Trollopulous Adjusted Session 131 (Machodor #82): In Search of the "Old Greenbloods"

 

Guarda, on the night of the Blood Moon

Introduction

Last session the party completely finished exploring every inch of the Tomb of Kistomerces. With the loot they retrieved it was possible for some of the characters to train, and, as usual when this happens, and with other changes in the roster, the final party selected had quite a different make up.

     

Timekeeping

This session began on September 11th, 2025, with the player characters adventuring until the end of the day (the rocket cycle is a real time saver). Downtime for these characters begins on the 12th.

Player Characters Present

Giuseppe (Level 8 Paladin of Rome, Brovenloft, wielder of the Dragonslayer and the Shield of Protection from Missiles, rider of Bonecrusher)

Fluid the Druid (Level 8 Druid, "Scourge of Trollopulous", former wearer of the Ring of Kings)

Sheamus (Level 8 Irish Fighter from Brovenloft, rider of the Rocket Cycle and wielder of the Drewblade) 

with henchman McScales (Lizardman F5)

Bumblebore  (Level 7 Magic User of Machodor, wielder of the Wand of Paralysation) and Firedrake Familiar O'Malfoy and henchman Gilthaniel (F5/M8)

Gurt the Green (Level 6 Paladin of Machodor, wielder of the Liberator, bearer of the Fabled Ice Jewel of Frigia, rider of Artax)

with henchmen Cedric (C4)

Downtime

On the night of the full moon, when all the adventurers were sleeping, a red dragon (not Lord Inferno, this one was sinewy, almost graceful, compared to his bulk) appeared in the sky and breathed fire fire all over the town. It was then heard screeching in an unknown language as it sped off to the north east. The resulting fires spread unchecked across Guarda, with three major sites: the market, garrison, and  the residential district near Echellet's villa. The bucket brigades, demoralized by dragon fear aura, were disorganised, dropping buckets or fleeing. Then Giuseppe stepped into the heart of the chaos,  “People ofa Guarda!” he bellowed, “By God’s grace, we will not let our home fall! Stand together, fight the flames! The dragon isa gone, my blade tells me this isa so. Fight for Guarda!" His words galvanised the fleeing people, and their courage began to return. Soon, other adventurers joined in and the town was saved. But what was it all about?

Session Report

The players were not too sure of their goal for this session, and with the caller out for the night, options variedly wildly; but, once they got word of an incident with Giuseppe's troops guarding the Valley of Pillars, they decided to check this out; as it was on the way to anything else they might consider doing.

After they arrived, Bishoy and Tawadros reported that during the week rocks had rained down on their camp from the top of the gorge above, the taciturn dervish fighters had simply moved the camp out of range to await Giuseppe's return.

A note, appended to a large rock, thrown by persons unknown.

This note was enough to spur the party into action. With Sheamus and the rocket cycle in play (the fighter looking for a cash injection for his Chicken Jockey project) they decided to take only those who could be carried (driver plus six passengers) with Fluid taking bird form to make a party of eight.

By making use of the ride, they were able to easily ascend and start making their way south into the gorge as it carved its way into the mountains, over-flying the "covered" areas where the path was not visible from the air. They reached the three-way exit to the large semi-covered area they were familiar with, and here paused to consider; they had previous found evidence of spider activity--webs, in a rubble blocked passage to the south west, and there was a similarly rubble strewn path to the south east. From the air they could see that both areas had openings in the rock above that had not been visible from ground level.

Picking the south east entrance, the adventurers chose to fly right down into the 20' diameter hole leading into what was a (web-less) lair of Huge Spiders. Completely unintentionally, this design turned the cave into the perfect (or nearly so) death trap for a party on a conveyance such as the Rocket Cycle.

As the cycle descended, the cavern widened to about 30' in diameter. Their Continual Light lit up the lair, exposing--and triggering an attack from--nine man-sized spiders. These guys can jumped 30' and surprise on 1-5. By incredible good fortune, even without Sever and his Ranger bonus, the party was not surprised. Never the less they were surround by giant jumping spiders who threatened to overwhelm them, exciting!

Hang on!

Combat #1: 9 Huge spiders

Rounds: 3

Result: Party wins

Highlights: The first round was tied initiative, Sheamus reversed thrusters but was bitten by spiders. I had to think about what would happen to the rocket cycle if he succumbed to their poison, but he made his save and pushed through. Bumblebore, for the first time I think, got off Sleep and three of the arachnids fell back down into their lair, others exchanged blows and were knocked off by the swordsmen. Next round, as they made a safe distance, Bumblebore followed up with a Fireball that neatly accounted for the remaining spiders, and all their treasure.

Out of some desire for completeness, I guess, the adventurers now when back to the other cave, where they had seen webs before and now knew to be more cautious. There was a brief discussion regarding Fluid's ability to converse when in Crow form, and also what signals he should use to indicate danger, and then e flew into what was also a spider cave, while they others watched from above.

Kaboom!

Combat #2: 14 Large spiders

Rounds: 1

Result: Monsters evaporated

Highlights: Crow form Fluid managed to get out of the entrance safely, though pursued by a dozen or so cat sized spiders. Bumblebore had Gilthaniel launch a Fireball down there and blow them all up, this time when they went in to search there was some few coins that had survived the blast, but no other exits.

The way ahead now was all underground, and they new the passaged narrowed and twisted in such as way as to make the rocket cycle a problem. Instead, it was decided, they would just fly over the place and scope another way in; they knew there was an open valley further down if nothing else. This area has taken on a real third dimension to the exploration which is unusual.

They found another opening leading down into a grassy canyon, and exploration proved that it led to the lair of the cockatrice they had seen in a previous session. Various precautions were taken, but the beasts were not home. They found a crudely formed feeding trough, and beyond was a passage leading down. Sheamus tasked McScales with guard duty and left the rocket cycle behind in the grassy canyon.

The passage wound down and down, around until their direction was difficult to gage, finally levelling out into a series of sweeping arc-shaped natural-passages that went a long way further on. One of these led into a 4-way intersection and after choosing a direction they found one that terminated in a cavern . The cavern was dominated by a (obviously magical) pool, being feed by drips from above (was this  magic related to the Tomb of Kistomerces somewhere above?).

Detect Magic revealed that even the drips were enchanted

Bumblebore waded out into the pool of glowing water, the magic dissipated, and he...did not reveal what happened, but everyone assumed it was a good thing. This feeling probably led to Gurt trying out the next pool, but it was not a good result for him; he lost one point of Intelligence, making him the dumbest paladin alive. 

The sweeping corridor-like caverns continued on for hundreds of yards. There was a repeating pattern of four-way intersections leading to pools. In one Giuseppe's hammer was turned to solid silver; in another, the remaining half of Bumblebore's staff (he lost half to the Pugface in the Tomb of Kistomerces) was turned into solid platinum.

Finally, the monotony of corridors and pools was broken by the sight of a skeleton--seemingly standing guard--at the next 4-way intersection. It was holding two rusty looking swords and turned towards them as they spotted it at the far range of their Continual Light. 

a very dedicated sentry?

Combat #3: Strange skeleton

Rounds: 3

Result: Party victory 

  

Highlights: Turn undead from both Paladins did the trick, but the fleeing skeleton soaked up a lot of damage as it ran and looked like it could take a real beating, so much so that it threatened to get away from them with its greater speed, but Giuseppe was ready--with his magic armour that grants the power to charge (once per day) at the rate of an unencumbered man--and he managed to catch up and destroy it that round.

Sir Giuseppe of Brovenloft (before)

There was no good loot on the skeleton, just the obvious rusty iron weapons and a helmet. Moving on, they found that the tunnels continued "eastward", repeating the previous pattern of curving away for hundreds of yards before either reaching a cross-road, or terminating in "pool rooms". Finally, Giuseppe decided to try wading into one. It did not work out so well. The magic of the pool he had chosen was Polymorph Other.

I now had to choose how to determine what he was turned into, and decided to roll on the wilderness encounter table, coming up with Dwarf. I then thought that maybe the Magic-user version of Reincarnation would be more appropriate, but actually it turned out that the number I rolled would have ended up as a dwarf either way. I guess it was meant to be. It was great fun to describe what happened and have the players realise what had happened.

 

Can you have a Dwarf Paladin? From the spell description, Giuseppe had a 25% chance per day of becoming a Dwarf mentally as well as physically, so I ruled that he would remain a paladin until the mental change was complete. If somehow he was returned to his normal form before then, he would still be a paladin. He made the first check--and the system shock that went along with it, and then Fluid stepped up to try and fix the problem. Sadly, his Dispel Magic failed.

Though they had been heading gradually eastwards and perhaps were nearing the end of the tunnel system--and finding out what lay beyond--this last setback was enough for the heroes, they retreated back to Guarda, with an amusing pit stop in the Valley of Pillars, where Bishoy and Tawdros found out that their boss now needed to be tied to the saddle to ride Bonecrusher. 

Sir Giuseppe of Brovenloft (after)

Giuseppe hoped that Fluid would have more success with Dispel Magic during downtime.

Session Statistics: 

Wilderness travel:  23 Miles

Downtime begins on: Sep/12
Combats: 3
Rooms mapped: 10
Combat rounds: 10
Losses: none (well, technically)

Treasure & Items

8cp, 6pp

Three and a half feet of Platinum, equivalent to 356pp 

Monsters

9 Huge Spiders 1602 xp

14 Large Spiders 1036 xp

Odd Skeleton 975 xp

5,423 XP &  1,810 GP Assignment

Giuseppe (E) 861 xp & 279  gp 

Fluid (E) 861 xp & 279  gp 

Sheamus (E)  684^ xp & 279 gp 

and McScales (E) 431 xp & 139 gp

Gurt (E) 861 xp & 279  gp 

and Cedric  (E) 431 xp & 139 gp

Bumblebore (E) 861 xp & 279  gp 

and Gilthaniel  (E) 431 xp & 139 gp

^ missed skeleton fight

Graveyard

Rhoikos (Henchman Magic-User level 4), smashed by a Mummy fist in session #126. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Thomas (Henchman Cleric level 6), Killed by a Symbol of Death in session #126. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Josef Ironbeard (Dwarf Fighter level 1), Killed by a Symbol of Death in session #126.

Matthias Steelvein (Henchman Fighter level 4), Killed by a Symbol of Death in session #126. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Sever the Wrathful (Ranger level 9), Killed by two pains in the Annis in session #122. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Anri (Henchman Magic-User level 4), found dead with a ghastly chest wound in the Ice Castle, with her heart missing she was unable to be revived, in downtime after session #122 

Symeon (Henchman Cleric level 2), Only strong enough to wear studded leather, he was torn to shreds by Troglodytes in session #121

Paul (Henchman Paladin level 3) Effected by the Imprisonment spell touch attack from a Styx Devil in session #117. Might not be dead, but is definitely at least six feet under for all intents and purposes.

Gurt the Green (Paladin level 6) killed by a poison needle trap in session #114 RAISED FROM THE DEAD (with a roll of 94!)

Solaire the Fallen (Henchman Fighter (paladin) level 3) killed by Stone Giants acting as catapults in session #114

Paul (Henchman Paladin level 1), reduced to 0 hit points by white dragon breath when climbing down a rope ladder in session #108. Killed not by the fall; but by the sudden stop at the bottom. RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Ignatius the Smiter (Cleric level 1), horrifically mutilated and killed by double hit from a Shoggoth in session #106

Domby (Henchman with Dex 5), double surprised and turned into a pin cushion in session #87

Luke (Half elf Fighter/Cleric level 1), tragically killed by a normal hydra while trying to cauterise one of its neck stumps in session  #86

Gurt the Green (Paladin level 3), killed by a hydra bite in session  #86 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Pleasance (Footman level 0), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81

Siegward (Henchman Fighter level 1), killed by a phase spider bite in session #81

Tawadros (Henchman Fighter level 4),  killed by a phase spider bite in session #81 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Patria (Footman level 0), killed by a two headed snake bite in session #81

Deltacron (Dwarf Fighter/Thief level 1/1), threw his last flask of oil at, and was level drained to death by, a Vampire in session #76

Petrov the Prestidigitator (Magic-user level 1), wrong place, wrong time; killed by Sever the Ranger in session #72 RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Petrov the Prestidigitator (Magic-user level 1), killed again by the toxic gas of an Achaierai in session #72

Red (Paladin Level 1), always popular with the ladies, he was eaten up by a female Roc in the Pizza Slice of Doom during session #67

Jacques Ocular (Magic User level 1), a fat green worm burrowed into his head and turned him into a Son Of Kyuss in Brovenloft in Session #43

Pino (Dwarf Footman level 0), Killed by a Frost Giant axe to the head in session #39

Paro (Dwarf Fighter/Thief level 2/2)  Killed by Winter Wolves and frozen in session #39

Zabib (1/2 Elf Fighter/Magic User level 1/1), Killed by Frost Giant rocks in downtime prior to session #39