), Batok (MU:1), Braggle (H:3), Xero(T:4), Zrax (F:2), Thoul (Charmed), Durin (F:1, Hireling)

Summary:

Having enjoyed the accolades of the people of Hedeby, the party set out on foot for Gorgoroth and the dungeon beneath Trelleborg.

The first night, they spied a campfire in the distance and, sensing potential danger, set up a watch schedule. Braggle drew the lucky straw and consequently was the first to hear the crashing through the brush. A giant of a humanoid of hideous proportion, one might say ogre-ish, attacked the halfling as a 2nd swept around the flank of the party.

Battle ensued, with a naked Zrax swinging his sword. (read that how you may) and Braggle, irked at having been attacked, going toe-to-toe with the brute, perhaps far longer than a halfling ought. After the 1st was killed, somehow, and I don't recall the details, the second ogre was forced to surrender. They bound him as a prisoner and Polarion began the first of many many many attempts to charm him into his service. 

You'd think with a charmed thoul he'd be happy, but apparently he has grander schemes.

Upon reaching the small village of Skalafell (for readers of my other blog, yes it's the same Skalafell, but an alternate timeline), and receiving a concerned welcome (a disguised thoul and a bound ogre don't exactly merit red carpets) the party learned of a cave not far from the village, rumored to contain the treasure of a long dead wizard. Long avoided by the townsfolk, our band of heroic merrymakers could not resist the allure of promised wealth.

Leaving the ogre tied up outside, the party moved rapidly through the small complex - decimating a band of satanic black dwarves and destroying a massive cephalopod wraith. The wraith dropped the thoul's level not once but twice!

 A pack of ghouls attempted to take advantage of the otherwise engaged party, but Zrax was there to meet them. Once the wraith was dispensed, the ghouls were easily dispatched.

In an otherwise plain room, sat a bowling ball-sized star saphire. Convinced that it might be magical, Xero used a sack to pull the large gem stone from the small pillar upon which it sat.

Now, you're probably thinking, "Wait! Check for traps!" but alas, you are too late.

The moment the huge stone left the pillar it began to slide down into the ground and the whole place shook and started to collapse. A mad dash began as the party raced for the exit - the Thoul, Xero and Batok were struck down, Batok and the thoul never to rise again.

After some farewells to their lost comrade, the party turned northward again and made the trip to Gorgoroth without additional attempts to earn extra gold: the price was too high. The crowning achievement of the remainder of the trip was Polarion's success at charming the ogre. Finally.

In Gorgoroth they met a new friend, a magic-user I believe, but his name escapes me. After gearing up, they proceeded into the dungeon where they pretty much rolled over everything in their path and made further progress on the 2nd level.