9th Day of the Claw of winter (February): DAY FIVE
Harpshield Castle (6:30 pm):
Sir Ly, Vicross and Kelson Darktreader finish off the Fanged Moon Orcs of Harpshield Castle, including those from the Arched Guard Hall, while many Pigs hamper Kelson Darktreader and the Orcs fighting and Sir Ly moves down towards the main building where some of the Fanged Moon Orcs where holding out in.
Lutha appears on the top of Harpshield Castle Tower, looking for the Wizard.
Sir Ly is attacked by Fanged Moon Orc Arrows as he attempts to open the door, which is bared from the inside. Sir Ly moves back to the battlements.
Vicross: “Sir Ly, try having another go at the main building and I will aid you.”
Sir Ly: “Are you sure that I should, OK I know that is what I must do.”
Sir Ly rushes to the door and Vicross hits, and kills both, the 2 Fanged Moon Orcs that attempt to hit the Paladin with their Short Bows. Sir Ly cannot open the door but he can hear the voice of a large Orog barking out orders to the Fanged Moon Orcs within the main building. Lutha bolts from the Tower door and into the main courtyard.
Vicross and Kelson Darktreader dispatch of Lutha the Female Ogre while Sir Ly hides by the side of the main building and then is told to move to the Tower door by Vicross.
Vicross declares his intension to search the Arch Guard Hall, where the Orcs came from, and the adjacent building from which he suspects the Pigs came from.
In the Harpshield Castle Arched Guard Hall Vicross find the following:
This elongated wooden room contains a couple stools. It has windows on the west and east walls, and a fireplace to the northeast. The southern wall has a wooden door in it.
Finding nothing of interest the Wizard moves onto the flowing building and which turns out to be a Pigsty.
This whole place reeks of offal and rot. Crudely cut logs partition the southern section of this area into several pig pens. In the northern part of the room are a watering trough and two mangers. A large water barrel stands in the northeast corner. In the centre of the northern wall, a short flight of wooden stairs ascends to a wooden door. In the north-western corner, an arrow slit looks out on the path to the castle gates.
Suddenly, an Orog attempts to ambush the Wizard from behind the large water barrel. The only Orog Vicross had seen so far.
Vicross is too quick for the lone Orog and it is felled by the Wizards ‘Magic Missiles’ in a heartbeat. Vicross can see there is nothing of use or enemies to worry about and ‘Fly’s’ back to the battlements to re-join Kelson Darktreader.
Vicross: “I will send the Paladin to the Tower Door and we can follow those Fanged Moon Orcs that took the Orc Cleric’s body.”
Kelson Darktreader: “I will cover you and the main building from here, in case they make an assault on you from the rear.”
Vicross: “We intend to go into the Tower.”
Vicross checks the last useable building situated next to Lutha’s dwelling.
This room has an earthy, spicy smell. It contains several chests, crates, sacks, and barrels.
Vicross informs Sir Ly, using the ‘Sending Stones’.
Sir Ly tries the Harpshield Castle Tower Door and finds it unlocked. The Paladin opens the door and steps inside followed by Vicross.
This area has a central pillar with a barrel near it. A circular wooden staircase leads 20 feet up to another floor made of wood mounted on massive oaken beams.
Sir Ly looks for the tracks of the Fanged Moon Orcs and Cleric and find them trailing off around the Tower to a Trap Door. Vicross and Sir Ly elect to search the Harpshield Castle Upper Tower before they venture down.
This chamber has a conical shape due to the tower roof. Six windows open in the tower walls, although all are covered with leather curtains. Furnishings include a straw bed, a table, a chair, a small barrel, and a large wooden birdcage on a stand.
Vicross and Sir Ly search the chamber.
- The small barrel is half full, containing 2 gallons of strong, bitter beer.
- On the tables are a stone mortar with a wooden pestle, several clay bowls with powdered herbs and spices, and various bones, skulls, and mummified animal parts.
- On a wooden trencher lie two pieces of a human-fist–sized blue-green eggshell.
- A Silver Cup encrusted with Amethysts stands next to the trencher.
Vicross and Sir Ly then head back down to the Trap Door.
Sir Ly listens at the Trap Door and hears nothing and so, after a long pause, the Paladin opens the Trap Door and Vicross, who is still ‘Flying’ looks down into the chamber below and can see only half the chamber with his brief look.
In the Tower Basement the Wizard looks and sees that this square room has a central pillar around which is a loose pile of rope. A ladder, now longer in the room, leads to a trapdoor in the ceiling of the North-Eastern corner.
Vicross then decides to cast ‘Improved Phantasmal Force’ into the Harpshield Castle chamber below.
Vicross: “Pour down the flammable liquids now and I will ignite it and burn all those below.”
Vicross creates an ‘Illusion’ of the whole chamber filled with flames. After several minutes no sounds or cries are heard and so the Paladin elects to climb down to the chamber below using his trusty 50’ feet of Silk Rope. The Paladin is out of practice and became tangled in his own rope and once Sir Ly is on the ground of the chamber the Wizard then ‘flies’ down after the Paladin.
The room is empty and the door is locked from the outside.
Vicross: “I think it best that I make you ‘Invisible’ so that you can explore the area beyond while I cast ‘Knock’ on the lock on this door.”
Sir Ly: “I will not skulk in the Shadows like a Thief; I will face anything that lays within this underground complex with the Light of Saint Cuthbert illuminating my way.”
Vicross: “Then I will go as we need stealth to make our way and not a Fomorian Giant.”
Vicross casts first ‘Knock’ on the lock on the door of the Harpshield Castle Tower Basement and then ‘Invisibility’ on himself.
Vicross heads out of the Tower Basement chamber alone and ‘Invisible’ and heads West. Vicross passes and short corridor, heading South, with a door at the end and the Wizard continues West.
Vicross informs Sir Ly, using the ‘Sending Stones’.
After about 70’ feet or so Vicross, who had already seen the faint orange glow of a fire, enters a very large chamber.
Six stone pillars support the ceiling of this massive basement. Many straw beds, covered with woollen rugs and hides, are laid along the walls. The southern wall has a huge fireplace.
Vicross moves to the West of the Harpshield Castle Barracks, towards the Fireplace and to count the straw beds. Halfway across the room Vicross spots that there are 4 Fanged Moon Orcs hiding behind the 4 pillars furthest West. The Wizard can see that there is a corridor on the Western Wall, heading West and then South, and another corridor heading South on the Southern Wall. Vicross ‘Fly’s’ down the South corridor.
Vicross ‘Fly’s’ South down the corridor and passes a door on the East wall.
Vicross informs Sir Ly, using the ‘Sending Stones’.
The reek coming from beyond the door smells of death, rotting waste and filth.
Vicross ignores the door and continues South coming upon a corridor on the East wall heading Eastwards to a corridor with a door at the end, East, and a door on the South wall. A Barrier blocks the Wizards way southwards.
Vicross informs Sir Ly, using the ‘Sending Stones’.
A makeshift but sturdy-looking barrier of logs blocks the corridor. Two narrow windows pierce the barrier.
The Orcs have placed two 4’ foot-thick log barriers to close off this corridor, leaving a small 2’ foot gap, and the corridors it leads to. The barrier is braced in place and has poles for moving on the outside.
Vicross opts to ‘Fly’ East, past the door on the Southern wall and to the door at the Eastern end of the corridor. The door is not locked and so Vicross puts his ear to the door. Vicross hears several low moans coming from behind this door.
Vicross hopes that his ‘Invisibility’ Spell will hide him from the eyes of anything behind the door and opens it.
Vicross informs Sir Ly, using the ‘Sending Stones’.
This room contains the remains of tables and chairs, shelves, crates, empty bottles, and small kegs. A banded wooden door stands closed in each wall. Three once-human Zombies stand in place in the centre of the Abandoned Tavern.
The Zombies turn towards the door but see nothing there.
Vicross informs Sir Ly, using the ‘Sending Stones’.
The Abandoned Tavern has 4 doors, West through which Vicross just walked through and North, East and South. Vicross tries the doors and finds that all the other doors are locked shut.