[OD&D] Se170 Emancipation

OD&D "Malchor's Misty Isles"
Session 170 in Isles
Session 26 since heading out to Tonisborg

Player Characters

The Remnants (being stolkholmed by villainous zealots)
Cadfael the Sleuthing Cleric
Madoc the Fighting Man
Einar the Aeros Thief
Crafty the Bookish Magic Wielder

Free Adventurers
Sewcup.... No idea his Race or Class.
Dextro the sometimes Fighter, sometimes Thief

Dextro and Sewcup are freely exploring the dungeon having escaped the clutches of the Draconae madmen. They have no idea why the rest of the party didn't come with them and returned once but still no one wanted to explore.

Cadfael, Madoc, Einar and Crafty are prisoners of the Zealot Order Draconae (Zod for short) for some trumped up charges riddled with lies. They are let out to do busywork.

Cadfael announces their treasure finds to nearest Zod and requests armour in return, postulating that gaining treasure is of no use. Zod thinks it's a trap and declines. Another Zod eventually proffers five suits of Leather Armour for the gems. The first non-insane thing the Zods have done. Everyone looks across the hall at the once heroic figures now hanging on hooks like tortured meat. Zod is known for their torture, murder and cannibalism along with gatekeeping the dungeon from potential heroes who might free the dungeon of their evil.

The NPC George who helped the party with a ghost previously is hauled into the dungeon by Zod for reading a book. Zod steals a crate of books from the party. Seeking knowledge is evil to them. Crafty tries to speak justice for George but they put him in a room where crying and or laughter is heard.

Dextro and Sewcup had previously killed a Gray Pudding/Ooze and three giant iguanas who all attacked immediately and without warning. They followed their path back to a wall. Sewcup believes that there is a hook or some sort of device on the other side of the wall that lizards could pull to open a door. We find a button that opens this side to see a bedroom.

20th Century Fox plays in the background along with a voice "Who let the lizard's out, who who who."

Revealed is a bedroom with three large fluffy pillows with the names Muffy, Fluffy and Duffy sewn onto them. There is a tassel hanging from a rope that goes into the ceiling presumably to open the secret door and there is another egress from the room. Sewcup was right! Dextro opens the chest at the foot of the grand bed to find thousands of gold coin and Sewcup pulls a map out of the pile that leads to a forgotten treasure hoard. A voice from on high says we can only carry 3K gold each and repeats some strange ancient word enk-uhm-branse. Neither Sewcup nor Dextro understand this word but Dextro being a trained Tinker starts making a device to haul heavy objects with the grandiose bedframe.

George is revealed again to the party with a sour and glum face, looks at Crafty, frowns, shrugs and leaves. The remnants of the party are sent by Zod to inspect some doors down the hall with some story of the dungeon fighting back, which if true means they are the invaders and perhaps the dungeon could be set free.

Madoc goes first and they discuss spells and archetypes. Upon opening the first door they spy eight very docile giant snakes. Very unlike the previous encounters with Ants who block the door and attack. A Sleep spell is cast and oil thrown in but nothing happens and they shut the door in fear. Cadfael casts Speak with Animals and they have a merry chat through the door. Very easy going snakes.

"Are you trapped here or is this your home? Can you go as you please? Will you leave or fight?"
Initially the snakes want to fight but Madoc chimes into Cadfael's spell and gets them on their side. Parleying goes on awhile and the snakes reveal that next door there are spiders.

They open the spider door, cast Sleep again and throw oil. All spiders are slept and Crafty wants to keep them. Madoc kills nine and Crafty saves one.

The snakes, feeling annoyed at having to wait, open the door and come into the hallway. Cadfael agrees to protect them with his life. Somehow The Remnants know that sending the snakes down the stairs will harm Sewcup and Dextro. Those friendly monsters go very willingly, smelling the adventurers some ways away (through multiple sealed doors). The Remnants (names rhyme with glass bowls) have had it out for adventuring since day one and someday karma will be paid upon them.

Zod does a 180 and not only lets The Remnants go but offers them a possible job the next day of which they hmmm and haw with words about rest and spells and rest. Zod makes up some story about their evil being descendant of Svenny the Paladin and have love-bombed many nobles and taken advantage of orphans. Madoc submits and proffers his ability to their evil cause.