We spoke at length with Teos at the bar. He was loquacious in his gratitude and willingly answered our questions.

Creel’s tower was less than a day’s ride from the Horne’d Lamb. The good barkeep told the party that to simply touch the walls of Creel’s tower was … dangerous. Creel himself is a good man and had long held commerce and communication with the Inn as well as the surrounding area. Creel’s wife had died of some unspecified malady - perhaps plague, all sudden-like, and while Creel was out - and the man had not been the same since. Creel had turned to the dark arts of necromancy in an effort to bring his beautiful wife back to life. Teos had nothing but praise for Illyssa.

The room at (A) was well-maintained and well used. Creel had kept it clean, well swept. Some carpeting covered the floor. It contained bookshelves on the west wall, upon which many books sat. Shelves also hung on the northern wall, glass jars filled with clear liquids and various implements lining them. A sitting area containing a small desk with quill and ink sat in the southeastern corner. A reading chair lay on its side with a spilled bottle of wine on the floor next to it, the red wine staining a throw rug in this area. Crumpled paper was strewn about around the knocked-over chair.

The One Room Session (Almost)#

When the chiming ended, the carvings on the walls cease their infernal undulations. The footsteps we heard outside the room became louder and suddenly 4 subhumans dressed in archaic scale mail broke through the door - three carrying odd, curved battleaxes, one wielding a glistening, dripping dagger. The subhumans launched into the room among us while a creature, human-sized but like a large octopi, ambulating with a sickening undulating gait on its tentacles, glaring eyes in its large head, stayed in the doorway. The creature began to wave its tentacles and the familiar reality distortion field filled the room. The cleric failed his save vs. spell and was incapacitated and disoriented. The rest of the party made their save.

We found ourselves in possession of Abigail’s hand, and the claw-like gauntlet that contained it. As we gazed upon it while pondering the significance of slicing off a vampire’s hand, the hand itself began to dissipate in a sulfurous mist. Presently, the hand completely disappeared, though it left behind the gauntlet, intact and seeming to smoke as the hand dissolved.

We gave Heimdell’s crowns to Harald and Maeve. Menka returned the holy symbol of Odin to Harald’s curate, Olaf Iverson.

Kyril

• 2 vials of holy water
• Oil of Fiery Burning

Cathal

• Gamred the Golden (+3 two-handed sword, double-damage vs clerics in case Menka gets mouthy, plus user can Detect Magic and Remove Fear 30’ radius 1x/day)

Hall crew returns on day 13.

Day 8:

Tim trained Lycovyne for one full week and he gained 2 hp, (56/56).

We decided as a party to keep the coin we acquired on solo quests and to share out magic items.

We have 11 pearls (pg. 349, Session 48). For some reason they were deemed too spendy to come from Zagyg’s Spell Component Case, though the case could produce the live miniature carp. Detect magic was required for some of ther loot.

Harald and Ninax, Menka and Cathal discussed the orcish incursions . Cragenheim will be levying troops from the surrounding area in the near future. Priest and knight assured them we would be back through at some point.

Menka, Cathal and Seamus planned to travel to the Hall of Seven Pillars the following morning. Ninax offered to ride with us to the block house. With the cessation of the frigid, lingering winter the road to Westkeep was re-opened, though only a well-protected caravan dare make the journey.

Auntie T. flew with Kyril, accompanying him on his journey to meet with Brann mac Thorn. The archdruid of this region appeared to be equal parts human and plant matter and, as he spoke, there were long pauses in communication. Brann informed Kyril that this would be the last time he could help Kyril gain a level. From here forward he must work with the Great Druid directly.

At the Temple of Thoth, Father Malai had described the Hall of Gods to Menka and stated that it would be a good idea to show proper veneration to the gods if we entered that sacred hall. Father Yuyu had described the prayers and intonations for proper sacrifice and veneration to Osiris for this purpose and Menka made note of it (see 5.6.6).

With the portal below the tower closed and danger at least temporarily averted, Creel advised the party that he had sent messages out to his fellow 8 wizards (of ‘The Nine’) asking for assistance. While the party bivouacked at the tower, some of this aid arrived.