Episode 2 / Session 37 – Beneath the Moathouse: Into the Shadows of Evil

Coldeven 3, 576 CY

Frigid temperatures under a mostly clear sky.
14°F to 34°F.
Light SW breeze (4-7 MPH).
Sunset: 6:12 p.m.

As dusk falls, an icy chill grips the Moathouse. Shadows deepen, and Dixon methodically hides the bodies of the fallen mercenaries, their forms sliding into the frozen pond outside the gate. In the quiet courtyard, the party steels themselves, feeling Lareth’s sinister presence lingering nearby. Every silent moment heightens the urgency—they know he could still be somewhere within these cursed walls, waiting for his chance to slip away.

Determined to leave no stone unturned, the party fans out to search the grounds. Zert and Spugnior guide the animals into the courtyard, securing them from the biting winds. TerryOr ventures into the southwest tower, only to be ambushed by a huge wolf spider that drops from the ceiling, sinking its venomous fangs into his arm. Stumbling, he draws his mace and fights through the fog of poison, smashing the creature. Among scattered coins, he finds a mysterious ivory box marked with Dwarvish runes. Dixon takes it, reads the inscription, and chuckles darkly to himself before pocketing it.

Dog opens the double doors to the Moathouse's Great Hall. Decay and ruin greet them, as dirt and leaves blanket the floor, while banners hang in tatters, and heavy cobwebs drape the beams like ghastly chandeliers. The group presses through the hall to a side chamber where they find bedrolls—a sign that the mercenaries have used this place as a hideout. The silence is eerie, heightening their sense of Lareth’s presence below.

The party gathers at the stairway leading down to the dungeon level. Dog takes the lead, but as they descend, two green slimes drop from above, smothering him in an acidic onslaught that eats through his armor. TerryOr, quick-thinking, pours a potion of cure disease on the creatures, dissolving them, though Dog’s armor is beyond saving. Undeterred, he dons the chainmail from one of the mercenaries, and they press forward.

At the base of the stairs, the group enters a large, disheveled chamber that once served as an armory. Broken barrels and rusted weapons litter the floor—a grim reminder of battles long past. As Oleg and Dixon tinker with a locked chest, Irving investigates a pile of rubble. Suddenly, a horde of zombies bursts forth, lunging toward him. Their foul stench fills the air as their bony arms reach out, ripping at his armor. Irving raises his shield, shouting, “In the name of St. Cuthbert, be gone!” But in the chaos, his sword slips from his grasp, clattering out of reach. The undead close in, unrelenting, and Irving’s shield buckles as they press him back.

Seeing Irving overwhelmed, TerryOr thrusts his holy symbol forward, calling out, “By St. Cuthbert’s wrath, I command you to retreat!” He manages to repel a single zombie, but the others surge forward. Just as the cleric falters, Zert drags him back as Spugnior shouts, “Burn them all!” With a quick strike of flint, he lights a jug of oil and hurls it down the stairs. Flames consume the undead, filling the room with dark, oily smoke.

When the smoke clears, Dixon retrieves a brilliant pearl from the smoldering remains of the chest, holding it up like a beacon amidst the darkness. The glint of treasure is a rare moment of triumph. The group's breaths are ragged, their strength nearly spent as they gather near the entrance.

TerryOr wipes sweat from his brow, the oppressive air thick with lingering malevolence. “We need to regroup if we’re going to face Lareth,” he urges, urgency in his tone.

Irving, still shaken, raises his voice in determination. “In the name of St. Cuthbert, we must find a place to rest and recover our strength.”

As they scan the room for a defensible spot, the shadows seem to watch, the very walls whispering of the dark forces that dwell within. The sense of impending danger looms, urging them to act quickly. With their spells dwindling and the specter of Lareth still lurking in the depths, they begin their search for sanctuary within the cold, decaying halls of the moathouse.

Treasure:
38sp
71 cp
Ivory box with Dwarven Runes
Pearl worth 500gp

Monsters:
2 Green slime
12 zombies

Experience:

446XP

From Dog