5e D&D Dwimmermount Session 4 - Henchman, allies and drunken tongues

Mattias The Wizard

The party decide that they needed time to rest, train, research and contemplate for a week to better prepare them for their return to Dwimmermount (i.e. level up). During this period they also set about selling the golden shields they’d retrieved from the dungeon and seeing if they could fence the Orc weapons and armour they’d taken. Since Zolius the Hyperborean had spent some time working the bellows of the blacksmith’s forge and was well like by the blacksmith and his apprentices, they got a good deal on the ransacked Orc equipment. Both Bittersalt the Elf and Errol the Dwarf ordered Splint armour, which would take about a month to make. Larenz Arquem, the blacksmith, wouldn’t buy the shields though as he thought them too decorative for his customers who he described as militia-farmers. He mentioned that the Petre brothers, Bynde and Aurri, were in town and these merchants both bought and sold unusual items.

After perusing their wares, including the fine, glum soled dragonskin boots, Bittersalt and Calphas the Mage set about bargaining a price for the shields, both sides walking away feeling like that had struck a reasonable deal. This also gave the party some more local coin. Around this time, Zolius set up a ‘wrestle the barbarian’ stall to help him work out, and given his particular physical qualities he was successful in attracting custom.

During the third night Calphas awoke to find a thief feeling from his room. Chasing after the thief and trying to alert his companions, he saw that the culprit is no more than a boy. His cries of ‘stop thief’ alerted the watch who turned the same corner as the boy. These two guardsman roughly backhanded the boy to the dirt and quiz Calphas. The boy is found to be clutching the mage’s daypurse. The guards haul the boy off, telling the assembled party members that he’ll be tried at the Midday Court by the bailiff in two days, and the sentence would be the chopping off of the boys hands. Bittersalt in particular is outraged by this, and Calphas, who grew up on the streets, has some sympathy for the boy.

On the day of the Midday Court the party gather and enter the actual keep for the first time. It’s much more militaristic than town, with many armed guardsman in well kept uniforms and weapons. In the meeting chamber, the bailiff Lambert sits at a long table, flanked by veterans. Louys Herit, the head priest of Typhon is also their, watching the proceedings. The boy, named Paulo Dewilt, is dragged in and it’s clear he has been badly treated. Lambert calls the case, the guardsmen who captured the boy give the details to which Lambert scowls and curses the boy. He asked for witnesses, and Calphas steps forward but claims he did not sees the boys face, so can’t formally identify him. Lambert asks if it was his purse the boy had about him, to which Calphas is forced to agree.

The boys mother, a washerwoman, bursts in and pleads for mercy for her boy, but Lambert is adamant and sentences the boy to death, by having his hands chopped off. He sets a blood price of 20 gold pieces on the boy. Bittersalt immediately steps forward and says she’ll pay the price. The others in the party are somewhat reluctant, but the boys nimbleness and stealth have impressed them, and they are afterall without a burglar. The terrified boy is handed over to Bittersalt, and his mother promises her eternal gratitude, particularly when the party say they are taking him on.      

Paulo Dewilt, lockpicker

The night before they are due to leave, they are sat around the tavern when they are approached by man wearing dark blue esoteric clothes, he introduces himself as Mattias of Salander. He asks if perhaps the party are in need of the services of a wizard. A drunken Bittersalt questions him, and asks if he can juggle to which the characters flagons rise up and starting circling in the air. “Can you turn someone in a frog?” asks Bittersalt, to which Mattias says, “No, the polymorph other spell is beyond my skill”. The banter continues for awhile, and the conversation turns to the identification of magical items. Bittersalt immediately pulls out the vial of strange red liquid found near the dead dwarves. The wizards goes very quiet and demands to know where this liquid is from, saying that it might be an infusion of Azoth that can used to combine the essences of different creatures. He says that some arcanists propose that it’s this liquid was somehow used to create the first beastmen. He then once again demands to know where they got it from, and then asks them if the doors to Dwimmermount are open, which Bittersalt says that he already knows the answer. Brother Spenzar is furious at the revelation. Mattias says that he’ll aid the party in anyway he can, and is very interested in any magical oddities they discover. The party cautiously agreed to work with Mattias if he kept his silence, to which he replied that it was in his own interests to keep the opening of the dungeon secret.

We ended the session here, as it was 10pm and there wouldn’t be time to do anything meaningful in the dungeon, although they did purchase a mule and some tents to allow them to carry more loot and camp in the wilderness rather than having to return to Muntburg so often.  

All in all, a very enjoyable session of pure roleplaying. Our physical environment, at games club sometimes makes it a little difficult to hear and be heard, so we need to try and get into the back room whenever possible. Willards playing of the drunken elf earned him an inspiration point, but everyone played their characters really well and it was both a humorous and engaging evening. I'm really looking forward to seeing where the characters go when they return to the dungeon itself.

5e D&D Dwimmermount Session 3 - A rescue and return to the surface

Snacks!

Knowing that I'd be away immediately following our sessions, one of the players (Jonathan) very kindly wrote up last session.

In the aftermath of the second ambush of the day our brave heroes had a quick discussion over the freshly slain Orcs. To continue exploring, to find a room and fortify for the night or leave the mountain and return to town having gained a bit of gold and a few weapons to sell. A quick vote was called and it was decided that we would check out a few rooms and make way back to the entrance.

Bitter Salt lead the way showing us all the meaning of stealth by sneaking forward then calling loudly back what she saw, an oddly carved door. Calphis recognized the carvings as those of a playhouse and together he, Bitter Salt and Flandar checked out the room while Errol, Zollus and Brother Spenzar guarded the rear making sure no more Orcs would ambush them.

Bitter Salt walked brazenly into the room not waiting for Calphis to check for traps. The room was a designed with a stage and a large curtain which Bitter Salt once again proved her stealth skills didn't quite match up her combat ability and with a loud crash the curtain came crashing down.

Thankfully no Orcs where hiding and after a quick search Calphis and Bitter Salt found a hidden stage passageway with another door. Hearing the sounds of someone being tortured the group quickly gathered and decided that it was time for a little ambush of their own. A simple ambush was devised, open the door and shoot the closest Orcs. With a quick prayer to Typhon the door was opened and the trap sprung.

Not all went exactly as planned. On seeing the three Orcs beating a Dwarf, Calphis failed to control his fear and his spell missed wildly, Brother Spenzar called upon Typhon to burn the closest Orc and Zollus upon seeing the Orcs flew into a wild rage and forgetting the plan charged forward into melee against a different Orc dealing it a mighty blow. Bitter Salt's shot missed and struck Zollus but bounced off his armor. Errols shot also went wide and Flandar's summoned cloud of poison failed to infect the tough Orcs.

Now the Orcs overcome the shock of the ambush Calphis panicked and missed once again with his spell, Brother Spenzar did yet more damage but now the Orcs were able to retaliate. The Orcs fighting Zollus pulled out a hand axe but his wound was too great and the axe shot out of his hand killing his burning companion. The third unwounded Orc tried to run past Zollus to escape but he dispatched it as it tried to flee then dispatched the last one.

The sound of more Orcs enjoying themselves in the next room caused our heroes to grab the dwarf and move back the way they came. The Dwarf said his name was Balfur and from Muntburg and begged them to flee the Orcs and return to town of course the promise of 500 gold coins had nothing to do with the decision made. Leaving as quickly as possible they saw a few rats the size of dogs running away with some left over Orcs.

Nothing followed the brave adventures' out into the world, talking to Balfur they heard that he was attacked by Skeletal warriors and after two days hard travel they reached Muntburg dropped off Belfur with his family getting him to promise not to speak that he had been in the mountain. Brother Spenzar went to stay at his Church (edit: Where he arranged to report on the goings on in Dwimmermount, keep the parties entrance a secret and will swap ancient gold coin for less mysterious modern coins) while the rest went to get a well earned hot meal at the Flagon And Scroll with a vast amount of Ale and a half dozen chickens (one for Typhon of course).