Middle Earth FA63 D&D Game: Fifth Adventure - War in Goblin Gate

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101

Elfstan looks very shaken. Gilraen is reassuring him and gently asking what he saw or what happened.

Elfstan saw a frightening figure start glowing on the ground and bones start moving and he felt cold and tired also as a Hobbit; desperate and suddenly hungry (more than usual while on trail rations). At that point he remembered the Barrow Wights and thought of the tune to summon Tom Bombadil.

“Ho! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo!
By water, wood and hill, by the reed and willow,
By fire, sun and moon, harken now and hear us!
Come, Tom Bombadil, for our need is near us!”

Then he shook off the chill and realized that a glowing hand was nearly at his feet and took off running back to the safety of the party. Some herbs that Gilraen uses and a bit of sweet biscuit get Elfstan swiftly back to normal.
The party starts forward in double file. It is a little tight but surely worth it.

Mulligan

Bitur, Gwaelur
Thoroncir, Hraedsig
Gilraen, Ghan
Elfstan
Deor, Brin
Miron

Gil-Gandel

Miron was missing from the list so I put him in the back. Once you are past the Undead and off to Goblin and Trolls you might want the Rangers with Bows as the second row instead.

Elfstan is temporarily pulled back.

As they advance by the light of Gilraen’s bauble, the Dwarves take note of the fact that the passage is not well built, no more than 100 years old and is sloping down at a 15° angle. Clearly it is typical sloppy goblin work. It probably won’t last more than 200 to 300 years tops. Oh well, still better than human work. Despite being about to face undead, they seem almost happy to be talking shop.

The party gets near to the intersection of the rooms and Mulligan advances toward the much cleaner orange light of the torch down the hall after warning that there is a wight in each chamber and each has a few animated skeletons.

102

Ghân needs to know if his [COLOR=“Blue”]Summon Insects will work:

  • underground
  • against wights[/COLOR]
103

The summon insects should work underground but not against wights or most non-corporeal type undead.

104

Though he’s dying to try out his new Fireball spell in combat, Deor will hold off for the moment, and only cast Web if it looks like the wights will successfully close with the party and be able to fight hand-to-hand.

105

Bitur suggests we take the left one first, since that one has already attacked one of our members. He will also suggest that either Throncir or Hraedsig remain at the intersection to guard the flank and to keep a protective eye on both the rest of the party and those whose talents don’t lend themselves to combat (e.g. Mulligan).

106

Sorry for being away so long. Real life has been a bitch lately.

Did Elfstan lose his invisibility?

107

Thoroncir will go forward with you, if Hraedsig will be so kind as to hold the intersection.

108

“While I’d rather fight, I suspect there will be plenty of opportunity for that soon :cool: I’m happy to hold the intersection, good Sir.”

109

Ok, so I guess that most people will be heading into the other room, other than Hraedsig and myself at the junction.

Ranged fire to pepper the wraith and skeletons and then Sir Thoroncir and Gilraen to concentrate on the Wraith while the Gwaelur and Bitur take out the skeletons.

I’ll keep an eye out to see if we attract any attention from the other room, in which case some re-inforcements may be necessary.

110

Ghân can offer Faerie Fire if anyone needs light.

Given we are underground, how well are we off for light anyway?
Gilraen has a magic item (is it continuous?) and I think someone has a Helm (only in bursts?) - do we need torches?

111

Gilraen’s bauble seems to be able to produce light at will in varying intensities. She says to Ghân’s question, “The limit of Galadriel’s Gift is simply me. If I grow too tired the bauble will cease to glow. As you probably recall, I can even hand it off. I use my bauble much as Hraedsig uses his Holy symbol* of Eönwë. Speaking of which, the skeletons should be no problem for the party. I should be able to put them back to rest permanently.”

Hraedsig could use some light. As a big aid, he can detect evil and the wights are glowing. I think Deor and Miron would have no problem in waiting with him. Miron will have his bow ready with magic arrows and Deor[sup]1[/sup]can see like an Elf now due to his Magic Ring. He will hold a torch for the others. He is ready to cast a web if needed or call for help loudly. Hraedsig also has a protection vs. evil in a 10’ radius around him. So stay near or behind him. As Mulligan mentioned, she will stay in the hall as extra eyes on both room and further into the main tunnel.

As Gilraen can easily handle the skeletons, Sir Thoroncir, Gwaelur and Bitur will go after the wight as soon as the skeletons are cleared. Gil-Gandel and Brin will try to put arrows into the creature if possible. Gilraen suggests Gil-Gandel sings of Queen Elbereth and she will add harmony. She does not think she should use her spells this early. Elfstan who is still invisible will have both swords out but the Kkósal bane as his primary. He will look for a backstab if the frontline fighters are having a problem. Ghân will wait in reserve to go either direction.

So the group enters the room on the left.
Thoroncir Gwaelur Bitur
------ Gil-Gandel Gilraen Brin
Elfstan - - - - - – - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ghân

Gilraen lights up the Rod of Kanotir and holds aloft her mother’s gift from her Grandmother Galadriel and with it blazing as she commands the skeletons to “BEGONE Restless Spirits and go beyond this mortal world!” All 9 skeletons drop and shatter.
Two arrows go buzzing over the Dwarves. Brin discovers his normal arrows are useless but the Dwarves did loan his a dozen +2s for careful use. He will try one next. Gil-Gandel’s +1 arrows finds its target.

Thoroncir strikes for the first time with his reforged blade Cirist. He hits and the wight shrieks in pain as Thoroncir does 34 points of damage! **Cirist **glows almost with bright green flames after the strike. Gwaelur strikes with his Dwarven Axe and finishes off the wight.

To the rear, skeletons come pouring out of the other room.

  • ShadowFacts, is your Holy symbol the Silver Sword or Silver Horns?
    [sup]1[/sup] Two notes for Deor, he has completed the Book from the Hedge Wizard of Aerdolan Kanotir on Amontiri
    He could create a simple cantrip to work with his current magic items that would extend the time a torch burnt.
112

Bitur will turn around and head as quickly as reasonably possible to the intersection to aid Hraesdig and try to cut off the path the skeletons would have to the non-frontliner types.

113

Silver sword.

114

Mulligan lets the party know and moves to somewhere out of the way to let the fighters get stuck in.

Will also keep an eye out for the wight to make sure it doesn’t surprise the party.

115

Before they close Hraedsig turns 6 skeletons. This leaves only 5 closing. Miron fires an arrow into a skeleton and injures it a bit and sends a second dropping it. His third arrow injures another.

Hraedsig swings his Bastard sword and drops one and his war shield drops a second. Deor backs up and calls for help. Ghân is the first there and actually hits a skeleton with his magic scimitar and protects Deor and Miron in the meantime. Miron hit twice dropping the one he already injured and injuring another. Two injured skeletons swing at Ghân and both miss, his magical armor and barkskin spell doing their jobs.

The wight is coming fast but so is the rest of the party. Gil-Gandel, Brin & Elfstan hold the first room and the three bricks and Gilraen rush to help.

Gilraen turns the last two skeletons destroying them.
Hraedsig swings at the wight with sword and shield and hits with the Bastard for 16 but misses with the shield. The wight’s cold touch does but 3 to Hraedsig. Thoroncir’s glowing sword ends the wight’s unholy life.

116

Thoroncir is impressed by his reforged sword’s power, and exultant at the brief battle’s outcome. “Well done, my friends, well done! Though later foes may not fall quite so easily, we have made a fine start indeed.”

117

Miron says, “Six skeletons ran back into the other room.”

118

I’ll go find them, and see if we can deal with them quickly.

119

Mulligan heads in but the room is too dark.
Thoroncir and the Dwarves followed by Gilraen and Ghân move in.

The see only bones on the ground but the bones look fairly organized. Gilraen turns them and many of the bones shatter or even powder. She says, “Perhaps with the controlling wight destroyed the skeletons lost their animation, but this should prevent their being used again.”
Bitur points out, “Those were Goblin bones if you didn’t notice.”

Bringing Hraedsig in, he detects no further evil.

The room appears to be older than the passage. The walls are smooth and the floor level. Mulligan and the Dwarves find a 4’x7’ stone block in the floor. No controls are located and it appears it was lowered in to seal a grave.
Gil-Gandel and Brin recover their arrows intact by the bluish glow of Sting. (rather handy)

120

Shall we lift the stone and look in the grave, or leave it in peace?