SESSION 11: TIME TO REEQUIP AND REINFORCE

A chance opportunity to hurt the ghouls, return to Lugosi for reinforcements and supplies, a northern barbarian warrior joins the party, and the Festival of Fangs begins.

CAST

Nick:  Cybella - Magic User 1; Jon-O-Tan - Troubleshooter2  

Syam:  Tankred from the Worthless  North  F1  “I work for Gold”.

Michael: Pelegost - Cleric 1  (Calina of the Twelve Annihilations), War dogs Alpha and Omega

RECAP

The session begins with the player characters in the grounds of the Obelisk of Forgotten Memory (adventure here) where they have forged an alliance with the Cult of Furter in order to achieve their goals.  They have been charged with the retrieval of items from a crypt in the mausoleum and in return for what is essentially grave robbing the PCs will assist the Cultists with their violent takeover of the grounds and estate of an ancient monument which has traditionally been cared for by the followers of three other orbital gods (Bonechewer, Benzonaught and Delphina). 

Having sided with the Furter Cultists and their rememberated dead (mechanico-galvanic animated corpse servants) against the giant fleas of Bonechewer and a pack of ghouls in the service of Bezonaught we begin.

The PCs have just finished a battle where they destroyed the nest of giant fleas that served Bonechewer and the two surviving PCs found their first major treaure, but at the price of two player characters dead.  The followers of Furter have retired to the Mausoleum they are using as a base to allow the PCs to loot the battle site.  The PCs had just found their first large treasure when the session ended.

A RANDOM ENCOUNTER ROLL PROVES A LUCKY CHANCE TO NARROW THE OPPOSITION

As they are returning to the mausoleum through the daytime mists, a pair of ghouls appear almost next to them, the ghouls who were out to see what all the fighting was are equally surprised.  With both parties catching their wits the ghouls get initiative and run.  A quick crossbow bolt wounds one, and a light spell from the cleric blinds it, but it keeps running, trying to follow the sound of it's companion. 

The players decide not to charge into the mist, and I give the ghoul 1-3 on d6 to run into something each roiund.  It does on the third round, and the characters seize the opportunity to knock one of them off.  The PCs run up, and swinging his bastard sword two handed Jon-O-Tan rolls 20 and cleaves the wretched beast. 

Pleased with their luck at turning six ghoul enemies into five at little risk they return to the mausoleum where the Cultists inter their dead friends. There a stranger has arrived.  Tankred, a hard looking man from the worthless north.  He wears heavy armour and carries a sword.  Some time is spent getting to know each other, an often tense conversation (a certain ‘character’ claims to be difficult to represent the PCs 8 charisma). 

Tankred, the platemail clad meat axe warrior from the Worthless North. Claims to work for treasure.  Mostly awesome, just don't ask him to read too much.

An offer is made to join the party which is sorely in need of some meat-axes right about now and this guy is all meat-axe.  As a sign of good faith from the two spellcasters Cybella and Pelegost, they make a gift of the argonium sabre* found last session to the new full member of the party. They retire to the crypt being used as quarters where they stay and eat, clean, heal and retire.

AN ORBITAL GODS FOUL DESECRATION OF A DEAD FRIEND

When they are the only ones in the room, a half familiar voice hisses from the corner.

“thought you could cheat me  did you, you all had a deal, do you dare to break it?”  A tense stand off is had with the cloaked figure of familiar stature.  The hood is thrown back revealing Brychan, their recently deceased party member and party to the deal with the ghouls, blackened around the mouth as the other ghouls have been and obviously now a ghoul himself.

The players chase it and it is brought down and destroyed.  They realise now the implications of double crossing the ghouls, and Benzonaught, which will worry them when they leave for town.

The next morning they talk with Vicar Malokai, and it is agreed that they will return to Lugosi for supplies, such as oil for use in their plan, and to use the opportunity of the Festival of Fangs to recruit reinforcements.  The players plan to trek to Southdeep, spend the night, and make Lugosi the next day, which is the first day of the festival, and just hope that Vernon can fit them in.

A COSMIC WIERDO & HAPPY/ANGRY HALFLING BIKER/MINERS (again).

An uneventful journey is had to Southdeep where they set up camp in one of the caves at the bottom, where it is free to stay the night, but you must move on in the morning. A random encounter is rolled, and I choose a big d140 table I mashed up of scifi and science fantasy tables from Swords and Stitchery to get an ancient metamorph looking for it’s lost lover. 

We were listening to Hawkwind so I decided to go a bit psychedelic.  On the other side of the fire standing in the breeze at the cavemouth was an androgynous figure in a toga waiting to be invited to the fire.  This turned out to be Quintarros, who was pleasant but vague, and had a strange otherworldly allure, and the PCs thought better of it when it asked if they would be interested in helping find it’s lost lover.

It is so ancient that it can only remember that it’s lover was “the one with the touch like a stampeding stallion and the lightest brush of a lilly at the end of summer, and because it left such a strong disturbance through the time hole in which it fell, it’s lover's life might now be in danger"**.

Quintarros asked if the PCs would join it to walk to Denethix, suggesting that “those who walk 10000 steps together are admitted to the third unicorn of the omnicron”  whereupon the players all suggested that the DM had had enough to drink. The PCs thinking that 'it' was a total space cadet declined to assist in the search, 'helpfully' suggesting that it might want to head to Denethix,

The next day the players left for Lugosi, and were approaching a wayside stop when they spied a large group of Halfling biker/miners the PCs previously met at the Subterraininn in Southdeep.  The halflings are headed to the festival on a rare few days off work, but have gotten drink on the way and are now fighting because half want to go back to Southdeep and half want to go to the festival.  

Drunk angry and dysfunctional Halfling Biker/Miners.  

Their mood only worsens when a reaction roll with the PCs goes badly, and one halfling, drunk, stroppy, and fancying his odds because they have a number advantage tries to provoke the PCs, and is promptly put on his ass by a punch from the new barbarian PC, demoralising the halflings who leave.  A random roll has the dysfunctional little buggers head back to Southdeep.

BACK TO BELLA'S FOR A FEED AND A REST

The PCs arrived at Lugosi and headed to Bella’s where Vernon was able to arrange a room for “eees good frien’s”, though due to demand the room available is a bit more cramped than their usual room.

Pistole Vernon after hours, barkeep and part owner of Bella's Bar and
Grill, and friend of the PCs

Seeing they are flush he joins them for a drink to celebrate and remember those not coming back.  The PCs ask about hiring henchmen and he suggests talking to Mary who can arrange for posters and a crier to advertise, and there is a catered meeting room out back that they can use for interviews, strictly 'mates rates' of course. He also tells them a little more about the festival.  It goes for three days. Activities take place all over the area for the first two days but the third is always centered around the crypt-topped hillock which dominates the roundabout and wagon stop at the all-domain in the centre of town.

*This player has only been able to return once so the front line has no weapon capable of hitting magic only.  I probably should put some new goodies in there.

**a quick look at the random encounters will tell you what this is, or you can highlight this.  Players, just don’t, those tables are still in use:
Space Phantom, trait as wraith with colour effects from the Festival of Fangs encounter table.

-end highlight.

Festival of Fangs Tables are here. Players don't.

LOSSES: None.

GAINS: Tankred F1.

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

NAME                         CLASS/LEVEL   PLAYER   SESSION                   HOW

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

Fighter guy                   F1        `            Telfer         3                              Throat torn out by Pretender.

Mike’s Wizard               MU1                 Mike          4                              

• Shot through the back by ‘High Programmer’ with a high intensity laser while carrying 8 flasks of oil in backpack - whoosh!

Syam’s Elf                    E1                   Syam         4                              Face burned off by energy bolt 

Brychan                        F1                    Syam        9                              Fell down a shaft.

Guitar Guy                    Kensai1            Syam        10                            

• Critted - head impaled through eye by giant flea proboscis.

Maredud                       T1                    Tf              10                             Overrun by giant fleas