Date: 19 April 2013
PCs: Barnaby Flanders, Ja'Tubis, Martin "le Black", Pritchard de Marais, Roland de Marais
DM: Quendalon
Summary
Descending to the fifth level of the Chateau dungeons by way of the laundry lift-shaft, the Company spent some time mapping a number of empty hallways at Ja'Tubis's behest. Certain party members argued that they should beard the sorcerer Jean-Marc d'Ambreville in his lair and seize his worldly goods. Others opined that this was unnecessary, or perhaps dangerous, and the matter was set aside for a future delve.
Making their way to a room of statues just off the Grand Stair, the party found the way north obstructed by goblins, who they offended during parlay. So our heroes swiftly hied off down a side passage. There they found a room full of giant flies, which they passed by, and a wandering giant scorpion, which they slew. Their path then led them to an octagonal room containing a large pool — the Lower Baths. Green slime dotted the water and the stone walkway at its edge.
Risking the slime, Ja'Tubis dived into the water, relying on his innate water breathing to comb the base of the pool. Once he emerged (richer by a handful of gemstones), the Company started to burn the slime off the walkway to make a clear path. While this was in progress, the rearguard heard strange chiming noises and smelt the stink of cinnamon from the door they had entered through. Soon they saw half a dozen strange hexapodal creatures, their tattered gray skins emitting the aforementioned spicy scent, accompanied by a trio of planar dwarves. The dwarves translated for their masters, the Ssú.
The Ssú claimed to be a party of a large group found below. When questioned, they admitted that Evangelista de Sylaire was within their power, and said they might be persuaded to part with her in exchange for "relics of the old times." The dwarves had nothing to say on their own behalf, rebuffing personal questions by stating that "such matters are not your concern."
This discussion was interrupted when four wights entered the bath-chamber by another route. These were the Falcons, an adventuring company that Ja'Tubis tricked to their deaths over a year earlier. They lunged toward the cleric with murder burning in their dead eyes.
Martin and Roland quickly cut down three of the wights. Ja'Tubis turned the fourth, and it fled. The Ssú waited stolidly through this interruption. As the Company looted the fallen wight, the thief-wight which had fled suddenly appeared out of thin air — having turned invisible after the turning ended — and seized Ja'Tubis from behind, draining a measure of his life-force! This final wight fell a moment later, but the damage was done.
Exploring further, the party found a pair of double doors marked "Meditation — Calm Room." Within was a fountain and four stone couches. The room also contained a horrid dream-beast that seized many of our heroes' hearts with terror. Fortunately, Pritchard's wand of polymorph proved useful, as an effort to turn it into a harmless bunny rabbit instead turned it into a ghastly, tentacular little bunny rabbit — still grotesque, but small enough to defeat.
Continuing on, the party ambushed a room full of night goblins and defeated them handily. But more flooded in through a back door, followed by a pair of fireballs! Barnaby was laid low by the flames and many of his magical items were destroyed. Pritchard sealed off the rear passage with a wall of stone, and the party turned back toward the surface.
Deeming the Grand Stair the quickest way out, the Company looped back to the statue room where they'd exchanged harsh words with night goblins not long before. There they found an ambush waiting, with a score of javelins arcing toward them out of the darkness! Unready for further combat, the bloodied party fled through the room and up the Grand Stair at full speed, not stopping until they were out under the open sky.
Losses and Loot
The party defeated one giant scorpion, four wights and one frightcrawler.
Treasures acquired included thirteen gems, a handful of copper coins and a ring of fire resistance.
For enemies defeated and treasure received, each PC received 335xp and 566gp.