[Session Report 2 - 4/12/24] "The Lair of the Ogre Lord"

 

    This was a duet session between my cousin and I, it was also his first time playing D&D.  After I walked him through chargen, I started the adventure.  His party (consisting of Peter the Veteran, Kratos the Veteran, Merlin the Acolyte, Gandalf the Medium, and Hammer and Anvil, two Dwarf brothers) was greeted by the local manorlord of the village.  He asked them for help in the slaying of a local Ogre who has been terrorizing the local populace.  He regrettfully informed them that due to the attacks, he was unable to offer any men to assist them in the journey except for a guide that would lead them to the cave.

    Once the party reached the cave of the Ogre Lord, the guide turned around and went back to his village.  The party was on their own from here on out.  Gandalf lit a torch and the party descended down 20' into the lair.  The party entered a 30' by 30' room with a passageway to the north and a door to the east.  The party leader, Peter, elected to go through the door with the party following behind him.  They travelled down the hallway and came to a "T" section going north and south.  The party chose to go south and passed through a small room where they came across a spiked pit with some corpses.  Frightened by this discovery, Peter the Brave thought that finding another route might prove more advantageous.  They double-backed and headed north.  They decided to listen at the door but were interrupted by 9 giant rats that came at them from behind.  Luckily, Merlin slayed one rat quickly causing the rest to scurry away in fear.  Now, they could open the door.  They walked in on the Ogre Lair and were horrified by the sights and smells of this foul location.

    The party scanned the room and saw the Ogre and his 3 Orc soldiers along with 3 villagers chained to the cave wall.  The party sprang into defensive positions, trying to make a stand in the doorway.  The Ogre yelled and ordered his Orc minions to kill the human (and dwarf) invaders.  Now the party was locked into melee with Peter, Merlin, and Hammer in the first rank.  The battle was bloody and brutal.  Both sides exchanged blows and soon Peter was able to drop an Orc.  Then immediately after, another Orc cut Hammer down.  Peter, in a fit of rage and desperation, hacked away at another Orc, killing it quickly.  At this point the Ogre Lord thought that his minions were of no use and knocked the 3rd Orc to the ground to make room for himself and joined the fray.

    Now the Ogre Lord himself was upon the party.  They had never seen something so violent and terrible yet the party held fast and their courage didn't fail.  Peter slashed away at the Ogre Lord but it was not enough and the Ogre Lord, with his mighty club, bludgeoned poor Peter to death.  This shook the party's morale but it still did not fail and now their resolve to finish this fight was even stronger.  Anvil attacked the Ogre and was starting to see the Ogre wince in pain.  They knew that this beast could be killed, but could they hold out long enough before it killed them?  Merlin had also fought back but the Ogre retaliated and killed him.  Gandalf was next.  The crushing blow from the Ogre's club turned the frail magic-user into smithereens.  His body and blood spattered across the remaining party members.  They had never witnessed such devastation before.  Then the Ogre killed Anvil, giving Kratos an opportunity to strike.  Kratos grasped his weapon, knowing that he had to kill the Ogre now or all was lost for nothing, and with one valiant swing, the Ogre fell to the stone floor and breathed his last breath.  He then made his way over to the prisoners, freed them, looted what he could from nearby chests and made his way out of the dungeon and went back to the village.  The manorlord rode out to the wounded fighter and offered him what little treasure he could, a chest of some gold,  a signet ring, and his undying gratitude for eliminating the evil that had brought so much destruction to his home.