Burning Witch Adventurers Seasion #102: Two Corruptions Don’t Make A Right

**This session takes place after the yet to be posted Burning Witch sessions #100 & 101. Complications (i.e. a forgetful DM) to the end of that Burning Witch run and me just being behind has those session currently un-recapped.**

 Autumn has been trying to make its way into Ur-Dan. The days in Orm were leaden and blustery but the suffocating humidity meant that Harvest wasn't here just yet. The warm nights have seen Ormans most closely connected to the profound and the profane visited by vivid, fever-dream like phantasmagoria all centered around a black pyramid. One of those Ormans has been Phasmo, Philosopher in the Transcendental Congress of the Aureate Precepts. More relevant at this moment than the magic-user's standing in his magical order, though, is that he retains the services of a dispossessed elf named Lirazil. Between Phasmo's visions, errands for his mentor the Enchantress, and plotting of two separate delves into 'The Complex'; Lirazil found herself at loose ends.

Lirazil often spent this idle time was spent at the Burning Witch, often in the company of the kobold Vuff. The pairs' afternoons of sipping Ori Brown quickly became a trio as the magic-user Ngorme started joining them at the ends of his day working in the library of the Impossible Fortress. As they would swap tales of passed adventures, they attracted the attention of one of the marooned crew of the airship The Purple Rose. The elf, Dolomil, listened with great interest as he was growing more and more restless with the shiftless days he and his crewmates have fallen into since the wreck. In exchange for these yarns of adventure, he would tell them of hunts in the Sunset Prairie where he earned the name "Through the Grass".

As they recounted past exploits, it dawned on either Lirazil and Vuff that while the Eye of Terror had been defeated neither of them were certain that the Brothers (the dwarf-like maintenance workers of 'The Complex') were freed from their live of oppression.  They decided to form up a party and see how the Brothers faired. Possibly, on their way to challenging a dragon nesting on Level 1 that a crew of Brothers had told them about back around the Solstice. The following party was recorded by Drone #7 passing through the Iron Gate of the Rani:

• Dolamil, "Through the Grass" (Level 1 Elf)
• Lirazil (Level 2 Elf)
• Merry Mako (Level 1 Fighter hireling)
• Ngorme (Level 1 Magic-User)
• Vuff (Level 2 Kobold)
• Chauncy (Level 1 Cleric of Danu hireling)

A couple of hours later, the group rang the bell for the Iron Gate to be opened. They paid 40gp in taxes from a stained and bloody sack. Dolamil also seemed covered in blood and ichor. After dividing up the loot from said sack, they headed off their separate ways.

Ngorme and Chauncy head off with Merry Mako's to recount the recounting of events of the delve he had missed. Apparently, the Singing Spearmen had spend most of his time this expedition distracting some entity inside a field of supernatural darkness when the rest of the party explored deeper into 'The Complex'. The group had left Mako behind as a decoy as they attempted to sneak around from the north. This led to an encounter with some remnants of the Eye of Terror's forces guarding a team of artificial dwarf-like beings called the brothers, who were working as clerks. A sleep spell and some grizzly blade work weren't enough to stop the arrival of reinforcements in the form of the ogre Goerp. Goerp had been previously slain by another adventuring party but was revived in the Pool of Life back when it was controlled by the Eye. He was still weakened from this experience. As a result, a brutal blow from Dolomil was enough to fell the cruel ogre.

The awakened brothers summoned their supervisor, Lead #27 when the party refused to fill out paperwork regarding the deaths of the vat born guards they had just slain. Lirazil cast a charm sleep (demanding more paper work) that turned Lead #27 into a steadfast pal. The party was able to convince the middle manager escort them to a meeting with the head of the brothers, the Foreman.

Arrival in the Foreman's office brought with it quite a surprise: the Foreman being the desk was not the being any of the party members knew. In many ways, he looked like the leader of the brothers they had previously met except that his large head was cover with extra sets of eyes. He also possessed a disposition that was quite different from his predecesor. This Foreman seemed to have an approach to the maintenance of 'The Complex' that was inspired by the authoritarian philosophies of the Eye of Terror. More troubling still, none of the brothers expressed displeasure for the new management.

As worrisome as this was for the party, they decided to try to keep the brothers as allies for the moment by offering their help to the new Foreman. They shared with him a crystal pear from Level 3 which he loved. A previous party had offered one to him. He was now craved from more fruits to eat. They also offered assist the brothers with work they needed done. He gladly would have them escort an inspection team to a construction site run by some adversarial kobolds. He also said a cease and desist needed to be delivered to some new elves that were changing up sections of 'The Complex' without proper permitting. In the short term, he requested the party hang some posters promoting proper habits within 'The Complex' which the group gladly accepted.

With that, they departed back to the surface. They stopped over to pick up Mako before pulling the chain to leave the dungeon.

An example of one of the dungeon safety posters as dreamed up by Vuff's player Rob A.

Here is a recap of events from Dolomil’s point of view provided by his player Ian:

We approach the entrance of the complex - black grass grows up all around.
At the door, an insect communist
A water trickle along the ground.
We pass through and through. To our right: darkness, painted circles. The others grow apprehensive

In utter darkness the lady elf boldly shouts at cowards serving a dead tyrant. A voice responds: “not a dead one, ones that lives”

We quietly retreat to circle around while the talkative spearman keeps them engaged.

Two mutated apes! The lady elf casts sleep. They remain standing - but several workers collapse, out of sight.

The group fires at one ape while the other flees. I stab a sleeping mutant.

A few more shots at the runner and then I manage to catch up, cutting it down. The body topples…forward into a marketplace

We retreat again to regroup. An ogre appears to investigate
We attempt guile but our stealthy attack draws his ire. Eventually we down the brute

We are waylaid by the wakening workers to sign certain forms admitting responsibility for the deaths.
The lady elf demands someone with greater authority… then charms their manager
He chats, then leads us to the new “foreman”
   passing through the market. Business has thinned since the death of the tyrant eye
Ape guards stop us, but we ask to discuss the brothers’ rebuilding. We enter:

 An office. Filing system, desk, curtains hiding the back of the room. Seated:
 A revered worker, cranium swollen and spotted with eyes. He speaks without sound, we hear it clearly and with a growing headache

The lady elf offers to help the complex to fulfill its potential. This foreman mentions certain elves making unpermitted changes

 We offer to escort an inspector or enforce some outstanding permits if it means we can travel freely through the area

 I also inquire as to a trophy-taking permit - apparently a weekend class

The foreman mentions a fondness for crystal pears - some delicacy that certain explorers possess. The lady elf graciously gifts him one, and we make our way out

 We were given ten workplace safety posters. The archivist pores over the skill of their manufacture

The variety of potential quarry in this place seems without limit. I will hunt in the depest reaches of the complex

 

Treasure

• 400gp

Experience Points

• 400xp from treasure
• Clerk Brothers put to sleep 4 x 10xp
• Vat Spawn guards murdered in their sleep 2 x15sp
• Hairless Gorilla Folk Vat Spawn defeated in combat 2 x 50xp
• Goerp, the Ogre killed x 125xp

Player Character Cut

• 80 gp ea. (40gp ea. to Chauncy and Merry Mako)
• 173 xp ea. (86xp ea. to Chauncy and Merry Mako)

Write-Ups, art, or maps presented as play reports earn PC Level x 100xp. Let me know of any downtime activities anyone would like to perform.