Prymptown Courier - v. 3 no. 6

PRYMPTOWN COURIER

Vol. 3, No. 6 (November 2000)

EDITORIAL

The campaign write-up in this issue marks the end of "year two" of the campaign, though many dangling plot lines would not be resolved until the 25th playing session.  What was significant about this session was:  a) a return to traditional dungeon crawling after a lot of traveling/pirate battles/mass outdoors combat sessions, and b) another effort on my part to square the campaign with Ivid the Undying.

For the few of you who may not know, Ivid the Undying was the last campaign supplement Carl Sargent wrote for the WORLD OF GREYHAWK before he dropped off the face of the Earth.  It was never published properly because TSR abandoned GREYHAWK first.  What little of Ivid was published in DRAGON Magazine didn't impress me, so I didn't bother to read the whole thing
online when I started preparing for the South Province Campaign. 

It took me a long time to warm up to Ivid, but I've since realized that there is some choice material in there, and even more than most of Sargent's other writings.  My earlier attempts to integrate Ivid included adding the town of Shargallen into the Pirates of Galdol scenario.  Unfortunately, Sargent's Prymp is HUGELY different than Prymp as I designed it, so there was little I could do -- until this session.

Sargent described a dungeon underneath Prymp which would make 10th level PCs run in terror.  It would have been much larger, packed to the gills with powerful monsters, and capped off with a lich! 

Enjoy then this tale of my mini-module, "Escape from Prymp," with the thought that it could have been much worse...

TWENTY-FOURTH SESSION
Cast Update:
Enlock, Neutral Good male Oerdian apprentice (1st level magic-user; 2,328 xp).  Enlock has taken a protective liking to Prymp.  Is he looking for a place to settle down?
Alexander Petrok, Lawful Neutral male Oerdian protector of Zilchus (2nd level paladin variant; 4,628 xp).  Alex has felt his leadership of the band slip further away, but is his importance in Prymp increasing? 
Perpegilliam Brown, Chaotic Neutral male Hairfoot Hobniz cutpurse (3rd level thief; 4,198 xp).  Peri continues to enjoy spreading mischief and mayhem, but is the prankster being eclipsed by his companions as they increase in power?
Andel Mooriv, Lawful Good male Oerdian acolyte (1st level cleric of Pholtus; 1,992 xp).  His brush with the divine has left him a changed man -- more driven and monotheistic.  Will he tolerate the templar of Zilchus?
Barada, Neutral male Flannish mercenary (1st level fighter, NPC).  With Gabriel gone, Barada feels confident he is the party's best fighter again.  But for how long? 
Vladamir Kostitov, Lawful Good male Oerdian minor trickster and agent of Prymp's Laird (2nd level
illusionist; 5,304 xp).  His rivalry with Alex for leadership
of the party remains a friendly one.  But how will the others feel when they learn of the secrets Vlad has been holding from them?
Hristo Goldmund, Neutral Good male Wesevud ("Central") Noniz ex-town watchman and rogue (1st
level fighter/1st level thief; 1,231/1,542 xp).  Hristo has left to train in Benkend, but how far will he get before he remembers his share of the party treasure is back in
Prymp?
Dargog,
And introducing...
Maldrik Moonharvest, Neutral male Oerdian aspirant of Beory (222 xp)!

Coldeven 24th.  Moonday.

Perpegilliam was enjoying the lull after the Battle for Prymp, and was spending it looking for mischief.  That night, he was on the north side of the Old City.  He was investigating a tunnel where the inlet from the bay flowed through to the pond in the Wealthy District, in the hopes that the tunnel could be used as an easy means of circumventing the Old City tolls.  Navigating
the tunnel would require underwater swimming, however, and Peri wasn't up for that.  Instead, he was
distracted by a lone figure who was fishing by the pond.  The figure heard Peri approaching, and Peri
revealed himself.  Who he revealed himself to was a Noniz with curiously green-tinged skin and shaggy
black hair.  The Noniz introduced himself as Pilf.

Coldeven 25th.  Godsday.

Following the Battle for Prymp, the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle had kept busy protecting the streets of the Old City from rogue guardsmen.  Anticipating the eventual subjugation of Prymp, the guardsmen were making trouble to celebrate the coming new order.  Two groups
of swordsmen fell to the combined spells and swords of our heroes, but one -- an officer named Karsto -- had escaped into the chapel of Pholtus and was granted
sanctuary.

But now, the chapel bells of Prymp were all pealing to announce the start of morning services.  Throngs of
worshippers -- hundreds! -- gathered to the chapels of Pholtus and Zilchus for words of hope in this time of
crisis. 

Andel entered the chapel of his deity early, eager to hear what Curate Kentol Akhpov could tell him to help
follow the One True Path.  Instead, Andel was ushered into the curate's presence and asked if he would
participate in a demonstration.  The demonstration was revealed later during the ceremony, when Andel was cited as a model follower of the Path.  Then the captive
Karsto was brought forth so Andel could demonstrate his superiority in a trial by combat.  The fight was a
close one -- too close for the audience, who were whooped up into a religious fervor.  Karsto was
grabbed by the crowd and torn apart.

In the defenders camp, Enlock, Vladamir, and other members of the band present learned of a Provincial
soldier approaching the camp under a flag of truce.  The soldier brought a scroll tube, which was itself
quickly brought to the command tent and Philip Petrok -- one-time Captain of the Watch and now
Vicarus of a small army.  Petrok produced the scroll from inside, read it, and then with a frown summoned
the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle inside his tent.  Valuing the judgement of his adventuresome allies,
he showed them the scroll, which read:

Defenders of Prymp,
I, Ritter Elin Dimitrov, commend you for your stunning defense.  The summoned demon was most
effective.  Before it vanished it had slain our tribune.  But rather than cause for celebration, this should be
cause for you to worry.  I have been named Tribune in Surtmachev's stead, and I will not make the same
mistakes.  While your demon makes another direct assault risky, we all know I do not need make such a
move.  Your town is as effectively under siege as if we were already at your gates.  Despite your attempts
at sabotage, we are well-supplied and have access to more.  How long will your stores last?  I will be
expecting your surrender as soon as you realize the answer.
~Tribune Elin Dimitrov

While somewhat concerned by its contents, the brightest minds in the band could naught but
recommend that Petrok should wait to see what happened next.

It was soon afterward that Vladamir was summoned away from camp by a courier, and brought back into the Old City.  At Town Hall, he was soon in the presence of
the inner circle of the Flying Turtle Guild -- leaders of the community intent on secret rebellion against the
Herzog.  Laird Seron Tapinov and the others present expressed concerns that the siege of Prymp would
eventually end against them, and they shared enough secret with Vlad.  Beneath the town was a series of
caves and tunnels borrowing southward.  The caves had been discovered, and then concealed, long ago for
just this sort of emergency -- so the tunnels could serve as an emergency escape route from Prymp for the
Flying Turtle's leaders if it came to that.  The trouble was that no one had been down in the caves in
decades, and there was no guarantee the caves were still safe.  So what the guild wanted was for the
Grinning Gargoyle Band to go through it early and check it out. 

Alexander was attending services at the chapel of Zilchus, and Acquisitioner Leris Borgev asked Alex if he
would like to say a few words to the congregation -- seeing as how Alex had been on the front lines and
might have some words of comfort for the parishoners.  Alex began frantically composing a speech...
 
It took little persuasion for Vlad to get the rest of the party to agree to the idea, when he told them later
about the secret caves.  Alex was intrigued by the direction the tunnels led, and thought it might be a
good way to launch a sneak attack on the enemy --
coming up behind them from underground.  The others were mainly just itching for adventure, having
not been in a dungeon since Skull Keep.  However, it was quickly agreed that they had little experience with natural caves, so they were going to need some
guides.

In the defenders camp, off in their own corner, was the contingent of volunteer Dwur.  Discreet inquiries were made amongst them by our heroes to see who might be
interested in cave exploration.  Four dwarves in all agreed to short-term, salaried employment -- Godrum,
Lornan, Nargen, and Goldith.  Meanwhile, several miles southwest of Prymp, Maldrik
Moonharvest was looking in the direction of where he knew Prymp to be, and pondered what to do next.  He had received rather vague instructions from Estophon,
the leader of his druid cell -- shift the balance towards chaos and good in Prymp.  To do that, Maldrik would need allies.  Using the divine knowledge at his
command, Maldrik began to weave spells that would allow him to speak with and befriend animals, such as
the squirrels and birds within sight...

Coldeven 26th.  Waterday.

In the Wealthy District of the Old City stood a squat, stone tower which was home to Nemis Coraz, advisor
to Laird Seron Tapinov.  The Grinning Gargoyle Band shuffled single file into his sitting room, their armor
and weapons clashing with the cozy decor.  Coraz led them downstairs to his cellar, and to a concealed trap
door.  A warped wooden ladder lead down into a natural shaft.  The party was immediately suspicious
of the ladder, and took the time to lower everyone down by rope.

The walls dripped with moisture, and small pools of water had collected in the uneven floor.  The party
followed the tunnel, passing an alcove fenced off with a short wooden wall.  As they continued to
advance, they could hear something running towards them, and it was large and fast.  As they braced for
combat, they could see approaching a large, round, armor-plated monster.  Three of the dwarves
screamed, turned, and ran as soon as they saw it.  Like usual, it was Alex and Barada in the lead, and
the two tried stabbing at the beast as it tried to overbear each of them in turn, all the while waving
feathery antennae at them.  Suddenly, Barada's new suit of bandedmail armor crumbled into bits of rust! 
As Barada fell back, the rest of the party strengthened their attack, and soon had the odd
beast fleeing back the way it came.  Of the four Dwur guides, only Godrum remained.

It was quickly decided that Barada should go topside, try to rally the Dwur and have them come back, and
see if he could acquisition a new suit of armor from Prymp Keep.  Meanwhile, the others would press on,
even with their numbers dwindled to six!  Ahead, off to the right side of the tunnel, was a cave
mouth that opened into a cave full of water.  Peri used his "dungeon sight" to look into the dark, salty
water, and saw snake-like things swimming around just under the surface. 

Avoiding that cave and continuing on, the party proceeded south through a series of irregularly-
shaped tunnels and caves.  The next cave was roughly cylindrical.  The cave after that was smooth,
with a treacherous slope leading down to the tunnel below.  That slope gave the party some trouble.  The
cave after that had patches of slimy, black mold growing on the walls and floor, and the bones of a
lizard-like monster on the floor.  The mold was slowly burned away just in case it was dangerous.

After that, they came to a huge cavern inhabited by two eight-foot long lizards.  Combat ensued, which
was lengthened by the arrival of a third lizard from a natural ledge at the far end of the cavern. 

The next cave had a pool of water in it, which was also avoided.  Chirping, like from crickets, could be
heard from up ahead.  Our heroes followed the noise.  What they came to was a cave in which three
crickets the size of halflings were hopping about.  The noise was deafening.  On the floor of the cave
was a white crystal one foot in height.  Barada tried crossing the room, and Peri entered to examine the
crystal.  The crickets began jumping into them with powerful force.  Alex tried to tell the others that he
didn't want the crickets harmed, but the others either couldn't hear him or chose to ignore him.  Everyone
else started attacking the crickets.  Amazingly, a fourth cricket appeared out of nowhere right by the
crystal.  Peri tried to pick up the crystal, but found it wouldn't budge.  Then he tried to chip the crystal,
and the whole thing shattered into a pile of shards.

When the crickets were dead, Peri gathered all the shards, as Alex fumed over how his leadership was
ignored.  Nevertheless, the party continued onwards, and soon after came to the end of the tunnel.  The
rusted valve in the ceiling took some effort to turn, but when it opened they could see daylight.  They could
also see the fort the Provincial army had built, and they were not far from it.  Returning to the tunnel,
some plans were discussed about how this discovery could be used against the invaders.  Perhaps the
tunnel could be used to launch a sneak attack?  Or the rust monster could be captured and released into the
enemy fort to create chaos?  The decision was put off until they could discuss it with the town's leaders. 
Their current priority was still making sure the tunnels were safe, and there were still some tunnels unexplored. 

Backtracking, the band took a side passage which led to a new cave.  The cave was filled with dung and
bones, and amongst them stood a being, shorter than a dwarf, but in bandedmail armor and a full helm, and
holding a broad sword.  The party's fighters stepped forward, and were immediately in melee combat.  Alex, Andel, and Godrum found the short knight was swift,
silent, and near deadly.  The wounds he inflicted were always serious ones. 

Meanwhile, Peri and Enlock decided the battle was already in good hands, and circled around the combat
to explore a cave the short knight was seemingly guarding.  Inside, water dripped from the ceiling into a
crevice from which steam and hot air billowed out.  And in that cave lurked a hideous beast, nine feet
long and seven feet at the shoulder.  It had a head like a dog and a body like a horse, and Peri and
Enlock fled before it.  Peri tossed caltrops on the ground, but the beast simply leaped over them.

Now the band was trapped between two dangerous foes.  The beast could also inflict terrible damage with
its bony maw and hooves, but Vlad was able to make his magic wand function, and he transformed the beast into a snail.  Even then, Peri had to jump on it many
times before the snail died.  At the same time, the short knight was taking phenomenal amounts of
damage from Alex's well-timed sword thrusts and Andel's mighty blows, but nothing seemed to slow
it down.  Alex was sure the thing must be undead, like the skeletons and ghouls under Skull Keep.  The
battle raged on and on, with our heroes growing increasingly fatigued.  Finally, the short knight just
blinked out of existence.  Vlad postulated that it might have been an illusion the whole time.

In the cave the beast had been in, the party found a stash of treasure.  There were 115 cp, 191 sp, 225 ep,
245 gp, a small stone, and a long sword.  Confidant that the sword would be a magical sword, Alex claimed it and was not contested.  There was still one side
passage left to go, but the entire party was badly wounded now, and it was time to return to the safety
of Prymp and some healing.

Nemis Coraz agreed to aid the party in identifying any magical properties the sword had, but would not have the necessary spells memorized until the next day. 

The injured went to the defenders' camp, where they were tended to in the hospital tent.  It was here where
Peri found Dargog -- alive after all -- hiding out.  Later in the day, everyone heard the news that Graf
Cranden's guardsmen in town had sealed off their garrison, breaking contact with the watch/army.  Vlad
sought more information from his contacts at Town Hall, as did Alex from Prymp Keep, but nothing but
theories could be offered as to why the Guard was not cooperating.  Word must have reached them that
the Graf's castle in Vecheld Gesto had been taken, and that their loyalty must be even stronger now to
the Herzog.

When Peri learned of this, he devised a plan to sneak over the wall and investigate the garrison.  Leaving
his convalesence at the hospital tent, he tried to find Hristo to help him out.  Unfortunately, Hristo was no
where to be found, and he had no idea where to look for his new friend, Pilf.  So Peri settled for Dargog. 

The garrison consisted of a small, two-story keep surrounded by a 10' curtain wall.  Dargog's job was
to hold a rope that Peri would hold while scaling the wall, hold the rope until Peri got back, and make some
noise to signal Peri if anything went wrong.  Peri disappeared over the wall with the rope.  Dargog
waited around for a little bit, got spooked when he saw some guards crossing the top of the curtain wall,
and ran. 

Inside, Peri managed to sneak inside the main building
and avoid detection by what few guards were on duty. 
Peri had one serious problem, and it was that he had
never learned how to pick locks!  Several locked doors
kept Peri from more interesting areas of the hall, but
the cellar made up for that.  The cellar was being used
for storage, and the Guardsmen were hoarding
everything they could.  Barrels and crates were stuffed
with weapons and foodstuffs.  Peri doused as much as
he could in oil, lit it on fire, and fled.

TO BE CONTINUED

ALEX'S SPEECH

The following was written and performed by Alex's
player:

"Greetings, fellow faithful.  My name is Alexander
Petrok, Protector of Zilchus.  It is my pleasure to
speak to you today on behalf of the leaders of our
congregation.  There is a time in each of our lives
when we have to rely on faith.  This is one of those
times.  More now than ever, we must look to Zilchus
to guide us and protect us.

"There are many reasons why we go to war.  The
most prevalent is self-preservation.  Another reason
is conquest -- a reason which is most often used by
those pagans who oppose our faith.  But, while in
peace we have the luxury to prosper and satisfy our
worldly needs, war often opens the doors to future
endeavors.  Often, these opportunities are not easily
acquired.  These opportunities must be pursued with
diligence, patience, persistence -- and most of all --
faith.  This is why I speak to you today.  We have an
opportunity before us, one which can drastically
improve the qualities of our lives, if we choose to
pursue it with the virtues I spoke of before.  This past
week, we have been embroiled in a conflict with an
army led by a follower of Hextor, who wishes to
impose his ideals of might, blood and eternal conflict
upon our fair community.  His ideals could hurt our
long-term prosperity and surpress our opportunities
in the future.  The war has already brought upon many
of you a sense of gloom.  Many of you believe that this
war is not good for us.  I disagree.  This war is an
opportunity that Zilchus has laid before us.  It is a test
of our faith in him.

"Why do I say this?  How could it be that this is
Zilchus' will?  I believe it is because he is testing our
desire to make our world a better place to live -- for us
-- for our children -- and for our grandchildren.  He
wants us to see if we are willing to risk everything we
have for something more -- for more than we could
ever dream of in our short mortal lifetimes.  To put
forth our lives for him.  It is in this that the test is made.

"Now, you may ask, 'What can I do to serve him?'  We
all have choices to make.  We can either hide ourselves
and let the pagans inflict upon us the will of their evil
god, or we can use everything at our disposal to further
Zilchus' influence on the Ahlissan coast.  You can take
your skills and help those of Prymp who will help you.
Even if you can do nothing else, providing soothing
words to the soldiers who defend you will help to
ensure our prosperity.

"I have made my choice.  I choose to take the risk.  I
choose to rely on Zilchus to provide for me in those
choices, risking my very life to make Prymp one of the
greatest cities on the Ahlissan coast.  I ask that you
join me now.  Pray to Zilchus on this holiest of days
and let his wisdom guide you and reveal the great
opportunity before you.  Let his courage give you
the strength to pursue it.  And most of all, let your
faith in him provide protection for us all.

"The faith is the power."