Session 19: A Purple Worm and Count Radu Rumpula

The Adventurers fight an armored zombie and accidentally open a portal that summons a purple worm.  

Written by our scribe Carl with a few edits by myself. It is based on our Sunday, April 3, 2022 session. Jimmy took the first the screen shot on Roll20, the second was from Paraselene's Twitch stream.

Continued from: A Bloody Woman and More Exploration.

Location:  Inside Tegel Manor.

As we left off, so shall we begin...

As Reebo checked a door, we heard the clanking of platemail coming toward us to the east. It came into view slowly, some kind of soldier readying a mace as if to attack.

The door was unlocked and Reebo could hear a swishing sound from behind it, like sweeping.

Aefir moved up, and saw what appeared to be a well-armored zombie, moving to attack.

A couple rounds of attack, and down it went.

Looting the body, we found a heavy mace, decent but damaged chainmail, an empty potion flask, and a pouch containing 6 GP, 4 SP.

We continued trying to check out the manor, door by door. Reebo had a little tough time picking the lock on the first one we chose, but eventually figured it out.



Reebo checked out the room for valuables and possible traps. Pretty standard bedroom setup, except the southeast corner held a huge 10 x 10 foot mirror. It would have been worth a fortune. but at ten feet across it was too big to take with us.

Arkhelm suggested checking the mirror for a secret door.

When Reebo touched the mirror, it started to fog up. He stepped back.

The fog cleared up after a bit, revealing a rough tunnel to the south with a light breeze blowing out into the room. A few seconds later, a purple worm came down the tunnel and stuck it's head into the room. Reebo backed out of the room and warned us all.

We made mostly ranged attacsk, except for Aefir the Bold. That was one tough worm, gotta wonder if we could make armor out of it.  Interestingly enough, spells that were cast and missed actually entered the tunnel in the mirror and went down it.

Aefir was swallowed !!!  Or perhaps he decided to fight from within... naaaah.

We threw all we had at the worm, the heck with tomorrow (or even next turn)... gotta kill that thing and get Aefir out before it was too late.  Shadow Walker even went so far as to jump into the maw of the worm (OK, he got swallowed too but that spin on it is better).

Being restrained inside the worm, Shadow's attacks were at a disadvantage, but it didn't stop him from getting a critical hit as he delivered a chop to the worm's gizzard.



With two of them inside, Aefir and Shadow were able to induce it to RALPH them back up, much worse for the wear and covered with slime. As much healing as we could generate followed immediately.

Fighting continued, biting continued... Shadow Walker returned to the maw of the beast, but the purple worm died immediately afterward and Shadow was gorged out onto the floor.

WHEW !!!!!

Soon after the worm died, the mirror portal closed, chopping the worm in two.

We took some of it's teeth and headed for the outdoors and back to town, exhausted. We had no problems along the way.

As before, we stayed in both rooming places to spread money around the town, and ate at different places also.  Bark and Bite was OK, but they targeted men as customers mostly. Natalie stayed, not offended or outraged but not really liking it also. She met the owner, Cretin Nodcock, an incredibly ugly Dwarf.

During the evening she heard some discussion:

 "The lands to the north and south of the village are reasonably peaceful, dotted by small farmsteads whose inhabitants sell their wares on the village market. Apart from the occasional goblin raid or wolf pack, they have little to fear. On the other hand, the area between Tegel and the seacoast is extraordinarily dangerous due to monsters, brigands and worse."

When Natalie asked about what "and worse" was, they talked about "The Dearth Monster of Derfingel Marsh".

This was the second time we have heard about the Dearth Monster, We had heard about it from Baladar the Ranger the last time we met him. It dwells somewhere in the marsh between the Village and the Manor.

The next morning we had a good breakfast and headed out. The Saturday Market was getting set up in the Village Square and we took the south road out, bound for more glory.

Just past the ranger's house we spotted a small group of folk, clerics perhaps, watching us from the hill above the marsh. We didn't approach them. 

We climbed up the hill and walked to the front of the manor and planned on going back in through our favorite window, and more hallways and rooms to explore.

While we were gone, someone had REPAIRED the window and the sash. How rude. This led to a discussion of just how to best get into the manor.

We got a window open by liberal use of force, and climbed in.

Moving to the south of the room, we heard a whistling such as calling a dog in the hallway. Then growling...

It sounded like several wolves (we met werewolves a while ago, maybe them), and the sound went away. After waiting a bit, Aefir looked out into the hall and heard panting from the east. We continued waiting as Shadow and Aefir monitored the hallway.

There were wolves sitting peacefully in the hallway to the east. Then a voice said 'Kill them'. Oh well, we tried. Count Radu Rumpula and his pack. The Count looked really spiffy, with a billowing cloak (did he bring his own wind... maybe I don't want to know).

Natalie got carried away by enthusiasm and did NOT line up a shot well enough. She hit Shadow in the back with a magic spell... oops... What is it about paybacks? 'Cause she probably has one coming.

To add to our misery, the Count CHARMED Paraselene. Para now was sure the Count was her (and our) bestest buddy and the fight was all a mistake.

To allow reasonable retreat, Nattie engaged the Count with that ($()()@@$ sword. The Count tried to retreat to another room, asking Para to come along. Natalie kept swinging and yelled for reinforcements.  The others had backed into the Mead Hall in hopes the Count would come into the room and "see the light".

As Para tried to follow the Count, Shadow stunned her with a chop from his hand.

The Count went into mist form to get away.  The last thing he said was, "I am not as stupid as my wife. I never liked her anyway."

Guess he meant the lady vampire we killed a few days ago.

Not quite a cliffhanger, but a dramatic pause for sure.

 

Continued in: More Exploration