Game summary for November 3, 2011, In Search of Adventure campaign, Keep on the Borderlands adventure; present characters included Nicholae Dragos (cleric adept) and Theobald Goblinbane (dwarf warrior).
The party, along with retainers Arathorn, Germanus, Quintinus, and Wuldric, proceeded into the caves. They sifted through the debris uncovering a single copper coin along with a rusty cargo hook. Theobald searched for traps and made enough noise to draw the attention of a cave denizen—an owlbear! The creature attacked, mauling Theobald in moments. The team tore into the ferocious beast, which only made it attack more violently! Theobald fell back, and Nicholae stepped up only to be mauled as well. Quintinus sank arrow after arrow into the beast while the twin glaives of Arathorn and Germanus worked it over. Wuldric battled on with his mighty axe, holding the line. It was the mighty arm of Theobald, however, who brought down the beast with a savagely hurled spear! The team skinned the conquered beast and took its talons and beak as trophies.
Within the lair of the owlbear, they discovered a partially eaten gnoll and a bone scroll case containing a scroll of protection from undead. The team then moved down a side hallway into a chamber wherein they found a corner radiating frigid cold. After shifting the accumulated debris about, they found three geometric shapes carved into the wall: a circle, a square, and a triangle. After fiddling with it a bit, they discovered the triangle turned. Soon thereafter, they succeeded in pushing the square. Thinking for a moment, they pulled on the circle, which opened a secret compartment! Within lay a stone cube radiating unearthly cold. The team placed the cube in the owlbear skin for storage.
The team then moved into another chamber to discover an orc corpse slain by a goblin javelin. Nicholae, drawing on what he had learned with their recent alliance with the orcs, performed an acceptable funeral rite over the maggot-infested body. As they turned to leave the area, they found a gray ooze slithering down the corridor. The horror surged forward to engulf Quintinus, stripping the flesh from his bones and killing him in seconds!
The party scattered, and Germanus landed a telling blow on the ooze. It succeeded in touching other party members with a pseudo pod but failed to inflict the damage it had on Quintinus. Theobald threw the cold-emanating cube at it, which it did not seem to like. Nicholae rushed forward and pounded the ooze into inanimate slime with his warhammer.
With this monstrosity dealt with, the team moved north and found a room with a murky pool of water with something metallic shimmering on the far side. The group got into an argument with Arathorn, who refused to go in after the golden item. Finally, a disgusted Nicholae waded into the pool to find a jewel-encrusted goblet. Unfortunately, two more gray oozes floated up and attacked. The party started to flee, with Wuldric and Arathorn holding the line of retreat. They dispatched one ooze and bolstered their confidence. The group stayed and fought with the other until it too was slain.
The team then took the owlbear carcass to the orcs who cooked and ate it at a great feast while the party told tales of the encounter in the cave. Later the team walked back to the castellan’s keep to sell the chalice and owlbear skin. They patched up their relationship with Arathorn as well as hired on a mysterious dark-skinned young woman named Ma’Kala. She was brought on due to her clerical training and knowledge of mysticism, religious ceremony, and healing.
The above summary is for a game session of Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC edition played by the Phoenix Gaming Club.
