Trollopulous Adjusted Session 132 (Machodor #83): The Couch Saga Continues

What Fluid saw

  

Introduction

Scholars of the Trollopulous campaign will remember the Naga-hide couch--and the struggle to claim dominion over it--from the dungeon near Whocaresville, but that's nothing compared to the solid gold couch the party was going after in today's session, the one they hoped to dig out from the buried lair of Acererak Kistomerces. 

     

Timekeeping

This session began on September 18th, 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 19th.

Player Characters Present

Sever the Wrathful (Level 9 Pegasus Corps Ranger of Machodor, wielder of Were'shbane and wearer of the Girdle of Cloud Giant Strength, rider of Mustang) 

with henchman Thomas (C6), and Poindexter (M6)

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 (elf 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

Giuseppe spent his time not thinking about becoming a dwarf and losing his Paladin status. After three days of holding off the mental change into a dwarf (to go along with the physical change last session) Fluid was finally successful in casting Dispel Magic on Giuseppe, and the Paladin was back to normal.

Session Report

The heroes, mostly located in Guarda at the moment, have so many possible actions to choose from that the beginning of the session saw a lot of discussion back and forth. Eventually, a return to the Tomb of Kistomerces was decided upon. I've no idea why, as they'd already cleared the place out...

In reality, and unknown to the players there was a time crunch in play. An NPC party I had rolled up was following they party's trail into the tomb, and would return with the golden couch worth--mega gold machos--if not intercepted this week.

I had determined that there was a 10% chance per day of such a thing, then another roll to determine success. They had been successful.

In an application of what we call the "Burroughs Rule", I'd decided that any encounter in the tomb itself would be with this NPC party. This worked out as a 1/3 chance of happening at the speed the heroes could move thrown the known location; and it came up positive. Then I established they were in the long access corridor before the grand corridor, and rolled for which exact section (just near the branch leading to the false entrance).

Anyway, after a carefully managed approach, the party was advancing down the long access corridor with the many pillars running down the middle of it, when...nothing happened. I had had everyone roll a d6, with a result of a 1 meaning they heard the NPC party going past, with the size of the player's party none of them hearing anything was against the odds. Looks like they were going to be out of luck. 

However, once they reached the grand corridor, I gave Sever a chance to notice the markings on the ground of the other party's passage, since the heavy couch would be difficult to manoeuvre and, thanks to their recent exfiltration, there was lots of broken off plaster to leave prints on. The ranger spotted it and, after some investigation, was able to follow the tracks back up the corridor the party had just arrived from. The tracks ducked down into the side passage with the false door trap, and back out again.

"I think we just missed them."-- Sever

The couch party were moving at 3" a round, and the tracking party were moving at 6". One caught up with the other in the "Shadows" room near the exit, with the PCs at the top of the stairs and Sever shouting for what ever it was he couldn't see--to halt. All hell broke loose.

I figured this would cause a loyalty check within the NPC party, and the result was that their leader and three henchmen kept going with the couch, while the remainder sought to deal with the PCs. The party could hear the voices, shouting in incomprehensible Sidonian, all arguing.

Combat #1: NPC Party

Rounds: 5

Result: Party wins

Highlights: A knight and warrior met Giuseppe and Gurt at the bottom of the star, hoping to hold them there. A cleric cast hold person and got Giuseppe, the Paladin then went on to take double maximum damage from two shots of the knight's 2-handed sword; he was in trouble!

Bumblebore let fly with a barrage of Macho Mandalf's Flying Elbows at the enemy fighter's helmet, he must have felt like he was rung like a bell!

Gurt stepped up to protect his fellow paladin and face off both enemy warriors at once, stabbing left and right.

Fluid, oblivious to the melee and still in crow form, flew past the fleeing and invisible enemy to head them off, stopping just before the "Snake" room entrance. Here he returned to human form, waited, then cast Faery Fire. From my rushed re-reading the spell, I could not see that it would not work on the intended targets even though Fluid could not see them (in fact the spell is specifically designed for it this!). He was rewarded with the image at the top of this report. At the same time as the spell went off, Sheamus, who had used his Hawkman Wristband to go Invisible and give chase, caught up with the group from the other side; and now there were two separate fronts in the battle. The Irishman found that these were lower level henchmen he faced, who dropped the invisible couch and engaged him.

Back in the shadows room, Cedric cast Hold Person on the enemy knight and fighter, when both failed their saves the complexion of the battle completely changed. Now it was the enemy fighter's turn to take maximum damage.

Sever jumped from the stair in dramatic fashion and attacked the cleric and did her two grievous wounds, but in return an invisible enemy got him with a back stab from where he had been waiting for just such a chance.

I made two big errors here that would have flipped the situation back into a much more even fight, and I was kicking myself later; but I'm not going to say what they were. If by chance something similar happens again, I will heave learned from that mistake...

Fluid saw the enemy caster--who, though illuminated with Faerie Fire was still invisible--cast a spell and he was no longer there. The remaining henchmen were no match for Sheamus and the party emerged victorious. 

When the dust settled, they had kept the knight alive and took him prisoner--after he tried to poison himself; the first use of Slow Poison I can remember and it was to stop him doing so. A follow up Neutralise Poison from Fluid and the prisoner was back to square one.

There was lots of speculation from the heroes over their captive and his party; but, with the couch in hand, they were prepared to call an early end to the delve and head back to Guarda, after gathering the loot from the fallen. All this was a bit of a logistical exercise but it is another tale.

Session Statistics: 

Wilderness travel:  23 Miles

Downtime begins on: Sep/18
Combats: 1
Rooms mapped: 0
Combat rounds: 4
Losses: none

Treasure & Items

Golden Lounge 25,000gp, or more!

3 * Plate Mail +1  (The shadow knight one is black and evil looking, but not evil)  800 xp or 5000gp ea

Medium Shield +1 250xp or 2500 gp

Two-Handed Sword +2 800xp or 4000gp

Longsword +2 800xp or 4000gp

Short Sword +2 800xp or 4000gp

Flail (footmen) +1 450xp or 4000gp

Dagger +1 150xp or 1000gp

Spear +1 500xp or 3000gp

Holy Symbol of Astarte (Evil) & Amulet of Shadows (Evil) handed in to MM for 1000gp

Potion of Healing 200xp or 400gp

Ring (cursed) of Weakness This item totally messed up evaluating the treasure in downtime, and I think this is the first session report I have published before the treasure and XP was decided.

Monsters

NPC Party 5990xp

 XP &  GP Assignment TBA

Sever (E)  xp &  gp 

and Thomas (E)  xp &  gp 

and Poindexter (E)  xp &  gp 

Giuseppe (E)  xp &  gp 

Fluid (E) xp & gp 

Sheamus (E)  xp & gp 

Gurt (E) 861 xp & gp 

and Cedric  (E) xp & gp

Bumblebore (E) xp & gp 

and Gilthaniel  (E) xp & gp

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