Before you proceed, please understand that this is an in-character record of my gaming notes. Be aware that it contains spoilers for the Castle Xyntillan mega dungeon module. Turn back now.
Start at Part One.
Learn more about the Castle Xyntillan Campaign.
 |
| Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-12526 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 |
The Ninth Expedition, October 20, 2026
Riding high on the riches of our previous expedition to the castle, our company was most eager to return to the haunted halls of the dilapidated dungeon. Many within our fellowship trained hard and applied their valuable experience to strengthening their specialties. Most of my coin went towards a cure all from a local alchemist, so that Stray Dog wouldn't sit in stone (though on second thought, maybe he should've).
Ultimately, that's neither here nor there! Obviously, the Lords of the Seven Hills had a lesson for me to learn, and that's to not send a half-orc along when a gnome is needed. For this campaign, our delving company was able to assemble a rather formidable group of treasure seekers:
- Norg, a gnomish thief and yours truly.
- Quirky, an elven maiden and deadly with her magic spear.
- Malachai, a human warrior who is quickly learning the ropes.
- Dettmar, a dwarven cleric and my consultant on matters of keg tapping.
- Carl, my favorite cleric and second favorite human.
- Bridgett, an adventuring cleric passing through town.
- And the mysterious magic user I've written of before. I have heard words carry power so some spell slingers deign to provide any name -- fearing it might be used to force them into service.
Rumours Heard in Town
No matter how many times we enrich the local inhabitants with our hard-won coin, they are always as quick and eager to see us part with it as when we first rolled into this dust bucket. But then again, we are thirsty folk, and making the rounds at the local inns and taphouses is part of due course by this point. As any gnomish merchant-lord knows, a little silver gets the wine flowing and tongues wagging, and humans are only all too eager to gossip about themselves as much as others. Bless them!
As a result, we learned the following rumours circulating about town:
"Gilgort Malevol, the Fox, lurks near the castle, so watch your belongings."
"Jean Gascard is deathly afraid of the castle denizens who consider him a traitor."
Frankly, neither bit of information seems much useful to our company at this time. Thus far, we've steered clear of the areas around the castle, though we have discussed visiting the winery several times. And as far as I can tell, the Malevol family is rather fractured themselves, and no doubt there are members who consider one another traitors to the line. More importantly, we need intelligence on how these rivalries persist, so that we might exploit them down the road.
The Return to the Castle
Returning to the ruined Malevol estate went without major issue on our part. None of the usual traps and safeguards were there to greet us. Perhaps this is a result of us weakening the vampire from before? Or is there no rhyme and reason to the shennanigans of this family?
For this campaign, we agreed to explore more of the southwestern quadrant, hoping to fill in our map and to see if we could find a secret door connecting the western wing to the outer wall. This is because, from our mapping, a secret or concealed door is suggested.
More Singing Skeletons
As we trudged through the western halls of Castle Xyntillan, we could hear the loud carousing of off-duty soldiers. The songs were what one would expect, bawdy ballads of glory, toasts to the fallen, and so forth. Now, I am old by human reckoning, and these songs seemed to be even before my time.
Feeling the need for caution, a quick conferral with my comrades-in-arms lead to me scouting ahead, plying the skills of my craft. Being a rather small fellow, I stuck to the shadows and crept forward, knowing my party would come for me if I didn't return in a reasonable amount of time.
Ahead, I beheld a score and four of human skeletons, drinking and feasting at long tables and benches. Like many undead, they were stuck in repose of actions from their time still living, and these low born warriors were stuck drinking and feasting for their eternity -- not a bad lot by my reckoning!
Returning to my comrades, I shared the juicy details, and how we overcame such a challenge just northeast of the foyer. Before, we joined in their carousing and were able to move safely about the hall. We bet the same here and were quickly and easily able to pass through their dining hall in a westward fashion.
Storeroom
Successfully passing by the singing skeletons, we found ourselves in a largish storeroom. Brimming with beer kegs, foodstuffs, and the normal vittles, we also saw a pair of doors on the northern wall.
Left-handed Door
This door led us to a barracks, no doubt one that was used to house the soldiers of the castle in times long past. A variety of furniture was here to inspect and plunder, including a peculiar looking footlocker labeled, "Contains Type VI Treasure."
We were careful with that one, though it ultimately proved empty. But we didn't finish empty handed, and managed to come away with a nice silver dagger and a clump of wolfsbane, to which Bridgett suggested I carry. I was more than happy to, considering we have heard howls in the castle halls and been pursued by wolves when fleeing in the past. Any edge is welcome!
Eastern Bunk Door
From an eastern door in the barracks, moved into a 30 x 30 foot room, with a hall to the north. Two doors are located on the eastern wall here, as well as two more doors in a northern hall. Otherwise, it was empty.
Western Room
A smaller barracks area is here, perhaps housing petty officers. Herein we only found a trio of bunks, footlockers and other such associated furniture -- and no treasure.
However, while poking about, we were accosted by 18 onery old men, harumphing mightily and with great disdain for our delving company. "You seem to be in the wrong place," their leader remarked of us. Engaging in conversation, I could spy that these were well-kept undead, the masculine counterparts to the horrid courtesans we encountered weeks earlier. And without the strong sword arm of a paladin, I was not keen on engaging with this cohort.
Notably, they were quite curious to know if we had met any of the royalty of the castle, but were guarded in divulging any details on who might be members of the royal family here. Eventually, our bluffing satisfied their nagging questions and they wandered off.
The Corner Room
Down the hall, we could spot thickening webs filling the halls. With caution we proceeded, and used our fire to carefully clear webs as we were rightfully concerned that giant spiders might lurking in wait.
The corner room is another bunk room, with three beds and footlockers. Webbing filled the corners of this room as well, and we spent time burning it away, or gathering it up like candy floss. Our efforts were rewarded, and as a result we came away with a nice collection of golden pearls. A jeweler in another life, I was able to estimate the worth of this cache at around eighty gold pieces per pearl, with eight in total.
Hall Door
Another bare area, this hallway seemed to turn up nothing of note. However, there was an unusual alcove at one point and a sloping 45-degree shift to the masonry here that we haven't yet encountered in other parts of the castle. Despite our knowledge of such things, neither myself nor Dettmar could make heads or tails of this design choice. I can only conclude that humans are truly strange, and the more time I spend with them and in their lands, the more this proves to be true.
The South Door Leads Up
A small, ten by ten room in this part of the castle contains a notable feature -- a shaft leading directly upward. Above, we could make out a dim light from the darkness, as it is only about 30 feet high. While investigating, a figure dropped whole sheaf of papers on us. Snatching them from their descent, we saw that they contained various quotations attributed to the residents of the castle.
With curiosity getting the better of us, our magic user cast her magic and climbed the walls like a spider. Affixed with my grappling hook, a couple of others followed behind, while another half of our party watched our backs.
The Cloistered and Chained Scribes
The top of the shaft opens into a 30 x 40 foot room. Eight scribes are chained to desks here, and they are each afflicted with a hunchback (from sitting so much, perhaps?). Each desk was stacked high with parchment, and the studious lot furiously wrote what they had to write. Filing cabinets stood near each desk, and periodically, they would rise to fill them.
The ladies above made inquiry of the scribes, learning they have been chained up for years, and forced to record the mundane words spoken by residents and visitors, in the kind of minutiae that only excites bureaucrats.
Being eager for their freedom, our lady adventures continued to parlay, hoping to learn of some good loot. Sadly, they knew of none, but the bargain was upheld and they worked to free the pensmen. However, a brief disturbance saw Quirky react with the speed of her kind, and the door was spiked before whoever wished entrance could do the same.
Once freed, the scribes joined up for a spell until we could point them safely out of the castle grounds. To which fate did they meet? I am unsure at this time.
A Secret Door to the Outside
To the north of this wing, we found a hall that terminated to seemingly nothing. It is a 40-foot long hall moving east-west. However, with a bit of searching and gnomish cunning we were able to locate a concealed door along tracks. This was good! The part that gave my goose pimples, however, was where it led.
While it did lead to and outer part of the castle, it was the same area where we first encountered the disembodied voice that followed and taunted us on an earlier expedition. Despite the risk involved, we knew we would have to test the door to see if it was usable on each side, and Bridgett made herself the volunteer.
The good news is that it worked! The bad news is that the voice returned to bother us again. Despite this inconvenience, our spirits remained merry and we proceeded further along.
Bad Brains
At a hallway intersection, we came across a statue of a zombie with an incense holder next to it. To this point, we have learned that practically every statue in the castle has a secret to discover, though not everyone is a good one to learn, like the one outside the main gate that animates bodies.
Ushering my companions around the corner, in case there was a trap, I spent some minutes inspecting the grotesque carving. Spending time investigating before acting, I located what appeared to be a small hidden compartment. Popping it rightly open, I located a jar! However, the jar contained a brain.
Almost immediately, it tuned into the frequency of my gnomish mind. It claims to have been imprisoned long ago, and knows many things about the castle. However, either due to age or some kind of magical protection, it is also limited to sharing secrets. It suggested to me that I ask of it, "What are the secrets of this room," when I am in a particular chamber of the castle.
Unusually, the disembodied voice suggested that we eat the brain for more wisdom, which set the clerics mouths a-watering. This is why my relationship with the gods is shaky, folks. These are their earthly representatives!
Back at the Foyer
As we proceeded to leave the castle, a man in a powdered wig and plum-colored vest stopped us, spouting nonsense about the oppression of people. Meanwhile, he saw fit to helping himself to some of our more mundane objects, such as one of Quirky's blades. I hopped that offering my ghost gin to him would shake him off, but it did no such thing. Despite this, we were able to eventually just leave, and in so doing left him to his own devices.
Of Note
The brain could prove most valuable, and I have been keeping an eye on it. Perhaps when it's exhausted of questions one of the clerics can feed on it?
Continue with Part Eleven (circa Nov 2026)
No comments:
Post a Comment