Prymptown Courier - v. 2, no. 5

PRYMPTOWN COURIER

Vol. 2, No. 5 (May 1999)

EDITORIAL

I don't know which fact is more amazing -- that it's been four months since the session this issue is covering, or the fact that I remembered the session well enough to write about it.  I seem to do an awful lot of apologizing for lateness in my editorials (and in most of my waking eyes to my guilty conscience), but I won't dwell on that this time.  Instead, I'm going to discuss an issue that's become quite timely in my campaign -- PC death.

For reasons that will become all too evident by reading the campaign summary below, certain players in my campaign have become concerned about the occurrence of Player Character deaths.  Some cite a relatively high death rate -- two PCs dead in the first 11 game sessions.  Perhaps PC deaths do not go well with a slow-paced, role-playing intensive campaign like mine, but the deaths did not occur in slow-paced, role-playing oriented situations.  In both instances, the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle was facing some of the most difficult encounters on the second dungeon level of Skull Keep.  It was clearly the choice of the players to return to the second dungeon level this last time, as I had made several other adventure hooks available to them beforehand.  I can only assume the majority of them were therefore comfortable with the risks involved. 

Personally, I would have felt comfortable killing three PCs off in the first year of the campaign.  Four might have felt excessive to me...

Another complaint is that when players get to introduce a new character, they must deal with the home rule I introduced about how new PCs start with 1/10th the lowest xp total in the party.  The complainers argue that the new PCs have practically had to start over because their new xp amount is so low.  Now, it is true that there is a wider range of xp totals in the party than I would have predicted.  This is because many of my players do not regularly attend playing sessions, and miss out on much xp that the regular players receive.  In fact, if a player has not showed up for three sessions, I stop awarding them xp until they return to the fold.

SESSION #11:  DEATH IN THE DUNGEON 

Continuing Chapter One:  The Phantom Menace

Cast:

Barada, Neutral male Flannish human mercenary (1st level fighter)(played as NPC).  

Alexander Petrok, Lawful Neutral male Oerdian human templar of Zilchus (1st level paladin variant) (played as NPC).

Perpegilliam Brown, Neutral male Hairfoot hobniz rogue (1st level Thief). 

Hristo Neutral Good male Wesevud ("Central") noniz ex-town watchman and rogue (1st level fighter/1st level thief)(played as NPC).

Vladamir Kostitov, Lawful Good male Oerdian human prestidigitator for the Governor's Guardsmen (1st level Illusionist). 

Abraham the Radiant, Neutral Good male Oeridian human acolyte of Pelor (1st level Cleric).

Dargog, Neutral male Blu-Jebline rogue (1st level Thief). 

Setting:  Skull Keep

Readying 23, 581 CY

The room was undisturbed during the long rest.  Watches were posted, who kept close eye on the locked doors.  Everyone did their duty, save one. 

Perpegilliam Brown made sure no one watched him sneak out of the room.  It was not far back to the room the gnoll and his companion had surrendered in.  The room had not been searched, and Peri had decided that he would spare the rest of the party from the bother of it.  In the room was a crate that had salted pork and dill pickles in it.  Beneath those things was a large sack.  Peri saw copper, silver, electrum, and over a hundred gold coins inside.  This would more than make up for the treasure Peri had lost in the bay the last time they escaped Skull Keep.  He quickly concocted a plan. 

Two hours later, Peri pounded on the door to the party's lair, desperate to be let in.  Peri had nothing on but torn clothes, and was covered in dirt.  Dargog, and Istvan the templar, were on the next watch shift. Peri told them that, upon taking a short trip to scout out the surrounding area of the dungeon, Peri was waylaid by goblins and captured.  They took everything he had, and planned to do worse, but Peri escaped.  Then he was chased by skeletons almost all the way up to the door to the room!  Peri fell asleep, and the remaining watches remained extra alert.

Once everyone had rested, Abe prayed to Pelor for more spells, and Vlad re-studied his spellbook.  Barada was feeling his old self, having recovered from being charmed, and rejoined the party.  Peri was armed with a goblin's short sword, since he no longer had any equipment.  The templar Aaron was still not well enough to fight, and so he remained behind with the clerical trainee Miltar Bertov and Dargog to watch the prisoners.  The map of the dungeon the party had been making was consulted.  There was one big area in the northwest corner of that level which had not been explored yet.  The decision to go there was easily made. 

With the thieves Peri and Hristo leading, they made their way out from the abandoned study, passing the ex-gnoll lair, and the spiral staircase room.  At the end of the hall was an unexplored door.  It yielded quickly to their forcing, and on the other side was a wide room, with nothing in it but a sundial on a pedestal, and a large bronze mask on the opposite wall.  The theives waited for the others to catch up, as they were hesitant to approach the mask.

However, once the party en masse had approached the mask, they could see that writing beneath it read:  "I'll answer questions, one, no more.  I never speak except for four."

Everyone pondered the meaning of this.  Peri suggested that four people had to be present.  Hristo suggested shining a light on the "four" on the sundial.  The others liked that suggestion.  Abe's lantern was held so that the light cast a shadow on the Oerdian numeral "four."  The eyes and mouth on the mask opened.  It spoke, "Who is your god?"

Everyone pondered that one for a bit longer, wondering if they should answer.  One of them did.

"Speak, and I will seek your answer from your god," the mask spoke.

More pondering took place.  Several suggestions were made.  Then Peri stepped forward.

"Am I the coolest thief in the world?" he asked.

Everyone held their breath.  There was a silent pause, as if the mask, or the gods, were thinking about it.  Then it spoke.

"No."

Peri was crestfallen.  Not the best, most interesting thief in the whole world??  It wasn't possible.  The mask was lying, wasn't it?

The sundial was examined, but seemed to have no unusual properties.  No one dared touch the mask.  There were two exits from the room.  The closer door on the east wall was chosen.

Bashing open the east door led to a large room devoid of furnishings.  A 10-foot wide trough ran the width of the room, and the trough was filled with salt water rushing from north to south under each wall.  A great roaring noise could be heard from outside the room, and sitting next to the trough was a crab that had grown to be three feet in diameter. 

The fighters rushed the monster, which scurried into the trough to escape them.  That left them free to examine the far end of the room, which they could illuminate with Abe's lantern.  There was a single door on the far wall, and all they had to do to get there was cross the trough.  Jumping was suggested, but rejected.  Peri suggested that Barada could swing and throw him, like they did to get Peri up on a roof before.  Barada agreed, picked up the hobniz, and began to spin him around.  But when he let go, his aim was too low, and Peri plunged into the water.  The current was powerful, and swept Peri to the edge of the room before he could get his bearings.  It was all he could do to grab the edge of the wall and hold on. 

While the party tried to figure out what they could do to help him, the situation worsened.  The large crab had not been swept away by the current, and felt braver against a single opponent in the water.  It swam up to Peri and bit him.  Luckily, rope had been thrown to Peri by then, and while holding the rope Peri was able to draw his sword and stab the crab.  The injured crab lost its balance, and was swept under the wall.  Peri was dragged out of the trough.

Since the far door was still inaccessible, the party chose to backtrack, and take the other exit from the mask room.  Peri's wound had been mended, but he was still dripping wet and lacking armor and equipment when he boldly resumed scouting ahead with Hristo.  Barada confessed that he wasn't quite up to full strength yet, and stepped down from the front ranks of the party.

It took the thieves two tries to bash the next door in.  Beyond it was a hallway leading to the right into a dark room.  But as the thieves started down the hallway, a light shone from the room.  A lantern had been opened, and three humans with crossbows had lined up alongside it.  Three other humans with clubs, and one with a battleaxe moved to the sides of the entrance.  Hristo turned tail and ran as soon as he saw the crossbows.  Peri, unaware at first he was being abandoned, tried some tumbling techniques to dodge their shots.  The tumbling didn't work, and Peri was impaled with a quarrel.  Alex ran out into the hallway to grab the now-unconscious hobniz, and then dragged him back to Abe for magical healing. 

Meanwhile, Vlad noticed that Barada was slipping out of the mask room by the door they had used to enter.  Vlad gave chase, and as soon as Abe was done healing Peri, Abe followed.  Barada was running back to the room where Dargog and the others were waiting.  Vlad was gaining fast, but Barada reached the side passage leading to the empty gnoll lair, and turned the corner.

Back outside the pirate lair, the templars Alex and Kolos braced themselves behind their shields, and marched out into the hallway.  They managed to reach the room entrance without injury, and then waded into the flanking guards so the second rank of fighters could charge the crossbowmen.  Even with the party reduced in numbers, the pirates were now on the defensive, meleeing for their lives against fighters in better armor. 

As Vlad rounded the corner, Barada was in front of him, swinging his long sword.  Vlad was agile enough to jump back and avoid getting sliced open.  Barada shouted that it was his own fault for following him, and kept swinging to force Vlad back.  By then, Abe was nearly there, and Barada had to shift his position to guard against the new threat.  That gave Vlad the time he needed to produce a handful of magic sand and fling it at Barada.  The Color Spray spell rendered Barada unconscious. 

It wasn't long before the leader with the battle axe was unconscious and bleeding to death.  Keeping him company on the floor were three of his fellows.  The remaining four broke and tried to reach an exit tunnel, but were cut down before they could escape.  Hristo gathered coinage from the dead pirates, scooped up the oil lamp, and found two skins full of beer in a chest.  He had been wanting to have a broad sword for a long time, and had three to choose from in the room.  He liked the feel of one, found its sheath, and claimed it.  He also claimed a crossbow for himself, as he was curious to give it a try.

   

Peri volunteered to follow them and see where the tunnel went.  It led abruptly to a Y-intersection.  To the right, Peri found the tunnel emptied into another cave, and could see that there were people lurking around the sides of the cave mouth.  Peri returned, informed the others, and then went down the other way.  The roar of the surf echoed through the cave ahead.  One whole side of the cave was open to the rolling waves of the saltwater bay outside.  Near the entrance, another 10-foot wide trough allowed the water to flow across the room and under the south wall.  On the other side of the trough were two rowboats, nine more pirates milling about, and a wooden cage with three people in it.  Peri found a crevice in the wall he could wedge himself into, and stayed there to watch the pirates.

Vlad and Abe used the last of their rope binding Barada again before he regained consciousness.  It was fairly obvious that the wizard's charm spell had not worn off yet after all.  They left him with the other prisoners, and left to rejoin the party.

Once everyone, except for Peri, were back together, they proceeded to the Y-intersection and turned right so they could confront the first group of pirates.  Hristo fired a wild shot with the crossbow before the others rushed into the room.  The seven pirates inside were still lying in wait by the entrance, so a melee was quickly joined.  The battle did not take long, and was one-sided in the party's favor.  After a few minutes, four pirates threw down their weapons and surrendered.

Their leader was a ship's mate named Monev.  He was surly, promising the party they would pay at the hands of his captain, Renspa.  The adventurers chuckled and teased him about how Captain Renspa was in chains back in Prymp, but Monev didn't believe them.  He told them how many pirates were still stationed in Skull Keep, and after subtracting their number of kills so far, they were able to determine that about nine awaited them in the last cave.

After gathering up the coins of the fallen pirates and tying up the rest with the very last of the party's rope, they set back to the Y-intersection and passed Peri, who was still concealed in the crevice.  After they passed Peri, he slipped out of hiding, and snuck off the other way.  He made his way up to the surface, and then to his buried loot.  During his fictitious "capture by goblins," Peri had buried his armor, weapons, equipment, and stolen treasure out here.  Now he dug it up, and headed on his own back to Prymp.  He knew he was ready for more thief training, and that he would need it before he would adventure with those saps again...

And back in the dungeon, the others prepared for another battle.

The Band of the Grinning Gargoyle advanced on the last pirate lair in Skull Keep.  At least, they advanced as far as they could.  A 10-foot wide trough seperated them from the side of the cave the pirates were on.  Everyone found what cover they could and prepared for a long-range attack.  But the pirates seemed prepared for long-range attack too, as each of them had a hand axe, spear, throwing knife, or crossbow in hand.  Hristo fired his own crossbow, but the wire snapped.  He threw down the weapon in disgust, having decided that a crossbow was not the right weapon for him after all.  Abe hurled many a sling bullet to good effect, and the templar captain, Kolos, fired many an arrow from his bow.  Alex used his mantlet to shield himself and others from the hurled weapons that rained down on them.  Vlad cast his Phantasmal Force spell, and made one of the rowboats on the shore of the cave seem to fly into the air and chase several of the pirates.  Hristo picked up every weapon that had been hurled at them and began hurling them back at their owners.

The battle dragged out, but proved victorious for the party.  They returned to one of the other pirate caves long enough to retrieve a bench that was just long enough to span the trough.  The bay water flowed from the shore to underneath the back wall through the trough, and everyone passed safely over it.  On the other side was a cage that held three prisoners.  They had been relieved to see their rescue at hand, until they recognized one of their rescuers.  The three men, who identified themselves as Selmo, Emil, and Gristov, saw Vlad amongst them and expected to be murdered.  It took Vlad just a moment to remember a battle against Demonkos' brigands several weeks ago, when two warriors with much different gear snuck up on him.  Vlad had rendered them unconscious with his Color Spray spell, and they had been slain before waking. 

These three men, along with the two slain men, had formed an adventuring party in the nearby town of Porton, and were having a far from successful adventure in Skull Keep so far.  After convincing them that they would not be killed, the three men were released from the cell, and some unconscious pirates were placed in their stead.  The three former prisoners followed their rescuers as the band marched down a tunnel from the beach, and came to an empty room.  Double doors from the empty room led back into the large, and still empty, goblin barracks.  From there the party decided to see the as yet unexplored southeast corner.  But here Selmo, Emil, and Gristov asked to part ways with the band, and were given leave to take the stairs heading to the upper dungeon level.  The band took an east-headed corrdor and followed it until they came to a side door.  The door was opened. 

The room contained two iron sarcophagi with fancy ingravings.  There were the splintered remains of numerous wooden coffins, and dirt and bone scattered on the floor.  The room reeked of embalming.  Five figures crouched in the debris.  They appeared rotted, like human corpses, and yet twisted and mishapen as if part-animal.

The door was slammed closed.

Then people started to run. 

Vlad would later say that he was merely backing up for a tactical advantage, but when others saw him running, they broke rank too.  Even the templars turned to flee, as their was something so terrifying about those undead monstrosities.  They ran ahead down the hallway, past the door.

And then they heard the door open behind them. 

Abe whirled around with his Holy symbol held forth.  He invoked the name of Pelor, and waited for the undead to be deterred.  But he remembered failing before, and hesitated.  And in his hesitation, he was lost.  The five loathsome creatures swarmed over him, dragged him to the ground, and began ripping his armor apart to get to his flesh.

The rest of the party was now down the hallway and around a corner.  Alex and Vlad had regained their courage, and realized that Abe was not with them.  Alex ran back after him, and was surprised when they backed away from him as if afraid.  Alex was even able to drive them away from Abe, and scooped up the fallen cleric in his arms.  Abe's wounds looked critical, and Alex ran for the exit with him to get them both to safety.   

Meanwhile, the others were running in darkness, as Abe had been holding the lantern.  The humans were stumbling blind, but Hristo could see with his dungeon-sight, and steered the others through another room full of sarcophagi.  The five undead monsters began following them, and moved faster.  Hristo watched in horror as the guardsman Kelso, and then the templar Istvan, were felled from behind.  Vlad pulled forth the magic wand the wizard had tried to use on them, and spoke its command word "Tospregakin."  Motes of energy swirled around the wand, illuminating just enough of the room for Vlad to see where he was going.  He pointed the wand behind him and kept repeating the command word.  After the motes fizzled out several times, a beam of green light stroke out from the tip of the wand and struck one of the monsters behind him.  Vlad turned to see its effect,and was startled when the undead creature shrank, and assumed the form of a rabbit.  As they continued running, Vlad continued trying to summon the magic from the wand, succeeding once more into creating a magic beam of light which this time swung wild and missed all.

Those who still lived ran all the way back to the pirate caves, and the shore with the rowboats.  They climbed into both boats, pushed off, and rowed out of Skull Keep.  Once free from the cliffface, they found Alex waiting on the shore further down.  He stood over the body of Abraham the Radiant -- radiant no longer.  The life had passed from his body, so torn asunder he had been by his attackers.  Abraham had not been the best of clerics, perhaps.  Not the most pious of souls.  But he had an adventurer's heart and soul, and he died seeking the thrills he needed to truly live.

Cautiously, Barada, Alex, Hristo, and Vlad went back into the dungeon to fetch the rest of the party.  They found Dargog and Miltar had just had a lengthy conversation, though Dargog had now returned to his silent nature.  Aaron was ready to travel.  Barada and the wizard who had charmed him were brought along still bound, but the goblin prisoners were left behind.  Returning to the rowboats, the party began rowing back to the town of Prymp.  Vlad tried to question the wizard about his spell on Barada, but the wizard claimed he could not lift the spell and that it would wear off on its own.

The next day, they rowed into the harbor of Prymp.  They had found two locked chests in the boats, but set those aside to deal with later.  Everyone went their own way, as several of them had personal matters to attend to.  Alex brought the wizard and Barada to Prymp Keep, and had them both put in cells until Barada was free from the spell.  The watchmen had not yet discovered how their previous prisoners -- and Perri's attackers -- had escaped.  Vlad went to town hall, because he had the wizard's spellbook and wished to sell it.  He knew the laird's advisor, Nemis Coraz, was a magic-user, but could not secure an appointment to speak with him until the following day.

Hristo had nothing special to do, and so he wandered to the Grinning Gargoyle Tavern.  While there, he heard a crier making announcements out in the street.  The pirates they had captured earlier had been publicly hanged while the band was at Skull Keep.  But there are other criminals still on the loose -- the thieves who ransaked the chapel of Zilchus two days ago!

THE ORIGIN OF PERPEGILLIAM BROWN

It was a wild night in the dock district of Prymp.  It was the kind of night that Perpegilliam liked best.  Sailors from Porton, Shargallen, and Dargvonessa were in port, and they were looking for entertainment.  The Rusty Bucket Tavern was one such place, where a hard-drinking man could get blind-stinking drunk.  It was to this establishment that a hobniz arrived.  He had curly black hair under a grey-hooded cloak.  His tunic and hose matched, while his gloves and belt were black leather.  Just over three feet tall, he reached for the door handle to let himself in.

The hobniz scanned the crowd, finally landing on a large, young, human male.  A wench tousled his blonde hair as he guzzled the contents of a tankard.  The hobniz approached. 

"Are you Taver Royskov?"  the hobniz asked.

Taver Royskov lowered his tankard and stared down at the stranger.  His glaring eyes quickly took in the hobniz, determined he was no threat, and visibly relaxed.

"I am.  What service can I be to you?"

The hobniz moved closer, and rested his hands up on the tabletop.  "I am looking for someone I think you know.  One...Perpegilliam Brown?"

Taver appeared to turn the name over in his mind.  "Perhaps I do.  Why?  What is he worth to you?"

The hobniz paused before answering.  "It was my understanding that the two of you are friends.  Perhaps I was misinformed..."

"Hold on there, little fellow," Taver interjected.  "Friend he may be to me, but everything has a price to Taver Royskov."

"I only wish to learn his whereabouts."

Taver scratched his chin and mulled it over.  "For that information...you will have to buy me a drink."

The hobniz smiled slightly and produced a silver Score.  "That is for the wench, if she will leave you alone long enough to replenish your cup."

Taver grinned.  "Yes, I know Peri.  I know him well.  We go to many of the same places."

"Such as this establishment?"

"Yes, that's right.  A short fellow -- like you -- he may be, but when it comes to drinking or wenching, I'm proud to call him brother."

"Since he's not here, then, can I presume that he's -- ?"

Taver just stared.

"...Wenching?"

"Oh!  Well, now that you mention it, I think he did say something about that.  Should have invited me, the little -- Hmm, hey, why don't you ask Gesualdo?  He is a friend of Peri's as well, and might know Peri's plans better."  Taver waved his arm vigorously.  "Gesualdo!  Ho!"

An olive-skinned man with an oily black moustache and brightly-colored clothes came forward.  "Eh, it'sa Taver, no?"

Taver clapped the man's hand, and asked if Gesualdo knew Peri's whereabouts.  The hobniz waited patiently.  Gesualso nodded.

"That'sa right.  Perpegilliam, he isa busy witha his -- laaadies..."  Gesualdo's gestures were as suggestive as his voice.

"Who with?"  Taver asked.

"Brandy...and Lenea!"

"Oh no!  How did he afford that?" 

"Please, gentlemen," the hobniz interrupted.  "If you could tell me where I would find Peri and these...ladies?"

"Gesualdo," said Taver, "it is your solemn duty to lead us to this debauchery!"

It did not take Taver long to convince Gesualdo into leading the two of them out of the tavern, down the street, through an alley, and to a local house of ill repute.  Down a lonely hallway, Taver listened to a door, and then kicked it in.

Two human women, sticking out from the bedsheets at odd angles, looked up.  A squirming mass moved under the sheets.  Taver reached into the sheets, caught hold of an ankle, and hoisted Perpegilliam Brown into the air. 

"Put me down, you big oaf!"  Peri shouted.

"Calm down, small one," Taver said.  "There's someone here who wishes to speak with you."

"And while you are occupied -- I, Gesualdo -- will make sure thata these lov-aly laaadies don'ta get too bored!"

Oh no you don't, Gesualdo.  They're mine!"  cried Taver as he tossed Peri on the ground.

As women shrieked, and two bundles of male hormones dove after them, Peri brushed himself off and looked up at the hobniz in grey and black standing over him. 

"Perpegilliam Brown, you are wanted at home."

"...Why?  What does father want of me?"

"No, you do not understand.  Your father is...missing."