Ding Dong, Sir Grim is Dead

Sir Grim, his demented jester Tuddlebock, and his remaining followers have finally been dealt with, and by dealt with I mean killed and their bodies looted.

We started the adventure after Derros and his Duergar minions had been defeated. The party divided up the evil priest's gear, which included a helmet of wisdom +2, a heavy mace of frost +2, a suit of fire resistant banded mail +1, an amulet of health +2, a minor ring of spell storing, a heavy steel shield +2, and two potions of maximize spell.

Smith Graugthum and the remaining armed villagers met up with the adventurers and Captain Grey after successfully freeing their friends. They gathered up weapons and armor from the dead and dropped the bodies into the sewer openings as offerings to Kang the garbage monster. Afterwards the smith led them all to the center of town where Sir Grim had established a defensive position behind the gates of the town hall, a complex made up of the mayor's estate, the courthouse, and 3-story tower which combined the functions of armory, militia barracks, and jail.

When the party arrived they found Sir Grim and Tuddlebock holding Prince Hadron hostage on a platform connected to the tower which doubled as a gallows and executioners block. Down below in the courtyard was a line of three of Grim's elite soldiers armed with glaives, ready to repel attackers. In front of the soldiers were barricades piled up against the spiked iron fence and locked gates. Several severed heads of unfortunate villagers who were killed during the failed defense of the city were spitted on the ends of the spikes. A large black raven stood on one of these heads, picking at it's moldering eyes. Above them, on the roof of the tower, stood a line of archers with torches, ready to rain down death on anyone brave enough to climb the
gates and barricades. More debris were piled up against the outer doors leading into the mayor's estate and the courthouse and all the windows on the first floors were boarded up.

The raven, spotting the approaching villagers squawked and took flight. Beornweynne hurled a well aimed throwing axe at the pest and clipped it in mid-flight. The raven, distracted by the cut, morphed into its true shape, a small red leathery bat-winged imp. It paused long enough to glare at the barbarian who had struck it and then retreated to land on Grim's shoulder and inform him of danger. The party agreed that it was probably this same beast that was watching for them at the ruined farm house when they returned from the bandit caves. Later they learned that this creature's name was Spite, and served as a devilish servant to Sir Grim, one of the many powers bestowed to him on becoming a Blackguard.

The party huddled with Captain Grey and Smith Graugthum to come up with an elaborate attack plan. Captain Grey admitted to being aware of Prince Hadron's identity and was under orders from Earl Luthor Gryffon, the Prince's maternal uncle, to attempt a rescue mission. He advised against a frontal assault since it could endanger the Prince's life. Instead Captain Grey would attempt to parley with Grim while strike teams would attempt to find a way around the obvious defenses.

Lookouts spotted kegs of lamp oil buried in the barricades, apparently ready to be lit by flaming arrows if an attempt was made to scale the gates. Hildagarde scouted the interiors of the mayor's estate and courthouse, gaining access through the unguarded second story windows, and discovered reserve soldiers stationed in each building with more exploding kegs. The party decided to use some of the villagers to build a staircase to one of the unguarded windows out of the barricades blocking the doors. Other villagers were instructed to use some of Elrothien's flaming arrows to set off the exploding kegs behind the gates and then target the elite soldiers. Meanwhile Sir Andros and Digna would fly with Bon Jovi, the paladin's celestial hippogriff mount, and drop behind the archers stationed on the tower. Hildagarde would be air-dropped over the flaming gates by his eagle companion Bingo and attempt to take out Tuddlebock. Everyone else would either focus magical attacks on Sir Grim to keep him from harming the Prince, or attempt to gain entry to the courthouse via the makeshift stairs. It was an ambitious plan.

Captain Grey approached the gates and addressed Sir Grim. "Unhand the Prince and turn yourself over to the law, Sir Grim, and your mens' lives will be spared." Grim laughed and replied "Your mission has failed, Captain Grey. Even now the Baron's stronghold is being overrun by Trogdor's army and soon reinforcements will arrive here to deal with you. I am prepared to wait unless you wish to see this boy lose his head now."

Sir Grim continued, "I have counter-offer. Toss over your weapons and the signet ring your pets stole from me and you will not be killed. Instead you will be enslaved and sent to work in the quarry and mines at Blackpool or retrained to fight in Trogdor's army. If not, you will be killed and serve as arrow fodder in undeath." Insults were hurled back a forth while the villagers diligently toiled away at moving debris. Finally Sir Grim tired of the witty banter and said, "Enough! I tire of this witty banter" and brought his axe down on Prince Hadron, cleanly severing his outstretched hand. Tuddlebock gleefully snatched up the hand and began gruesomely juggling it as the Prince appeared to crumple and feint from shock.

Initiatives were rolled and the attack plan was put into motion. Elrothien made the first move, summoning a fiendish medium spider, the group named him Chitter, to attack Sir Grim. The spider climbed up the execution platform and encased Grim in sticky webs. Grim was forced to tear himself free of the webs before slashing the spider to death with his keen greataxe. Tuddlebock retaliated by tearing off a faded red swatch of cloth from his motley suit and summoning forth a swarm of sewer rats to mob the wizard. Gignus followed up by centering a zone of silence on Prince Hadron around the platform, hoping to keep the evil bard from using any more magic. Bon Jovi delivered Sir Andros and Digna to the top of the tower behind the archers and they waded into them with mace and axe. Sir Andros was wielding the mace of frost which delivered an icy blast after its impact damage. Digna cleaved furiously into her foes, dropping one immediately. The remaining archers dropped their bows and drew swords before closing in. Hildagarde cast entangle on the line of elite soldiers, causing most of the courtyard to erupt in grasping roots, weeds, and vines while Bingo lifted her off the ground by the backpack straps and carried her over their heads towards the platform. At the party's command half of the villagers fired flaming arrows upon the entangled guards and the hidden kegs of oil. Balls of flame erupted from the kegs which set the surrounding debris alight and blew the gates from their hinges. Smith Graugthum, heedless of the flames, hurtled over the fence and rushed through burning barricade only to get tangled up in the writhing courtyard. Captain Grey, not to be outdone by the village smith also climbed over the fence and charged the elite soldiers. Beornweynne, Lukana, and the remaining villagers scaled the walls of the courthouse and broke in through the second story windows to come out on a gallery overlooking the main floor. The guards stationed inside raised an alarm and moved to intercept them.

Elrothien broke free of the swarming rats and retreated to the side of the courthouse, along with Gignus who waited for her companions to unbolt the door. A couple of the villagers, one with the nickname "Superman", proceeded to beat the rats to death. Villagers "Jack" and "Sasha" continued to pepper the elite soldiers with arrows. A couple of the elite soldiers broke free of the grasping plants and charged the smith and the captain, both of which moved in and began single combat with their respective foes. More soldiers poured forth from the mayor's estate climbing over the barricades on the other side of the door to rush the villagers. "Midget" survived the attacks of three soldiers before killing one and retreating with critical wounds. Other villagers moved to block guards trying to climb the stairs to the courthouse gallery. Beornweynne leapt down into the main floor and attacked three of the guards. Lukana threw a rope down to help Elrothien and others climb up and then dropped into the fray on the main floor. Sir Andros traded blows with an archer, while Digna killed two more and cleaved into a third. Spite, who had gone invisible during the last round, suddenly reappeared behind the dwarf and attempted to pierce her with it's scorpion-like tail, but could not get through her armor. Sir Andros instructed Bon Jovi to swoop down and recover the unconscious Prince. He dove and grasped the Prince's body which became insubstantial on contact, and the illusion faded. Sir Grim laughed and struck the celestial steed with the business end of his mighty axe, but the hippogriff survived and flew away to safety. Meanwhile, Hildagarde was dropped onto the platform and fired a volley of arrows at Tuddlebock before diving away to safety. Tuddlebock, unable to use his magic, instead reached into his magical bag of holding and drew a dagger which he threw at the rogue. The dagger missed, magically returned to the bard and was thrown again which struck home before returning once again to the thrower.

Digna cut down Spite and cleaved into the remaining archer. Sir Andros finished him off and then noticed a trap door that led down into the tower. Tuddlebock, still unable to use his magic, once again reached into his bag of tricks and pulled forth a horn of fog. Putting it to his lips and blowing produced no sound, but a thick cloud poured from its mouth and shrouded the whole platform in mist and fog, obscuring him and Grim from view. Hildagarde tossed an acid flask into the general area and then moved to the base of the platform. Captain Grey and the smith continued to fight with the elite soldiers in the courtyard while arrows rained down on them. "Midget" was struck down by guards and the remaining three charged the villagers. In the courthouse Beornweynne and Lukana made short work of three of the guards while a pair of villagers in the gallery held off the fourth on the stairs. Elrothien climbed through the window just as Lukana unlocked the door and let Gignus in. Then they all made a rush to the door that opened onto the courtyard.

Tuddlebock, dripping with acid splashes, opened the gallows trap door and swung down with the noose in one hand as obscuring fog drifted down around him and attempted to incapacitate Hildagarde with a Hideous Laughter spell, but Hildagarde was not amused. In retaliation she sprung forward to deliver a Light spell by touch, but groped about in the fog ineffectively. Beornweynne, Lukana, Elrothien, and Gignus rushed the fog covered platform in the hopes of getting a shot in at Sir Grim. Sir Andros cautiously opened the trap door and descended a ladder into the armory. He could hear the steps of heavily armored foe on the stairs leading down to the barracks. Digna dropped down from the tower roof onto the obscured platform and found the door leading into the tower barracks closed and barred from the inside. Taking out her flail of sundering, she smashed the barrier open and stepped inside to see Sir Grim halfway up the stairs to the armory. In the background the villagers, the smith, and Captain Grey continued the fight with Grim's minions.

Tuddlebock retreated back up the rope and into the fog once again. Hildagarde followed, using her cape of the bat and continued to hunt her prey in the fog. Sir Grim rushed up the stairs and seeing the paladin smote him mightily with his greataxe. Sir Andros in turn smote Sir Grim and landed a critical blow which blinded and dazed him in spite of the magical runes inscribed on Grim's armor to protect against such events. Digna took a moment to quaff her last haste potion and then charged upstairs. Gignus was the next to enter the tower. Tuddlebock tumbled away from Lukana and Hildagarde and into the tower only to find Gignus waiting for him inside. In a moment of panic he withdrew a withered mummified hand he wore as a necklace and muttered some plea to it. One of its remaining extended fingers stiffly folded into the palm as a disembodied gigantic hand materialized between Tuddlebock, Gignus, and the door, effectively blocking the other from entering the tower.

Lukana, blocked from entering the tower by the platform door chose to scale the side of the tower and ended up on the roof looking down into the armory. Sir Andros and Sir Grim continued their deadly dance of mace and greataxe, Grim momentarily getting the upper-hand. Gignus ignored Tuddlebock and charged up the stairs. The giant interposing hand followed the cleric, thereby leaving the tower door unblocked. Tuddlebock seeing this unfortunate turn of events retreated downstairs to the jail level. Beornweynne and Elrothien were then able to enter the tower and headed upstairs. Beornweynne tossed her pick of disarming to Digna, who hastily picked it up and brought it down on Sir Grim's hand, making him drop his greataxe. Hildagarde followed the rest of the party into the tower and chased after the bard.

Sir Grim was now surrounded in the tower armory. Elrothien struck him with a ray of exhaustion while Gignus performed a battle prayer to boost her allies and hinder her foes. As Grim bent to retrieve his weapon he was assaulted on all sides by mace, pick, and greatsword. He took one more swing at the paladin before Digna again successfully disarmed him. Lukana jumped down into the armory, tumbled through the melee and came up with the greataxe in hand. Sir Andros and Beornweynne continued to beat on the mostly helpless fallen knight. In the basement Hildagarde crept up on Tuddlebock who was frantically trying to unlock a cell door, behind-which the real Prince was bound and gagged. Hildagarde delivered a sneak attack on Tuddlebock with her arrows. The surprised and bloodied bard turned and cast Grease on the stairs, but Hildagarde easily avoided the hazard.

In the armory Elrothien attempted to blast Sir Grim with a scorching ray, but missed. In a last ditch effort to survive Sir Grim called upon his evil powers to close some of his wounds, but this provoked a flurry of strikes from Sir Andros, Digna and Beornweynne who cut, punctured, crushed, and froze him to death. As he was struck down his blackened soul visibly left his body and then was sucked into his greataxe, which glowed redly and then faded. Lukana dropped the evil weapon as Gignus muttered something about "the death knight's curse". Then they all rushed down to the jail level. Digna was the first to hit the newly greased stairs and slipped, falling prone halfway down. Beornweynne and Lukana, alerted to the danger now, deftly vaulted over the stunned dwarf.

Below Tuddlebock tried again to incapacitate the rogue with laughter by doing his best silly dance and failed. After another volley of arrows from Hildagarde, the evil bard cast Slow on all the new arrivals. Digna was the only one to fail her savings throw, the Slow canceling out her Haste. Desperately, Tuddlebock pulled his knife and attempted to bargain for his life by threatening Hadron's. Everyone dropped their weapons, although Lukana was still considered armed and dangerous. A short stand-off ended when the gnome panicked and attempted to cast Expeditious Retreat to get away. Beornweynne was ready and grappled him to the ground. Hadron was pulled to safety while Tuddlebock was interrogated and then put to death with two of Hildagarde's arrows in the back of the head.

Before Tuddlebock was killed he told the party all he knew. Sir Grim was planning on selling Hadron to the highest bidder. Currently he was in negotiations with the Cult of the Dragon's Fist who wished to sacrifice the Prince to Trogdor, who they revere as a demi-god. Apparently he was also in communication with Countess Vandra who wished to have the boy for her own mysterious purposes. Emissaries from each side were expected any day now to make their final bids. Sir Grim also sought out the three signet rings given to each of the three young princes by the old King Aeron. Sir Grim had one ring, the party had found the other in the poly-temple earlier, and the third is believed to be in the possession of the Cult of the Dragon's Fist. Sir Grim believed that these rings were carved from fragments of a talisman the last Orc Emperor had on him when he died. This talisman was said to be the source of Trogdor's power and the key to the Emporer's control over him. Sir Grim thought that if he could recover the fragments, find the lost talisman and restore it he would gain power over Trogdor and then build an empire of his own. But all of his evil plans have been destroyed by our brave heroes.

The party piled up and took stock of their rewards: Sir Grim had a suit of mithral full plate +2 of light fortification, gauntlets of ogre power +2, a helmet of charisma +2, a brooch of shielding, a ring of protection +2, lesser boots of riding, Prince Benron's signet ring, and his now cursed and evil keen executioner's axe +2. Tuddlebock wore a small suit of elven chainmail under his faded motley, a pale green ioun stone of competence +1, lesser boots of dancing, a ring of force shield +2, and a spectral hand of the mage around his neck. In his small bag of holding he also had a horn of fog, a dagger of returning +2, a small sap +2, two potions of empower spell, and a masterwork tambourine along with many gold coins and gemstones.

The rest of Grim's men had been dealt with by Captain Grey, Smith Graugthum, and the remaining armed villagers. Only three of the villager's died in the final battle. Bodies were stripped and dropped into the sewers to appease the garbage monster. Captain Grey was glad to see the Prince safe and promised to escort his safely to his uncle. The smith became the defacto leader of the village and began making preparations for rebuilding their homes. The party was left discussing what to do next. Their mission was complete, but there was no guarantee of additional reward since the Baron was currently under siege by an army invading Hobgoblins and their monstrous minions. The Dragon's Fist Cult along with Sidor's chest are believed to be secreted somewhere in the woods near the mountains in an abandoned hunting lodge. Trogdor is believed to be lairing in the ruins of old Higate surrounded by more of his minions. Sir Grim's greataxe, a powerful and valuable weapon, had become possessed and was now under an evil curse but Elrothien felt if given time he'd think of a way to cleanse it.

Experience was given for the encounter and bonuses were given for completing the main goal of the adventure and for each character who had specific goals for defeating Sir Grim, Tuddlebock, or retrieving another of the signet rings. Elrothien, Hildagarde, Gignus, and Sir Andros all earned enough experience to gain another level.