[WFRP] Doomstones Session 3
Acqusitions Unlimited Retrieves the Crystal of Fire!
Last seen around the Lonely Tower, the group reference the map and decided to follow the river south to the "stonz". Before leaving, the eagle-eyed elf and the ever-curious Professor espied a cave entrance in the distance. They decided to check it out before leaving.
The cave was smelly, like a farm and abattoir. While they were inside checking the place out, the inhabitants arrived home and attacked the intruders. The party fought two minotaurs. One had molten metal blood, which sprayed the party when he was damaged. The other had elastic arms that could reach around his companion to attack. The dwarf squire took a powerful clubbing to the head, but all survived the encounter. The only items of value found were paraphernalia off a dead elf.
The party traveled through a part of the forest known as the Twisted Lands by the locals. They saw mind-boggling sights, like the gigantic river snake that sprang out of the water to grab a drinking deer and swallow it whole. Later on, they saw a waterfall that roared many feet downward leveled out, and then roared back up to the original river bed. One time, in the distance, they spotted a bridge made out of the bones of every creature known to man...and some not known. The bridge sighed and muttered a strange language. The party avoided the bridge. While they were walking through the latter part of the forest, the very ground beneath them detached from the earth, shot up in the air 100 yards, and flew them to the edge of the forest. There it landed in a crater, settled sideways, and the party disembarked.
Walking through the forest, the party was ambushed by a group of elves. Ce'fana, the party elf, quickly talked them down from any violence, and the Professor returned the elf paraphernalia they found early. By chance, the items had belonged to a missing family member of one of the elves. The elves accepted the returned items, asked the party back to their camp, and helped them recover before traveling onward.
The elves knew of the stones by the river and led the party there before taking their leave. The Professor followed the Orc instructions for walking around the standing stone circle. When he entered the circle, a horde of orc zombies exploded from the ground of the surrounding landscape. The party was effectively herded into the center of the standing stones where a large green flame had appeared. The party entered the flame as a way of escape.
They found themselves in a subterranean hall, presumable underneath the stone circle. Most of the underground complex was abandoned and run-down...except for one set of double door which read "Go away. Torgoch's busy." They found no other options but to go in.
The desiccated husk of what used to be Torgoch sat on a throne back-to to the door. The throne was surrounded by red flames. In the next room beside the throne was the Crystal of Fire, sitting on an upturned log. The party decided not to touch the Crystal, but instead pushed it off the log with a long staff. Then they set up a swinging rock to batter the orc if he stirred. Finally, with no other way out of the complex, they touched the crystal. The orc came back to life.
While his spirit returned to his body, and as he was casting a spell, the party let go of the battering stone. It crashed into Torgoch and disrupted his spell. The party all charged him at once and hacking him into pieces before he could arise from his throne. It was truly a humiliating end to such a once-proud orc.
And, I might add, completely unprepared for by the game module.