Damn Elf Press

Returning from their foray into the Grimshank Woods, the party rests for the evening in the town of Bree. They report the encounter with goblins and describe the fortress they found. The sheriff recognizes the description of the yellow hand tribe of goblins. The sheriff tells the party that the yellow hand appear to be moving into the area. They are commonly found in the goblin hills farther to the west.

Sheriff John Briarfoot tells the PCs that six men had left Bree two days ago, believed to be headed to the barrow-downs to rob graves. He hires the party to scout the barrow-downs for signs of the group. He warns the party not to go into the tombs nor stay in the area after dark.

Several hours of walking finds the PCs at the barrow-mounds. A dozen human made mounds lie before them. Stone doors are scattered about each hill, looking like so many teeth in a green skull. Some of the doors are pried open revealing dark interiors. Are these the mark of grave robbers or did some restless inhabitants long for a release from their mouldy grave?

The party spies a mule lazily grazing in the grass at the edge of one of the mounds. It wears a pack saddle and has a harness. The PCs approach and are able to grab its reins. They notice a splash of blood across the pack saddle. The mule doesn’t appear to have any injuries.

Searching around this barrow-mound, the PCs spy a deserted campsite. Bedrolls lay on the ground around a dead campfire. The PCs search the area nearby for signs of opened tombs. They find one open tomb but the stone door did not show signs of being moved recently. They decide to pass on this one and find another open tomb on the mound. Brillo, the hobbit burglar, let’s his curiousity get the better of him and moves down the mouldy steps. He sees a small cloth bag on the last step.

Brillo inspects the bag. It is half filled with salt. At this moment, he hears the sound of metal on stone. From the darkness of the crypt comes an ancient skeletal warrior in bronze mail armor. It shambles forward raising a bronze shield and bronze shortsword. A fuzzy purple substance coats the armor.

Brillo squeaks in alarm and throws the bag of salt at the undead creature. The bag hits it squarely in the chest, salt spilling out. The skeleton stops, recoiling as the salt hits its body. Brillo makes his escape. Breathlessly he tells the others what he has seen.

The creature once again moves forward, climbing the steps until it emerges into the light of day. Even though the day is cloudy and threatening rain, the creature throws a bony arm over its face and shrinks back to the darkness of the tomb.

Brogo fires a sling stone at the creature hitting it as it retreats. Innocentius the cleric, swings his flail, but misses. Valerius, the other cleric moves down into the tomb and finds the skeleton hiding behind a stone sarcophagus. It moves to attack the cleric, but Valerius swings his warhammer shattering the undead creature. In the crypt they find a copper armband with silver inlay and a silver chalice.

The party continues to search the mound for signs of recent excavation. A voice is carried to them on the wind. It is a cry for help. The party follows the sound to find a narrow shaft in the mound and inside is one of the tomb robbers pleading for release from his prison. He begs the party to find a way underground to free him. He tells them that some black robed humans are working with undead creatures. They took his friend yesterday and he is certain that when night falls, they will come for him. One other tomb robber is locked in the cell with him.

The PCs pass down some water and Will (magic-user and new PC) casts light on a stone and rolls it down the shaft to them. It will be dark in about 4 hours and they race against the clock to find the men. The party opens a tomb that shows signs of having been opened recently. A wool cap is lying near the door.

They open the tomb door to find a set of stone steps leading down to another door. This door has carvings on it in the language of the Old Imperium. The barrow-d0wns is the resting place of warriors and chieftains of the ancient race of men called the Dur. They migrated across the great sea to make a new home in this western land. That was long ago. And only their dead remain as a sign they ever existed.

The carvings on the door have been crudely chiseled away and a crudely scratched figure takes their place. It is of a goat headed figure that the clerics recognize as Orcus, the chaotic god of death.

The party opens the interior tomb door and finds a crypt. Two stone sarcophagi are inside, empty and pushed away from the wall. A small square hole is at the base of the wall. A black shrouded figure, decomposing, lies near the hole. It is a human cultist who died by stepping onto a small pit trap. The flagstone pivoted under his weight and his foot dropped down onto a set of bronze spear tips.

Tharn, the dwarf, takes the lead from here and begins crawling into a narrow winding passageway.

End of Session