This post continues the series of brief play reports I have been posting on Discord. This does not cover every single session (sometimes, recon and setup is what happens), but it covers our ongoing games.
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| Beyond the Great Mausoleum |
11/02/2025 THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! While her companions were adventuring in the wilderness, Aufidia Corvina recruited a secondary group of adventurers to explore more of the Thisian Underworld. From the crypt of Vercato, they descended to the great mausoleum, and turned their attentions on the tomb of FRUGILLO. The magic stone mouths were sated with food, but they could neither open the lead casket, nor drag it out of the tomb, so they let it be for now. In the tomb of GENOVELLA, they found the well-preserved bodies of two young lovers in a glass-covered sarcophagus. It was determined that they were preserved with deadly arsenic, so their jewellery was retrieved very carefully. The tomb of TARSICIUS was the resting place of a severe judge of the guild. With a makeshift disguise made of black drapes and a skull, the thief Nencio Barbo called to him, and the terrible corpse rose, ordering them to leave, but not before answering Nencio’s question about the most terrible crime (betrayal of the innocent), and mentioning the Judge of the Underworld, who holds court deep below. Now turning to the doors out of the mausoleum, the first one they unlocked led to stairs up, and a passage guarded by a living suit of armour serving the noble Tamburello family. They retreated, and checked the other stairs, which led down, guarded by subterranean halfling-like creatures, who recognised the pygmies in the party as their own. Proceeding along a dungeon passage, they found the door to the underground warehouse of one Cristaldo Poma, filled with crates, sacks, and several taxidermied animals. Stirges were hiding behind the weird menagerie, slept and captured in a sack by Aufidia. However, in a large basket were three spitting cobras. Eudokia Infamia died to their poison, and the warehouse was turned into a blazing inferno by carelessly used flaming oil.
They continued on, finding a talking door with a devil face who claimed to be guarding the underground tower of Yldegonda Gremullo, mistress of magic. After some negotiation with the door, it agreed it would let them in for an audience, but only in exchange for a bottle of the finest essences from the cellars of Flandevole, the best in Thisium. It also let it slip that Yldegonda was the owner of the crown of Pandolfo Barbani, Thisium’s exiled podesta. With that knowledge, they went further. The passage ended in a door opening to the side of a mossy well. A green slime was dislodged from its ceiling, and killed with flaming oil. Upwards, the well led to an upper cistern, buzzing with the sounds of more stirges. From down came the sounds of churning water and distant music. This direction led to a deep cistern, fed by enormous spouts bearing the likenesses of bearded men. Observing that a giant fish was swimming down there, they dropped down Eudokia’s body (still poisoned), but the giant catfish of the cistern made its saving throw, and was unharmed. Descending to a ledge, Nencio Barbo found a passage going further into the Underworld, but this was enough. With their treasures, they retreated to the surface. Returning through the dark streets of the sleeping city, they were surrounded by armed men intent on robbery: but threatening that they were carrying “rabid bats in a sack” and showing the sack with the angry, buzzing stirges, the men drew back, muttering darkly about the Bat Plague. Thus they returned to the Pickled Carp. At this time, the city had 42 days left...
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| Isle of the Ascended Ones |
15/02/2025 FOMALHAUT
News from the seas of Fomalhaut! Five adventurers embarked on a venture to save Prince Zulthan from the Isle of the Ascended Ones. The young heir to the elderly King Demophilos was attacked by Northman raiders on his pleasure-ship just as he was transporting the royal treasures; and while Driope, his fair bride was slain, he was taken captive along with his ship and crew. Arriving by ship, the rescuers found an isle of pleasant manmade landscapes, dominated by a domed city soaring 1000’ above land on top of an enormous metal pillar – the seat of the mysterious Ascended Ones. They laid anchor in Thidonia, an orderly little port town, to gather information, finding the empty pleasure-ship anchored with no guards of crew. Another ship, run by an oily merchant from the City of Vultures, was also present, transporting luxuries and five virgins meant for the inhabitants of the city. After a mixture of intimidation and promises, the man agreed to help smuggle them in. At night, they also snuck on board the stolen ship: its valuables were looted, and there were signs of a massacre that had taken place among the oarsmen, but no bodies were found. The next morning, they hid away in the cargo: three within stuffed bear-lizards, and two in a large shipment of indigo. The goods passed inspection, and were loaded on a monorail, climbing to the base of the pillar below the city. But in an underground warehouse, the cargo was inspected with detect magic, and the intruders were found, resulting in a fight with the Executors, the city’s tough and organised police force, equipped with futuristic weaponry. While the alarms were raised, the defendants were killed, letting the company put on their uniforms and ascend via an elevator. They emerged underneath the force-dome high above the isle, in an idyllic, landscaped environment with multiple pleasant estates arranged around the central pillar.
They first visited a gazebo, the meditation spot of Yuthagon, a philosopher kept here as a source of amusement, and eager to depart the city with the strangers. He also noted the nearby estate had new inhabitants, which immediately drew interest. Sneaking in, they found the feasting Northmen in a central hall, and on the side of their chief, none else but Prince Zulthan, making merry among his captors! Deciding to do more recon and contact one of the Ascended Ones, they made through a wooded area, discovering an ancient stone cube. Ardeth the Thief read the glyphs on its surface, and was contacted by an imprisoned entity promising riches and power for its freedom. Ardeth broke apart the cube, and got what he bargained for and more as he became possessed by an ancient serpent-man while the rest made a quick escape to the palace. The Prince was now enjoying chilled drinks in the palace garden in the company of some 10/10 beauties, and was captured despite his protests. However, the Northmen also became alerted, and a great melee broke out. The Prince slipped his bonds in the commotion, throwing a fire bomb into the melee to tie loose ends; in the end, his treachery was rewarded with death by the Northman co-conspirators with whom he had faked his abduction, and bought his place among the Ascended Ones with the stolen treasures of his people. Sought by the Executors and with an awakened serpent-man on the loose, the rescuers headed for the antigrav bay suggested by Yuthagon, but ran into another double-cross: the wily philosopher had brought the Executors along with their leader, Commander Gleistes. Finally prevailing, they boarded the antigravs, departing from the domed city with Prince Zulthan’s body. Back in Thyra, King Demophilos was crestfallen after hearing of his dead son’s dishonour, but saw that he was an unworthy heir: and thus, adopting Ramon, one of the adventurers, as his new son, a new Prince was announced in the small kingdom!
Similarities
between the adventure premise and The Long Goodbye, and between Prince
Zulhan and Terry Lennox, are purely coincidental!
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| A Meeting With the Wizardess |
19/02/2025 THISIUM
News from the
doomed city of Thisium! To start, the company took a nice afternoon
stroll in town. After examining the ruins of the Lyceum, they visited the
sacred grove to learn what magical writing was inscribed on the hall where the
Wise Owl slept. A read magic revealed a message not to disturb the
slumbering oracle, and to descend into the Underworld to ask questions long
forgot. Returning towards town, they were confronted by a group of brigands,
who gave chase as they fled, but were shaken off with a clever trick. Back in
town, another bandit encounter with a human bait was avoided. Back in port, the
adventurers purchased a bottle of the finest vintage from the wine merchant
Flandevole, and headed for the Underworld. Making their way through known
territory, they headed for the talking door guarding the subterranean tower of Yldegonda
Gremullo. The door drank the wine greedily, and let them in. Stairs
descended further, to a reception room with expensive oil paintings, talking
pillows (“We only bite thieves”, they said, reassuringly), and an
impeccably-mannered genie serving sparkling wine. The wizardess of the tower
soon appeared. She too was bound by Thisium’s curse, but offered to tell what
she knew of the doom coming from the forests, and gift them with three of her
treasures in exchange for stealing a magic mirror possessed by the powerful
nobleman, Adrius Doriano. With that, they parted, and explored some more
of the level. This led to a lower burial complex. From the tomb of TOGNETTI
came a resonant sound, produced by a pool of water in an acoustic chamber. A
large plug was on the bottom, but they figured there would be a very loud noise
if it was removed. The plug was thus pulled with a rope from a distance,
producing a terrible cacophony that would have killed a man down there. But
with these precautions, the water was drained, and a lower tomb looted. Thus they
returned to the Pickled Carp. At this time, the city had 41 days left...
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| The Wilderness Beyond |
21/02/2025 KASSADIA
News from the
fallen empire of Kassadia! The Lion Pack continued its explorations of
the strange forests of Pasquino Babilonio. At sunset, they spotted a very
large, glittering shell at the base of a plateau, and approaching, saw it was a
house surrounded by a well-tended little garden. Approaching, their way was
blocked by three menacing giant storks, which defended the place ferociously,
breathed fire, and drove off the adventurers. Licking their wounds, they spent
a night in the woods, but their sleep was disturbed by several blinking lights
and a chorus of rasping sounds, so they found no rest. The next day, they
climbed up to the W plateau to survey the surroundings. An enormous, rusted
cage stood nearby, and after the stork encounter, was studiously avoided.
Instead, they travelled northeast, towards large open fields. Here stood a
domed marble building, marked with the name "PASQVINO BABILONIO". The
gates were protected by magic, so the place was avoided, and the chasm beyond
the building investigated. A small graveyard stood on the bottom, along with
fields of purple poppies, a narcotic sought by magic-users; one of the
materials needed to exit this realm. The mausoleum, investigated very
carefully, yielded no treasure. The next target was the eastern plateau.
Approached from the east, a cavern was found, with a mottled, acid-spitting
giant salamander guarding a pool with gold coins. They climbed the plateau next
to the enormous garden dome, but decided not to disturb it. A survey from the
high vantage point allowed them to see another entrance far to their east, S of
the central dome. They approached, but again, chose not to investigate on low
Hp; spending their night in the hall of the cornucopia. The next day, they
headed west. From below the marble bridge spanning the chasm came 21 bandits in
ragged finery, demanding their clothes. The battle was on, and the men were
driven off with 8 casualties. Thus they continued their trek across the
woods...
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| Reconnaissance |
26/02/2025 THISIUM
News from the
doomed city of Thisium! The company decided to embark on a heist to
steal the magic mirror of Adrius Doriano, one of the city’s powerful
nobles, and a powerful magic-user. They cased his palace in the daylight, even
wandering into the ominous woods behind it (but retreating from this place of
perpetual twilight). They spotted Doriano himself on his tower balcony, an
elegantly dressed young man of perfect features and great refinement. Finally,
eavesdropping on the kitchen staff provided an idea: Bartolo the major-domo
was heading to the market to pick up fresh artichokes for his master with a
servant-boy. The company quickly raced to the market square, buying up all the
best specimens, which Aufidia Corvina quickly laid out on her cloak,
enticing the young lad to buy them at an advantageous price – but alas, he made
his saving throw vs. charm person, and got cold feet due to a poor
reaction check. However, Bartolo himself was more pliable once indulged with
the city’s most expensive wines. He spilled multiple valuable secrets about his
master’s tower, enough for the nighttime break-in. Returning to the site, a
band of hired sailors distracted the guards with drunken rowdiness while the
party’s three thieves tried to unlock the front door, failing miserably. As
plan B, they climbed in through the windows, sneaking through the palace while
evading the patrolling guards and distracting a serving girl. On a rope, the
other characters were hoisted up, and climbing across the rooftops, they
finally scaled Doriano’s tower. A window led to an antechamber, with a door
flanked by glass display cases holding taxidermied cavemen. The door was found
to be a false door connected to a gas trap, but a secret door lead to Doriano’s
deserted bedchamber – the master was out tonight! The burglars set themselves
to collecting various pricy items, including the magic mirror, multiple
potions, a closed box, and a large painting – an original Micalvinlo!
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| Doriano's Palace |
However, Doriano’s
chambers were not unguarded: concealed among the rich wooden carvings of the
large poster bed, a terrible horned chameleon leapt at the intruders, almost
goring the thief Nencio Barbo to death, and fighting with savage fury
until it was felled with two lucky critical hits, and a good use of a pot of
slippery oil to flip it over. With the mirror in their possession, the thieves
fled before the noise would draw the guards. That very night, after committing
Nencio to surgery (which he luckily survived), the company descended into the
Thisian Underworld to bring their find to the underground tower of Yldegonda
Gremullo. The wizardess received the mirror with terrible mirth, and showed
the image therein: Adrius Doriano, not as the beautiful rake, but as a man aged
before his time, bearing the mark of a hundred sins on his face. Smashing the
mirror with obvious delight, she thus had her revenge on the man he had studied
with under the tutelage of the great Daphne di Leonti. Yldegonda made good on
her promise to share what she knew of the doom coming from the forests: it must
be connected to the disappearance of a special sacrificial calf before its
annual sacrifice to the city’s gods. She has learned through channels only
known to her that the calf was stolen by the Fairy King, who took a
liking to the splendid animal, and took it to his hidden garden deep within the
Forest of Verrilli. She also let the company take three items of their choosing
from her treasury: the picks were a set of plate mail +1, the priceless
crown of Pandolfo Barbani, Thisium’s former podesta, and a pair of bejewelled
slippers. For half a share of what was in it, she also agreed to knockspell
a small box stolen from Doriano’s tower, presumed to be trapped for half its
contents – a collection of gemstones! Thus, the company made off with a
princely 27,900 gp, to be spent on lavish entertainment! At this time, the city
had 40 days left...
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| The Charioteer's Shrine |
27/02/2025 KASSADIA
News from the fallen empire of Kassadia! The Lion Pack continued exploring the wooded realm of Pasquino Babilonio. Their search took them to a stairway, leading down to the cavern of the Twilight Mystery, where Those Who Walk in Beauty would come to die once they had become weary of life. They did not bother the funerary urns and the ominous statue they found, and instead, after exploring the woods fruitlessly, made for the enormous dome on the central plateau. An overgrown garden lie beyond the entrances, and here, they found valuable narcotics, as well as various herbs with other uses – but also a form of pollen, the third item they needed to leave behind this domain! The next day, they made their way back to their starting point in the centre of the spiral path. As expected, the renegades of the forest were there with their leader Faustus, who was eager to leave as well to seek adventures in the world on the other side. Although mutual hostilities were feared, they did not break out: and on the other side, in the crumbling pavilion with the bust of Pasquino Babilonio, they parted as amicably as can be among mutually suspicious armed men. However, back at their camp, they found their horses gone, and the guard, Agrippa, departed. Thus they returned on foot to Borontium to see if he was still waiting for their arrival.
Agrippa was not
to be found in this city of legionaries and horse races, but at the city’s
stables, a horse merchant gave a good lead: Agrippa, suspecting his companions
dead, sold off the horses, including Jovial Faustulus’ talking steed, splendid Bucephalos!
The buyer was Blind Damiano, a former charioteer, named not for an
affliction but recklessly trampling men in the races. He lived in an old shrine
dedicated to the Horse-God in the bad part of town, apparently with a band of toughs.
Before venturing for this task, the Lion Pack sold off the treasures of the
faraway garden (including a large quantity of narcotics!), exchanging some for a
magic sword, and spent a night with hard revelry. The next day, they made for
the Street of Headless Statues and Damiano’s hideout through a warren of narrow
alleys populated with all sorts of sin. On top of worn stairs stood the bronze
grates of the shrine, decorated with rearing stallions. Jovial Faustulus called
out, demanding an audience with Damiano, and the company was escorted inside by
rough-looking men, to a room where their band was feasting under the
inscription “VALETE, EQUI!” Blind Damiano emerged, but refused to return
Bucephalos, and the fight was on. In the ensuing melee, Damiano was (very
appropriately) struck with the blindness spell and mercilessly executed,
and half of his men massacred; the rest fleeing from the shrine of the
Horse-God through dim alleys. Thus, Damiano’s slight treasurers were theirs,
and Bucephalos was also found tethered and bound in a back yard. Returning to
the city centre near the arena, they also found Agrippa at last, who had
squandered the horse-price in his grief, and was entirely penniless (although
he had gained a level in the process!). A just decision was declared to make
him the company’s debt-slave until he would work off the amount in their
service – and since the ground became a bit too hot under their feet, they
departed the city at once for a new adventure!
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| Isle of the Anomaly |
02/03/2025 FOMALHAUT
News from ULTRAREALITY! Having found the Doorless Arct, shifted from Fomalhaut to this plane, the Viridian Star circumnavigated half of the swamp-covered island under a light storm. Multiple waterways led into mangrove swamps, none of them fit for sea-going vessels. They halted at the edge of the sargasso on the eastern side, and the next day, the company embarked on foot to reconnoitre the island interior. From a cliffside engraved with an enormous inscription praising the kings of Linquar and one Princess Aldelay, they saw two more points of interest in the jungle. The first was a deserted colonnade in a long-disappeared garden, and the second a pavilion with the statues of sword-wielding dancing girls next to musical instruments. Sensing a trap, they avoided the place, only harvesting the expensive white lotus pods growing on the walls. Further inland, they observed the Arct on the other side of a lake, a three-level palace with elegant rooftop gardens. A swift ship was anchored on the shore, and sailors were seen going back and forth between it and the building. Under the cover of invisibility, Murat the Etunian scouted the building, finding the main entrance well guarded by pirates, and the northern one by savage cannibals. He snuck on board the ship, and into the captain’s locked cabin. Furniture and items have been removed from the place, probably to the palace, but he found some lighter valuables. Eavesdropping on the sailors, he learned of “three gods” ruling the Arct, in a bargain of sorts with their leader, the sorcerer Opangi Ord. With this information, he returned to the others.
They spent the
night in the jungle, getting assaulted by two waves of weird, slimy
pod-creatures and finding no rest. On the trek back home, they were also
attacked by cannibals in canoes, who were defeated and interrogated. These
wretches served the New Gods fanatically, abandoning their village for the "temple"
which had appeared on their isle. It was determined that the three gods were
probably a type I demon, a type V demon, and an ape-like demon. The cannibals
also mentioned one Thuzar-Yi, an enemy of the New Gods, believing the
party to be her servants. After putting the cannibals to death, they continued.
A swarm of enormous wasps descended on them from among the treetops, but they were
fireballed, allowing a return to the Viridian Star. The ship now pulled
up anchor, and sailed to the mouth of the small river connected to the lake
where the Arct stood to block off the pirates’ escape with the palace’s
valuables. Another short expedition was organised to the pavilion with the
dancing girl statues, which were attacked and destroyed, allowing the
characters to seize gongs and bells of old silver.
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| The Thisian Plateau |
04/03/2025 THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! On day 51, the company rode from the city to find the tree of snakes on the Thisian Plateau. They rode SE through barren hills, to the ruins of a small lighthouse. The tree nearby was old and weird, but no snakes were present, so they surmised this was not the one. Inside the lighthouse, three giant spiders were dispatched. Behind a fireplace built from an antique carved stone was the hidden mouth of a pit filled with charred bones and old Imperial coins. From here, they rode W deeper into the wilderness. A group of halflings were encountered as they were setting up the beginnings of a future village on this unclaimed land. After having joint lunch, they rode on, to an old collapsed well with a lone saddled horse grazing peacefully – its saddlebags holding some silver. Approaching the well, three carrion crawlers emerged, and were slain or driven off. The well held the bodies of dead adventurers, slain with arrows. From here, they turned SW. The trail lead to the tree they sought: an old, evil-looking oak, its branches crawling with thick serpents. Heraclitus Pyrros cast speak with animals, and threatened the snakes into giving him their venom in exchange for no harm befalling them; and for a mule, the tree’s sap. With these finds, they rode across the hills to an encampment by the bay, where the travelling potion merchant Trigulano Goi set up his tent. Trigulano was happy with the sap and venom, parting with his potion of human control. Spending the night, they continued S and SW. A cypress grove on a hill with large boulders seemed interesting, but suspicious: an advance party was formed to scout around, and indeed, the boulders hid ragged sentries, while sounds and plumes of smoke came from the centre of the grove. The sentries spotted the stationary party left behind, and soon, the sounds of horses were heard coming from the grove.
The situation
was ripe for an ambush and a fight to the death, but Adonis Gratianus held up
his hand to stop: the rider at the head of the company was a fine-looking
swordswoman! Announcing themselves, the situation was defused, and they joined
this small group of fortune-seekers in their camp. The rider was one Ottilia
Cardone, a noblewoman who had returned to these lands to find her estate
occupied by Bazascus the Brigand, an infamous mercenary. She was so
smitten with Adonis (reaction 12!) that she gave him a treasure map to a sea
island, for which Adonis promised to raise an army once the valuables were in
their hands. Meanwhile, examining the boulders, they deciphered old
inscriptions: some holding spells, some strange enigmas, and one opening a
shadowy stairway down into the darkness... Leaving behind Ottilia’s gang, they
descended, to emerge in an indistinct shadow-land shrouded in gloom. Going
forward, shades of warriors rose, and the combat was on. Here, Daphnis,
hired as a lantern-bearer, distinguished herself as a capable fighting-woman,
revealed as an elven princess who had joined their company incognito! The
shades were driven away or defeated, and they walked to a circular grove. An
old grave of a warrior held no body, but some treasure and a fine-looking mace.
With this, they returned to the surface, and, parting from Ottilia, rode back
towards Thisium. As a ship, the Cyclade, had pulled into port since their
departure, the road traffic was higher than previously: first came a group of
riders, a nobleman’s retinue on a quest of revenge; and then more halflings,
heading for their new village. But the company rode on, and by the evening,
rode through the gates of doomed Thisium. At this time, the city had 38 days
left...
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| Isle of the Demon |
10/03/2025 THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! An expedition sailed out from port to seek adventure on the high seas. They first approached the isle they had seen once from a distance. The ruins of a fantastic, pastel-coloured palace rose on a plateau above sheer cliffs. As they approached, two enormous birds of prey took flight from the plateau, but did not approach: the Comely Lass sailed on until it put a distance between them and the island. Two more islands were bypassed, but one looked quite interesting. Plateaus rose above flat lands, and an enormous white marble dome topped the highest point. Nearing a small coastal village, things were discovered to be in disarray: abandoned fields, a few unattended stray animals, and the locals ambling about. Greeting them drew their attention, and they attacked – clearly out of their wits, ragged, and regressed to an animal state. They were driven off with missile fire, with one slain. The village, consisting of archaic, seashell-shaped buildings, was abandoned, the simple interiors in disorder.
Exploring more
of the isle uncovered more buildings with the same; as well as old, but solidly
built stairways climbing the plateaus. The next day, they made for the dome,
and in a small wooded area, discovered a grisly site where some of the
inhabitants had been killed with blows to the head. The dome on the high
plateau had an open entrance, leading to a lush garden with meandering paths
and marble statues. In the centre, an enormous mound of silver coins was to be
seen, but the master of the dome soon made its appearance as well: a mighty,
winged demon with a halo of fire, a whip and a sword! Anaxagoras Balonius
(CHA 18!) made a case that they were just seeking a worthy master, and with an
excellent reaction check, the demoniac horror relented, demanding the defeat of
two small black dragons lairing on a northern island, in exchange for a reward.
With this agreed, the company withdrew, and quickly left the isle. They sailed
SW, to the Bay of Pearls. Submerged garden terraces and buildings lay beneath
the waves, the remnants of ancient villas. Diving down, a giant clam was found,
and a smaller pearl obtained. A villa drew the divers into it: and here, in an
underwater atrium, they were attacked by two giant mottled lampreys! They tried
to escape to safety, but Gildor the Elf, with a terrible DEX, was too
slow to avoid being attacked and torn apart... leaving behind the glittering
pearl they had found. Boarding the ship, they sailed back to Thisium, none the
richer in gold, but more so in experience – around the same time another
expedition rode back from the Thisian Plateau, bearing news of new discoveries.
At this time, the city had 38 days left...
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| Watchtower Siege |
13/03/2025 KASSADIA
News from the
fallen empire of Kassadia! The Lion Pack travelled south to overthrow
the cult of Titus Malformatus in the mountains near Viaskar. In the foothills
along the old imperial road, they found a hamlet of cottagers on the brink of
three enormous pits. The humble gourd farmers who were growing their produce on
the fertile soil of an enormous imperial-era cesspool were tenants of the
priests of Gladuor, God of Aqueducts, but also told the company of the weird
kidnappers in a northern mountains, as well as bandits and a madman in the foothills.
They decided to visit the temple, a gigantic columned hall dedicated to the
Empire’s ideology. With a group of pilgrims, they marvelled at the massive
gates (once steam-operated, now impossible to open), entered through a small,
newly excavated side-entrance into a vast hall – parts of its vaulted ceiling
fallen to reveal the sky above. The few priests provided more information on
the cultists in the mountain valley, and sold various trinkets and holy items.
After the visit, they travelled south to Zorzi’s Inn, a poor roadside tavern.
The next day, they found valuables missing, and the slippery Zorzi was cornered
until he produced the money pouches, "probably left behind by the bandit
Achille Giovino". They now ventured into a mountain gorge leading to a
high valley. A squat, dilapidated watchtower clung to one side, and they snuck
by, striking through an old forest with petrified trees to make a surprise
attack. On a narrow trail, they heard an approaching party, and waited – but
the foes retreated, and horns sounded in the tower! They decided to risk a
frontal attack nevertheless over the tumbledown walls while archers from both
sides exchanged fire. In the siege, the barbaric, malformed inhabitants were
all slain, and the tower set aflame, but Agrippa the heavy footman also
fell with a poisoned arrow through his heart. Heavily wounded, they retreated
from the valley to consider their next course of action...
15/03/2025 ULTRAREALITY (METAGAME CLUB RPG OPEN DAY)
News from ULTRAREALITY! Following a treasure map, six adventurers, two henchmen, and a war dog embarked on an adventure to plunder the treasures of Linquar the Eternal, now known as the City of the Ape-Men. Climbing up to the jungle-covered plateau under constant rain, they followed an ancient road along multiple waterfalls. Arriving on the city outskirts, they proceeded with careful reconnaissance, exploring a building inhabited by warrior spirits, and climbing up to a high belltower to gain a survey of the ruins. Smoke was seen above a domed building to the SE, which became their next target for investigation. Xiix the gnome snuck forward to discover a band of savage ape-men loitering around the site. Meanwhile, the others were observed by several colourful, one-eyed giant parrots, which then used magnetic beams to snatch various shiny metallic items, including the precious shield of Gromug the half-orc, enchanted with a light spell. They pressed forward to the domed building, eavesdropping on the apes, who were seeking a magic crown at the behest of someone named GODDESS, in rivalry with other ape-man factions. Fildor the elf threw a fireball into the hall, killing several, and drawing out the rest, along with their leader, Lon-Tarr the Champion. A savage melee ensued in the jungle, where Fildor was surrounded and slain, but avenged by his vicious guard dog, Cútal. Lon-Tarr and his apes were defeated, his remaining tribe driven off with the chief’s severed head, and the hall looted for treasure. Nearby, a small tranquil hall with statues of kenku monks was established as a camp site, where they rested until the night. (And Xiix almost killed himself reading a paper with explosive runes left behind by Fildor.) Under cover of the darkness, they continued their expedition.
The night foray brought them to the SW part of the city. In an intact palace, they met a succubus who drained Gromug, but neither side risked a potentially costly fight. The demoness spoke of a monastery on the hilltop whose inhabitants had walled themselves off from the sinful city, and showed her disdain for GODDESS, whom the ape-men dared to worship instead of her magnificence! Retreating, they investigated a flooded cistern with an underwater ziggurat, but chose not to dive down. Another palace hid the den of two-headed lions, who were slain an the palace’s treasures taken. Next to the palace rose a tall, dilapidated tower whose stairs had rotted away, but whose top floor was intact. Gromug climbed up, and found himself in a lair of telepathic spider-creatures who spoke in his head: “The Ur-Quan rule. Animals obey.” The half-orc called on the genie Al-Arimani, who had owed him one, and the noble spirit destroyed both the tower and the spider-beings with his mighty whirlwinds while Gromug escaped to safety. It was time to investigate the desolate monastery. The walled-up entrance was broken down, and the undead monks therein partly turned, partly fought and killed. Here, faithful Cútal, Fildor’s hound, was slain. The monastery’s libraries were in dire shape, but spellbooks and mystical works were captured. The complex held more secrets, but the party was sorely weakened, undead and giant spiders were about, and the time was late. Encumbered with treasures captured from the ruined city, the adventurers returned to the old road by the waterfalls, and began their journey back to the lowlands, and their ship...
(This was a
one-shot game on the Metagame Club RPG Open Day, so the party was a mishmash of
races and dimension-hoppers. There are still no gnomes on Fomalhaut or its
adjacent dimensions!)
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| Vanquishers of the Ape-Men! |
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| The Isle of Mortuaries |
18/03/2025
THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! Following sailors’ tales, an expedition sailed north towards the Isle of Mortuaries, the burial place for many of Thisium’s notable families. Approaching a small, poor village on the coast, the inhabitants panicked, retreating into their hovels in fear of pirates. However, they could be calmed with some diplomacy. It turned out the island was ruled by a retired legionary calling himself The Imperator along with his men, and held three groups of mausoleums. They hired Averardo, an enterprising young lad, as their guide, and headed for the southernmost of the three noted clusters of mausoleums. This site had several graves and monuments, and three mausoleums. The most ominous one, belonging to UBERTO DE VALIER, was decorated with images of snarling black dogs, and inside, the adventurers fought two vicious hell hounds in a fight where two characters were badly wounded, and the cowardly Averardo fled back to his mother’s skirt, never to become a proper adventurer. In a lower crypt, a wrought iron cage held a standing iron coffin with lots of gold, a cadaver, as well as a mighty sword of fire! The next mausoleum to be investigated was of the FIAMOLIN family. Its crypt was inhabited by a group of shrouded thouls, who were massacred, and a good amount of silver coins plundered.
The third
mausoleum, belonging to Thisium’s exiled podesta, PANDOLFO BARBANI, had been
opened up but fitted with a new lock. They broke in, toppled two statues, and
found the lower tomb well cared for, with a fresh wreath of laurels – someone,
maybe the Imperator, visiting regularly? Frescoes on the wall showed three 3rd
level spells, too powerful to be held now in the company’s meagre spellbooks.
They returned to the ship to rest a night, then headed for the second group of
mausoleums, two larger ones. The resting place of the FIESI had been disturbed.
Halfway downstairs, a gelatinous cube was encountered, and it engulfed Hortensio
the Frabotian as well as his trusty servant, Truffa, turning them
into aspic before being dissolved with flaming oil. The tomb was found looted,
so they laid the dead to rest with some treasure as a heroic burial. The final
mausoleum they checked was that of the MALATESTA. The suspiciously nondescript
hall led down to a natural grotto with a well of ancient bones, as well as an
old brazier on a pedestal. Stratagems to discover the crypt’s secrets met with
no success, and not even a sacrifice of a living bird was of use. Thus they
returned to their ship, and sailed back towards Thisium. At this time, the city
had 36 days left...
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| Valley of the Malformed |
20/03/2025 KASSADIA
News from the fallen empire of Kassadia! Having retreated from the Valley of the Malformed, the Lion Pack reinforced is ranks with Jovial Faustulus and his henchman, and, in a truly unexpected feint, immediately returned to the valley under rainfall. They set an ambush along the forest path leading to the now ruined watchtower. A recon group of malformed, shaggy barbarians soon came to investigate, and they were ambushed and massacred, their last refusing to divulge anything useful under threat, only the name Immaculate Sabatino. With this, they left the valley again, to rest in the small hamlet near the collapsed cistern. The next day, they saw a plume of dark smoke to the south: Zorzi’s inn, a smouldering ruin by the time they reached it. The greasy innkeeper was left there with a rope from the intact master beam around the neck, precariously balanced on a tiny stool. He was cut down, revealing that the valley’s inhabitants had sought the company there at night, with their leader Publio Catapano the Beast. Maximus the half-orc donated a little gold to restart his business, after which the grateful cheat promised to name it The Orc’s Head, then, on Maximus’ suggestion, The Lion’s Den. With that, they parted, but not before saving his slatternly wife from beneath the ruin, much to Zorzi’s regret.
Returning to the valley in the fog and drizzle, they decided to avoid a frontal assault, and instead climbed up into the mountain to ambush the malformed from behind. In the northern part of the valley, they found a sinkhole to a cavern, and an overgrown hall in the forest, avoiding both. But here, tragedy struck: dozens of skeletons rattled out of a mountainside cavern with swords, and in the ensuing melee, Maximus, half-orc Fighter-Cleric of Keora was struck down and killed after he failed to turn the living dead. The cavern passage led up to a limestone cavern, where an evil-looking oak grew under an open sinkhole, oozing sap from several wounds – the poison used on the malformeds’ arrows! The tree was alive, and as Arden Oakbark called to it as a brother, it announced itself as the servant of Titus Malformatus and an enemy of the druidic order. The fight was on, but eventually, Jovial Faustulus struck down the abomination with a fiery blade, and cleansed it with flames in the name of nature. Modest treasure was captured, and a good quantity of poison in a silver chalice. They rested nearby on the plateau, and the next day, in clearer weather, surveyed the valley. An evil-looking ruined village rose on a plateau to their SE, older than the Empire and now partly abandoned. A dirty flock of sheep grazed nearby on meagre grass. A plan was hatched to lure out the village’s forces. Having heard the winding cry of the malformeds’ mountain horns, they blew an imitation of the alarm calling for help. A response came, as if questioning. The horn was blown again, then cut off. Shortly afterwards, a force of some 40 men marched out of the village, heading for the company’s position. The lines of battle were drawn in the mountains, and only one side would emerge alive!
