Solo-A-Module-Month : Gamma World

I don't usually write up play-throughs of published adventures, but as it's Solo-A-Module-Month in the solo community I thought I'd give it a go. At first I tried a new DSA module, but I wasn't taking notes and typing up the adventure seemed like it would just take too much time -- time 'd rather spend on my freeform campaigns. So in its stead I present a quick foray into the Gamma World.

Legion of Gold is my favourite Gamma World module ever published, containing three mini adventures, one main adventure, and a hex crawl; you could run a whole campaign with just this and the rulebook. For now, I've just gotten through the first mini-adventure. I've written up my notes in a much more cursory form than usual, so the whole adventure can be done in one post.

To start with, I rolled up 6 characters completely at random. Some turned out a lot better than others.

Zeenat
Type: Humanoid  Rank: 0  Status: 0
MS 16  IN 16  DX 12  PS 12  CH 13  CN 14
HP 62  AC 6 / leather
Physical Mutations: Heightened Precision, Regeneration, Duality, Skeletal Enhancement
Mental Mutations: Life Leech, Intuition, Genius Capability-Mechanical, Absorption-Electricity
Equipment: short sword, dagger, boots, large sack, bedroll, tinderbox, arrow poison, 1GP

Dervington
Type: Mutated animal (civet)  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 10  IN 13  DX 8  PS 8  CH 11  CN 15
HP 56  AC 5
Natural weapons: claw/claw/bite/horns 1d4/1d4/1d6/2d6*
Physical Mutations: Heightened Sense-Smell, Ultravision, Modified Body Parts (vocal cords), Horns
Mental Mutations: Mental Paralysis, Devolution
Equipment: belt, 2 small sacks, 36GP

Kug
Type: Humanoid  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 12  IN 7  DX 12  PS 13  CH 9  CN 17
HP 56  AC 8(-1) / furs & shield
Physical Mutations: Heightened Balance, Speed Increase, Vision Defect-Colour Blind (D)
Mental Mutations: Planar Travel, Light Manipulation, Mental Blast, Mental Paralysis, Energy Sensitivity (D)
Equipment: spear, sling & 30 stones, large sack, shoes, bedroll, 5GP

Reebla
Type: Pure Strain Human  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 13  IN 13  DX 7  PS 12  CH 13  CN 15
HP 75  AC 5(-1) / studded leather & shield
Equipment: 2 hand axes, 6 torches, tinderbox, shoes, large sack, flask of oil, 4GP

Telaanah
Type: Humanoid  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 15  IN 8  DX 13  PS 14  CH 14  CN 10
HP 40  AC 6 / fibre armour
Physical Mutations: Sonic Blast
Mental Mutations: Repulsion Field, Empathy, Mental Blast
Equipment: short bow & 20 arrows, club, shoes, 2GP

Orbetz
Type: Pure Strain human  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 10  IN 12  DX 10  PS 15  CH 12  CN 11
HP 51  AC 5(-1) / studded leather & shield
Equipment: spear, sling & 30 stones, shoes, 2GP













Notes: For those that don't know Gamma World, attributes are Mental Strength, INtelligence, DeXterity, Physical Strength, CHarisma, CoNstitution. Hit dice are equal to CN; d6 for mutants, d8 for pure strain humans. DX affects to-hit rolls, PS affects damage, but none of the PCs has scores below 6 or above 15 in these, so no bonuses/penalties.

They all began with access to Tech Level I (primitive) equipment only. But as this is a post apocalyptic game from the 80s, they have unfettered access to Tech Level II & III hair product.

Zeenat's combination of mutations is something that we never hit upon as kids, even in our worst power-gamey moments. Heightened precision add +2d6 damage per attack. Skeletal Enhancement adds +2d6 with swords, maces, spears etc. Intuition adds +3damage per die. So a 1d6 shortsword hits for 5d6+15 damage in the hands of this character, and Duality lets her attack twice per round.

Dervington's Modified Body Parts allows him to speak normally, but he still lacks hands, so he needs help to put things into his belt pouches, and can't use most artefacts or tools.

Poor Kug was the only one to roll Defect mutations. His roll for hit points (17d6) was even a bit below average.

Shields in Gamma World do not affect Armour Class, but instead apply a penalty to your opponent's attack rolls. Humans & humanoids travel at reduced speed if not wearing shoes/boots.

The Adventure Begins...

The PCs arrive in separately at the walled town of Horn, stronghold of Baron Jemmas. They gravitate towards the SE quarter, known as Mutant Town. There they meet in a saloon, and begin to hear rumours of attacks on the town of Jeffton by hideous mutant insects. They also hear rumours of a substantial reward for the destruction of this menace. As they are all are down to their last handful of gold coins (save for Dervington), they decide to head out together to destroy the mutant menace.

Dervington spends 12GP on 14 days rations (2 1/3 days each) and 2 waterskins. The rest each give him an IOU for 11 domars, payable from their first treasure.

It takes two days to walk to Jeffton, but they encounter no one (or thing) of note along the road.

Jeffton is a town of 200 souls surrounded by a wooden palisade. Enquiring about the reward leads our heroes to an audience with the mayor, a friendly pure strain human named Hubert Frump. He explains that local hunters and trappers have been reporting a steady decrease in game animals, and farmers' cattle have been going missing. Three days ago some mutant insects attacked some children playing in the woods. Two were abducted but one escaped. A rescue party was sent after them, but never returned.

The mayor promises a reward of artefact weapons for destruction of the menace, and an additional reward of ancient technology if the children are rescued. He gives the party 2 insecticide grenades [the two pure strain humans take them; the grenades 75% of killing each insect (roll separately) in a 6m radius], and suggests they begin their investigation at the Genser Goose ranch 3km to the north east. They set out immediately.

The Ambush

As they head out of town, the party is unaware they are being watched. After 2km, they crest a hill and see a strange sight. Thirty metres away, on the outskirts of a forest, and man in ragged clothing is being menaced by a 2m tall bloated termite-like creature. It pulls the man into the trees and out of sight, and all they can hear is the man's frantic screaming of "Buggems no! Buggems no!"

The cry that will haunt your dreams, O adventurer

The party give chase. Telaanah's Empathy mutation detects other buggems, and she whispers this fact to her comrades. They approach the scene cautiously, Telaanah loosing an arrow and Reebla throwing axe, but neither hits the buggem. As mêlée is joined, three more buggems burrow up from the dirt surrounding the party, but they had been forewarned. The fight is short and brutal, and the buggems are soon vanquished. One escapes through the wood, but allowed to escape.

The man is dying of his wounds, and with his dying breath he tells the party that he was part of the rescue party, the farmhouse has been taken over, and as far as he knows the rest of his companions were captured.

The Farm

They search the farmhouse from top to bottom. In the basement they discover a dirt tunnel. They light some torches and begin to explore the dun-- er, the underground tunnels. [Since I was playing analogue and could therefore see the whole map, I rolled dice to determine which direction the PCs would travel.]

7. The Embryots

The party first come to a chamber with a low ceiling from which white pulsating egg sacs are hanging. There is a large Parn (or 'Sword Beetle') which appears to be sleeping, but Telaanah's Empathy reveals it to be dead.

Oh, spellcheck, you really don't understand Gamma World

Four parn embryots break out of the sacs and attack. Telaanah and Kug weaken two with their Mental Blasts [3d6 damage] and Zeenat cuts one in half with her shortsword [5d6+15! the biggest one has 16hp]. Dervington kills one with a claw/claw/horn combination. Orbetz inflicts a single point of damage with his spear, and the embryot latches onto him, and begins to drain his vital fluids [10 damage per round!], but [Round 2] he and his friend make short work of it before it can drain him to a husk.

They destroy all the other sacs, ignorant of healing properties of fluid within [cures 3d6hp per litre consumed, which is just not the sort of thing  I could see my PCs trying on a whim].

Carefully skirting the flood chamber, they continue to...

6. The Zarn Lair

...find the missing children lying on the floor of a small chamber, alive but unresponsive. "There's something else alive here," says Telaanah.

Two 30cm long Zarns ('Borer Beetles') spray poison at Kug and Dervington. Kug is unharmed, but Dervington is paralysed by the venom. Telaanah indicates the holes where the zarns are hiding.

[Round 2]
Zeenat throws a dagger as one of the zarns pokes its head out, killing it before it can spray more poison [1d4+2d6+9=18 damage]. Telaanah and Kug destroy the other with Mental Blasts.

As they are about to check on the children, three buggems enter. One is unarmed, the other two wield battle axes (and can still bite). They attack our heroes ferociously, and after 3 rounds more buggems appear. One uses its Gas Generation mutation to create an opaque cloud [-4 attacks, +4 AC penalty for fighting blind to all within the cloud].

the battle rages...

Orbetz panics and pops his insecticide grenade, killing the buggems. A search of the room turns up a 9mm browning pistol and ammunition, which Orbetz takes. He discovers its working without incident. They decide to leave the children until the warren is clear, and continue on.

They find an exit tunnel [from 6], and backtrack. Zeenat does not notice a concealed pit, and falls in. Fortunately her Skeletal Enhancement mutation absorbs half the damage from the fall, but a toxic slime at the bottom burns her skin [3d6 x1/2 for skeletal enhancement =6 +2d6=7 toxin; she's down to 50hp]. She manages to climb out on her own [needing to roll less than the average of her PS and CN on 1d20].

They continue northwards down the tunnel to...

1. Herp Infant

...the lair of a juvenile Herp ('Tiger Beetle'). It sprays acid [6d6 damage] at Dervington, but fortunately misses.  The party easily hack apart the creature.

They proceed through twisting passages to...

3. Buggem Guard Room

...a chamber where three buggems are waiting. Everyone (save Zeenat, courtesy of her Intuition mutation) is taken by surprise. One shoots Zeenat with a poisoned crossbow bolt, but her mutant resilience makes it little more than a flesh wound [1d6/2=3 damage; with a 14 Constitution, she is immune to Intensity 9 poison]. The other two charge. Between combined force of arms and Mental Blasts, the fight does not last long.

The buggems treasure consists of a laser pistol, stage III ID, and anti-radiation serum. Zeenat examines the serum [+7 bonus to understand artefacts], and learns its use. Reebla examines the pistol, but cannot, and puts it in her sack for later.

They wander some more, discovering a very long (over 1km) tunnel leading outside. Turning back again, they eventually reach...

2. Herp Egg Chamber

...the herps' birthing place. One of the beetle is hatching as they enter, but Kug stuns it with his Mental Paralysis. It is put to the sword, and the other eggs are destroyed.

From there they walk right beneath a parn's mound. Zeenat takes the sword beetle by surprise, and skewers it with her sword before it can attack [thereby earning all 35 Status Points (=XP)].

One of the tunnels beneath the mound leads to...

8. Fungus Garden

... a chamber lit by giant phosphorescent mushrooms. The two buggems which labour here are no match for our heroes, who are not about to sample any of the fungus as this maze of terror is a bad enough trip on its own.

Next they discover...

9. Buggem Nursery Chamber

... a meter-deep trough filled with glowing coals, which blocks the entrance to a large open area. Within six bloated pure strain human men shuffle aimlessly about as if drugged through piles of mutilated corpses and bones. The men have each been implanted with a buggem embryo, and are past hope. The party put the humans out of their misery, then flee the scene of horror.

10. Guard Chamber

They go through more twisting tunnels and into an irregularly shaped room where six buggem warriors are stationed, armed with two-handed swords and crossbows. Reebla tosses her grenade into the room, but one of the buggems scoops it up and jumps into a drainage pit; its sacrifice saves rest.

The ensuing battle is swiftly over. Orbetz is let down when his new pistol artefact jams on the first shot,  and Telaanah is sorely injured by bite and sword so that she must call up her Repulsion Field (3m force field) to hide behind. But the others fight savagely, and the buggems are vanquished one by one, down to the last which Kug hold in his Mental Paralysis until its nervous system shorts out [holding a target for 4 consecutive rounds kills it from shock].

A trove of artefacts is stuffed into niches in the walls, but the party leave them for later. "All this treasure; the queen must be near," observes [1d6=] Kug.

11. The Telepath
A scuttling sound is heard as they advance down the next tunnel. The party rush forward, and come into a rubbish-strewn chamber. As they near the centre, they are caught in a large explosion [6d6 damage each].

Zeenat uses her Regeneration to heal somewhat [recovering 16hp], but by now everyone is sorely injured.

Current Hit Points
Zeenat 37/62
Dervington 26/56
Kug 17/56
Reebla 34/75
Telaanah 10/40
Orbetz 13/51

6d6 damage

Zeenat goes on ahead, the others lag well behind, waiting for her signal. She follows the tunnel as it slopes upward, and comes to a dead end where the Buggem Telepath, a hideous mutation with an overlarge head, is digging ferociously towards the surface. Sensing itself trapped here, it fills the tunnel with poison gas [Gas Generation mutation, Intensity 14]. Zeenat chokes and sputters and coughs blood [takes 5d6 damage, dropping to 23hp]. She activate her Life Leech power in retaliation, siphoning the very life energy of the buggem and infusing it in her own body [it takes 6 damage, which she gains back to her own HP].

[Round 2]
The buggem targets her with an artefact weapon (Mark V blaster) as she retreats out of the gas cloud. One of the sonic beams rips through her [7d6=23 damage] and she is nearly slain. But moments later the buggem drops dead, a withered husk drained by the Life Leech.

With the buggem leader dead, the heroes collect the missing children from the zarn lair and return to Jeffton to claim the reward.

You'll never defeat me! NOOOOoooooooo....

fin.

omnia mutantur, nihil interit

Just thinking out loud as I grapple with a decision that's already half made...

LotFP had become one of my comfort games, in the way that Hammer Horror is comforting when I'm down and/or ill. This latest burst of real-world drama (I missed the November one) is overshadowing that now. Mr. Raggi's official statement was great -- up until the end where it went really wrong. As much as I want to support him for doing the right thing... ack.

So no LotFP for me for a while, but I'll see how things go in the future before I decide what to do with my 1601 AD campaign(s).

But this had awakened some old notions that perhaps I should change systems with my elf campaign (I still call it that, even though only 1 of the 8 is still an active PC, and the only other survivor retired from adventuring). I've mentioned more than once that as much as I love the game, it did seem a bit like the PCs' primary activities were killing things and making saving throws; this is the eternal problem with OSR games and as a solitaire player I find it especially hard to get past. The first time I thought of changing systems was right after playing through the adventure of the Château Télème. I even remember when it first crossed my mind; I was sitting outside on the terrace of a pub overlooking the river Eden (in Kent), waiting for my wife to come back from the bar with a couple pints, and speculating idly on changing over to BRP since I seemed to be veering towards CoC adventures instead of hex- and dungeon-crawling.

The pitifully small amount of BRP adventures on this blog belies my love for the system. It is not as easy to get a campaign started, though. Despite the lack of in-built setting, I can riff off D&D in my sleep, having DMed it for countless years. It always comes out as D&D, but at least there is some comfort in the familiar.

Trying to run Magic World this way made my campaign fall flat (though the amnesiac PC didn't help much either). BRP has a more intricate system, and thus demands a more thoughtful setting. I have a pretty severe aversion to too much campaign set-up, but... χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά.

I don't like changing systems mid-campaign, so I left it in the realm of speculation. It just seems weird that the PCs would wake up one day and all their powers work differently. The change from 3rd edition D&D to 3.5 was subtle enough that most of our group barely had to amend their character sheets. The only other change of rules during a campaign I've been involved in was that slow slide from Basic/Expert set over to AD&D when I was 10 (my friends and I all loved the new monsters and magic items, but we were suspicious at first of the larger hit die sizes for fighter, clerics, and thieves, as we thought they would be over-powered!).

In any case, it's going to take some time to sort the campaign out. Firstly, I need to decide which bits of BRP I'm going to use. There's a lot of options in the Big Golden Book, plus some monographs and various odds and ends I've found on the web. Then I need to convert characters. Lastly I need to decide where to start. I'll probably eliminate the rest of the dungeon crawl that immediately comes after the last post I made, since I've been dreading writing it up for a while now. It was fun to play, but it is the very one that made me decide I needed to use something more than just the DMG's Appendix A.

I'll probably find some other game to post about in the immediate future, whilst I figure this all out. I'll leave off with some more Ovid which suits my frame of mind about this now:

  nec manet ut fuerat nec formam servat eandem,
  sed tamen ipsa eadem est, animam sic semper eandem
  esse, sed in varias doceo migrare figuras.

Ov. Met. 15.170-173




(Translated poetry makes me ill, but if you need help, go here and click on either of the load buttons in the right sidebar by the English (1922 or 1957) translations. Start after the word Argos in blue.)

I believe her

I only ever exist on the periphery of the gaming scene, being allergic to most fora & chat boards & their associated dramas, but even so, every now and then I hear about what's transpring in the larger gaming community.

So now I've seen this: https://www.facebook.com/amandapatricianagy/posts/10215845527064252

I believe Mandy.

I wasn't initially going to post anything, as I've never interacted with any of those involved, but I wouldn't want my silence to be construed as indifference, or worse.

I have three aims with this blog, being the promotion of solo gaming (leading by example), sharing my little adventure, and turning others on to the games I think are great and really ought to be played. Not that it ever needed my help, but LotFP is definitely in this latter category for me.

I've never really gotten much use out of Zak's stuff, but I play a lot of LotFP (80+ posts!), with which he is rather connected. When he was just some guy I'd heard of who was toxic on the internet, I could ignore it and keep on looking up a rule here and there in the books bearing his name without thinking on it at all. But this has rather poisoned the well. I do hope Mr. Raggi makes a public statement and does the right thing by it, otherwise I'll never again be able to support his game in good conscience. I've given up on other publishers for less. Having to potentially give up on my campaigns is a depressing thought, but I'll survive. Anyway, this isn't about me.

I'm glad Mandy had the courage to come forward, and may it speed her healing.

LotFP Solo - Part the Sixty-second: "Go, grasp the shadow of your vanished power"

A preternatural shiver of unease comes over Lycinia as she crosses the threshold in to the enormous, low chamber. "There is old magic here," thinks the elf. Hazarding a glance back over her shoulder, she sees her two human companions following hard behind her shudder as they pass through the stone doorway. "Even they can feel it."

The immense chamber [Room XII - special] seems to have been carved in one piece out of the living rock. Despite the low ceiling (scarcely 8' high), the room is so vast that it not only swallows the elf's torchlight, but there is a zone of utter blackness between her illumination and the lanterns glowing near the far wall.

Lycinia can make out four figures in the distant lantern light. A pair of women are sitting on wooden crates, absorbed in a game of cards. One of the women wears a coat of mail, and their weapons and shields are lying close at hand. Behind them is a long wooden table, piled high with all manner of jars and beakers and parchments. The other two figures are rapt in deep contemplation of a section of the wall, upon which some writing or sigils have been scrawled in chalk. The man holds a parchment scroll, and appears to be taking dictation. He  is clad in a mail byrnie, and wears a broad sword at his belt. The woman is unmistakable: expensive, brocaded coat of foreign make, white-gold hair, striking yet almost emaciated features: the witch, Jola.

The four soon realise they are not alone, and turn to meet the approaching band, as their circle of light moves closer through the vast darkness. Weapons are taken up and held in cautious readiness.

[CRGE: to endings
Q: Are they willing to talk at all? 67+8=yes, surge 10]

"There's a face I didn't expect to see," says Jola. "Tell me, elf, do you come in peace? or are you bent on ruining all my great works?" [UNE: hostile-injury-last story]

"I shan't stand idly by whilst you call forth beings who do not rightly walk this plane, if that's what you mean."

"A pity it is, my fairy friend, that that one who should have such command of the secret arts would throw away the promise of such knowledge for a trifling prejudice!"

[Q: Does Brichtrethe over-react to Lycinia's accusations of summoning? 89+10, Yes, and unexpectedly...Entering the Red]

"Fine words from one who r--"

"Daemonolaters!" shrieks Brichtrethe and charges across the room, heavy mace poised above her head to strike.

[Surprise rolls for her outburst: Party 1, bad guys 6
Initiative: bad guys win initiative, so act before Brichtrethe (and/or as she is charging)

          CH CN DX IN ST WI HP AC
Anna f5 f 10 11 16  8 14 14 27 19 chain, shield, battle axe
Vere s6 m  5 10  8 14 12 13 26 15 chain, broadsword
Neli f0 f 10 10  5  6 12  6  3 15 leather, shield, broadsword, lt. xbow
Jola m7 f 14 11 11 16 10  7 24 12 shortsword

Useful treasure-
Vere: potion of undead control
Jola: Potion of Defence (+4AC for 10mins), magic boots*

Jola's Spellbook**
1 Shield, Sleep, Hold Portal, (Magic Missile, Charm Person, Read Magic)
2 Invisibility, Mirror Image, Continual Light, (Wizard Lock, Forget)
3 Army of One, Hold Person, (Dispel Magic)
4 Minor Globe of Invulnerability

* the boots' effect doesn't apply in this scene
** spells in parentheses are not currently memorised]

[Round 1]
The woman in leather armour (Neli) fires her crossbow at the charging cleric, but the bolt sails past her and clatters against a wall in the darkness. Jola begins rasping out the words to a sinister incantation as the man beside her (Vere) draws his broadsword. The mail-clad woman hefts a double-bladed battleaxe and waits behind the crossbow-woman until the last moment. She lashes out at Brichtrethe, and deals a punishing blow to her helm, which --by the Light God's Radiant Grace-- glances off it with a spark [still doing 7 damage, leaving B with 6hp]. Brichtrethe's impetus carries her on and she brings her weapon down upon Neli's sternum with a crack that her companions can hear even across the room. She falls lifeless, the impression of the mace head stamped permanently into her leather cuirass [(6+3=9)x2=18damage drops her to -15hp].

Jola finishes her awful spell. Complete enervation overwhelms Oswold, Thiery, Ruprecht, and even Manfred. They slump to the floor, unconscious [she cast Sleep, affecting 2d8=11HD: everyone but Lycinia, who is immune].

[Round 2]
Anna and Brichtrethe are now locked in combat. Each circles the other, as axe and mace rebound repeatedly off stout shields. Vere slinks up behind Brichtrethe, but her heavy mail turns aside the blade of his sword [all miss]. Jola chants a staccato string of sibilant syllables. A shimmering globe envelops her and stretches out to cover Anna [Minor Globe of Invulnerability. 1d3-1=1 friends in range: 1d3=Anna (Jola can't move if casting)] as well.

Meanwhile Lycinia has been working magic of her own. Vere begins to droop. His sword begins to fall, the he suddenly lays himself down on the floor for a nap [a targeted Sleep spell puts him under].

[Round 3]
[As half her party has been taken out, Anna needs to make a Morale check; rolling for her as Jola's hireling gives her ML9; she makes the roll easily.] Brichtrethe tries to press her advantage as Anna is suddenly facing her alone. But she falsely adjudges hesitation in her opponent, whose axe strikes true. Brichtrethe is dashed to the ground at Anna's feet, bleeding profusely [7 damage reduces Brichtrethe to -1hp, hors de combat]. Jola pulls at the hidden strings of the world, and in a moment is surrounded by [1d4=] four perfect duplicates of herself [cast Mirror Image], who mimic her every movement.

Lycinia kicks Manfred awake.

[Round 4]
Anna kicks off from the fallen Brichtrethe like a runner off her mark. She charges at Lycinia, whose enchanted sword rings as it knocks the axe well aside. Manfred makes a lunge at Anna before he has quite regained his feet[-2 to hit], with predictably little effect.

Jola whispers the secret name of the Air, and it promises to ward off the blows of these her enemies [casts Shield for AC17, 19 vs. missiles].

[Round 5]
Lycinia ducks back at the last moment, as Anna's axe whooshes past her face [Anna missed by 1]. Her own riposte bites deeply into the links of Anna's mail, but they do not yield [miss]. Manfred snakes his sword under Anna's shield, and she earns a nasty gash along her forearm [6 damage puts her at 21hp].

Jola again uses her magics, and tries to dazzle the Lycinia's sight with a glimpse of the Ultimate Truth (though were Brichtrethe aware thereof, she'd no doubt point out the blasphemous nature of this Counterfeit Surety), but the young elf [makes her saving throw against Continual Light] feels the hateful magic pass over her and drain away.

[Round 6]
Anna cannot find a weakness in the elf's defence. Manfred makes another feint at her, but she's learnt his trick, and knocks his sword away on the rim of her shield. Lycinia chooses that very instant to lunge, and the tip of her blade comes back all bloody [6 damage drops Anna to 15hp].

Jola gives up on trying to affect a creature of magic with magic, and targets instead her mortal comrade. Manfred feels a jolt of pain flash along his spine, but such is the rage seething within the former earl's breast that the curse can have no hold upon him [saves against Hold Person].

[Round 7]
Anna's rage may nearly be the equal of Manfred's. She smashes through Lycinia's parry, and only the elf's mail coat keeps her arm from being severed at the shoulder. She is staggered from the pain, but as Anna is in close, she smashes the human woman's jaw with the hilt of her sword [both hit; coincidentally they both rolled 9 damage, and both are left with 6hp]. Manfred doesn't want to hit his friend, and hesitates [miss].

Jola kicks Vere awake.

[Rounds 8-10]
Anna's eyes go blurry from the pain of her broken jaw and her wild swings go nowhere near the elf until she finally lands a glancing blow against her mail-clad thigh [3 damage drops Lycinia to 3hp]. Lycinia ducks and weaves under the heavy axe, and connects mostly with Anna's shield. She gets in a single hit, which is stopped completely by Anna's steel pauldron, but the shock jars her injury anew, sending fresh waves of pain through her skull [4 damage drops her to 2 hp]. 

Vere and Manfred square off. Manfred meets his workman-like swordplay with a bit too much flair, and nearly loses an ear in the process [6 damage leaves Manfred with 11hp].

Jola stands back and watches, content to let her cronies risk their lives. She begins to suspect that, once again, that damnable elf girl's friends are going to be victorious, and uses her magic to disappear [casts Invisibility].

[Rounds 11-13]
[Q: Do Anna & Vere notice Jola's disappearance? 66, Yes; surge 2
Vere ML8; A makes her Morale roll, V fails]

Jola's companions notice she is no longer in the room. Vere panics and bolts from the room. Manfred is almost too startled to give chase. He hesitates just long enough for Vere to sprint out of the chamber and disappear into the darkness. Manfred halts at the edge of the ring of Thiery's lantern light. He is none to concerned about the fleeing warrior, but the thought of being caught alone in the darkness by that strange witch stops him cold.

Anna and Lycinia circle each other. Each makes a few tentative swings at the other, but their arms scarcely even connect. And then there is a blur of motion [natural 20!], and Anna watches dumbly as the elf retracts a gore-drenched sword from her stomach; the light leaves her eyes forever [7 damage puts her at -5hp].

As Lycinia wipes the blood from her sword, Manfred sets about waking the rest of their companions, roughly shaking them, seeming to take perverse delight in shocking them back to their senses. At last, with vulgar bravado, trying to conceal the worry in the pit of his stomach -- from himself even more so than the rest -- he goes to check on the fallen Brichtrethe. So great is his joy at finding her still living, that he thunders and blasphemes with relief.

"Can she be moved?" asks Lycinia. "Jola's going to be coming looking for us before too long. Once she realises I've stolen her spellbook."

"We need time to regroup ourselves," says Thiery with a yawn. "You three are looking a bit worse for wear. We should probably let you rest a bit. I know: we'll use the time to dig through all their treasure!"

"Charming," growls Manfred. "But in this instance I am inclined to agree with you. It might hold some clues to... to whatever this nonsense is."

"This must be the gate," says Lycinia, her eyes sparkling. "The stone door those guild apprentices told us about. The one Jola can't open..."

"Does any of this scribbling mean something to you?" asks Manfred. "Can you read it at all? Lycinia? Lycinia, I'm talking to you... <sigh> I'm afraid we've lost her in wizard land, lads. Come, let's have a look at this treasure and determine what's good to keep!"

[The piles of treasure include Treasure Types C+F (from the vanquished shadows & thouls)

C: 8x bulky items (worth 2d10sp each), fairly large opal (2000sp)
F: 70GP, 3x special item: bolt of silk (40sp), rare spice (9.8lbs, 70sp/lb. =686sp total), statuette of gilded silver (600sp)
Neli: 86sp
Anna: 4xjewellery (900sp, 1000sp, 1100sp, 1400sp)]

Most of the [bulky]items on the table are either alchemical devices too heavy or fragile to move, or else domestic implements of no great worth. But there is a bolt of fine silk which has miraculously survived the damp, and several jars of rare spices mixed in amongst the expected containers of salt, sulphur, and mercury.

In one of the crates, a rotten leather purse contains 70 antique gold coins, and a good-sized opal is wrapped in mouldering cloth. There is also a heavy statuette of gilded silver in the form of a temple façade, in which a scene from the life of some saint or other is depicted. Sadly the cleric is not in any state to elucidate the sacred meaning of this lovely piece, or perhaps her companions are fortunate to be spared the accompanying sermon; who is to say?

Thiery finds that Anna had a penchant for fine jewellery: a pair of golden rings with pink sapphires, a delicate golden brooch, and a gold pendant in the shape of a dragon with a drop pearl and mother of pearl inlay. His first instinct is to pocket at least one of these items, but he suspects that Manfred doesn't like him, and is probably watching.

They divide up the coins and jewels for now, and decide to come back for the rest. Lycinia wants to check on the poor apprentices, and asks Oswold if he will watch over Dame Brichtrethe whilst they are gone; it should only be a few minutes. He at first refuses, but Ruprecht agrees to stay behind too, and shows Oswold how to use Neli's crossbow.

[Q: Will Oswold wait with Dame B whilst they look? 19-2=17 No. surge 4
Q: What if R stays too? 84+4=88, Yes and... he'll even take Neli's xbow

I allowed a 1-in-6 chance for the PCs to get lost, as they weren't really mapping before: d6=not lost
I also rolled for random encounters, my usual 1-in-6 per room traversed: no encounters

Q: Jola been here? 80+4, Yes. surge 6
Q: Was she able to convince them of anything? 41-6, No surge 8
Q: Is there anything keeping them here? 44-8, No surge 10
Q: Will they come with PCs? 76+10, Yes and... fight Jola if needed]

The wretched trio of fledgling magicians do not seem at all surprised to see Lycinia, Manfred, and Thiery's return, though Thranxar is seen to shudder at the congealing blood still dripping from the elf's mail.

"She was here," says the young wizard. "And in such a state as we've never before seen. What did you do?"

"Oh, you know," says Lycinia, "just talking over old times."

"She tried to convince us to come with her -- she said you were slaughtering everything still living in the dungeons."

"Would that we were!" says Manfred. "One of 'em got away."

"Did she say anything else?" asks Lycinia.

"She's still certain she can unlock the power below. She just needs more time." [UNE: prejudiced-belief-power]

"She probably doesn't yet know that I took her spellbook," says Lycinia. The apprentice wizards cannot but laugh at this most unexpected news. They readily agree to accompany Lycinia away from this accursed place.

[Q: Has Jola laid an ambush? 28, no. surge 2]

The easily portable treasure is divided up [everything except the silk and bulky items], and the apprentices are given arms. Ruprecht elects to carry Brichtrethe, though getting her up the ladder at the entrance requires some hastily devised pivots and a goodly length of rope. Manfred supervises the operation with more than a little solicitude.

By evening they are back at their camp on the beach. They gather enough driftwood for a small fire, and set upon their travel rations as 'twere a lordly feast.

Thiery espies a deer away in the long grass. He takes a shot at it with Ruprecht's arquebus, but the affrighted beast merely bounds away unharmed; no venison shall supplement their meagre victuals this day. [1d6=random encounter, herd animal. It occurred to me well after the fact that this island is probably too small to reasonably support a population of deer. Whatever they really saw disguised as a deer can be determined later; though it's a safe bet the encounter was no coincidence.]

As night falls, the watches are set. The addition of the three apprentice wizards more than makes up for unconscious cleric. Manfred's uncharacteristic concern for his fellows continues, as he suggests Lycinia's injuries [3/22hp] should excuse her from watch duty, and -- even more surprisingly -- the elf acquiesces without an argument. She does, however, settle in by the fire with Jola's captured spellbook, taking advantage of the eternally-disapproving cleric's incapacity to peruse the tome. When Manfred is awakened for his watch, he must chide the curious elf into finally going to sleep -- lest she be too tired in the morning to work any of the new magics she has found.

[Lycinia cast Read Magic on the spellbook, so can memorise spells out of it from now on.

Q: Can B get spells in morning for curing? 94+2, yes and... she's aware enough that Lycinia doesn't dare use Jola's spellbook in front of her

O & R +1hp overnight

morning cure light wounds (x4):
L+6 to 9hp
B+9+8 to 17hp
M+8 to 19hp

Q: Is there enough room in the PCs boats for passengers? 18, No. surge 2]

day 112

In the morning, Brichtrethe works her miracles to heal the most egregious injuries of her companions -- and herself. A small detachment marches up the beach to look for the boat which the apprentices sailed to the island, but it is no longer where they moored it. Nor indeed are any boats that Jola and her minions may have used.

[Q: Boat(s) still there? 28-2=26, no surge 4
Q: Can they make a raft from timber? 98+4, Yes, and Unexpectedly...Montage]

They return to their companions with the news, strike camp, then march en masse back to the ruins. They discover that the provisions from Jola's encampment in the high tower have been befouled, but there is no other sign of the witch. But they are able to find a sufficient quantity of useable timber, and spend the rest of the day constructing a raft. As they labour, the sounds of distant cannon are heard thundering across the water. "That should end the siege," remarks Brichtrethe.


day 113

The guns continue late into the night, but the weary company manage to get unimpeded rest [no encounters]. In the stillness of the morning they set sail across the calm waters of Lake Ild, and reach Uldmere by nightfall. Brichtrethe pulls rank to get an interview with the general, who has naught but bad news to relate.

The siege of Castle Uldmere has indeed been ended; the fortress' walls were holed, and the defenders quickly surrendered. But alas there is no joy in victory, for de Molleré and his trusted companions have long since fled, taking the castle's treasures with them [2d6=11, Thiery's rumour (from character creation) is Completely True].

The mood in the King's army was already bad, but worsened still as rumours of the empty treasury fly through the ranks. Many mercenaries have been heard to open consider sacking the village of Uldmere for war booty. The King's soldiers just want to go home. Brichtrethe returns to her companions to find that Oswold [ML=7] has scarpered with his share of the treasure, and the horses they left behind are nowhere to be found.


day 114

Anxious to put some distance between themselves and the simmering discontent, the party set out along the lake shore heading for Ildmarch. The journey passes almost without incident. They [1d6=randomly] encounter at one point a group of six soldiers-turned-bandits, but these wretched souls are so cowed by the fearsome and bloodied aspect of the travellers that they let them pass by in peace [outnumbered; they failed their Morale check so didn't attack].

day 116

And thus they arrive at Ildmarch on the evening of the third day. Lycinia makes straight for the Mage's Guild with the three apprentices, occasioning much excitement in that otherwise quiet and brooding place. One wizard in particular is pleased to see the elf's return, and with such news; but of her plans we must yet be silent, until the time is ripe for such knowledge.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~


Then it was time to break for some accounting and downtime activities before the return to the dungeon.


XP

Each surviving PC earned 2676xp.

Ruprecht is now a 3rd level fighter, his hit points increase by 1d8=1 (damn! I totally called that when he rolled 8 for 2nd level...)
Thiery becomes a 2nd level specialist; +1d6=4hp, +1 tinker, +1 search (his XP total caps at halfway to 3rd level)


Treasure

After converting the spices and some of the ugly jewellery to cash, the PCs receive 2254sp & 4cp each. To simplify accounting, I gave them each the equivalent of 2100sp, assuming the rest to be (over-)spent on food, lodging, and carousing (or tithing).

Each of them ponies up 1200sp so they can buy a small sailboat to get back to the island more easily. Lycinia gives a little extra to Brichtrethe so she can afford the 1000sp for a suit of plate armour.


Downtime

Lycinia spends most of the two weeks in Ildmarch at the guild. I used the Cities catch-up tables for everyone else. Ruprecht did his best to lay low, and had no events. Manfred befriended a merchant, and was able to invest 900sp in a shipping concern. Thiery helped an aristocrat, who gave him a 10,000sp investment! Brichtrethe recruited another fighter for the party. I have a few old PCs lying round, veterans of random dungeons from when I first got LotFP, and it seems foolish to let them go to waste, so party numbers from losses (and/or desertions) can be made up by them for a while.

After this point, I switched game systems over to Chaosium's BRP. You can read about the conversion process, or just skip ahead to the next part of the adventure.

LotFP Solo - Part the Sixty-first: „Wenn ich unter traurenden Ruinen“

In the bottom of the central shaft of the ruined tower there is a small anteroom. Within the dark little cell yawns a deep well leading down, down below the very foundations of the tower to the castle dungeons. A ladder of recent construction sits in the well. There is no doubt but that the evil Jola is somewhere to be found at the bottom.

Lycinia packs her unloaded pistol into her backpack. Ruprecht goes outside of the tower to discharge his arquebus into the ground (lest it be turned against them), and leaves it propped in an out-of-the way alcove for later retrieval. All eyes are on Thiery, who insists on having his pistols at the ready. Manfred protests that his ears are still ringing for their earlier battle -- and that in a place exposed to the air -- but Thiery proves intractable. No one wants to start an argument at the entrance to the dungeon, so the matter drops.

[Next scene: find Jola in the dungeon
CRGE: 'to conflict'

The dungeon was run with the DMG Appendix A. To simulate the dungeon being explored and partly cleared by Jola & friends, for each room the PCs discover I'll roll 1d20 for the room contents. Any results of 1-12 (empty) will be re-rolled on the 1d12+8 I usually use to see what had been there before. A Special result indicates that Jola and the aforementioned unopenable door has been found. Any treasures from the previously cleared rooms will be in the special room as well. The first level of the dungeon is DL 3 for purposes of random encounters etc.]

Oswold's lantern is lit, and lowered down on the end of a rope, which is just long enough to set it on the floor of the room below [Room I: empty - empty]. Lycinia volunteers to go down first. The ladder wobbles but is otherwise sturdy. One by one her companions join her at the bottom.

Four corridors lead away from the bottom of the shaft in all directions. There are two iron-framed doors as well, though one of these appears to be partly rusted shut. As the other shows signs of recent use -- powdered rust around it on the floor -- the party decide to check behind it.

It opens into a long, dark corridor.

"I'll go first," says Thiery. "There could be traps."

He proceeds at a slow walk, and makes a big show of looking round at the floor and ceilings, but no one is quite sure how effectively. Manfred would prefer to trust Lycinia's elven senses to detect any danger ahead, but he holds his tongue; he wouldn't be half sorry to see Thiery -- that is, SIR Thiery -- fall into a spiked pit or somesuch.

There is another door at the end of the corridor. Thiery pronounces it 'clear' and nudges it gingerly open with his foot.

The room beyond [Room II - Treasure only] is an enormous triangular chamber. Most of the centre of the chamber is made up of a pile of rotting wood, the remains of costly furnishings. The walls are covered floor to ceiling in stone carvings done in high relief, which unaccountably for a wizard's tomb seem to be scenes from the lives of the saints. The carvings continue down a passage leading out of the room, but this dead-ends in a small carven chapel.

The party examine the reliefs carefully, hoping to find some hidden meaning, but Brichtrethe assures them that the scenes are all correct and entirely conventional. Thiery does make one interesting discovery: inside the broken head of a monk, someone has concealed 15 gold coins [Treasure - inside item in plain view; 5gp x DL, per the (value-adjusted) unguarded Appendix A treasure table]. The coins bear the stamp of the current King, so whoever concealed them here did so recently.

Lycinia makes an interesting discovery of her own: the carved 'altar' is actually a secret door. Beyond the door is another chamber, much plainer than then one they've just left [Room III : empty - trick/trap]. In the southeast corner there is an open trapdoor, which had been painted to resemble the stone floor. The pit it reveals is deep enough that the lamplight does not shew the bottom [Chute down 1 level (cannot be ascended in any manner].

A long corridor leads out of the room, and crosses the entry shaft. They continue straight through it, and wind up in a maze of twisty passages, all alike. After an age of cautious advance, they come upon a large chamber [Room IV - empty (was: monster & treasure - 5 thouls)] which is heaped high with rubbish, splintered wood, and broken bits of masonry, forming a stinking warren of cramped passages through the space. A pair of disfigured, oozing corpses, both partially burnt, are visible down the first 'passage' into the den. No one is particularly interested in rooting through filth, so they pass it by.

It is clear that Jola's party have already explored this way, so our heroes spend less time examining the already-picked-over surroundings in favour of seeking out the witch.

The next room they come through appears to be a great dining hall [Room V - trap]. But this hall was made for the dead to feast, not the living. The great stone table and chairs seem to have been carved right out of the floor, and the food and drink piled high upon the table is all made of painted clay.

[1d6=] Brichtrethe triggers a hidden trap, and is scorched by a lance of fire [failed save vs. magic, 2d6=6 damage, leaving her with 13hp], but she shrugs it off.

The corridor leading out ends in another room [room VI - empty - empty] done up in much the same style as the dining hall, but resembling a well-stocked larder.

There was a door they had passed on the way to the dining hall, and they pause to investigate it on their way back. Thiery examines it, and finds it innocuous, but has a hard time pulling it open. Lycinia steps in and gives the handle a mighty pull [Trap - falling door, save vs. Petrification or suffer 1d10 damage]. The heavy door pivots from the bottom and falls over on her. With consummate grace [natural 20] she springs aside, and the false door crashes to the stone floor unimpeded. Thiery pretends not to notice the elf's glacial stare.

Brichtrethe bids them remember their mission, and they press onward. A pit opening up in the midst of a corridor necessitates some backtracking and a detour, but luckily Thiery, still in the lead, did not fall in [saved vs. Petrification]. Nor was he pushed.

At length they find another chamber [Room VII - empty - monster], which was once the lair of three cow-sized reptilian horrors. These now lie dead amongst the filth in which they made their lair.

In the next room [Room VIII - empty - was monster&treasure (shadows)] they find nothing save an empty stone coffer, in front of which a once-concealed trapdoor lies open. The adjoining room is [Room IX - empty - empty] given over to an ornamental fountain which has long since dried up, but is otherwise empty.

The door on the far wall opens into a long chamber with a high vaulted ceiling [Room X - monster & treasure]. Eight square stone columns are arranged in a diamond pattern in the chamber's centre. Suspended between them on chains of some unknown metal is the skin of some fantastic, green-scaled beast.

Several brightly-burning lanterns are placed on wooden crates around the room, and there is a makeshift table covered with parchment, quills, and ink. Three young wizards are examining the monster skin as the party enter the room, and don't even look up as they approach, so completely are they absorbed in their work. They have clearly been here for some time. Their robes are dirty and torn in places, and the young man's is missing a sleeve. A yellowing bandage is wrapped round his sleeveless upper arm. One of the young women has a fresh black eye. The other seems whole, but lacks shoes.

"Salvete," says Lycinia in the ancient tongue, and the young wizards all look up in surprise.

[I rolled Medium on the encounter table:

                CH CN DX IN ST WI HP
Gevléarna mu1 f  8 11  7 14 10  6  4
Zandevine mu1 f  7 10 11 15  7 11  6
Thranxar  mu3 m  9 12  7 14  7  9 10

treasure: 49GP, monster skin: 250#, worth 200sp

Spells:
G- read magic
Z- summon
T- unseen servant, faerie fire, stinking cloud

Q: Are they studying the monster skin in situ? 62, yes - surge 6

Reaction roll=8
UNE: sociable
scheming-plot-current scene]

"S-salvete," says the young man. "Qui sitis? Quid huc advenistis?"

"Vos idem rogo," replies Lycinia.

"What are they saying?" asks Thiery in a stage whisper.

"You have us at a distinct disadvantage," says the young man, "for we are unarmed and outnumbered."

"Then perhaps you had better answer the elf's question," says Brichtrethe, pointing for emphasis with her heavy mace.

"Very well. I am Thranxar, this is Gevléarna and Zandevine. We are, as you have no doubt surmised, wizards from the guild at Ildmarch, or, I should say, still apprentices."

"Apprentices?" asks Lycinia. "To whom? Anyone I know?"

"Both Gevléarna and I are under the tutelage of Dvooram-Pem, Grand Master of the Five-fold Mysteries. Zandevine studies under Arraioth Star-Seer."

"And what does the guild want with this place?" demands Brichtrethe.

"N-nothing. I dare say there are none who know it's here -- right here under our noses all this time. We three were on an errand for our masters when we heard a rumour that the lost tomb of Hasshdilaz had been found. And so we took a small detour on our way back to Ildmarch, hoping to confirm that the rumour were true, and that we might win some small praise for our initiative in so doing. But when we got here, we found we weren't the first. Jola... is the worst sort of magician. She's been driven quite mad by studying the Forbidden Arts -- you've only to look at her to see it! She used her wicked spells to enslave one of the warriors sent with us. And the other just sort of disappeared. She puts us to work, trying to solve the mystery of the stone door. It's well beyond us -- it may be beyond her. When she tires of our failure, she sends us here to study this old carcass. Sometimes she summons us back, and we fail again, and... well, you see what we're reduced to."

"Does she have any weaknesses, this witch?" asks Brichtrethe.

"She's a very powerful magician. She can ensnare the mind and wrack the body. She shows no weakness..."

"Help us to defeat her!" says Brichtrethe. [reaction roll:2d6-1(CHA penalty)=7,neutral.]

"Please, we are too weak to move against her. And if you cannot best her, we would suffer all the more for having aided you. Please, all we want is to live through this and go back to the guild and our masters."

After brief deliberation, it is decided to leave the poor apprentices in peace, and to come back for them once Jola and her henchmen have been defeated.

[Q: Is it a trap? 23-6=no, surge 8]

Back through the labyrinthine passages go the party. When they reach the shaft, they hear a distinct sound of footsteps coming up one of the unexplored corridors to meet them.

[wandering monster:
4 living statues, crystal (AC17, HD3, Damage 1-6, Move 120', ML12, Special: rapiers and minor weapons attack at -2)

No surprise, PCs win initiative]

The party brace themselves for battle as four strange crystalline beings stride into the room. Each stands about four feet tall, and marches with a strange whirling gait on three stubby legs. They have three arms, all waving in a decidedly unfriendly manner, and above them the barest suggestion of a head.

[Round 1]
Weapons are brought immediately to bear against the malevolent crystal enemies. But although many a hit is scored, nothing damages the beings, as the weapons all clang off their solid exteriors [entire party missed]. Ruprecht takes a solid hit it the stomach from one of their small 'fists' [4 damage puts him at 6hp] and Brichtrethe's mail skirt lessens a blow to the side to almost nothing [1 damage puts her at 12hp].

[Round 2]
Again the sound of ringing metal fills the air to little effect -- save for Thiery's steel. A deft stab with his rapier sees one of the little creatures shatter [8 damage kills it]. Manfred suffers a punishing blow to the sternum [6 damage leaves him with 17hp].

[Round 3]
Lycinia manages a glancing blow which sends shards flying [3 damage], but Thiery's strike cleaves the creature in twain [7 damage kills it]. Manfred shatters the arm that so recently hit him [8 damage drops it to 3hp] and Brichtrethe's mace leaves the last with cracks running through it [5 damage puts it at 7hp].

[Round 4]
Lycinia wheels round and brings her sword down on the one fighting Manfred, smashing its 'head'. It falls and crumbles. What secret weakness has Thiery fathomed? For his rapier flashes again, and the final statue shatters, showering the floor with fragments.

As his compatriots are trying to catch their breath, Thiery merely assumes a triumphant pose, and sheathes his rapier with great panache.

"I never thought I'd be saying this," says Brichtrethe, "but you're a credit to my unit."

LotFP Solo - Part the Sixtieth: „Eine Kugel kam geflogen / Gilt's mir oder gilt es dir?“

Long ago, a great king ruled from a mighty castle upon this island. Now only a handful of sections of the outer wall remain, and the shell of the central tower. Those of the approaching party who know the old tales struggle in vain to remember the name of the wicked king. Should he really have existed, the damnatio memoriae imposed by his victorious enemies seems to have been total.

The day seems clearer and brighter as they peer at the tower from behind a crumbling wall. The ruin is still, seemingly lifeless. Thiery produces a brass spyglass from under his cloak, but even with the aid of this device nothing is seen.

Assuming they're still walking into an ambush, they ready their weapons, and cross the high grass to the tower's entrance.

[Q: How many additional NPCs are left in Jola's group? 1d20=6.

I rolled their classes on the chart in the Basic Rulebook (Moldvay, p. B52) with the proviso that results of demi-humans would instead be 0-level humans, and classed characters would be level 1d6. Treasure Type for each is U+V (0-level = U only). d30 Sandbox companion tables determined weapons & armour, and I added some missile weapons that seemed appropriate.

Jola has gained 1d3-1= 2 levels since last we met. I rolled a d6 for each spell on her scroll: 1-2 used, 3-4 scribed into spellbook, 5-6 still there. She will have 1d4-1=1 new magic item.

Q: Where is everyone? 1d6: 1-2 outside, 3-4 dungeon, 5-6 in ruin
ftr5 dungeon
ftr2 ruin
ftr1 ruin
spc6 dungeon
ftr0 ruin
ftr0 dungeon
Jola dungeon

1d6=1; the PCs are all surprised by the first encounter.
Q: Are they attacked? Yes, but... Trap, not weapons]

All is stillness in the great shell of the tower. The wooden floors have long since rotted away, leaving only the perimeter and outer walls. Windows and former doorways gape open at regular intervals, showing upper walkways and the sky outside. Some of the interior portions have crumbled along with the floors, so that what remains is a tremendous vertical labyrinth of passages, stairs, and numerous dead ends.

But the ruin is not abandoned. As the party pass through the gatehouse, a terrific noise is heard overhead, and then a cascade of heavy stones rains down on them from the murder holes above.

[2d6 damage, save vs. Breath Weapon for half, Dex modifiers apply to the save, and shields add +2.

Lycinia - save, 3dmg to 19hp
Thiery - fail 5 to 0hp
Manfred - fail 7 to 23hp
Ruprecht - fail (even with shield!) 6 to 10hp
Brichtrethe - save 4 to 21hp
Oswold - fail 6 to 1hp]

The stones fall thick and heavily. Lycinia's elven grace saves her from the worst of it, and mighty Brichtrethe holds her shield above her head and lets the rocks crash down upon it. The rest are not so fortunate. Manfred and Ruprecht both run out as stones crash down on their backs. Oswold is concussed and bleeding from a terrible blow to the head, and Thiery is knocked senseless, and lies half buried on the ground. Ruprecht quickly drags him to safety.

Manfred is quietly swearing about a fine start to their expedition, whilst Brichtrethe speaks an orison to the Light God, asking that He shew His Infinite Compassion to these stricken Soldiers of the Faith, and erase their hurts. Oswold and Thiery are bathed in a warm glow, and are once again whole [cure light wounds x2 brought them both to full HP].

The corridor in which the party has found shelter leads into the shell, so they follow it along to a narrow spiral staircase. They proceed up and through a series of passageways, cautiously moving past any gaps in the walls looking inward.

As the party are passing one of the larger gaps, a scruffy-looking man steps round the corner ahead, brandishing a pistol. The battle commences in earnest.

       CH CN DX IN ST WI HP AC
ftr2 m 10 11 14 13 16 13 12 15 leather, sword, pistol
ftr1 f 10 16 11  9 13  9  9 16 chain, sword, arquebus
ftr0 m 10 13  6 16 10  8  5 18 plate, shield, sword, heavy crossbow

[Neither side is surprised, but the PCs lose the initiative. There was a lot of running round the castle after the missiles were discharged, so initiative was re-rolled after breaks in the fighting].

[Round 1]
The man with the pistol [ftr2] fires upon Lycinia who is in the lead. The ball pierces mail, padding, and the white shoulder beneath, but the wound is not grave [-4 range penalty (35') cancels +4 to penetrate chain armour, 17+4 hit for 4 damage, dropping her to 15hp]. The man's compatriots are across the great yawning interior of the shell, but they both have a clear shot. The report of an arquebus rings out moments later, and chips of stone fly from the interior wall; Thiery even felt the ball whistling by. At the sound, Ruprecht reflexively ducks behind his shield, and fortunately too, for in the next instant there is a crossbow bolt sticking out of it at face height.

Lycinia returns fire as her assailant ducks back behind the corner. The ball barely grazes him as he ducks out of sight [1 damage drops him to 11hp]. Thiery takes a shot at him as well, but the bullet ricochets off the stone wall. Brichtrethe shoots her crossbow at the arquebusière [ftr1] across the vast expanse, but the bolt merely hits a crumbling wall, then tumbles clattering down into the chasm.

[Round 2]
The scruffy man with the pistol reappears, having drawn his sword. He assumes a defensive posture [+4 AC]. His compatriots have disappeared behind cover to reload.

Lycinia runs forward, drawing her sword as she goes. The man endeavours to turn the blade aside with his own, but he did not count on the elf's strength and fury [effective AC 19; +2 attack bonus cancels -2 drawing penalty; she rolled a natural 19]. Her blade continues unimpeded towards his midsection, and he is transfixed [7x2=14 damage leaving him at -3hp, mortally wounded]. He sinks to his knees as she retracts the gleaming blade, then collapses face-first, his life gushing out upon the stone floor.

Everyone is behind cover now. Brichtrethe motions for Lycinia to continue forward with Thiery. She, Manfred, and Ruprecht double back to the nearest stairway leading up.

[The arquebusière (ftr1) needs 7 rounds to reload. Since there's no map, the two groups of PCs will take 1d12 rounds to find their foes: 5 & 7 respectively. The crossbowman (ftr0) will get 1d4=1 chance to fire across the middle before the PCs reach him.]

Both groups hurry through the ruins as fast as they might, swiftly deciding which passage to take, guessing how many flights of stairs they must climb. Only once does a crossbow bolt speed across the chasm, but bounds off the wall behind Ruprecht as he is dashing forward.

[Round 7]
Lycinia and Thiery round a corner and find the arquebusière still hurriedly loading her weapon. Seeing them she lets it fall and snatches up her sword, which she had leant against the wall [she even wins the initiative]. She and Lycinia clash swords, though neither can break through the other's defence. The woman makes a single mistake, and Lycinia's sword sweeps across her chest, but the stout mail does not yield.

[Round 8]
The woman gets in close, and the two lock hilts [ftr1 miss]. With a mighty shove, Lycinia pushes her back into a wall, and smashes the crossguard into her face. She falls reeling to her hands and knees, bleeding from the nose and mouth and spitting teeth. A knock on the crown of the head with the pommel of Lycinia's sword drops her [9 damage puts her at 0hp].

[Round 9]
On the other side of the shell, Brichtrethe rounds a corner to find the plate-armoured crossbowman. Both hesitate as they see their foe [both surprised, tied initiative], then Brichtrethe lets out a battle cry and charges down the passage. As she does so, he shoots. The bolt pierces her mail and buries itself in her upper arm [2 damage puts her at 19hp] but she seems to take no notice. She brings her mace down on his shoulder, deforming the armour plate and crushing bones [10 damage drops him to -5hp]. The life leaves his eyes and he clatters to the ground.

After a minute or so, the two halves of the party are reunited. Ruprecht is despatched down to the ground level to fetch Oswald, who had remained hiding on the first staircase, whilst the rest scout round the last few upper passages of the shell.

[Q: Is the villains' camp in ruin itself? Yes, surge =2]

In a mostly-solid room on the top most level, Jola and her henchmen have made their headquarters. Lycinia does not intend to leave her prisoner unguarded, but Manfred insists she help search the camp. When Ruprecht appears at the top of the stair, Manfred is waiting for him. "Here," says he, handing Ruprecht the arquebus, "finish loading this and guard the prisoner."

"Can I keep it?" asks Ruprecht meekly.

"Can you--? By the frozen shores of Cocytos! stand up for yourself, man!"

[Q: Anything important in the camp? 83+2=yes and... it's J's spellbook
Q: Are there any clues? 02, No and unexpectedly...Foreshadowing – set a thread to be the main thread for the next scene. The current scene should then start wrapping up and heading towards the next scene.]

The villains' camp seems to mostly contain the mundane necessities: bedrolls, foodstuffs, cook pots, etc. But wily thief and sharp-eyed elf soon turn up items of real interest.

Thiery discovers a purse containing 28 gold coins -- and a pair of coppers hidden in a pillowcase. The gold is divided up, two apiece; the extra two coins go by lot to lucky Oswold and Thiery. The two coppers sit untouched for a while on a table, but Oswold scoops them into his purse when he thinks no one is looking.

But Lycinia has found, she exclaims, a treasure beyond price. Wrapped in a shred of black velvet is Jola's grimoire, an unassuming and cheaply-bound tome with its spine broken in two places, and unaccountable grey-green stains on some of the pages.

"Oswold, light a torch," orders Brichtrethe. "We shall burn that unholy thing."

"We shall do nothing of the sort!" protests Lycinia. "Not until we've examined it thoroughly. Can you risk destroying Jola's notes, which may be the key to unlocking the treasure vault wherein your precious Standard lies?"

"Fine. But remember my warning about black magic, elf. Let us go see if your prisoner has anything useful to tell us." And with that, Brichtrethe strides away.

[Q: Does the arquebusière have any info? Yes, surge =2
UNE: prejudiced-view-equipment
ftr1 passes her ML check; reaction=4, defiant and hostile.]

The prisoner is slowly coming round. Brichtrethe splashes her face with a waterskin to rouse her fully. The angry cleric asks pointed questions about the make-up of Jola's forces, their disposition and armaments, but is only met by stony silence. The questions only get more heated.

"Look at the lot of you!" she finally says, spitting blood in Brichtrethe's face, "You don't have the faintest idea what you're up against. You certainly don't have what you need to open the door. She's brought so much crap and hasn't managed a thing!"

"So this witch is after the treasury too!" exclaims Brichtrethe. "If you've nothing else to say, I suppose we're done here."

"You'll soon be in her thrall!"

[Q: Does the cleric believe in taking prisoners? 30-2=28, No. surge 4]

Brichtrethe's only response is to crush the woman's skull with her mace. The cleric's companions -- Thiery and Oswold particularly -- look on with an admixture of surprise and horror, but she does not notice, intent as she is on the impassive elf.

"There shall be no mercy for the servants of darkness," growls Brichtrethe.

"It is not I who require convincing," states Lycinia flatly.

LotFP Solo - Part the Fifty-Ninth: "With me the conquest and the labour share"

The next morning the party break camp early and continue riding along the shore of Lake Ild towards Uldmere. The day is cold, as spring refuses to blossom, and a heavy mist hangs over the water. Brichtrethe insists on leading the way, her lance held high as befits a knight. Oswold follows her dumbly. Thiery talks incessantly at whoever will listen, though in the end this is mostly Ruprecht, who's too either too polite or too resigned to tell him to shut up. Manfred and Lycinia lag behind a little, and fall to talking amongst themselves.

"I don't think much of your friends," says Manfred.

"Nor I of yours," Lycinia replies.

"Brichtrethe is a hard woman, I'll own. But we go way back... and I may owe her my life, you understand."

"I had wondered."

"We served in the King's army together... it must be ten years ago now. She's always taken being a soldier very seriously. And the Light God works his miracles through her, so she's a bit convinced of her rightness in all things. But for all that, I trust her implicitly."

"But she doesn't seem to like you. Or anyone."

"Oh, she likes me well enough. I'm probably accounted one of her best friends. She just disapproves... of everything."

"I'd noticed."

"Not that I blame her where dullard the soldier and Sir I-bought-myself-a-title are concerned."

"Oh, come on. Ruprecht's all right. I admit that Thiery is a bit much..."

"Why ever did you bring them along?"

"Who else do I know? I've worked with them before on a... a job that got weird really fast. They neither of them balked at what we needed to do, acted with perfect courage and discretion, and they kept their wits about them."

"We'll see. But if Thiery -- excuse me, SIR Thiery -- doesn't mind his manners soon, I'm going to knock the rest of his teeth out."

"I won't get in your way."

The journey continues with no real incidents. In the afternoon [random encounter (forest), reaction=10] they come upon a boar happily foraging in the forest. It ignores them completely to concentrate on its task. Manfred thinks it might be rooting out truffles, and refuses to ride on. Brichtrethe takes one of Thiery's pistols and fires into the air to scare the beast away. Manfred sulks the rest of the way to Uldmere.

[Q: Does the party receive a good reception in Uldmere? 16-8=No, but... the peasants are too afraid to start any trouble. (reset surge)
Q: How's the siege? Abandon / Riches = costly
Q: Can Brichtrethe talk to the commander? 60, Yes. Surge +2

Commander: 1d6=f; cunning, dignified; 1d8-1=ftr6]

Uldmere is a fairly large town whose citizenry are a mix of famers and fisherfolk. Foodstuffs from Uldmere are traded throughout the kingdom, and especially in Ildmarch, whose merchants take an active interest in the fortunes of the town which feeds them. Even the wizard's guild has a presence here; the twinned gargoyles above the entrance to the town hall were given to the town by the guild to aid the mayor in times of strife -- though some say they are also there as the guild's eyes and ears.

The siege of Uldmere Castle has not been allowed to spill over into the town, which has declared itself neutral (obviously at the insistence of Ildmarch mercantile concerns), yet the streets and public houses are choked with the King's soldiers, and discipline away from the actual siege has been notoriously lax. The only thing the peasants of Uldmere hate more than the unruly soldiers are groups of armed strangers.

Brichtrethe insists that the party ride through to the besieging army's camp, and for once there is no dissention. Once there, she requests an audience with the general, which upon presentation of her orders to the aide-de-camp is swiftly granted.

The general has little to say, and little time to spare. The siege is eating into the King's coffers, disrupting the kingdom, and making no progress. She looks cursorily over the scroll authorising Brichtrethe's mission and hands it back. "This is a noble mission you've undertaken, Dame Brichtrethe," says the general, "and very worthy of a knight of your holy order. But -- you'll forgive me -- I'm a practical woman, and I can't sit back and hope that this mythic banner will inspire my troops to suddenly take the castle. They're more mercenaries than mystics, you understand, and I wouldn't bet on them knowing nor caring much for ancient legends. That said, my aide will find you food and a place to stay, and even arrange passage out to the island. You rode here? I'm going to need to borrow your horses until you return. And I do, most fervently, hope you return. I've heard bad things about that island. There was terrible magic used there once. They say it echoes there still, and that no one who goes there ever comes back. Not whole, at least. I hope you can prove them wrong." [UNE: mysterious-whispers-power]

The party is given a place to pitch their tents on the outskirts of the camp, practically in Uldmere. Manfred balks at seeing their horses led away, but in the end agrees that ferrying them over to the island would be more of a hassle than it's worth. Ruprecht is worried that someone will recognise him as a deserter, though he gives no voice to the sentiment. He pleads fatigue from the journey, and goes to sleep early so he may hide in the tent.

[night encounter: 1 bandit; reaction=8
Q: Are only some of the PCs present for the encounter? 33-2=No, surge +4
Q: What does (1d6=f) she want? Deceive / Competition - instead of a bandit, she's rather a spy (specialist level 1d6 if it comes up) for de Molleré's faction.]

Most of the other soldiers ignore the newcomers, but one young soldier asks if this is indeed the unit of Dame Brichtrethe, and if so might she have a few words with the great knight.

"I've heard talk in the camp that you'd come on here on your quest. The banner of St. Orvein. How exciting! You must really have been noticed by the upper ranks to be given such a wonderful mission -- oh, 'mission' sounds like it's just another day in the King's army. This is a quest, just like in all the old stories. And I can say I met you someday!" [UNE: friendly-delight-superiors]

[Q: Does Brichtrethe believe her? 15-4=No, but...]

Brichtrethe thinks the girl is completely overstating things, and has been secretly fearing all along that this mission was only given to her to get her out of the way. But, she reasons, she has been doing well of late, and may indeed come to the attention of the upper echelons for completing her task.

day 110

It's a cold, clear, morning as they set off, rowing a pair of boats down the river from Uldmere with a light breeze at their backs. Even the mist of lake Ild has almost burnt off by noon. They see a few fishers on the lake near the town, but the rest of the day come not upon a soul. It is evening when they reach the island, and they want nothing more to do than set up camp on the beach and get some well-earned rest.

[night encounter:

Melitta
7th level Cleric
CH 10 CN 11 DX 8 IN 12 ST 7 WI 12
scroll, potion

Q: Is the cleric part of enemy force? Yes surge+2

reaction=7
Scene stage change: to Conflict

Q: What's she doing? Cruelty / Failure -  sent away for her failings]

That night, as he and Lycinia are on watch, Manfred spots movement beyond the circle of firelight. "Who goes there?" he calls, rising and drawing his sword.

"It is I, Melitta, a priestess of the Light God. I saw your campfire. I mean you no harm."

The woman who steps into view is in her late 40s, with blonde hair fading to grey. Her white robes are marred with grass stains, but a large golden symbol of the Light God shines round her neck.

The rest of their companions (save Ruprecht, who is a heavy sleeper) have been roused by Manfred's shout, and they get up to see the new arrival.

"Well met sister," says Brichtrethe when she sees Melitta's holy symbol.

"Well met. What brings you to this curse-shrouded isle? Are you here to bring the Lord of Day's Magnificent Radiance to dispel the shadows of ancient wickedness?"

"Aye, and more than that. I am on a sacred Quest to recover the Standard of St. Orvein, that it be used to inspire the army of Right in order to vanquish the heretic de Molleré."

[Melitta's response via UNE: mysterious - rumour - allies

The rumour (via bibliomancy):
et iam porticibus vacuis Iunonis asylo
custodes lecti Phoenix et dirus Ulixes
praedam adservabant... (Verg Aen, II:761-3)]

"Oh sister," says Melitta, "I beg you to reconsider. The wrong people are in charge of our Holy Church. Under de Val d'Oine, the treasury is nearly bankrupt -- as will be our Sacred Doctrines under his incompetent leadership!"

[Q: How does Brichtrethe deal with this free-thinker? Mistrust / Information]

"Words. Mere words. I don't credit them at all."

[Q: Will Melitta stay? 35-2=No. surge +4]

"I thought the light was leading me to friends here in this terrible place. I see I was mistaken." At that, Melitta turns to leave.

[Q: Does Brichtrethe have any real suspicions? 84+4 yes, and...]

"Stop right there!" shouts Brichtrethe as she raises her mace. "You'll not slink away so easily back to your apostate masters. Elf, help me search her!"

[Q: Do they find anything incriminating? 05, No, and unexpectedly...Framing – an NPC (new or pre-existing) or object becomes critical to the main thread.
Q: Melitta? No surge +2
Q: Can she tell the PCs who it is? 61, yes surge +4
Q: Who? d30=Magic-User; 1d6=f]

"Please," pleads Melitta, "I mean you no harm. There's no hospitality here, so I'd rather be on my own. The one that convinced me to come to this island can go hang. She's just using us. I'm certain of it. She has no loyalty but to herself, the witch!"

"What witch?" demands Brichtrethe.

[Q: Is the witch anyone that anybody knows? 97+4, Yes, and unexpectedly...Limelit – the rest of the scene goes great for the PCs.
Q: One of the M-Us Lycinia knows? 84, Yes surge+2
Which? 1d3: 1 Siorighan, 2 Orezuthía the Arcane, 3 Jola]

"It's this fiend called Jola."

"Jola?" says Lycinia. "Wait: long white braid, thin as a rail, a bit mad? That Jola?"

"You've met her...?"

"Oh, I've met her all right. She was trying to summon demons at the time. What is she after here?"

[Q: What? Expose / Power]

"There's some ancient magic she wants. She didn't really say, exactly. That is, I didn't really understand her magician-speak. She hasn't found it yet. And she turned me out into the cold saying I wasn't helping, and she was tired of my incompetence. But I suppose I should count myself lucky to have escaped."

[Q: Can Lycinia convince the rest that anyone Jola throws out is probably ok? 70, Yes surge +4]

"She's nothing incriminating on her," says Lycinia, "and isn't even armed. And anyone that Jola casts aside can't be a bad sort. I say we let her go if that's what she wants. I'm not in the mood to take prisoners."

"What if it's a trick?" asks Brichtrethe.

"Then she can think over what I just said about not taking any prisoners."

Brichtrethe registers her displeasure, but as the rest seem to agree with the elf, she bites her tongue, and allows Melitta to wander off into the night.

[Surge: to endings
Q: Anything else happen at night? 33-4=No. surge+6]

day 111

[Q: Is there an encounter on the walk to the ruins? 60, Yes. surge+8

fighter, 1d6=m, 1d8-1= 7th level, react=9
CH 8 CN 12 DX 10 IN 13 ST 13 WI 9

Q: What is he doing? Negligence / Dreams - fighter has ingested something funny.]

It's barely two miles to the ruins. The party strike camp in the morning after a somewhat leisurely breakfast, and set out on the way. Each has a weapon readied, for they fear to meet the witch or her cronies.

About the halfway point of their journey they see a man in full plate armour lying on his back in the tall grass. At first he seems dead, but as they draw near they can hear him babbling quietly, though if it be a real language or nonsense it is hard to say.

Brichtrethe walks up to him, and nudges him with her foot. "Are you well?" she asks.

"Well? Oooohhhh... isn't everyone. On a nice day like this with all the sparks and rain."

"It isn't raining," states the cleric flatly.

"Killjoy," says the man. "You're just like her. Maybe worse than her. She's the reason I got out. Before... before... before she opens the gate. I'm sure it wasn't made to be opened. But she can go through it for all I care. I'm all better now." [UNE: insane-turmoil-superiors]

"Gate? What gate? Make sense, man!"

Manfred leans over the man and looks at him carefully. "I don't think you're going to get any sense out of him, dear Brichtrethe. I've seen men in this sort of stupor before... in the sorts of establishments one doesn't admit to frequenting. He'll be like this for some time. And then sleep."

"Have we met...?" asks the man dreamily.

Manfred slams the man's ventail shut and continues towards the ruins.

[end scene]