Session 15

THE PLOTS THICKEN

Longrass 17-20, 4433

Characters:

Gorr, ranger 4

Suba-Jin, cleric of Hextor 4

Robert the Swift, fighter 3

Eric Withakay, cleric of Solaris 4

Meep, dwarf fighter 3

Lord Fesgate, fighter 3

Seven Visions

Carousing at the high-class Dockside establishment went quite well, all things considered.

- Eric Withakay went on a drunken spending spree, buying 100 sp worth of useless trinkets from a street vendor. 

- Robert the Swift spoke too freely in his cups and let slip some vital piece of information to another reveller, but he can't remember what.

- Regetus Rex also went on a spending spree, and bought 200 sp worth of things he didn't need or want. He didn't have the money on him, and now owes the merchant. 

[Both of you who bought things, feel free to make up what they are or I'll roll for it later]


A few rumours were gleaned in the night: 

- The boat-people fished the body some smuggler out of the Firth last night with a bloody spider carved into his chest! 

- The Gloaming Tower is having a special event in two days. A new sanctioned apprentice is undergoing the test to be raised up to full rank, and everyone is going down to the river to watch.


In the morning, Robert the Swift was woken by his mechanical bird singing him awake in a lovely woman's voice. The sounds of argument drew him downstairs, where the madame Zvezdana Ozi and her bouncer Hakan were arguing with someone at the front door. 

"We're paid up this month! What's the problem?"
"Sorry Lady, new orders. We're doing a spot-check!"
"What is this bullshit?"

"Filthy cop," pfffffffff "'Eyy em trying to run ey beez-ness!"

Realizing the guards were probably coming in, Robert woke up the group. They were preparing to jump out the window but a few of Zvezdana's girls took pity on them (Suba-Jin's coins didn't hurt) and hid the group in their rooms. After the guards left, the gang had Zvezdana identify a few magic items - some bracers of defense AC 13, a potion of longevity and a scroll of Invisiblity, 10' radius.

She bought the potion for a princely sum (she's getting on in years), and asked them for a favour. One of her girls (named Etelvina) joined a theatre troupe at The Theatre of Sutrali Khibari in the Old City. In the past week, nobody had heard from her and Zvezdana was starting to worry. Was she OK? Had she started working somewhere else? What happened? The group agreed to check it out.

Around Town

The group split up and did a few things throughout the city, bought gear, went to the Night Wolf Inn to pick up some of their savings, etc.

Robert & Gorr investigated the theatre, a dingy place beneath Uugen's Market in the Old City. A staircase beside a statue of the pangolin-armadillo goddess of luck Kettkí led down below, infested with beggars and strewn with garbage. The ticket-taker told them that a skeletal apparition with glowing eyes had kidnapped Etelvina right off the stage at the climax of a performance! The play was a lurid romance called "The Bleeding Skeleton." Since then business has boomed as folks hope to see a repeat of this thrilling & macabre event. That play wasn't on that night, so they moved on.

Uugen's Market, Old City

Suba-Jin gave his tithe at the church of Hextor and was urged to deal with this "Inquisition Problem" by Votgauum, his immediate superior. He went to Fort Penitence and managed to get a bit more information on why Eric's name was on wanted posters around the city [Session 1 - No Salvation For Witches].

That night the group went down to the docks and watched the wizard's initiation. It turned out that the apprentice was none other than Lothos the Undesirable himself! He walked and acted differently since the group last saw him. Gorr called out his name, but he didn't appear to notice. As the sun set, Lothos demonstrated his newfound magical power - stepping off the docks onto a sparkling bridge of lights, walking up & over the water and into the Gloaming Tower itself before the whole scene faded from view.

The group returned to the theatre the next day while it was closed. Banging on the door brought the attention of Barzhánu, a mean & imperious-looking woman. She introduced herself as the impresario and allowed the group to come in and explore the "alleged ghost problem" if they didn't disturb rehearsals. The actors were an ill-favoured lot, clearly drawn from the city's unfortunates.

Behind the stage was a carving on the wall of a madly dancing skeleton clad in wild rags. This seemed somehow related to the haunting but they didn't get around to investigating it, instead exploring a backstage storage room with a spiral staircase. Downstairs was a deep basement area that showed no signs of travel. 

A great stone face of a scowling, helmeted warrior blocked passage forward. After a few tries opening it, Suba-Jin wondered if the content of the play might be relevant. Barzhánu said "The Bleeding Skeleton" was about a cursed warrior named Kadurghán - when the name was uttered, the stone face opened with a great grinding sound! A pastel rose-coloured mist issued forth, smelling of flowers and causing a light-headed dizziness.

The Realm of Kadurghán

This soporific mist was also poisonous - a few of the group tied wet rags around their mouths and this helped a little bit, but they still felt their strength slowly ebbing as they progressed through the tunnels. 

They passed a few old storage rooms filled with couches, rotting clothes & a lady's makeup table, but didn't look inside. Next was a large hall with the words "THE NARCOTIC THRONE: THE COURT OF KADURGHÁN" carved above the doorway. Within the richly decorated & marbled hall, an imposing figure in blue-black ceremonial armour sat on a brass throne, lost in thought or asleep. The party's spellcasting caught his attention and he demanded to know their purpose here.

They explained their search for the missing girl. He told them the monster they sought was called Uromén, the Chortling Death. Its domain was deeper into the undercity, but more than that he didn't know. Kadurghán (for it could only be him) said he did not harm women, and sought only the heart of a powerful warrior strong enough to beat in his own chest - indicating a small hinged panel on his armour. After some more chatter he made it clear the party would pay dearly for disturbing his repose, while a pack of sinister horned ghosts coalesced out of the red mists.

The battle was short and furious. Kadurghán didn't even join, only exhorted his ghostly minions from his throne. The poisonous mists began taking their toll and the group decided to flee. Meep the Dwarf was knocked out by a ghost's parting strike but Gorr carried him, and everyone made it up the stairs.

Back in the Theater 

Upstairs, a tense stand-off occurred with Barzhánu's guards while Robert the Swift dragged her downstairs to prove how dangerous the Undercity was. When Suba-Jin went down to see how it was going, he found her shoving Robert's lifeless body down into the mists! A Light spell and the sudden appearance of a pack of horned ghosts kept her busy, while Suba-Jin dragged his friend back upstairs. It seemed that she had stabbed him with a poisoned dagger, but the lucky use of a Neutralize Poison spell stabilized Robert for the moment. 

The group explored the rest of the theatre shooing out the scared players and sullen thugs, none of whom had much reason to stay with their employer gone. They found the bloody clothes of some former lover in Barzhánu's room, along with her stash and some treasure.

Two bricked-up archways in backstage rooms led to parts unknown and Gorr used his mining tools to smash a few bricks out. On the other side of one was a ratty-smelling room with some veiled figures wearing soiled black and purple robes. They were priests, and this the Temple of Sürü Miklári. Entry was forbidden but they were willing to offer oracles about matters in the city from "the little brothers" for one talent of silver (500 coins). They insisted the door not be knocked down further, but reluctantly allowed for a small hole through which communication could be made.

After exploring the theatre, they took Robert to the church of Hextor for more healing and the poison was finally over with. Votgauum again urged Suba-Jin to deal with Eric's legal troubles. They decided to turn Eric in to the Inquisition, claim the reward and hope that the priests' magical abilities discerned the truth of events.

Fort Penitence

"We got him!" Gorr cried when they walked into the Inquisition's headquarters. Once he was identified, Eric was quickly ushered away. The rest of the party were given their reward and ushered by a large group of guards through twisting tunnels underneath the Fort. They quickly got lost and were finally ushered into a large interview room -- where Eric himself was sitting! After a few minutes of uncomfortable waiting an imposing Viridian with piercing eyes entered the room. The guards seemed afraid of him and made themselves scarce. 

A long conversation ensued with the man, Phaidros Imad, covering many topics:

- He had enough dirt on the group to have them all condemned. For the Drydale Massacre [back in Session 1], possession of contraband, their trips to the Undercity and possibly more he wasn't saying.

- The Inquisition knew about Bishop Gray all along, and wanted his magic book. The party told him about Lothos carrying it and the attribute-trading statues [Session 9]. He was frustrated by the book moving out of his reach, for now.

- His main concern at the moment was the Night Wolf Inn. All his attempts to place agents in the Adventurers' Guild had failed. Now that he had the group in his power and most of them were already members, he wanted to learn more about the place. He didn't believe for a second it was a "simple adventuring guild."

His questions included:

Who runs the Inn? 
What are his or her capabilities, resources, goals, agendas?
How long will the Inn be operating outside Viridistan? Is it intended to be permanent?
What else is inside the inn?
Who else is a member of the Guild?
What kind of agenda is driving the Guild's activities?
Any other information on the Inn itself, the Guild and those involved with it.

Phaidros spoke with narrowed eyes, in an ominous whisper: "I don't have to tell men in your position that there is a war going on... behind things." He would be watching the group carefully but they'd only meet him again if they did extremely well or extremely poorly. Their next contact would be known by a password: "The Pelagic Argosy Sights Land." 

He cautioned that they were not official Inquisition troops and he was neither willing nor able to help them out in future. After this stern dismissal they were escorted out of a side-exit from the Fort. Back in the city and free of the manhunt, the party contemplated their next move, and the renewal of hostilities with that mysterious bastard Kadurghán...

*****

Monsters Defeated:

3 horned ghosts (240 xp)

Treasure:

silver & gold coins (divided amongst the group)

a gilded theatre-mask

some bloody clothes

Experience Totals:

Session 14 - Treasure

Monsters Defeated:

6 moaning guardians (570)

3 giant crabs (240)

gelatinous cube (245)

Treasure Recovered:

3 blocks of crimson incense (1 each kept by Suba-Jin and Eric)

lock and key sets - gold, silver, brass (sold)

Things to Identify: 

Eralion's Bracers (magical)

Scroll & Potion taken from Eralion's Tomb

Zvezdana at Seven Visions can identify any of these for 400 silver each.

Money Gained:

Some loot was sold off from previous adventures. The gems and jewelry in Eralion's hoard, the gold chain taken from the Estieveran crypt, along with the magical locks & keys brought from the mansion and a few other doodads.

Gorr: 1170 silver

Robert: 1170 silver

Meep: 270 silver

Regitus: 900 silver

(the clerics get much less, because they elected to keep some of the valuable crimson incense from Karttekeza's manor to use as religious offerings)

Suba-Jin: 470 silver + 1 crimson incense

Eric: 380 silver + 1 crimson incense

Lord Fesgate is a classed & leveled NPC who can make his own decisions. He is pulling as much weight as a PC. Therefore he takes a full share of experience points, regardless of how money is handed out.

These XP totals are BEFORE any carousing bonuses have been applied (I don't have info from everyone yet!!!)

Tracking Treasure

Last session the question was asked:

"How do we know what treasure has been sold? Who has which items? What are their plans for these items? What about treasure picked up a few sessions ago by players who aren't here today?"

These are good questions. Now that we have more players and this campaign is not just a handful of one-shots like it was when we started out (back in Halloween '19), they are more difficult to answer.

First of all.

- Your DM has limited time & energy. I would rather spend it developing exciting adventures and not add even more bookkeeping than I already do.

- Encumbrance (who is carrying what) is a vital factor, but it's different from dividing up the loot (who is owed what). It's easy to get these confused.

- I'm Not Bloody Psychic. Most of you keep your own character sheet on your computer that I don't even look at. I can't very well help you with shit I can't see.

With the above caveats in mind, 

*** What I Do For The Players ***

- Track the value of all treasure, monsters, cash, etc. Both for money and XP purposes.

- Track who was present when the treasure was recovered, ie. how much money & experience points your character is "owed" if that item is brought back to civilization and exchanged for hard cash. I can thus deal out treasure & experience for you based on who was where, when.

- Do the math when the group returns to town and sells off treasure. Then write up everyone's payouts in the play report. 

If someone wants to keep a particular piece of valuable treasure as their own share, I will work the numbers for you. However: if this results in an unequal distribution I will need everyone involved to communicate their agreement. 

*** What You Must Do For Yourselves ***

 - Keep track of your inventory. This is one of the few things I expect the players to handle on their own. If keeping track of encumbrance is too hard, try managing an entire game world. 

Then, try the Automatic Character Spreadsheet I wrote just for you. Your character sheet is the only thing you're responsible for. Please make sure it's accurate.

 - Decide to sell off your treasure. I only post up the values and distribute coinage for treasures you choose to sell! I reminded you guys of a few outstanding items last session, but I will not be doing so again. If you aren't interested enough in the cash or XP to mention a piece of loot, it can sit in your backpack forever for all I care. I can't play the game for you, and if I could it'd be rather pointless.

 - Keep track of coinage. Both carried (encumbrance) and stored (where and how). 

Let's say you pick up a sack of 100 coins during an adventure. Weeks later, how am I going to remember what you did with it? This is impossible for me to supervise even if I wanted to. Obviously I distribute XP for those 100 coins (because I know who was there when it was found) but I don't know who is carrying it or what happened to it.

You have to communicate with each other (does anyone remember how to do that?) so that each player gets their fair share. Make notes, write out IOUs, do whatever the fuck you must. If the players aren't careful, it is easy for some characters to be carrying huge sums of cash that are not actually theirs, but belong to everyone. How you resolve this problem as a group is up to you.

I am sometimes able to remind you of things like "you guys found that 250 gold in the Orc caves" but I delete my treasure records after all experience has been awarded, so don't wait too long!

***

I hope that clarifies a few things. As always if you need help or have questions, just drop me a line and I will answer any rules questions you may have, walk you through how encumbrance works, or teach you how to use the character spreadsheet. Have a blessed day.

Session 14

THE ENCHANTMENT OF VASHUNDARA - Part II

12-16 Longrass, 4433
Several days passed while travelling between worlds, but this was hard to judge at the time.

Characters:

Gorr, Ranger 3

Suba-Jin, Cleric of Hextor 3

Robert the Swift, Fighter 2

Eric Withakay, Cleric of Solaris 4

Regetus Rex, Illusionist 2

Lord Fesgate, fighter 3 (NPC)

Karttekeza's Mansion

The party was in the midst of exploring the mansion of the giant god Karttekeza. Everything was far too large for them, and the giant animals all seemed intelligent and talkative.

Investigating the steam room, the group found a prisoner inside - a Viridian in a shabby-genteel toga named Regetus Rex. He had also been brought to the manor on a flying peacock, but barely survived being stuffed into the steam room and left to die by a few of the spectral guardians who infested the area. With his other friends, he agreed to join the party in their journey to free Karttekeza.

The group spotted a glint of metal at the bottom of the swimming pool - it looked like the brass key. Robert took off his armour and swam down to get it. At the last second he realized he was swimming right towards a gelatinous cube concealed in the water! He swiftly reversed course and came up to the surface. The group managed to lure the cube out of the water, where it was swiftly defeated with missile fire and the key obtained.

Upstairs, the group got into a skirmish with the moaning guardians. One was destroyed and the other fled into a nearby room where Vashundara lay sleeping. Several plans were concocted. The group decided to lure two of the guardians out with an illusion cast by Regetus. They spotted the ambush and attempted to flee. A protracted battle ensued with the characters nervously looking over at the demoness, wondering if she would wake up!

At one point during the fighting on the 2nd floor, one of the spectral guardians pushed past the front rank of fighters and singled out Eric. The cleric had the momentary sense that some force was singling him out for ill-treatment as the damned soul's scimitar struck home. What could it mean?

Luckily Vashundara slumbered soundly while her troops were mopped up. Very... carefully... Robert and Gorr managed to creep up beside her on the giant bed and unclasp the necklace holding the gold key. They only needed one more to free the imprisoned god!

They inspected a locked door with a poem on it and debated a few courses of action, but elected to leave it alone and proceed to the third floor, consisting of a huge hanging garden with pillars holding up a domed roof. A vast statue of a giant fighting a snake poured water into a small pond filled with rushes.

On the floor of the pavilion lay the giant peacock Amrita, mate of the one that had carried the group here. He was sickly and weak after suffering Vashundara's poison bite! A Cure Light Wounds spell seemed to help a little bit.

At that moment the party was accosted by four huge ravens, who demanded "shiny things". Robert attempted to negotiate with them, offering shiny things if they knew where the silver key was. They weren't inclined to debate, and insisted they knew nothing about a key and wanted a payout. Just when a confrontation seemed imminent, Amrita stood up and whistled at the ravens. They flew away amid protestations about not wanting to trouble the master of the house!

Although Amrita couldn't speak, he could gesture with his beak. When the players asked about the silver key he directed them to the lotus pond on the 2nd floor.

Returning to the pond and the picturesque island in its middle, the group caught the attention of a snapping-turtle living inside. It was almost big enough to swallow a man whole. Before the turtle could answer their questions, three giant crabs emerged from the water attracted by the commotion! They didn't bother talking and scuttled to the attack. Lord Fesgate was dealt a stiff blow from their claws, but Regetus' colour spray and a spirited defense by the group routed them.

When they convinced the turtle to come back, he said that perhaps he had seen the silver key - when he ate it! There was some debate about what to do - induce vomiting? Wait for him to poop it out? Eric even Command-ed the turtle to vomit, but it didn't work. Then Suba-Jin suggested looking into the turtle's throat - and there it was! They propped its mouth open with Retegus' quarterstaff and a tense moment ensued while Robert the Swift reached in with his mining pick to pull out the key - the turtle gagged and almost closed its mouth, but the staff held and Robert was safe.

With all three keys secured, the group left to unlock Karttekeza and secure Vashundara's final defeat.

The God's Gratitude

Eighteen feet tall, six-armed, six-headed, with glowing golden skin. Karttekeza was a terrible sight once freed. He stormed through his mansion to his bedroom and accused Vashundara of tricking him. She awoke and began to protest, but a storm of fire & lightning issued from the god, erasing the demoness from existence. The second of Uthummaos' shadowy demons was defeated!

Karttekeza offered the party a choice of several rewards for rescuing him:

Eric opted to have his crippling back injury healed.

Robert selected a small mechanical peacock, which sings and warns its owner of danger.

Suba-Jin received a third arm, which grew from the left side of his body.

Regetus accepted a favour from Praveena, the giant peacock which carried them here. In the future, she would come at one time of his choosing and carry the group anywhere they wished (including other worlds & dimensions).

Gorr asked for some special spider-silk rope made by the giant spiders in the mansion gardens.

Lord Fesgate accepted Karttekeza's magical wave-bladed dagger (a two-handed sword for him).

A few other topics were mentioned.

Uthummaos' other demons:

 
"I don't know where they are, but they must lurk near Uthummaos' centres of power. They are powerful beings of shadow, and battling them in darkened places would be near-suicide."

A request:

 
"If you find the ruins of my houses of worship, would you restore them for me? Few even remember Karttekeza anymore, for courage and beauty and poetry are nearly gone from that gloomy realm."

Best advice for the future:

"Uthummaos' influence is vast,
you may find him close to home.
Paths found in dreams may lead you to him -
but who points the way for you?
The watcher by silver light may help your cause
but the bars of time hold fast,
and much should stay locked in.
In a place of cold & terror,
beware the song and heed the clock.
Hold true the covenants you have made, 
for in time old friends may become new enemies.
And take the chance to speak
with someone who floats by evening."

Return To Viridistan

On Praveena's back, the group flew through the mists between dimensions. They emerged in the skies high above Trident Gulf, the emerald city glittering beneath them. Praveena set them down in a somewhat quiet section of the river, but they were spotted by several townspeople and riverboats. Rumours will likely circulate in the future.

Their next destination: the marketplace to sell their treasure, then Seven Visions for some carousing!

***

Asking Karttekeza for advice about the future was a great idea. He is a deity after all, and sees much. Since he is a god of poetry among other things, his predictions come in obscure phrases. Interpretation is left up to you. -DM

***

Memorable Lines:

Regetus: "I'm an illusionist. Large mansions are part of my specialty."

Robert the Swift: *throws down four silver coins*

Giant Raven: "You don't think much of me, do you pal?"

DM: "Ok, You reach into the turtle's mouth. There is a small chance something goes wrong... Oh no, I rolled it!"

Players: *chorus of boos, laughter*

DM: "It's all right, the staff will only break on a-"
Player: "Don't say 'small chance' again!"

Session 13

THE ENCHANTMENT OF VASHUNDARA

About 12 Longrass, 4433

You spent around 2 subjective days in the forest.

Characters:

Gorr, Ranger 3

Robert the Swift, Fighter 2

Suba-Jin, Cleric of Hextor 3

Meep the Dwarf, Fighter 2

Eric Withakay, Cleric of Solaris 4

Lord Fesgate, Fighter 3

Fesgate Cemetery

After resting in the ruined village of Fesgate and searching for valuables, the group moved along the Moonlit Zone forest path. Their friend Lord Fesgate knew the area of old, but the kingdom's curse had changed many things. They came to a large graveyard and he searched among the headstones for his family name. Finding his children and grandchildren buried here but nothing after that, the party supposed that whatever curse turned the land's people into shades happened around that time, two generations after First Lord Raeldus.

A large crypt marked "Estieveran" and decorated with heraldry of a black shield & three yellow swords beckoned with an open door. Fesgate said the Estieverans were a pious family, thought well of in his day. Their eldest sons usually entered the service of Solaris as priests or paladins.

The main floor of the crypt held only smashed & looted burial niches, their nameplates pried off. A corpse lay on the stairwell, wearing burnt leather armour. Robert found a bundle of notes in its backpack, but nobody could read them.

The bottom floor held four burial chambers with their nameplates intact, marked Adinet, Muriel, Manard and Alart. Gorr investigated an old urn meant to hold ashes, finding some black sludge and a few gold coins at the bottom. Entering the rooms, each held a sarcophagus carved with the likeness of its occupant. Opening up Muriel's, the desiccated corpse of the noblewoman reached out, its eyes glowing with a sinister light!

Although Muriel's risen corpse was dispatched quickly, Manard and Adinet rose from their coffins also and attacked the group. Robert was bitten and briefly paralyzed before Suba-Jin cured him and the cleric's divine force drove the undead into a rout. Alart's burial chamber was found empty. The sarcophagus was carved to represent a fighting-man, but the face was left blank - perhaps Alart was still alive when this tomb fell into ruin, or died in a faraway place?

Return to the Forgotten Village

Finishing their circuit through the Moonlit Zone, the group passed back through Eralion's keep. Silent and deserted, the satyrs pressed into his cause had long ago fled. They heard a pack of hounds baying elsewhere in the forest, but did not see them.

The village was in disrepair when they returned. The hounds had attacked and killed a few of the villagers. The consensus was that these "devil-dogs" were sent by Eralion to cause trouble. Everyone was happy to hear that the group had defeated the wizard, and hoped that the pack of hounds would remain in the Moonlit Zone without his evil intelligence directing them.

While the group rested, a few conversations happened:

-The priestess Shandril reminded Eric that as a champion of the god Solaris, he had an obligation to fulfill: donations of valuables like sacrificial animals, holy incense, treasures, art objects or other such things must be made. [500 sp value immediately, and 1500 in the next month. These sacrifices are normally offered at a designated temple or other holy place.]

-The group asked about Alart Estieveran, wondering if he might have a connection to Sun-Eater, the legendary flail once held by a fallen paladin. Shandril said he was the most powerful knight serving King Wakelinus, and roamed the kingdom on quests when the curse fell upon the land. She didn't know where he might be nowadays. [see also Session 7]

- Shandril identified the pouches of sparkling powders as flower extracts. One was a healing dust [1d6+1 hp], the other unknown. She suggested visiting an alchemist who knew more on the subject, and lived further north.

- Shandril also mentioned two other ancient sites of interest: one contained a healing spring, largely safe the last time she visited but a far distance to travel. The other was a ruined city with a shrine to Solaris. It was closer, but guarded by powerful enemies so she left it alone.

-Lord Fesgate and Shandril put their heads together, trying to draw on Fesgate's knowledge of the area in ancient times to create a map of the region the group could use.

Ride to Giantland

The next day (if day & night could be said to mean anything in this region of perpetual twilight), an oddity appeared outside the village. A peacock the size of a house, its feathers glittering and shining. The group approached it with some food, and it bent its head to the ground. Quickly taking its meaning, they all climbed up and sat on its back. It took to the air, carrying them to places unknown!

Flying high over the forest, the group could see many far-away things: a river & lake covered in mist, a distant pastel-coloured field, many moonlit zones which appeared as inky blots on the horizon. Flying west, they left land behind and flew over a vast ocean covered in grey clouds. 

Eventually they came to an island covered in jungle of strange proportions: everything was four times their size! The trees, vines, plants and even animals were colossal. The peacock set them down near an opulent manor-house sized for a giant, surrounded by a lavish walled garden.

A few ghostly creatures guarded the gate. Clad in black metal armour, shrouded in faded grey cloaks. Their faces were not visible, but once in a while they let out a tortured moan or wail. The party took down the two guards with a barrage of ranged attacks and explored the compound.

Gorr climbed a tree inside the wall and surveyed the house. He saw a lake on the 2nd floor, and a garden on the 3rd with another giant peacock lying still.

While exploring the grounds, the group ran headlong into a pair of giant colourful chickens, pecking in the ground for bugs. These animals were quite talkative, and explained that "the Master" had been imprisoned and the grounds overrun with demons & monsters. They were too scared to do anything about it, being only simple chickens.

The group launched an assault on four of the moaning guardians in a covered pavilion at the corner of the manor. They were guarding a six-headed & six-armed giant. Three of the enemies fell to missile fire while the fourth tried to run away. Eric was closest and charged after it, managing to slam a door on its retreat. The spirit turned and desperately retaliated, striking Eric in the spine with its scimitar & paralyzing the whole right side of his body! Luckily Meep the Dwarf was right behind, and struck the spirit down before it could do any more damage.

Meanwhile Gorr examined the giant, bound in heavy chains. His six heads were asleep or unconscious and wouldn't wake up. Three padlocks hung on the chains - one gold, one silver and one bronze. Gorr's attempts to break the chains or dig up the anchor points seemed fruitless for now. 

Exploring the villa further they found a granary, a weapon room with colossal blades hanging on the walls, and a statue of the six-armed giant riding a chariot - in his hands were two curved swords, a bow, a rabbit, a curvaceous woman and an open book.

Coming out of the granary, they were accosted by a huge scorpion scuttling out from under the water-trough. It demanded satisfaction for its hunger, suggesting they leave Eric for it to eat. "He looks sick anyway, you won't missss him..." Robert held it at bay while the clerics cast a Command for it to run away, and the party hustled through a door before it could return.

Gorr: "Can you also Command the right side of your body to work?"

In the wine cellar they met Sheela, an orange housecat the size of a lion! He told them his master was named Karttekeza. The demoness Vashundara [see Session 9] had entrapped him, eaten one of his great peacocks and poisoned another. She was probably in the bedroom upstairs, but her demonic servants were all over the house. Sheela was too afraid to help, and stayed in the wine cellar.

Exploring further, they found the bath: a vast room with a huge pool of clear water. Frescoes of Karttekeza's famous battles decorated the bottom. In the corner was a steam room. The group wondered whether they should take a break and have a soak?

*****

Everyone gained 1 fear point during the battle in the crypt.

[Eric is currently gimping around. He can move at half speed and cast spells with difficulty if he is held up by a friend, who also must move at half speed. Fighting is right out for both of them while Eric is upright. Other penalties may be assessed when I think of them. Justin can play Lord Fesgate for the duration.]

Lord Fesgate

Fighter 3

HP 18

AC 18 (plate, shield)

STR 13, CON 13

Base attack bonus +3

Scimitar +4 (1d8+1)

Enemies Defeated

Manard, Muriel & Adinet - 204 xp

6 moaning guards - 570 xp

Total: 774 experience

Treasure

pouch of off-white dust (healing)

pouch of deep purple dust (unknown)

bundle of notes, unknown language

10 gold coins

Estieveran family signet ring (black shield with 3 gold swords)

gold chain