Game 35: REF5 "Skeletons"
Now, let's journey to our first adventure!
Well, then, let's find this high priest!
There is only one residence we can enter.
However, there is no point in doing so. Let's now find that priest.
Seems simple enough, right? All we have to do is stop some bandits from robbing the graveyard. I am sure things will not get complicated!
While we are waiting for sundown, let's check in on the local watering hole.
Let's see what the bartender has to say.
I find it hard to say no to a beautiful woman.
We then attempt to exit the tavern.
Sure, why not. Since we are all level 1, a companion can come in handy.
No, I think I will pass on that for now.
I am sure we will not be going down there!
Now we're talking!
Since this module is named "Skeletons", I load up on blunt weapons. Egwayne and Roland get morning stars; Elzair and Joan get maces and shields; Gord gets a shortsword; Polandra gets a Quarterstaff; Egwayne, Roland, Elzair, and Joan get studded-leather armor, and Gord gets leather armor. Now, we head back to the inn to memorize spells.
Since undead are immune to sleep, the only useful spell Polandra has is Detect Magic. I also have Joan memorize 3 of those.
The priest said the trail to the graveyard was behind the Tailor Shop.
Here it is! We then proceed through the woods.
We now wait around until 8 PM.
Let's see what we can find.
Damn! Next time we'll catch her!
Damn! Damn! Well, third time's a charm!
Our first battle is fairly easy. Egwayne, Roland, and Elzair pound on the skellies until they stop twitching.
This time our NPC cleric Jilla manages to turn all three skeletons. However, there is a a serious problem with Turn Undead in this game.
It does not give me any XP!
Well, I guess we should save the acolytes in the outbuildings.
This time we manage to smash the skellies before our kill-stealing NPC can turn them.
I can't believe we wasted a Detect Magic on this!
First, we head into the door on the right.
There is nothing here. How about Door #2?
Up, up and away!
This is our first serious fight.
Egwayne, Roland, Elzair, and Jilla form a line protecting the squishy members.
We then proceed to pound on the skellies.
However, things are not looking so good.
Then our NPC cleric once again turns most of the undead on the battlefied in one fell swoop.
This is really starting to piss me off, so I reload and hope for a better outcome.
This time Egwayne charges ahead. However, Jilla still turns two of the skeletons.
Fortunately, we manage to bash two of them.
At least we did twice as well as before.
However, we still got the same loot.
We then head out the door from which the skeletons entered.
I wonder where our necromancer friend went?
Could it be here?
Looks like it!
This is our final encounter with skeletons. This time only three appear.
Fortunately, in our rush to make a defensive line, we have blocked Jilla from the battlefield, so her AI makes her run up and down in vain rather than turning undead.
We make charcoal out of the skellies.
Yes!
We now look for Ms. Necromancer.
We find her hiding in the northwest corner
This is it!
Egwayne takes her down in one hit. How anticlimactic!
However, the XP makes up for it.
Finally, Detect Magic proves useful!
Now that we have put the dead back to rest, let's loot the tomb!
Of course I take it!
Woot! Woot! Now let's get outta here!
He gives us 500 gold coins if we stop the necromancer
and save the acolytes. If we went straight for the mausoleum he would only give us 100 gold coins.
I take this time to have Joan memorize a Cure Light Wound and a Bless in place of 2 Detect Magics.
There is nothing else for us here, so lets' find a new adventure!
I like it that each module in
the Realm includes a copy of the region's world map. This allows us to find our next adventure without having to reload the intro module.
Next time, we uncover the
Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh!