Gatavia III, Episode 7

Session/Game: ACKS/Gatavia III #7 Date: November 24, 2013
Episode 7: “I Try to Run a Clean Dungeon”
Campaign Date: June 21st to June 24th, AY 1430
Characters
Pontifex Amicus, human, cleric-3, neutral (Andrew)
Louise Impetuous, human, level-0, neutral (henchman)
Rotwang, human, barbarian-3, neutral (Bob)
Ulrich the Torchboy, human, level-0 (henchman)
Split-tongue, elf enchanter-3, neutral (Marlon)
Tavish Furley, half-elf, shaman (druid)-1, neutral (henchman)
Decius, human, explorer-3, neutral (Robert)
Murderface Jack, dwarf fury-3, neutral (Jason)
Stupid Marco the Pack-Hauler, human, level-0, neutral (henchman)

Judge: Dave

Log:
Encounter 1: June 21st—Ghoul Smack-Down
Brother Punchy and Wilhelm head off to try to hunt down the dirty Seagallians who vandalized the Norrisite shrine in Orchester. The rest of the Skull Collectors decide to return to the crypt area at the back of the third level of Skull Mountain.
The party breaks into a chamber and discovers 6 ghouls. They defeat them relatively quickly, but Rotwang is paralyzed in the process. The noise of the battle alerts the 9 ghouls and the Master Ghoul next door, who pour into the hallway and attack the party from the rear. In the course of the battle Marco, Decius, Louise, and Murderface are all paralyzed and Tavish and Ulrich both succumb to wounds. Pontifex Amicus manages to turn 5 of the ghouls and restore Rotwang and Murderface to the fight before he too is paralyzed. At first, Split-tongue flees and hides in the chamber of Repose nearby, but then creeps back to the battle. Meanwhile, Rotwang and Murdeface put down all but one ghoul when Rotwang is paralyzed again. Split-tongue uses the polymorph wand taken from Presfen to turn the last ghoul into a snail. After a half an hour or so, the party recovers from the paralysis. Tavish, however, has lost the use of both arms permanently from his wounds, and Ulrich has lost the use of both legs. The party discovers and treasure chest in the Master Ghoul’s chamber and take it and his armor and return home to recover and drop off Tavish and Ulrich.

Encounter 2: June 24th—Meet the Lizards
After 2 days of rest, the Skull Collectors return to the crypt. They surprise and kill 9 orcs on the stairway leading from level 1 to level 3, and then re-encounter the 5 ghouls Amicus had turned earlier. They kill four of the ghouls, and Split-tongue polymorphs the fifth into an Elf, who decides that his name is Steve and who joins the party. Proceeding deeper into the crypt, Murderface falls into a pit and takes some minor injury from a spike. The Collectors open one chamber which is half-filled with magical ice, and they decide to avoid dealing with it. Another chamber proves to be empty except for a 6 inch layer of dust. A third chamber proves exceptionally difficult to open. All the team fail to open the door, until the enchanter Split-tongue steps forward and pushes it open easily, only to be rushed by 7 giant gecko lizards. He quickly steps back and Murderface and Rotwang step forward to hold the doorway. Two of the lizards advance on the ceiling over their heads and attack the rest of the party. After a long bloody battle, all 7 lizards die, along with elf-ghoul Steve.
Encounter 3: June 24th—Spiritual Visitors
Advancing past the lizards, the party enters a section of the crypt that is brightly illuminated. One chamber has 4 Shrieker Fungi and 2 gnomes in it. They party manages to kill the mushrooms before any monsters are attracted by their shrieks. Digging up the mushrooms, they found a valuable statuette of the Goddess Mab. The gnomes, however, escape and soon return with 2 Light Elf allies.
The party negotiates with the Light Elves, who prove friendly, and are led to an old Druidic Shrine to Bran nearby. The elf leader Youris tells them that he and his elf comrades come to this shrine from the Spirit World from time to time to keep it safe at the orders of Bran. They also meet Raymondo and his 14 gnomes in the next room, who likewise travel from the Spirit World from time to time to make beer from the Shriekers, which are unavailable in the Spirit World. Rotwang, Decius and Murderface get a little drunk on the gnome beer and they all take their leave.
Nearby they find the grave of the Druid Ralfllias and ransack the coffin, taking his magic staff. The Skull Collectors then leave the illuminated section of the crypt and return to the section whence came the ghouls.

Encounter 4 : June 24th—Vermin Removal and Treasure Finding
Since the ghouls had been destroyed, the remaining section of the crypt was populated only by 2 giant rattlesnakes and 2 carcass scavengers whom the Skull Collectors separately slew. One room had a sealed stone chest in it. Louise Impetuous boldy broke the seals, getting a face full of poison gas as a result. She survived the danger and helped gather the treasure. In the rattlesnake room, there was a stone box affixed to the ceiling. Split-tongue tried to order Louise to open it, but she was upset at his haughty tone and the fact that he had stiffed her on her treasure share last expedition, so she punched him in the face. Marco the Pack Hauler was unable to open the box, so finally, they dragged the Master Ghouls’s throne over into the room and Rotwang opened it, avoiding the heavy gold sack as it fell toward his head. Gathering their loot, the party decided that the crypt was clear and returned to the Manor to divide the spoil.