Adventure Log #007 - Lios Campaign: Catching Up (Or Down)

Sep 12 2008, 12:04 pm

In attendance:

Kelly
Elise
Karlene
Terry
Colin
Kalan

Catching up from the last two sessions, the party was led by the ale maker Borgiden to the Eastern wall of the mountain home of Brekknor. Through a clearing in the woods appeared a cavern opening into which they proceeded. Stating it would be looked after, Borgiden left his wagon outside. After descending a stone stairway, Borgiden was noticed missing, followed by the sound of collapsing tunnel up behind the party. Borgiden had tricked them and even left a note of apology for the deceit.

Forced to carry on, the PCs discovered mining rails, tools, hardware, and laborers' skeletal remains, all showing the age of centuries. The paladin Kenny discerned the presence of evil down a steep crevasse, where some creature fumbled at the wall, unable to scale its way up. Our heroes eventually left well enough alone, and begrudgingly chose to climb down a shallower opening to the north and west. Passing
through the most natural of cave, stalactites and stalagmites dominating the space, they found yet another mining tunnel, this one occupied by a skeleton sextuplet of several sizes and shapes.

A variety of abilities and tactics, including a magic stone, a jury-rigged flame arrow, a well-placed crowbar impact, and Oberman's surreptitious command of one larger undead, expedited the party's victory. A mysterious mist was seen weaving between the stalactites over their heads back the direction they came, but the party sought first to explore the immediate area. An old storage room provided nothing useful. The way ahead was blocked by a portcullis lowered from an opening in the ceiling, no method of opening it yet discovered.

Most curiously, at the back of a curved tunnel, some gruesome approximation of humanoid crouch hungrily behind the bars of a sturdy cage partially immersed in a pool of stagnant water. The creature spoke in both common and Gnome of a single-minded desire to feed. In an attempt to barter for information, Oberman sent his commanded skeleton to offer a hand, upon which the ghoul began grinding in its grisly teeth. Unfortunately, the undead creature lost all sense at the opportunity to eat something, even dusty old bones.

Glim, disturbed more than the others by this being, left the company to make a closer inspection of the aforementioned storage room. While crossing the larger cavern, Glim suddenly laid eyes upon a new creature from out of the darkness. It was there the we adjourned for another two weeks.

DEEPENING THE PLOT
In planning for the next encounters and events in this adventure, I had to remind myself to maintain some anticipation. No mystery works if you blab all the details or reveal entire situations at once. A little here, a little there, pieces of the puzzle should be given out in good time. Storytelling works when the audience, or participants in role playing, has a chance to figure out what might be going on. Why abandon a mine? Why be forced into a lair of undead? Why are some creatures free to roam and another imprisoned more securely? Questions should be left to ponder and possibly solve.