The haul from last session was impressive. Along with the chests was a burnt ledger, perhaps the reports that the initial tax collector had taken down during an inventory of the treasury before whatever calamity had struck the castle and the rest was history. Aware that they still needed to clear out the last sections of the Caer Mortling, the party moved the three chests into the scorched room, which while smelling old smoke, at least had a working door. With the chests secured, the party started down the hallway, heading west.
Q: Was there commotion going in room #16?
A: Yes, but it is muffled. The only clue is that the door to room 20 is open.
Alias switches spots with Cuthbert as something is clearly going on. Voices cry out as people yell in terror with the bitter iron of blood hanging in the air. As Cuthbert opens the door, a pale blonde haired lady has one of the human thralls under Thulid's control by the neck. Another thrall is laid on the ground, squirming from an injury to the ribs, but alive.
Vermin Queen Perception to notice as she is possibly distracted by her victim: 9 - She is focused on doing something terrible to the thrall rather than look at the door.
Initiative - Round #1 GM: 5 Party: 12
Although the scent of honey is in the air, the queen has manifested her claws and has displayed a murderous tendency that cannot easily beguile targets.
Cuthbert moves and attacks the Queen with a Warhammer. Attack: 13 - Failure
Alias moves into the room, requiring her to use Cunning Action (Stealth) to gain Sneak Attack. Stealth: 15 > 12 - Success. Sneak Attack with Crossbow. Attack: 23 - Hit. Damage: 14. Vermin Queen HP: 51/65
Lucille moves and fires a bowshot at Vermin Queen. She marks the Vermin Queen as a Favored Foe. Attack: 15 - Hit. Damage: 7 + 3 (Force) = 10. Vermin Queen HP: 41/65
Fenthick casts Bless (2/4 Spell Slots Remaining) - He blesses the following: Cuthbert, Alias, and Lucille. He hands back, letting Cuthbert tank a monet.
Nindur moves in and casts Ray of Frost at Vermin Queen. Attack: 16 - Hit. Damage: 1 (Cold). Vermin Queen HP: 40/65
With over a quarter HP already lost, the Vermin Queen makes a Concentration form to maintain her composure - Con Save: 9 < 12 - Her body convulses and she suddenly bursts into her true form as a swarm of black, flesh eating beetles that move on the first thrall who has fallen onto the crawl.
Beetles: 9 vs. AC: 10 - Failure. The first thrall manages to scamper away from the grossly forming pile of beetles.
Round #2
Cuthbert attacks the swarm with his Warhammer. He spends a Spell Slot (1st level - 0/3 Remaining). Attack: 25 - Hit. Damage: 10/2 (Bludgeoning) = 5 + 12 (Radiant). Final Damage: 17. Swarm HP: 71/88
Alias stays still and takes Aim with Sneak Attack. Attack: 14 - Hit. Damage: 10/5 = 5. Swarm HP: 66/88
Alias fires an arrow at Swarm. Attack: 28 - Hit. Damage: 3+4 = 7/2 (Piercing) = 3 + 1 (Force) = 4 Total Damage. Swarm HP: 62/88
Nindur moves and casts Burning Hands on the Swarm. Swarm Save vs. 13 = 14 > 13 - Success. Save for ½. Fire Damage: 15/2 = 7. Swarm HP: 55/88
Fenthick casts Spiritual Weapon, summoning the Censer of Holy Light (2nd Level Spell Slots: ⅓ Remaining). He sends it at the Swarm to Attack. Attack: 13 - Miss
Vermin Swarm uses Surge to spread out and make 3 bites at Cuthbert, Thrall, and Fenthick
Attack at Cuthbert: 14 - Miss
Thrall #1: 14 - Hit. Damage: 14 > 10 - Thrall #1 is consumed and picked clean by a mass!
Attack on Fenthick: 13 - Miss
Round #3 Cuthbert attacks a vermin swarm with Warhammer. Attack: 18 - Hit. Damage: 8/2 = 4. Vermin HP: 51/88
Alias takes Aim and Sneak Attacks vermin swarm. Attack: 15 - Hit. Damage: 15/2 = 7. Vermin HP: 44/88
Nindur casts Burning Hands forcing vermin save. Saving Throw: 12 < 13 - Failure. Damage: 6. Vermin HP: 38/88. 1st Level Slots: ¼ Remaining.
Lucille attacks the Vermin Swarm. Attack: 13 - Miss
Fenthick attacks Vermin Swarm with Spiritual Weapon. Attack: 18 - Hit. Damage: 9 (Force). Vermin Swarm HP: 29/88
Fenthick then casts Word of Radiance. Swarm Save: Natural 20 - Resist
Vermin Swarm - Recharge (5-6 out of d6) 4 - No Recharge.
Vermin Swarm turns and attacks Cuthbert. Attack: 19 - Miss
Round #4
Cuthbert attacks the vermin swarm with Warhammer. Attack: 17 - Hit. Damage: 8/2 = 4. Swarm HP: 25/88
Alias takes aim and fires a Sneak Attack at vermin. Attack: 12 - Miss
Nindur hurls an Alchemist Fire into the Swarm. Attack: 17 - Hit. Damage: 2 (Fire). Swarm HP: 23/88. Fire Save: 8 < 10. Fire! The swarm is on fire and takes an initial burning damage (1d6): 3. Swarm HP: 22/88
Lucille attacks with Short Bow. Attack: 13 - Miss
Fenthick casts Word of Radiance. Swarm Save: 14 - Resist
Swarm Rush Recharge (5-in-6: 1 - No Recharge) / Fire Extinguish: 14 > 10 - Flames extinguished.
Swarm attacks Cuthbert. Attack: 24 - Hit. Damage: 6. Cuthbert HP: 33/40
Round #5 Cuthbert attacks the vermin swarm with Warhammer. Attack: 18 - Hit. Damage: 9/2 = 4. Swarm HP: 18/88. As a bonus action, Cuthbert touches himself and heals himself 5 HP. Cuthbert HP: 38/40. Lay on Hands Pool: 15/20
Alias takes aim and fires a Sneak Attack. Attack: 25 - Hit. Damage: 12/2 = 6. Vermin HP: 12/88
Nindur throws another Alchemist Fire. Attack: 14 - Hit. Damage: 2 (Fire). Vermin HP: 10/88. Vermin Save: 17 > 10 - Not on fire. Remaining alchemist fires: 1
Lucille attacks the Vermin Swarm with her shortbow. Attack: 23 - Hit. Damage: 5 (Piercing) = 5/2 = 2 + 4 (Force) = 6. Swarm HP: 4/88
Fenthick casts Word of Radiance. Swarm Save: 12 < 13 - Failure. Damage: 5 (Radiant). Swarm HP: 0/88 - Slain! ---
The remaining peasants are aware at a certain level that the Thulid is dead and that they were about to be devoured by the Vermin Queen, who may have gotten loose to terrorize now that was aware that the Thulid was also dead and whatever control or intimidation it applied to her was removed. The party looks at lacquered obsidian box that the thulid kept. As Alias approaches the box, the thralls make a run to the doors to escape and the party lets them pass by. Aware how wild they appear, but the party does not want to engage in wholesale slaughter if they do not have to.
The Thulud did not keep the box locked. Inside was the following:
A lacquered obsidian box (worth 25 gp)
Containing:
3 vials of alchemical preservative gel (acts as a 1-use Gentle Repose)
A pouch with 37 gp and 44 sp
Inside the parchment: A crude charcoal map of the lower level of Caer Mortling. A large “X” is drawn in the chamber directly beneath the throne room — the Sphere Room — hinting that something valuable lies hidden there beneath the broken stained-glass circle. ---
“Did we ever find anything in that room with the floating sphere?” Alias asked as she looked over the map. She quickly realizes that she is looking at plans of the lower level of Caer Mortling that the Thulid must have done.
“I don’t think so,” Nindur said, “We were distracted by the sphere.” ---
The party realizes there were the last two towers. They decide to retreat back into the hallway and move towards the stone statue room, which at least smells cleaner than the Thulid’s bedroom with all of the dead beetles. At least the party had access to fresh air from the various arrow slits.
Q: Is there an encounter in the hallway?
A: Yes, no modifier.
---
The last ogre brother had gone on patrol with the second dire wolf and was drawn by the commotion.
Cuthbert makes an Intimidate check: 6 - “You have a few seconds to start walking, or else.”
The ogre snarls, he is not vain, but seeing the party get this far in without hearing from his brothers, he knows something is amiss, “Kill!” the ogre snaps for his wolf to come alive.
---
Round #1 - Initiative
Party: 13
GM: 20
Dire Wolf #2 rushes at Cuthbert. Attack: 22 - Hit. Damage: 11. Cuthbert HP: 27/40 - Cuthbert Save vs. Trip: 21 > 13 - Saves!
Ogre #3 rushes the line and attacks Alias, who stood beside Cuthbert as they were not expecting an encounter. Attack: 15 - Hit. Damage: 10. Alias HP: 17/27
Alias spends a Cunning Action to Disengage and retreat behind Fenthick as the fight is on! She cannot Aim and she has spent her Cunning Action to Disengage. She fires a standard shot. Attack: 25 - Hit. Damage: 4. Ogre #3 HP: 55/59
Nindur casts Ray of Frost at Ogre #3. Attack: 22 - Hit. Damage: 4 (Cold). Ogre #3 HP: 51/59
Lucille moves next to Alias and casts Favored Foe on the Ogre (0/2 Remaining). She then attacks Ogre #3. Attack: 19 - Hit. Damage: 10 + 4 (Force) = 14. Ogre #3 HP: 37/59
Horde Breaker on Wolf #2: Attack: 14 - Hit. Damage: 9. Dire Wolf #2 HP: 28/37
Fenthick moves up to hold the line alongside Cuthbert. The following happens:
He commands his Spiritual Weapon to attack Ogre. Attack: 11 - Hit. Damage: 10 (Force). Ogre HP: 27/59
He casts Aid affecting Cuthbert, Himself, and Alias (+5 HP / +5 Maximum HP) 2nd Level Spell Slots (0/3 Remaining). Cuthbert gets a free attack due to his Voice of Authority ability.
Cuthbert Attack on Dire Wolf. Attack: 22 - Hit. Damage: 8. Dire Wolf HP: 20/37
Cuthbert attacks Dire Wolf. Attack: 18 - Hit. Damage: 9. Dire Wolf HP: 11/37
Round #2 (Secret Morale Check: Wolf (6) - Morale breaks and it tries to flee / Ogre (8 < 10) - Morale breaks, the ogre also tries to flee as it wants to survive and plot revenge.
Ogre makes a disengage maneuver to rush around past Cuthbert and get away from the party. He is trying to get out of the castle to try and plot revenge later.
Dire Wolf is just scared and not necessarily loyal to the ogre. It also disengages and out paces the brute. It reaches the end of the hall and starts down the stairs.
Alias aims and fires at the slower Ogre. Attack: 24 - Hit. Damage: 12. Ogre HP: 15/59
Nindur fires a Ray of Frost. Attack: 12 - Hit. Damage: 4. Ogre HP: 11/59
Lucille fires an arrow at Ogre #3. Attack: 21 - Hit. Damage: 5 + 1 = 6. Ogre #3 HP: 5/59
Fenthick sends the Spiritual Censor to attack Ogre #3. Attack: 15 - Hit. Damage: 10. Ogre #3 HP: 0/59 - Slain
The last ogre is slain before he can commit to trying to plot revenge for his brothers. The party lets the dire wolf go. Like its sibling, the dire wolf is a natural beast, and was equally abused as both its sibling and the orc. ---
The party retreats back to Room #17. There remains western wing of Caer Mortling, although the party suspects that part of that area was dominated by the Vermin Queen and the ogre on patrol. There might be nothing left, but the party certainly feels their hurts and low energies. They spike the door leading into the room and take a Long Rest.
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