Game summary for April 5, 2012, In Search of Adventure campaign, X8: Drums on Fire Mountain adventure; present characters included Dinendel “Legend” Telemnar (elf swashbuckler-enchanter), Gust Kingchanter (magic user enchanter), Nicholae Dragos (cleric elder), and Theobald Goblinbane (dwarf myrmidon).
The team quickly tried to follow Maerie and found the door locked. Joined by enchanter Gust Kingchanter, the group by-passed the door with a knock spell. This revealed a short hallway and a second locked door. Nicholae broke the door down to reveal a fog-shrouded room. The group stretched out a rope and each grabbed hold before moving into the concealing fog. Within, Elasha succumbed to confusion and attacked the party as over a dozen nightmarish kal-muru emerged from the fog! The battle was swift with several blows landing as the party fell back to make room for Gust’s fireball spell. The flaming magic made short work of the kal-muru, and the team moved on after the party cast bless and haste.
Before long, the team was able to enter the chamber occupied by a mirror imaged KalnaKaa (the pig-man), his daughter Maerie, and half a dozen topis! KalnaKaa yelled “you’re ruining everything” before casting a slow spell at the group, cancelling many of the haste effects. The topi moved in slowly, and Maerie slinked to the side.
The party wasted no time entering the fray, and Gust stepped forward and unleashed a devastating lightning bolt that killed two topi and caught KalnaKaa in the edges. The electrical arc then ricocheted off the wall and hit him again! With smoke rolling from his ears, the pig-man staggered about.
The topi succeeded in holding the party back for a few moments while KalnaKaa shook off the lightning attack. He snarled at Gust and shouted, “I can do that too, but better!” The magic user then launched into casting and fired his own, larger, lightning bolt back at the team. Gust was unable to avoid the bouncing spell and fried in his own boots. Theobald took a hit from the rebound but avoided the worst of the effects.
The deadly topis began landing telling blows even though the party slowly cut them down. Maerie charged in with her dagger and fell to Elasha’s deadly elven short blade! Enraged, KalnaKaa shifted into a massive boar-like form as two summoned boars arrived. KalnaKaa charged Theobald, mauling him terribly while the boars tore into anything that moved. Theobald and Ma’Kala ran to the mangled, smoking corpse of Gust and dug out his potions which Theobald then quaffed gaining speed and healing. Meanwhile, Legend worried the devil swine with his blade as Elasha jockeyed for position among the undead, boars, and lycanthrope. Nicholae went down in a spray of blood as KalnaKaa mauled him to death. Legend shielded himself with protection from evil and Theobald found a charging topi in his way. Things looked grim, but the Conquerors of Chaos soldiered on dropping enemies and layering wounds on the devil swine. Finally, Legend slipped in past the monster’s guard and cut him down with his enchanted sword!
In the battle aftermath, Ma’Kala performed a funeral ritual for Gust and Nicholae as the bodies would be left behind. The rest of the team decapitated KalnaKaa and discovered a storeroom filled to bursting with gold and jewels! They also discovered KalnaKaa’s journal and read about his secrets. Using this information, the team loaded all their treasures onto a large outrigger canoe and returned to the Belle Venture just off the coast. The team returned victorious to Thyatis and collected their rewards from Rollo Bargmann.
With many friends dead in the last month and a half, and wealth beyond most kings’ treasuries, the team decided to retire for a bit, live a safer life, and enjoy some of their heaps of gold!
Thus concluded 11 game sessions to complete X8: Drums on Fire Mountain using BECMI / RC Dungeons & Dragons rules.
The above summary is for a game session of Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC edition played by the Phoenix Gaming Club.
