Off to the Barrowmaze

Tomorrow the group is meeting online again and it has been decided that they would like to take a break from the Caves of Chaos and check out the Barrowmaze. We have a new player joining us but another player cannot make it so should be pretty interesting.

 Myra the Wizard sought out the Wizard of ID ( The mysterious wizard who dwells in the Wizards Tower in Threshold and Identifies things for a price- get it ID, Identify... lol- I like goofy double entendres like that). Well anyway, after that visit the group has decided to visit the Barrowmaze. Cool now I get to finally run this awesome adventure. I cant wait to see how the group deals with the undead. Up to this point their use of sleep spells have pretty much taken out most encounters before they began. And one of the fun things about undead is that they aren't affected by Sleep. Now they do have Brother Cadfael the Cleric of Hearn, which is good since now this gives another character a chance to shine a bit via his turn undead ability.

For those interested in the event that transpired that brought about the party's decision to explore the Barrowmaze here is what happened:

Myra makes  her way to Uptown and down Wizards Gate Row to the bridge that leads over to the Tower of the Wizard. It is later in the day and she can see that lamps have been lit along the bridge-a soft glow like firelight but somehow not. Magic perhaps? She makes her way along the bridge, observing closely the tower before her. The tower is built upon a stone mesa that rises up from Downtown below. Spray from  the Mudwash  falls to the right, making the stones on the bridgeway slick with water and lichens.  At the end of the bridge, at the base of the tower, a wide flight of stone stairs leads up to a set of large red doors with gargoyle heads mounted upon their face.The tower is a simple slender stone building, rising up some 30 ft  with a larger square structure above crowned by a green tiled roof that reaches high into the sky. A golden weathervane can be seen at its pinnacle, depicting some winged creature. A dragon or gryphon perhaps?


No lights are visible from the windows on the towers base, but a soft glow can be seen from the windows of the upper part of the tower. Surely the wizard must be in. It is rumored he never leaves his tower except in the guise of another. 
You make your way up the stone stairs, and reach the large red painted double doors. There appears to be no way to open the door. As Myra approaches and attempts to open the door, one of the gargoyle heads begins to speak:
 "Who comes to the dwelling of the Great Wizard of ID".
 " I am Myra", you reply. 
The other gargoyle head speaks " What is it you seek with the Great Wizard of ID".  
" I seek to speak with the wizard to inquire about spells" you reply.
A moment passes and the gargoyles speak in unison "Speak Friend or Foe and you may enter"....
The doors open inward to low lit room. " Friend, Im am Friend" Myra speaks as she crosses the threshold into the tower.
She comes into a simple small round room with an ornate lantern hanging in the center of the ceiling high above. The walls are draped in heavy purple tapestries with gold fringe and a gold design. In the center of the room is a simple wooden table. As Myra takes this all in, the doors close shut behind her. 


The room of the tower is so quiet Myra can hear her heart beating. There is the soft smell of fragrance in the air but Myra cannot place it.


"WELLL!!!!!!"  Booms a great voice that echoes in the room and startles Myra. 
"Oh, Hi Im Myra and Im here to see about maybe purchasing a spell. Im a Wizard and Im interested in learning Charm Person or Spider Climb". 
"DO YOU NOT HAVE A MASTER FROM WHICH TO LEARN THOSE SPELLS" speaks the voice of the Wizard.
" My Master is Barock the Wizard and he is a long way from here and I am in need of more spells" replies Myra.


"VERY WELL.......THE COST PER SPELL IS $1000 GOLD PIECES FOR EACH SPELL. LAY THE MONEY UPON THE TABLE AND RETURN TOMORROW AND YOU SHALL HAVE THE SPELLS YOU SEEK"


"Oh, Myra says, thats kinda alot, I wasnt sure how much it would cost and I dont have the money just now". Myra thinks. " Is there perhaps some way I can perform some service for you in exchange for the spells?" she inquires


"PERHAPS" replies the wizard. " I MUST PONDER YOUR PROPOSAL. RETURN ON THE MORROW AT DUSK AND I SHAL HAVE YOU ANSWER". With that there is a whoosh of cold are as the doors swing open and the lights from the  lantern overhead dims, beckoning you to leave the tower.


Myra, turns and leaves the tower, the doors close behind her.


On the early eve of the next day, Myra returns. As she approaches the front doors, they open by themselves, and a low voice booms out "ENTER!!!"


Inside once again, Myra notices there are two objects on the table that were not there before. Two scrolls


"THE SCROLL ON THE LEFT IS A MAP THAT SHOWS THE LOCATION OF QUASQUETON, THE FORMER ABODE OF THE WIZARD ZELLIGAR AND HIS WARRIOR COMPANION ROGAHN. WITHIN THEIR LAIR IS RUMORED TO BE A ROOM OF POOLS. TRAVEL TO QUASQUETON AND SEEK OUT THE ROOM OF POOLS, AND BRING ME BACK 3 DRAUGHTS OF THE MAGICAL SHIMMERING WATER FROM ONE OF THE POOLS."


"THE OTHER SCROLL CONTAINS THE LOCATION OF THE BARROWMAZE, HIDDEN DEEP WITHIN THE BARROWMOOR. SEEK THIS PLACE OUT AND BRING ME BACK THREE SAPPHIRE  GEMSTONES FROM THREE SAPPHIRE SKELLETONS. "


"IF YOU RETURN ONE OF THESE SETS OF ITEMS I WILL REWARD YOU WITH ONE SPELL, IF YOU RETURN WITH BOTH, I WILL REWARD YOU WITH BOTH SPELLS" .


"YOU MAY LEAVE NOW" the wizard finishes. And with that the doors open once again, and the lights begin to dim.


 "Wait", Myra shouts out to ask a question.


"GO!!!! AND BOTHER OF ME WITH THIS NO LONGER" booms the voice of the Wizard.


With that Myra takes the scrolls off the table and leaves the tower. The doors shut behind her, the eyes of the gargoyles glowing with green light.  As she makes her way across the bridge, Myra looks back at the tower once more and for a moment she thinks she sees a dark shape outlined in the faint light of the heavy glazed window high above....