Thorn Manor, Old Moor Road, Talingarde: The gruesome group was greeted by Theodora and led to the chambers of Cardinal Adrastus Thorn. A devilishly handsome, bald acolyte of Asmodeus, Thorn asked for the fealty of Brand, Ilmaticron, and the Woodstick. With some discussion they entered into a pact of the Bound with the powerful cardinal. Thorn told them that to complete their training they must complete nine lessons in the catacombs beneath the manor. While they waited and rested their every need was meet by Thorn’s slaves, however another group, the White Raven, who were also bound to the cardinal shared an icy tolerance of our villainous cohort. After they were adequately “rested" Theodora took them before Adrastus who challenged Brand, Ilmaticron, and the Woodstick to find a magical sapphire jewel hidden within Asmodeus’ Nine Lessons. He gave to them silver unholy symbols of Asmodeus as well as iron circlets of disguise. Grumblejack agreed to further service and also made his mark on a pact of the Bound. Theodora then brought them to the entrance to the catacombs.
The first chamber was a test of deception. Using a novel technique, the Woodstick and Grumblejack tripped the trapdoor trap and fell on the spikes below. After this stumble, the party did find two secret doors, one which held a gem of alchemist’s ice and the other which led to the next lesson. The next lesson was a test of independence, Ilmaticron noticing that two of the three exits to this room had many tracks in the dust, the one that did not was guarded by heat sucking mold which was quickly dispatched by the alchemist’s ice. The third lesson was one of darkness, the room swallowing light sources whole. Strategically using 10’ poles they were able to illuminate the magical source of the darkness, an obsidian orb that they shattered with a firm shove from another pole. The party was attacked by a bloodsucking leach foam that roiled through holes in the floor. Using oil and fire they battled it back while unbarring the door exiting in the room, Grumblejack taking the worst of the damage. The fourth lesson was a room with a torturer’s rack, with a young squire of Mitra hidden in a secret door. The vile quartet put the rack to use and extracted the following:
- Beware the metal cobras!
- Secret door opposite the stairs.
- Shrieker screams if there is light or movement.
- Four drowned men will rise when the shrieker cries!
The young squire was left on the rack, in case a diversion was needed later in the lessons. The party then entered the next room and faced two metal cobras. Brand took much poison damage. The room following this contained, what appeared to be, the sapphire jewel they had been sent to retrieve. A flight of stairs rising to the left. Wary of deception, the party found the secret door opposite the stairs and sought the next lesson...
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