Missing Sequences

Monday 22 April 2024

Let's Play Inside a Volcano, What Could Go Wrong? (Session 247)

SESSION 247: Collecting and Ejecting

Treasure is sought and acquired. Afterwards a hasty exit as the next destination calls.

Day 174 Continued(12.20/0605 Volcano): The base of the great volcano locally known as Athak stood before our loot hunters. Looming over the rest of the island. A plume of ashen smoke and steam rises from its high top and blends with the mists of the cauldron. Wafts of sulfur irritate the senses once within close proximity of the angry mountain. Occasionally the shadowy form of a gigantic flying creature can be seen circling the plume. The trees of the jungle only grow about half way up the mountain before becoming skeletal trees or low- growing brush (all italics: Bertani, J.).

Bunny noticed a torturous trail snaking its way up the volcano. Not much better than a goat trail they began to cautiously march single file. After a long series of precarious switch backs and nearly two miles of climbing, the trail lead to the mouth of a cave well above the tree line. “Aye, this be the place”, Alamend thrusted one finger at the map and another at the cave. The path climbed onto a rough oval opening in the side of the volcano. Bunny took a quaff of invisibility potion and slunk in.

Once inside, the cave opened into nearly a 30’ sphere. Another passage exits the north wall and descends into darkness. The smell of brimstone was almost overpowering as hot air arose from the tunnel. The floor, smooth the walls and ceiling a rough and glassy porous surface. There were savages inside and they were up to something beyond clear sight deeper within. What Bunny did not notice were the cleverly hidden guards near the entrance. They had likely seen our gang coming and were ambush ready. As Bunny passed by the guards slunk out like ships in the night.

Ambushed by savages!

The guards attempted push hobos from the landing unsuccessfully but they did sound the alarm – squawking in their odd language. Inside Bunny could now see that there were a bunch of guards observing some sort of ceremony being conducted on a platform just beyond this chamber. The platform and ceremony was obscured by the heat and gases resulting from actually being within the conduit not far enough above the magma chamber for Bunny’s comfort. Seashell spears and obsidian spiked javelins, even with the help of a kooky she-shaman were really no match for a well-oiled murder machine even when suffering from the oppressive heat. Saff successfully charmed the queen bee after she had been bound. Bimbles stepped up to interrogate her and didn’t get much of value beyond mumbo jumbo about the power of Athak the god of all fire and deep rumblings. They left her and proceeded down the stairwell. It spiraled down into foul aired darkness. The stairwell descended into an oddly shaped natural chamber. The air, nearly unbreathable due to heat and sulfurous fumes parching throats. The chamber opens to the inside of the volcano, about 5’ above a steaming and bubbling mass of magma, mud and ash. An array of treasure lay in intricate patterns upon the floor of the chamber, the closest to the magma making a melted golden shore.

“YAZZ”, came from many dried throats.

They began assessing the loot pile. Coin and items of interest. “That’s why we do this gang. We is richer!”, triumphed Ding-We. “YAZZ!” came once more fom the dried throats. Before they could revel in the riches they were shocked, and once more ambushed, by a group of red semi-humanoid reptilian creatures attacking from the lava.

It seems that these things took our loot pile to be their treasure and they foolishly took it seriously. Six of them ended up arising from the magma. They might as well have still been in the stuff they radiated so much heat. This fight, and the next but more on it later, really made up for the islanders being gumbys. Fiery lumps were given but once the hobos started knocking down the salamanders the battle started picking up momentum for the gang. Treasure was collected, wounds were attended to and the landing was investigated. There was a path cut into the side of the pipe of varying width (3’ to 10’). It looked like it lead to the crater. Carla pointed out that this most likely led to the large avian things seen earlier in the day. The gang were feeling chuffed and made their way up.

Crown of Athaka: The upward, spiraling path ended at a rubble strewn landing at the top of the volcano. Jagged rock formations form a crown along the rim of the crater. A great nest of logs, boulders, vines, and debris has been chaotically fashioned and fills the north section of the landing. Hiding at the lower edge the mob sent Bunny to investigate the nest. Another shot of invisible juice and she made her way.

Climbing up the nest and peering in revealed three really big eggs and the sparkle of treasures strewn and buried about the bowl. She returned and reported. Steve and Carla were excited about the eggs for subtly different reasons – omelettes and servants. With the larger troupe approaching the nest from somewhere far above eagle-like eyes spied our intruders. They were about to feel the pain of death-from-above by the pair of rocs. As alluded to earlier, this was a challenge. Spells failed and the mega-birds were all about the death from above. Steve ended up in the clutches of one and in a trajectory of the lava if he didn’t have a potion of flying in hand. There were other details of course but we can distil it down..

Blood and feathers.

Feathers and blood.

They had the crap beaten out of them but the final masters of the volcano were defeated.

Give your heads a shake, bandage the wounds and get down to the soldiers pay.

ROLECALL

Carla the Green High Priestess of TMB (C10) 313941 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d12/III

Scars: permanent loss left index finger and scarring on arm

Bimbles the High Priest of GSS (C9) 276643 xp +5% <300001> CRT 1d12/III

+2 save to poison and internal body things; Double eat (gotta feed my baybay)

Hobo Steve the Lord (F9) 289416 xp +5% <360,001> CRT 1d24/V

Brain Damaged: reduced mental capacity (tough night on the town)

Rahgnar the Dwarven Superhero (D8) 210405 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

Ding-We the Peg-Legged Sorcerer (W9) 463664 xp +10% <470001> CRT 1d10/I

Critical Wound: Left leg obliterated, runs at ½ rate (peg required)

Bunny the Thief! (T9) 257448 xp <280001> +10% CRT 1d20/II

Light wound: permanent loss of pinky finger, off hand

The Henchmen

Saffron the Mad Fairy Queen of Ribbits (FY7) 176755 xp <200001> CRT 1d10/III

Moderate wound: Scar on abdomen

Lasting injury: -1 STR, mashed guts

Mason the Lama of Yrrrg. (C7) 60920 <100001> CRT 1d10/III

Charles in Charge the Myrmidon (F6) 59051 <64000> +10% CRT 1d16/IV

Franz the Grave Return (Lawful; XXXX) Sword

Critical Wound: Punctured lung (-2 CON)

Mostly DEAD. (-1 CON)

Dolec Da the Hero (F5) 43871 xp +10% <64000> CRT 1d20/IV

Missing five teeth

Captain Alamend Strender the Swashbuckler (F5) 25020 <32000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV

RESERVES

BoB is the lone 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: 33 days (from A-Team calendar)

Elapsed Campaign Time

615 (630) days at beginning of session (also applies to recuperation)

Join us for session Two-Hundred-and-Forty-Seven when we ask the questions:

What glorious goodies will we find in the nest?

Will we explore more of the island?

Where did the savages comes from?

Tale of the Tape

Exploration Below the Blighted Sub-Hex

Location hex: 12.20

KILLS

Athaki Savages (16) + Zagi the shaman queen

Fire Salamanders (6)

Rocs huge (2)

LOOT

9380 gp

Gems (11):500,100,100,10,50,500,100,10,10,50,10 = 1440 gp

Potion of Monkey control

Helm of read languages and magic

Gauntlets of ogre power

Silver Scroll Tube: Scroll of Protection from Lycanthropes

Thursday 4 April 2024

Into the Cauldron (Session 246)

SESSION 246: The Cauldron

Sail to a jungle covered island in search of treasure.

Day 173 Continued (12.20/0605): What a mess. Gore everywhere. Bimbles pulled out his jug and began to wash down the deck before things started to stink and attract even more, and larger, sharks than were already circling.

An hour or so later the team were healed, cleaned and rested up from the Sahuagin attack. Alamend ordered the sail unfurled once more and unlashed the wheel.

They sailed on.

Another hour passed and a red glow could be seen in the distance. “That be our destination. The Cauldron dead ahead!”, barked out the Captain. The leadership team reviewed the map with the Captain and decided to circumnavigate the island prior to making any decisions.

They went around the east side of the isle. A couple of miles along they spotted a galleon dashed upon the rocks. This was intriguing. They brought the ship as close as possible and then dropped anchor. Carla, Steve and Dolec hoped into the folding boat and rowed to the wreck. No sign of life but sign of battle. Blood and feathers. The feathers were large and there was some deliberation regarding origin until Carla decided to give one a whiff – “Harpies. You can never forget that stink”. Exploring deeper the vessel was mostly flooded and absent of life.

Back on the SS Sea Serpent it was decided that they would rest before proceeding further around the Cauldron. A few hours later the ship attracted the attention of a pod of dolphins. Bimbles charmed a bunch of them and then used further magics to communicate with the animals.

They said that something massive and serpent like controlled the inner lagoon and the pod did not swim those waters. Bimbles then convinced them to keep watch as the gang decided to rest prior to their next move.

Day 174 (12.20/0605): With the rest cycle complete they discharged the dolphins and continued to sail around the backside of the island. The treasure map stipulated that the riches were tied to the largest of the islands volcanos, located centrally in the North. Black volcanic cliffs varying from 10 to 50’ in height ringed the island and were topped with dense jungle. They continued around the northside of the island the topography unchanging. As they began turning south it was decided that any spot would be a similar experience. Anchor was dropped and the mob got into the folding boat and cautiously rowed towards the steep and rocky edge. Bunny sent up the rope of climbing and the three stooges (her words not mine) made their way up and into the jungle. Steve and Dolec flanked Rhagnar. They pushed their way in as best they could, the jungle was.. well it was jungle.

Thick, hot and sticky and definitely not a cinnamon bun. They returned to the cliff edge and waved up the rest of the mooks. Clouds of insects used this time to really give the tanks a welcome – stinging, biting and other such general irritation. “Great place. Great idea…”, grumbled Rhags. They began the slow trek towards the volcano. Bunny suggested it better to try to follow the game trails than forging their own, both will take time but one may attract less attention.

They attracted unwanted attention.

It was going to happen either way.

Ten giant crabs hungry for breakfast exploded from the underbrush catching the troop flat-footed. Bimbles made some gripe about Sasha not letting forest ambushes to occur. “Go spin on a star ya derp”, was Bunny’s retort. The cleric then received a karmic pinch from a crab. Steve was keen and directed the team not to mess up the pinchers, “They is da best eatin! Go for the head!”. The fight did not last that long and did not result in much injury.

They packed away the crab claws for dinner and pressed on deeper into the unknown jungle.

Doggo sez, "This way to death ya dummies".