Moss Massacre
Session 5 Part 2 - Expedition 5
Village People:
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Tariq the Harvester – Lvl 4 Mage (Necromancer) – Black Lore of Zahar, Alchemy (x2), Healing, Soothsaying – INT +3, CON -1, WIS +1, CHA +1. Extremely short necromancer wearing expensive black robes with skull on the shoulders (covered by a cloak in town) – has wand of magic missiles. New Spell – Sleep – (shoot gas into area). Wears Ring of Protection +1.
<ul style="list-style-type:circle"> <li><strong>Nantier</strong> – Lvl 3 mage – Quiet Magic, Collegiate Wizardry, Leadership – INT +1, CON +1, DEX +1. Former member of the Heralds looking for power and prestige. </li> <li><strong>Trained Hawk #3</strong></li> <li><strong>Lenny Davos </strong>– Lvl 2 Fighter – (Legionary) – FS (Weapon +Shield), Siege Engineering – STR+2, INT -1, WIS -1, DEX +1, CON +1, CHA +1 – Heavily muscled former soldier from Adamas, wears Plate + Shield, fighting w/ spear or a silver short sword. </li> </ul> </li>
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Eduardo aka ‘Keyser Soze’ – Lvl 5 Thief (Cat Burglar) – Cat Burglary, Gambling, Precise Shooting, Lip Reading - DEX +2, CON -2, WIS +1, CHA +1 – Budding real estate tycoon and mastermind. Wears leather and armed with Imperial Legion X-Bow
<ul style="list-style-type:circle"> <li><strong>Ukla the Quick</strong> – Lvl 2 Barbarian (Pit Fighter)–Running, Combat Reflexes, Gambling – STR +1, CON +2, CHA -1 – Ex-gladiator turned adventurer – fights with net and trident.</li> </ul> </li>
- Dave ‘the Hermit’ Carrin – Lvl 5 Cleric (Hermit) of Hera – Laying on Hands, Naturalism, Command – STR +1, DEX -1, INT -1 CON+1, WIS +1, CHA -1. Wears custom made plate (with symbol of Hera) + large shield with Embossing of Hera on the front (+2 AC and enc.) Simple, uneducated, but intuitive.
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Jace – Lvl 4 Mage (Elementalist) – Elementalism (fire), Naturalism, Alchemy, Magical Engineering – STR+1, DEX -1, INT +2. has wand of fear and wears flame red robes with a ruby tipped staff. Quiet pyromaniac.
<ul style="list-style-type:circle"> <li><strong>Cinder – </strong>Black guard wolf with custom red leather barding<strong>.</strong></li> </ul> </li>
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Illyrio Sicarus – Lvl 4 Assassin (Bravo) – Fighting Style (two weapons), Intimidation, Acrobatics – STR +2, DEX +1, CON +2, CHA +1 - Wears leather
<ul style="list-style-type:circle"> <li><strong>Leo Getz</strong> – Lvl 1 Venturer – Merchant Traveler – Animal Husbandry, Alertness, Riding. Budding tycoon looking for profit.</li> </ul> </li>
The Village People planned a quick trip into the mountain to get the elevator working. All of the other henchman and hirelings were left in town. (Shemp was busy with hijinks, Julia with performing miracles. Illyrio wanted to bring Leo into the dungeon to try to get him up to 2nd level ASAP).
The party made it to the elevator without a problem. They managed to use the translated rubbings from the metal plates near the elevator to make the elevator work. After some experimentation they managed to take the elevator platform back up to the 1st level. They decided to take it up from there. Using their elevator key to open the strange circular doors, they were hit with a wave of damp fetid air. The entire level was dimly lit from slowly blinking panels glowing with red light.
The party reached a door. Opening it, they found an oddly shaped room with patches of black moss. The patch of moss nearest the door formed a humanoid shaped and pointed toward Lenny. He suddenly charged into the room, drawing his weapon. Ukla was also affected, standing still, speaking gibberish. one of the mold patches formed a humanoid shape and cast a magic missile spell! As combat ensued, the party contemplated just closing the door, but Tariq did not want to leave Lenny behind, so Dave and Illyrio entered the room. Ukla, confused, also moved in to attack. The party found that the mold were easy to kill, but only made an effort to kill the patches near the door, fearful of being attacked and losing their mind.
That was a fatal error, as one of the patches formed a humanoid shape and cast a fireball, killing everyone except for Illyrio, Jace (who made his save), and Tariq (who rolled well on his mortal wounds chart and ended up with his genitals burned off, but with one HP). They slammed the door. Tariq and Jace summoned some berserkers who managed to go in, cleared out the room and collected the bodies. In order to get everyone back to the elevator, Jace cast Elemental Strength on himself and Tariq, and the standing members of the party took the fallen members back to the elevator (except for poor Leo who was incinerated). They took the time to use the elevator key to reseal the level as they left. Luckily they did not run into any wandering monsters on the way.
Getting back to the 1st floor, they managed to get help from the troops in the moon pool operation and managed to get back into Muntburg. They quickly healed up at the temple of Hera, got a wagon, and headed over the snowy roads to Adamas. There they headed to the temples for some quick restore life and limb spells. Unfortunately, there were only 4 spells available, and they choose to wait a week to raise Nantier. None of the risen party members were unscathed:
- Ukla found that his sword arm was possessed with an evil spirit.
- Eduardo needed a long recovery but awakened to find a small imp whispering dark secrets into his ear.
- Lenny also needed a long recovery, and other noticed him speaking to an invisible friend (a mischievous sprite familiar).
- Dave found that all of his hair (including body hair) turned stark white. Whenever Dave speaks to someone, he inspires a feeling of discomfort as sentient beings feel shame for their past wrongs, hence the -2 to reaction roles. As I ruled with Dante, there is also a corresponding +1 reaction roll in certain situations (dealing with those of pure heart (e.g. unicorns, virgins, true innocents, certain other members of the clergy, etc.)).
- Nantier’s spirit did not respond to the call from the mortal plane. Tariq decided not to try again.
While they waited for Eduardo to heal, they received great news. The Ring of Protection +2 for sale in Adamas finally sold on December 24th, 4th months after being offered for sale! Most of the party leveled up and we ended the session there.
(I had initially ruled that Dave his ears covered with fine white hair (like a horse) and a long flowing mane (as a unicorn) resulting in a -2 to reaction rolls. I also offered the chance for him to gain feathers around his eye (as an owl) and a slightly beaklike mouth. He choose the horse option. As I was writing the summary I looked over the tampering with mortality chart and decided that the effect I originally ruled didn’t match the chart listing. I amended my ruling to match the chart and to ensure consistency between parties.)