llot session 1 - the unexpected alliance

Session #1 of the Lorn Labyrinth of Tsathoggus, an OD&D 3LBB megadungeon campaign run over at the OD&D Discussion Board Discord Server.

The Expedition

A small group of hearty adventurers begun planning an excursion into this labyrinth. They numbered six in total: Lucienne the cleric, Sebed and Athona the fighters, Eless the magic-user, and their two hired men-at-arms. Once preparations were complete, the party set out to the east toward the Lorn Labyrinth. Along the way they met little resistance save the overgrowth and rugged landscape and by late morning arrived to their destination. Before them laid a small basin area surrounded on all sides with mountains and cliff faces. The basin itself was just 300 yards across and in its center were 4 ruins placed circularly around a standing stone. Each ruin was of small construction and was no larger than 20'x20'. The party spent time investigating each finding a hot spring, a small temple pavilion, a broken statue head rolled face-first into the mud, and a crypt. Lastly, in the center, was a standing stone marked with the warning "KEEP TRACK OF TIME. DON'T GET LOST. THE WALLS MOVE." and in the ground nearby a tar-dripping crack that lead into the depths. The party decided to leave behind a man at arms then fixed a rope to the standing stone and rappelled into the depths.

The Labyrinth

Below the party found themselves in a 4-way intersection. The walls made of marble once painted, but now cracked and chipped. The floors were smeared with mud and the light from above just barely penetrated the inky darkness. Several rooms were searched yielding little more than pottery shards and ash-filled urns. The party decided to traverse as far from the entrance as they could get, thinking the entrance had surely been well looted by other adventurers. After half an hour of pressing east into darkness, the party found themselves in an open room with a pile of apple-sized frog spawn sitting in the center. Inch long tadpoles undulated rhythmically encircling the spawn. The party deliberated then pressed on into the room. The tadpoles avoided the light of the party's torch and the party passed by without harm and crossed toward the southern portion of the room where they reached a door.

They listened. On the other side a low thrumming and gibbering voices could be heard. Quickly the party kicked in the door to find six frog-men clad in black robes. The frog-men were ready, but stood no match for the quick reflexes of the party. A sleep spell was used by Eless and all six frog-men fell limp, asleep.

After the initial encounter, the party observed the rest of the room. Not a large space, the southern wall contained a frog demon carving. Its stomach pulsed with a wavering red portal. Experimentation was performed on the portal using the head of a sleeping frog-man before Lucienne and Athona bravely traversed into the beyond. They found themselves in a new room. Behind them a portal, but of a different carving. This one a wicked man's face.

The party decided to wake up the bound frog men to glean any information about their location. Surprisingly, the frog-men were quite willing to assist the party but gave warning of a powerful magician who inhabited the room connected by the door to the north. They agreed to help fight him in exchange for 1/2 of the coinage plundered from his home.

Initially skeptical, the party agreed and re-armed the frog-men then kicked in the door. Inside was an elaborately decorated room with a robed old man sitting inside donning a pointed blue hat covered in stars and moons. He heard them discussing outside and was ready. He made a mad dash for a door to the west, but not before the party caught a glance of his eyes which appeared to be covered in a thick black film. The party gave chase. They caught up finding their quarry banging loudly on a nearby door. They set upon him and grappled him to the ground. In the struggle, Sebed strangely began to draw his weapon against his allies. Athona noticed a strange glowing on the hat of the man which was once inert. Having him locked in a chokehold, she was able to knock it off his head which instantly caused Sebed to snap out of his ensorcellment.

After a brief interrogation, the party learned the man's name was Garlo and decided to bind him, loot his room, and return to the surface. They safely reached the exit after carefully following their map which was carefully drawn by Athona during the adventure. They paid the frog-men their fair share and Lucienne was gifted a dagger to be presented to the other frog-men as a sign of friendship. A secret symbol was devised between the two groups to be used with chalk on the walls to indicate the presence of one another within the labyrinth.

The Return

Though he struggled mightily, Garlo was not able to break his restraints. He resisted being pulled from the labyrinth, begging to be killed instead. The party pulled a sack over his head and made their way back to the surface. After emerging, they calculated they spent the better part of four hours in the labyrinth. After reuniting with their hired man-at-arms, they set out to return to Croy.

They were lucky enough to avoid any creatures along the way. Then the town of Croy was near, Garlo fell unconscious and appeared like a corpse (though retaining a pulse and lightly breathing). The party pushed on and made it into the walls. The party's attempts to wake him were successful. After calculating up their earnings they found they had some gold coins which they split evenly, a Helm of Telepathy, and a book of 2nd level spells containing Phantasmal Forces, Wizard Lock, ESP, and Knock! Each received ~500XP. Each agreed they wished to return to the labyrinth given the success of the expedition. To top it all off no one lost even a single drop of blood.

⇦ back to all posts