AtD 016: Return & Revelation

The party surged forth from the mausoleum and quickly slew the hobgoblins before dumping their remains behind the mausoleum.

Cleaning up the obvious signs of battle as best they could, the party again retreated to the mausoleum. While Saeldur and Balasar searched the structure, the others rested.

Gromm kept watch from the slightly open door and about twenty minutes later spotted a group of 12 goblins creeping toward the black lake. Because of the angle of the door, he couldn't see what transpired at the lake, but a few minutes later he heard frenzied screaming and saw ten or so goblins fleeing back toward the monastery's main building.

Clearly, something dangerous lurked in the lake’s fetid, miasmic waters.

Finally, the party completed their rest and exploration and uncovered a fair amount of loot. During his search, Saeldur also discovered each of the biers in the mausoleum’s side rooms had a stone "pillow" of sorts and that these could be depressed.

After Gromm checked them for traps the party busily set about pushing them down. Nothing happened until the last "pillow" was depressed. Then a great rumbling sound came from the statue of Braal as it slowly sunk into the ground. This revealed a shaft about 30-foot deep with a perilously narrow corkscrew stair leading down into a large chamber.

The party debated what to do next.

Eventually, the heroes decided to leave this new area for now and to head back to Dunstone. Several felt in need of a week's rest and recuperation while others—particularly Ozloc—couldn't wait to sell their loot!

The party's return to Dunstone was mostly without incident, although while they camped that night at the Bat Cave Gromm—again on watch—sensed a foul beast sniffing about outside the cave. The creature resembled a ghoul, but the pungent stench of death flowed from it in waves and the brave half-orc—aware the Wolf Moon shone down upon the woods—decided discretion was the better part of valour.

Still, for all that, worse was to come when the party returned to Dunstone. Here they were met with the shocking news that Kildrak had escaped from prison. Their one-time friend (and now wanted murderer) had apparently fought his way out of Dunstone Castle—or perhaps flew over the walls—the night previously as the party rested in the Bat Cave. Inevitably, as Kildrak had escaped on the night of the Wolf Moon rumours ran rampant through the town. Some spoke of dozens of dead guards, while other stories featured magic charms, a flying dwarf and even other foul—perhaps lycanthropic—beasts.

It seemed impossible to determine the truth of what happened, and the party's woes were compounded by their association with the reviled warrior. Although Harald's strong standing at the church of Darlen insulated himself and shielded many of his companions from the direst accusations, Gromm in particular was in a bad position. The redoubtable ex-headsman had offered to be responsible for Kildrak's actions and Arvo—the grandson of the lord of the town—was known to be incandescent with fury at Kildrak's escape.

With Gromm spending much of the next day in hiding Ozloc spent the day selling the party's ill-gotten gains, except several choice items that would not put the party in a good light such as a finely wrought unholy symbol of Braal. He learned the town was in an ugly mood after Kildrak's escape and disappearance and so it was that the party prepared for their audience with Arvo (who had demanded their presence at Castle Dunstone that evening to answer questions about Kildrak’s escape)…