Great-grandchild of the sister's gibbon's friend of the nephew of the Campaign that Would Not Die, now in 3.25e Møøse Trained By: Hugh Foster

I'll Open Your Box if You Open My Box!

Cyrn Waethelin, 7th Nov 2100, morning

• Mullioned Windows

  While the party regathers, and Chambu performed some healing on the injured, Baggy returns to their encampment in the trees and retrieves the horses and spare gear. Realizing that their prisoner is no further use to them, she releases him and he scarpers. On the way back, she does the same for the remaining peasant workers, suggesting they head for home before someone comes to find out what's happened here.
• Once reunited, the group set out to investigate the manor house. The walls are stone culled from the ruins of the Cyrn and fairly robust, one floor high. The roof is pitched. The windows are quite large but barred and mullioned.
• While the majority examine the heavy front doors, Baylock slips round the side - in case of embarrasing failure - and makes an attempt at one of the windows. Rather to his surprise, the bar tears out of its' emplacement with a noise fit to wake the dead. He slips through into the main hall as the others open the (unlocked) doors and enter the lobby
• Exploring cautiously and (avariciously in some cases) they work through the eastern side of the building. The store-room yields what turns out to be a spellbook labelled "Oswald: His Spell Book" and a leaden box 2' on a side with air holes. Divulve peers into the holes, and reports something furry or feathery lying on the bottom. Baylock tries speaking to it but nothing happens.
• Baylock starts a Loot Pile (see below) in the hall and adds both items. Otherwise, the stores contain crates, sacks and barrels containing finer food than is kept in the main store, good wine, brandy, and stocks of paper, pens and what look like alchemical components.

• The Manor - click it for larger image!

  Baggy moves into the stables, noting two riding horses patiently standing in their stalls, and throws open the big doors to bring in their own horses, who appreciate the oats and grain to be found therein.
• Chambu opens the last eastern door from the hall and discovers something quite alarming. This magnificent room has the air of a shrine, but Baggy's Detect Evil and Chambu's moment’s careful look is enough to tell that it’s not a happy blessy kind of faith. Tapestries and paintings around the walls depict scenes of battles, stormings and sackings.  Shelves of books stand between them. A huge heavy stone altar stands at the end under the window; a golden reliquary sits atop it. The symbol of Varkar is engraved and red-painted on the altar and it reeks of evil, the focus of evil as of something worshipped; Detect Magic shows it as resonating with the residue of immense magic.
  Divulge and Baggy (whose religious training involved more military history than Chambu's) recognize scenes from the Elf Wars, Varkar Barduric’s original wars of conquest in the tapestries. The huge one at the back is of the Fall of Lantalaure, the battle that broke the elves of Sildor. The books are all histories of that period.
• Baggy and Chambu rip down all the tapestries and paintings and kindle a fire in the fireplace; the red glow makes the room not one whit less ominous! Chambu stacks the books in two piles; general histories, and ones written by Varkar supporters; most of the latter are in Krultac.Pile B is for burning. Nazariel picks a few from pile A for reading and Baggy bags the rest up to be taken away.
• Baylock joins them as they're looking at the reliquary. "I'll open your box, if you'll open mine," he offers with apolomb. As the priest heroically retreats outside the door, Baylock opens the golden box with immense care. Inside, cushioned on red satin, is a dry, yellow-grey piece of bone, a little over two feett in length. Baggy confirms that this is the source of the evil; not active, but lingering and the focus of unholy veneration. "What's that?" he asks Divulge. The skull bobs. "A bone," he says and Baylock glares; "a mid-digit bone from a dragon's left wing-hand," he continues with a sly grin. "In a normal dragon, that would be a couple of inches long at most." There's a pause as those watching convert that into the size of the complete beast.
• Baylock tips the bone onto the stone floor, and Chambu pours some Holy Water over it, not with much confidence, but it immediately crumbles into hissing dust and sifts away. The relic is destroyed!

• Fire Mephit

  Exploring further, they find what are likely Volker and Iring's rooms, a bathroom and a day room, all comfortable enough but sadly bereft of loot or traps or monsters. As a result, Chambu is very casual as he opens the last door and walks into Narbaloth and Daedoloth's room - nearly fatally so. His entry triggers an enchantment and a host of flying, burning creatures materialize all over the room, leaving the dwarf surrounded and very much surprised.
• He's even more surprised when his already-cast Protection from Evil proves ineffectual against the entirely selfish and amoral creatures. The only saving grace is that his armour's magic protects it from their innate Heat Metal ability, if not the wearer from Scorching Ray!
• The other rush to his aid and a furious battle erupts, with Baggy, Talian and Baylock trying to reach the priest as he backs against a wall, battered by multiple assaults from the miniature flying things. Even worse - they regenerate slowly!
• Finally, the rescuers fight their way through the swarm and join forces with Chambu. After that, the last Mephits are dealt with, leaving the room rather the worse for wear and on fire in several places.

The Loot Pile so far

Session Date: 6th July 2021; in Cyberspace!