We are in the laboratory below Ashwell tower. We decide to head to the pillared room to the south of the dining room and the statue room. We meet another skeleton guard.. Nailen is nervous but we fire a few arrows. Then we close for melee. Mahan breaks it’s staff and a flash of light and electrical energy blows him back against a pillar.

Nailen tries on the crown that the previous skeleton wore – it was a pretty trippy experience. The room swayed and swam, then he was able to see the others ads figures of light and the broken staff was glowing with a blue light. He took the crown off and told the others about it. He put it back on, this tie it gave the the irresistible urge to walk through the hall. Olsen and Mahan grab him and remove the crown.

We walk in the other direction, to the west. Another large vaulted room, there are faint murals on the wall showing processions of people advancing east. To the south is a door with a moon rune on it. Mahan attempts to open it and is blasted by a bolt of electricty. Rufus quickly administers first aid and keeps him alive. Mahan’s hand gently smokes as we drag him away and head back to the large hall where we head south. The resulting room has a large bowl and a large set of scales. We are stumped as to what they are for. The room to the west is a store room, and includes some weights.

The room to the east has an odd low bench in it and doors on all sides. The room to the south contains many cubbyholes with scrolls. Only one survives our attempt to open and read. It’s a request for Shandar to bless a voyage. Rufus continues investigating and finds a room with two divans, then he finds a room with a desk and some chairs. As he enters smoke starts to emerge from behind the desk. He leaves and closes the door. We head in the other direction and enter another large room. It has an altar on a dais. Behind the altar the wall is lined with niches, a number of which contain skulls with gems in their foreheads that glow with a slight blue light. There’s a big statue of a naked woman with a book, we assume it’s Shandar. There are rods in front of the altar similar to those held by the skeletons. Rufus picks one up with no ill effect. Nailen puts the crown on and the experience is overwhelming – the skulls on the wall behind the statue glow brightly in his vsision and they are speaking in violent tones. Nailen has an overwhelming urge to grab the other rob, but Olsen removes the crown.

Rufus attempts to smash a skull with the rod – it shatters as it gets close.

Rufus and Nailen head to the store room to grab some of the weights in order to throw them at the skulls. They hear a scream from Salmer as another skeleton appears. We fight, Rufus hits it with the rod and both rod and skelly explode!! Salmer has been hit and is paralysed…

We elect to retreat back up to Ashwell tower and then back to Dragonsfall.

We are in the vestry room with the robes, pondering on what to do next. Nailen is conscious of his numb arm so proposes a rapid retreat at the first sign of danger.

We look to the south of the statue room – a laaaarge chamber. Mahan is a big scardy cat, so wants to go back and look at the room with the long table.

North of that room is a kitchen – long abandoned, heavy with dust. Back into the dining room we look at the door. It is heavily bound. We hear nothing the other side. The door squeaks as it opens. The room beyond is a large vaulted ceiling. The back of the door appears to be a massive complex lock. The room appears to be a massive laboratory. There are footprints in the dust and disturbance on the benches.

The benches seem to have alchemical equipment and bits of metal mechanisms… There’s a throne at the far end with pipes feeding into it from four benches – possibly a location of blood sacrifices although we can’t detect any bloodstains. There’s a door at the far end with some old Lordling runes – Rufus notes them down in preparation of being able to translate them later. The footprints exit this room to the north. Through that door is a balcony looking over a water filled room. Light enters from the far end. Our sense of direction tells us that this matches up with the tunnel we found in the punt.

There are chains hanging from the walls, curving down into the water. There are rungs heading down, but no walkway.
Back in the throne room we examine the benches again. We find some books and pieces of paper. The pages refer to a Lord Margane and his quest for increasing power, vitriolic guardians, a dragon and many many sacrifices.

The side doors off the laboratory open into small ‘cells’ with metallic walls. The metallic walls are untarnished.
At the far end is a stone room, dominated by a large crystal sarcophagus. We can see a body within. 8 Feet tall, dressed in robes. We don’t like the look of this so we exit and attempt to lock the door.

The legible bits of the notebook you find.

We rest for the night at the top of Ashwell tower. Come the morning we break our fast and agree to explore the tower cellar. Salmer opts to come with us rather than remain alone.

We check the ground floor first. Appears to be a single room used for storage – barrels, boxes and crates. Barrels are ale, sacks are grain, crates are dried fish and meat. Looks like we can survive on this for a while. Something has been in here and had a sample of everything..!

We head further down tithe basement. The door is ajar and opens into a corridor. Smells mustier… Nailen girds his loins and opens the door. A corridor indeed, while an open door on the right. No sound emerges so we enter the room. More barrels and boxes, plus shelves on the walls. As we are checking the floor some rats appear and want a fight. In fact, they stream past us although one takes the time to bite Mahan’s leg.
The barrels contain spoiled water. The bottles contain wine and the boxes contain dried fish. We exit the room and head down the corridor, suddenly a well appears as if someone just thought they needed to put one in… The well appears to provide potable water. Nailen speculates on the possibility of there being an entrance to the Newtling lair…

Next to the well is another door, strongly bolted from this side. We ponder what mightbe behind it and then open it. The room is half paved, there is a ladder on the floor and a hole in the floor in the far corner.. The edges of the hole are stonelined and there appears to be a room below. We lower the ladder and descend with gay abandon. The room contains a bed, desk, chest of drawers all ornate and expensive looking. We search the room in pairs. Someone else has been searching the room as there are marks in the dust. We find nothing of interest.
We open the door with bows drawn. It opens into another room, furnished and carpeted. The room is large with divans around the edge and an oval carpet. Again the furnishings are ornate and expensive looking. A 7 foot tall skeleton advances towards us, bearing a staff with a blue crystal. Before we can consider retreating, MahN fires an arrow and Olsen does too. Nailen draws Trollbane and charges. During melee he suffers an electric shock to the arm but still manages to drive his dagger into the chest of the monster and it collapses. His arms hurt! We scavenge some gold from the skeleton.

the room it emerged from has 4 statues of tall people – the Lordling race, and a large oil burner in the centre. the statues are all of the same lady with different phaes of the moon carved into her chest. she carries a cup at full moon, a book at waning crescent, a sword at new moon and wears a headress at waxing crescent.
The west exit takes us to a long room with a long table and long benches. In the other direction from the statue room is a vestry, with many sets of robes, again corresponding to the phases of the moon, plus a mirror.

We spend a quiet night in Ashwell tower – Mahan feels a bit better in the morning.

Nailen chats with Athangild about staying on as reeve – he’s not really with it. Nailen then takes Athangild back up to his quarters to get some clothes, ready to travel back to Dragonsfall. We also take 6 bags of lizardman kit – totems etc.

We depart for Dragonsfall; along the causeway we are attacked – a hail of small javelins! Mahan and Nailen are hit! Nailen’s arm is really sore! We dive for cover on the other side of the causeway. Olsen fires some arrows but the lack of squeaks suggests that he hasn’t hit anything.

We attempt to pacify them by throwing one of the totems we took from Ashwell tower, and leave the bag where we were taking cover. Another volley of spears comes at us but no one is injured. We make it to the gap in the causeway and Nailen wades across first. He throws another totem. A lizardman appears and grabs the totem then scurries back into the reeds. Olsen suggests we throw another totem and then fire arrows. It works but we fail to kill the lizardman.
We return to Dragonsfall. Athangild is shaken by the attack. We don’t present a pretty picture on our return.

We are washed and dressed in clean clothes and join Uther for dinner. We recount our tale. Uther says the lizardmen sound like newtlings – a smaller species. He doesn’t know anything of the marsh light men things… Some discussion with Halvenstrom suggests he knows nothing of the marsh men. We have little to go on apart from the possibility of exploring the channel that passes through the gap in the causeway. Dr H. suggests we should be able to get a punt and a local to propel it for us. We train and heal for a week.

Salmer the boatman appears at the end of the week, ready to take us into the marsh. We load up the punt with all conceivable pieces of equipment. Mahan sits up front with bow at the ready. We reach the breach in the causeway and then turn to the north. The channel appears to be following the edge of the hill on which Ashwell tower sits.

Eventually the channel reaches the base of the hill and seems to enter a tunnel. It is mid-afternoon so we elect to drag the punt out of the water and camp out in the tower. Salmer takes a little convincing that it will be safe, but Nailen convinces him that we will take care of him. From this side we see more houses and it seems that the outer houses are not as burnt as the ones in the centre. At the door into the tower is a human skeleton. On closer inspection it seems to be lashed to wood and have feather decorations – a talismanic warning from the lizardmen perhaps…

Nailen takes this large talisman and dashes it to the ground before striding heroically into the tower. We barricade the outer door behind us then ascend the stairs to Athangild’s rooms, barricading other doors as well.

The tome you found on the altar when you defeated Helena (and which you seem to have forgotten about) seems to be a grimoire of sorcery.

The first section details a number of rituals for casting spells.

The first chapter outlines the mental disciplines, incantations and mystical symbols required to perform the magical rituals, and ways in which the range and power of the spell can be increased, at the cost of more energy used.

The second chapter describes a form of ritual self-mutilation and scarring. For each Hit Point of blood you draw from a location, you will generate up to 20 Magic Points, but you run the risk of losing a point of Charisma and also permanent damage. The number of Magic Points seem to be dependent on the psychological importance of the scars – you stop reading when it starts discussing ritual castration. The blood must be stored in a ritual stone bowl and the Magic Points will remain available for as long as the blood is liquid.

The third chapter describes a form of of blood letting that similar to the first, but only involves blood letting, without the ritual scarring and loss of Charisma. It is less effective however, and only generates up to 10 Magic Points per Hit Point of blood lost.

The fourth chapter describes forms of ritual human sacrifice. In this other victims are bled, either partially or to death, into a similar bowl. The efficacy of the harvesting seems to depend on the emotional attachment that you have to the victim. If the victim is a close relative or someone to whom you have a close physical relationship, you can get 5 Magic Points per Hit Point of blood. If they are merely a member of the same species, then you only gain 1 Magic Point per Hit Point. Creatures of a different species do not generate Magic Points.

The second part is a list of spell rituals. All of them require magic points from blood and other material components and specific rituals.

The spell rituals, at first glance, seem to be:

Blood Ward which uses a supply of sacrificial blood to protect the caster from physical damage. The spell can be cast quickly and with little preparation other than the supply of blood. The blood must be present between the attack and the caster – for protection from missile weapons it can be in a bowl or trough in front of the caster, but for protection from close combat weapons it must be smeared onto the body.

Anaemia which causes a gradual wasting illness in the victim. The victim will weaken and die over a number of days. The ritual takes 4 hours to cast and requires a part of the victim’s body, although this need only be a few hairs. This must be placed in a silver chalice and the blood added at the start of the ritual. The chalice and the caster must then remain inside an unbroken magic circle for the duration of the ritual, during which the caster must intone the pages and pages of words in a language that seems strange and inhuman to you.

Vampiric Touch which allows the caster to heal a wound by transferring it onto a victim that he targets. This is again very quick to cast, and is done by opening up the wound already suffered (causing an extra Hit Point of damage) and smearing the extra blood onto the hand that then touches the victim.

Abjure Life which allows the caster to cease breathing, eating and ageing for the duration of the spell. This seems to be a very complex spell, and you are not quite sure how it works.

Restore Vitality which allows the caster to regain youth. This requires the caster to sacrifice a victim of the same species and gender as themselves and drink all their blood over a 24 hour period from full-moon-rise to full-moon-rise. The caster will regain all the years of life that fate had decreed that the victim would have lived had this ritual not occurred. It is therefore impossible to know how much youth will be restored. A marginal note in a very precise hand notes that by subverting fate, overuse of this spell can attract the unwanted attention of Zalatun, Lord of Fate, who may send minions to track you down. Another note in a more rounded hand notes that small children usually have more life ahead of them and have a smaller volume of blood, making the drinking part easier.

Extract Heart which you think you may have seen in action. It is another fast casting spell by requires a lot of Magic Points to ensure that the victim’s Constitution is overcome and the heart successfully extracted.

Magic Jar which allows the caster to create an enchanted vessel, which can be an actual jar, or something like a gem, that their soul will return to if their body is ever destroyed. Their body will then gradually reform next to the magic jar.

The Thanes expect Ashwell tower to be around here and are not shocked as they make out its looming shape in the mists. But there is a dim light illuminating part of it. They head nearer and see huts at the base.

Nailen hails the tower, “Hail the tower!”

The silence is silent.

Closer still the tower is in disrepair. Nailen hails again. No reply. The Thanes venture into the palisade. The gates hang drunkenly.

Through the mists we see a gable end of hall. It’s in better condition than the other buildings around, which are wrecked.

Standing around we hear a noise of wood moving. Knocking on the door it swings open. Nailen’s palace has some work needed to return it to its former glory.

Exploring we hear rustling. We make our way round the tower and notice steps on outside of the tower. We go up the stairs. There’s a door ajar. We say hello. No reply.

In the tower is a smoke filled room. There is a fire in the room away from the fireplace. Bags of totemic nonsense litter the floor. There is meat in a bag as well. Having seen totems before we suspect Lizardfolk.

We head to another room. It’s barred but yields to a bench battering ram. It appears the door has been wedged shut.

The next level up is an open room. A small pile of corpses, human, partially burnt lie in a corner.

The next level has two doors and stairs up. The stairs lead to the roof.

Back to the floor with the two doors. We try a door heroically and it opens. It’s a bed chamber. A chest yields mouldy clothes, a book with numbers and a hidden pouch of money. The fittings of the room are old but of good quality.

The other door is blocked. We heroically barge it open. But something attacks. A madman with a club! We grapple him, he is subdued and tied up.

We manhandle him back to where we left Rufus and Mahan on a lower floor. Dinner is served – ‘snake surprise’.

The madman in coherent moments explains that he is named Athangild and was a reeve here. We ask him questions and although reluctant he offers up that the manor was wrecked by little marsh men who float over the water. They seem hostile and when attacked burst open with acid that burns. The attack was some six or seven moons ago. There are lizardmen hunting parties but they too are afraid of the marsh creatures. They come and seek shelter in the hall from time to time. Athangild has survived by hiding.

We think we should search the base of the tower next.

After training with Dobry for a week, we are ready to do something. We have 2 weeks to fill before we need to escort Rosalind to Itea. We figure it’s time to visit our new territories to see how wrecked and dilapidated they are.

We kit up with food and sundry kit and head south, squelching through the marsh. Ashwell is the first manor that we will reach – 10 miles which will take us most of the day. We expect to find a small tower and a village. What we will really find remains to be seen.

We stop for lunch, but nothing happens. We continue on and eventually reach a section of causeway that is damaged, possibly on purpose! We’ll need to wade through the swamp to continue. Mahan checks for tracks and Olsen helps. Between them they pick out some small three-toed footprints. Probably lizardmen!

As we wade through, Nailen feels something slide past his foot and then something emerges from the water to attack Olsen. It appears to be a snake, which prompts a short discussion between Nailen and Olsen on the differences between a snake and a slow worm.

Mahan and Olsen seem to have got the measure of their new weapons and manage to get several hits onto the snake. Nailen however is struggling to hit anything! The snake then loops a coil round Mahan’s chest and starts to constrict… Mahan is unconscious. Finally Olsen kills the snake. Rufus uses his newly improved First Aid skill to revive Mahan.

We finish wading through the water and make it to dry land, carrying the injured Mahan. Nailen suspects that this is Lizardman territory, but we can’t see any of the totems that we saw last time.

The next morning the atmosphere is subdued, as you would expect. Four of the remaining guardsmen carry Dale’s body out of the cellars on a bier and place it in the chapel, where it is washed and prepared. Bartolph has been released and is not on speaking terms with you. You can hear the moans of Korrik being tortured in the gatehouse, along with the stable-hand that you fought. The three other girls that you found in the coven are dismissed and turned out of the manor, and you get the feeling that Bardolph isn’t happy with this decision either. Your see nothing of Katherine or Rosalind after you rescue them, but Thorn finds you out and thanks you for your actions on behalf of the family.

That evening, you see Uther cross the courtyard to the chapel to keep vigil by his son’s body. Although grief-stricken, he looks stronger and taller than he was when you saw him a couple of days ago.

The next day, you see the servants erecting two poles on the sward outside the gatehouse and piling brush and logs around them. At midday Bardolph and Uther lead out a procession of guardsmen escorting Korrik and the stable-hand. The entire community is summoned to observe the execution. Korrik and the stable-hand are tied to their poles and Bardolph reads an account of their crimes and actions and reminds all present that this is the punishment for all of those who turn from the light of Helim and worship the dark gods. Uther pronounces that by the authority of life and death over the demense of Dragonsfell Manor, vested in him by the High Lords of Itea, he finds the accused guilty of murder, blasphemy and heresy, and sentences them to be executed by immolation. Upon this, Dobry comes forward and lights the two pyres. Neither man screams as the flames lick around them, and you see to your horror that this is because their tongues have been cut out. Bartolph steps forward and throws a book into the fire, exclaiming that thus the book of heresy shall perish so that none other may be corrupted. Uther watches before about 10 minutes, with an inscrutable expression on his face, before turning and walking back into the manor, followed by most of the others.

That afternoon, Lady Sara comes to find you in your rooms and asks you to attend on Lady Katherine. You ascend to her day-room in the gate-tower, where she greets you. She looks tired and worn from her ordeal, and does not rise to greet you, but expresses her eternal thanks for your actions in rescuing her and Rosalind and tells you that she knows that you could have done nothing to rescue Dale. She gives each of you a gold and cloisonnes broach as a token of her gratitude.

The next morning, the hall and chapel are flanked by black banners of mourning as the manor prepares for Dale’s funeral.The funeral takes place soon after breakfast and is a solemn affair, in the chapel. You are requested to attend and are given a place behind the family and Uther’s thanes, who have been summoned for the service. All are present and are looking tired and worn. There have been many deaths in the last week, and all of them are remembered in this long ceremony.

Immediately afterwards there is a funeral feast in the hall. The wine and beer flows and gradually the mood lightens although the great black drapes still give it a sombre feel. Finally Uther climbs to his feet and a trumpet blows for silence. Looking at him, you can see the the first time just how tall he is – there is obviously more than a trace of Lording blood in his veins. His speech is direct. It is the saddest duty of a father to bury his son and heir, especially when he has died in such a fashion rather than honourably in battle. For the barony it is a worrying day, for not only has his heir died, but his sister-son is also dead and therefore there is no clear succession for the barony. This is not a good position, but he feels fortunate that he has a daughter who he feels is more than capable of succeeding him. For this reason he requires all his thanes to swear their allegiance now to his daughter Katherine, swearing that in the event of his death they will serve her and her children as faithfully as they have served him. He has already written to the High Lord at Itea to get her agreement that this shall be the line of succession. But before he asks them to swear their fealty, there are other duties he must perform.

Everyone here, he says, knows of the dreadful events of the last weeks that have led to the death of his son at the hands of the evil sorceress Helena. However, but for the actions of a handful of brave men, he would have lost his daughter as well as his son, and possibly his own life as well. The two remaining guardsmen who helped you and survived are summoned and each presented with a gilded belt as a token of the thanks he has for their bravery. Dobry is called forward as well, and presented with a fine sword with a jewel encrusted hilt.

You are then called forward as well. Uther praises your bravery in uncovering Helena, especially as you were only visitors here and owed no duty to Uther and his family. Uther would like to make each of you a member of his hearthguard, an honour you have already shown you fulfil by protecting him and his family to the death. In token of your service as hearthguards so far, he presents each of you with a golden arm-ring, engraved with his arms and set with gems, so that anyone who meets you will know that you are hearthguards of Lord Uther and know of your bravery and courage.

In addition, bravery and service such as yours deserves even greater reward. The fief of Dragonsfell is not what it once was, and its lands are curtailed and under threat. The three capitularies of Dragonfell are strong men and have held their manors well and are a staunch wall against those that would presume upon the lands of Lord Uther. However, he is minded to extend his lands once more to the limits that were held by his forefathers. For this reason, he is minded to appoint such brave men to a position where their courage will help all his people.

Therefore, Nailen of Saltmarsh, I appoint you Capitulary of Ashwell. Under your leadership may it return once again to its former prosperity.

Rufus of Saltmarsh, I appoint you Capitulary of Thorngrove. Under your leadership may it return once again to its former prosperity.

Mahan, I appoint you Capitulary of Blackdyke. Under your leadership, may it return once again to its former prosperity.

Olsen, I appoint you Capitulary of Reedham. Under your leadership, may it return once again to its former prosperity.

He then calls upon the four of you, and the existing six thanes to renew their oaths of allegiance to him and to his daughter and the heirs of her body, for as long as you shall live. His hearth shall be your hearth, his table shall be your table, your body shall be his body and your life shall be his life.

Oath taken, he presents each of you with a shirt of fine chain mail, a well wrought helmet and a sword, as befits a thane. Each sword is one from his family armoury. To Nailen is given Trollbane, the sword of Lord Urien, Uther’s grandfather. Short and sturdy, this is a working blade decorated with a strange pattern of smokelike stains. The hilt is iron, cunningly wrought, and ending in claws. To Mahan is given Icewand, the sword of Lord Auric, Uther’s great-uncle. The blade is long and slender, with a line of fine script down the centre. The hilt is silvered and the pommel is decorated with an uncut sapphire. To Rufus is given Foescourge, the sword of Urien, Uther’s brother. Short and curved, this looks goblin-wrought and the hilt is bound in dragon-skin. and the pommel is set with a pearl. To Olsen is given Flametongue, the sword of Sir Ulric, a great knight of Itea. This is a lordling sword and the blade is beautiful with the swirling pattern of the folding of the steel like flames liking up it. The hilt is gold, the grip red velvet and the pommel set with a ruby.

With this, the proper feasting, drinking (and wenching if such takes your fancy) begins. Many of the inhabitants are happy to toast your new positions, although you notice a degree of reticence and disdain from the existing thanes, obviously unhappy to see itinerant wanderers such as yourself elevated to such a position. A somewhat drunken Thorn confides in you that Uther has played a cunning hand however. He has stirred up his thanes, but hopes that you will be loyal to him and Lady Katherine when he dies, whereas he suspects that several of the other thanes would see themselves as a natural successor and try and take his position and/or marry Katherine against her will in order to inherit the estate. He sees the 4 of you as a powerful counterweight. However he has also been cunning in giving you manors and lands that don’t really belong to him any more. They are his in title but were lost to lizardman raids and abandoned many years ago. So none of the existing thanes have lost out, and he hopes that you will push his boundaries back and extend his realm. You question what a Capitulary is and he explains that it is a feudal position subordinate to a lord, like Uther. You are given a manor and have a right to a share of the produce and revenues of that manor, but are also responsible for the security of that manor and must supply a certain number of warriors for your lord when called upon. The nearest equivalent in the Dalelands would be a thane.

Thorn also confides that he will not be staying at Dragonsfell Hall much longer. Already he is worried that with Dale’s death people are looking to him, as Uther’s son, as the natural successor rather than Katherine and worries about becoming a focus for discontent. Uther has offered to sponsor him into the Order at Itea, but he doesn’t feel that a monastic life in the stone halls of Itea would suit him, so he is considering his options and where he should go.

Later in the evening Halvinstrom comes to find you. He also congratulates you on your success and presses a slim volume into Rufus’s hands, which proves to be a herbarium detailing several slaves and other preparations that will undoubtedly prove of great use to you in the future. The first you notice is a healing salve, which however suffers from the inconvenience that it can only be made on the night of the full moon and then only in small quantities.

A map of Saltmarsh and the Dankfold, from the library at Dragonsfell Hall.

The coffin that was ransacked was named ‘Uther’. We head to the library and look for info on Uther. We find a book that looks useful. It seems that Lord Uther slayed a notorious vampire and was rewarded with the barony. The magical sword is mentioned as well as the missing chalice. We also find a loose sheet of paper. It seems to detail a spell to impart a long dead soul into a new victim. It also has some handwritten notes. The notes indicate someone searching for the components for the ritual – sword, cup, stone and spear. The sword and the cup are both missing.

Rufus has a flash of inspiration and notices that the piece of paper was marking a particular page in the book, which covers a generation after Uther. It also has a map of the manor. It seems a descendant of Uther slayed a dragon within the manor and this possibly caused the collapsed portion of the cellars. It also indicates there are four cellars below the main tower. We have only found two so we head to the treasury to have a search…

We find an odd section of wall. We cannot scratch or even touch it. We can’t find any obvious means to open it. We’re stuck!

We decide to remove the barricade from where the beast is hiding. As we remove the last peg something large snarls and leaps out at us. The creature emits a terrifying wail – we are all frozen to the core and struggle to wield our weapons effectively.

It’s a ghoul! It bites Mahan’s arm before Nailen hacks it’s arm off. It is mortally wounded! Mahan and Olsen hit back and the ghoul is dead. Much rejoicing as it dawns on Nailen that this was the beast that had been haunting the cellars and had savaged Dobry’s men just a few nights ago. Mahan has a numb arm – could it be poisoned? Diseased? Rufus defies expectations but successfully remembering how to heal – the wound is staunched. Mahan feels better but the arm is still numb.

We head through the doorway. We find some jewellery, worth thousands (possibly). There’s no evidence of access to another cellar.

The wedding feast is finished. None of the family are on evidence.. we check with the serving wenches. They giggle at Mahan as he is so hunky and charismatic and explain that the family have retired to rest. We go to speak to Dobry instead. He is suitably impressed that we have killed the beast that haunted the cellars. He takes us to see Dr Halvenstrom, to take a look at Mahan’s arm. We discuss our findings in the cellars. It seems that the strange wall is some kind of magical ward. It cannot be dispelled, but it isn’t permanent so if not refreshed it will fade. He also tells us that the 4 items mentioned in the spell are symbols of the king – they symbolize control over the four elements. Dr H is interested in studying the ghoul and possibly carrying out a dissection. He seems to be primarily an academic man – we doubt he is mixed up in these foul acts. He doesn’t recognize the handwriting on the note, but Nailen wonders if there is some way to compare it with samples from people in the manor, Bardolph for example…

Possible next step is to camp out in the treasury room and wait for a mystery person to appear and recreate the magical ward. Some planning will be needed around hiding ourselves in suitable locations but still being able to strike. Mahan considers that the coven may act against us once news of the ghoul slaying gets out.

We attempt to return to the cellars but our way is barred by two soldiers, on the orders of Korrik, a deputy of Dobry.
We go to see Dobry, he is fast asleep in his bunk and takes some rousing…he seems to have been drugged!!
Our alternative is to go down through the gatehouse and navigate the dungeons.. Mahan leads us through the dungeons. As we approach the unspeakable acts altar, we see torchlight, and hear chanting. Five or six people surround an altar and a nudey lady is tied to it. Our plan is for Mahan and Olsen to shoot arrows in and Nailen will charge in with his sword and dagger. Rufus will administer first aid to any survivors… Mahan hits the priest in the arm, Olsen hits the altar. Two robed figures turn to fight back, the other run to hide behind the altar. Nailen lunges through the door, first attack is parried. Counter attack parried. He draws the baddie back through the door and proceeds, with Mahan to duff him up! We then advance into the room, split into pairs to take them on. After some tremendous fighting, we defeat them and the leader turns out to be Korrick… A brief interrogation reveals little so we head back to Dobry’s room. We manage to rouse him and start to explain what’s happened. Dobry is very groggy and seems surprised that Korrik has been up to evil deeds. On further discussion, and some wandering about we notice that the entire place seems deserted – has everyone been drugged??#

Dobry’s guards report back that lady Katharine and Rosalind are missing from their rooms. We head down to the Treasury – the ward seems to have faded from the wall and after some searching Rufus finds a button to unlock a secret door. Inside is another altar, chained to the altar is Dale and behind it is Helena! Katharine and Rosalind are chained to the wall. Two ghouls advance menacingly….but don’t attack. We fire arrows at Helena and eventually do enough damage to make her run away but not before she kills Dale and casts an evil spell on one of the guards, causing his heart to burst out of his chest – unspeakable!! We enter the room and engage the ghouls. Our superior numbers tell, and the ghouls are defeated. The door that Helena escaped down is stuck fast. We bash it down and the corridor is blocked by a roof collapse – she has covered her escape!! Katharine and Rosalind explain that they too felt sleepy after the wedding feast. They went for a lie down and then woke up to find themselves chained to the wall. It seems Helena’s plan was to resurrect the vampire of the marsh, be it’s consort and rule the land! Bwah ha haaa!!

The Invocation we find in the library

We are in our quarters talking with Thorn who received a similar note. The note had a sketch map and it seems to match part of the layout of the cellars. We agree to head down there together. It’s nearly midnight, no one will be around so we head on out. The kitchens are indeed empty. We pass through and down the stairs. The room indicated on the sketch map contains an altar, drapes, symbols of an evil God – Malloth and a figure. We deliberate too long and he turns round. We rush to attack and he instantly surrenders. Turns out to be Bardolph the priest – he denies that he is a Malloth worshipper and claims that a note was left in his room telling him to come here and put some robes on. Handily, the note also said that it must be destroyed. Behind the drapes on the far wall is a wooden door. We bind Bardolph’s hands and take him with us through the door. It opens into a room with more robes, and some manacles including an unconscious young woman . Nailen and Rufus release her, but Rufus’ legendary first aid skills fail to improve her condition.

We return to the manor house – Thorn rouses Dale and Katherine to report our findings. Bardolph is led away to the guard rooms.

The maiden tells us she was snatched from her bed and then awoke in the cell. She saw up to four figures dressed in similar robes to Bardolph. They occasionally bled her to use her blood in unspeakable acts…!

By this time Sara and Helena have appeared. But they don’t have much to say except to remind Dale that he is due to get married in the morning. Dobry returns from Bardolph’s quarters with a wicked looking knife, blood stains the handle.

We go to bed agreeing to meet for an early breakfast followed by some cellar exploring. We find an oak door that Nailen can’t open, but he feels he could unlock it with a better tool. We ‘park’ it for later (Olsen talks a bit funny sometimes). We head down the corridor past the coven room and the passage turns into a poorly propped tunnel. It doesn’t take long before we reach a rockfall and can progress no further. We head back north to where the encounter with the beast occurred several nights ago. East of that blood splattered room we find a large butressed room with a door. A hefty shove forces the door open. We find a north south corridor with spiral stairs at either end. The passage looks like it sees moderate traffic. We go north and find a room with a huge windlass wrapped in chain. Some careful thought suggests that we are under the gatehouse. Back in the butressed room we head south and find another door, however we can’t force this one open. A passage also heads south. It leads to another door, similar to the other locked one, but again Nailen can’t open it.

Further exploration at the bottom of the gatehouse uncovers a workshop – Nailen finds some scraps of metal which he thinks could help get the locked door open. We head to the door to try it out. We get it open and the room appears to be a crypt of some sort – it contains many hardwood coffins. However, there is a space at one end where a coffin should be. Careful evaluation shows scrape marks heading back out the door we came in, further careful examination of the barrels shows them to be a false door. Duh duh Duuuuuhhh!! Beyond is a corridor, as we advance, Idiot Mahan sets off a trip wire trap and two darts whistle up the corridor. Karma dictates that one hits him in the willy!

We reach a room. On the opposite wall are the crossbows that fired at us. On one side of the room is the missing coffin. Beside it are pieces of a suit of platemail armour and bones, as if someone has been searching in the coffin for something. To one side of the crossbows we find a secret door, which opens easily. Inside is a cupboard containing several different coloured robes, and on a shelf, an amulet with a ruby in the centre and some strange runes around the edge. There’s a corridor off to the right of the main room, it leads us to another door (with some eye holes, at eye height!). It opens into the room where we found the girl chained up.

We head back to the manor house to report our findings, and to join the wedding celebrations. In fact we’re back in time for lunch. There’s a hubbub, no one is dead but something else has been stolen – a chalice required for the wedding service.

The Undercroft at Dragonsfell Hall