Solo Session 18; Bede's End?

Session 18; Begun on the 16th of November and finished on the 20th of November Of 2023. 

After the utter destruction inflicted on the Green Mountain Company by the vagrant griffons, my self-confidence was lowered to some degree, but Bede’s party cannot hide forevermore.  In the meantime one of my players has been running a chaotic party on the island and it is possible we will run into the signs of their actions, which will no doubt trouble Bede and his very lawful party.  Their deeds will not be reordered here, except to say that the player is really playing to alignment.  We are also running a group play in #ACKsfrica, but for time reasons I will only mention that this has been a learning experience as I attempt to combine the no-prep methods taught by the #BROsr. 

Party. 

Bede’s Party.

Lexius of No Last Name.

Arcanist. 1st Level.

Synope the Spiteful.

Arcanist. 1st Level.

Lorenzo the Luminous. 

Arcanist. 1st Level.

Bede. 

Catechist 1st Level.

Henches.

‘Tan’ Suggs. (Thief)

Having essentially just wasted money on their trip, the party set out for a chance to start gaining profits by going to the “The Manor of Bones and Immortal Rest.”

As this is obviously skeleton themed, let me demonstrate the shifted table that this will use for the first layer, instead of the standard monster table.  

1. Goblin skeletons. 

2. Kobold skeltons. 

3. Orc Skeletions.

4. Cultists (armed as brigands, but in black robes backed by bone fragments rather than chainmail.)

5. 1-3 Ghouls. 

6. 1-3 Zombies. 

7. NPC party 1st level. (Composition governing origin and alignment.)

8. Re-roll.

I then roll for a random number of rooms (getting 6) and create the following map on Gimp. 

The doors are then randomly rolled for and whether this party gets there or not, it is ready for other parties to attend in the future. 

The party sets out on the 16th after purchasing objects from the town, including a thieves kit for Suggs, medical powders and some other fighting implements. Thus the party and their mule set out.  They leave town and after not getting lost (yeah!) they have an encounter in the woods.  12 small Rocs fly over head and disappear into another part of the woods. They pass into the hills and spend the night there.  On the morning of the 17th they continue their march, successfully passing by the Valley of Slaughter, before they see a group of 9 Centaur, who ignore the party.  The Colligiate party notes the oddity of meeting centaur here, but they have neither the strength nor the inclination to challenge 9 of them.  That evening they camp in the hills, though first time they can see the sea beyond Cosoricalta.  On the morning of the 18th they wake up and leave before the dawn (they got lost) and found themselves in a wood. They turn back before coming to the Silver Tower and retrace their steps until they reach the edge of the hills before descending into the plains near the old manor.  It is still known by reputation and they are rather determined to make something of this trip.  

Tan Suggs opens the outer door with alacrity and the party runs into 4 orc skeletons (skeletons for stats purposes,) The party acts.  The roguish Suggs prepares his sword, while the rest wait to see if the cleric can turn them.  For reasons unknown, Bede cannot!  Faith is shaken.  Suggs then makes a sword strike, but his weak arms are insufficient to make the blow clean. Each of the mages then attack with their staves, Synope and Lexius each destroying a skeleton with powerful blows. One succeeds in closing with Synope and bringing him down with horrid scratches to -3 before failing to cleave through him.  The other attacked Lexius and brought him down to -2 hit points.  

Round two. 

The skeletons attempt to attack, but only one gets through the clerics’ defenses.  The thief then steps forward and make a blow, chipping bone, but not bringing it down.  Lorenzo makes his own swing and blasts the bone skeleton with his staff.  The cleric then brought it down with a final blow 

Round 3.

The last skeleton scratches them up Bede pretty bad, but he remains on his feet.  Lorzenzo misses his staff swing, while the thief does as well, however their missed attacks prove useful and Bede plants his mace in the things face.  

Afterwards healing rolls are needed.  Synope receives permanent brain trauma from claws.  Lexius is damaged with both legs being crushed.  Due to not having sufficient healing skill in the party, both of these members die.  (Sad.)

The remaining party (all three of them) decide to open the door going south, to see if they can find anything of value before leaving. With the picks not working, the axe is freed from the pack and the door broken down over the course of three turns. A load of bricks nearly fall on him, but he successfully saves vs. blast and the room is explored.  No treasure is found in their quick search.  They decide to open the corner door and again the lock picking fails, so the door goes beneath the axe.  They found the old formal immortal’s research room (special).  Most of the room is destroyed and most of it the library is burned to ashes from a no doubt failed magical experiment.  The pieces of the long dead lich and his broken phylactery are scattered through the room as well.  One scroll and one potion are found among the wreckage. (These are a potion of Healing and scroll of ward against undead.) Glass fragments and ruined scrolls, books and broken tools litter the rest of the room.  Having thus collected, they try to open a door, they fail and leave.  Over the 19th and 20th they return towards Punishment.  While going through the woods they have an encounter with 30 brigands.  We try to barter with them, but for now the three are captured and held by the brigands.  

Conclusion.  

Will this longest party survive or ever return to service in the field?  I don’t rightly know.  At some point I will figure out a mini-game to determine whether they are released, ransomed or the like. In the meantime, there are no active (Lawful) parties on Cosoricalta. 

Later Edit.

On the 26th of November I rolled Bede's fate with the bandits and after a haggling session gone wrong with his bandit captors, he and his followers were beaten to death.