ItO solo - Part II : Blood and goo

"I've no idea how to find our way back through this maze," says Bassianus, "so let's hope pressing on will lead us through the other side."

Isabeau draws and cocks her pistol. "I'm sorry in advance," says she, "if I have to fire this in such cramped confines."

"I'm still half-deaf from the last time," says Athalie.

They creep forward through the damp murky passage...

[The temple is a separate Random Location Crafting area, so has its own Turn sequence, starting again with 0. When they get out, the original turn sequence will continue where it left off.]


~T0 : random - none - random
Location: Tranquil, Ruined
Object: Meaningful, Enormous

...soon arriving at a spacious, though still very low chamber. It seems this is the area where cult services are held; rotting prayer mats are arrayed haphazardly about the grimy floor, all pointing vaguely towards an altarpiece made of the bones of some unknown, gargantuan creature.


~T1 : random - none - expected
Location: Mysterious, Artistic

A corridor leads out behind the altar. The bone motif continues in the passage, though the bits are from smaller beasts, embedded in the plaster in whorling patterns.


~T2 : random - random - expected
Location: Mundane, Lonely
Encounter: Fearful, Playful

An open doorway in the wall reveals an office of sorts. An inkstained desk is piled high with ledgers and crumpled receipts. The explorers can't resist a peek at the temple accounts. "Well, I never," mutters Isabeau. "They're in more debt than we are."

A rustling under a stack of greasy papers arrests Bassianus' attention. He springs back in surprise, then, having collected himself, moves the papers aside with the blade of his hatchet to reveal someone's pet stoat scurrying about. Bassianus feeds it to his hawk.


~T3 : random - random - random
Location: Enclosed, Threatening
Encounter: Slow, Mysterious
Object: Positive, Powerful

At the end of the passage is a stout iron door, which proves to be locked. Athalie fetches some pens from the office to use as makeshift lockpicks whilst the others stand guard. [Per the rulebook, actions like lockpicking succeed automatically unless there is time pressure -- but taking time results in a random encounter check: d6= no encounter.]

The door grates open, and from the abject blackness within comes a wave of dank(er), frigid air. A faint rattle of chains is heard within.

Bassianus takes a torch down from a wall sconce, and struggles to light the damp wood as Athalie and Isabeau keep their eyes trained on the darkness, ready with sword and pistol should something emerge.

The torch, once lit, reveals a vaulted stone cellar. Rusting iron chains are set at various points into the wall. A miserable creature shrinks from the harsh light, moving away as far as its chains permit. The thing has a low, swollen, sausage-shaped body, four stubby legs, and a comical ursine head. Short, coarse, reddish brown fur covers the whole, worn away in parts by rubbing chains and general ill treatment.

The Creeping Glurg
STR 14, DEX 5, WIL 13, 3hp
bite (d6)

It blinks against the light then addresses the explorers in an unaccountably silken voice. "You are not of the Family. Free me, and I can reward you. But I can do nothing whilst bound with these chains -- they rob me of my power."

"Poor thing," says Athalie, moved by the piteous sight. "We'd ought to help it." The others concur, though Isabeau's finger remains firmly on the trigger of her pistol. Athalie hefts her sword, then brings it down on the rusty chain. The corroded link is sundered and the blade sparks off the stone floor. [a STR save was needed to cut through in one swing without breaking the sword]

[Q: Was this a terrible idea? unlikely (5+): O2 C3 - no, and...
Q: What is reward? Almighty Power]

"I thank you most heartily. I am known amongst your sages as the Creeping Glurg. Now, to your reward."

The Glurg retches up a loaf of phosphorescent yellow paste about the size of a pint glass.

"Smear this on your limbs, and you shall feel the strength of a titan. Would that these chains had not prevented me from using it myself!"

[Titan Paste: STR 18 until depleted through damage, one use, takes about 10 minutes to apply all the doughy substance]

"How did you come to be here, O Glurg?" asks Athalie. [WIL save succeeds, good reaction]

"I made the mistake of listening to the old man's psalms. His servants fettered me in their dungeon and planned to sacrifice me to the great star fiends at the equinox."

"Do you know the way out?"

[Q: does it? unlikely (5+): O2 C6 - no]

"I regret that I do not."

"Follow us then. We'll find it together."

"I will follow you. But go not too quickly, I beseech you."

The Glurg trundles after them as they pass through a door on the far side of the vault.


~T4 : complete - random - none
Encounter: Unexpected, Military

The room beyond is indeed the way out, as the heavy, barred door and nearby umbrella stand attest. But barring the way are [1d3=] a pair of mercenaries hired by the cult to guard the exit. They are currently engaged in normal mercenary activities, such as standing round a sparsely furnished room in dynamic poses and kissing their swords (vide supra).

[Per the Hirelings section of the rulebook, the mercenaries have STR/DEX/WIL 10, 2d6 hp, sword]

[Round 1]

Isabeau discharges her pistol without a second thought, but the ball just grazes her target, possibly only tearing the fabric of his voluminous sleeve. Athalie runs up with her sword, but he parries every thrust. [merc-A takes a total of 2+1=3 damage; he's got 6hp left.]

Bassianus engages the other mercenary with his hatchet as his hawk claws at his face. [4+2 damage leaves him with 1hp]

The mercenaries strike back. Their steel rings off Athalie's sword and Bassianus' hatchet [A takes 3 damage to 2hp, B takes 1 to 0hp]

[Round 2]

Athalie inflicts a bloody cut to her opponent's abdomen [6 damage] as Isabeau circles round to deliver a solid punch to the side of the head [4 damage]. The mercenary falls, his sword skittering onto the threadbare welcome mat. [10 damage put him at 0hp, STR 6: STR save d20=15, critical damage]

Bassianus lays into his foe with true savagery as Geta goes straight for the eyes. The sellsword soon joins his comrade on the filthy, and now quite bloodied, floor. [both did 6 damage, dropping him to 0hp, STR5; d20=7, crit. The entire party somehow rolled maximum damage this round.]

The door, once unbarred, leads into a narrow, rubbish-strewn alley. The Glurg crawls outside and gives a fond farewell before disappearing (slowly) into the gloom.

The explorers must pause to catch their breath after the fighting [short rest d6=3, no encounters]. "Well, that was bracing!" says Bassianus with forced bravado.

"You look a bit peaked, my dear," says Athalie.

"I think," adds Isabeau, "that you'd ought to use the paste now. We've still a long ways to go."

Bassianus grudgingly concurs. He begins rubbing the goopy substance onto his limbs and inside his shirt. It glows brighter then disappears into his skin. He feels mighty.

Meanwhile Isabeau reloads her pistol and helps herself to a sword, wiping off the lipstick residue as best she is able.

Shortly thereafter, they file out into the alleyway, leaving the bleeding mercenaries to quietly expire at their post.

[Now back to the first LC sequence.]


T3 : expected - expected - random
Object: Magnificent, Fuel

Out in the street, they see the crowds have vanished. In fact, not a single soul walks abroad, and -- even more unnerving -- the ominous feeling of being watched by hidden eyes from one of the dark windows of the flats above the boarded-over shops is absent as well. They soon pass into a vacant square, in whose centre stands heaped a pile of broken furniture, straw and rags: a pyre forgotten or abandoned before it could be lit.


T4 : complete - special - expected
Special: RETURN

A long side street leads straight back to the market. At this distance the crowds seem silent and static. But there's a sewer entrance here, the goal they seek.

next post: the sewer/dungeon