Basements and Braunsteins

Session 103: The Illhiedrin Book

This session was played 9/28/24. Adventuring lasted until 10/7/24.

Roster

Downtime

Napoleon wants to find a high-level magic user to patron his magical career. While looking for clues to an old magical book, the party is stalked by a nasty horse rider.

Session Report

The party starts out in Chestertonshire, population 6,500. There, they hear rumors of an old tower inhabited by a wizardess who may need some help. What kind of help is not exactly known. Napoleon, being a magic user himself, hopes she might train him or teach him some new spells. Steve Odenkirk is happy to help Napoleon—after all, Napoleon once helped him recover his ability to walk. The rumor-tellers in Chestertonshire don’t know much else and direct the party to Tassin’s Wood to learn more.

The party travels to Tassin’s Wood, books a room at the inn, and begins asking questions about the rumors. They learn from the blacksmith that he actually works for the lady in the tower. Her name is Alcastra. The blacksmith explains that she has contracted him to produce weapons and armor for her patrols, which keep the area safe from encroaching monsters.

The party then visits the town’s temple. They ask the head cleric, Lassering Thay, what this wizardess might be looking for and why she would need adventurers—she already has men in her service and is quite capable herself. Lassering isn’t sure what her intentions are but says he trusts her. His story agrees with the blacksmith’s: Alcastra protects these lands. He suggests she may be seeking Charlesfane’s old magic books and notes that it would be better for her to have them than for a potential threat to acquire them.

Lassering gives the party a map of Charlesfane’s tomb along with a scroll of Speak With Dead.

Napoleon, however, wants to keep the book if they find it.

That evening at the inn, a man approaches the party. He introduces himself as Kaystar and warns them they are asking too many questions—some locals don’t take kindly to outsiders.

The next morning, the party sets out for the Tomb of Charlesfane. The site is rumored to be more than 100 miles north, and it takes them about a week to locate it. Along the way, they encounter about a dozen wandering orcs in the woods, dispatching them quickly. One night, they discover that Kaystar has been tracking them. He attempts to steal some of their horses but escapes before the party can properly arm themselves.

At last, they arrive at the tomb. Inside, they begin clearing it out, encountering various groups of orcs. One group is found trying to open a secret compartment in a wooden desk. At one point, the party exits the tomb to resupply with oil flasks and drop off equipment, only to catch Kaystar trying to steal their horse and donkey again. This time, Napoleon’s pseudo-dragon pounces and poisons him. Kaystar collapses, and the party ties him up.

Re-entering the tomb, they reach a sarcophagus room with a cowering orc and slay him. Soon after, they face a giant constrictor snake and defeat it. In what they believe to be the final chamber, Odenkirk is downed, but Napoleon and their hired help manage to clear the room.

When they finally leave the tomb, they return to Tassin’s Wood. Kaystar is turned over to the authorities as a horse thief. The party then reports back to Lassering, explaining that they cleared out the orcs but did not locate Charlesfane’s tomb. They plan to return and may seek counsel from Alcastra before their next attempt.

Aftermath

Slain

Spoils

1 platinum, 3009 gold, 915 silver split between Napoleon and Steve how they see fit.

Score

#1e #alcastra #brosr #orcs #session report