Ampner Manor

The party lies crouched atop a hill one half mile southeast of a brown brick mansion, dominated by a round tower that appears one story taller than the main building in the southeastern corner.  The structure appears three stories tall, and a wrought iron gate is just left of a stone stairway leading up to a double door.  Gargoyles, statuary of nether beings and stained-glass windows line the outer walls of the structure.  The mansion appears old and uninhabited.  Dim lights appear to emanate from some of the upper level windows.

A line of canvas tents is pitched about a hundred yards to the southwest of the main structure.  There is no movement detected among the tents, and the sun is sinking low in the west and twilight beckons.  There are no fires lit, and no smells of food waft from the area.

A small depression lays between the building and tents and the gnoll the party is observing from.
“The spirit of Bucktool demands we press directly.” Quilro whispers to the group.

Kailute proposes a second level entry using magical silence, as the temperature drops with the setting sun.
“I’d like to burn to catch a couple of them Zhents in Brapp’s infernal flames…”  the dwarf says under his breath.
The group drops down into the masked terrain and creeps toward the tents.

From the approaching vantage, the group can see the wrought iron gates to the center of the manse are open as mists gather around their ankles.

The party remains in the lower area as Quilro speeds up behind one of the tents.  The breeze beats the open flaps against the canvas, and the light sound of moaning seems to be heard from the north but is unclear.
Quilro slashes open the back of a tent and walks in to an empty Zhent barracks filled with the sundry accoutrements of a military camp.  Foot chests, cots, and weapons hang on racks around the walls of the tent.  The area is neat, if not fully trampled.  Pausing to hear, Quilro thinks he hears something wooden being pulled across a flagstone floor to the north.

Sticking his arm out of the cut he motions the others to advance.  Immediately the elf hears in his head the harmonic call of “Release me…  release me…” in a female elven voice.

DonBrapp hastily searches the tent for coin and items of value.  Various sundry personal papers inform the group that the inhabitants were selected for a special mission of Bane’s most ardent warriors who could pass strenuous physical selection would get a bounty for their assignment.  The group grabs that which is easy to carry.
“DonBrapp, this equipment could be useful for us later.” Quilro says, and a small tear of pride forms in the dwarf’s eye.

Kailute attempts to commit some of the names to memory as Quilro scans a quick inventory of what weapons are present and missing.

Having explored the tents the group approaches the stairs to the north.  The main entryway is a large stone stairway in the southern center of the building that ascend to a porch with doubledoors.  Upon the double doors brass knockers in the shape of lions heads are set in the black oak doors.

To the right is a brick wall;  while the left drops to the wrought iron gate of the courtyard.  Forty feet of internal courtyard can be observed from the landing, showing a stable gate to the west.  A faint creaking noise can be heard squeaking can be heard around the corner from within the courtyard.

DonBrapp continues to harbor visions of Zhents consumed by his holy flames.

Quilro pushes in on the right door with a loud creak, and a twenty by thirty foot room is revealed within.  The north and west walls bear large paintings of outdoor nature scapes displaying outdoor Moonsea scenes somewhat concealed by webs and dust.  An enormous iron chandelier hangs from a crossbeam above.  Two double doors open in the eastern wall to the right.

As Quilro steps forward to check the chandelier for traps the elf hears the ‘click’ of a pressure plate that causes the chandelier to fall upon the elf with a large boom.  He is pinned and injured beneath as DonBrapp calls out “Awwwww.  The first room!”

Kailute flings the light fixture from the elf as dust reverberates around the space.

DonBrapp flings a potion of healing to the elf to address his wounds.  As he closes the flap on his pack, a voice from within his head appears to call him forth into the building to the east.

“There’s a voice in my head…  and it is not the Brapp.”  The dwarf states gruffly to the party.

Feeling behind the hung paintings, Quilro locates a mechanism behind the one on the northern wall that appears to open a slim passageway to the courtyard to the north.  As Kailute and DonBrapp walk forward, they can swear they hear natural sounds coming from the paintings.

The brick wall grinds into the floor revealing a slot about two and a half foot wide that allows the cool night air to enter and displays the courtyard below.  Doors into the interior walls of the courtyard appear to the north and east, and in the center of this portion a rough-hewn rock well surrounds a well head served by a bucket on a rope.
Quilro lopes through the space and climbs down into the courtyard.  The courtyard enters the manor in a roughly “r” shaped space, with stables and a carriage house to the west and northwest respectively, while two doors frame a sconced torch to the north and east.  The double doors to the carriage house are barred and locked on the outside.  The walls of the stables to the west are pierced by windows with a flat bottom and triangular teardrop tops.

The group drops into the southeastern corner of the courtyard.  Quilro inspects the well bucket for traps but finds none.  The cobblestone floor of the courtyard is marred by the marks of hooves and shod horseshoes.

Quilro fastens the magical climbing rope to his waste and throws it to DonBrapp who grudgingly pulls it into his meaty hands.

An ethereal song voice quietly breaks the quiet efforts, relaying a sing song “Releeeease meeeee.    Releeaaaase me.” Across the courtyard.  The voice appears to come from the upper center of the building to the east.

The shaft descends twenty-five feet before opening into a twenty by twenty foot chamber with a pool of gently burbling water directly below.  The cavern narrows to the east to a fifteen foot wide passageway.  Upon a rock plinth in the center of the passageway Quilro observes a human sized polished blackwood coffin.

Quilro yells up to get his lantern and it is lowered down to him.  As it is lowered, Kailute and DonBrapp hear a low moaning sound and shuffling coming from the carriage house to the northwest.  Scrutinizing the locks, the half-orc finds nothing untoward or magical.

“Hey, be fecking quick down there!” DonBrapp hisses down the well.

As he does, the turning mechanism scrapes against the doorjamb in the door to the east, directly behind Kailute and DonBrapp.

Kailute pulls some rope from his pack and using knots he learned from the Vespeer, puts his foot against the wall and pulls off a knot to secure the door from opening.  Some cursing is heard from behind the door, and then shuffling away.

Down below Quilro examines what appears to be a humanoid coffin and notices a shaft directly above that shows some light up to the south twenty feet above.


Quilro tugs on the rope to signal a quick recovery and the dwarf hauls him up quickly.
Kailute notices a bright light pass through the side passage behind him.  The elf quickly describes the lay of the land under the well.

A whistling tune is approaching from the southeast.  Moving to avoid detection, the whole group jumps down the well along the magical rope.

The spring bubbles quietly directly below the well shaft, and the passage continues to the east where the black polished wooden coffin sits directly below another five foot diameter shaft.

The group approaches the coffin and discusses the approaches.

“Let’s just open this up and kill this thing…”  Quilro suggests, palming his elfblade.

In a flash of inspiration DonBrapp directs “Put yer fecking crown on, elf.”  Quilro dons the crown of true-seeing and peers inside the satin embossed coffin with a small pouch and a rod at the foot of the container.

Quilro detects a glyph of magical protection which Kailute negates with his magical axe, but in so doing takes electrical damage from the negation.

“Push it open boys.  Let’s set the trap.” Quilro says flatly.

DonBrapp grabs the rod and pouch as Quilro pulls a scroll from his belt with the intent of warding the coffin.  The dwarf fingers the pouch of black rubies, noting an ethereal weight them as he works them through his stubby fingers.
“Surprise!” Quilro inscribes within the coffin, imbuing it with a magical warded trap.

Quilro scurries up the tunnel above the coffin for about eight feet before finding he is within the shared chimney of a fireplace that runs straight up the center of the building.  To the south, he can peer into what appears to be the kitchen and hears muffled sounds to the west.  Dim light is evident from two torches at opposite ends of the room.

“Dafuck is this rope doing here?” A voice from the other side of the western door cries out. “Keltar!  Keltar!  Why is this latched!?” the voice continues, pounding on the door.

Quilro lowers his voice and shouts back “Tis’ the dark ones will!  Move on!”

The pounding outside stops, and the sound of footsteps receding away from the door are heard.

The kitchen is lined by stoves and tables along the southern wall;  a door is to the west, east, and north.

The group decides to ascend to the second floor.  The firepit opens to the west and due south.  The room to the south is a large open ballroom lit by candlelight.  80 feet east to west and thirty feet deep.  Four large oaken tables line the room.  To the west an enormous pipe organ lines the entire table and to the east two ornate chairs sit upon a raised dias. A large staircase dominates the center of the northern wall leading upstairs.  Three large iron chandeliers hang from the beams above.  Three sets of doors line the southern wall.  Behind the two chairs ornate stain glass windows depict a male and female humanoid.

Quilro moves toward the organ.  The table is covered with a large map of the Moonsea as well as a pile of notes and inkwell.  The notes detail troop movements and progress of the cauldron born back to Manshoon in Zhentil Keep proper.

Kailute thinks he hears footfalls to the west.

The organ makes a musical wheeze as Quilro checks the instrument for traps.  The large airbag above the keys but below the pipes undulates with a breeze, and a voice within the elf’s head wonders “Is my love going to play for me?”

Quilro dusts the cobwebs off the keys as the movement from the north and west grows somewhat louder.  Kailute backs himself up against the northern wall, looking to surprise anything that comes through the door.

Quilro has never seen an organ this sophisticated this far north.  The organ leaps to life, making a series of ominous tones and then a spirit like elemental force of air grasps around the elf’s throat crushing his windpipe.
To Kailute and DonBrapp it looks like a cloud figure is surrounding the elf seated in front of the organ.
The elf struggles to produce a scroll from his belt and whispers out the words of an enchantment that surrounds him in a ball of shimmering light.

DonBrapp invokes the prayer of Vergadain sending a shimmering light throughout the ballroom.

Kailute swings his axe slicing the mist like figure, and the pressure around Quilro’s throat lessens.

The elf gesticulates the necessary components to release a magic missile and the lock around his throat is released.

Kailute makes another double handed swing at the air being as it floats in the air above the elf.

DonBrapp heaves Buzzkiller into it but misses.  The body of elemental air appears to be retreating toward the fireplace as Quilro levels a wand of magical missile at it, blasting it into nothingness.

“Hullo?!  Everything alright in there?” Comes a voice from the northern door.

“Everything’s fine.  Nothing to worry about here.” DonBrapp responds gruffly, and nothing further is heard from the double doors.
The group ascen
ds the stairway to the north. Immediately in front two doors are at the opposite side of the landing while there is a door to the east, and the hallway continues south and west.  The scent of Bosmos lingers to the west.  DonBrapp is pulled to explore to the east in south.

“To the south.  And east.” DonBrapp says, moving along the hallway to the south.

Moving south the hallway bends east, and as the dwarf steps that direction he initiates a trap that launches a spear trap into his midsection.  A door with iron fittings is locked to the south.

After Quilro dispenses with the lock the door opens to an alchemy lab lined along the east and west walls with work benches, vials, and the accoutrement of potion production.  Racks of potions line some of the walls.  Windows along the eastern wall are covered by blackout curtains, and a stairway to the south is in a culvert to the north.
DonBrapp feels drawn to the south, where an ornate black oaken door carved with infernal beings is directly south.  A regular wooden door is immediately to the east of this door.

Checking the infernally carved door, Quilro is shocked by magical damage during his attempt to check for traps.
DonBrapp can feel that there are secrets beyond the door that open closer truth to intraplanar travel and the negative material plane beyond the door.  He slips Quilro the final vial of Rillifane pond water as the elf magically unlocks the intricately carved door.

DonBrapp pushes open the door to the tower.  The 40’ x 40’ circular tower room is dominated with a dark stone cauldron in the center of the space.  The once plush carpet is moist with liquid and the cauldron is filled nearly to the rim with a crimson liquid.  Surrounding the lip of the cauldron about every foot are carved skull visages, and all of the windows are covered with blackout curtains.  In front of the curtains blood red tapestries emblazoned with a white hand of Bane hang sixfold around the room.

DonBrapp feels the cauldron is a portal to the negative material plane.

DonBrapp was hastily gathering the blood red cauldron liquid before he moved back to the alchemy chamber to the north.  As the hair rose on his neck, he turned to observe a slight humanoid in scorched black plate mail, armed with longsword but not in his hand and fully helmed.  Beady red dots pierce from under his helmet where eyes should be.

Slowly backing south, DonBrapp signals to the half-orc and elf.  “Hey.  Guys.  Contact.”

“Do you speak?” Inquires Kailute.

A raspy voice responds  “Follow.”

The undead knight leads the group back north and west past the stairwell.  Kailute picks up again on the rancid scent of Bosmos.

Opening the door to a corner chamber overlooking the internal courtyard, the knight beckons the companion enter.  A pale skinned beautiful human female is stooped over a table covered in maps and papers to along the northern wall.  Her hair runs to her hips, tressed in silver rings.  A longsword rides her left hip and a menacing dagger on her right.  She is adorned in form fitting leather armor and knee-high leather boots.

“Allow us to introduce ourselves!  We, as you may have heard are the heroes of Waymeet! The Champions of Hillsfar!  The emancipators of Azurthurax!  The rough riders of Elventree!  May I present Kailute the Antagonizer!  Quilroneth of Eldarym!  And myself, El DonBrappo Bartholomew McJurgin the Golden Hand of Vergadain. And who might you be?”
The human smiles, bright red lips striking color in contrast to her almost white skin.

“I am first sword Dianareth Mourningblade, Lord of this encampment and commander of western Zhent forces.  How is it you found your way so deep into my headquarters before loyal Dekanar here found you?”
“What?”  The dwarf stammers.

“Exactly how and why do you sneak into my headquarters.”

“We go where we want;  and we do what we want.”  The elf states pugnaciously.

“…and what we want is the druid.” DonBrapp completes the elf’s assertion.

“Bosmos?”  She says, smiling wickedly.  “Somebody wants Bosmos?”

“He’s been sullying our good name throughout the region and must answer for his slander.”  Quilro responds.
The lithe human offers the group refreshments and is firmly rebuked.

“Just tell us where the dwarf is lest you meet a similar fate to the guards that were supposed to prevent us from getting here.”

“What’s wrong with you lady?  The elf not plying you with his charms?”  DonBrapp says with a chuckle.

“Acceptable for an elf, but all of you smell of the road, sweat, and woodfire.”

“I don’t smell a Vergadamt thing.”  The cleric replies.  “We want the druid.”

“What do you propose to ransom the Convacle?  I grow tired of hosting this filth and his appetites.”

“Our offer is to take him off your hands.”

“Milady…  everyone wants to leave here alive.”  Quilro begins, stepping forward.  “What have you done to Bosmos?”
“Bosmos was unable to fulfill his rapacious appetites.  The Keep found mutual favor for time until his ability to influence the people, wildlife, or weather of the Moonsea proved…  wanting.  For a time he served his purpose.  That time has passed.”

“So when I tell you we are agents of the Harpers…  this discussion may turn violent?”  The elf implores politely.
“The Harpers hold no sway here; not nearly as much as Mordak in Hillsfar.”

After a final inquiry about the Red Wizards, Kailute leaps forward shouting “I broke bread with Zhents for the last time a long time ago!” and moves to attack as Quilro unleashes a magical missile.
The female leaps to attack Kailute with her claws but her attempts utterly miss.

The half-orc makes an enormous swing connecting to her shoulder, and her face is highly non-plussed.

DonBrapp hoists his holy symbol forward but the proximity to the negative material plane negates any effect.

“Do you really think the lord of merchants has truck with the lord of death!?” She cackles.

“HAVASTAR!” She shrieks and the sound of a shuffling advance from below can be heard as Quilro releases a bolt of magical lightning from one of his many wands.

The bolt lands center mass of the female and bounces back through the room further injuring the dwarf and half-orc as well.
“Little less attacks from the friends, elf!”

The human female leaps with fury onto Quilro sinking one of her clawed hands into his neck, but her feral jump leaves her unbalanced and after raking the elf’s skin she falls into the center of the party exposed to attacks from all.

Quilro feels a nauseating blast of negative material energy but he is able to collect himself without overmuch damage.

DonBrapp drops a hammerblow on the woman and spins to invoke a protection from negative material energy.
“She’s a vampire!” the dwarf cries noting her open wounds that do not bleed.

Kailute lays a flurry of slicing strikes into her chest and after the accumulated damage she transforms into a red smoky mist and begins to float down the hallway until Quilro ends her with a final blast from his wand of magic missiles.  A sizzling scream erupts as the cloud dissipates.  Six unearthly warriors bearing longswords and wearing Zhent armor are clamoring up the stairs to the east.

The scorched knight lays a powerful mailed fist against the half-orc stunning him senseless with a mix of raw strength and unearthly power.

DonBrapp pivots to attempt to attack the death knight but loses the grip of Buzzkiller and it flies across the room to land upon the floor out of reach.

Quilro quickly unfurls a scroll and begins to read the arcane words that summoning the rust colored winged stirge to attack the death knight.

The armored undead punches one of the stirges and misses with the longsword in his offhand.
DonBrapp pulls Demonstryker out of his pack while using his free hand to call down the fury of Vergadain upon the rushing warriors to the east.

An enormous pillar of flame blows through the ceiling and incinerates much of the interior architecture upon the third floor.  The guttural cries of these inflamed undead warriors fill the hall.  Blackened and scorched they continue to advance as the flame strike has caught the interior structure alight.

One of the stirges falls as DonBrapp swings with Demonstryker and catches the knight on the shoulder.
The advancing cauldron-born warriors fill the doorway as smoke fills the hallway behind.

DonBrapp narrowly ducks a strike from the knight who loses control of his blade and it flies over the dwarf’s head to the floor beyond.

Quilro unsheathes his arcane moonblade and steps forward to attack but his blade slides off the scorched breastplate.

The dwarf steadies Kailute with divine magic unleashing the barbarian back into the melee.
The death knight lands two blows on the elf directly in front of him as the two flanking cauldron-born lose their swords against the far wall as well, resulting in a small pile of discarded armor.
DonBrapp puts a hand of aid upon the elf while keeping Demonstryker held high.  Quilro swings for a miss while Kailute connects to the arm.

Yet another undead warrior steps forward and throws its blade against the far wall.
Kailute slices the arms from one of the undead warriors as the flames and smoke grow brighter and smokier in the passageway beyond.

The line of undead all miss their respective attacks as the elven thief-mage attempts another swing but misses.  DonBrapp swings and misses as Kailute lands two successive chops with his mighty double-bladed axe.
Losing its footing the death knight falls forward exposing himself to the line of battle.  Quilro slices with his elfblade as Kailute lands two successive axe swings.

DonBrapp attacks with Demonstryker that slays the death knight which explodes into an outward flying series of magical fireballs injuring all within the room, knocking over the tables and setting papers alight.
The beautiful plush red carpet near the bed is undamaged by the magical fire.

Kailute grabs the death knight’s longsword, and DonBrapp throws a silver wine serving set in his pack and then casts a protection from fire spell.  The half-orc flings Quilro a potion of healing as DonBrapp charges out the door and into the fire yelling “WAIT FOR ME!”

The dwarf leaps through the flame heading back to the alchemy room where he performs a hasty grab and go assessment of whatever potions he can collect.

Gathering 12 stoppered potions he joins the party at the entrance to what is assumed to be Bosmos’ room.
“Bosmos, come quick we want to save you from the flames.” Quilro states loudly without enthusiasm.

Kailute kicks the door in and the room extends 40’ to the edge of the building and two large windows offer a commanding view of the courtyard and area beyond.

Bosmos is manacled to the bed wearing only a canvas shift.  He appears gaunt and emaciated and extremely pale.  Several fresh claw marks are evident underneath his shift.  The room is empty save from a chamberpot.
“FIRE!  GRAB BUCKETS!” Can be heard from the courtyard below.

Kailute spies a ring of keys off a bedpost and opens the manacles, lifting the fallen druid from the bed.
“Thank you, friend Kailute.  The warmaiden controls all.  Thank you.  I don’t know where my things are but this house is full of infernal beings.”

Unable to walk unassisted Kailute puts his arm out to help the dwarf.

Moving to the north DonBrapp is pulled toward a door in the northwest.  Inside the trappings of a finely appointed bedroom around a four poster canopy bed in which the long dessicated bones of a female elf lies with an obvious pool of blood.

“Cleric of Vergadain…  I seek release from this eternal prison.  I am the betrothed of Thestion Ampner…  please consecrate my bones so that I may sleep…”
The spirit informs DonBrapp that Bosmos’ items are likely on the second floor and relays the tale of Thestion the damned.

Quilro observes that a minor invocation and holy water could satisfy the requirements to release the ghost from her accursed prison.

DonBrapp feels a lightness of being and the voice is forever silenced in his head.

Kailute moves to the hallway and begins hacking a hole into the floor until the hallway below is exposed and jumps down.  The rest of the group follows and Kailute carries Bosmos’ gently.

Orienting around the doors a voice from behind one yells “Oi!  We smell smoke!  Let us out of here!”  All of the doors on this level are magically locked and as Kailute opens one it is found to contain six Zhent warrriors awaiting their fates.
Finally the party locates the door with Bosmos’ pack, clothes and equipment in a long disused bedroom.

“Zhents!  Disavow your fealty to Bane and take up weapons for us and we will let you live.  Better than that, we can offer opportunity in the fair city of Hillsfar!  This is your moment of truth!  Your leaders have been turning you to undead…   OR, I can slay you all where you stand.”

“Did the half-orc just offer us a job?”

The first group of Zhents gather their weapons and await direction.  The second group heads straight down the hallway toward the ballroom and the growing fire.

Doubling back the group heads back east.  Kailute easily rips the bars from the external windows and affixes the rope of climbing and takes Bosmos’ down in his arms like a swaddled babe.

One by one the rest of the party and the six former Zhents down the rope save Quilro who floats down magically.
On the way down the wall the corralled zombies, likely cauldron misfires are visible through windows.

“Look ye upon what yer masters tried to make you.  Git to yer tents and feed and arm yerselves.  Watch the dwarf and we will return in a few hours.”  Kailute barks to the following warriors.

Quilro darts around the corner, and the other two party members peer around the corner, all three faces peering like a scooby cartoon.

There appear to be eight humans in a bucket brigade led by a senior sergeant attempting to use the well and buckets to fight the fire.

Kailute bolts from the corner and heaves two might axe blows against the leader who is aghast at the sudden attack.  DonBrapp follows immediately and levels buzzkiller at three of the Zhents moving quickly with buckets until they are bowled over by a lightning bolt released from the dwarf.

The screams and surprise make a sound of agony as the companions slaughter the unarmed warriors.  Quilro moves next to Kailute and swings his elfblade.  Together they quickly cut the leader down.

The electrically scorched Zhents drop their buckets as Kailute shouts “I’m accepting ONE surrender;  THE REST OF YOU DIE!”

Quilro paralyzes two attempting to flee which forces the third to plough into the two in front.
The center of the manor is fully invested and glows over the lip of the courtyard but does not appear in danger of imminent collapse.

Kailute frees the warhorses and draft animals from the stables.  The party holds the cowed Zhents in the courtyard and discusses quietly their options for the journey back to Waymeet.

“In order to live you will receive a writ to Gondal for your swords.”  DonBrapp explains their potential future in the employ of the Red Plumes.

“If I ever see you with a blade for Bane or the keep in your hand again I will slay you personally.”  Kailute reinforces the point.

The group gathers up their equipment, the rug and the animals in preparation to depart.