Some Session Reports

SESSION ONE - SHALL WE GRAB A ‘BITE’ AT THE INN?

Chef's specialty at Bella's.  Eyeballs in Tomato Sauce.

CAST

Nick:  Dode Enemybreaker - Dwarf 1;  Cybella - Magic User 1

Theresa:  Fokus, Cleric 1;  Valegerd,Thief 1.

Telfer:  Fighter 1;  Maredud - Theif 1.

WHAT HAPPENED

• PCs randomly selected Lugosi as the starting place because it sounded cool.  Fools.
•  PCs arrive in Lugosi, hungry tired and unemployed.
• The mirrors that decorate the lower levels of buildings in Lugosi have the characters nervous.
•  They go to Bella’s Bar and Grille where they meet Pistol Vernon, pistoleero barkeep in a black bullfighter suit and sombrero who recommends they talk to One Tooth Mary if they want work, and to not ask about how she came to be known as One Tooth Mary,
• He also tells them it is only 18 more days until the Festival of the Fangs.
• One Tooth Mary (A5) is an older woman attended by three short bald men in corduroy suits.  Mary is in a black lacy gown with a veil obscuring her eyes. 
• They agree on a contract with Mary who provides a map to the Prison of the Hated Pretender in exchange for an agreement to retrieve an item for her that is believed to be at the prison.
• Mary gets annoyed when Nick presses her regarding how she came to be known as One Tooth Mary.  She does not tell him.
• The characters leave town the next morning.  They are ambushed by two Goblins (go dice) who are rather confused as they have lost touch with the Overmind. They ask the PCs if they have seen the Overmind, and demand food when the PCs reply that they have not.  A short fight ensues with one dead and one fled.

LOSSES:  Nil

GAINS:  Map, job, contacts.

SESSION 2 - PRISON OF THE HATED PRETENDER

CAST

Nick:  Dode Enemybreaker - Dwarf 1, Cybella - Magic User 1

Syam:  Brychan - Fighter 1, Elf 1.

Telfer:  Fighter 1, Maredud - Theif1.

Michael:  Magic User 1, Cleric 1

WHAT HAPPENED 

• Having traveled all day to reach the tower, the PCs arrive at the tower just before sunset and anxious to get on with it proceed inside.
• The The PCs decipher  the frescos on the walls on the first level, which depict a brutal reign by a tyrant followed by an equally brutal punishment and imprisonment of the tyrant.
• The PCs proceed upstairs, and are hesitating at the one door they find on that level; when trying to open it, it is grabbed and pulled shut from the other side and rough speech tells them "go away".  They hesitate, and because it is sunset, the phantasm-sentinels are transiting from the sunny upper floors to the lower levels looking for the Pretender to begin their torments.
• We had a classic d&d moment with the players outside the door to the Pretender’s room, and the phantasms are coming in from the ceiling hatch behind them.  The indecision and fear at being caught between the two groups made for a very desperate fight that was very enjoyable despite being a straight up smack down.
• Mike's wizard proves how useful flaming oil is and blocks the hatch with a fire, reducing the number of phantasms the PCs face.
• Having dispatched the phantasms, the pretender emerges, and talks to the PCs about his pumpkins.  Negotiations quickly break down and combat ensues.  Brychan and Elf make short work of the melee, with two big sword blows felling the wretched being.
• The PCs investigate the upper level, and Cybella spitefully smashed the pretender's pumpkins.  
• The PCs find the solar system model, and moving it to align with the stars, a click is heard releasing the spherical device Mary is after.  Having activated it in the process, Mike's wizard is rewarded  with a vision of doom coming to all.
• The PCs then proceed to the basement where they are please to find some treasure, even if it is being worn by corpses who appear to be the previous band of adventurer's to visit the tower. 
• However, growing frustrated with the description of a raised mosaic on the floor, Dode announced he was stepping on the mosaic and promptly fell through into the pit full of broken bones and died (edit – we didn't establish the dying house rules until next session – Nick, please don’t hate your DM).
• That is where we end the session.

LOSSES:  Sadly Dode will not be returning, having discovered the hard way that one does not check for traps by walking all over the obvious trap.

GAINS:  Treasure – approximately 1500gp worth, PLUS magical Scale Mail.  400xp each pc, 200xp per henchman.

SESSION 3 - THE PRETENDER'S REPRISE

CAST

Nick:  Magic User 1

Syam:  Fighter 1, Elf 1.

Telfer:  Fighter 1, Thief 1.

Michael:  Magic User 1, Cleric 1

Theresa:  Cleric 1,  Thief 1

ASSUMPTIONS AND HOUSERULES

We had a couple of deaths at the hands of the Pretender in the same round.  Not wanting the PCs to die as soon as they hit 0hp, we agreed on a saving throw verses death to live.  Characters successfully saving will be on 1hp until they receive medical attention and may have disfigurements.

WHAT HAPPENED

• As the session began, the PCs were still in the basement gloating over their loot and generally not being too worried by the corpse of their good friend.
• The door above is thrown open, the Pretender, apparently unharmed by the mighty blows delivered by the Boy and his Elf,  appears at the top of the stairs. “Which one of you c@#$% smashed up my pumpkins!”  He attacks mercilessly, with his fury focussed on the Mage.  Telfer’s fighter bravely attempted to take some of the heat off the mage only to have his throat ripped out by a vicious blow from the Pretender.  As he falls to the ground, the Pretender seizes the mage by the throat and breaks his neck.  A save is successful for the mage and he is barely conscious with 1hp, the F1s save is not successful and he dies gurgling in a large pool of blood.
• Some phantasms appear at the top of the stairs and the party freaks, throwing flaming oil in every direction.  The phantasms are here to persecute the pretender however and theyassist the PCs in their melee,
• Once the pretender goes down the phantasms turn on the PCs with their scintillating refrain “visitors are not allowed” and the PCs make the best decision of the session and leave the Prison.
• Exiting the tower they run into T’s characters, who have just caught up with them.
• The DM is surprised when the PCs actually take a couple of hours to bury their dead friends!
• They return to Lugosi and Bella’s Bar and Grille.  Lurch the Doorman takes one look at them and directs them to the inn facilities, there’s no way he’s going to let them in the bar with the state they’re in.
• Having settled in, they meet with Mary, who is obviously rather pleased when they hand over the orb.  They press Mary for details of a magic user to help identify their loot, but Mary instead looks scared and says she doesn’t know.  PCs suspect she is lying.
• The next morning one of Mary’s helpers appears and relates that a girl and her dog (Elizabeth and Timmy) have gone missing over by the Barrow Field.  The players investigate thinking that there may be treasure, but also knowing that their efforts will earn them some local goodwill.

Elizabeth and Timmy were last seen playing near a barrow mound. Uh oh!

·     LOSSES:  Telfer’s F1, and Mike’s MU1’s pretty neck ain’t pretty no more and his head will sit at a slightly cocked angle for the rest of his days.

GAINS:  Treasure – approximately 1500gp worth, PLUS the magical Scale Mail.  400xp each pc, 200xp per henchman.

THE (DIS)HONOUR ROLL 
Here we list those brave adventurers who have been tested and found wanting (usually wanting more hit points).

Dode Enemy-Breaker, D1, Player-Nick, Session 2, Fell into a pit trap.

Fighter guy                     F1, Player-Telfer, Session 3, Throat torn out by Pretender.