Tuesday, April 12, 2016

(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #34: Zadrian's Vault

5th of TriDec 1135, Celsior.
Zorin went to go check out the post board to see what's new and exciting in the area.  Most of the postings dealt to do with churches, not a Trog strong suit.  Zorin grabbed Terval back at HQ to help him decipher what everything  on the board actually meant.  Terval finally found one of interest:

"Lady of Means requires assistance of adventurers for a mission of utmost importance.  Secrecy required.  Ask for Lady Elana Zadrian at the Iron Keg Inn."

Zorin and Terval go on their to check it out.  A valet stopped them at the door and took them to Lady Elana in a back rom.   She was about 20, human, and not a bad looker (Zorin).  Zorin expressed interest in her job posting.

Lady Elana was worried about her missing father, Alchemist Sir Timith Zadrian.  He  lives outside a village about four days ride to the west.  Normally, he would visit her in Celsior every month or every other month, but she hasn't heard from him in the past four months.

Of course, the village's name is VERGE.

While she knew her father was absent minded and known to do work in his bathrobe,  she suspects brigands, or perhaps an experiment gone awry.

For a payday of 4,000gp, Zorin was willing to do anything.

Upon telling the rest of the Trogs of the job, everyone packed up.   Coreena was not looking forward to going back out.

7th of TriDec 1135, Marakeikan Forest
Around the middle of the day there was a bunch of  commotion.  They also hear booming voices, but can't make out what they're saying.  Zorin sent Gwen ahead to check it out.

Gwen turned into a badger.  They were two huge guys lumbering towards the road twice as big as a human, with jet black skin.

The Trogs ride off at full speed and the creatures soon barged onto the road where the Trogs had been stopped, completely unaware of what was going on.

10th of TriDec 1135, Village of Verge, Marakeikos
The Trogs reached Verge.  Very little has changed.  Headed to Ye Olde Drowned Drunken Plow for a room and drink.  Bartender was Jar-El the halfling.

11th of TriDec 1135, Castle Zadrian, Marakeikos
Zadrian's tower was four hours outside the village.

Zorin knocked on the front door and, not surprisingly, no one answered.  They entered the building. First room, there are two statues immediately inside the room, goddesses holding goblets.   Goblets full of wine, no less!

Moving on, Zorin follows the smell of charred flesh to where he found a corpse on the couch.  The edges of the room were still smoldering.

The corpse was wearing a shirt and tunic and did not appear to have been armed.  At best, the person was either human, elf, or half-elf.

The couches were making a low rumble.  The party flipped them over,  revealing two large dogs, their eyes are glowing red and fire is coming out of them.

Zorin, Terval, and Whitey were immediately engulfed in a wall of fire.  Zorin dropped one and Ramsa quickly followed suit with the other.  Going through another door, and down a wood panelled hallway lead them right into the... desert???

Trying another door, and the wall are entirely painted black.  There were alot of chains, the ceiling opens up to reveal... the night sky???   Ceiling seemed to only be 15 foot high, yet the sky was real?

What sorcery was this?

The next room was a library with snow falling from the ceiling.  About 6" worth of snow had accumulated.  Upon searching the library, Gwen got whacked upside the head by a book.  More books, plus a few floating swords attacked the party!

After what seems to be forever, they finally destroyed everything attacking them.  Terval took  a good scan at the books.  Most were on alchemical works, but most were damaged by the snow.   Gwen found a chest with five scrolls that hadn't been ruined.

They then entered the dining room to find a kobold atop the table, surrounded by hobgoblins.  The kobold smash a potion bottle to the table, blowing himself up, taking out the hobgoblins and Coreena!  With such a loss, the Trogs called it a day and immediately set up camp.

Overnight Gwen heard movement and discovered a mole. The mole remembered seeing somehow who fit Zadrian's appearance, and he had a mysterious visitor.

12th of TriDec, Castle Zadrian
Whitey spoke with the dead kobold.  The kobold was part of the Blood Twig Clan.  He had become separated from his clan. 

They went back to the Starless sky room.  Zorin found and opened a chest with a lever in it in the down position.    Opening the chest made the chains in the room to fly straight up.    Zorin went flying UP towards the open sky, barely able to grab on of the flying chains.  

Janus:  I was glad I didn't got into the room.  After awhile the floor drops and Zorin falls to Earth.  Zorin comes out of the room carrying a robe.  We checked out the desert hallway.  We were attacked by a giant bug which drew first blood.  Find a door in the desert?? leads to kitchen.    In the kitchen, attacked by evil sprites.  next room is filled with coffins.  Next room full of antique arms and armor which antimate but are quickly quashed.      In the lt room of the castle, they run old man Zadrian and a golem.  A battle ensues while the golem protects Zadrian against Zorin.     Invisible sprites swarm the group.  Zadrian barks orders to find quicksilver and pour it on the sphere in the far corner.  Janus succeeds, but Zadrian falls.

17th of TriDec, Celsior
The Trogs returned to Celsior with Zadrain's body, and inform Lady Elana of all the details.  They then took Coreena to a temple of Akana to be raised... without a hitch

22nd of TriDec, Celsior
Zorin picked up his repaired armor and he, Whitey, and Turvel head to Mirros.

28th of TriDec, Mirros
Outside an encounter with a cave bear, and Whitey's cooking skills to make it delicious, they arrived in Mirros.  They found a buyer for the suits of full plate they found and spend most of the day hanging out at Debbie's.  Magic school has finally opened up and the students returning back from Krakatos seem to stop at Debbie's

29th of TriDec, Mirros
Terval visited the magic school while Zorin went to local Pangrus shrine to pay his tithe.

36th of TriDec 1135, Celsior
After a few more days, the trio returned to Celsior.    They received invitations to the wedding of Lady Arlene Harlan (daughter of Baron Sherlane) and Dmitri Yurovik, adventurer.

This was Castle Zadrian, another of the AEG cheap mini-modules produced in the early days of d20.   It filled a session and pissed off the players.  Mission accomplished.

Next #35:  The Wedding of Lady Arlene

No comments:

Post a Comment