Summary
The party arrived at the Barrow Mound on a cold, foggy day at winter’s end. The 40-foot earthen mound stood in a clearing surrounded by ancient oak and cedar trees, its palisade gate firmly shut. Smoke rose from within, and when Thru the dwarf climbed atop Junior the pig to peek over the wall, they discovered orcs cooking breakfast inside. The situation quickly escalated when the orcs spotted them, leading to a brief but decisive battle where two orcs were slain and three fled into the woods, leaving behind their equipment and camp.
Moving deeper into the mound, the party entered a grand hall with hazardous floor tiles that depressed underfoot. The room featured balconies, marble pillars, and multiple passages, requiring careful navigation. After Sagie cast a purple Light spell on his helmet for illumination, they discovered a mysterious fountain where green, seltzery water flowed from a goat’s head statue, seemingly vanishing without a visible drain.
When Strell manipulated the goat’s horns, secret doors were revealed, but this discovery led to an encounter with two wax-covered undead elves. The creatures, with stitched-shut eyes and beeswax-stuffed mouths, proved resistant to normal weapons but vulnerable to silver. After defeating them, the party recovered several treasures wrapped in beeswax.
In a pentagonal chamber, they encountered a pale, genderless humanoid emerging from a ruby-colored pool. The creature, with its crystal-lined face hole, hovered twenty feet up and fired laser beams at the party. Protected by a spell against evil, they fought back until Darn Sackins, turning invisible, landed a critical hit with his crossbow, causing the entity to condense into the powerful Ruby of Ramlaat.
Tragedy struck when party members attempted to retrieve glinting objects from the bottom of the deadly pool. Fancy Richard dove in first, followed by Sagie and Thru who tried to save him. Despite rescue attempts with a grappling hook, Sagie and Thru perished permanently. The survivors barely escaped death thanks to healing magic, retrieving five tiny rubies. They discovered Junior had transformed into a halfling, freed from an old bargain with Granny. The adventure concluded with a three-day funeral for Thru and Sagie, during which the party gained a priest ally and divided their considerable treasure, including the sentient Ruby of Ramlaat, which whispered telepathically to its bearer, constantly urging the use of its power.
Scenes
Arrival at the Barrow Mound
The party arrives at a foggy, wet forest clearing with a 40-foot earthen mound surrounded by a palisade gate.
- Party notices skeletal remains of previously defeated orcs are gone
- Smoke is seen rising from inside the mound
- Palisade gate is shut
- Thru the dwarf climbs on Junior the pig’s back to peek over fence
- Discovers orcs cooking breakfast inside
- Gets spotted by orc guards
- Combat begins with orcs
- Two orcs are killed and three flee into the woods
- Party claims abandoned orc camp and equipment
Exploring the Grand Hall
The party enters the dungeon proper, moving through a grand hall with hazardous flooring and various passages.
- Party enters hall with perforated floor tiles that depress under weight
- Discussion of previous exploration and unexplored areas
- Description of room features including balconies and marble pillars
- Party debates how to proceed safely given the dangerous floor
- Light spell cast on helmet for illumination
Fountain Room and Undead Combat
The party discovers a mysterious fountain with green water and encounters undead elves in nearby chambers.
- Party finds fountain with green seltzery water flowing from a goat’s head
- Strell manipulates the goat horns, revealing secret doors
- Two wax-covered undead elves attack the party
- Silver weapons prove effective against undead
- Regular weapons prove ineffective
- Undead are defeated, dropping beeswax-wrapped items
The Ruby Guardian Battle
The party encounters and defeats a mysterious hovering creature that emerges from a ruby-colored pool.
- Pale humanoid with crystal-lined face hole emerges from pool
- Creature hovers 20 feet up and fires laser rays
- Protection from Evil spell deflects attacks
- Darn Sackins turns invisible and lands critical hit with crossbow
- Creature condenses into the Ruby of Ramlaat
- Ruby begins whispering telepathically to its holder
The Pool Tragedy
Multiple party members dive into a deadly pool trying to retrieve glinting treasures, leading to death and near-death experiences.
- Darn Sackins attempts rescue with grappling hook but fails
- Thru and Sagie die
- Others barely survive with healing magic
- Five small rubies retrieved from pool bottom
- Junrio, now a halfling, discovered and joins party
- Party holds three-day funeral for fallen comrades
NPCs
Junior the Pig
Really a halfling who made deal with Granny twenty years ago for wisdom in exchange for services, now freed from their bargain. Joins the party after Thru’s death, freed by “the sacrifice of his truest friend.”
Ruby Guardian
A pale, genderless humanoid entity that emerged from the ruby pool, with a crystal-lined circular hole for a face that emitted smoke and fired laser beams. When defeated, condensed into the Ruby of Ramlaat, a powerful sentient artifact.
Undead Elves
Desiccated, wax-covered corpses of elves with stitched shut eyes and mouths stuffed with beeswax. Attack the party and are resistant to non-silver weapons.
Orc Warriors
A group of green-skinned, pig-nosed orc soldiers wearing chain mail and armed with axes and javelins. Found cooking breakfast in the Barrow Mound before fleeing into the woods after combat.
Granny
A mysterious figure who keeps large pigs for truffle hunting. Known to make magical deals, including one with Runewick the priest for wisdom in exchange for services twenty years ago.
Locations
Crystal Chamber
A large chamber containing a 20ft tall black marble crystal carved with celestial sigils about harboring the ruby, copper braziers filled with verdigris sludge, and iron gates decorated with celestial glyphs.
Ruby Pool Chamber
A pentagonal hall 80 feet wide containing a deep pool of deadly ruby-red liquid, black statues wielding obsidian swords, and various magical treasures. Pool instantly drains life force from those who enter it. Features black double doors and an eastern nook.
Fountain Room
A chamber containing a fountain with green seltzery water flowing from a goat’s head statue. The water disappears without a visible drain. Features secret doors activated by turning the goat’s horns, and side chambers containing undead.
Grand Hall
A large room inside the mound with haphazardly arranged floor tiles, balconies, marble pillars, and perforated flooring with coin-sized holes that depress under weight. Connected to multiple passages.
Barrow Mound
A 40-foot earthen mound in a foggy forest clearing, surrounded by old oak and cedar trees. Features a 20-foot palisade wall with gates, internal chambers and passages. Site of previous orc battles and current adventure.
Spells
Feather Fall
A spell found in scroll form, though already known by some party members. The scroll was later sold for 80 gold.
Silence
A spell that can be cast using the magical wand, attempted during combat with the Ruby Guardian.
Halfling Invisibility
Used by Darn Sackins before landing the killing blow on the Ruby Guardian with a critical hit crossbow shot.
Light
A spell used to illuminate the dark chambers of the dungeon, cast on a helmet to provide purple illumination for one hour.
Protection from Evil
A focus spell that provides protection against evil creatures, giving them disadvantage on attacks against the protected target. Used effectively against both undead elves and the Ruby Guardian.
Items
Junior the Pig
A giant pig similar in size to Granny’s truffle-hunting pigs, used as a mount by the party. Large enough to boost someone to peek over the palisade wall.
Ruby of Ramlaat
A fist-sized ruby formed from the defeated guardian. Sentient artifact that can fire laser beams (1-12 damage at far range) with a Charisma check of 12 or higher. Constantly whispers telepathically to its wielder, goading them to use its power and accusing them of cowardice. Worth 500 gold.
Toad Idol
A tiny jade idol of a squatting toad with a diabolic rune (‘Borphagut’) on its belly. When the name is spoken, transforms into a sentient giant toad that speaks Common for 5 rounds. Only serves neutral or chaotic masters. Worth 150 gold.
Ebony Swords
Stone longswords engraved with Elvish prayers. Though not magical, they count as silver weapons against vulnerable creatures. Each sword takes up three item slots. Worth 15 gold each.
Silver Javelin
A special javelin made of silver found among a withered orc’s possessions. Worth 5 gold.
Mithril Mace +2
A magical mace that requires a gemstone to be embedded in it to function. Currently powered by an emerald worth 200 gold.
Small Rubies
Five fingernail-sized rubies retrieved from the bottom of the deadly pool. Worth 15 gold each.
Garnet Amulet
An amulet worn by one of the party members.
Dubious Heroes 
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