The trail deviates from the river as Imlatie leads the little band down it the following day, and plunges deep into a wooded area. They pause to examine an old way marker. The squat conical stone is half-sunken into the boggy soil. When Tzingaal scrapes the moss from it to read the legend, she finds it has been delierately defaced. Over the words it once bore are now incised three rude symbols. None in the party have ever seen the like (though the guides may not be entirely literate, so it's hard to say for certain). Imlatie says it doesn't matter, and directss them confidently down the right fork.
T8 : leechman village - random - expected
Encounter: deliberately / watery
The wood becomes murkier and the path broken, and at length opens into a wide clearing, more mire than ground. A dilapidated village rises from the muddy waters, all sagging roofs and mossy walkways. The inhabitants, terrible leech men, are hard at work digging canals to bring ever more water into their hamlet. The swollen, glistening creatures are too engrossed in their toil to notice the humans' arrival.
[Tzingaal makes a World Lore (53%) roll to know about them: 38, success.
Q: Are leechmen able to be treated with? 1d6=6, doubtful]
"That looks like thirsty work for them," whispers Tizngaal. Let's find another way past."
Her companions wordlessly concur.
[Easy (skillx2) Move Quietly rolls are needed to get away; all rolls succeed.]
"I never knew the leech men were such builders," says Mazgandrvehss when they are at a safe distance.
"They aren't," responds Imlatie. "That was once a human village."
T9 : random - toad men - none
location: angrily / natural
[1d6=5 toad men
reaction=neutral (rolled with RQ 2nd ed. reaction table
Q: What are they doing? passion / illness]
They find a safe path and continue without too great a detour, and see very few signs of life. At one point they come to a hot spring. Five toad men are lounging within it, soaking in its healing properties. When they see the humans coming, they shrink down into the effervescent water, leaving just five sets of bulbous eyes peering out. The humans pass by without incident.
[Oops, I did turn 9 twice... this must have been the end of a session, and I looked too far up to find where I'd left off at the start of the next.]
T9 bis : random - special - none
Location: ferociously / horrible - corpses torn asunder
Encounter: This Is Bad, 2nd roll = 1d6=3 Leech men
Continuing on past the sacred spring is a long, wet slog. Tzingaals spirits seem as damp as her dress, or perhaps as sunken as the pools of water squelching in the bottom of her boots with every step. Everything is dull and sodden and grey -- until a great wave of crimson assaults her senses.
Strewn amongst the puddles and contorted roots uncountable toad men and parts of toad men drip blood onto the ground. A few leech men, definitely in the minority, have also met their terrible end here, leaking colourless ichor from their wounds. But Tzingaal watches in stark, silent horror as three of the leech men rise up and plod towards her, dead arms outstretched.
A B C
STR 13 14 21
CON 19 9 20
SIZ 12 12 7
DEX 11 10 4
HP 16 11 14
MV 5
Bite 35% 1D8+suction (1D6 STR)
Only take 1 damage from Impaling weapons
[Round 1]
Weapons are hastily readied as the leech-zombies shuffle forward. Tzingaal and Mazgandrvehss begin sorcerous invocations.
[T casts Sorcerer's Strength +6 on I; M casts Fury on G. The fight was, as always, played in strict initiative order, but will be narrated in a more readable fashion.]
[Round 2]
Gosk engages one of the horrors with his spear, and manages to stick it for a shallow, leaking wound [hits A for 1 damage to 15hp]. The insensate thing lurches forward and attaches its gaping maw to his arm [dodge fails]. Trying to pull free shreds muscle tissue and cracks bone, but there is little pain as Mazgandrvehss' sorcery takes hold of him, the swelling of sheer battle-lust pushing aside all thought and all feeling. He makes another stab at the creature with only his off hand, but it's too clumsy to inflict much damage. [Leech-zombie's attack roll was 01, critical hit: 8 damage gave Gosk a major wound (arm mutilated) and -1 STR. The Fury spell gives him 2 attacks/round, but -30% defence. His 2nd attack hit for 1 damage.]
Imlatie feels Tzingaal's magic wash over her, giving her supernatural strength [and +1d4 damage bonus], but is too revolted by the sight of her opponent's suppurating mouth up close to land a credible blow with her small sword [miss].
The sorceress is meanwhile casting a similar incantation on her sorcerous colleague, as he enters the fray with his quarterstaff. The ungainly wizard trips over a root (charitably) or perhaps his own feet (probably) and lands face down in the muck [00, fumble], his staff planted like a tent pole beside him. One of the shambling corpses falls upon him, attaching to his shoulder [4 damage].
[Round 3]
Gosk stabs the thing on his arm over and over, but it seems almost futile [2 damage total, to 12hp]. He feels his blood draining away into the voracious sucking mouth [-6 STR].
Imlatie and her opponent make several swings at one another, none of which connect.
Mazgandrvehss, thanks wholly to Tzingaal's spell, pushes the ravenous fiend off himself. [STR vs. STR on the resistance table (6+9=)15 vs 21 gave him a 20% chance instead of 0%] Tzingaal plucks up his staff. As the creature staggers back from the sorcerer, she raps it soundly over the head, leaving the side a pulpy mess [5 damage to 9hp].
[Rounds 4-5]
Gosk continues his struggle with the creature on his arm as he grows ever weaker [hits once for 1dmg; loses 5 STR], and in his confusion breaks his spear against a low-hanging bough [fumble].
Imlatie seems unable to land a telling blow, but she avoids the grasping oily hands.
Tzingaal slams her opponent directly in the midsection, bursting the rotten abdomen and showering her skirts in reeking blackish fluid [7 damage, 2hp left].
Mazgandrvehss scrambles to his feet, and immediately uses his healing magics on his shoulder [+2hp].
[Round 6]
Too weak to use his spear, Gosk drops it and draws his short sword, but after one or two feeble thrusts, he drops dead of blood loss [-5 STR to 0].
Imlatie stabs her foe. It drops to its knees, seemingly vanquished, but then lurches at her and grabs her leg, biting down on her thigh [6-0=6 damage to 4hp].
Tzingaal's eyes are watering from the stench of the putrefaction, and she can't see well enough to fight effectually [miss].
[Round 7]
Imlatie shoves the creature off her leg [STR vs STR succeeds] as Mazgandrvehss starts to run. Tzingaal slams her opponent to the ground with a mighty swing of the staff, and it seems to lose cohesion, deflating and leaking the rest of its brackish insides into the mud. [4 damage destroys it]
Tzingaal and Imlatie run after Mazgandrvehss, hoping to leave the two remaining corpse-things behind. But driven by basest instincts, they plod ceaselessly after their fleeing quarry.
[For the Pursuit, the zombies needed to pit their MOV (5) against the humans' (8): 35% to catch up. T 58, she escapes; I 04, caught. Its attack roll is a Special success versus Imlatie's (regular) success on her Dodge equates to a standard hit: 8 damage kills her.]
Tzingaal is just catching up to Mazgandrvehss when they hear Imlatie's screams abruptly cease.
T10 : toad man village - special - none
Encounter: Barely There
The night is cold and miserable and, seeing that following the tragedy neither Tzingaal nor Mazgandrvehss feel particularly in the mood for squabbling, silent. They collapse against the trunk of a great tree and fall into exhausted, dreamless sleep as the little demon watches over them.
The tents may have been lost with their fallen comrades, but at least they each carried their own provisions. After a subdued and joyless breaking of their fast, they once again set off through the murk and muck.
They soon come to a village of toad men. Their reed huts have been torn asunder and many bodies litter the village square. The two sorcerers draw their weapons, and each has a spell ready on their lips, should any of these corpses rise to attack them.
[1d6=4 toad men remain
Q: Do the toad men approach? 50/50 (4+): O1 C4 - no, but...
PCs may notice them : T Search 47% - d%=22, success
M 46% - 52 fail]
"Hey, look over there!" exclaims Tzingaal. Mazgandrvehss looks over to see four toad men approaching in an attitude of supplication. [reaction is kindly/small]
"Please, humans, don't hurt us! We will give you all the root-bulbs we have to eat!"
"Be not afraid. We seek only the swamp witch's cave. Please, can you show us the correct path to take?"
The toad man points to the north east of the village with a tremulous hand, but whether from fear of the strangers or the witch, it is impossible to tell. The magicians trudge on, leaving the pathetic creatures their provender.
T11 : special - random - none
Location: Remove Element (quicksand)
Encounter: interestingly/ancient
[Remove Element in the Location field means to re-roll and cross the element off the list after using it in this scene]
[Q: Can get over to pillar round the quicksand? Unlikely (5+): P4 C3 - no, but...]
"There doesn't look to be any way to get closer," sighs Tzingaal.
"I don't suppose there is. A pity, I'd hoped for a look at the inscription."
"Just feel the magic radiating from it! There must be a way..."
"Would that there were! Such obvious power -- and probable danger. Perhaps it's better that it be inaccessible."
"Unless..."
"Unless what? Have you an idea?"
"I do, in fact. But it will require you to call the little demon forth."
"Nice try. You'd have it destroyed by any danger the obelisk might hold."
"I would not. The though did cross my mind, but I assure you, I find its presence here a comfort rather than a burden."
"And well you should! Very well then: Fmurkhrez, I command you to come forth."
A thin wisp of smoke issues from the iron collar about Tzingaal's neck, then slowly coalesces into the form of the diminutive demon.
"I bid you attend to Tzingaal's entreaty. You may do as she asks, or not. I shan't interfere."
"Dearest, sweetest Fmurkhrez," begins the sorceress, "you see that obelisk over there? We two are so awfully curious about the inscription. Would you be a dear and fly over to see what it says?"
The demon's refusal is laced with obscenities so foul that sailors might be struck dead at the sound of it.
[She failed her Fast Talk roll by a significant margin.]
T12 : cave - random - expected
Encounter: boldly/defeated
They press onward, and whether the swamp hag's impious powers have actually suffused the land surrounding her lair with eldritch energies, or if it be merely fear of her terrible might that causes the sorcerers' skin to creep, they are more than uncommonly quiet as they tread ever closer to her demense.
Gogoda's cave is beneath a tall, conical tumulus. A rough stone lintel defines the entrance; the hag's residence must once have been some ancient chieftain's tomb.
A knight sits in muck outside cave, his expression vacant, his plate armour dull and rusting. Mazgandrvehss' entreaties to the man elict no response, no does his somewhat ungentle prodding with the end of his iron-shod staff.
Tzingaal calls into the cave mouth, but her voice is swallowed up by the darkness within.
"I suppose we'll have to go in further to see if she's here," says Tzingaal, struggling to light her lanthorn.
"No no," says Mazgandrvehss, "I'm waiting right here. This is your penance."
Zombie leech men? You will insist on disrupting my sleep, won't you?
ReplyDeleteAlso instead of "Meeting the locals", I think "Get ready for a TPK" would be a better title.
Excellent as always and thank you for sharing.
Haha! It's not me, it's the dice. I swear.
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