| Session Date | July 13, 2018 |
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| Base XP Gained | Carry Over |
The party now decided to depart the ruined keep, feeling that they'd sufficiently plundered it. They decided to head back to the east, this time utilizing the swan-boat feather token to sail in style. As they began to sail, the lizardmen that had moved into the vicinity of the beacon in large numbers apparently took exception to that, as they showered the boat with javelins. Aldeberon, in particular, took many hits, despite his vaunted platemail armor. But the boat soon outdistanced the lizardmen.
Sailing along, the party noted a mound rising from the swamps, from which it looked as if there was some sort of construction. Sailing closer, they noted what appeared to be the ruins of an open-topped stone temple built into the muddy hill. They brought the boat up against a set of stair rising from the swamp and shrunk it back down to pocket-sized. As they came to main level, they noted numerous giant columns, many ruined, proceeding in a double line towards what appeared to be a curtain made of shells, blocking view of the temple as it moved inside the hill. As the party cautiously approached, they were met with crossbow fire from the curtain, a force of brigands. The party returned fire, with the most noteworthy strike being a fireball from Cadwallider that killed several brigands. The rest were easily picked off by arrow fire from Iban and Aldeberon, and a charge by ZZ.
But, as the Brigands were finally being finished off, something far worse appeared. Beyond the curtain of shells was another area open to the sky. The back wall, also of stone, was carved with a bas relief depicting a huge demon. The other walls were of shell, and there were three round pools covered with slime. From the back wall a huge door opened and a black dragon flew out, rapidly rising above the party and attacking with its acid breath. Iban was nearly slain by the acid (ZZ saved him with a death’s door spell), and other party members also took a good deal of damage. The dragon then swooped on ZZ before flying up again to hit them with more acid. But, the party managed to fight back. Cadwallider hit it with a lightning bolt, while arrows and other spells slammed it, eventually killing it.
After the dragon crashed to the ground, and the wounded had been attended to, Cadwallider and ZZ cut the dragon’s head off and took it for a trophy. But there was no thought of continuing to explore the ruins. The party was in bad shape and opted to flee by swan-boat to the eastern shore line, moving away form the swamp far enough to avoid being harassed by the lizardmen or other swamp denizens.
They rested for 4 nights. Cadwallider laid his magical caltrop around the camp for protection, and spent a little time the first day flying invisibly to scout the area for trouble. Trouble did find them before he noted it however, as a party of bandits ran across the party. A fireball killed a number of them before the party (still in bad shape) fled by swan boat to another section of shore to resume resting, this time with Iban using Leomund’s Tiny Hut to aid them. The next day the spellcasters began to make everyone in the party invisible, though a number of wolves sniffed them out but did not attack.
The following day, as they rested invisibly, they heard a voice call out to them, saying that, though he could not see them, he knew they were there. The voice warned them that bandits were operating in the area. The party responded that they were aware and had encountered some. The voice replied that he’d seen their handiwork down a bit south. He named himself Winfrith, though he said little else about himself. The party invited them to have lunch, and he accepted. He discussed the sudden influx of bandits to the area and blamed troubles “up north” (perhaps a reference to the Giant King). There was also discussion of how the lizardmen had grown very agitated and were causing troubles beyond the swamp. Winfrith was particularly impressed by the dragon head, which the party showed him. He knew nothing of the temple they’d found, but offered to provide them some “raft building advice” if they were set on returning thither (the swan-boat had a limit of but three uses). And we ended there a bit early…