The Lost Tablets of the Man-Eating Lizardmen
Session 78 was played on July 28, 2020 from 6:40pm to 9:50pm Eastern
This game was played in honor of Gary Gygax the co-creator of D&D whose birthday is July 27th. All PCs receive a one time roll of a 1D24 in memorandum.
Protagonists
1. Mr. Paggins, Wardog - Thaddeus
2. Bren, Human Cleric of Crom 1 - Derek
3. Guy, Human Fighter 1 - Thaddeus
4. Loldoon, Human Man At Arms - Derek
5. Padrig, Human Fighter 1 - Eric
6. Argen, Gnome Thief 1 - Art
7. Br. Mainard, Human Cleric of Barbute 1 - NPC
8. Garph, Human Cleric 1 - Art
9. Yolo, Halfling Thief 1 - Dan D.
10. Marmak, Human Fighter 1 - Eric
11. Mulgar, Human Man At Arms - Derek
12. Ed, Donkey - Derek
Play Summary:
The party first stopped at the Seer Shack to retrieve Yolo's dagger which was identified by the Seer as a +1 Dagger of Throwing that returns to the user. The Ring found in Session 77 in the Temple of Brococar (hidden in a treasure cache under floor tile behind the altar) was left with the Seer for identification with the 50gp fee paid up front by Guy.
Trekking southward the party discovered a giant ant hill (H8) but bypassed it. Traveling onto the Obelisk at (H32) the party checked that the disc key placed in it in Session 77 was still in place. A flying dinosaur (pterodactyl?) was spotted in H42 during the journey.
The party came across the ruins of a small stone temple where they encountered an emaciated man dressed only in a loincloth hiding from a savage giant ape that was smashing its way into the temple. The beast was struck down with missile fire by the party after being bitten by Mr. Paggins before it could harm anyone. The man turned out to be a mute, escaped slave (tongue cut out) of the cruel lizardmen. He was fed by the party and regained some of his strength but remained very weak. His name is Fractus which he wrote in the dirt in Dwarvish with a stick, though he clearly understands the Common speech. He taught us that the altar inside the temple will convey the equivalent of a Bless spell on whomever places 100gp on the altar. Which will then disappear. We do not know if this blessing can be replicated with further donations.
Further exploration by the party plus Fractus resulted in the discovery of a large wetlands area approximately 300 meters in width due West of H46.
A small, ruined black stone temple was discovered in it where 8 Lizardmen huddled around a campfire and led by a Shaman of their kind. A fierce battle ensued after the party unleashed a surprise volley of missiles. Yolo would end up accidentally shooting his "mighty war steed" Ed the Donkey. Ed bucked him off and fled the area nearly knocking Yolo out. After the arrows and sling stones hit their marks, one of the Lizardmen feasting on human flesh over the campfire blew a horn. This would summon 2 more Lizardmen warriors accompanied by 2 leashed Lizard Hounds. A charge was mounted against the Shaman in the hopes of dispelling his magic before he could rattle off a spell. Man at Arms Loldoon was killed in the ensuing melee as the party closed with their reptilian foe.
The Shaman attempted to blind Guy with a light spell to the face but Torm protected him from the Shaman's foul magicks. The fickle winds of magic did not grant Garph any better luck as he tried to use Command Word: Sleep to subdue the Shaman. When the spell failed the Shaman laughed at his warm blooded foes. The slaughter would continue as the party struggled to gain the upper hand. But the little people of that party held their own the best. Yolo would have the luck of Gygax this day wielding his Dagger of Throwing on a natural 24 on a 1d24 and slaying a lizard hound for triple damage in one hit! As the Shaman fled, Argen placed a sling stone in the back of his skull dealing the killing blow.
As the party licked its wounded a Big Huge Fucking Snake (BHFS) slithered from the brush but was dealt with quickly with ex-slave Fractus joining the fight and dispatching the BHFS with a single sling bullet. Now looting of the Lizardmen could commence in full!
A search of the Lizardman camp inside the temple would reveal 2 stone tablets. Which would later be translated by the Seer (See loot below). Loldoon was given a warrior's funeral and the party burned their offering with him for his journey to the next world (50gp burnt offering = 50XP per PC per one time donation). Much to the party's relief Ed the Donkey was found grazing nearby oblivious to the chaotic battle he had just missed. The party then struck for home.
The journey North took the party past a disturbing "Tree of Woe" (H52) with the remains of a Human Warrior crucified to the tree still wearing a holy symbol on a necklace, the Red Cross of St. Ygg. He was cut down from the tree but there was no time to bury him. Heavy Gnoll footprints were discovered (H53) on the trek back to Hamelet.
Lastly the party encountered an ambush by giant centipedes (H54) that would leave Mr. Paggins and Bren severely poisoned and disabled. The centipedes were slain and the wounded thrown on Ed's back for the final leg homeward. A party of Bullywugs was found killed and looted (H1) as the players exited the swamps the work of Gnolls appeared.
To save Bren the party gathered up 500gp to remove poison at a Dwarven Temple (which one?) in Hamelet. Mr. Paggins was boarded at a local stable (kennel?) to recover at (He will return to duty on August 6th)
Fractus the ex-slave has joined the party as a Man at Arms, HP:5, sling, 10 sling bullets, loincloth.
Loot Haul
Note: All coin denominations have been totaled have been consolidated into GP value when possible.
Lizardmen Warriors
Coins: 88gp
Gems: 285gp
Hunting Horn (Minotaur?)
Lizardman Shaman
Coins: 127gp
Jewelry: Coral set in Gold; 330gp
Potion (Green): Unidentified
Stone Tablet 1: "A squat dark building constructed of black stone"
Stone Tablet 2: Passages related to a Dark Nemian cult deity called Cernabog whose Symbol is a skull and hammer.
BHFS (Giant Snake)
Coins: 25cp
Tree of Woe
Necklace: Holy Symbol of St. Ygg (Red Cross) value??
Lessons Learned: We badly need a magic user in the party. Enemy magic users pose a dire threat due to sleep spells.
Loot Share:
830gp divided into 8 Equal shares for each for all PCs and Henchmen.
103gp, 7sp, 3cp each
Loot XP:
97XP. 8x Equal shares for each for all PCs and Henchmen.
46XP. 1x 1/2 Share for the surviving Man At Arms.
Monster kill XP:
143XP: Equal shares for each for all PCs and Henchmen.
71XP: Share 1 for the surviving Man At Arms.
Total Session XP, Loot XP + Monster Kill XP: ???
(Apply Attribute Bonuses 5% or 10% as appropriate.)
Funeral Pyre XP
Man at Arms, Loldoon KIA: 50XP for 50gp burnt offering
