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| The Many Deceits of Thuzar Yi |
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.
27/07/2025 FOMALHAUT
(Belated) News from ULTRAREALITY! Lost in the cave system beneath the idyllic isle, and seeking to save their companion Ion from the clutches of the beautiful Thuzar Yi, the company wandered mile-long, interconnected passages and strange subterranean gardens, fighting lumbering crustacean beasts and tentacled, pantherlike creatures that could shift their positions, and disintegrate metal with an energy beam. Among them were also warrior women in plate mail and silver masks, fighting fanatically while pleading to be released from undeath. They found a cavern of crystal slabs with the perfectly preserved bodies of young men trapped within, their livers removed – perhaps Thuzar Yi’s former lovers and victims, they thought. Finding a great stone face in a cave passage that concealed a magically locked secret door, they threw it open with magic, and entered. The passage led to a cavern with a faintly lit garden, and a palace standing in the middle. Scouting revealed the place to be guarded by monstrous men with rhinoceros heads; and climbing up on the rooftops, Murat the Etunian spied a large central room with open and closed cages, some containing enormous beasts – six-limbed elephantine beings, and a massive ten-legged lion with several rows of teeth. More beast-men came to feed them, and a plan was developed. Uncorking the flask of spirits, Murat summoned Quoraan the Necrotic to bring terror to the defenders, who were fireballed as they fled. The rhino-men fought desperately from fortified positions, but were killed. The way led deeper into the palace, to its eastern side. Through a portal bedecked with gilded, talking masks depicting beautiful Thuzar Yi, they entered a hall of columns built from marble and alabaster. Thuzar Yi was there, angered by the intrusion and commanding her armoured handmaidens to attack, and gesturing to someone else to come to her aid – it was Ion, drawing his weapon to fight his companion under the charm of the enchantress!
Thuzar Yi’s display of power was impressive, but foolish. As she tried to petrify Lilith, she was cut down by a barrage of laser fire, not even allowing her to teleport away. “There can only be one beautiful woman on the island!”, called Lilith. The undead women were defeated, and the charm lifted from Ion. The rest was to explore and loot the palace suites. In a beautiful indoor garden, they found the glittering golden skin of an ewe hanging from a tree branch – the Golden Fleece, an artifact of legend which would bring power and splendour to one wearing it! Generous treasure was also found in Thuzar Yi’s treasury. Loading it into their portable hole, they departed the underground palace, and traced their steps back through the caverns to the outside. Was Thuzar Yi truly dead, or was she immortal? These were the questions upon their minds. Nevertheless, a smaller group chose to explore the northern half of the island after a rest. Drawn to a mysterious golden pyramid, they climbed to the plateau in incessant rain. The smooth sides of the structure played in glittering colours; several images of the witch were dancing carefree on the surfaces. Making sure to avert their eyes, Murat climbed the structure, retrieving a solid gold pyramidion. Further exploration brought them to a crevasse on the island’s NW side, a lair of ghouls who had preyed on the castaways from Thellas. Elsewhere, a garden hid a pavilion with the rare black lotus, the deadliest poison known to Man. Returning to the ship, Murat – who had maxed out his level as a Thief – conducted a grand sacrifice to Kang the Thousand-Eyed, piling 10,000 coins and many eyes into the fire, including one of his own. The god spoke, rewarding his faithful for one eye with one of his own: granting the power to strike someone motionless with a mere glance. Here, the company sat down to decide what more they wished to accomplish in ULTRAREALITY – or whether Fomalhaut would await again through the great sea portal!
Infiltrating the Tower of Prospero
05/08/2025
THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! A company of five adventurers and as many classed henchmen descended from the garden of Villa Tamburello into the Thisian Underworld. Finding the domed pool room under the garden abandoned, Gata the giant weasel scurried up to the great stone face looming above, finding its empty mouth and eyes to conceal a secret door and a dusty corridor. They explored this passage, and found that it led to the well under Chiaffredo’s garden. They returned where they came, and headed deeper into the maze. They encountered 9 dark hobbits in a side-chamber in one of the long passages, and Giacomo suggested a dagger-throwing contest for the bundle they were concealing. He lost the throw, but with a double-or-nothing bet, won an expensive toga and a silver mask, „found” by the hobbits in the pack of an explorer belonging to a group of nobles heading deeper into the passages. The hobbits had also seen others; unmasked but robed men and women. Continuing on, they entered the Tamburello Crypts with its four powerful suits of animated armour. This time, they came prepared with glue pots ready, and dispatched the guardiand. Examining the crypts, they first went for that of LUCIA TAMBURELLO, finding a chained and padlocked coffin surrounded by heaps of flowers, many still recent. The padlock was sprung and the sarcophagus opened, preparing for the worst, but there was no body therein, only a single, perfect rose – the rose of resurrection! A sigh came from somewhere deep, deep below, or perhaps it was only the sound of a stray draft. They restored the crypt as best as they could. The next tomb was that of PERSEO TAMBURELLO, where Dorvo, opening the sarcophagus, found himself resting in there. The doppleganger was dispatched, and the sacks of gold it was resting on distributed. An inscription in the crypt of EUSEO TAMBURELLO noted „he had 9 shadows”, something they didn’t want to unleash despite knowing the crypt to contain magic.
Since they were still in good fighting power, they headed deeper down into the underground garden, from which a secret door led into the subterranean tower of the dreaded Prospero, master of the elements. Opening the wizard-locked entrance with a knockspell, they followed a passage into a laboratory with a giant orrery above it. Caliban, a very ugly-looking man was tidying the place as he could, and Aufidia Corvina quickly charmed him, telling him they were expected guests. Caliban told them of his master, who had just recently retired to his upstairs nympharium. He showed them a side-passage with the wizard’s failed experiments, pitiful beings kept behind barred doors, and a drain for garbage disposal inhabited by a „big fish”. They headed downstairs, leaving Caliban to his chores. The next level was a workshop, where a large stone statue with a fiery throat was making iron implements with its bare hands. Deeper still, a locked door led to a damp, dark passageway with lead-lined doors. Unable to open the last door, Aufidia used knockspell. All six doors flew open, and six wights emerged from their cells, among them a once-strong, blond young man. In the melee, Philippos was drained, but the undead were put down. Their cells were forgotten oubliettes with little of note, but in the one where the young man was confined, a scrawled message read: „DANTÉS: 40 NW, 50 N”. Returning to the laboratory, they said their farewells to Caliban, quickly liberating a bunch of magic potions, valuable star charts, and the orrery’s valuable pieces. They returned to the surface, to hear of dreadful news: the apothecary Celeste Domino had been killed by one of the masked assassins who had started terrorising Thisium. At this time, the city had 22 days left...
The Ape-King's Court
11/08/2025
THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! A group of adventurers rode into the Thisian Plateau to explore more of the Villa of Raniero Galasso. Stopping by Mouseburg Manor to reinforce it with hired men, they navigated the hedge maze around the villa without difficulty. Exploring on the building’s western side, they surprised a group of 15 dark hobbits in the stone-carver’s workshop, and slaughtered them all except for Lobelia Primula, a matron. Tarquinius Faustus, aching for revenge for the death of his adopted son, Secundinus Faustulus, demanded she lead them to the treacherous Otho Pikefoot, and she mentioned she last saw him in the kitchen to the E. They retraced their steps, entering a SE chamber with a monstrous porcine idol suckling two human infants (the orc god Porculus), and six orcs. While fighting the orcs, Lobelia was killed by a stray throwing axe before the idol’s small gemstone eyes were looted. Hearing quarrelling from a northern corridor, they continued, finding their way into a kitchen where 8 hobbits were assisting an ogress cook, and Otho Pikefoot was having his second or third or fourth breakfast by a table. The ogress was killed without difficulty, but one of the hobbit slingers also brained Dracontius the halberdier, whose tamed pet crow, Severian, flew off. Otho was captured alive and tied up for Tarquinius’ revenge. Leaving the kitchen they found a corridor; a fountain with water from the stump of a headless man and paintings depicting all kinds of revenge provided a grotesque sight. Tarquinius came under the spirit of revenge, slaying Otho on the spot, and continuing west into the butlers’ room, where he sated his bloodthirst on 5 ghasts. Behind a painting were some valuables. Westwards was an intersection with the signs of old fire. Using Otho’s body as a trap-finding tool, they discovered a pit trap by pure intuition; the hobbit’s corpse fell into a pit of spikes and yellow mould, a proper end to his misdeeds.
A bedchamber with a canopied bed lie to the south with immured windows. Assuming danger (and guessing the place was disturbingly Xyntillan-like), they hurled a handful of silver coins at the canopy, drawing out buzzing stirges, which were partly killed, partly trapped in a net for later use. In the bed reposed a pale corpse with large, phosphorescent eyes – two medium-sized gemstones! Now examining the windows, they loosened a brick, and beheld a fantastic sight: Villa Raniero’s inner garden was inhabited by a bunch of apes dressed as ladies and gentlemen, and on a throne under a tree sat their leader in splendid armour, King Ukiki, with his faithful vizier, Septimus Magopithecus. Next to them, a sword was stuck in a boulder. Enlarging the window, they hatched a plan of attack. The stirges were let loose, reinforced with Simaetha’s phantasmal forces to make them seem like an enormous cloud, while the king and the vizier came under a barrage of ranged weapons. The apes were driven off by the combined assault or killed, along with the king and his magician. His treasures were magical plate mail, a magic shield, and his sword, capable of shooting a ray of sunlight. Heylepe the Amazon lifted it, and was burned to death as she was Lawful, and the sword was Neutral. Her follower Opiter tried, and as he was Neutral, claimed it as his own, earning his status as a classed character. Likewise, Ansonius the light footman received the magic shield, turning him from a blackpilled doomer into a steadfast optimist. As for the sword in the stone, none could pull it out for all their tries; kingship was elusive and distant. They left behind the villa through the rooftops, carrying Heylepe on her shield. „On her fifth shield”, someone said – and it was so, for she had lost four in this adventure. Thus they returned to Thisium. At this time, the city had 22 days left...
The Mysterious Dome
17/08/2025
FOMALHAUT
News from ULTRAREALITY! A company of 4 adventurers and 9 followers set out from the pirate town of Linquar to seek a priceless gemstone, reputedly found in a mysterious dome in a mountaintop crater on the Isle of the Dream-Spices. The island was well known for its savage ape-men, and their ruined city, which the adventurers hoped to avoid. They sailed to the island’s western side, looking for a way up to the plateau. Fighting off pteranodons, they made landfall to explore the coast, leaving their ship to their hired fighting-men Sand and Kuman, and Bok the porter. The expedition into the jungle only led to a giant spider lair, and returning at sunset, they found their ship gone, and Kuman left for dead by Sand, a pirate who had stolen the vessel and kidnapped Bok. They were now left with no way out of here. Making camp, they were ambushed at night by what is colloquially known as “a Big Fucking Snake”, slaying it, and roasting it over their campfire. The next day, they proceeded to a river mouth, discovering the ruins of a gold-mining settlement fallen prey to an ape-man massacre. To their delight, an old boat was found here, fit for repairs. They continued up to the mist-shrouded plateau, discovering an old, overgrown road. It led to the outskirts of the City of the Ape-Men. Dodging an ape-man patrol, they decided to look for the crater from the tallest island peak. On its northern side, they climbed a barren plateau dotted with sinkholes. A telepathic chorus of voices called on them not to disturb them, and they obliged. The telepaths called themselves the collective spirit of the island. When asked about the crater and a dome, they spoke: the island has been wounded, and contaminated with a foulness, a poison. They parted, heading for the high peak on a flight of ancient, crumbling stairs.
Higher up, they encountered a splendid two-headed lion with a golden mane: it breathed icy cold, freezing Kamamuri the bowman and Khan the hunting dog into statues. They fled from the beast back to the jungle, but from the slopes, they could at least see the southern peak, and what looked like a crater ridge. After spending a night in the jungle, where the ape-men were already hunting for the strangers whose boat had been seen by the eyes of their GODDESS, they headed for their destination. A horde of 40 ape-men surrounded them, and issued a challenge, which Bloody Fang the Barbarian eagerly accepted. In the terrible melee, Kamari the bowman, Stor the war dog, and Aletheia the Amazon were slain, but the ape-men were defeated or sent fleeing, with three captured for interrogation. News were gained of civil war among the apes. As for the southern peak, the ape-men shunned it on orders of GODDESS as a cursed place. This was the place. They climbed the peak along a cascading river carrying dull red mud, and finally gained the ridge. Looking down into the crater, they saw a silent and lifeless place, and a red lake fringed by alien vegetation. The dome they sought was there, except it was no dome, but a metal disk. Descending, they discovered a breach into its interior, but sensing by magic that the area was poisonous to those who lingered. Entering, they passed half-emptied storage spaces, finding valuable rock samples and platinum ingots. They defeated a conical mechanical guardian that could shoot terrible rays and use strong metallic pincers, and looted a stock of regenerative gel. Deeper inside, they found a central garden area with weird vegetation, which they steered clear of. A central command area with two dormant guardians didn’t hold what they sought, but in a corner corridor, they found the traces of previous explorers, blasted and burned by the disk’s defenders. From here, they captured gems, jewellery, and magic items.
Close, a large chamber bathed by heated lights held a wasteland landscape or diorama, seemingly stretching far beyond the confines of the room, dotted with strange rocks. Hrut the Butcher went to investigate the rocks, and found a particularly interesting one. He paid less attention to a sinister shadow creeping up on him: an invisible beast pounced on him, tearing him limb from limb as the others fled the room. The western half of the disk didn’t have the gem they sought. In its SE quadrant, they found round, cool cylinders, a hatchway into empty storage space below deck, and a room with a cube-shaped containment chamber surrounded by a strong electromagnetic force field. An augury spell revealed that entering the chamber would bring weal, but did not reveal the method to do so. The force field attracted metal, but no nearby device would create an opening, and a confrontation with a mechanical guardian proved almost fatal (Bloody Fang took a 29 Hp blast and lived). Finally, an accidental experiment with metal crates provided the solution: overwhelming the electromagnetic field with heavy metal items, they could enter the mysterious chamber. They found a wealth of valuables: weird energy-spears, polished gemstones, precious metal ingots, and the great gem they were looking for, glinting in the alien colour of ulfire. Not tempting fate, they left the place as quickly as they could, fearing its guardians and invisible poison. They descended from the peak to the plateau, from there to the ruined colony, and repairing the boat, sailed back to Linquar... although with thoughts of visiting the deadly island again. Of the thirteen who set out, not counting Sand and Bok, only five lived to tell the tale.
Raid on the Enchanted Glade
18/08/2025
THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! A group of 11 adventurers, mostly new recruits, sailed out from Thisium, seeking to deliver a letter to Falumfano, a musician and former member of the Tisian Lyceum. Not knowing where he lived in the archipelago, they started exploring the isles where they suspected he might reside. The first island consisted of barren, rocky land under a mesa covered with lush old-growth forests. A miserable village of stone huts proved to be a poor farming community, whose inhabitants toiled to serve the priests of the plateau, where those working diligently could retire to live out the end of their days in the proximity of the holy men. Not much later, a group of armed toughs descended down a rocky path, ordering the visitors to depart at once. Not wishing to risk open combat, but hoping Falumfano may be residing up in the forest, they sailed out of port, but navigated around the island. Finding a hidden little bay with a steep footpath to the plateau, they entered the forbidden Enchanted Glade. Avoiding a marble temple and smaller barracks around it, they found the rest of the place a pleasant forest retreat. A plan was hatched to draw the place’s defenders by starting a fire in the dry forest while they could loot the temple. The plan worked well enough: most of the plateau’s armed men rushed off to fight the fire, leaving several old servants, a few brigand overseers, strange animal-masked priests, and the high priest. In an ambush, the defenders were slain, but Carlotta the light foot, a noblewoman who had worked pro bono, was killed by a brigand, and Ordric the Fighting-Man and Bambino the Fighting-Man were held by the High Priest, and killed by his followers. However, the attack was overwhelming, and the gilded idol was pulled down, the priests killed, and the treasures of the sanctum, and a set of magical plate mail carried off by the raiders before the defenders could return to stop them.
The next place visited was an isle overgrown with wet tropical forests, much unlike the previous one. A broken great stone head was discovered on an earth mound, worshipped by 5 lizardmen. The lizards were threatening, calling the intruders the servants of the Flying Gods, and an enemy to their deity, the stone head. Not wanting a fight, they retreated to ship – Falumfano was clearly not here – and checked the next island, a hilly place of olive tree groves, and old marble stairs leading to the island interior. At sunset, they arrived at a great antique hall surrounded by broken statues of gymnasts, and a sign announcing this as the Therms of Carvilius Vitulus. Making sure the statues were not doppelgangers (a curious habit), they opened the doors (before checking they were not doppelgangers either), finding the hall occupied by a large thermal pool surrounded by more broken statues. Ragazzino the Fighting-Man, Bambino’s twin brother, checked the pool to find chests resting underwater in the muddy, steaming water, before he was dragged off by a giant octopus dwelling in the pool. The creature and a second octopus were slain, and the items under the water lifted out: antique chests encrusted with limestone, containing precious treasures. It was now evening: and through the night, the company sailed back to Thisium, four fewer but quite a good deal richer. At this time, the city had 22 days left...
The Isle of Daphne di Leonti
04/09/2025
THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! Seeking to deliver a message to the musician Falumfano, the company sailed out of Thisium to find him in the archipelago. They headed for an island surrounded by steep 80’ cliffsides, its plateau occupied by the ruins of a marble palace in pastel hues – and guarded by two enormous griffons. Sailing around the island, they found no easier way up than rock-climbing, but there was a spot where they could do so without drawing attention. Exploring the plateau, they found a ruined terrace with a throne overlooking the eastern seas, and marble statues which Manubalistos, one of the henchmen, identified as incredibly valuable antiques. They were soon attacked by one of the great griffons, and Modestia the Pigmy, a sworn enemy of birds, delivered the killing blow with a critical hit. Continuing on the N side, they spotted a large chessboard on an elegant overlook. A man of splendid appearance and golden armour was contemplating the game just as the second griffon swooped in. Calling out to the warrior, they fought side by side, and Modestia once again killed her quarry with a critical, taking revenge on her people’s ancient foes. The warrior introduced himself as Kadorto, and was surprised that while he had been absorbed in the game (against the most difficult opponent, himself), the palace seems to have fallen into disrepair. Kadorto, as it turned out, was the guest of Daphné di Leonti, the island’s mistress, and the tutor to multiple of Thisium’s noted M-Us – Yldegonda Gremullo, Doriano, and even dread Prospero. Leaving him to finish up the game, they turned their attention to the island’s southern side. A giant iron cage, the griffons’ nest, was surrounded by three enormous stone spheres, which proved to be animated. Aldo the crossbowman barely avoided being flattened by them – earning a 100 gp bonus and a promotion to Fighting-Man. Avoiding the site, they climbed the tall central tower.
A statue stood on the balcony overlooking azure seas: a woman of red marble, remarkably lifelike, dressed in fine clothes and holding a valuable gold-and-ruby pomegranate: presumably Daphné herself. Was this somehow related to the dooms? They entered the tower’s suite, overgrown with unruly houseplants, and guarded by two iron statues. A talking stone face in a stone slab revealed Daphné had not been in this room for 12775 days. He was willing to share three spellbooks for study, as long as nothing was removed from the chamber – he would regrettably have to destroy the thieves. He also confirmed Kadorto was one of the guests, here for 12885 days. Leaving things be, they climbed the exterior to the upper story, a nice sitting room. A life-sized mirror held the likeness of Adrius Doriano in his splendid youth – in their own time, Doriano was an aged wretch after his mirror was destroyed, so this image was a mystery. Nevertheless, the mirror was wrapped up and lowered to the ground along with other valuables. Next, they hit up the eastern, windowless building, whose interior held gold according to Ser Narvi’s magic sword. The interior was a maze, patrolled by an enormous rolling boulder. Timing their movements, they navigated the twists and turns, discovering a locked treasury. Unlocking the portcullis, they found piles of gold and silver, and an open-mouthed stone face. From this mouth came the guardian: a giant bronze snake, whose fiery breath killed Aldo the crossbowman, Quico the porter, and Godinez the crossbowman. But the beast was slain and the treasures brought back on ship, with which they returned to Thisium, richer, although without having found Falumfano. At this time, the city had 21 days left...
Temple of the Bat-God
News from the doomed city of Thisium! A company of adventurers left from the Pickled Carp, and descended into the Thisian Underworld through Chiaffredo’s well to seek the source of the doom from beneath the city. They first visited the sorceress Yldegonda Gremullo to inform her of having pinned their break-in at Prospero on her, but were rebuffed by her djinn butler: Prospero had already paid Yldegonda a visit for this intransigence, and Yldegonda was in no mood to talk to them. Meeting and avoiding a group of black-robed men in the passages,, they descended down a deep well into a cistern on the lower level, building a via ferrata in one of the walls with spikes and ropes to get safely to the ledge along the chamber. A giant catfish lurking in the cistern was vanquished, and a large chest hauled on shore: it contained mud and silver, but a secret compartment held a pricy royal sapphire! They continued from here along a passage lined with ancient, broken stone jugs the size of men, walking into a tripwire trap and a goblin ambush. The small attackers were subdued and interrogated. They were guarding the door at the end of the passage at the behest of people from the city; the mysterious dark-robed men and women! After giving the goblins the silver from the cistern haul, they revealed the secret door from which the visitors were coming. Behind, a high well lead upwards into a torchlit room; an iron cage could be seen hanging from above – an elevator of sorts. Leaving this be, they opened the guarded entrance. Beyond was a great dark cavern, twisting stairs descending into its depths along antique columns with old braziers, and slumbering giant bats hanging from the ceiling. These beasts were targeted and attacked, one trapped in a net and carried back to the elevator shaft, where it was unleashed on the torchit room’s hapless guardian. The way down to the cavern awaited.
They descended to the cavern floor, strewn with debris and piles of ancient bones. A columned hall’s entrance opened to the S, with the inscription „KNOW THYSELF” above the brass gates, and womens’ giggling coming from inside. This they avoided, and instead, followed stairs further down, from the end of which, lights could be seen and voices heard. The stairs ended at a halfway-open secret door. Peering behind, they beheld a fire-lit hall, dominated by the great idol of a bat with glittering ruby eyes, and a group of black-robed worshippers gathered before an altar. The leaders of the group were familiar: the noblewoman Genesia Mazza with the ceremonial staff of high priestess; Assunta Passeri, the late Adonis Gratianus’ love, to be inducted into the cult’s rites, and Claudio Laguardia, Thisium’s police chief! Genesia spoke, announcing that the Bat would defeat the Owl, and eventually carry away the faithful on Thisium’s final days in safety:
“Oh mighty
Bat, our lord, gloomy nighttime shape / We pray to thee for us, on final night
to take / On wings of shadow-ink, to lands distant and safe / And protect thine
from those, who in deep vengeance make!”
Coming up with a
swift plan, Aufidia Corvina used a spell to speak through the idol,
ordering Genesia and Claudio to fight each other as a test of faith, while Gata
whisked away Assunta to the party’s safety. A sleep spell felled many of
the lay cultists, but was heard clearly by Genesia, who ordered the remaining
followers – veterans of the city guard – to attack. In the battle, some were
slain, but the high priestess and the police chief got away by fleeing deeper
into the Underworld. The victorious adventurers announced that the cult was
thrown down, but Thisium would be saved. Carrying away the temple’s treasure
hoard, they escorted the captured cultists to their entrance – to their
surprise, emerging in the basement of the of the Pickled Carp! At this time,
the city had 21 days left...
14/09/2025 FOMALHAUT
News from ULTRAREALITY! A large group of adventurers sailed into ULTRAREALITY to plunder the City of the Ape-Men, and avenge their fallen comrades. Anchoring their ship in a safe harbour, they quickly realised they had brought way too little food, and they would soon be starving without supplies in the constant rainfall. In the evening, they were ambushed by a swarm of large, one-eyed parrots who snatched away metal items (weapons and shields) with magnetic eye-beams before just as quickly flying off. The next day, they climbed to the island plateau, fleeing from an enormous flying manta ray which almost fried one of them with an electric arc. Following an overgrown road in the jungle, they emerged on the edge of the city ruins. Their first target was a palace, which proved to be the lair of a succubus. She charmed and drained Ozmund, Cleric of Yol, but agreed to share information on the city, divided among three ape-man factions, and all serving the mysterious GODDESS. The succubus, Isomena, charged Ozmund with destroying GODDESS so she could take her place as the ape-men’s object of worship. Indeed, shortly afterwards, they met a large team of 35 ape-men, most of whom were fireballed, the rest fleeing or getting cut down. Proceeding to the city’s eastern side at dusk, they decided to recon the tower of Lath-Orn, the weakest of the ape-man leaders. They walked into an ambush of the defenders, who cast spears from behind a low defensive wall, killing Kob the porter, Yolssonir the bowman, and Halfdan the swordsman. Wulfric the bowman fled from the battle into the ruins, and was seen no more. However, a second fireball blasted the apes, and sent the survivors, including Lath-Orn, fleeing. The tower was theirs as a defendable base of operations.
The following day, they explored a row of crumbling step-pyramids next to one of the city’s avenues. Four enormous flying manta rays were fought, and Yolsson the bowman was fried by a lightning strike. Exploring the top chambers of the pyramids after the battle, they found a buried treasure cache, including a valuable astronomical mirror of solid gold. Next, they checked out a large well at one of the intersections, clearing away killer vines with fire and sword. The well was shallow due to accumulated silt – checking it resulted in a heavy, enormously valuable golden cauldron studded with gemstones! Finally, they explored one of the intact palaces, where they were almost ambushed by two two-headed lions, fleeing upstairs and escaping through one of the windows. The next day, they investigated along the western outskirts. A derelict tower looked interesting: Elric the Northman climbed up in the interior, finding himself face-to-face with five weird spider creatures with humanoid upper torsos. The beings tried to control his mind, but Elric fled, and the company escaped into the jungles, with the spider-things in pursuit through the branches until they could be shaken off. They headed for a domed structure they knew as the temple of GODDESS. In the front, they encountered two ape-men who were less hostile than usual. Bloody Tusk the Caveman barbarian talked to them boldly and proudly, announcing they were the followers of Loth-Uru the New, come to worship GODDESS. Suitably impressed, the apes invited Bloody Tusk to speak in person before Lath-Lar in the northern ruins. “I am the son of the White Ape!”, announced the barbarian. Parting with the ape-men and entering the shrine, they sacrificed before the idol of a beautiful, naked woman. GODDESS spoke, tasking them with finding the Crown of Power and destroying Lath-Lar. But something was off, and inspecting the wall’s bas-reliefs, Ozmund spotted something that placed everything in doubt.
It was a glinting little object of glass embedded in the intricate stonework. It could not have been magical, as it didn’t detect as such during their earlier sweep. Leaving the temple and holding conclave, they decided to check more directly. Despite the idol’s words to stop, they pried out the thing: a small metal tube with a glass lens in the front. Was this thing an eye of some sort? There could be no hidden chamber, as the building’s dimension wouldn’t allow for it. Pondering the significance of their find, they explored the ruins some more, but their resources were running low, many followers were lost, and they barely had food left except what they found in the ape tower: they thus left behind the city, and headed back to their ship to plan for their next expedition.
(Appropriately enough, it was raining incessantly both on the jungle island and IRL, so the mood was set. Shades of Aguirre too with depleted supplies, starvation and rain.)
Battle of the Hallway
15/09/2025
THISIUM
News from the doomed city of Thisium! A company of 12 characters rode through the Thisian Plateau to plunder Villa Raniero. Passing through its hedge maze, they headed for a room on the W side, marked on a treasure map as the „Altar of Time”. Fighting two poisonous spiders in the room, they found it bedecked in sombre black drapes. Behind an altar stood a statue depicting the Grim Reaper, a glass hourglass in a hand. Anhel the Elf stepped forward, reasoning she might be aged, but not as much as mortal men. Yet such was the weight of years that she too crumbled to dust under them. Yet the hourglass was now running: and Thisium gained one week of reprieve from the vengeance of the gods! Remembering Anhel’s deed, they looted a reliquary of several pricy valuables, then continued deeper into the villa. In a fully stocked armoury, they met four ugly, squat humanoids examining the weaponry – these regenerating fellows fought boldly and well, but were eventually slain. Three suits of plate and many weapons were the prize, as well as a display case with three particularly valuable weapons. Carelessly opening the display released poison gas, and Cavigni the heavy footman fell on the ground, dead. Among the valuable pieces was one that Tarquinius Faustulus (a Neutral) could not lift, but Clotilde the Fighting-Woman, follower of Law, could – a sword +1/+3 vs. regenerating creatures! Satisfied with these finds, they went north, into a once decorative hall turned into a filthy den by the villa’s chaotic hobbits. Seeing one bolt aside, they didn’t walk into the obvious ambush, but circled around to attack from the flank. But the cursed little things were prepared, killing Verezzi the heavy footman with a hail of slingstones before the company – including Clotilde’s heroic charge – could cut them down. The hobbit den held several thousand silver pieces (some from a treasure they could not carry off), and a box of marbles which proved to be gemstones.
The hobbit quarters were a dump. A secret exit led outside from an abandoned kitchen; in a room with several garbage piles, they found a survivor, Brontho Blackleg hiding under the rubbish, and emerging once they discussed burning the pile with flaming oil. Interrogating the chaotic little chap about the orcish presence in the villa, he mentioned they were soldiers of the spreading orcish empire, and also that the empire was not yet ruled by an Imperator, but three orc lords. Brontho was tied and pressed into frontline duty. In one room, they found a shrine to the family’s household gods, but could not make much of it. However, to the east was a thermal bath of several pools, and a crystal statue with a beating red heart. Sensing danger, they ordered Brontho to topple it, and predictably, he was crushed by the statue’s fists. The plodding statue, which they could barely hit, almost killed Bregor the Fighting-Man too, but they could flee safely, as it was very slow. After some more recon, they decided to leave the villa while they were in good shape. On the ride back to Thisium, they met Ottilia Cardone, headed to the northern parts of the Forest of Verrilli for an adventure of her own. They directed her to the villa, and its considerable hoard of silver pieces, which would help her and Egmont Mouseburg raise more troops against the orcish menace. She mentioned that she knew of a ruined castle in the northern mountains: Castrum Rapax, an impregnable fortress built into a mountainside, and once the centre of a small kingdom. Was this where the orcs were making lair? That was a mystery. With their loot, they rode back to Thisium. At this time, the city once again had 28 days left.
