In the Necromancer's Villa - Pavelorn Session II

Once more into the grimy pits of Pavelorn's vaults Lune Chamet and his servant the crippled Bol o' the Knee ventured, with only a sinister magician, two holy warriors, a mercenary crossbowman, two servants and a pitbull for company.

Lune - Note the paucity of info, that's LBB OD&D.

After the last delve the party had  left a note for the bandit prince proclaiming its good intentions, and received a reply saying they were untrustworthy and without class, but should they save any bandits rewards would be available.

With a shrug and a laugh the band returned to the great stairs and wandered through the rooms already explored.  Someone had been here before - the bodies were all gone and the scorch marks from the inferno the adventurers had created were scuffed.  With no trouble they were on the roof of the villa in the cavern again.  Beyond the villa's Southern edge a wide boulevard extended into the darkness, paved with smooth ancient cobbles.  Margo the wizard had brought along some axes and sledges and the party quickly demolished the roof above a Southern chamber.  In the chamber beneath were two strange beasts, furred monster men with the heads of stages. Lune and Margo both knew that the best answer for strange creatures was quick death, a plan confirmed when the beast men attacked by fling a torch and then crossbow bolts back at the party.  Once filled with bolts the beastmen were dead and the room below revealed to be a magical prison and place of punishment.  Margo laboriously copied the sigils with the carceri and they were revealed as a sick sorcerous joke to keep the poor beasts trapped and unstarved.


Another hole was made above the entry chamber to the villa and a hand-less statute revealed beneath.  The party advanced to the Eastern Corner revealing a narrow alley scattered with glowing objects.  Mattock and axe started to carve another hole, when a crossbow bolt whizzed past Lune and the part retreated North.  Figures could be briefly seen below on the boulevard massing and several more bolts flew past, luckily at an angle that could not reach the party.  Margo and Lune decided to test the assailants lowered a rope form the roof into the boulevard.  A shattering of pottery followed quickly and a torch arched out of the darkness.  Whatever the attackers were they were as able dungeon bastards as the party, willing to let fire do the work of sword and arrow.  Lune flung a flask of oil back at the attacker ans started a fire that appeared to chase them off.

Rahter than make more racket, the party descended into the courtyard, and finding nothing untoward, except a half dressed rat corpse, moved into an old scroll library.  Little remained, except some quickly pocketed ivory scroll tubes and one well preserved magical scroll.  While sizing up the scroll stands for value and or flammability Lune discovered a rotating wall that led to a small chamber with a large bronze jar filled with silver and a small steel box of forty gold.  The southern door was magically sealed and the party moved North.

Only a ruined table waited in the room, with the remains of the Gavin eating rats atop it, some partially cured.  A door to the North West opened on a bare room filled with wooden children's toys.  Lune deemed this creepy and the rest concurred, the party moved to the other door but was interrupted by some sort of horrible creature dropping from the ceiling.  Roughly humanoid and gaunt the thing swung a vile mace & chain, but was deflected by the unnamed cleric. Seran, the servant of the Gods who had delved before, quickly smashed the thing with his warhammer and upon examination the beast appeared a mockery of man, with saucer eyes and tentacled hair. It's filthy wrapping contained nothing, and the party returned to the other door.  Before the adventurers opened it, an ax whipped by and light shined on the ceiling showed four more of the tentacle haired creatures armed with assorted wicked weapons. Strangely they stood as if on solid floor and hissed down at the adventurers. At Lune's direction the party retreated to the courtyard where the things could not walk the ceiling.  No pursuit from the beasts followed and a quick peak into the doorway with ready crossbow showed nothing.  Deciding to light the room Margo and his henchman Higgins hurled flasks of oil into the room followed by a torch.  As their meats burst into flame the creatures howled and poured forth running on the walls.  So bizarre were their tactics that the party was unprepared and the creatures managed to scratch Margo without retaliation.  Retaliation was fierce and the creatures fell before saber and warhammer.

Each manthing carried a beautifully carved toy and the party looted them, as well as the toys within the side room.  The back wall of the side room was cold to the touch, and using a sledge hammer the unknown cleric smashed a hole revealing an icy garden filled with preternatural mist.  Upon opening the other door off the dining chmaber an empty room was revealled.  Strangely the ceiling was covered with the effects of the tentacle haired men and using pole and thrown fragements thier meager belongings (mostly rat jerky) were dislodged.

The only chamber remaining unexplored was sealed with magic.  The party attempted to unlock the doors by plying with the entry way statue, but even toppling it revealed nothing, though the statutes well carved marble head was recovered.  Returning to the roof a mysterious group of tiny mocking figures was seen along the boulevard, but largely ignored.  Enlarging a hole into the locked chamber the party discovered a storeroom, and while many items were missing, a package of strange herbs, two golden goblets and a scroll remained.  These items were quickly looted and the party decided to move on.  Beyond the alley to the east, another villa rose from the subterranean boulevard.  using a set of boards from the shelving in the scroll library the party was able to bridge the gap, and upon exploration of the alley below the glowing objects were revealed to be mushrooms, several of which were collected.

The second villa was larger than than the first, and its courtyard contained a stage with skeletal actors.  Upon scouting the roof a glimpse of the icy garden was revealed and the North blocked by a two story building.  The party returned to the courtyard and noted that the skeletal actors had again moved.

A turning attempt from the roof revealed the skeletons were animated and the party descending to spear them to death once they were pushed into the corner by the priest's holy power.  Exploring the skeletons revealed several gold rings, which were quickly looted.  The rest of the portico contained a lovely chaise under the roof, apparently guarded by a pair of large skeletons with the skulls of the rare six-horned stage.  The clerics again turned the dead, and Lune waded forward, kicking the skulls aside, before smashing the bones to powder with one of the skeleton's huge bronze maces.

Exploring the North doors the party discovered a hallway containing the flayed corpses of three stag headed beast men, and lined with nine skeletons.  Again holy power pushed the skeletons back and they ran wildly about while Lune pursued them and hacked two down. Before the rest of the boney horrors could be smashed, a door opened and a robed man appeared with a skeleton arm wand banded in silver.  Hey was shot down by Higgins, and the party again attempted to smash the terrified skeletons.  One of the dead turned suddenly and ripped Margo's face off as the wizard hefted a hammer to smash it.  Nothing could be done, and the party lost its first member.  Higgins looted his masters body and announced his intention to study the dark arts. The rest of the skeletons were destroyed in a gingerly manner as they remained terrified by the clerics' powers.

The necromancer's body was searched and a a dagger, horned skullcap and wand discovered.  Within his chamber beyond the party bundled his notes.  The clerics performed various rites on the dead bodies and skeletons (the later having been stomped to bits preciously by Lune).  A final room was searched, and a creepy meditation chamber discovered.  Beneath a lose stone the party retrieved a pouch of gold and a a basic grimore.

Loaded with loot the band returned to the roof and discovered that their board bridge had been removed.  When it was replaced with planks hacked from the stage, the adventurers discovered that the huge jar of silver coins they'd left by the concealed door had been pilfered and replaced with a note indicating "toll accepted".

Returning to town, Lune showed off the necromancer's head and the party laid poor Margo's body to rest.