Return to the Mysterious Tower

[DJ LaBoss]

Being a record of my group’s latest dungeon delve.

I am putting this record here on the Goodman site because this dungeon is a home brew “sequel,” to the popular and enduring DCC# 2, The Mysterious Tower. In the continuity of our campaign, this adventure actually takes place 500 years after our old characters took the Tower in a hard fought battle.

We didn’t blog on that adventure but I did follow the crew’s investigation into the Legacy of the Savage Kings here:

http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... =20&t=5710


Our New Crew

The Amazing Bobby Gestalt 10th level Cleric of / Sorcerer: The Amazing Bobby is a changed man. Originally a lawful good devotee of his deity, after a career of adventuring he had to admit to himself that he was all about the lawful, not so much the good and he changed to Lawful Neutral mid-dungeon. Bobby loves rare books, managing his congregation and making sure that his rectory is sufficiently adorned so not to displease his deity.

Miles, lvl 10 Monk/ Wizard Gestalt. The mysterious Miles is a loner, belonging to no monk or arcane order. What we know about him – he is a bad, bad, bad dude who is just as comfortable mixing it up on the front lines as hanging back and throwing scorching rays. Miles is extremely hard to hit and uses that to great effect.

Bro., lvl 10 Ranger/ Rogue Gestalt. Bro rejected the noble family he was born into and spent his childhood in the wilderness, learning the ways of the ranger. Bro likes to do good . . .but he really likes bagging giants and collecting treasure. Friends see him as torn between the noble legacy of the ranger, and the take-the-money-and-run sensibility of the rogue.

Vlad, lvl 10 Barbarian/ Fighter. What can one say about Vlad that hasen’t already been said about tiger sharks, hurricanes, and the black plague? Vlad joined the army of Havenor by showing up during a fight and killing a bunch of guys wearing the other side’s colors – nobody dared to try to get him to sign any paperwork. Our only concern about having Vlad in the party is that our enemies will know us by the clinking of his huge brass balls.

Sir Daryen 10th Level Fighter/ Palidan Gestalt. Nobelese Oblige personified, Sir Daryen is the holy terror that demons use to frighten their children into eating their vegetarians. Always true and courageous, Sir Daryen is a brave soul with a compassionate streak, dedicated to fighting evil and protecting the innocent.

Melsenschlap, lvl 10 Sorcerer/ Wizard Gestalt – Joining the party after the adventure started, Melsenschlap is a wizard who was stuck in stasis at in the dungeon itself more than 500 years ago. The wizard is a stalwart ally and a dangerous opponent, if overconfident, brash, grumpy, and a bit mouthy. From the onset, the gang is unsure (wisely unsure) whether or not to trust him.

Background: The gang’s last adventure brought them in contact with the terrible Vulture Queen.
The mercenary captain’s war against her bitter rival (and ex paramour), the Necromancer Black Christopher, wasn’t going well. She contacted the gang with an offer – she would provide the secret location of the necromancer’s lair and magical transportation there if the adventurer’s agreed to kill him. What could they do? They did indeed end his evil reign, leaving the scheming Vulture Queen free to make war against Havanor.

With an advancing army less than three weeks away, the group gathered at their local tavern to make plans. A stranger approached, an ancient elf bearing the holy symbol of Fharlanghn. After gruffly introducing himself as Zander, a cleric of the God of Horizon, and snatching Bro’s beer, he complimented us (sort of) on our success against Black Christopher and said he knew a way to stop the army of the Vulture Queen from invading. Would we agree to go with him? After some discussion we say yes.

Zander teleported us to an unknown dwarven stronghold. There he asked for his “safety deposit box.” After some waiting, the box (actually a small chest) was brought to us.

Zander then teleported us to a beautiful mountain area with a shimmering archway and gave us a box, then teleported away. In the box was an ancient scroll and a large blue gem. After some study, Miles determines that the scroll is some kind of unique summoning spell – but what did it summon? We had no idea.

The Dungeon Begins:

We went through the Arch and found ourselves in some sort of magical pocket dimension. There was fresh food and wine for us and unseen servants there to take care of us. After a bit of investigation we left to find whatever Zander wanted us to find.

Our ranger found a forgotten path through the mountain. We followed it all the way to its terminus but found no way to go on. After much searching, discussion, experimentation, and sulking we decided it was time to cast the spell on the scroll. Miles went for it . . . .

. . . and amazingly enough a walled castle appeared right before us. Huge doors, a 20’ high wall, and five towers. One tower was shaped like a star, one like a moon, two were octagons and the one in the center was a perfect cylinder sheathed in a shimmering blue light.

Once the building appeared Melsenschlap, who had been in status with it, came out and confronted the adventuring party. Where the hell is Finbard, he asked - but no one could understand his ancient dialect of Common. One tongues spell and a discussion that bumped up against a violent confrontation later, the party was able to convince Melsenschlap that five hundred years had passed while Melsenschlap sat frozen in stasis. Melsenschlap, who hailed from the Havenor of the past, was not about to let the Vulture Queen’s forces have their way with his home town and agreed to join the party aid them on their quest.

Behind the glittering central tower we saw an amazing site. A spiral of gems in the air. All of the colors of the rainbow except blue . . .

Hmmm.

Sir Daryen figured out the puzzle – we added the blue diamond we found in the box from the dwarven stronghold and added it to the pattern and instantly a hidden portal opened up.

Everyone who passed through the porthole was magically transported to one of eight floating discs. We hung suspended in the air over what seemed like an endless drop to some unknown void. There were four pillars in the room, a central platform with another magical archway, and a door going out and two sphinxes flying around.

“Who are these intruders, Balix?” asked the one. Only Melsenschlap, whose tongues spell was still in effect, and Amazing Bobby who spoke Ancient Common, could understand them.

“I don’t know, Andros,” said the other. “Do you think they have come to steal our treasure? Should we kill them? Or have they come to answer our riddle?”

We assured them that we had come to answer the riddle.

“Answer it and the door is yours,” said one. “What can you give away and keep forever?”

After some discussion, we proffered “One’s word of honor.”

The sphinx bowed. “Your answer is true. You can go forward.”

We found that our floating discs responded to willed commands, so we made them all make a straight line to the central platform. When the door opened the magical archway disappeared.

We passed into what looked like a training room. Suits of well used armor lined the walls, sized for all manner of creatures. At one end were a row of straw target dummies. Bro took a shot from the end – nailed one. You don’t want none of Bro when he’s got his bow, bro.

We went to leave the room and triggered a spear trap – poison spears flew out of the wall and hit a bunch of folks, some of who were weakened by poison. But press on we did.

We entered into a small room with two desks. We elected to ignore them and go through to the next room, where we found two prisoners behind force walls. One appeared to be human, and he begged us to release him. The other looked like a drow elf, and he remained silent.

Perplexed, we went back and searched the desks. We did find records of the prisoners, but neither their crimes nor their sentences were listed. Hmmmm again.

We searched the room and found a secret door. It led us to a small room with a trap, which Bro disarmed with ease. But what happens now? Check in with us next week, pilgrims.

Out of game: Duane Waldrop, GM par excellence, ran this session. His party originally took the Mysterious Tower (DCC#3), and eventually took it over and made it their own. I (this writer) am playing Melsenschlap, and he is a super old character who has existed in 2nd edition and now 3rd edition.