The Red Riders were absent this week at the Drinking Crow. The vat spawn antaur Copra Kaan was off undertaking his first mission as a hirelng under the 111th Company. Fr. Bert joined heads with Bludoon as they worked to step up their efforts feeding the orphans of Orm. Armeen was dedicating his time around the Shrine of Danu-- mentoring young Chauncy in the way of the faith and starting up the Shrines endless torch offering (only 250gp ea.). Crambo, have ascended to the level of "Philosopher" in the Transcendental Congress of Aureate Precepts was beginning his work in crafting a new spell.
That left old allies the elfin ring master Petra P. and black grass abetment specialist Bors Redbeard to swap old stories of the Dragon Slayers around the Drinking Crow. Fellow patrons could hear stories of adventures (and adventurers past) like name-making defeat of a fire breathing dragon or the Ur-Dan spanning chase of Big Time Hashimi. One tale continued to gnaw at Bors: the weeping ghost of the river caves.
Bors had entered retirement when his fellow adventurers met the ghost but Bors had been visited by the ghost in one of his several spiritually significant dreams. The ghost had been met by the Dragon Slayers in some river caves on Level 3 of 'The Complex'. He had become drunk while on a quest and met with an accidental death. He had unfinished business and fulfilling this, if Bors was interpreting his dreams correctly, would bring him a step forward towards being a warrior in the service of Law.
The sharing of the regret and a quest left unfinished seemed contagious in the Drinking Crow. Before long, the following party of made up of Dragon Slayers and tavern hangers-on headed off towards Iron Door of the Rani:
- Agera (Level 3 Fighting Mutant)
- Bex (Level 2 Vat Spawn)
- Bors Redbeard (Level 5 Dwarf)
- Sunya Strong (Level 4 Fighter hireling)
- Petra P. (Level 3 Elf)
Hours later, the party returned covered in dirt and smash vampire frog. While they paid no tax at the Iron Door, they seemed to have a pair of magic items discovered in the depths.
.png) |
| Petra's performing vampire frog dreams. |
As the party went their separate ways, Sunya Strong celebrated another delve survived by carousing in the taverns of Orm. The tales she shared seemed to be such an out there collection of events that fellow patrons found them harder to believe than normal. She had been hired by the Bors Redbeard to assist his movements in the River Caves of Level 3. Since the loss of his legs, the dwarfin adventurer has learned how to use the Grim Reminder to move around but the uneven and sandy terrain of the caves required some help to move around.
The party approached through the Iron Gate of the Rani. Beyond it, they found the halls of Level 1 in the worst state they have been since the Cap was blasted off the Pit. Along the eastern tunnels connecting to the main one with the following stream, they saw emblems of the Eye fo Terror newly painted on the walls. At the Pit, though, they saw empty chains free of the weight of the gibbets the Eye used to punish beings. From there, they cut west to the elevator.
Sunya had seen adventurers, starting with the Red Riders, cultivate a relationship with the gorilla folk guards positioned outside of the elevator's Level 3 access. Usually, the adventures can produce a handful of gold and the guards will let them pass unbothered. When the guards were encountered this time, though, they were aggressive and demanded the adventurers turn back. Sunya spotted on the shelves in center of the room hung a new red banner with an image of a gorilla folk skull crowned in the eye stalks of the Eye fo Terror. It was speculated that maybe some of the vat-grown hairless gorilla folk have inserted themselves leaders for the gorilla folk forces. Regardless what was behind the banner and the new found tension, Agera history with the guards bought the party one free pass through the gorilla folks' territory.
Heading north, the party noted the crystal pear tree continued to be picked over. Just a little further north, Bors located the door to connect to the river caves. As he started to move in, the rest of the parties attention was caught by the reflection of light upon a large puddle in a grand room north. The room turned out to be a large cathedral-like structure. Carved columns supported a vaulted ceiling. The continual light on Bors' holy symbol of Danu could only reveal hints of the painted ceiling far above.
The puddle its self seemed viscous. Bex described it as "slime-like". Agera began to experiment with it by prodding it with a dagger. Unlike some of the slimes and oozes of 'The Complex', the pool seemed to not react or move on its own outside that caused by Agera's movements. Agera vowed to find a container and collect some on the party's way out.
It took nearly half an hour for the group to climb their way through the narrow tunnels that lead into the river caves. As the exited the 3 ft. sized hole connecting the two sections of Level 3, the found a muddy cave populated by a quintet of vampiric frogs like those who once followed the Burning Witch -based bard Fancy. Petra P. immediately tried to convince the party to capture them so she could tame them as an act for her nonexistent (but ever a dream of) a circus. It was not to be. As the party danced in conflict with the hungry blood suckers, each frog found itself thoroughly destroyed by the blows that finally fell them. When the fight was over, Bex fruitlessly attempted to find some part she could graft on.
Bex did not get to sit in her disappointment long. Sunya helped Bors through the mud as he called the party north to where they last encountered the ghost. The egress south seemed choked with webs. Some of the party pronounced a strong curiosity about them but Bors kept them on task-- aid the weeping ghost. Just a little further north, the ghost they found.
It had been a year since Agera and Petra P . had last encountered the ghost and he was not happy. Through his drunk sobs, he chastised the group for leaving him lingering. He entreated once again that they help put his body to rest. He had drunkenly slipped along the cave river's banks and died leaving his quest unfulfilled. If they would send his body down river on a bier made up of found materials, he would share with them his two magic items. He had been a drunk and a failure of a mystic warrior for his people the Shadowkin but he believed they might use them to accomplish great things.
Petra set Akash and Avani to trying to locate the ghost's corpse as they moved south along the river. The ghost drunkenly shared stories of his broken heart and failures as the party searched. Whle he lacked the psychic power to beome a "Telephone", he wept over his potential that saw he chosen as a mystic warrior but he squandered away with drink. Eventually, his moss-covered body was spotted at the foot of a tree. He showed Bors where to dig to retrive his laser sword. He told Bors that if he presented it to his people the Shadowkin of the Mushroom Forest, he could find the guidance he was looking for. He also told Bex how to turn his ring, utter the words "This is not hair, its a mop" to activate his magic ring.
The party constructed the bier and placed the ghost's remains on it. He told Bors to tell Lual that he was awesome. He also asked the party to finish his quest and beat the monster the dwelled inthe caves ot the south. With that, he faded away.
With that, the group headed back to the surface. Agera collected some of the slime form the cathedral in the ghost's empty liquor bottle. Then, the party headed south. On the Red Rider's last expedition, Crannoc had used his key to move the statues that sealed the Athenaeum entrance to 'The Complex' from the rest of Level 3. They chose to exit the dungeon through there. As they entered the old museum room that connected to the stairs to the surface, they could hear the sound of stone scraping back to the east...
Treasure
- A laser sword in need of a 500gp gem to focus the blade (claimed by Bors)
- A phase ring (+1 AC) (claimed by Bex)
Experience Points
- Vampire frogs stomped 5 x 35xp
Player Character Cut
- 43xp ea. (21xp to Sunya Strong)
Write-ups, art, or maps submitted as play reports earn PC Level x 100xp. Let me know of any
downtime activities anyone would like to perform.
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment