The sun was resting on the horizon and a cool wind blew from the ocean. They saw two outbuildings that partially remained standing, one with a fallen over wall and sagging roof. The buildings each measured roughly 20x30 feet. A fire burned out in front of the broken wall and two wagons sat between the buildings and the large stone building roughly 60 feet away. They saw two ogres outside cooking around the fire and they appeared to speak to others inside the smaller buildings. The ogres did not seem to notice them.
Atilius cast invisibility on Lee, and Lee cast pass without a trace on himself. Lee scouted the area, spotting two more ogres in each of the two wooden buildings.
Lee moved over to the two-story, 40x40 feet stone building. Opening the door and peaking in, he saw that the first floor opened to a large, open room with a fireplace on the right side and a large pole connected to an axle on the left wall. There were a set of stairs leading down, and above these stairs were another set leading up to an open mezzanine covering the far half of the room. Scattered around the first floor were various goods and food laid out on a large table. Under the mezzanine were four humans, chained to the wall. A very large ogre stood on the mezzanine overlooking a trio of ogres cooking or unpacking goods. A large worg lay by his feet. It seemed alerted to Lee’s movement and Lee quickly left and returned to the party.
Turenim wanted to give the ogres a chance to surrender peacefully, so he approached the campfire alone and called for them to surrender. The ogres responded by inviting him to join them for dinner.
Recognizing the obvious ploy, Turenim waved his companions forward from the darkness. Moula, Albrecht, and Pippin ran to Turenim, while Lee circled around to get a better vantage in the distance. Atilius and Julious stayed where they were, preparing spells.
Together, Turenim, Albrecht, Moula, and Pippin advanced, and when they closed to 40 feet, the ogres started throwing javelins at them. The group retaliated, with Moula, Albrecht, and Pippin running up to engage, Lee shooting his arrows, Atilius and Julious casting offensive spells, and Turenim healing whoever needed healing.
Atilius, trying to burn the ogres in the less decrepit of the wooden structures, cast firebolt on it. Two ogres came rushing out and joined the fray, unharmed by the flames. Unfortunately, the wood burned slowly, but eventually the house was a reduced to ruin.
When the fight was finally over, Pippin decided it would be cool to decorate himself in the bone jewelry that the ogres had worn. Turenim was offended by Pippin’s lack of respect for the dead, and the cleric’s declaration of “the rules” led to a big argument about acceptable behavior and who decides what is acceptable. Ultimately Lee convinced Pippin to remove the bone jewelry and the group turned their attention to the stone building.
After much discussion about tactics and concern that for the prisoners, and that no one had come out of the building since the fight with the six ogres and burning down one of their buildings, they decided they would try to draw the ogres out.
With the group hanging back slightly, Turenim lit Lightbringer and opened the door, shouting, “Put down your weapons in the name of the Morninglord. We come in peace. Surrender and release the hostages, or you will be destroyed.”
As soon as Turenim entered the doorway he saw an ogre in the far corner as it threw a javelin at him. Turenim stepped to the left and the javelin went flying harmlessly out of the building. Further to the left, Turenim saw another ogre, that had been hiding behind the doorway, swing its great club at him. Turenim blocked the club with his shield, but was hit by an ogre that had been hiding behind the right side of the doorway. Looking around the room, he saw that the shackles on the far wall were empty and the hostages were nowhere in sight.
Not surprised by the sudden attack, Pippin withdrew from the doorway, while Lee swung Talon and cut deep into the ogre on the left. Moula rushed in and and hit the ogre on the right twice with her staff and kicked it, and it whacked her back only once, but much harder. Turenim hit the ogre on the right with Lightbringer. Albrecht stuck the ogre with his left with his rapier. From the mezzanine, the large ogre threw down a big rock, crushing Turenim to the floor. The worg leapt down from the mezzanine at Lee, landing on the ranger, but only scratched him slightly. Julious cast produce flame and threw it harmlessly across the room.
Pippin stabbed the ogre on the left, finishing it. The worg bit into Lee, dropping the ranger. Moula hit the ogre on the right twice with her staff and once with a kick, wobbling it. Turenim used his channel divinity to preserve life, reviving Lee and Atilius. Atilius cast witch bolt on the large ogre standing on the mezzanine. Albrecht barely stabbed his rapier into the worg. From the mezzanine, the large ogre threw down another big rock, crushing Atilius to the floor again. Julious cast poison spray, to no effect. The ogre on the right smashed Moula with its great club, and the ogre across the room hit Julious with another javelin.
Pippin leapt on top of the worg’s back and stuck both of his short swords into its hide. The worg, holding Lee prone, ripped into the ranger his its teeth until Lee stopped moving. Moula hit the ogre on the right twice with her staff and dropped it with a final kick. Turenim revived Lee with healing word, and cast command on the javelin throwing ogre and the large ogre on the top of the mezzanine, shouting “drop” and causing them to drop their javelin and boulder on the floor, harmlessly. Albrecht cast healing word to revive Atilius, and cast psychic blade and stabbed the worg with his rapier, killing the beast. Julious ran across the room and cast poison spray at the far ogre.
Pippin also ran across the room and stabbed the far ogre twice with his short swords. Lee was still pinned under the dead worg. Moula ran across the room and kicked the far ogre. Turenim swung wild at the same ogre. Atilius cast magic missile on the large ogre on the mezzanine, and used shield to deflect the large rock the came hurling at him. Albrecht stabbed at the far ogre with his rapier.
The ogre picked up its great club and smashed Pippin. Pippin stabbed it in the groin and it dropped. Lee struggled under the weight of the worg, until Turenim helped push the worg off of him. Moula ran to the bottom of the stairs up to the mezzanine. Atilius cast firebolt on the large ogre, blasting it in the face, and it toppled off the balcony and fell dead.
Running up to the mezzanine, Moula found four dead humans, still gagged and bound. Turenim came up to examine them and found that all their backs had only recently been broken. The group didn't recognize any of them.
On the mezzanine they also found a large bed and several sea trunks. In the trunks, they found 400 silver pieces, 200 gold pieces, a set of gold necklaces worth 500 gold pieces, and an ornate lantern. On the large ogre's feet they found an interesting pair of slippers. Pippin put them on and discovered they were slippers of spider climbing.
Examining the main floor, they found a fireplace on the right side and a large pole connected to an axle on the left wall. The pole looked like it once went into a hole in the floor to pump out water, but now lie on the floor and the hole had been covered with a boulder. Scattered around the floor were various goods and food laid out on a large table.
The stairs leading down were filled with large stones blocking a metal door.
Back outside they sifted through the ruins of the burned wooden building and they found the scorched remains of sacks and crude boxes, containing 200 copper pieces, 300 silver pieces, 150 gold pieces, and three 50 gold piece zircon gems.
The group decided to rest for the night. Albrecht cast Leomund’s Tiny Hut on they slept inside the secure dome.
• • •
When they awoke, they buried the bodies of the merchant traders as Turenim said a blessing over their remains. Then he discussed the tenants of Lathander with his companions, apologizing for the way he addressed Pippin's desire to adorn himself in bone jewelry, but made clear that as a Dawnbringer he was required to work toward improving the lives of others and the collective well being of society, destroy the abomination of undeath, protect and aid the living, and respect and honor the dead.
After the brief ceremony and discussion that followed, Lee and Atilius moved the stones from the stairway and found the heavy metal door unlocked. The door opened into a dark 10 feet wide tunnel. Turenim used Lightbringer to light the way. After 30 feet it opened into a large cave-like room measuring 30x40 feet. Three tunnels lead out of this room in different directions. The two tunnels on the sides were 10 feet wide, while the tunnel straight ahead was only 5 feet wide.
While they were looking around and deciding which hallway to follow, they heard clicking sounds of large creatures coming from both the 10 feet tunnels. It sounded like giant beetles. Moments later the edge of their light shone upon three carrion crawlers approaching quickly from each side on the walls and ceiling.
One of the carrion crawlers bit Lee and Albrecht and hit them with its poisonous tentacles. Albrecht was paralyzed by the poison. Atilius cast burning hands on the two farther crawlers on the left. Julious cast poison spray to no effect, but was paralyzed by a crawler's tentacles. Lee was also paralyzed by another crawler's tentacles, and fell to its bite. Pippin and Atilius were also hit by crawlers. Turenim cast healing word, reviving Lee, and cast bless on Lee, Moula, Albrecht, and Pippin. Moula whacked the next crawler on the right twice with her staff and kicked it as well, and Pippin finished it with his short sword.
Atilius cast scorching ray on the three crawlers to the left, but only hit two of them. Julious cast poison spray on the last crawler to the right, and it paralyzed him with poisonous tentacles and bit him. Atilius used shield to avoid getting hit. Lee was paralyzed again, but was quickly able to regain his movement. Turenim cast toll the dead on the closest crawler to the left, and cats healing word on Julious. Albrecht regained his movement. Moula whacked the last crawler on the right twice with her staff and kicked it as well, and Pippin finished it with his short sword.
Atilius cast firebolt, but threw wild. Atilius, Albrecht, and Lee were hit by crawlers, and Lee was paralyzed. Turenim cast healing word on Lee, and used his channel divinity to preserve life. Albrecht cast psychic blade and stabbed the next crawler on the left in the head, killing it. Moula and Pippin ran over to the left tunnel.
Atilius cast magic missile on the first crawler on the left. Julious regained his ability to move. The closest crawler reached for Atilius and fell clumsily from the ceiling. The farther crawler paralyzed Pippin and bit him. Turenim cast toll the dead on the closest crawler to the left, that had fallen on the floor. Moula ran to Atilius' rescue and killed it with her staff.
Atilius cast magic missile on the last crawler. Julious ran to the left tunnel. Pippin was paralyzed by the last crawler and bit in the face. Lee slashed the last crawler twice with Talon, cracking large wounds in its scaly shell. Turenim cast toll the dead on the last one, killing it.
Turenim bandaged everyone's wounds. Eventually Pippin's paralysis wore off.
Searching the abandoned mine, they found many tunnels, but little of value, except for some picks and lanterns, 50 silver pieces and 30 gold pieces scattered throughout, and two metal vials full of strange liquid, which Atilius identified as potions of superior healing. The lowest level of the mine was flooded with water.
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