This session, played on May 12, 2011, was attended by Pritchard Hood, Snickwick, Jorge, Audrey, Roland, and Zanzibar.
Summary
Their front ranks thinned by the death of Hop-Frog and the brief departure of Cut, the party looked in Hommlet for meatshield help. They came up aces, with three new recruits for the Company and two soldiers of fortune, the hearty Kobort and the wiley, monk-like Tuluco.
After preparation in the raging downpour, the invisible company descended on the opening of the moathouse tower, but this was hardly a battle: Pritchard's sleep spell made short work of all but two bandits. Those ran off to join some companions, who nonetheless did not depart into the swamp, instead trying to hide near the main entrance. A web spell from Pritchard ensured no blows came the party's way.
After interrogation of a charmed bandit named Jean-Frederic, Pritchard learned of a Green Slime trap down the main stairway, but also a hidden treasure chest whose contents Jean-Frederic offered to split with Pritchard. The pair unearthed the treasure, after which the party settled into the tower to rest until the next day. In the night, Jorge recruited Zanzibar to help murder Jean-Frederic in his sleep. The bandit awoke, however, and appealed to Pritchard for aid. The magic-user merely shrugged and went back to sleep as his companions cut the charmed bandit's throat.
A trip down the secret stairwell ended in an empty, short corridor, with nothing apparently beyond. No secret doors were found by this dumbfounded crew. They went down the main stair, aware of the slime traps, which they dispatched with flaming torches.
A number of zombies attacked from cells - twelve of the dead in all. Their blows descended heavily on the lightly experienced fighters and clerics, and the weird Pritchard and valiant Zanzibar were able to hold of a few by way of turning. Snickwick used the chain of immobilization to stop the advances of another. A gemstone was found behind a brick in one of the cells.
Deeply wounded by the attack, the party rested for a few days in the tower. They went down again, prepared again, and found an ogre in another chamber. He roused himself from his slumbers for a ferocious attack. The ugly cretin lasted all of two rounds, with Zanzibar and Roland pounding away with sword and partisan, but took out the follower of the Sword Princes in a single blow. Roland surely would have died the second round had he not parried the attack.
Not much treasure was found - the ogre had a thing for busted trinkets and gold beads - but two human and one gnome captive were found in a side chamber, promising reward for their rescue. A strange moaning coming from the wall, perhaps a wind muttering through a gap, lead to no new discoveries.
Losses and Loot
The party slew nine bandits, two green slimes, twelve zombies and one ogre. For treasure, they gathered several dozen gold and silver coins, over two thousand copper coins, a gold chain, two small yellow gems, two bolts of fine cloth, a crystal flagon and four crystal decanters, a cherrywood box with ivory inlay, four arrows +1 and a pale green gem. Each surviving party member and each hireling received 185gp for their share.
For creatures defeated and treasures earned over the course of the session, the party members each received 487xp.