AD&D Solo Adventures - The Village of Hommlet Part 18

Day 238 (3rd of Fireseek CY 577)

I forgot to add the XP for the potions, 750/16 = 46.875 x 1.1 and 1.05 is 51FXP and 49MUXP.

The next day they paid the usual amount, 4sp and 23gp (deluxe service with water to get the stink off) before they make their rounds of Nulb. They donate the linen to the Waterside Hostel, ensuring their cooperation at east for a little bit more. They donate the brandy from the Room 136 chest and the white wine to the river-pirate Tolub, who’s in port for 2 days, as token of thanks for keeping the town going but really to see if they could poison him on the spot without risking their alignment. He’s suspicious of a gift from a man who’s only previous interaction with him was to fence gems. And is some sort of hero now. But after having a fellow bargoer drink it and when the man did not die, he declares it’s high time someone paid him a tribute. Everyone knows they went to Mother Screng to pay for herbs, but Y’dey gives Celest the healing, HP 7 -> 8. They leave the platinum with her.

Going to Hommlet with the wagon will take 3 days each way. Otis charges the fee as a means of keeping up appearances, but rations are required. 14 days of rations and fodder are bought for 20gp in exchange for the brass stand and 10gp. An early morning trip to Mother Screng heals Celest, HP 8 -> 10.

The road is cold and alternatingly snowy and slushy, adding 2 more days onto the journey. On this day they surprise 3 gnolls at 30 yards. In the surprise round, they leap off the wagon and move 20 yards, flinging their spell Fray, wounding a gnoll, HD 2 -> 1. As they couldn’t charge the whole distance. In the first round the Celest is first and Dounil last. She kills the wounded gnoll and another. The gnoll does not hit and Dounil kills it.

Day 239 (4th of Fireseek CY 577)

Nothing but snow in the trees

Day 240 (5th of Fireseek CY 577)

A merchant’s caravan passes, Dounil debates selling some stuff to them, but Celest warns they could be evildoers in disguise. The merchant caravan is late, cold and wary of two armed travellers with random assortment of odd wares. No one relaxes until 30 minutes after they last see each other.

Day 241 and 242 (5th and 6th of Fireseek CY 577)

Nothing encountered, they arrive in Hommlet in the late afternoon as it grows dim. Hommlet is happy to see them for their reputation has grown since their early days, though now no foe on levels 2 and below will be surprised to see them unless attacked via stealth or wandering. They will rest the night, sell their loot and see if they need to begin training. Three private rooms are already occupied, the fanciest ones. 10ep a night will cover the rooms, 4gp for the stables and they eat the remaining rations and drinking the brandy in the silver flask in a feast.

Day 243 (7th of Fireseek CY 577)

Dounil and Celest present themselves to Rufus and Burne, who eagerly await what treasures they can bring and have a surprise of their own. Trainers to speed up training as per the module and a member of the exchequer from Verbobonc, who comes bearing Dounil’s promissory notes and to officiate more, so Hommlet can do the exchanges without running out of money. On the topic of money, my calculations for selling the magic items in OSE end up being; Chainmail +2 15000 x 2, battle axe +1 5000 x 2, mace +1 6000 x 2 = 26000gp of profit. A lot more than in just AD&D as it is double the creation cost, which is about twice the selling price in AD&D, and none of which is in coinage of course. Those will go the Verbobonc for their vaults, so 1,787FXP and 1,706MUXP.

After a debate with the discord, that’s a bit excessive, so I keep to just the gold values. Now this does dramatically reduce the raw XP to 13000 and means we must deduct an unknown amount from the previous XP Celest got from the Shield +1. I split the difference, I ignore all the treasure brought with them now for XP, deduct any XP over the minimum level threshold and rounded down the rest for both characters and hopefully that makes up for what she should have paid. And I half Celest’s old promissory note she got from that magic item for good measure.

That’s enough to make Celest a level 3 Fighting-Woman.

So, this list here:

A gold chain (200gp), 2 bronze rings, set with a triangular stone of jet (worth 50 gp). A bronze medallion with a raised triangle (20 gp). A jasper (50 gp), a gold ring (25 gp) and a gold brooch set with a triangular piece of jet (150 gp). A gold box set with ivory (350gp). Ten gp for the brass stand not included previously, Romag’s velvet ceremonial garb embroidered with triangles of gold thread with precious stones (8 jaspers and 28 hematites, totally 50 x 8 and 28 x 10 for a total of 680gp total), a silver flask on the table is worth 40 gp, 90gp of incense and unguents (30 gp of encumbrance). Silver bracelet (170gp + 6 x 10gp azurites. A copper belt (35gp). A necklace of 12 large gold coins (130gp). Four bronze rings set with a jet stone (50gp x 4), 4 ornamental dagger (15gp x 4), and 2 big and perfect agates (100gp and 500gp). Two triangles (20gp x 2), a bronze ring with a triangular setting of jet (50gp), a rock crystal (50gp) and four tourmalines (100gp x 4). Two hanging lamps (30gp) and a bronzewood rod (5gp).

All gone for XP purposes but kept for cash. Which of course is immediately amended for her training. This costs her 800gp as the two weeks under Rufus is halved with the extra trainers. 2495gp in this brand-new promissory note.

For 7 days Dounil rests while Celest trains, regaining HP, 8 -> 15. Spending 70ep and 14gp for both of them on board and stabling, and 70cp and 140sp on food and drink. Celest’s maximum HP increase to 16. She visits Canon Terjon who heals her three times for 30gp total and a 100gp donation to the castle, HP 10 -> 14.

He mulls over the reaction the traders had, when they reacted with interest to the brass furnishings from the Earth cleric’s room and then shock at the bronzewood stick. He asks for an audience with Rufus and Burne who list to his idea the traders work for the temple somehow. Why they don’t like the traders for how they are happy to undervalue and sell faulty goods, there is no proof. They’ve served the village for over a year.

It is one more night before they return to Nulb.

Day 251 (15th of Fireseek CY 577)

The road is slushy, but 5 days of time requires 10gp of rations and fodder. On the first day out, they encounter 3 wild boars rooting for grass under the snow. A friendly reaction roll means they don’t bother each other, Celest’s elfin half wonders if it’s the same boars as before.

Day 254 (18th of Fireseek CY 577)

They encounter 6 bugbears, stumbling upon each other at a distance of 20 yards. The bugbears were heading towards Hommlet to waylay them, but the bad weather works both ways. Celest first, Dounil last.

R1, Celest leaps forward, now able to sword Fray the foes. She slashes back and forth but never quite lands a hit on the slippery ground; a bugbear goes HD 3 -> 1. All bugbear weapons bounce off her armour. Dounil also has trouble keeping his footing, do 1 HD to another bugbear, HD 3 -> 2.

R2, same order, Celest kills the wounded bugbear and brings the other wounded one from HD 2 -> 1. None of the bugbears can get a hit through. Dounil is still slipping on the slush, his swings slay the wounded bugbear but his main attack is not hitting.

R3, Heroes go first but Dounil only by a pip. They slay 3 bugbears and wound one more, HD 3 -> 2. The bugbear fails morale and flees.

R4, bolts of magical Fray from the two half-MU half-elves blast the fleeing bugbear in the back dead. There is of course no treasure.

Day 255 (19th of Fireseek CY 577)

A quiet, if tense day as they make their way to Nulb. And as night falls, they still must pay Otis his wagon rent of 170gp. Then the horse stabling and the rooms at the Waterside, -4sp 6ep and 20gp for the good treatment. They can live it up for a bit while the blood and treasure flow.

Day 256 (20th of Fireseek CY 577)

Elmo of course accompanies them to the temple; he asks if they want the wagon and they say they will see what hasn’t been ruined by a couple of weeks in a dungeon. Elmo said a little gnome has been hanging around town, selling various things from the temple so who knows. Once again, they leave in the dark and arrive by [9:00].

They descend by the western staircase again at [9:30]. They debate going straight down to level 2, as they have been spending a great deal of time on level 1. But the arrow in the floor intrigued them, so they will check once more then descend finally. It takes 10 turns to reach the curtained entrance to Room 145. 40 minutes in they encounter 10 brigands and a level 2 leader (always) scouting the level for the intruders. The intruders are surprised for even they could not plan to meet the heroes here as they left the north-east passage via the door 20 feet ahead.

SR, Clest is the one who hits but their Fray slays 3. Celest’s mighty swing kills the leader and 2 more brigands.

R1, Celest first, Dounil last, 4 more brigands die to her. The brigand fails morale and flees up the tunnel. Dounil slays him with a magical Fray, a silvery bolt. They find 46gp after a minute of searching (2/10). It is only 10 minutes later as they pass through the secret door that they must rest [10:30].

On the eve of their passing through the mysterious curtain the separates the arrow floor of Room 148 from Room 145, the central chamber, they meet another force of Brigands scouring the level for them, 9 and a leader. They surprise again, the dice making a mockery of my decision that all enemies are on alert unless unexpectant encounters.

SR, the heroes do 9 HD, slaying all but the leader. R1, they go first and do him in as well as a side-effect of their Fray. 43gp found (4/10 rounds left before I deduct a turn) [11:10].

They advance beyond the curtain into the Earth Temple proper. They see the mysterious silver-embedded gates which vexed them before. This triggers the earth elementals to rise from their slumber, one behind them, one in front of them to the south and two on the eastern sides. They stand motionless as the pair reach the top of the earthen pyramid that dominates the centre of the room, with unwholesome looking bronze manacles and a bronze box on the top. Unfortunately, the pair get their 6^th turn for their rest at the same time the elementals get their 1 extra turn of waiting for their blood offering.

They have no option but to fight at [11:40]. Dounil at least pulls out his Staff of Striking, as these earth elementals are big.

Round 1, seeing the way back out is blocked by the elemental to the north-west, they try and batter it down first. Celest first, Dounil last. Double magic Fray does 2 HD, HD 16 -> 14. Celest misses and the elementals by some amazingly bad dice, miss Dounil and only one clips Celest, doing 5 damage, HP 14 -> 9. This is getting very bad very quickly. Dounil expends 3 charges on his staff (17 left) ensuring he does 4 HD damage, HD 14 -> 10.

Round 2, the heroes go first and focus on the one back out. One magic Fray is absorbed by the elemental earth, HD 10 -> 9 and though both hit, Celest is alarmed to see her Longsword +1 does no damage. Dounil spends 3 more charges (14 left) and HD 9 -> 5.

The elementals do 10 damage to Dounil, HP 22 -> 12 and 4 damage to Celest, HP 9 -> 5.

Round 3, the heroes win initiative by 1, so they will be out of there. Their magical Fray followed by another 3-charge strike destroys the elemental to their north-west and they move to escape, so we check the evasion rules. Both sides are assumed to be running at full speed, the pair move at 60 feet a round but so do the elementals, so two of the closest elementals get an attack each against one of the two. Despite the superior AC, Celest is hit for 3 damage, HP 5 -> 2. The next round they escape the room and the elementals cease to follow.

The pair do not stop until they have reached the nearby corridor which caps off the extra rounds to make a full turn, they realise they are not being pursued, and they have no random encounters 2/6 [11:50]. They rest and bandage, a whole week’s worth of HP gone in 3 rounds, HP 12 -> 14 and HP 3 -> 5. Celest asks for a healing potion, and they decide to double it. She chugs two of the things, HP 5 -> 8. Mark off another turn, NRE 3/6 [12:00].

The real question is now do they descend or do they turn back to Nulb and pay Elmo out of the treasure gathered from the two bands of brigands. No, they will descend even if it’s a single room to gather anything. They’ll even take the weapons the brigands have left behind, as something to justify the pain.

Two turns later, they have moved back through the gaol and are resting beside the inanimate zombie bodies. Not a nice place, they decide they will take the straight corridor to level 2 at triple speed, NRE x 3 [12:30].

They are halfway down the spiral staircase in ten minutes. Tough fortune did not favour them; they met yet another brigand band on their way up. Seven brigands and a leader, seen at other ends of a long and empty corridor so there was no surprise.

R1, Celest, the brigands and Dounil. Celest stays back firing off her magical Fray to force the bandits to make the 60 foot charge, a brigand die. The brigands respond by moving into shortbow range and opening fire, three abreast. Magical shields armour certainly saves the pair. Dounil retaliates with his own magical Fray, killing one more brigand.

R2, same order, Celest moves up to charge next round, her Fray killing another brigand. Shots rattle off her defences, Dounil does the same but his Fray fizzles.

R3, same order. Celest charges forth, killing the leader and 2 brigands with her sword. The brigands somehow pass morale and keep fighting, Dounil’s charge finishes them off. Another round of searching finds 44gp. The descent itself is uneventful, 1/6 [12:40].

Halfway through the next turn, they arrive in the intersection with Room 246, a bending corridor turning southwest and southeast. They turn southwest and the corridor turns due south, NRE [12:50].

Another turn of movement with no additional encounters, brings them to Room 245, a vast former reception hall by the appearance, never cleared of bodies from the fall of the temple and dominated by a dry fountain and a life-sized dirtied stone minotaur on a throne. The 60 feet of movement carries them right up to inspect the statue. Which is not a statue at all but a very patient minotaur guard. He does surprise with his 90% undetectability.

SR, Dounil is in the front, so he takes the attack, the bite misses but the flail hits, 1 damage luckily enough, HP 14 -> 13.

R1, heroes go first, though the minotaur being HD 6 is too powerful for their sword Fray. The magic Fray does 2 HD damage and their main attacks both hit his AC 4. The minotaur dies. While Dounil bandages back to 14 HP, Celest searches the body and throne, finding a bag of hard stones, which turn out to be gems and a scroll. This does alert the guards in Room 242 but they think little of it, they hate the minotaur and the trap on the secret door will get the expected pair if they find it. The added combat rounds add to another turn [1:10].

The question is asked again, do they proceed through the door to the far southwest or return to Nulb, moderately triumphant? They turn back, deciding to see if any of the carpets remain amid the treasure heap they made.

Advancing at triple pace, they spend 5 turns moving and 1 turn resting [2:10]. On the way back to the stairs up, they fight 2 ogres looking for a vague description of a humanoid. It could be the heroes, Wonnilon or unknown. No one is surprised and the heroes get the initiative.

R1, at quite a distance they open with magical Fray, doing 2 out of 4 HD damage to one ogre. They ogres then make the whole distance on the charge but miss only thanks to the magic bonuses.

R2, the heroes go again and while Celest blasts the wounded ogre with her magical Fray, Dounil dispatches one with his sword on the way to split the ogre’s skull. No treasure.

On level 1 there are two highly confused gnolls wondering why everyone in the Earth Temple are dead. They are quite surprised to see Dounil and Ceelst and die in the surprise round. They also have no treasure.

In Room 137, only 10 carpets and rugs remain, Wonnilon has removed about 5 in his own treasure-seeking. He’s also removed many of the weapons from various corpses and the treasures in the rooms to the east of the main earth temple. If the pair bother to remember to check. But they are too scared of the elementals to notice Room 148 went around Room 145. They each take 1 rug or carpet to hoist them back to Elmo.

At triple sped and going to the eastern staircase, on turn takes them to the door to Room 130, another turn to 10 feet from the t-junction where they rest. Ceelst asks Dounil why he doesn’t turn on his ring of invisibility anymore. Dounil mentally kicks himself for forgetting after the several week trip to and from Hommlet. He retorts Celest hasn’t worn her hood up, making her cloak of elvenkind ineffective. And that’s why they haven’t used them when opening doors. Two more turns at triple speed takes them into the old above ground temple, NRE x 4 [2:50].

Another turn to leave the temple and another to get to the edge of the ruin, NRE x 2 [3:10]. Elmo is happy to load up the cart and leave earlier than before. He is very business-like as he questions them what they saw in the earth temple itself. The elementals sound like a real issue and he doesn’t know if they were resummoned or the forces of law and good could not remove them prior. But there is now only 3 of them.

The haul this day was 133gp and 16sp when they cart the furnishing to the general store. The pirates buy them as it’s nice to have something soft between them and a deck. Y’dey and Murfles alternate praise for their daring and scolding for their foolishness, healing Celest to 9 HP. Elmo and Otis get their 110gp. Otis and the Waterside get more again as they order some material comforts. That uses up all their treasure, and they need to get 6ep from the hoard to cover it. They really begin to think Elmo or Otis could dial back their rates for appearances sake. FXP 219 and MUXP 208.

The bag contained 13 agates of various type, next time they go to Hommlet they will have them evaluated and exchanged. Casting Detect Magic reveals the scroll is Protection from Elements (all). Useful but they pair don’t see a reason to tangle with the earth elementals again unless they absolutely need to stop the temple. But they know it will be useful. Will calculate XP from the magic item next session.