NIGHTWICK ABBEY: The Purple Eater of People, Session 15

Much better numbers... especially the count of deerman heads

Previously in Nightwick... 

And if you want to catch up on *all* the previous fun? 
"Weeknights in Nightwick" archive here.

The Party

Agnus (Fighter 1)
Blossom (Rogue 3)
Corfu (Dwarf 1)
Glurp (Frogling 1)
Mayfly (Magic-User 2)
Sotar (Cleric 1)

Hirelings: Grolmes, Ernko (MU 0), Maynhardus (FM 1), Bartel, Tzich

At the Medusa's Head...

With little gained from the last delve and the near-death of Blossom, the party seeks to reverse the poor fortune the stars thrust upon them. Agnus the Fighter joins the party hearing of the riches pulled from the dungeons. With Blossom resting, Pavel sees little reason to join the new delve, causing the party to scoop up Bartel as a hopeful replacement and off the group goes.

...then down in the Abbey...

THE WEST TOWER: Despite the dire warnings from Blossom about her first delve into Nightwick via the West Tower, the party decides to break with "tradition" and try it anyway. After descending, the party found themselves in a room about half the size of the East Tower containing four columns- three with rose motifs and one depicting St. Gax, holding two keys, and one finger over his mouth.

The party remembers Blossom telling them screaming came from the western door, while the eastern door lead to a host of deermen. The party wants to take their chances with unidentified screaming potentially behind the west door over the screams of deermen.

DISSECTION ROOM: But today no screaming from the west, so the party decides to try the door. Bang! Bang! Bang! The door gives way at last to reveal three hunched figures carving away at a quivering pile on a table. The noise gives the party away so the three figures raise their bloody cleavers toward new prey. 

The party answers this predation with a crossbow bolt from Bartel that hits heavy! While Corfu, Glurp, and Maynhardus form the line at the door. In the flickering torchlight, it is revealed these butchers are men gone mad, covered in skin masks, and seeking fresh material. But their heavy blows find no home and the party's frontline lands skillful strikes! Maynhardus and Bartel drops two and Corfu the third.

Making their way into the room, the party finds a pitiful "man" made of mixed up animal parts. This monster refers to itself as "the cleaner" and says he cleans up the Abbey- and sometimes the visitors that come in there- when they stop moving. Mostly.

The party tries to negotiate with the cleaner to guild them to the lower depths of the Abbey. Its makes reference to a garden. However, the mental stability of this mixed-up man is called into question so the party lets him go. But not before relieving him of a bag of ivory dominos (??? sp).

The last surprise is that after release, "Cleaner" disappears through the west door, but as if just fading from sight as opposed to going through the door.

THE HUNTING ROOM: The party decides to turn northward through the hallway instead risking a door which could reveal their position. The party's flickering torchlight reveals a columned room with base relief on each of the knights riding down wolves, exultation in their faces and fear in the wolves' eyes. However, as the party's torchlight illuminates the pillars the wolves become women by some trick of shadow and light. Little time for reflection as the party finds themselves in the position of quarry!  Black-winged arrows streak from the west- deermen!

With revenge in their hearts, the party forms a front line between the eastern-most two columns with Agnus, Maynhardus, Corfu, Glurp. Ernko drops back with oil flasks at the ready to cover a retreat. Mayfly, begins to mumble a spell. The party is in position right as Mayfly casts light to illuminate the deerman position- eight horrible creatures and eight racks on their head for the taking!

Another arrow flight! The foul magic of The Pit guiding this one. Ernko is speared through his only good eye- dead! Agnus too is perforated and bleeds out! Sotar's faith spares his heart but not his shoulder which explodes in pain as its cracked by a black arrowhead! But this party's hard heart doesn't falter. Tize sends a deerman back to the Pit! Maynhardus and Glurp kill another! Bartel earns his wage with a third! And Corfu expands the seating in hell with a fourth deerman!

Scenting the blood of their dead ilk in the air, the morale of these dread elk faulters. Breaking, they scurring their horry hides back into the poisoned bosom of Nightwick Abbey.

LURID FLORA: Corfu tends to Sotar as the party explores the room. These much thicker columns are covered in bas relief of strange flora. Even the spell-light fails to illuminate exactly what is being depicted as strange flowers give way to some sort of writing which flows back into more bizarre vegetation. Mayfly takes a rubbing. But confirmed by Corfu, each erotically-tinged flower is tipped in rubies! The party sets to work prying these gems out of their sockets (??? sp).

(PC NOTE: Once again, I think I missed to opportunity to better use Mayfly's spell compilation. Light is a 1st level spell that can blind an opponent on a failed save. Only enemies at 10-12 HD even have a 50% chance of saving. By BX rules, a blinded opponent cannot attack. Because Mayfly has two 1st-level spell slots, that is almost a guaranteed defeat of two enemies. Now, the obvious strategy is to save it for some big enemy. Buut, being able to knock down 2 enemies out of 8 is a big help to the party, so maybe I should be more aggressive. Especially to draw morale checks.

...back at the Medusa's Head

Pleased with the victory, but too shocked by it to actually party. The PCs agree to retire for the evening after making inquiries in town as to how to improve the rest and recovery of their downed members.

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