Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Trollopulous Adjusted Session 119 (Machodor #70): Beneath the Steading

Today's map
    

Introduction


The downtime take over of the Hill Giant Steading by a clan of halflings continues to draw attention from the players. This module is good to the last drop!


Timekeeping


This session took place on 19/06/2025, and the PCs adventured for 2 days.

Player Characters Present


Sever the Wrathful (Level 9 Pegasus Corps Ranger of Machodor, wielder of Were'shbane and wearer of the Girdle of Cloud Giant Strength, rider of Mustang) 
with henchmen Rabbit (FMT 3/3/4) Thomas (C3) and Poindexter (M5)
Bumblebore  (Level 5 Magic User of Machodor, wielder of the Wand of Paralysation) and Firedrake Familiar O'Malfoy
Savant (Level 1 Magic-User
Julius L'Orange  (Level 1 Fighter of Machodor)


Downtime


A letter from the Hill Giant Halfling Steading reached the Ice Castle.

From the hand of Cormac O’Brien, Chief of Clan O’Brien
Written this 17th day of June
Honoured Sever the Hatful,
The upper steading stands secure, its halls cleared by our brave kin at great cost. Yet, a shadow lingers beneath. This past week, our scouts have uncovered a vast warren of orcs dwelling in the depths below, their numbers far greater than we can face alone; and I sense even greater evil may be present among them. Until your response arrives, we hold the upper steading, but the tunnel beckons with danger. I seek your wisdom and strength.
By the old gods, I await your counsel.
Cormac O’Brien


Session Report


Intrigued and a little alarmed by this letter, the players decided to investigate, riding hard through the day to arrive just before dusk. They were welcomed as heroes, particularly Sever, although the halflings were surprised to find that Lucky O'Brien was not among their number (the party did not enlighten them  as to why). They described to Sever that in an initial foray into the basement they had spotted orcs ready with crossbows. They retreated and had not gone back down the stairs to investigate since. Forewarned, the party moved in for the kill.

Combat #1: Orcs

Rounds: 6

Result: Party Victory

Highlights: Having first been scouted out silently, the orcs make-shift fortification slowed down the fight considerably, but the result was a fairly easy victory.


Savant cast Sleep and halved the number of opponents, while Sever and Julius battled on the front line. This was very dangerous work for Julius, but just another day at the office for the Ranger. The others kept an eye out on the eastern exit, and were rewarded by spotting reinforcements from that direction. Well place Magic Missiles halved their number, taking out a crossbowman with a poisoned quarrel before he could shoot, and then Rabbit chased down the remainder as they fled back the way they came.

When the henchman reported back, the party retraced his steps and explored the corridor beyond, which soon turner to the north east, past the next turn they could hear water, and as that tracked with what they knew about the place, and noting that one wall here had seen recent work, they returned to room (1). Rabbit noted the difference in texture in the walls here, a subsequent search found a secret door which lead into the prison area (3). In the first cell (I) was a sleeping bugbear, snoring loudly, he was completely out it from drinking giant wine. Quietly they advanced and checked the other cells; cell (II) held a human prisoner, cell (III) an elf chained to the wall, cell (IV) just skeletons, and cell (V) contained 5 orcs. Quite a bit happened in rapid succession, Julius was keen to test the wine bottle and found that, just like the bugbear, he could not stop himself from over indulging; he became greatly intoxicated and remained so for the rest of the session. 

DMG p82

Sever interrogated the orcs, and found their spokes-orc, one Bargash, to have a convincing story of being locked up in here for being the brother of the orc leader of a rebellion. He told of how the orcs had taken advantage of the sudden relaxation of security in the wake of the party's first venture into the steading, but things had gone quiet since he was captured. Meanwhile Bumblebore engaged with the elf, using Knock to free him, and with a very good reaction roll to boot, the elf, named Gilthaniel, offered his service for 1 year in exchange for this kindness. Bumblebore was astounded later at the elf's abilities.

The conversation with the orcs over, Bargash's life hung by a thread, would a temporary alliance serve the party's interests more than the typical treatment they meted out to orcs? Yes, by a whisker, and on this turned much of the rest of the session. For a soon as he left the cell block, Bargash saw the walls beyond and exclaimed, "I don't remember that being there!" this became his catch phrase as he inadvertently allowed the players to find all the hidden areas that had been sealed off by stone giants in an attempt to hide their doings.

With the safety of the steading above so close, they now sent back Savant, the human prisoner Barry the engineer, and Gilthaniel, to stay with the halflings before continuing on.

Now knowing what to look for, they found more secret doors and room (2). The place was trashed, and the culprits were not hard to find.

Combat #2: 2 Carnivorous Apes

Rounds: 2

Result: Party Victory

Highlights: Sever tried his go to spell, Speak with Animals, but the monsters won initiative and ruined his spell by trying to rip his arms off. Sever returned the favour while his henchmen held back Julius who was "Shuure" he could show those monkeys a thing or two.

A thorough search found a lose stone in the floor, and inside was the treasure left behind by the previous owner. Happy at the unexpected haul, Sever did a quick head count. Where was Bargash? He had used the confusion to escape! There was no sign of the orc, but only one way he could have gone. Sever tracked him through 26 & 27 to a very unusual sight, a spiral stair hewn right into the rock, it went down and down; part way he found the body of the hill giant overseer who's room they had just tossed--killed by a solid blow from a blunt weapon. Sever guessed there had been some sort of falling out between this giant and the Cloud Giant. Finally the stair broke through into the ceiling of a vast frozen cavern. The giants had escaped by digging right down to the Cavern of Ithaqua below! What they had done then was a mystery, it was a long drop to the ice covered ground below. Bargash stood nearby, frozen in fear, and the ranger simply picked him up and carried him back to his cell.

That rarest of creatures, an Orc Sever let live.
Now for the first time Sever used Were'shbane's ability of Clairaudience to rapidly explore through the former bugbear barracks of rooms (4-8), though it yielded only a gold piece here and there, left behind by the creatures before they had risen to take over the steading above.

Next they explored south of room (8). Finding a big group of 20 or so orcs on the other side of a rock barrier, they laboriously (and ingeniously, using Invisibility and Silence 15' Radius) cleared the way for Bumblebore to cast Fireball; from what he judged to be a safe distance. He ignored a bad feeling of evil coming from the south and let loose...

His judgement was "perfect", only a few singed hairs.

The sounds of death and destruction reverberated back down the corridor, but there were still sounds of orcs, and other things alive, down there. These would have to keep for another time.


Session Statistics: 

Wilderness travel: 36 Miles

Combats: 3

Rooms mapped: 19

Combat rounds: 9

Treasure & Items
5404gp
9 Gems 10,550gp
Jug with the equivalent volume of 4 Potions of Water Breathing 1600xp
15,954gp, 17,550xp

Monsters
67 Orcs 1,340 xp
1 Bugbear 0 xp
2  Troglodytes 120xp
2 Carnivorous Apes 715xp

19,729 XP &  15,954 GP  Assignment
Sever (E) 4384 XP & 3545 GP
 and Poindexter (E) 2192 XP & 1773 GP
 and Thomas (E) 2192 XP & 1773 GP
 and Rabbit (E) 2192 XP & 1773 GP
Bumblebore (E*) 4384 XP & 3545 GP
Savant** (E) 95 XP & 1 GP
Julius L'Orange (E) 4384 XP & 3545 GP

* would have been S if he had passed up the Fireball chance.
** missed the bulk of the haul sadly for him.


Graveyard


Paul (Henchman Paladin level 3) Effected by the Imprisonment spell touch attack from a Styx Devil in session #117. Might not be dead, but is definitely at least six feet under for all intents and purposes.

Gurt the Green (Paladin level 6) killed by a poison needle trap in session #114 RAISED FROM THE DEAD (with a roll of 94!)

Solaire the Fallen (Henchman Fighter (paladin) level 3) killed by Stone Giants acting as catapults in session #114

Paul (Henchman Paladin level 1), reduced to 0 hit points by white dragon breath when climbing down a rope ladder in session #108. Killed not by the fall; but by the sudden stop at the bottom. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Ignatius the Smiter (Cleric level 1), horrifically mutilated and killed by double hit from a Shoggoth in session #106

Domby (Henchman with Dex 5), double surprised and turned into a pin cushion in session #87

Luke (Half elf Fighter/Cleric level 1), tragically killed by a normal hydra while trying to cauterise one of its neck stumps in session  #86

Gurt the Green (Paladin level 3),  killed by a hydra bite in session  #86 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Pleasance (Footman level 0), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81

Siegward (Henchman Fighter level 1), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81

Tawadros (Henchman Fighter level 4),  killed by a phase spider bite in session #81 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Patria (Footman level 0), killed by a two headed snake bite in session #81

Deltacron (Dwarf Fighter/Thief level 1/1), threw his last flask of oil at, and was level drained to death by, a Vampire in session #76

Petrov the Prestidigitator (Magic-user level 1), wrong place, wrong time; killed by Sever the Ranger in session #72 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Petrov the Prestidigitator (Magic-user level 1), killed again by the toxic gas of an Achaierai in session #72

Red (Paladin Level 1), always popular with the ladies, he was eaten up by a female Roc in the Pizza Slice of Doom during session #67

Jacques Ocular (Magic User level 1), a fat green worm burrowed into his head and turned him into a Son Of Kyuss in Brovenloft in Session #43

Pino (Dwarf Footman level 0), Killed by a Frost Giant axe in the head in session #39

Paro (Dwarf Fighter/Thief level 2/2)  Killed by Winter Wolves and frozen in session #39

Zabib (1/2 Elf Fighter/Magic User level 1/1), Killed by Frost Giant rocks in downtime prior to session #39








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Trollopulous Adjusted Session 119 (Machodor #70): Beneath the Steading

Today's map      Introduction The downtime take over of the Hill Giant Steading by a clan of halflings continues to draw attention from ...