Lost Trails: The Harrowdale Horror: Part 7

[ewancummins]

ALAIN

Spotting what looks like a hostile caster, Alain dumps his next load of conjured stones into that section of the ruins.

''Aiiiiiiiee!'' Rattling sounds, and then the shrill feminine voice rises again, echoing off stone walls-

''SLAY! AND LET THE ROT COVER ALL!''

A wooden thud sounds from behind the square of stonework.

The heroes fight on against the remaining undead monsters...

[ewancummins]

Acid splashes, lightning leaps, and weapons rise and fall...


Benn, who has held his own against the dreadful bull-man, suddenly collapses under a blow he failed to dodge.

Klokulf, seeing his repeated bludgeoning of the smaller creatures have hardly harmed them, scrambles backward, withdrawing from the fray.
He calls on the Lawgiver for help.

Within the thorny prison, Sir Clive slashes at the shambling monster and Katrin needles it again and again with her sword.
The beast batters the knight in his armor, but he shakes off the force of its assault, lifts his huge sword high in an executioner's stance, and cleaves the creature from collarbone to hips.
It tumbles down, a stinking, shattered carcass. Properly dead again.

The monster that felled Benn turns back to shamble toward Alain, who has moved nearer the others.

It gets within a few feet of him and bounces its big ax off the masonry in a clumsy stroke-- but with Alain hurling jets and spheres of sizzling acid on it, Raen blasting it from behind, and Klokulf's ghostly spear leaping above it to thrust home, the abomination swiftly collapses in a deliquescing heap.

The gasping, dusty victors look about and see no more foes in plain sight...

[ewancummins]

AFTER THE FIGHT

Klokulf heals Benn enough that the Lamordian regains consciousnesses and can speak and get to his feet.

The scholar looks rough, with blood on his face and a long shallow dent in his breastplate but he's not endangered by any of his bruises and cuts.
Nasty grue drips from the weighted end of his walking stick.

[ewancummins]

After a brief consultation with Benn about how to free Sir Clive and Katrin, Alain torches the thorny enclosure with magic fire from his hands.

The thorny vines begin to smolder.
Then the fire grows and creates much green smoke.
When,after several minutes of the thorn-bushes crackling and snapping in the blaze, the two prisoners hack and stamp their way free, they emerge rubbing their eyes and coughing.
Not hurt, though, beyond some scratches.

Behind them, the broken prison of conjured briers continue to burn.

Walking in from outside the central ruins, Perielle rejoins the party.
''I'm sorry I couldn't help, but I haven't got any weapons or armor or battle-magic.''

[alhoon]

Raen is weakened and angry but not with Perielle.
"We've been encountering dangers and calamities at every step. And to think, that oil salesman just wants to give us just a discount to the travel after all this trouble. Ungrateful lot."

[ewancummins]

Raen is weakened and angry but not with Perielle.
"We've been encountering dangers and calamities at every step. And to think, that oil salesman just wants to give us just a discount to the travel after all this trouble. Ungrateful lot."

Perielle says,
"Are you low on money, then? I grew up hearing old stories about buried treasure in Halvan's Keep or under this hill..."

[alhoon]

Raen sighs. "We're not in this for the money. If we survive to see the end of this and come out with treasure we will have to donate most of it to you people, so you can rebuild. Or so I hope we will do."

[ewancummins]

Raen sighs. "We're not in this for the money. If we survive to see the end of this and come out with treasure we will have to donate most of it to you people, so you can rebuild. Or so I hope we will do."

Perielle nods.
''You are a true hero, Raen.'' The young acolyte glances about the central ruins.
''What now? The monsters have been destroyed...all of them?"

[alhoon]

"I don't think it would be that simple. I expect more trouble and more traps inside. Thankfully, we have Katherine here. She's awesome with traps."

[Adam]

Bennedict leans heavily upon his walking stick as he distributes some healing energy to the party.

"This is beyond any personal interest. This may be a temporary home for now, but it's still best to remove this blight from it."

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

Klokulf pulls a wand from his pack and applies its magic to Sir Clive, then to himself. As he walks over to use it on Bennedict, he says "Indeed, and we ought to start again soon with the witch inside these walls."

[Lord Skybolt]

"The witch you speak of went down a trap door it looks like after her defenses against my second spell against her did not work as well as the first I used against her ." Alain reply on hearing Klokulf comment .

[Adam]

Looking much heartened after application of healing magic, Bennedict will move towards the indicated trap door and give it a cautious glance.

[ewancummins]

BENN'S search quickly reveals a trapdoor in the NW hollow square of masonry (the same area where Alain spotted the woman who seemed to cast spells directed at his companions). He finds no indication of traps or hidden enemies guarding the door.
Cautiously lifting the panel, Benn sees a staircase running down into a gloomy cellar.

[alhoon]

Raen, acts worried when Bennedict opens the trapdoor.
"Bennedict, careful. For all we know, she may have some minion with a poisoned crossbow or something aiming at the door. Not a mechanical trap, but a trap never the less. Perhaps it's prudent if we threw something, a body or anything, down there first to either spring traps or perhaps trick anyone laying in ambush to show themselves."