DM SECTION Total Gold and Experience for the adventure was: 24,300gp and 55,050xp. Ramkus, Gorg, Marcus, and Thea each earn: 778gp and 3,550xp All other players each earn: 4,238gp and 8,170xp Ondraedon receives a bonus +10% xp of 817xp for record keeping and 500gp from tale-telling. If you had a companion, you are required to share 1/2 your share of gold with them and can share any amount of XP. If you are a Temple priest, you must additionally tithe 10% of your share of gold to the Temple. NOTE: If you were level drained you are set a halfway to the next level. If you were 6, you are now level 4 but halfway to 5. Make sure to adjust your xp, saving throws, to-hit chart, hit points, and anything else I may be forgetting. *********************************************************************************************************************************** First part of session with 9 people: Descended down north tower to the 4th floor. Found Small Carnelian Cube engraved with runes and richly decorated. Killed 1 Gnoll and charmed the other (who ended up staying near the arch and refused to proceed into the fog). Befriended 6 Scorpions who later ate up 15 Batmen for you guys. Ambushed by 6 Vampires. 2 were slain and 3 were forced to flee. Ramkus, Gorg, Marcus, and Thea left at this time, but receive xp/gold and rolls for what the 2 slain Vampires dropped: 1x +3 Dwarven War Hammer 1x +1 Mithril Armor (Elven-make), which offers faster movement as if unarmored. 1x Mundane Mithril Armor (Elven-make), which offers faster movement as if unarmored. 1x Amulet of Eldrath (sold for gold). 1x Jewelry set with amber stone (sold for gold). Second part of session with 5 people: Cat and mouse with two remaining Vampires, ending with Fireball that caused them to flee. Penetrated the Vampire Throne Room and staked the four remaining vampires. 4x Jewelry set with amber stone (sold for gold). 4x Mundane Mithril Armor (Elven-make), which offers faster movement as if unarmored. 6x Gold Inlaid Coffins 1x Fancy Dinner Set ********************************************************************************************************************************** FREDDY'S WRITEUP Note: This report isn't going to be as detailed as previous versions. I was distracted with homework help (by the kids and wife). Also there was that whole vampire thing that no one got upset over that sort of distracted from what was going on... but here you go: The group decided to go to the palace. The plan was to poke our heads in on the fourth floor, check it out a bit then clear the last room on 3 on our way out. That was the plan... We entered through the tower on the left this time. Grappling hooks were used to gain entry and the party was able to safely climb the tower. The party descended stairs down, we passed a locked door which we determined was an entry to the first floor. A total of 110' later we arrived at the bottom of the tower. At the base of the stairs, the group noticed a 12' ladder in the room, but no other exits. After a quick search by our elves, a secret door was found in the floor. With no dwarf available, one of the mages cast Knock and a door in the floor opened. We used the 12' ladder to descend into the room below. Once inside, and after a quick search, we took the ladder down and the secret door closed. We did some exploring of the secret passages leading out of this room. The ladder was hidden in the first hallway. We then came to a room that had a wall covered in vines and what appeared to be scorch marks. Na'Ral tossed a coin into the room, and an illusion was dispelled exposing an alcove. In the alcove the group found an unlocked chest. A quick check for traps revealed none and the chest was opened. Inside the group found a small Corelian (sp?) cube. It was stowed in the bag of holding and the party moved on. We encountered a room with glowing fruit and a garlic garden (too young for use). At this point Thea tried on her Ring of Invisibility to scout ahead a bit. We eventually came to another room with 2' of fog at floor level. Thea stepped into the fog with no repercussions (other than her silhouette was visible in the fog). Thinking the room was safe, Curtis stuck his head in to get a look. As he looked up to see what was above us he was spotted by a Giant Slug. The party decided to retreat and check another route. As we went though the next to last door, we heard a rasping sound in the hallway behind us. We grabbed our ladder from the hall and re-entered the original room and stowed it there. We went out the door to the west. As we stepped into the hall we noticed a garlic covered trellis/archway to the north, and a foggy hallway beyond that. To the south we noticed 2 4HD Knolls. A brief attempt was made to communicate with them, but was unsuccessful. It was noted that these creatures were wearing necklaces of garlic. 1 Knoll was Held by a cleric, the other was paralyzed by a mage and brutally executed. We continued south and turned a corner to find 6 giant scorpions. Oddly the scorpions did not attack outright, they seemed to be waiting on something. We gave them some rations and the party was undecided as to whether to proceed through the scorpions or to go the other direction. Not wanting scorpions behind us and something else attacking us from the other direction, the party opted to head north instead. But the scorpions followed us anyway. We passed through the archway (some members of the party taking garlic for protection) and moved into the fog. Durus played a joke on the group, but there was no laughter. We came to a door to the west. The door opened and inside we noticed 3 iron rods hanging from the ceiling, and from the iron rods hung 5 bat-men per rod. We exited the room, but the creatures had noticed us and began attacking. We were able to kill one when our new friends the scorpions passed through and showed us how it was done. They were able to collect all 15 creatures from the floors and walls and destroy them. Only one scorpion was lost in the fracas. The scorpions grabbed the bodies of the dead bats and drug them off for feeding time. Now unsure of what to do, the party decided to head south again since we felt it was a bad idea to be in the fog. We were right! We immediately saw before us 6 figures solidifying in the mist. Before us stood Lord Virez and his 5 enchanted/charmed/controlled vampire goons. Protection spells were cast and an attempt was made to turn the vampires. The dice roll was high enough, but the creatures could not be turned since they were being controlled . wearing magical amber amulets similar to those being made on the third floor but slightly stronger (most of them concealed underneath the armor). These amulets were the kind that the DM explained once upon a time: "Glow with a sickly yellow light and nullify turning attempts, dimming as the ability to nullify fades." The vampires were first noticed by Kuroba, he set in to attack and suffered for it. By the end of all combat he was drained down to 1st level. These creatures were able to drain the life of our party members as they struck them with the hammers they were wielding. Chaos ensued. Everything we thought we knew about vampires was shaken. A successful turn that failed? Protection spells that do not work as expected? Level drain through weapons not touch? Silver hits, but doesn't damage? The party fell apart mentally, but we continued to proceed with battle. Thea was able to sling a stone at Virez and remove his Amulet of Eldrath and the gem we thought was controlling the vampires, we were so wrong! For his first move, Lord Virez and his goons were able to charm most of those that tried to physically attack him and his party, and was highly successful. We were now facing 5 vampires and 4 of our own party members. Curtis was rendered unconscious by a series of attacks from our own companions. Ondraedon cast True Seeing, and all was revealed to us. Lord Virez and his companions were being controlled by an even greater darkness deeper in the palace, we were also able to see which of the vampires were controlling our party members, we were able to see the gems on the 5 vampires that were absorbing the spells we were casting , and we were able to see their sanctuary hidden behind the wall in a secret room behind us. The outlook appeared to be grim until Ramkus opted to cast Raise Dead on Lord Virez... and the vampire lord rolled a 1, miserably failing his saving throw. Bursting into a bloody mist and covering the walls, floor, his companions and maybe even a little way up on the 30/40' ceilings Lord Virez was eliminated. Feeling the morale boost the party set in to destroy the 5 remaining vamps. We tried to focus on one at a time to sever the dark vein of magic that was controlling our friends. We destroyed the three remaining that had charm on our companions. The last 2 were contained within a Field of Force that had been cast by Na'Ral. The party then opted to return south and fireball the two remaining vamps. We were almost to the garlic archway when they broke free of the Field of Force and were able to close the distance between us. Our Fireball would be ineffective as this would also mean serious injury (maybe even death) to our party at this distance. So some brief melee attacks were made on them and we retreated beyond the archway. The vampires in their wrath tried to follow, but could not tolerate the level of garlic. So they turned to go back to their coffins to recover, and were met by a Fireball launched by Na'Ral to the end of the hallway. The concussion was sufficient to force the vampires to mist. Ondraedon cast healing spells on Curtis and we pursued the damaged beings to their sanctuary. Using his Wizard Eye, Curtis was able to see that there were no other creatures in the room beyond the wall aside from the 5 that were stowed away in their coffins. Curtis then cast Passwall, and the party were able to enter the room. Stakes were provided for all of the vampires hiding away in their coffins. Being the worst for wear, the party left the palace licking our wounds. Much was lost this day, even though none were "killed". Surely we have now enraged the Queen of this castle!
