Saturday 30 April 2016

Into the Odd solo - Part V : « Loin du noir océan de l'immonde cité »


~ Day 1 ~

It is a wet and miserable day as the explorers set out from Burthen across the vast, forlorn plain. A grey sky glowers overhead. Black clouds advance piteously from the south, harried by the furious winds. The autumnal chill clutches greedily at the travellers' very bones as they plod along, bent almost double against the heartless gale. None of them speak; only the doleful whispers of the wind in the grass give any voice to their small, human frailty. Somewhere in the distance a raven cries, or a solitary wolf howls out its loneliness, or some shit like that.

"I despise pathetic fallacies," grumbles Fridoline at last.

"It is the purple patches that I cannot abide," responds Aurélius.

They meet nary a [randomly encountered] soul upon their journey, which, by nightfall, has taken them to a great stone circle. Randeep goes on ahead to treat with the scarlet-robed cultists who hold the sanctuary [Willpower save succeeds], and secures the party lodgings for the night. The cultists invite their guests to join them in worshipping the Great Rakshasa, but they protest fatigue from the journey, and are left alone without further prodding.

[As before, the third visit to the Order of Liberation will require the PCs to make WIL saves to avoid corruption (which will probably take the form of mutations adapted from Gamma World / Metamorphosis Alpha / Mutant Future). But the stone circle also counts as civilisation; PCs can take a Long Rest here, which automatically counts as the third visit. The cultists are generally helpful and will sell minor supplies from their stores, though won't have much in the way of weapons or armour. Simple food and lodging are provided free of charge.

Q: Do the cult know of the temple in the swamp? 50/50 (4+): O3 C6 - No.]


~ Day 2 ~

The next morning the travellers are treated to a simple meal of fried mushrooms and black pudding. They ask their hosts about the missing explorers, and a rumour spreads throughout the circle. One of the brothers does remember them, and comes to give his account. "Oh yes, they did come this way. A lovely group of people, and what an encyclopaedic knowledge of poetry the giant had! They were looking for a way to the coast, but were chased off by the thugs working for that awful priestess in her fortress. They set out into the swamp some five weeks ago. I'm afraid that's the last we saw of them. I do hope they are well. If you find them, give them my warmest regards, and tell them we will always have a place for them here when they need respite from the chaos of the Deep Country -- as we shall always have one for you."

The explorers take their leave of the cult, and are soon slogging through the swamp, looking for any possible sign of their quarry.

[Since GM-me knows full well where the first party are, but player-me must have no idea, I will roll 1d6 to determine which way they proceed from each hex.


If the roll would put them back in a hex they've already explored, the party leader (Randeep at the moment) gets to make a WIL save to avoid them back-tracking. A guide (NPC Expert hireling) would obviate the need for such rolls. Come to think of it, they should probably be making WIL saves not to get lost in the swamp in the first place -- a rule I will wait to impose until they stop moving in random directions.]


After a few hours sloshing through the swamp, the explorers see a figure coming towards them out of the haze. It soon resolves into an old, long-bearded man carrying an axe and firewood. His eyes gleam with an unnatural intensity, but his manner and words are rustic and simple.

"Who are you lot?" he asks.

"We are sent from Burthen to find a lost expedition," replies Randeep.

[She made her WIL save to avoid conflict, so it's time to turn to UNE for the NPC conversation--

NPC Relationship: distrustful
Conversation Mood: cautious
scheming - agenda - power

As he was Scheming, I decided he was not about to reveal his Agenda to get Power, so instead...]

"I ain't seen no expedition," says the old man. "You sure they came this way?"

"We know only that they came into the swamp."

"If you help me carry my wood home, I'll help you find your expedition."

"How could we refuse?"


Each of the explorers take a portion of the old man's wood, and he leads them off through the mire to his hovel, whereat he collects all the wood again and makes to carry it inside. But wait! There is one explorer who finds her load lighter than when she set out; the hermit has stolen Fridoline's Red-oil Stave! [she rolls a WIL save: 1d20=2, success]

"Hey!" cries Fridoline, "that man has stolen my arcanum! Give it back, you wretch!"

"Never!" replies the hermit, and he turns the wondrous stave upon them, spewing slippery red oil on the ground before them [PCs lost initiative].

swamp hermit
STR 8, DEX 13, WIL 11, 10 HP
axe (1d6), hypnotic voice, aura of harmlessness
driven to steal arcana


Randeep, Aurélius, and Fridoline draw their pistols and fire upon the hermit, but the old man seems tougher than a mere mortal. Two of the bullets strike him in the torso, and one grazes his shoulder. All three wounds begin leaking a viscous, yellow fluid. Yet he seems unfazed, perhaps even more defiant as he unlimbers his axe. [The shots did 1d6 damage each: 3+1+3; He still has 3hp remaining].

[Round 2]
Randeep and Fridoline draw their knives and advance on the hermit. Aurélius must content himself with using the butt of his pistol like a club, but as he is turning it round he loses his footing in the red oil, and falls face-first in to the oily muck [Randeep and Fridoline made their DEX saves to cross the oil]. The hermit is ready for his attackers, and takes a swing at Fridoline. She can feel the breeze from the axe blade as it whistles right past her nose, but aside from a momentary shock and a skipped heartbeat, she is unscathed [1 damage leaves her with 1hp]. Randeep and Fridoline pounce on the hermit as he is recovering from the swing, stabbing him repeatedly in gut with their long knives. He shrieks out a few syllables in a tongue older than mankind as he falls [4+5 damage takes out his remaining 3hp and reduces his STR to 2; d20=8 critical damage]. Fridoline stands over the unconscious hermit and plucks her stave triumphantly from his fingers. She buries her knife up to the hilt in his back. As the hermit expires, his body dissolves into a rancid puddle of filth.

[Q: Does he have any treasure? Likely (3+): O1 C7 - No.]

The explorers search the hermit's rude hut, but they find nothing but pile upon pile of sticks. He seems to have had nothing of value save his axe, which Fridoline gives over to Aurélius, saying, "Here. You might find this a more suitable weapon in close quarters. Provided you get that far next time!"

They set out again through the muck.

~ Day 3 ~

The explorers continue their divagation through the fens. At one point they fear that they are walking in circles, but Randeep steers them back to the proper course.

After a long march, the swamp resolves into the great mushroom forest. And in the distance, nestled on a hill amongst the towering fungi, a stout fortress is visible. The explorers approach with some caution, but in the hopes of hearing news of their quarry, or at least securing dry lodgings for the night.


[On the morning of day 3, 1d6=6; the first move was NW. Then 1d6=2, which would have put them back in the hex where they encountered the hermit, but Randeep made a WIL save. So re-rolling, 1d6=6 - into the mushroom forest hex, where the feature roll was 1d30=19: castle/keep/stronghold. Of course the PCs want to explore it, so I made a few rolls.

Q: Who owns the keep? d30=fighter; d30=count
Q: Is a patrol sent out? 50/50: O3 C5 - No.
Q: Is the gate guarded? Very Likely (2+): O1 C2 - No, and...
Q: Can PCs find anyone about? unknown 1d6=3(likely): O5 C3 - Yes, but... all clustered in one place.
Q: Where are they? (the d30 Sandbox companion's chart NPCH: Noble Household Officers makes a good random castle location generator, so 1d30=) in the kitchen
Q: What are they doing? Violate / Allies

I have a good picture (or three) to go along with all this, but I daren't reveal the awful truth until the PCs have discovered it! Besides, they're still standing outside at this point, so back to the adventure...]


The castle is a stout fortress in good repair, and occupying an easily defensible position on a sort of hillock. The drawbridge is down over the limpid moat, which bubbles slowly and exudes a strong smell of acetone. The portcullis is raised, but no guards are to be seen at the gate, nor does any patrol issue forth to challenge the approaching party.

They cross the threshold cautiously, but not a soul is to be found in the courtyard. Aurélius shouts 'halloo!' but a hollow echo is the only response. And yet, certain signs of habitation are all about them. Here a half-drunk cup of tea cools atop a barrel. There a fresh loaf sits, with but a single bite taken from it. Someone's pants are drying on a line in an upstairs window.

They cross the courtyard into the great hall with some trepidation. The hall itself is dark and empty, but a lively hubbub emanates from a door at its back.

[Luck roll: 1d6=1 (most unfavourable)]

As they are walking towards it, the door suddenly opens and a servant emerges. [1d6=]She stops short when she sees strangers -- and armed ones, no less -- in the hall.

[UNE--
NPC Relationship: distrustful
Conversation Mood: neutral
friendly - support - allies]


"Ecastor!" cries she in alarm. "Who are you?"

"Be not afraid," says Randeep, hastily putting away her pistol. "We are searching the land for a lost expedition, and happened upon this castle. We would impose upon your lord's hospitality, if we may."

"Of... of course."

"When may we meet the ruler of this place?"

[Q: When? (1d4) 1 now, 2 at dinner, 3 tomorrow, 4 never; 3=tomorrow]

"The Count is out hunting in the forest. He shall probably not be back before late. Come, let me show you to the guest chambers. I'll ring for one of the below stairs maids to quarter your servants."

"Servants!" shrieks Wanda. "Well, I never!"

"We run a proper house here. Count yourself lucky you won't be shown to the stables!"

"Excuse me, miss," says Randeep, "but I fear you misunderstand the composition of our group. These are not our servants, rather our comrades-in-arms. Junior expeditionary members, if you will." [WIL save succeeds]

The reluctant maid rings her bell anyways, and shouts some orders at her underlings before turning back to the guests. "I have ordered rooms prepared for you all in the guests' wing, as befits your stations. We dress for dinner here, and you will find adequate clothing in the wardrobes. Also, I've taken the liberty of ordering a bath drawn for each of you in your chambers. Don't take this the wrong way, good ladies and noble sirs, but you do have the air of the swamp about you. You will be summoned to the dining hall in due course."

The explorers are eager to see their quarter, and in truth relish the prospect of a warm bath after their trek.

[So at this point I decided to draw a random picture to set the next scene and determine what (most likely horrible) event was to befall the party. I've got a bunch of pictures that look like them in a folder, and I ended up with the one following. A few moments examination produced the situation below described.]


As each emerges from their bath into their sumptuously appointed chamber, they are struck by a horrible revelation: all their equipment has been stolen as they bathed. Each dresses hurriedly, and they rush to their companions' rooms with the news. But one door of the six remains closed, and though they knock upon it furiously, no answer is forthcoming. Where is Severin?

Then it is that Aurélius remembers seeing a pile of papers on the dressing table in his room that had not been there when he was shown in. They rush back to examine the ominous stack. Aurélius snatches them off the table and unfolds them. The words thereon are written in large, ungainly characters, not in ink but in blood, and there can be little doubt of whose. Aurélius reads the gory missive aloud:
Sorry, chaps, but I've gone and gotten myself captured. And damn it if I haven't already lost a digit to prove that my gaolers are in earnest about the threats they shall most certainly be making on my person should you refuse their demands. As this severed finger makes but a poor quill, I shall close this letter and let them explain all to you when you see them at dinner.

Yrs. &c.
Severin

Tuesday 26 April 2016

Into the Odd solo - Part IV : Fresh Blood


Three figures hurry through the nighttime streets of Burthen's warehouse district, scurrying from one pool of gaslight to the next.

"Why did we ever agree to this?" asks one.

"Have we any choice?" responds another.

"Ssshhh!" scolds the third. "We oughtn't discuss this out-of-doors. He has spies everywhere."

"Agreed," says the first, looking at a scrap of paper upon which an address has been written in a spidery hand. "And we shouldn't discuss this in front of the help. Speaking of which, this is the address."

They ascend a soot-stained staircase at the front of an old, crumbling brick warehouse, and rap soundly upon the front door.


[And thus, my next three PCs begin their Into the Odd sandbox adventure. As I mentioned in the last post, I've made a few improvements to the sandbox table.

Movement points & costs remain unchanged:
6 Movement Points per day.
clear: 1mp/hex
mushroom forest & swamp: 2mp/hex
broken lands & mountains: 3mp/hex


There is still a 1-in-6 chance per hex of an encounter. Each new hex explored requires a 1d30 roll to determine its contents, on a more sensible table than the last:

d30   Feature
----- -------
1-15  none
16    single dwelling
17    hamlet
18    village
19    castle/keep/stronghold
20    temple
21-24 ruins
25-30 special


More importantly, I've created Mission and Compensation tables. These will be fleshed out with sub-tables as I get to them. For now, variables will be pulled out of random picture folders or rolled for.

Mission (1d6):
1. find place X
2. take item X to place Y
3. bring me the head of person X
4. get me arcanum X from place Y
5. accompany person X to place Y
6. hunting party


Notes: Places are a random hex on the map; currently unexplored places will automatically have a feature of some kind (roll 1d12+15 on the feature table). Persons may or may not be human. A hunting party is 50% likely to be a hunt for a fantastic beast. The other 50% of the time, the hunting party is chasing after you, Most Dangerous Game style (in which case, no reward is offered).

Post-TPK rule: If your new party roll the same mission as the expedition that was just lost, they are hired to complete the failed quest. Assume 1d6 weeks have elapsed.

So, what mission did my new PCs get?
1d6=2; well, then...
1d6=5 weeks have passed

Compensation (1d6):
1. 2d6 shillings each
2. 1d4 guilders (total)
3. one-use arcanum (each)
4. stock tips
5. owed a favour
6. do it or else


1d6=6; the mysterious employer is certainly a being to be reckoned with.

At some point I will detail the Leaders and their Organisations, but for now I'm just pulling portratits that I've done up earlier out of a folder.

I think three PCs is a good number, but since the last lot of explorers didn't do so well, I'm using the Companions rule to bring the party up to six.

Companions: For small player groups, each player may create one or more companions. Roll their Ability Scores in order and give them 1 hp and a sword." (Into the Odd, p.4)

But lest one think these are nameless, faceless damage-sponges...]


In the back of the painter's warehouse-district studio, Severin slumps down on a settee and heaves a great sigh, drowning out for a moment the hiss of the gas lamps. "I said," he asks, "how much longer until you're finished?"

"One cannot rush Art," replies Gregor without even looking up from his canvas.

"Quite. Only we've already spent your entire commission for that painting, and we're out of money. I spent the last on cigarettes this morning."

"That was the last of our capital?" asks Wanda, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Why, oh why, dear Severin, didn't you at least buy good ones?"

"Wanda, be still!" growls Gregor. "I can't get the folds of your skirt right if you keep moving!"

"You both realise what this means?" continues Severin.

"Oh bother," says Wanda, pouting.

"I can get another commission," says Gregor, "providing you two stop ruining this painting."

"Gregor, dahling," says Wanda, "after that débâcle last season, you were damned lucky to get even this one. Or have you forgotten?"

"Is it my fault if the philistines of this pitiful little town weren't ready for my 'Erysichthon at table'. If I could show in Bastion..."

"Dear Gregor," says Severin, "the whole reason we left Bastion in the first place was to escape the uproar over your 'Thyestes asks for seconds'. Or had you forgotten?"

"Poor Gregor," teases Wanda, "your genius shall be unappreciated in your lifetime!"

"Well, then, I suppose we must count ourselves lucky that we have a career to fall back on."

"I'm glad we're all agreed," says Severin. "Mercenary work it is, then."

"Ugh! mercenary work," sighs Wanda.

"Severin, old chap, if you're finished smoking away the last of our riches, perhaps you'd like to get off your arse and find our swords. They're in here somewhere... I think with the costumes you wore for my 'Procne and Tereus'."

Wanda
STR 11, DEX 12, WIL 14, 1 HP
sword (d6)

Severin
STR 14, DEX 12, WIL 6, 1 HP
sword (d6)

Gregor
STR 6, DEX 8, WIL 6, 1 HP
sword (d6)


Just then comes a rapping at the door. "Since I was getting up anyways..." mutters Severin, rising from the settee.

"I wonder who it could be?" muses Wanda. "If we're just now out of money, it's too soon to be creditors..."

Severin disappears into the foyer for a few moments, then returns with the three new arrivals in tow. "I'm afraid it's worse than creditors, dear Wanda; it's my friends from Bastion, bearing a missive from -- well, you can guess who from. I'd better get those swords. We're going to need them presently."

"Are we to go with them into the Deep Country?" asks Gregor without turning round.

"Oh, dear Gregor," says Wanda, "if you'd but look at them, you'd not need to ask such a question!"

Gregor finally puts aside his brushes and turns about to see the callers. "My god, Severin" says he, "these are your friends from Bastion? What fresh nightmare have you gotten us into?"

And this is who he saw:

Randeep Khartoor
When Randeep Khartoor was thirty she lost the key of the gate of dreams.

Randeep Khartoor
STR 11, DEX 14, WIL 15, 6 HP
pistol (d6), knife (d6), bomb (d12), saw



Aurélius Colon
He could not traverse the gates of ivory or of horn which separate us
from the unseen world without a shudder.

Aurélius Colon
STR 13, DEX 16, WIL 9, 5 HP
pistol (d6), acid, animal repellent, prosthetic hand



Fridoline Rossignol
And no dream is fully a dream.

Fridoline Rossignol
STR 11, DEX 5, WIL 8, 2 HP
hatchet (d6), pistol (d6), bolt cutters, red-oil stave



Next post : the adventure commences anew !

Tuesday 19 April 2016

Into the Odd solo - Part III : Huis clos


The explorers return to the crawlspace, use Aldous' magnificent device to make themselves small, and retreat back to the room [6] where they had met the ghoul.

The ghoul is there, sitting on the floor amongst the bones of one of the carrion beasts. Its mask hangs askew to reveal his horrid, gore-stained maw.

[Q: Does the ghoul allow them to pass? 50/50 (4+): O3 C1 - No, and...]

"YOU!" screeches the ghoul as it points an accusing talon at the explorers. "You led me astray by tempting me with this carnivorous delight! And I had been good for so long. You shall pay for this sinful lapse!"

So saying, the ghoul leaps to its feet and springs towards [1d3=] Aldous, bloody claws outstretched.


penitent ghoul
str 14, dex 10, wil 8, 6 hp, barbs 1d6.
Driven to repent, then sin, then repent


[Guess who lost initiative again...]

The ghoul's claws rake down Aldous' chest, shredding his uniform and the flesh beneath it. His cry is cut short, and he collapses to the floor onto a stain of dried blood, which he re-constitutes with his own [5 damage dropped him to  4 STR. 1d20=9, critical damage].

Threnody and Murt step over their fallen comrade, and batter the ghoul with their arms, until its bones crack and it falls to the ground [d6+d8=12 damage, dropping the ghoul to 8 STR; 1d20=17, critical]. But they do not stop there, and soon the ghoul's corpse is indistinguishable from the gooey remains of its last meal.

Satisfied that they have put an end to the unnatural creature, they turn to examine Aldous, and bind his wounds since he has not yet expired. He begs a short pause to steady himself [short rest to regain his hit point; no encounter] but then urges them to leave this charnel house with all due haste.


There is a door on the western wall, half-hidden under an icon of Saint Vinolentia, painted in the neo-vorticist style. Buy rather than admire the expressive brushwork or appreciating the bold use of colour and shading, the explorers merely cast the picture aside to see what awaits them in the next chamber.

[Room 8 - encounter]

The dark, wooden panels lining the walls of this next chamber suggest a fine castle from hundreds of years ago. The trio of figures standing within, each wearing fool's motley, certainly all seem to hail from a bygone era. But, despite their upright posture, they all seem very dead, and bear scars and other marks of the ghoul's predation. These gruesome undead are roused from their numb vigil by the presence of the living, and shamble forward to attack.


undead fools
str 4, dex 14, wil 3, 3 hp, club 1d6.
Driven by madness


[Round 1]
The explorers duck back through door, but Murt has an idea to repel the shambling fools. He takes his flask of fire oil, and tries to hurl it at the floor between the undead, then slam the door in their faces.

[Dex save, 1d20=18, fail]

Instead, he throws the door wide, and hurls the flask nearly at his own feet. He is caught in the eruption of flame, and the pain causes him to black out. One of the undead fools is burnt to a cinder by the flames, but the other two do not even hesitate in their advance.

[Murt took 6 damage, dropping him to 10 STR; d20=11, critical damage. He'll keep burning for 1d6=1 rounds.

The fools took 2, 3, and 5 damage from the fire; the third one failed its STR save, and also succumbed to critical damage.]

[Round 2]
The two remaining fools trundle through the flames and into the chamber, yet somehow Aldous and Threnody are not quite ready for them [lost initiative again... sigh]. The first one deals Aldous a mighty blow with its club, cracking his skull and knocking his soul straight down into the underworld [6 damage kills him]. Threnody get into a scuffle with the other. She comes out of it a little bruised [2 damage puts her at 1hp] but destroys her cadaverous foe [5 damage kills it]. Murt smoulders a bit [1 damage] but the fire luckily does not consume him.

[Round 3]
Aldous' slayer turns his cudgel on Threnody, but it is no match for her own. She lays the fool low with a satisfying crunch of bone [6 damage] and suffers barely a bruise in return [1 damage put her at 0hp].

There is no hope for Aldous, but Threnody is able to revive hardy Murt. Some water and a rest [short rest, no encounters] put them not quite to rights, but at least they'll live.

[Their curent status is-
Murt 9 str, 2 hp; Threnody 6 str, 3 hp]

They have, however, had enough of this accursed fallen temple, and they intend to leave forthwith. They search their fallen companion for anything of value, and divide up his knives and rations between themselves. They use his marvellous coil to shrink him down to doll size, and Threnody places him carefully in her travelling pack, so that he may be given a good burial when they are away from here.

Then they retrace their steps towards the surface. [One encounter check per area. There's nothing... until room 1.] Cautious though they be, it's a short walk back to the entry chamber. But when they get there, they are shocked to find it isn't empty. A terrible monster has taken up residence therein, a long, fat, blue-scaled wyrm. It has terrible claws, bat wings, and a gaping, toothy jaw, but the beast possesses no other definite features. An awful smell causes the explorers' stomachs to churn even as it burns their nostrils; some sort of poisonous cloud hangs about the creature, produced in its venomous innards.


faceless wyrm
str 16, dex 6, wil 8, 12 hp, armour 2, foul exhalations 1d8
Driven by hunger

[One of the things I need to do to make the encounters more interesting is providing reaction tables for them (1d6 rolls like in Traveller's 76 Patrons). Here's one I made as a proof-of-concept, though after the fact:

The faceless wyrm...
1. ...wants to eat you
2. ...would like to eat you
3. ...intends to eat you
4. ...shall endeavour to eat you
5. ...earnestly desires to eat you
6. ...feels compelled to eat you

The PCs won the initiative for once.]

One look at the huge beast sends the explorers fleeing back to the safety (?) of the Spider Man's chamber. Fortunately, the wyrm does not follow.

"I fear we're running out of options," says Threnody. "Perhaps we should go back to the stone head, and make an offering of Aldous' miniaturisation coil in exchange for whatever 'servitor' it will give us in exchange."

"Murt not disagree."

They hurry back to treat with the strange carving [room 4]. But as they throw wide the door to its chamber, they are taken immediately aback -- someone has beaten them there!

[A random encounter check put someone/-thing in the room:


the creeper
str 4, dex 17, wil 6, 3 hp, claws 1d6
Driven to murder


The roll on the encounter table that produced the creeper also had a T notation, indicating the creeper posessed Treasure. So it made sense to ask Mythic--

Q: Has the creeper traded its treasure for a servitor? Likely (3+): O6 C2 - Yes, and... 3d6 all attributes, 1d6hp, 1d3-1 armour.]


stone servitor
str 11 dex 9 wil 10, 6 hp, 1d6 fists
driven to serve


There is a sharp-featured, white-skinned, legless creature in the room, who is reaching up to place a glowing necklace into the head's open mouth. The mouth closes slowly on the object, and then the head's eyes begin to glow a warm red. A few moments later, the mouth slowly opens again, this time all the way down to the floor, and a stone man steps out, about a metre tall and bearing some small resemblance to the head itself.

"Excuse me, er, madam," says Threnody, "but if you're finished, we too would like to make an offering to the head."

[She needs to make a Willpower save to parley; 1d20=19]

"Kill them!" says the creeper.

[Round 1]
The stone servitor moves instantly to obey. It moves surprisingly fast for a being of stone, and before she has even raised her club its tiny fists have sent her sprawling across the room [5 damage puts her at 4 STR]. She bounces off the wall and falls senseless to the floor [failed STR save, critical damage].

Murt's axe crashes down upon the little stone man's head with a spark, and bits of chipped stone fly in all directions [8 damage - crit]. The stone man falls over, stunned.

[Round 2]
But the creeper lunges forward with a hiss. Its claws can reach surprisingly high, and the last thing Murt knows is a sharp pain...

Saturday 16 April 2016

Into the Odd solo - Part II : Beneath the Fallen Temple


The explorers have descended their rope into the darkness beneath the temple in the swamp. Suddenly, the fatigue of their journey has vanished. They cannot resist exploring the underground complex.

[The dungeon was run with Schweig's Themed Dungeon Creator. Since it's all unplanned, I only filled in the bare minimum: corridor & room schemata, a few trap (hazard) ideas, the chance for traps & encounters, etc. The encounters themselves were left blank; rolling higher on the table will indicate more dangerous monsters, but I won't stat them until after they have appeared. Each one will necessitate a random draw from my pictures folder, which includes a few photoshopped beasties. I marked a few lines on the chart with T for treasure -- I have pictures to figure out those, too.]


The entry chamber [Room 1] is empty, save for some rubbish and dead vegetation. Sturdy wooden doors are set into the eastern and western walls. The wood is in good condition, with surprisingly bright paint still coating it. Threnody [making a Willpower save] even notes that the hinges are well-oiled and rust-free; whatever lurks beneath this fallen temple, it is most certainly house-proud!

They haven't a coin to flip, so Aldous arbitrarily states they will explore to the east. Behind the door is a short corridor leading into another chamber.

[Room 2 : encounter]

The explorers come into the strangely cheery and well-lit space, which would resemble nothing so much as a pleasant drawing room were it not for the rough stone walls and the webs covering everything from the skirting boards to the chandelier.


Scuttling along a strand of web on his candy-stripe legs is a curious creature -- half-human, half-spider -- wearing a tie and an old-fashioned waistcoat. The Spider Man looks up as the door opens. "Guests!" says he, happily. "Do join me for some tea and cakes. Or there's coffee, if you'd rather. Pull up a pew!"

"Have you lived here a long time?" asks Aldous, stalling for time.

"Oh yes! I know all about this temple. I can tell you all sorts of interesting tit-bits, if you'd like to hear."

[The PCs need to make WIL saves in order to avoid being conned by the Spider Man. Aldous and Threnody both make their rolls, Murt does not.]

"Mine white six sugar," says Murt, sitting down.

But Aldous and Threnody do not the trust the horrible creature, and they realise with fright that the Spider Man wants to have them for dinner tonight!

The Spider Man
str 8, dex 14, wil 12, 4 hp
Driven to slay the trusting
webs: DEX save or stuck (no actions possible; STR save to be freed)
bite 1d4+poison (STR save or paralysed)


They draw their clubs and advance menacingly. The Spider Man was ready for them [Threnody failed her DEX check to win Initiative], and he sinks his fangs into Murt, lest the giant join the fray. Murt cries out, his eyes wide-staring as the poison courses through him [2 damage put him at 0hp; he fails his STR save and is paralysed]. He tries to rise but finds he cannot move. "Don't struggle like that or I will only love you more," chides the Spider Man.

Threnody and Aldous slip deftly past the omnipresent webs [DEX saves both succeed] and lay into the Spider Man with their clubs. They have soon beat him senseless [2+6 damage; it fails its STR save against Critical Damage], and continue belabouring the unconscious creature until it is a sticky lump of goo staining an otherwise attractive waistcoat.

"Murt," says Threnody, her arm tired from bludgeoning, "are you yet alive?"

The giant blinks his eyes, and does his best to overcome the poison enough to speak. "Murt feel like is being eaten by thousand million shivering furry holes."

"The joke's run its course now, Murt." scolds Aldous.

Whilst Murt fights off the poison, his companions search the room. They are soon disgusted by the Spider Man's taste for chintz, and give up hope of finding anything truly valuable [no treasure]. Once Murt is able to stand, they press on [short rest to regain HP; no encounter].

[Room 3 : encounter]

Amongst piles of pitted, yellowing bones and other bits of filth stand [1d4=] two carrion beasts -- shaggy, roughly dog-shaped monstrosities. Where their heads should be there is just a mass of stubby, writhing protruberances which drip a steady stream of caustic acid.


carrion beasts
str 5, dex 9, wil 12, 1 hp, acidic face protuberances 1d6.
Driven to dissolve corpses.

They snap to attention as the explorers enter their demesne, and in an instant leap to attack.

[PCs lose Initiative again. 1d3=Murt is not attacked.]

One of the things launches itself at Threnody, the other at Aldous. Aldous is struck full in the chest with a terrible squelch. He is knocked backward and falls senseless into the filth [3 damage takes out his sole hit point and drops him to 9 STR; d20=19, critical damage]. Threnody keeps her feet as the horror slams into her as well, but she is besmeared with acid. She fears the pain will spell her doom, but she summons the fortitude to fight on [5 damage puts her at 6 STR; d20=1, she avoids critical damage]. She hits the beast hard enough to hear its bones crack [5 damage puts it at 1 STR; critical damage]. It falls at her feet. Murt deals merely a glancing blow to the one that felled Aldous [1 damage, to 0hp].

[Round 2]
Threnody stands well out of the way as Murt does battle with the injured carrion beast. His axe divides it neatly into two piles of quivering gore  [7 damage kills it outright], but he is splashed with acid in the process [3 damage takes him to 14 STR; save ok, so no critical].

They pause then to catch their collective breath [short rest to regain HP and wake up from critical damage; no encounter], and rouse poor Aldous. They decide that no amount of treasure is worth digging through the carrion beasts' rubbish, and make a hasty exit via the northern door.

[Room 4 - Special]

The odd-shaped room beyond is almost completely empty. The stone walls are bare, the floor free from débris. At the far end of the room looms a giant face carved into the very stone of the wall. Its eyes start to glow as the explorers approach, and it speaks to them in a voice like thunder.


[What does it say? UNE
NPC Relationship: neutral
Conversation Mood: sociable
friendly - support - retainers]

"WELL MET, TRAVELLERS! YOU HAVE COME BEFORE ME BEARING A WONDER. FEED IT TO ME AND YOU SHALL BE REWARDED WITH A SERVITOR TO DO YOUR BIDDING."

Aldous correctly surmises that the face is referring to the arcanum he carries [his miniaturisation coil]. But he does not wish to part with such a wonder, so he makes a swift exit from the room lest the face grow angry. His companions follow somewhat quizzically, but he whispers his reason to them and they continue on their way.

There are three doors in the Spider Man's room which they haven't tried, so they just proceed with the closest [NW] one.

[Room 5 : empty, +trap]

The door opens to reveal another seemingly empty room.

[As I said, I hadn't filled in the whole dungeon generation sheet before I started, so I went to Mythic for a trap idea: Separate / Possessions.]

As they take a few steps into the chamber, they each feel pulled towards the north. The buttons on Aldous' coat try to leap off, Threnody feels the (cheap, metal) stays of her corset urging her in that direction, and Murt has to fight to keep his axe in hand. Threnody's lantern wants to go too, and as she fights to keep ahold of it the light falls upon an enormous disk of magnetic lodestone set into the north wall.

[This would require STR saves if they got any closer, and/or tried to leave by the northern door. If they do go that way, there will be a +3 on the roll to determine what lies beyond, making a Special result more likely.]

Stepping back as fast as they might, they are all soon out of the reach of the magnet's pull. The lamplight reveals no twin of the stone on the southern wall, so they continue their exploration via the southeast exit.

[Room 6 : Encounter]

This room reeks like a charnel house. The furnishings suggest a chapel, but are decayed and covered in suspicious-looking stains, and amongst the icons and images lie the bones of dozens of creatures -- and people. Devotional candles burn brightly on a sagging altar, before which, in an attitude of fervent prayer, kneels a penitent in tattered robes, and crowned with rusting barbed wire.


penitent ghoul
str 14, dex 10, wil 8, 6 hp, barbs 1d6.
Driven to repent, then sin, then repent

The penitent rises at the explorers entry. A heavy hood covers its face, but its bony, clawed, grey-green hands are visible, and the stench of death hangs about it.

"Pax vobiscum," rasps the penitent.

[Threnody needs to make a WIL save to avoid a fight: she rolls a 1!]

"Et cum spiritu tuo," says Threnody, suddenly recalling her catechism.

[UNE:
NPC Relationship: friendly
Conversation Mood: sociable
scheming - plot - current scene]

"I am so hungry," says the creature. "Perhaps you can find me something to eat."

"I'm afraid there's not much here."

"I am a ghoul. I am not picky. Certainly you have killed some tender morsel..."

"Well, there was a Spider Man."

[Q: OK? 50/50 (4+): O2 C8 - No]

"Oh no! That is poisonous."

"Um, there were some tentacle face monsters..."

[Q: OK? 50/50 (4+): O6 C5 - yes]

"Oh, how delicious. Bring them to me."

The explorers make a quick jaunt back to the carrion beasts' lair, and drag the carcasses back to the ghoul's chapel. [2 encounter checks there & back - nothing]

"Oh! thank you, friends!" squeals the ghoul in delight, and quickly falls to devouring the offering. The explorers make a hasty exit via the southern door to spare themselves the unpleasant sight.

[corridor leads to Special (random picture)]


The corridor suddenly comes to a dead end -- or nearly so. There is a small opening in the wall, and a lantern placed inside it reveals a long, cramped crawlspace beyond. It would be just possible for Threnody to squeeze through, but Aldous would never fit, to say nothing of the titanic Murt.

"I'm not going in there," says Threnody, with an accusing look at her companions.

"Yes you are, my dear," says Aldous, "and so too are Murt and I -- with this!" And he holds up the miniaturisation coil for all to see.

Now both Murt and Threnody are looking at him accusingly, so he quickly explains the device and outlines his plan. He uses the miraculous coil to shrink Murt down to the size of a doll, and places him in the crawlspace. He then has Threnody do the same to him. She in turn sits on the ledge of the passage and turns the device on herself, so that it shrinks with her.

Now the cramped passage is as a great cavern, and they walk down it for several minutes until they finally reach the end. The room beyond is lit by some sort of overhead light, but is otherwise empty. The explorers use their ropes to climb down out of the crawlspace/cavern, and once safely on the ground they use the wonderful device to return to full size. They laugh when they look back at the passage, and see the little strings hanging from it, crowned by tiny grappling hooks; it is as if the inmates of Threnody's childhood dollhouse were exploring the underground.

[Room 7 - lit, but empty]

There is nothing of interest in this room, save the unaccountably modern lighting fixture in the ceiling, so the explorers choose a door at random by which to leave.

[West door - trap in corridor - electricity]

As they open the door, they are nearly blinded by an intense blue-white light, and almost deafened by buzzing and crackling sounds. A few metres down the corridor there is a short pillar jutting up from the floor, topped with some sort of electrical dynamo. Sizzling bolts of pure energy buzz round it, filling the entire space floor to ceiling, and nearly reaching the door.

"Perhaps we should try the other door," suggests Aldous.

"I was hoping you'd say that," replies Threnody.

"Sparks bad," concurs Murt.

The southern door opens also into a corridor, but this one is dark and still. The explorers proceed cautiously.

[T-junction with trap : gas]

They are debating which way to go when they notice the floor in the junction is pockmarked with valves, and the faint scent of gas is in the air.

"Perhaps we lack the proper equipment to negotiate this wing of the undertemple," opines Aldous.

"If you're saying we should turn back," says Threnody, "I cannot but agree."

"Now Murt know how Odysseus feel," adds Murt.

"The Scylla and Charybdis...?" asks Aldous.

"No. Murt want go home."

Monday 11 April 2016

Into the Odd solo - Part I : Into the Deep Country


Three there were, unlikely heroes of an unlikely tale. Circumstances unspeakable had driven each of them out of great Bastion, last haven of humanity, to this forsaken city on the edge of the Deep Country.

And they were desperate, too; not a one had a penny to their purse. And this desperation had driven them further still, so that now, on this unhallowed night, they had come together at the behest of a most shadowy figure -- one whose name I dare not whisper to you, for his spies are everywhere -- and they had agreed to venture across the lands of terror at his behest, to undertake, as he would have it, a small errand.


Readily did they agree, for what alternative was there? Their employer's servant handed over a letter in a thick, grey envelope, tied up with a single golden thread -- or was that a hair? -- and sealed with black wax. The letter was addressed in a fine calligraphic hand:

Msgr. Maussade
189 Taedifer Close
Morve


"Deliver it, and you shall be rewarded. Fail me, and I shall know. Now be off." And then they were shown the door.

Out into the streets they went, into the choking coal smoke, and proceeded wordlessly towards the north, for there was nothing to say. They all knew of Morve by its foul reputation; it was said that monsters there walk abroad in the streets, and none but the mad dare call it home. Perhaps this letter they held were little more than their death warrant, but it was too late to reconsider. Out, out of the city they plodded, as they plotted their course into the Unknown.

~ Day 1 ~

"Let us head due north across the plain," says Aldous. "Perhaps we can find a village on the coast where we might charter a boat across the sea."

"With what money?" asks Threnody. "Or were you hoping to rely upon charity?"

"We shall attend to that when we have found a village," replies Aldous, "although I am sure our circumstances will have favourably altered by that time... somehow."

"Look horizon!" cries Murt. "Smoke!"

The intrepid explorers approach the plume of smoke warily. It soon resolves into the sight of four worshippers round a small, stone altar, upon which the offering to the gods yet blazes.

"Kνίση δ᾽ οὐρανὸν ἷκεν ἑλισσομένη περὶ καπνῷ," quoth Murt. ["And the savour went up to heaven curling round in the smoke" Iliad 1.317]

"Murt!" exclaims Aldous, "I never knew you had it in you."

"Hexameters pretty," explains the axe-wielding giant.

Despite Aldous' natural leadership qualities, and Murt's surprising hidden depths, it is felt that Threnody would have the best chance of negotiating with the communicants. Perhaps she might even secure an invitation to the sacrificial feast that is sure to follow.


[Threnody gets to make a Willpower save to parley with the cultists:
1d20=16, failure]

"Good day to you," begins Threnody. The cultists look up from their ritual in surprise.

"Look what we have here!" says the lead cultist, "These'll make much finer victims for hundred-headed Typhoeus!"

The cultists all draw their weapons at these words, and the explorers do the same. The battle is very short and very fierce. In no time at all, Threnody lies senseless in the long grass, and Aldous is bleeding from a deep wound. Two cultists lie unconscious near them, and the other two have fled.

Murt dashes out the brains of the two injured cultists with his mighty axe whilst Aldous tends to their injured companion. She is soon roused, but the three of them are in such a sorry state that they fear to press on any further.

They return to the City in disgrace.


* * * * *

[They need a Long Rest (about a week) to recover their lost Strength. To pass the time more pleasantly, let us review the circumstances of their battle in greater detail.

The cultists:

        ST DX WP HP
Anne    10  6 13 2  knife (d6)
Mary    11 12 10 3  club (d6)
Horace  11 11  8 3  axe (d6)
Matthew 13 11 11 1  sickle (d6)


When it isn't obvious, the leader of the PCs must pass a DEX save to win the initiative. I had declared Aldous the leader because of his military background, but in retrospect Threnody should lead as she has the best Dex. An academic distinction, as 1d20=3, so any of the PCs would have won it for their side.

Each PC had to fight at least one cultist. The extra one attacked (1d3=) Threnody.

[round 1]
Threnody bashes Anne with her club for (1d6=) 4 damage. 2 points reduce her HP to 0, the other two come off her Strength, dropping it to 8. She needs to make a STR save to avoid Critical Damage, but rolls a 16; Anne falls unconscious.

Aldous hits Horace with his club; 3 damage drops him to 0hp, but there is no further effect.


Murt swings his long axe at Matthew, inflicting a punishing (1d8=)8 damage. Matthew has 1hp, so 7 points come off his Strength, putting him at 6. He fails his save against critical damage, and is hors de combat.

Mary comes after Threnody, bludgeoning her for 5 damage. Her Hit Points absorb 3, and the other 2 points come off her Strength, putting it at 6. Her STR save roll is 15; she is overcome by her wounds.

Horace swings his axe at Aldous, delivering a nasty hit. 6 damage takes out his 1hp and reduces his STR to 6. But Aldous saves against critical damage (just; 1d20=6), so keeps fighting.

The cultists, having lost half their number, must check Morale. Their leader (Mary) needs to make a Willpower save; 1d20=19, failure. Mary and Horace run screaming from the scene, leaving their companions behind.]

* * * * *

~ Day (ahem) 1 ~

"Let us head due north across the plain again," says Aldous. "Perhaps this time we shall reach the coast."

"We still haven't any money," says Threnody. "I'm surprised we were even allowed back into our lodgings."

"Our benefactor has been kind to us. Let us not disappoint him in this our mission."

They march north across the grassy plain for some time, but there are no signs of life. It is as if they are alone in the world. To the east rises the vast mushroom forest, a place in which they'd rather not get lost.

[No encounters/features for 4 hexes, but in the 5th a feature was indicated: a Henge. I rolled up a random cult with the d30 Sandbox Companion to populate it--

"The Order of Liberation"
worship: rakshasa
goal: corruption, everyone
strange practises: carrying of bugs in pockets or pouches]


As the daylight is beginning to fade, a stone circle is spotted in the distance. Scarlet-robed worshippers wander here and there amongst the sarsens. The explorers pause to watch them, fearing another encounter like the last. But besides some ecstatic dancing and droning hymns, there is nothing untoward about their worship. The cult offerings are but libations of wine and barley cakes placed upon the central stone. 

[Threnody must make a Willpower save to suss out any danger: d20=9, success.
Q: Are they best avoided? Oracle die 1, Chaos die 2 - No, and... it's a safe haven in times of distress.]

"I believe we'll be safe here to-night," says Threnody. And in fact, she is right. For though the cultists may look at one with unnatural intensity, and invite them to participate in rather outré acts, they shew but little disappointment when they are refused. Their hospitality, in fact, rather recommends them to the weary traveller.

The explorers are given use of a small hut on the outskirts of the circle. They spend a restful night there -- putting the bad dreams down to the weariness of the road --, and set out in the morning with the high priest's blessing.

~ Day 2 ~

They walk but a short way over the plain before coming to a settlement nestled between craggy mountains and the foetid swamp. Frumpley's Coombe (population 49) is a small hamlet, a cluster of depressing and decaying wooden hovels peopled by a degenerate group of sheep herders. They do not take kindly to outsiders; perhaps they have had enough of the wicked cultists stealing from their herds. Though they do seem to take a hypocritical delight in relieving visitors of their own things.

Our heroes pass through the centre of town as quickly as possible. Threnody's watchful eye scares off the would-be thieves. A drunk tries to pick a fight with Aldous, but he stays just outside the man's grasp until they can be safely away. The sullen villagers watch them depart in slack-jawed silence.

[d30 Sandbox companion--
hamlet
pop. 49
frustrated with outsiders
issues: minor theft

Threnody needed a Willpower save to avoid thieves; 1d20=7, ok

Q: settlement encounter? 50/50 (4+): O4 C5 - Yes.

1d3 on d30 Assorted Settlement Encounters page
1=SEUA: Unprovoked attacks/assaults against PCs
2=SEAE: Annoying encounters
3=SEPC: Propositions to PCs to commit a crime (for hire)

1d3=2; 1d30=annoying drunk accosts PC

Aldous needed a DEX save to evade: 1d20=4, ok]


Leaving the horrid little village behind, our explorers are soon rewarded with the sight of a great castle looming on the horizon -- a sure sign of civilisation. Beyond the castle stretches the wide roaring sea. Perhaps here they can begin to look for passage in earnest.

[Stronghold of the Priestess
Q: Is there a patrol encounter? O4 C7 - Yes : 1d30=5 med. horsemen
Q: What do they want? Block / A representative]

There is movement between them and the castle. Five horsemen ride towards them at a full gallop, reigning their flashing-eyed warhorses suddenly to a stop. The riders are wearing colourful livery over old-fashioned steel armour. Their helms are topped with tall, waving plumes, and their spears all bear long silken banners. The leader wears a brace of pistols.

"Who goes there?" he shouts.

"We're travellers from Bastion," states Aldous. "We bear a message for across the sea -- we must find passage to Morve. Perh--"

"Recreants! Heretics! Apostates! None but the wicked have any dealings in that accursed place!"

"Please, sir, we shall not intrude on your lands. Let us be on our way and--"

"You shall not pass!"

At this, five lances are lowered in the explorers' direction. They turn and hurry away, and are relieved to find that the Priestess' soldiers do not wish to pursue.

There is now now easy way to the shore. The explorers have no choice but to set out through the insalubrious swamp. They strike out to the south, but almost immediately are presented with another obstacle. A great volcanic vent yawns open, spewing noxious fumes so thick the far side of the crater cannot be seen. Passing round it seems an unwise course, so our explorers skirt the edge of the swamp, avoiding the Priestess' lands as best they might. They emerge from the swamp near Frumpley's Coombe, and rush past the village without stopping. Soon they have returned to the safety of the stone circle and the friendly cultists.


[d30 terrain feature: volcanic vent
STR roll required to pass through hex. Failing means the character is overcome by vapours, and will die if left in area. A conscious character can only carry one other.

Threnody needed to make a Willpower save to lead them back to the hamlet rather than the stronghold; d20=2, ok.

On the third visit to the Order of Liberation, PCs will need to start making Willpower saves to avoid the cult's corrupting influence. Some sort of d6 madness/mutation table will be made at this point.]


~ Day 3 ~

The explorers set out south eastward into the swamp. It's a long, slow slog, and they are beginning to despair of finding shelter by evening when they happen upon a fallen temple.

[d30 Ruins tables produced a severely damaged temple
inhabitants: nuisance
The encounter roll for overnight came up a 1, so I grabbed a random picture for the encounter]

The temple is little more than a broken foundation being choked by vines and sinking into the mire. It would appear to offer little shelter from the omnipresent clouds of mosquitoes, but at least the leeches cannot get to one here.

But wait! Under a loose flagstone lies a deep, dark hole into a forgotten undertemple. Aldous lights a lantern, and lowers it down carefully on the end of a rope, to reveal a large chamber cut into the solid rock. This would seem to be an excellent shelter from the elements and the swamp pests, and perhaps it might even prove profitable to explore. The adventurers waste no time, but descend at once...

Sunday 10 April 2016

Into the Odd solo - setup


Back in January I picked up a copy of Into the Odd. Normally I don't get on with rules-light games, but this one was just unusual enough to tempt me (there's a free version here which might tempt you, too). Besides, I've been concentrating on verisimilitude for a long while now, and a bit of abject surrealism sounds like a fun change.

In keeping with the simplicity of the game, I decided set-up shouldn't take more than an hour. The initial adventure was going to be 'take X from A to B'. I wanted both dungeons and wilderness to explore, so the first thing to do was set up a sandbox. Hexographer is great for random terrain, so I tweaked the settings to make them weird enough. I put the starting city and the destination city on the map, and that was that. Everything else would be discovered in the course of the game. I'm not entirely sure what some of the terrain is yet.


The party has 6 Movement Points per day. Costs are--
clear: 1mp/hex
mushroom forest & swamp: 2mp/hex
broken lands & mountains: 3mp/hex

Every time the party enter a new hex, 1d6 and 1d30 are rolled. There is a 1-in-6 chance of an encounter, and about a 47% chance of a feature (I'm not entirely happy with this table and will probably be changing it, but it has been fine so far). When the party retrace their steps, there is still the 1-in-6 encounter chance, but no new feature roll. I've been playing the adventure with Hexographer open, adding fortifications and features to the map as they occur, and putting an X in every hex they pass through that comes up empty so I know not to re-roll the d30 for features. The Xs are put in with the 'GM Only' box ticked, so I can hide them all and have a nice map without the clutter.


1d30  Feature
----  -------
1-16  none
17-18 single dwelling
19-20 thorp
21    hamlet
22-23 castle/keep/stronghold
24    temple
25-27 ruins
28-30 special


I've been using the d30 Sandbox Companion's NFP: Natural Features & Phenomena By Terrain Type to generate the Special features, and various other tables (e.g. CK2: Patrol Size and Makeup for patrols) as needed.

If the party camp out in the wilderness, there is a 1-in-6 chance of a nighttime encounter. Nocturnal settlement encounters can be avoided easily if the PCs have somewhere to stay; otherwise there's the usual 1-in-6 for something untoward to happen.

My toolbox, then, is:
- Mythic for random ideas
- MCSV for the Oracle (no scenes, static 1d8 chaos die)
- d30 Sandbox Companion
- UNE
- Hexographer
- Schweig's Themed Dungeon Generator for dungeons
- folders full of pictures for encounters, treasure, etc.

Since getting underway, I've had some additional ideas which would make the hex-crawling a little more interesting, but those will have to wait until I've turned them into something coherent.

It probably took longer to write this out and post it than it did to actually set it up, including character creation. Speaking of which, here are my PCs:

Cpt. Aldous Thumbscrew
the forgotten hero of a foreign war

Cpt. Aldous Thumbscrew
STR 11, DEX 5, WIL 12, HP 1
club (d6), throwing knives (d6), miniaturisation coil

Miss Threnody Wolverhaven
a murderess running from her crimes
Miss Threnody Wolverhaven
STR 8, DEX 14, WIL 15, HP 3
club (d6), ether, crowbar, flute


Murt
Murt have axe
Murt
STR 15, DEX 8, WIL 7, HP 2
longaxe (d8), ferret, fire oil


. . . . . .

Next post (tomorrow) -- the adventure begins !

Friday 8 April 2016

Exhibit A

Some objects just accidentally sum up one's lifestyle. Behold, a random flier for a club night my wife and I want to check out...


...the back of which I used as scratch paper to roll up a party of characters for Épées & sorcellerie 2.