Adventure 03: Encounter at Blackwall Keep

The party accompanies mentor and benefactor Allustan to the Blackwall Keep. Here he hopes to confer with Marzena, an old friend concerning the strange worms, and undead discovered the party. She has mentioned such undead in recent correspondence.

Upon arriving at the Keep, the party discovers it is under siege by a band of lizardmen. While Allustan returns to Diamond Lake (via teleport) to bring reinforcements. The party stays to render aid to the garrison. They manage to signal and gain access to the keep; where they discover that Marzena, was captured and taken into the swamp by an earlier lizardman raiding party. The lizardmen attack again and are repelled by the party and the soldiers. Enough damage is done to the band of lizardmen, not to mention their leader being killed, so that they dissipate.

The party wastes no time in tracking the lizardmen deep into the swamp; eventually reaching their lair; a labyrinth through the roots and branches of a huge tree. They make their way through the lair, eventually coming across xxx, the druidic spiritual leader of the lizardmen tribe. She parlay's with the party, explaining the recent attack on the keep was ordered by their chief. He has convinced the tribe that the destruction of their eggs by parasitic green worms was the work of the humans. She believes this tragedy was instead caused by the chief's advisor, a black dragon named Ilthane.

As part of the parlay, the party agrees to negotiate on behalf of the lizardmen a treaty between with the City of Greyhawk.

The party kills the chief and his lieutenant, and proceeds to the lizardman egg chamber on the concerns of the druid. Ilthane has placed all the lizardmen eggs in one chamber, protected by her kobold minions. As a sign of good faith, she has placed one of her own eggs in the chamber as well. Upon reaching the chamber, the supped-up kobolds attach. One manages to get to the "dragon" egg where he slices it open. Out of the egg spills thousands of Kyuss worms that begin to infect the lizardmen eggs; not to mention the corps of the now dead kobold.

With a little well placed fire and strategy, the party manages to save the majority of the lizardmen eggs; further solidifying the trust they have with the remaining lizardmen. The druid tells the party the remainder of the tribe will take their eggs and leave this lair; for when the dragon returns, she will not be pleased and will have no mercy. She tells the party she will go to Blackwall Keep in one month’s time to check on their success with the treaty.

Upon returning to Blackwall Keep with Marzena and the captured soldiers, the party discovers a Spawn of Kyuss that had been trapped in the basement, is now free. It has also managed to create a few more of its kind. The party destroys the creatures and get things settled just as Allustan arrives with reinforcements.

Important Items of Interest:
Within the Kobolds treasure were some potions. Hidden within the murky contents of some potions where special Kyuss worms that would infect anyone swallowing them.