SESSION 260: Deaf, Dumb & Blind
They holed up in the lair of the Nightflyers before discovering the horrors of the Blinded.
Day 209 Continued (13.21 Orcs): Bilious black grey smoke clouds drift aimlessly throughout the village captured within by the thick wall of fog beyond. The smell of burning wood just a hint around the edges the dominating presence of burnt orc flesh. The light of day already weakened by the fog was rapidly waning. Winter is a time when darkness has prominence.
Carla led a group into the lair while Charles, Bunny and Saff stayed on the platform to keep six. Bunny would get bored during this time and decide to check the corpse pile for leader types and potential loot. Inside things were really boring and mundane not providing anything other than gross orc stuff. Oh, and an ancient shrine in the back of a strangely breezy cavern. Carla did not like it one bit. Worn by age details could not be deciphered. Our green high priestess walked up and smote the thing with her mace turning it into rubble. An angry wind followed and then was gone. “By the power of TMB I desecrate this graven image!”. The wind hissed once more before dissipating once more. No second thoughts were given to this occurrence.
Bunny did find some coin but also more missile attacks coming from the shadows from the lowest level of the village below her. Charles observed this and that it was a fine time to charge to cover for his compatriot. His newly acquired ring of feather fall made the 40’ drop much smoother. He was peppered with arrows allowing Bunny to exit stage left. He was completely prepared to jump down and into the shadows and lay down the law but…some irritating, very irritating, voice told him he was not in charge. With a deep inner sadness he followed behind Bunny sucking up a few arrows as little miss bubble gum moved out of sight. After a couple of useless volleys the orcs ceased their attack.
Awhile later Carla’s team returned with no loot and the confirmation that the lair was empty. The sun had set at least an hour prior so it looked like they would be camping up here. The went quietly but not without incident. A wing of bat riders were conducting weather research and just happened to totally accidently closely observe the hobo camp until Carla caught sight of them. They were quickly scared off like Tusken raiders but did not come back in larger numbers. Probably having something to do with the slaughter earlier or that orcs of all stripe are just dirty commie cowards deep down.
Day 210 (13.21 Orcs): The fog had cleared allowing the boxed in smoke to dissipate bringing a bright and crisp day. Saff ran reconnaissance of the local area and reported presence not detected. The gang came down from the platform and moved along the inner natural sandstone wall. It was time to dig the remaining stragglers out of their holes and finally clear this hex of the orc blight.
They made their way along almost reaching the arena. A small building built into the stone wall housed a rough-hewn stairwell descending well beyond illumination. “Time to earn some gold”, huffed Biff as he fell in behind Bunny and the team began the descent. Pitch black and torturously twisted. Almost a corkscrew. About fifty feet down Bunny pretty much walked into four skeletons standing silently when she came around a corner. These were just regular old skeletons so the fight was quick and painless. The stairwell came to an end after another seventy-five or so feet. A landing and a branching passage. They choose the NE. There cautiously made their way along this lair was in absolute consuming darkness beyond their light sources. This does not aid the sneaky business.
The passage wormed its way until opening into a large chamber ripe with orc stink. It appeared to be common sleeping quarters. Straw mats and litter to go with the odour. Well outside the hobos ability to see was a host of orcs waiting for the command to release their arrows.
“Drepa Tak! Vicavorausan or deaavh!! Arrowuk!”.
Biff had only a moment to translate, “Incoming missiles!”.
Arrows rained down nailing Charles and Dolec both impacts resulting in broken ribs. They both shrugged off the pain and ignored the challenge breathing. They charged into the darkness, finding the orcs forty feet deeper into the chamber. Lester joined the charge setting the iron line to hold the orcs back as the rest of our gang got the orientation.
Fight. Fight. Fight.
The opponents were not much more than rabble that were barely an inconvenience for our war machines once the element of surprise had passed. Twenty-three more fell to the hobo’s blades. Afterwards Carla healed the fighters broken bones as the rest of our murderers looted the bodies and ransacked the chamber. Not much beyond a few coins. They continued on into the next chamber. This was the armory. Crude weaponry filled the chamber but also, and more importantly, there was coin and gems haphazardly piled in a corner. Apparently well forgotten with a notable lair of dust accumulation. Biff and Charles went – Yazzz! They packed the loot and grabbed a drink before moving on.
The passage turned to the west. This led to the final two chambers in this quadrant of the lair. First was the sparsely furnished quarters of this clan’s shaman-chief. Beyond would be the shrine to Lhutep the wicked chthonic deity of the Blinded Clan Orcs. We would not figure this out right away as the orcs were able to once more successfully ambush the team as they tore through Tegar’s chamber. These guys were not rabble. Tegar cast our group into darkness as four body guards charged in behind missile fire from her two lieutenants.
The game was on.
Following up the shaman dropped a silence bubble to prevent spell casting. The orcs seemed to have the advantage until Saffron dropped back outside the silent darkness to perform a dispelling. Table turned. The body guards were slaughtered. The leadership team fell back into the natural darkness of the soon to be identified sacrificial shrine to Lhutep. The hobos rushed forth hoping to continue holding tempo control. The chamber stunk of death and was triangular in shape, roughly isosceles to be precise the entrance was along the base. An altar of sacrifice was the central feature, stained and crusted with gore. Just beyond it a massive pit that was flanked by the lieutenants that were chanting. Tegar was not immediately seen. Along the northern wall was a large table covered with wicked implements and other unknown but certainly unholy items. To the side of this was a humungous and grotesque canvas of stitched skins of the legion of sacrifices to Lhutep. “Something bad is gonna happen”, Biff once more providing last second notification of something that cannot be stopped.
Erupting from the gaping hole in the earth came, presumably, was Lhutep. An eyeless horror of a worm with a thick armor plated body and a maw of devastation, more than large enough to swallow a man whole. Heck probably even an ogre. Unseeing but striking the frontline like a boulder.
Bunny did not want to get close to this thing and sought out the darkness of the apex of the chamber. She would find the shaman momentarily. The worm captured Charles in its maw and began to crush him up before swallowing. He was almost immediately dead. Fast thinking and luck was required if Charles was not to be popped like a grape. They were fast and acted first (luck) Saff and Nara executed a plan (smart) to extricate Charles before his imminent death. It worked, whatever it was. Charles came flying out and Biff provided a mostly soft landing pad – oof! Bunny was now in mortal combat with the shaman – Finish her! With the death of the last lieutenant the rest of the group focused solely on the worm-godling hoping to lay it low before another hobo was swallowed. Even though they had given up on smarts luck stayed on side. They had closed in around the worm making it difficult for it to swallow more, it simply did not have enough room to freely maneuver. Bunny finally killed the shaman after adeptly dodging her nasty looking bone staff. The worm fight raged for a few more rounds until the creature let out an ear-shattering screech and fell back into the depths from which it came. They closed in around the hole but it did not come back within the duration of our mob’s patience. It was looting and pillaging time.
As we had gathered earlier this clan did not preoccupy themselves with the accumulation of coin or such. Strewn about the chamber was thousands of discarded golden coins and a trio of fine gems. There was much rejoicing. Carla had healed up Charles and after a quick rest they intended to press on.
The C-Team: Carla, Bunny, Saffron, Charles, Dolec, Nara, Lester & Biff
ROLECALL
Carla the Green High Priestess of TMB (C10) 350549 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d12/III
Scars: permanent loss left index finger and scarring on arm
Bimbles the High Priest of GSS (C10) 318111 xp +5% <400001> CRT 1d12/III
+2 save to poison and internal body things; Double eat (gotta feed my baybay)
Hobo Steve the Lord (F9) 326064 xp +5% <360,001> CRT 1d24/V
Brain Damaged: reduced mental capacity (tough night on the town)
Rahgnar the Dwarven Superhero (D8) 233287 xp <280001> CRT 1d20/IV
Serious wound: permanent loss of an eye (-1 to missile fire)
Critical Wound: disembowelled less able to process poison (-1 penalty)
Missing thirteen teeth
Raul the Voyager (MD9) 263068 xp +10% <360000> CRT 1d12/III
Fezzi-Gig (Neut: XXXX) Sword
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -4,
Removed one of his own nostrils.
Boris the Dwarven Lord (D9) 364963 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d20/IV
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -3, carved up face
Wound: Bad leg (-5’ MV)
Multiple Injuries: lost 25 teeth (7 remaining), drools a lot CHA -1
Serious Injury: Brain Drain -2 INT
Serious wound: permanent loss of an eye (-1 to missile fire)
Ding-We the Peg-Legged Wizard (W10) 515312 xp +10% <620001> CRT 1d10/I
Critical Wound: Left leg obliterated, runs at ½ rate (peg required)
Bunny the Thief! (T10) 306096 xp <400001> +10% CRT 1d24/II
Light wound: permanent loss of pinky finger, off hand
Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T9) 172144 xp +5% <280001> CRT 1d20/II
Serious wound: Bad Back (-1 stone CC)
Scars: Neurological damage to hip, noticeable limp (-5’ mve)
Missing eight teeth talks with a lisp
The Henchmen
Saffron the Mad Fairy Queen of Ribbits (FY7) 195070 xp <200001> CRT 1d10/III
Moderate wound: Scar on abdomen
Lasting injury: -1 STR, mashed guts
Sloth the Bopper (L7) 177435 xp +10% <178800> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)
Missing ten teeth
Nara the Nearly Naked Purple Swami Girl (PS7) 109599 xp +5% <125000> CRT 1d16/II
Wraith Drained: -1 CON
Biff Bartley the Half-Orc Blackguard (HO7) 101166 <120000> +5% CRT 1d12/II
Sasha Plasha the Warden (R7) 123264 xp +10% <200000> CRT 1d10/III
‘BOB’ the Deadly Shade (N7) 64817 <90000> +5% CRT 1d16/II
Felix Ignatius Hemlock the once skeletal Sleuth (I7) 47017 <80001> +5% CRT 1d16/II
Mason the Lama of Yrrrg. (C7) 78549 <100001> CRT 1d10/III
Charles in Charge the Myrmidon (F6) 83366 <120000> +10% CRT 1d20/IV
Franz the Grave Return (Lawful; XXXX) Sword
Critical Wound: Punctured lung (-2 CON)
Mostly DEAD. (-1 CON)
Gurn Hammerhand the Dwarven Swashbuckler (D5) 27952 <36000> +5% CRT 1d12/III
Wendul the Magician (W6) 49700 <80000> 5% CRT 1d8/I
Dolec Da the Hero (F6) 62186 xp +10% <64000> CRT 1d20/IV
Missing five teeth
Camillus the Myrmidon (F6) 52881 <64001> +5% CRT 1d20/IV
Willy the Reformed Burglar (T6) 28088 <40000>10% CRT 1d14/II
Agolloch the Eye of Purity (Lawful; XXXX) Sword
Chung-Li the Myrmidon Warlock (E6) 103411 xp <120000> +10% CRT 1d8/II
Captain Alamend Strender the Swashbuckler (F6) 37745 <64000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV
Lester Flanders the Warder of Oceana (P5) 43196 xp <45000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV
Ike the Duck (DF6) – AVATAR form.
Katre Elf-Girl and Swordsman Conjuror (E3) 8141 xp <16000> +0% CRT 1d8/II
Brett & Jermaine Kobold Cooks & Eavesdroppers Extraordinaire
RESERVES
BoB, Rhags & Alamender are lawn ornament for the Basilisk Knights.
Chung Li needs 12 weeks (74 days) and a stack of coin to rewrite his lost spell book.
Elapsed: 53 days (from A-Team calendar) -INTERRUPTED-
Elapsed Campaign Time
648 (633) days at beginning of session (also applies to recuperation)
Join us for session Two-Hundred-and-Sixty-One when we ask the questions:
Will we jump into the hole?
Is the B-Team down there as well?
When will this damnable village be purged of chaos?
Tale of the Tape
Potion Brewing 42 days (started Day 194): Elapsed 14
KILLS
Skeletons (4)
Orcs (23)
Tegar
Saza
Bodyguards (4)
Lhutep?
LOOT
10010 sp
7463 gp
Pearl 250 gp
Gems (8) 10,20,100,100,500,100,500,50 = 1380 gp
Ring of Feather Fall
