Date: March 22, 2013
PCs: Charon, Pritchard de Marais, Wintergreen
Retainers: Curly, Larry, Moe, Periwinkle
DM: foner
Summary
Pritchard returned to the magic-user Grimmnar's lair once again, accompanied by a small force of lesser Captains and hirelings.
After Wintergreen discovered a secret door by the entrance that led only to a previously explored area, the Company pressed deeper into Grimmnar's labyrinth than ever before. Exploring a few side rooms turned up various dead creatures, such as a hippogryph, as well as a large glass tank of what appeared to be green slime.
Eventually the party reached a set of double doors guarded by a weird trap; panels opened alongside the door to reveal a layer of spore-spewing mushrooms that left most of the party tripping balls. The Company's hirelings restrained their stoned superiors until the effects faded, then entered the room beyond. There, in a bedchamber adorned by the faded splendor of crimson velvet curtains and scarlet-upholstered sofas, they found the magic-user Grimmnar himself.
Pritchard and Wintergreen tried negotiating with the wizard, offering to share Grimmnar's centuries of learning with Glantri's extensive scholarly community. Instead, Grimmnar began chanting — not a spell, but a call to a pack of boars whose lair was hidden behind the bedchamber's billowing curtains. As the Company engaged its enemies, the weird wizard began to change shape from moment to moment — first to a hobgoblin, then a troglodyte, then a cockatrice.
Grimmnar proved difficult to put down. He ignored most of the spells thrown at him while taking enough wounds to finish off a dragon without flinching. Then he turned Pritchard to stone! Things seemed grim indeed for the rest of the party, as half of the hirelings had perished while driving off the boars. Finally, the hireling-elf Periwinkle slew Grimmnar with her master's last magic arrow, allowing the Company to claim the spoils.
After spiking the door shut and resting for the night, the survivors departed with Pritchard's stone form and the more portable treasures, ignoring for the nonce a secret door behind Grimmnar's bookcase lest the area beyond contain some danger too great for them to face in their weakened state. Dragging their loot and fallen comrade behind their horses on makeshift sledges, they returned safely to Malinbois, where the wizard Mandore freed Pritchard from the stony enchantment.
Leaving Wintergreen and Periwinkle behind, Charon and Pritchard returned to Grimmnar's abode to loot its remaining wealth. There they barbecued a gelatinous cube, gathered up various articles of furniture, and returned to Malinbois.
Losses and Loot
The party defeated three boars, one shapeshifting magic-user, and one gelatinous cube.
Treasures acquired included assorted coinage, fine jewelry, furniture of quality, arcane tomes, laboratory notes, a sackful of mushrooms with psychedelic spores, two potions, and one magic ring.
For treasure accumulated, monsters defeated, and taxes paid, each PC received 2,981gp and 793xp.