After repelling yet more trollkin and their allies last session, and discovering a new route in and out of the Scarlet Citadel, the characters continued to explore the Dwarven Barracks on Level 3.
You can read earlier posts here. This post contains spoilers for Scarlet Citadel.
The party hadn’t really had much time to examine their surroundings in the entry hall previously – every time they entered the area, they came under attack. Now able to investigate things more closely, Tricksy studies the pair of brass double doors in the north wall and determines they are protected by a glyph of warding.
Deciding to leave the doors alone for now, the elf rogue sneaks through the breached barracks where he spots a fearsome-looking barricade with an even more fearsome troll behind it. Meanwhile, Tunde is in the next room, tapping on barrels to see if any of them are hiding a secret door.
Next, the adventurers explore the armory. Maya climbs on top of the giant pile of rubble and pokes around in it, finding nothing of interest. The group decide to try the eastern door. Tricksy leads the way, successfully finding and disarming the pit trap in the corridor. When he’s shot at by trollkin through the arrows slits, he retreats under cover of a fog cloud.
Maya enters the gauntlet, triggering the spear trap and ending up incapacitated by poison. The others try to free her while under fire from the crossbow trap at the far end without success. Heading into the stable, they are attacked by the baby dire owlbear; Tricksy kills the cute but deadly beast. Tunde rescues Maya and casts lesser restoration to bring her round. The angry war cleric takes out her frustration on the crossbow trap, smashing it to smithereens.
Then, the characters investigate the pit in the corner. Clairmont pulls up the rope ladder to make sure nothing climbs up to attack them, then summons Pop and sends the weasel down the tunnel to see where it goes.
Heading through the north door from the trapped corridor, the adventurers enter the Great Hall where most of the trollkin have repositioned themselves on the far side of the barricade. The characters slay the two grunts, then Clairmont lobs two fireballs over the barricade while the others snipe at any foes who dare to pop up from behind their fortification. When Maya approaches surrounded by her spirit guardians, the two reavers Bjrnyar and Gostov make a run for it, leaving the troll and dire owlbear behind to be slain by the characters.
With the battle over, the characters enter Bjrnyar’s chamber and smash open his chest of treasure. After studying the brass door to the Shrine of Volund, they use the soapstone horse carving, a flame, and a hammer to open the door. Tricksy uses his boots of striding and springing to leap on top of the giant golden anvil where he finds a tiny hammer. When he picks it up, the two dwarf statues transform into glowing armoured constructs….
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Main image by David Auden Nash
Richard Green | Game Designer 