Session 51: Ogres

The adventurers ID the potions they found in the healers' cabinet and then continue exploring “The Gut”, a miles-long tunnel leading to the main Rappan Athuk dungeon.

This write up is based on Kay’s notes from our March 5, 2025 session. Since our group is scattered around the country, we used Discord for our voice communication and Roll20 for our virtual tabletop. Thanks to Kay for the proofreading.

Continued from: Tavern Level 4

Location: Castle Calaelen
Date: Thursday, June 1, 3517

9 AM
Blaze reminded the group that we sent in some potions bottles into town to be identified by Rasmus, and we should find out about them before going into the main dungeon of Rappan Athuk. She also wanted to copy the information on the five demons of pestilence from the book on demons, for reference in the dungeon.

Monday, June 5

9 AM
Back in Zelcor’s Ferry, we got the identification on the bottles of liquid from the Healers hidden room:

20 bottles of liquid. Five of these are specimen bottles of urine that were awaiting testing when the pestilence arrived. Two of the bottles are potions of healing (Healing Potion: You regain 2d4+2 hit points when you drink this potion). Four of the bottles were once medicines, but now have no effect after the passage of time. One bottle contains a liquid that was once medicinal but now acts as poison. The other 8 bottles are still working medicines. The eight medicine potions will, among other things, treat the zombie rot and the pestilence from the toxic pools.

We each took one bottle of the 8 working medicines and stored the extra two in the castle. Parahelia also took the two potions of healing. She looked at the potions and saw the potion’s red liquid would glimmer when agitated.

Before returning to the castle, we went to the inn looking for rumors; Blaze, Elron and Breena found three:

“A great library, once the property of the followers of Orcus, lies forgotten in a hidden level. Though it contains works of great evil, it also holds books that could be of great value to sages and adventurers as well.”

“Giant scorpions guard the way to the tomb of a fell king."

"Solid mithril gates bar the way into a great treasure horde guarded by a lich in the great cavern. If one can access them, they would be richer than an emperor."

We discussed just taking the hinges off the mithril gate and bringing it back to the blacksmith to make mithril armor.

It was worth revisiting some of the older rumors, now that we were going to the main dungeon: 

"A great city of goblins lies deep in the complex, and they are followers of Orcus." (The roach-man tavern keeper told us of groups of goblins that would come through.)

"A great priest was entombed within the Rappan Athuk complex behind a door sealed with seven seals. If released, the powers of good would be greatly aided." 

"Magical black skeletons inhabit the dungeon. They are greatly feared, as clerics cannot turn them." (We found them, and they can be killed.)

"Deep in the dungeon lies a vast cavern with monsters of gigantic size."

"A company of dwarves recently went to look for a gold mine said to be in the dungeon. None of them returned."

"A couple of levels underneath the Mouth of Doom there is a long passage — miles long — that connects with the main levels of Rappan Athuk." (Yep, we found that one, too).

Elron found a mouse and decided to carry it with him, feeding and watering it; he has animal handling and can speak to it.

2 PM
Back at the castle.

June 6, 3517 

6 AM
We left from the castle to go into the Mouth of Doom (MOD) to follow the northeast corridor to the main dungeon at Rappan Athuk.

Halfway to the entrance of the MOD, in the forest, Elron noticed we were being stalked by 3 worgs and 4 wolves at a distance. We found a rock outcrop about 10 feet tall and climbed up. Elron shot one worg; it yelped but didn’t die. When he tried a second shot, he spilled all of his sling stones at his feet.

The worg that was hit ran away to the north, and all the others followed at top speed. Elron picked up his stones and dignity and we continued onward.

9 AM
MOD, we made it to the third level without encounters. We got to the two zombie warhorses and Elron tried to ride one. It moved at walking speed. We could use it for a pack animal, but we decided to leave it there. Elron had wanted to get a cart for it to pull, but didn’t bring one.

9:30 AM
We started walking the 11 miles to the inn.

2 PM
We arrived at the inn and the T-junction. We went to the northeast corridor to the caverns, 18 miles ahead.

4:20 PM
When we had walked about 9 miles, Sinis heard something ahead – heavy footsteps.

Elron couldn’t see anything yet, but moved forward stealthily. Blaze moved forward and prepared to cast chaos bolt. Parahelia moved forward as well.

An ogre came into view, saw us, started beating his chest, pulled out a great club and swung it. Blaze hit him with a chaos bolt with acid effect. Breena cast Melf’s Minute Meteor, and two meteors hit it for fire damage. He yelled to the other ogres behind him in giant’s language which none of us could understand. Artie hit the first ogre with a fire bolt, killing it.

Breena and Rocky moved up. Elron moved forward and hit the second ogre with three sling stones. The ogre ran up to Elron and swung his club hard, but Elron’s armor absorbed the damage. Blaze hit it with a chaos bolt of fire and it howled.

The third ogre moved up and stood on his dead friend’s body, raised his club and grinned menacingly.

Parahelia cast guiding bolt on the second ogre, killing it.

 Breena cast mage armor on herself. Elron hit the third ogre once with a sling stone.

 The fourth ogre moved up to the dead second ogre and stood over it, swinging its club. The other two ogres moved up behind it. Artie hit the fourth ogre with a fire bolt. Breena hit the same ogre with two meteors. Elron cast ensnaring strike on his sling and hit, but the ogre broke loose of the snare quickly. Elron’s second sling shot hit. Blaze cast chaos bolt and hit the fourth ogre with lightning, killing it. It fell on top of the second dead ogre. Now we have a pile of dead ogres nearly blocking the passage.

The sixth ogre swung his great club at Elron and missed. Parahelia cast guiding bolt at ogre number 3 and injured it.

Ogre number 6 ran away down the hallway and the fifth ogre followed him, both running to the east. Sinis moved forward and cast shrink but it didn’t work. Artie moved forward and hit the ceiling with his fire bolt, showering the hall behind the fleeing ogres with sparks.

Breena moved up with Rocky and cast frostbite on the third ogre. Elron hit it with two stones and it tumbled to the ground, dead.

We killed four ogres with no damage to ourselves. We were kind of surprised.

Ogre bodies piled upon each other.

Looting the ogre bodies: 4 ep, 29 sp, 27 cp, 4-lb Block of Soap (Bite Missing), 1-lb Pouch of Salt, Hammer and Chisel.

Sinis took the one-pound bag of salt, Elron took the hammer and chisel, and Blaze took the four-pound block of soap.

4:30 PM
So far we have traveled 20 miles total underground; 11 miles to the inn and then another 9 miles to the east-northeast.

Continued in Session 52 - Caverns