Shuffling Madness, Flesh Merchants of the Black Galley (Session 284)

SESSION 284: Siege on the Gangrenous Pt. XXXI – Siege on Aman Marath VI: Target Black Galleon 

The assault on the black ship and the contraband beachhead. 

 

Day 259 (Aman Marath – Sea Cave): Standing before the vast pirate hole and well salted from the constant wave breaks it was decided that the black ship was the target. There was a lake in the way. How to get it done was a somewhat amorphous idea.

They considered going underwater but there were strongly unfounded worries about jelly-crayfish or other highly unlikely abominations. 

Instead, they all dosed with some no-see-me and worked along the narrow beach along the far exterior wall of the chamber towards the quiet pirate ship. Rammer, Willy and Sasha climbed aboard while the rest of the team pressed forward along the beach towards a sub chamber. The beach line disappeared and we now faced a conundrum. The sneakies returned and confirmed that the ship was devoid of occupants. After some discussion Willy noted that he recollected observing a whaler lashed to the ship. They knew this meant something but just couldn’t pull it together in short-order. And then the pieces connected. Use the whaler to navigate the chamber, they could stay dry. It was genius! 

Eventually they found themselves in a nook just adjacent to the beach and black galleon.

Those sorta forgotten bad guys were busy doing their own thing as this was all going down.

The no-see-um-sneaks once more scaled a vessel. Up the sternpalace they went. Where was the flute playing tentacle snout toad thing? Looking into the windows they first saw a galley, then an odd barrack and the final unlit chamber contained a throne of sorts surrounded by 360 degree windows. Inside this chamber lurked the creature and one of its minions (a fully clad in voluminous clothing man). Spider-rod climbed back down and reported to the rest of the group hiding in the hobo nook. It was go time.

The sneaks moved back to the ship as Katre and Wendul started the fireworks. Our elf-girl launched eldritch missiles at the windows of the throne chamber as the wizard sent a fiery orb right behind. The tanks stormed the beach just before the upper chamber became a conflagration. The pirates and slavers were flat-footed. The beach began to drink blood. Inside the chamber Ramrod crept in as the flames began to recede. The creature left a pork smelling smoke stream as it made a hasty run down the stairwell. Ramrod pursued as Willy and Sasha hit the main deck adjacent to the sternpalace. They were greeted by one of the strange men as two more appeared from the forecastle. Quickly, very quickly, leaping up the steps to ‘man’ a pair of ballistae. Our gang got lucky as the monstrous bolts flew wide impaling a bunch of slaves to little fanfare even from their peers. Escape comes in varied forms.

The fight on the beach was going well. The slaves got out of the murderhobos way huddling on the upper beach. On the ship Ramrod called for bigger guns. Boris activated his ring of jumping and joined the fray in the black galleon. They did really need some help as strange men and the tentacle toad proved to be exceptionally resilient. Back and forth blows were traded across the deck. There was a rather bad stench coming up from the cargo hatch but no one had any chance to consider it in any meaningful way. 

Below on the beach, the battle was looking favourable but the bad guys still held numerical advantage. 

Returning to the ship, Boris and the sneaks were about to get a taste of a competent opposition.   

 

The B-Team: Boris, Ramrod, Raul, Sloth, Willy, Sasha, Wendul, Gurn, Katre, Herbert, Camillus, Lady Versamage & Skull-Crusher

 

ROLECALL 

Raul the Voyager (MD9) 272840 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) 374765 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)                         

Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T9) 181946 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

Sloth the Bopper (L8) 203454 xp +10% <390000> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)

            Missing ten teeth

Sasha Plasha the Warden (R7) 128163 xp +10% <200000> CRT 1d10/III

Gurn Hammerhand the Dwarven Swashbuckler (D5) 32851 <36000> +5% CRT 1d12/III

Wendul the Magician (W6) 54599 <80000> 5% CRT 1d8/I

Camillus the Myrmidon (F6)  57780 <64001> +5% CRT 1d20/IV

Willy the Reformed Burglar (T6)  32987 <40000>10% CRT 1d14/II

            Agolloch the Eye of Purity (Lawful; XXXX) Sword

Katre Elf-Girl and Swordsman Conjuror (E3) 13040 xp <16000> +0% CRT 1d8/II

Lady Versamage Knight Errant (K6) 62883 xp <85000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV

Herbert the Gnomish Trickster (G3) 12276 xp <12000> +5% CRT XXXX

Skull-Crusher (A3) 5850 xp <6000> +5% CRT XXXX

 

RESERVES

Elapsed Campaign Time

(702 b) days at beginning of session 

675a (from Session 264) (also applies to recuperation) 

Join us for session Two-Hundred-and-Eighty-Five when we ask the questions:

Who’s turn is it? (mine -DM)

What’s up with these turbaned and billowy guys?

What’s up with the tentacle snout toad thing?

Was this attack plan a smart decision? 

Tale of the Tape

We are still fighting evil!

KILLS

we are not sure yet

LOOT

Nope. This we are certain of.

Snatch your Rattling Last Breaths Before they Bloom (Session 283)

SESSION 283: Siege on the Gangrenous Pt. XXX – Siege on Aman Marath V: You Will Know us from the Trail of the Dead

Leave a trail of crumbs expect the vermin to follow.

 

Day 255 (Aman Marath - Saemish): An hour or so before dawn it happened. Gurn and Camillus thought they heard something from one of the adjoining chambers. Kat and Wendul gathered their wits while the other two placed ears on the wooden door in hopes of getting more information. They were knocked to the side as a timber was rammed through the door and irate pirates stormed the breach. 

When deciding where to camp one ought to consider where you are and whom might come a knockin. In this case our B-Team had murderously rampaged through a stronghold and then decided to rest in the occupants church (of Dagon). Who ever thought cultists would start their day with a pep rally?

Camillus and Gurn were surrounded and then the other door opened and even more pirates poured into the room. Wendul launched a fireball into the antechamber incinerating a bunch of salty dogs. Katre addressed the newcomers with a sleep spell four succumbed to slumber. The racket brought our other hobos to attention, grabbing weapons and getting to their feet. With the majority of the team only in their skivvies this fight would be dangerous and it was. The pirate leaders entered the fray from the shrine. Back at the obliterated door, all but one of the partially toasted pirates stood their ground. The one fellow made a break for it and disappeared. It is never good when there is an escapee. The battle raged. The three leader types were competent fighters cutting deep wounds into the mostly naked Boris, Sloth and Versamage. Ramrod was greatly upset by the prospect of the most fabulous female specimen becoming marred. With a quaff of invisibility juice he utilized his cloak of spider climbing to pull off a sneak attack on the rotten scumbag cutting up his dream girl. The tide began to turn as one by one the regular pirates fell into the amassing sea of blood until it was only a matter of time before their leaders joined them in the abyss. 

The battle was over. Everything was a mess. Almost all of our troupe showing noticeable injury. They still looted the bums before making their own hasty exit from the shrine complex. As they hastily moved up the tower something broke inside some of our B-Team. It was their courage. Without words Boris, Raul and Ramrod were on the same page – RUN AWAY! Back up to the second floor and through the door into the furniture (and corpse) storage room they stood before the main entry doors. They opened with ease from the inside. Ramrod lead the charge out. 

He should have been more cautious, perhaps looking up at the overhang before just blindly running. There was a green slime up there in the darkness just waiting for something to move past. The slime fell on top of Rammer and he was once more enveloped by a mercilessly acidic sack of goo. The thief began to burn. Raul was on top of things for once and quickly pulled out an elixir of ‘Disease be gone’ and sprayed the slime with it. It immediately dried up leaving Ramrod coated in an inert crispy crud. They deferred the celebration as the thief got back to his feet and was once more doing his hobble run towards the first of the bridges back to the mainland.

They ran and ran. Periodically looking back for pursuers. None were forthcoming. Back in Saemish village they fell into their ops base and collapsed from exhaustion. 

 

Day 256 – 258 (Saemish): They rested, or hid depends on your perspective, for three days. During this time Sasha sat on the roof of the building using her spyglass to monitor the stronghold. She never say anything. Ramrod attempted to rebuild his basic gear but found that a mostly abandoned fishing village don’t really gots much.

 

Day 259 (Saemish -Aman Marath): An hour before dawn they launched the second invasion of Aman Marath. Returning the gang could only find limited evidence of activity, the ladder to the beach was absent. They made their own way down intent to find how, where and if the stories of mysterious ships were true. They realized that simply recreating the previous incursion may not have a better outcome. It was agree that if there was a hidden cove or such it would be along the farside (eastern) of the island. Before they got there an ambush occurred. Leaping from under the surf, maybe projected is more accurate, came eleven wicked tritons with crossbows and tridents. Not that it really matters, as their behaviour was quite rotten, but these normally reasonably arrogant fish-ish people had been twisted. Corrupted by Dagon they had been.

bask in the glory.

The tritons discharged their crossbows before laying into melee. They did not do a good job. They did however leave a mountain of gems in the hobos custody. Moving along. An invisible duo of Rammer and Sasha made their way to the eastern edge of the island and looked down. As luck would have it the tide was low.

About 80’ below they saw a narrow beach that the constant tidal action rolled over top of but did not come back. There was an opening of some size. A rope was set and Boris was the first to descend while Spider-Rammer crawled down the slick rocks. There was a great cavern holding a tidal lake behind the gravelly beach. Inside were two ships. One a conventional pirate ship the other a strange and wicked black galleon both sleek and bloated. 

The pirate ship was anchored off to the side of the cavern and showed no activity. The  black galleon was parallel along the interior shore of the lake and was ripe with things. Gangplanks were extended and crates and such were moving back and forth under the direction of turbaned men in billowy clothing and those without face coverings displayed exceptionally wide mouths. Slaves were both cargo and moving the cargo. Coming out of the captain’s cabin came a bizarre creature. It appeared to have a giant toad-like body with a tentacled eyeless head and to cap it off it was playing a bone flute. 

This ain’t good was the consensus. 

Resulting in some head scratching.

What to do? 

What to do?

 

The B-Team: Boris, Ramrod, Raul, Sloth, Willy, Sasha, Wendul, Gurn, Katre, Herbert, Camillus, Lady Versamage & Skull-Crusher

 

ROLECALL 

Carla the Green High Priestess of TMB (C10) 356271 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d12/III

            Scars: permanent loss left index finger and scarring on arm

Bimbles the High Priest of GSS (C10) 320506 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) 271258 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) 373183 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) 312116 xp <400001> +10% CRT 1d24/II

            Light wound: permanent loss of pinky finger, off hand

Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T9) 180364 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) 198080 xp <200001> CRT 1d10/III

            Moderate wound: Scar on abdomen

            Lasting injury: -1 STR, mashed guts

Sloth the Bopper (L8) 202663 xp +10% <390000> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)

            Missing ten teeth

Nara the Nearly Naked Purple Swami Girl (PS7) 112609 xp +5% <125000> CRT 1d16/II

Wraith Drained: -1 CON

Biff Bartley the Half-Orc Blackguard (HO7) 102620 <120000> +5% CRT 1d12/II

Sasha Plasha the Warden (R7) 127372 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) 86207 <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) 32060 <36000> +5% CRT 1d12/III

Wendul the Magician (W6) 53808 <80000> 5% CRT 1d8/I

Dolec Da the Hero (F7) 71196 xp +10% <120000> CRT 1d20/IV

            Missing five teeth

Camillus the Myrmidon (F6)  56989 <64001> +5% CRT 1d20/IV

Willy the Reformed Burglar (T6)  32196 <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 Guardian of Oceana (P6)  48456 xp <95000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV

Katre Elf-Girl and Swordsman Conjuror (E3) 12249 xp <16000> +0% CRT 1d8/II

Lady Versamage Knight Errant (K6) 62092 xp <85000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV

Herbert the Gnomish Trickster (G3) 11485 xp <12000> +5% CRT XXXX

Skull-Crusher (A3) 5059 xp <6000> +5% CRT XXXX

Brett & Jermaine Kobold Cooks & Eavesdroppers Extraordinaire

 

RESERVES

Elapsed Campaign Time

(698 b) days at beginning of session 

675a (from Session 264) (also applies to recuperation) 

Join us for session Two-Hundred-and-Eighty-Four when we ask the questions:

Who ever thought camping in the bad guys chapel was a good idea?

What will the ramifications of the tactical retreat be?

How much more difficult will things be because of the escapee?

What is going on with that wicked looking black ship?

Who or what are the beings controlling things?

Why is it playing a flute?

Where did everything go wrong?

Tale of the Tape

The first assault on Evil did not work out properly. Where have we seen that before?

KILLS

Pirates (19) 

Buck 

Assistants to Buck (2) 

Green Slime 

Tritons of Dagon (10+Leader) 

LOOT

Potion of Healing

Gems (9) @ 10 gp = 90

Gems (55) @ 100 gp = 5500 gp

Chainmail +1 (left behind)

Shields of Note (3) +1/+2/+3

Sea Gems (260) @ 50 gp = 13,000 gp

Heresy for Gold (Session 282)

SESSION 282: Siege on the Gangrenous Pt. 29 – Siege on Aman Marath IV: Going Deeper 

Plunging deeper into the stronghold we find real bad guys.

 

Day 254 Continued Continued (Aman Marath): Standing above the ooze Raul used his magics to scan the base of the tower for magicks. Nope. Natch. Nothing. Screw this. They returned to the pirate chamber. The corpses were tossed into the tower for the grey ooze to clean things up and possibly present a strange narrative that ‘the ooze did it’. It was decided that they would return to the SE tower and descend to the ground floor. 

The trip was smooth and easy. 

Descending the tower. Reaching the ground floor there was a door and another stairwell cut into the living rock of Aman Marath. Raul declared “Nope”. They took the door. It lead to an L-shaped antechamber with a plush purple rug and religious robes, slippers lining the walls with a door on the far side. They decided to robe up. Entering the next chamber found them in a chapel of Dagon. The long hall contained a dozen pews with six black marble fountains flanking a dais bearing a green altar with a Dagonish bas-relief behind. A little off to the side of all this were a trio of bedrolls and some general clutter. Moving around this area were three fishy looking clerics of Dagon. They were confused by our robed presence. “Why are you here now? You are far too early. Are you new recruits? No, you are converts aren’t you…Praise be to Dagon!”. Given so much time Versamage, Camillus and Boris were now nearly toe-to-toe with the cultists. “Nope” – Chop! The dwarf sundered the first and our ladies followed with their deadly blows. The cultists did not stand a chance. Once their bodies were stuffed under the pews the hobos rolled out of the shrine into the main corridor. Keeping themselves to the darkened portion (western) of the ring road. 

 

Ah Ha!

 

Along the outer wall were some swollen wet doors but.. much to Raul’s pleasure we find a pair of large bronze doors that would gain ingress to the lighthouse. “There!”, exclaimed the MD-Explorer. “Gonna take a bit. That lock looks purdy good”. “Yup”, came from our thief duo.

Rammer got down to work probing the lock with his fingers, “Hmm this ain’t going the way I wants… Say buddy could ya help a brother out?”. “Why certainly, brother”, Willy reached into his pouch a retrieved his tools. This really helped the process and we quickly heard the telltale clicks of a lock retreating. The doors opened and all were bathed in an intense light.

Inside. The central column of the lighthouse was odd. Basically hollow with a winding exterior stairwell ascending to the house atop. It was hollow for a reason. About 60’ up and just floating there was a fiery orb. A mini sun perhaps. The light thereof greatly magnified by tile lined walls. This orb was the likely mechanism of illumination that was sitting midshaft presumptively for the decades of non-lighthouseyness.  Way up above and shrouded in a cloud of smoke or dark mist was the lantern room in the top tower. Raul for all his previous burning desire to get in here suggested that the ring corridor should be further explored first, “Oh. Maybe we should clear the outlying areas first..”.

They backed out and relocked the doors and continued north and then east passing a very wet door in the process. When they turned the corner they could see light beginning about 50’ done the passage. They crept along letting the thieves take point. There was a wide passage and just inside were a trio of pirates guarding the wall at the end. Willy reported back while the invisible Ramrod watched the low quality guards. The wall was obviously contained the secret door to the beach. The thieves would sneak in and spearhead a quick triple assassination. They all knew there were more pirates to be found at the extent of the corridor. The drunks were efficiently removed from the board. A small handful of gems were collected and then it was decided to return to the SW tower and check out the descending stairwell.

The slink was uneventful. The stairwell was well preserved/ maintained and lead to an antechamber. A large room cut from the living rock with two ornate doors, one stone the other wood. Lining the two long walls were skeletons clad in chainmail and holding longswords. The hobos were still wearing the liberated sacred vestments, now a little bloody of course. Perhaps this was why the skeletons did nothing or perhaps they were just grim statues. Time would tell. 

The thieves checked out the doors. Each displayed blasphemous Dagonite imagery. The stone door was locked. This perturbed Ramrod so he began working on it. This action rallied the bone guardians. A dozen skeletons raised their blades and stepped forward. Skull-Crusher attempted to turn them, “Gah! By Crom they are animated not undead! My protective powers do nothing!”. One of them smashed Gurn's leg with the flat of the blade and broke his femur, he let out a holler and collapsed to the ground. Automatons are always a challenge. They just don’t care and fight devoid of any emotion. The stolen robes as a whole were now in tatters and soaking up a heck of a lot of hobojuice. The fight ended without mortality and required a hefty dip into the reserve of healing magics. Press on!

Ramrod finished picking the lock and they pressed into the next chamber. It was another shrine to Dagon. This chamber was split into two sections. A lower prayer area lit by braziers. The floor had dozens of prayer mats flanked large tubs holding boiling seawater that filled the area with a salty musk. Across the chamber was the upper level that housed a salt crusted green stone altar with the obligatory black cultist candles along with a bunch of barrels. The chamber was far from empty and the hobo arrival was immediately observed an recognized for what it was, “Intruders! Infidels! Heretics!”. On the lower level there was three worshipping pirates and a pack of grossly bloated zombies. Atop the platform were three mutated cultists, the priest and 'it's' acolytes. All Dagon broke out.

Fight. Fight. Fight. The zombies vomited up vile brine, pirates swung wicked scimitars and the fish-like cultists hurled black magicks. This was another challenging battle that drained more resources without offering any replenishment at its completion. There was however a real nice ring sitting at the bottom of a barrel that Boris decided to smash just because. A door on the upper platform lead to the priest’s ready room. The occupants being presumably now deceased the chamber was devoid of adversaries. Seven cots and three chests. 

Ramrod went to work on chests. One of them was intricately carved to depict an oceanic scene. When it was touched Ramrod was engulfed in a wave a salt water that relayed eight rapidly expanding crab-men.

 

Raul had his dome rung twice and was left unable to cast spells or have two-way communications due to deafness. When the fight was over the gang were exhausted the day needed to end. After chucking the crabs into the shrine and looting the chests they locked the two doors and hunkered down for a rest cycle.

 

The B-Team: Boris, Ramrod, Raul, Sloth, Willy, Sasha, Wendul, Gurn, Katre, Herbert, Camillus, Lady Versamage & Skull-Crusher

 

ROLECALL (totally too lazy to update xp. What’s your excuse?)

Raul the Voyager (MD9) 267070 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) 368995 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)                         

Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T9) 176176 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

Sloth the Bopper (L8) 179451 xp +10% <XXXXXX> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)

            Missing ten teeth

Sasha Plasha the Warden (R7) 125280 xp +10% <200000> CRT 1d10/III

Gurn Hammerhand the Dwarven Swashbuckler (D5) 29968 <36000> +5% CRT 1d12/III

Wendul the Magician (W6) 51716 <80000> 5% CRT 1d8/I

Camillus the Myrmidon (F6)  54987 <64001> +5% CRT 1d20/IV

Willy the Reformed Burglar (T6)  30104 <40000>10% CRT 1d14/II

            Agolloch the Eye of Purity (Lawful; XXXX) Sword

Katre Elf-Girl and Swordsman Conjuror (E3) 10157 xp <16000> +0% CRT 1d8/II

Lady Versamage Knight Errant (K6) 60000 xp <85000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV

Herbert the Gnomish Trickster (G3) 10500 xp <12000> +5% CRT XXXX

Skull-Crusher (A3) xxxx xp <XXX> +5% CRT XXXX

Elapsed Campaign Time

(697 b) days at beginning of session 

675a (from Session 264) (also applies to recuperation) 

Join us for session Two-Hundred-and-Eighty-Three when we ask the questions:

Is this the best place to rest?

When will our trail of the dead be discovered?

What other evils lurk and where?

Tale of the Tape

Multiple blows to the head has left Raul is deaf for the next four days

KILLS

Skeleton Warriors (12) 

Pirates (9) 

Aqueous Zombies (12) 

Lackeys of Dagon (2) 

Cordon Fain Priest of Dagon 

Crabmen (8) 

LOOT

Ring of Protection +2

Scroll: Cure Light

Flail +1

Gems (15) 10 gp each = 150 gp

Gems (300) emerald chips @ 5 gp each = 1500 gp

Gems (7) diamond bits 120 gp each = 840 gp

Gems (136) 10 gp each = 1360 gp

Oozed (Session 281)

SESSION 281: Siege on the Gangrenous Pt. 28 – Siege on Aman Marath III: Cornered? 

Now serving: Less talk and more murder.

 

Day 254 Continued (Aman Marath): Boris directed the team to prepare an ambush. As soon as the “talkers” neared the door it would be murder-o-clock. Out jumped our longswords. Surprising a pair of ape-like men, or maybe man-like apes, covered in white fur. They were surprised when blades pierced deep into their bodies. They got off a couple of wild defensive swings but our hobos were like a plague of locus and consumed everything in their path. A bunch more gems were found before these corpses were tossed in with the pirate bits in the storage room. Our little corner of the stronghold was beginning to look like an abattoir. Versamage came up with a plan, “You little people wet some rage from the guard chamber and clean up this residue” pointing at those that did not battle the apes. She ain’t the nicest warrior but she ain’t actually dumb either. 

After cleaning up the group pressed on to the north along the interior corridor. Making it to the NE corner without much fanfare another group of pirates were dispatched. The salty bunch were guards, protecting the adjoining chamber that lay between us and the spider room. Hidden behind a tapestry was the entrance to the connecting tower. Inside it was dusty and forgotten. So forgotten that there was a nice pouch of gems just sitting and waiting beyond the door, only protected by a thick layer of dust. The stairs up did not look interesting so down it was. 

The bottom of the tower appeared to once be an armory. Shields lined the walls and there was also a number of barrels holding the decaying remains of spears. The back wall had a moistness to it and that strangely attracted Ramrod. Probably because he is strange. 

As the thief searched for goodies he moved close to the moist wall. The moist stuff fell on him. It was actually some kind of ooze and was ready and willing to digest Rammer. Almost instantly all of Ramrod’s mundane equipment was consumed by the super digestive acids of the ooze. Raul screamed, “ that is a grey ooze! It is going to turn Rammer into juice any moment now!”. The rest of the gang took extra-large steps back so as not to join the thief in his melted fate. Rammer did not like this one bit. He was able to grab his gaseous form potion before it fell to the ground from his now no longer existing bandolier. He could feel his skin beginning to burn as he quaffed the potion – POOT! 

Ramrod was once again a fart and escaped the deadly embrace of the ooze. The rest of the troupe made a hasty rush back up the stairs they really didn’t like the whole scene going down. We would soon learn that Rammer was now a naked and hairless tomato…Yick.

 

 

The B-Team: Boris, Ramrod, Raul, Sloth, Willy, Sasha, Wendul, Gurn, Katre, Herbert, Camillus, Lady Versamage & Skull-Crusher

 

ROLECALL 

Raul the Voyager (MD9) 267070 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) 368995 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)                         

Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T9) 176176 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

Sloth the Bopper (L8) 179451 xp +10% <XXXXXX> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)

            Missing ten teeth

Sasha Plasha the Warden (R7) 125280 xp +10% <200000> CRT 1d10/III

Gurn Hammerhand the Dwarven Swashbuckler (D5) 29968 <36000> +5% CRT 1d12/III

Wendul the Magician (W6) 51716 <80000> 5% CRT 1d8/I

Camillus the Myrmidon (F6)  54987 <64001> +5% CRT 1d20/IV

Willy the Reformed Burglar (T6)  30104 <40000>10% CRT 1d14/II

            Agolloch the Eye of Purity (Lawful; XXXX) Sword

Katre Elf-Girl and Swordsman Conjuror (E3) 10157 xp <16000> +0% CRT 1d8/II

Lady Versamage Knight Errant (K6) 60000 xp <85000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV

Herbert the Gnomish Trickster (G3) 10500 xp <12000> +5% CRT XXXX

Skull-Crusher (A3) xxxx xp <XXX> +5% CRT XXXX

 

RESERVES

Elapsed Campaign Time

(697 b) days at beginning of session 

675a (from Session 264) (also applies to recuperation) 

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

How much longer can we muddle about before setting off the general alarm?

Do we really want to be slinking about a naked Ramrod whom has a proclivity towards being invisible?

And really, how did Rammer salvage so much gear? Like really?

Tale of the Tape

Ramrod narrowly escaped becoming an ooze

KILLS

White Apes (2) 

Lackeys of Dagon (3) 

Pirates (8) 

Grey Ooze à ran away

LOOT

Assorted gems (8): 100,10,50,500,1025,25,25 = 745 gp

More Assorted gems (30) @5 gp = 150 gp

Even More Assorted Gems (20) @ 50gp = 1000 gp

A Hole in the Wall (Session 280)

SESSION 280: Siege on the Gangrenous Pt. 27 – Siege on Aman Marath II: Getting Inside 

After some dithering about the mob gets into the lighthouse, what do they find?

                     ~~_insert image_~~

                        DENIED

                        "/:boring_shit_wasting_time_not_murdering_enough."

                        ~~no image earned, see above..~~~~~~> 

Day 253 Continued (Aman Marath): They cautiously made their way as far from the beach as possible, bad things arise from the brine. Now being up against northern curtain wall they decided that there must a hidden entrance to one of the towers bookending the wall. There was not. There was a secret door, nearly missed due impatience, dead centre in the wall. It showed sign of usage even with the sea doing its best to erase evidence. They marked the spot and decided to move around the stronghold to the eastside. Perhaps because Sloth and Skullcrusher were being attacked by a giant sea lion, tough to say. 

After dealing with the overly territorial marine mammal they spotted a crumbled arrow slot on the wall above. The opening was more than large enough to get Sloth through once the sizable amount of spider webbing was addressed. Raul thought that simply burning their way in was a tactic worth repeating (they dropped a torch into one of the stepstone towers prior to Marath). They did not really consider, well not at all, if they could likely set the interior of the stronghold aflame as well. They did burn some ancient furniture along with most of the webbing and the two large spiders that created it all. Luckily, after many years of being somewhat exposed to the salt and moisture the wood inside was not going to create an inferno. They climbed into a large L-shaped chamber that had been boarded shut. Ramrod used his expert ear to determine that he could hear muffled conversation beyond. He could not tell much beyond the chamber beyond had occupants but they were not milling around the sealed portal. I guess it was easier to close the chamber than address the spiders. Searching further they discovered a two more doors (one of which lead to the SE tower) an ancient shield of some quality and most importantly three urns loaded with assorted small gems. Boris declared this a good day and declared they would rest here before punching further into the stronghold.

 

Day 254 (Aman Marath): They investigated the tower two stairwells of questionable condition (as per Gurn and Boris). One ascending the other going the other way. Boris redirected the gang to the other door in the chamber. It lead to the main interior corridor of the stronghold heading this way and that. The door was had a message boldly painted on the corridor side -Spiders! Keep Out. It was easily read as there was a buring lantern hanging from the corner to the NE. Ramrod took a quaff of invisibility juice and checked things out. The corridor was a square ring-road around the central lighthouse tower. Doors could be seen along the outer perimeter but none into the lighthouse. This irritated Raul for some reason. They decided to explore away from this corner and into the darkness to the west. 

A couple of long ignored chambers were explored the signs of slow decay were obvious. Within the SW tower, which housed the stirges above, there was an intact stairwell that lead down to the ground floor. Raul wanted to continue about the current level, still certain an entrance to the lighthouse would be found. They came to a well-rotted door that opened to a cluttered chamber filled with furniture and thick with dust. The furniture appeared to have been haphazardly tossed within. Beyond they found the backside of the two great doors of the grand entry. 

Wandering out of the chamber they ran afoul of four surly, likely drunken, pirates. They made quick work of chopping them up and then tossing the corpses back into the furniture room. Falling back to the previous (guard)chamber to consider their next action. Raul and Boris had their deliberations interrupted when Ramrod pointed out he could hear muffled deep conversation from beyond the stone door, “Don’t know what they is sayin’ but daze iz comin’ down from za spiders corridor”. Time was short. Whomever was wandering would soon turn the corner and notice the spray of fresh pirate viscera just beyond the door which our gang huddled. 

 

 

The B-Team: Boris, Ramrod, Raul, Sloth, Willy, Sasha, Wendul, Gurn, Katre, Herbert, Camillus, Lady Versamage & Skull-Crusher

 

ROLECALL 

Raul the Voyager (MD9) 267070 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) 368995 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)                         

Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T9) 176176 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

Sloth the Bopper (L8) 179451 xp +10% <XXXXXX> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)

            Missing ten teeth

Sasha Plasha the Warden (R7) 125280 xp +10% <200000> CRT 1d10/III

Gurn Hammerhand the Dwarven Swashbuckler (D5) 29968 <36000> +5% CRT 1d12/III

Wendul the Magician (W6) 51716 <80000> 5% CRT 1d8/I

Camillus the Myrmidon (F6)  54987 <64001> +5% CRT 1d20/IV

Willy the Reformed Burglar (T6)  30104 <40000>10% CRT 1d14/II

            Agolloch the Eye of Purity (Lawful; XXXX) Sword

Katre Elf-Girl and Swordsman Conjuror (E3) 10157 xp <16000> +0% CRT 1d8/II

Lady Versamage Knight Errant (K6) 60000 xp <85000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV

Herbert the Gnomish Trickster (G3) 10500 xp <12000> +5% CRT XXXX

Skull-Crusher (A3) xxxx xp <XXX> +5% CRT XXXX

 

RESERVES

Elapsed Campaign Time

(696 b) days at beginning of session 

675a (from Session 264) (also applies to recuperation) 

Join us for session Two-Hundred-and-Eighty-One when we ask the questions:

What was that, did you hear it?

Now that they are inside, what is the primary target?

How long can we muddle about before setting off the general alarm?

Tale of the Tape

Nothing worth noting…

KILLS

Giant Sea Lion 

Man-Sized Spiders (2) 

Pirates (4) 

LOOT

Assorted Small Gems (164) 10 gp each =2140 gp

Ancient Shield of Caer Seala +1