Session 59

THE PORTAL OF DARKNESS

Blackmoon 6, 4433

Characters:

Tardif, ranger 2

Lothryk Bjargson, cleric of Njord 3

Tarr the Younger, archer 2

Krom, fighter 2

Veythar Varros, incantor 2

(NPC) Zhalgas, fighter 3

The Final Confrontation!

The group continued their exploration of the temple of Set in Viridistan's undercity.

DM: "You might fight magically Jacked Cobras!"

Player: "That sounds like a brand of pre-workout."

After destroying an invisible imp (last session), the party explored the dusty old library, discovering it was a repository of forbidden and evil lore. They looted a few tomes and scrolls that looked interesting and began to search for hidden doors.

This precipitated the final conflict when Tarr opened a secret door. An ominous chanting could be heard in the room beyond, where black and purple mists poured forth from an inky black archway. Two lumpen and misshapen humanoids moved to attack, while a cloaked figure accompanied by two giant constrictor snakes cast spells from the center of the room. They were in danger, but there on the altar of Set was their goal: the Chalice of Aldren!

A pitched battle was waged in the secret passageway against the un-men, most of it fought inside a globe of magical darkness cast by the evil priest. 

While Tardif held the line against these horrors backed up by Zhalgas and Tarr, the rest of the group (Lothryk, Krom and Veythar) circled around to the front door of the high priest's chamber and attempted to open the door covered with magical runes.

[At this point, an offhand comment from the DM sent the players off in the wrong direction. That one was kinda my fault guys, oops!]

Touching the door with his torch, Lothryk found it transformed into a hissing cobra right in his hand, along with a handful of his arrows. This group was embroiled in a battle for their lives against (possibly) venomous snakes! Veythar sensibly decided to cast invisibility.

Tardif, battling for his life, heard the ominous words "embrace... death!" uttered in the darkness. However, the black hand of Set did not descend on him that day and he fought on, pushing his foe backwards.

[The DM rolled like shit, and the priest's death touch couldn't hit even a blinded and constricted victim. Lucky you!]

At about this time, both parties pushed forward into the room in a two-pronged assault. The Setite priest snatched up a magical spear from the altar and prepared to battle to the death - but Veythar, using the sneaky tactical thinking typical of Incantors, crept forward invisibly and snatched the Chalice from its resting place! 

The priest was too late, and was more or less helpless against two waves of plate-armoured death descending on him - he was slain, fittingly, in a final stroke by Zhalgas, the pious warrior finally delivering his revenge against the serpent-cult and fulfilling his sacred oath. The magical spear was snatched up by Tardif, whose eyes immediately began to glow ominously, as if reflecting distant furnaces.

After that it was all a mop-up operation. The group messed with the black archway a little bit (it healed Tarr but others declined to touch it), explored another secret room and looted the priest's personal chambers, left alone an ominous icon of Set, and distracted a giant snake with some cultists' corpses.

Climbing up a spiral staircase, they broke through an old wall to find themselves back in The Sequence! The cult of Set had been operating right under their enemies' noses in the Undercity this whole time.

Handing off the Chalice of Aldren, the group were cured of the Crimson Curse and treated as the saviors of the district. 

The rich and powerful of Viridistan may not take note of their actions this day, but among common people and the servants of good, the group will be noted as men and women of great merit for this deed. Return to The Sequence later as they may be willing offer you magical healing, sell you items, give you information, or point you towards more adventures to advance the cause of good and help the poor and downtrodden of the city.

* Potions and simple magical items have been identified and costs deducted. The snake venoms cost so much to identify because they all look the same and none were labeled. Thus, the alchemist had to test each in turn - a small price to pay for not playing Russian Roulette with the one dose of lethal asp venom in the bunch!

Payouts *added to your sheets already*

Lothryk, Tarr, Krom, Veythar - 450 sp

Andras, Katamtaman, Gaddock, Tardif - 225 sp

* You'll note this isn't a lot of money. This is the tradeoff for going into a dungeon with a huge party of adventurers - it's nice to have the extra muscle, but shares are smaller. Remember, the best treasures are hidden...

NOTES

Hero points were awarded all round! 

This is the current state of experience points, hero points, etc. so update your sheets accordingly.

You guys elected to go on an adventure with capped characters instead of training due to the Crimson Curse. This means a fair chunk of experience points are wasted, but there was really no good option available. These are the kind of difficult situations that AD&D presents you with - sort of like real life! 

We will deal with training and identifying items in downtime, but for now enjoy your success!

Session 58

CRIMSON CURSE IV

Blackmoon 6, 4433

Characters:

Lothryk, cleric of Njord 3
Andras, druid 1
Tarr the Younger, archer 2
Krom, fighter 2
Katamtaman Toxotai, archer 2
Gaddock the Inebriated, fighter 2
Veythar "The Dartist" Varros, incantor 2
(NPC) Zhalgas, fighter 3

Return to the Undercity

Group 3 recuperated and took the fight back to the Temple of Set, hoping to cure the Crimson Curse quickly before any of their number succumbed to the disease.

The party carefully passed the chamber of poison, climbed over a pit of snakes and carefully ducked past a hallway of dripping acidic fangs.

In a chamber filled with dead rats, they fought a hideous bat-snake hybrid creature with a lethal gaze attack. Tarr weathered this assault with great luck and the creature was destroyed swiftly.

DM: "It's always gotta be something with you guys, huh?"
DF: "No, it's always something with YOU!"

The party entered the cultists' temple proper, attempting to avoid contact with the Setites with mixed success. The situation devolved into a series of smaller combats throughout the temple as cultists and acolytes came upon the group at various times. Particularly strange were the cultists with ragged robes and madness in their eyes - snake venom addicts who feared neither injury nor death!

Player: "It's YOUR fault... that we're breaking into your evil lair!"

The group explored some old catacombs lined with burial niches and filled with wandering zombies, mostly turned away easily by Lothryk. Some treasures were recovered here and a few strange things observed. Andras fell into a pit trap in a hallway smelling of charcoal and did not want to use the helpfully provided ladder to escape. Instead, Tarr let down a rope for him.

DM: "I may as well tell you. The ladder also had a trap on it."
Player: "The old double-double!"

The group explored some monks' cells, passed some strange doors, and fought cultists in a room filled with odd tubes which piped sounds down from the surface! They heard the voice of Haroun, a monk at The Sequence. Apparently the Setites are eavesdropping on the very agency that opposed them? A powerful advantage!

The group recovered some strange vials, passed through a misty great hall graven with murals, and discovered a room occupied by... someone. After a tense conversation at the door, the group entered a library, apparently empty of foes. Thinking quickly, Andras cast faerie fire and outlined a small creature with bat-wings, which immediately fled! Katamtaman was not about to let this happen, chasing the tiny glowing imp outside and shooting it down with the enchanted arrows he found earlier.

DM: "The mural is bizarre and vaguely unwholesome."
Player: "It's AI slop!"
Player: "By Shakkur's hairy homeless balls!"

The party is currently in the library contemplating their next move. There seem only a few unexplored rooms in the temple, primarily one engraved with glowing runes...

Hero Points:

Tarr gets 1 for his clever idea to get past the dripping fangs, and 1 more for roping Andras out of the pit trap.

Krom gets 1 for being quick on his feet distracting the cultists, setting them up for a surprise attack.

Andras and Katamtaman each get 1 for their team effort and good luck with the library imp.

[Remember: a character cannot hold more hero points than their level. Excess points are wasted.]

SUMMARY

Note - Turned undead don't give experience points as they might come back and fight you another day. No great loss, as you can see most of these weak monsters give very little experience, so let's hope some of this loot is valuable!

Session 57

CRIMSON CURSE III

Blackmoon 2, 4433

Characters:

Tarr the Younger, archer 2
Berit, thief 2
Krom, fighter 2
Lothryk Bjargson, cleric of Njord 2
Gaddock the Inebriated, fighter 2
Katamtaman Toxotai, archer 2
Tardif, ranger 2
Zhalgas (NPC), fighter 3

The Hunt for Imin

Group 3 continued their exploration of the Undercity following some clues to the Chalice of Aldren. 

The group explored this fortified section of the undercity, which seemed closer to the seat of the Setites' power. Strange relics, an old mysterious shrine, odd tombs and enigmas were discovered. A few characters dug in some trash and luckily avoided a Rot Grub infestation.

Berit avoided being strangled and suffocated by an animated black hood left by an ancient torturer, and later managed to deal with another animated carpet with some quick thinking and preparedness.

The delve got bizarre when a magical door was discovered which revealed a different room depending on how it was opened. The two rooms each held a statue holding a treasure. Tarr seized a blue gem and was Polymorphed into a cat, while Tardif took a two-handed sword and was Polymorphed into a badger!

[Point of order: I completely forgot that being the victim of a Polymorph requires a system shock roll to avoid death! You guys got a free one this time, don't rely on it happening again.]

Undaunted by these setbacks the group pressed on and, solving the riddle of the door, used it to open a new pathway. They came upon a strange jackal-headed creature (surely a servant of Set) and his two bodyguards. The fight was short and brutal, and Tarr's feline form was invaluable in helping downed party members and distracting the foe, providing the group more combat opportunities. The jackal-man lost his stomach for the fight rapidly, so the party closed in and finished him off. 

The group followed the only lead left: a tunnel leading further into the Undercity. They discovered a crumbling chamber filled with giant snake statues. The bloated corpses of two thugs attested to the dangers. Berit and Tarr discovered that - yes - this room was filled with pressure-plates releasing poison gas. Luckily, nobody was killed!

At this point the group was low on spells and hit points, electing to retreat, sell their treasure and identify some magic items, and get Tarr and Tardif un-Polymorphed.

They spent a pile of money at Seven Visions (including some provided by grizzled veteran and company patriarch Robert the Swift) to reach the top of 2nd level!

Hero Points

Tarr: brave cat antics
Berit: good thinking and stepping into the line of fire

SUMMARY

Monster and treasure XP already awarded, money already divided.

Sessions 52-53

HOLIDAY IN VIRIDISTAN 

Blackmoon 1-2, 4433

Characters

Tarr the Younger, archer 2
Lothryk Bjargson, cleric 3 of Njord
Krom, fighter 2
Tardif, ranger 2
Berit, thief 2
Katamtaman Toxotai, archer 2
Gaddock the Inebriated, fighter 2
(NPC) Zhalgas, fighter 3

Bargains with Snakes

Group 3 of the Wretched Company had finally arrived in Viridistan! They sold off the trade goods from the Sea Ghost and paid their first mate Bloody Bjorn to watch the ship in their absence. He was also ordered to remodel it so the authorities wouldn't recognize it as a smugglers' ship, christening it anew as the Miserable Maid.

After making contact with Uriah and speaking to the Church of Seker, the group was keen to help the locals with the Crimson Curse currently rampaging through Otherside and track down the Chalice of Aldren, the holy relic Zhalgas was searching for. They had spoken to the monks of The Sequence to get more information, and tracked clues left by the smugglers to a tavern called the Smiling Sultan.

Lothryk and Berit managed to bluff their way inside and have a conversation with the person in charge: a bizarre amalgam of snake and human named Sasha. She had ties to various criminal enterprises including the gang of smugglers the group destroyed in their introductory adventure [see the Village of Braddol]. The duo explained that they had replaced Captain Sigurd and she would have to deal with them now, but their agenda was different and they sought to speak with the cult of Set. There were some tense moments of improvisation based on the meager clues the party had about all the players in this situation, but they made it out with some useful information [the hefty shares of the smuggling operation they paid surely went a long way].

The cult of Set had a base underneath The Morass, a crumbling muddy sinkhole in a neighbourhood near the river. Exploring it got the group accosted by leprous beggars, starving and drug-addicted, who wanted all their nice expensive gear! This turned into an unbridled slaughter as the beggars were cut down mercilessly.

After driving these urban scum off, the party explored the ruins at the bottom of the Morass. They found a secret passage under some debris leading to a tunnel below...

The Undercity of Set

Immediately as they began to explore below, the party were set upon by a pack of thugs and a cultist of Set! Things got vicious as the cultist deployed a wand to blast the group with fire, but was unable to handle the sheer number of attacks the group brought to bear.

The party began to explore the underground complex, scooping up some trade goods and a few curious items. They spoke to the cook (who knew nothing) and fought a tough battle across a rope bridge against some crossbow-wielding thugs. During the fight, Gaddock the Inebriated fell off the bridge into the water and had to be rescued with some quick thinking and a rope (lucky for him!).

Battling across the bridge put the group face-to-face with a pack of jackals who were also dispensed with rapidly. From there, the party descended to a lower, more open level and continued exploring.

They found a long-abandoned forge where they were attacked by an animated carpet and two daggers, which also proved a tense fight. After destroying the objects, the party found the blacksmith's concealed treasure - a masterfully made silver longsword and some gold.

someone: "This is just like in Aladdin!"
someone: "I used to have a rug like this."
Justin, probably: "We sent that bitch to a Whole New World!"

In an abandoned temple, they fought a zombified fish-man and then dredged its pool of muck to find an old and macabre icon. On the walls of this blue and green edifice the party saw the following disturbing message carved:

"Dark lord, baron of the unholy tide, we implore you to fill our gills with your retched slime so we may do your accursed bidding until the black waters cover all dry ground and you return to your people."

They passed on towards a great gate and engaged a group of turbaned fanatics with crossbows and swords. Fighting at range through the portcullis proved tricky but with some luck they won, and we left the party here debating what to do next...

Tarr: "Don't bend over too low, snake worshippers, or your master will swallow you whole!"

[Welcome back boys, sorry this one took a while, preparing for the convention and other things took precedence earlier in the year. I'm excited to get back to some blood & guts adventures in the Undercity very soon!]

Summary:

Special: Village of Braddol 4, 5

THE SEA-GHOST

Summer, 4433

Characters:

Tarr the Younger, archer 1

Xasan Karimov, barbarian 1

Lothryk Bjargson, cleric of Njord 1

Ryoga, incantor 1

Krom, fighter 1

Arkane Gnossienne, cleric of Anubis 1

Katamtaman Toxotai, archer 1

Philip, fighter 1 (NPC)

Samuel Browne, fighter 1 (NPC) R.I.P.

"Bloody" Bjorn, fighter 3 (NPC)

Zhalgas, fighter 3 (NPC)

Avast!

The group hatches a plan with Samuel Browne to ambush his former smuggler comrades, using the signal chart found in the Haunted House.

Using a rented fishing boat, the party poses as the smugglers they only recently killed, with the turncoat Samuel in front. When the ship, the Sea Ghost arrives, they sail out with half their group covered by tarps.

This ruse allows most of the group to get onboard before the smugglers realize something is wrong and a battle breaks out!

The fight quickly becomes a swirling back-and-forth struggle. The enterprising Ryoga begins barricading doors to prevent reinforcements. Half the group gets webbed while Xasan, Philip and Samuel chase down the first mate Bloody Bjorn. From the other direction, Captain Sigurd blazes a one-man trail of destruction across the deck nearly killing several people, and Tarr takes bowshots at targets everywhere.

The battle turns when Tarr kills the wizard Punketah, Samuel convinces Bjorn to join the group, and Sigurd is slain in a desperate melee with Xasan, backed up by Tarr's bowshots. The appearance of more foes from belowdecks only prolongs the inevitable.

At this point three hooded and cloaked figures break through a door Ryoga had barred. One conjures poisonous snakes from out of his eyeballs (?!) and all 3 make for the fishing boat with one of the smugglers.

Samuel is bitten by one of the poisonous snakes. Feeling the icy touch of death, he seizes the asp in one hand and dives headfirst into the fishing boat, hoping to take some of the fleeing foes with him! For a smuggler, he went out heroically.

A torrent of bowshots and some flaming oil kill a few, while a thrown rope snares the boat. One of the cloaked men flees in the water, one is dead and the third held by his own reflected spell.

Now in possession of the ship, the group gets Bjorn to show them around. They find plenty of treasure and clues.

They free the prisoner Zhalgas, a desert warrior on a pilgrimage from the Holy Cities.

They interrogate the cloaked man they captured, who turns out to be a cultist of Set. Using a clever trick they persuade him to talk, and learn of a magical relic called the Chalice of Aldren, already in possession of the Setites somewhere in Viridistan!

The group has a ship, a pirate crew, a hold full of cargo and a mystery to solve. What else could a 1st-level adventurer ask for?

Enemies Defeated (853 xp):

8 smugglers (150 xp)

captain Sigurd (260 xp)

Punketah the conjuror (100 xp)

Foul Frithof (65 xp)

2 asps (78 xp)

2 sinister robed guys (200 xp)

Treasure Found: 

various silverware, jugs etc (500 sp)

banded chest: locked

brass-bound chest: locked

500 sp inside

captain's potions: (already noted)

sea charts (nice to have)

crew's chests: pack of playing cards, 2 sets of dice, address book filled w/ladies' names

parrot: a magical talking bird from a far-off land (value unknown)

longsword (magical)

wand (magical)

ring (magical)

assorted coins, jewelry, gems (553 sp, 7 cp)

Note to Captain from *"Black Leaf"*

Crude drawing of jeweled goblet

demonic statue

box that rattles with coins (unopened)

box with a... voice inside? (unopened)

In the Cargo Hold:

90 bolts of silk

81 brandy casks

219 wine casks

3 casks of soap

1 cask of salt

[Treasure values posted when you sell it all off in Viridistan, see downtime thread!]

Experience:

Lothryk is capped at 1565 before treasure XP, and needs to train!

Special: Village of Braddol 1, 2, 3

THE HAUNTED MANSION

Summer, 4433

Characters:

Tarr the Younger, archer 1

Xasan Karimov, barbarian 1

Lothryk Bjargson, cleric of Njord 1

Ryoga, incantor 1

Krom, fighter 1

Kareem, fighter 1 (NPC)

Nuru, fighter 1 (NPC)

Philip, fighter 1 (NPC)

Samuel Browne, fighter 1 (NPC)

A group of beginning adventurers on their way to Viridistan had their passage cancelled. Stranded in the small fishing village/trading post of Braddol, they followed tales of treasure & mystery to a mansion on the cliffs rumoured to be haunted - where spectral lights were seen at night, and no locals dared to go.

They uncovered strange illusions, traps, collapsing floors, vicious wildlife and near-death escapes. Giant weasels are no joke - one almost killed Kareem and Nuru, and the battle in the attic, well... 'tis better not to speak of the bloodsucking beasts found there.

Some loot was uncovered, including a few magical items, a dead body with enchanted gear (and rot grubs!) and a wizard's sanctum guarded by skeletons [1 fear point] with golden treasures and magical tomes.

There was clearly something going on in the basement, with clues about shipments and a skulking figure who was quickly killed. Passing through a secret door, the group discovered a cave system below. 

They stalked through and came upon a group of ne'er-do-well smugglers based beneath the mansion! They fought assassins, fighters & a hideous mutated man with one eye bigger than the other and bulging bicep-veins. One of the smugglers was a spell caster who baffled the group with clouds of fog and blasts of rainbow lights. [This nearly led to a TPK, but] Lothryk heroically held the passageway against a wave of assassins while the rest of the party recovered their senses [good job, take a Hero Point for this if I didn't already give you one. Remember you can have maximum of 1 right now].

The surviving smugglers fled on a small boat while Tarr peppered them with arrows, nearly killing all of them - only two escaped! Still, the group made out well with some nice trade goods like rum and silks, as well as a some rare contraband: a case of cigars made out of rare, multicoloured butterfly wings.

They also captured one of the smugglers and turned him to their cause. The young Samuel Browne is a bit shifty, but willing to join up for a fair share. He gave information about his former comrades, including details about a larger shipment coming soon aboard ship, and the lantern signals needed to communicate with it. 

Ready to sail their own course, the group plots to surprise the smugglers and take this boat for themselves...

Monsters Defeated Total:

4 road bandits

2 giant centipedes

3 giant spiders

2 giant rats

1 giant weasel

4 stirges

6 skeletons

8 smugglers

1 mutant

Stenabal the illusionist (escaped)

Treasure:

(First session treasure accounted for, Lothryk and Tarr sold it already)

coinage picked up (divided during adventure)

amethyst (120 sp) SOLD

pearl (200 sp) SOLD

emerald (250 sp) SOLD
assorted gold jewelry: earrings, bracelets, rings, etc (365 sp) SOLD

gold items: skull, apple, rose, discs (2100 sp) SOLD

10 casks of nice brandy (500 sp) SOLD

3 bolts Ghinoran silk (300 sp) SOLD

Ring of Protection +1

potion (unknown)

"book of the philosopher's stone" (unknown value)

strange glowing stone (magical, unknown)

tin of 3 strange seeds (unknown)

crate of butterfly-wing cigarettes (contraband, unknown value)

scroll in bone tube (unidentified)

holy symbol of Mitra

deep black cloak of strange aspect (magical)

severed hand with candle (magical)

lightweight plate mail (magical)

fine longsword (magical)

[The function of all these magic items is unknown, but I assume you guys just cast detect magic on them during your days of waiting for the Sea Ghost. My note-taking wasn't the best during this session, so if you guys picked up other stuff not mentioned here, please chime in. Thanks to DF for a few corrections. -DM]

Payouts and XP:

Lothryk, Tarr, Xasan: 959 sp each

Ryoga, Krom: 480 sp each

Clues

In Stenabal's bedroom, they found a few notes in a box. What might they mean?

1 - "Delivery from the Skinpath arrived today. Strong, will be useful." 

2 - "Pay Guocaun after next shipment."