Episode 16: The Pandemonium Carnival Report

General Summary

Prequel to The Enemy Within Episode 16 - “The Pandemonium Carnival” 5/15 and 5/19/2020 Post-Game Notes   Day 66 - Angestag, 18 Erntezeit, 2512 IC   Morning departure from Crossed Axes in Bruckthin

• Crew negotiated passage through Altdorf and north to the Coach & Horses (three-day journey) by crashing a pair of Tileans’ charter coach.
• En route to Altdorf, God & Karl make minor conversation with Dino & Paolo; Beau & Kris, on the roof, chat up the drivers, Stathos & Sven. Stathos has nothing but bad things to say about Altdorf; Sven recommends the Burning Table for one night in the city.

Upon entering Altdorf, Crew is assailed by noise, smells, and a general social anxiety.

• Beau is overcome by a headache that gets progressively more incapacitating the longer they are in the city;
• Beau notices Kris’s eyes are suddenly brown (he swears they used to be steel-gray).

Dropped off in Konigsplatz and told to be at the Wolf Gate stables at 8:00 AM sharp tomorrow

• Less than an hour of daylight left: first to the Army Quartermaster to deliver message from Captain Hecter; then an unsuccessful search for affordable (and ready-to-wear) armor; then to the Burning Table, near the University and at the top of the Street of a Hundred Taverns

The Burning Table

• Beau starts drinking heavily immediately in an effort to dull his senses (especially that sixth one)
• Lively bar with an incredibly diverse crowd; proprietor Matthias Tafel welcomes them and offers common room board in the loft for the night.
• Groups include roadwardens, students & initiates, lascivious ladies, pit-fighters and bald cat-strokers, and one curious table of four adventurous looking types: Fanriel, a female elf; Ted Muffins, a male halfling; Rumli, a male dwarf; and Camila, a human female. They strike up a conversation with Kris & God after seeing Saif on Kris’s belt.
• A party-pooping quartet of Morrites walks into the bar and, from then on, everything is dead. Lol.

Day 67 - Festag, 19 Erntezeit, 2512 IC   Relatively quiet journey from Altdorf to the Seven Spokes

• God wakes up feeling amazing! Amazing, and extraordinarily fortunate.
• Beau’s splitting headache subsides almost as soon as they leave Altdorf
• Kris’s eyes are still brown
• At the Spokes, a peasant is offering haircuts for a pfennig. The bar is full of patrons with bad trims and bleeding scalps. The Crew politely declines.

Day 68 - Wellentag, 20 Erntezeit, 2512 IC   Arrival at the Coach & Horses

• Large coaching house along the Delbren road that runs along the Talabecland border, a few miles away from the Five Sisters
• Crew meets Gustav, the proprietor; his crow Blackie; and the taproom barman, Herpin
• Crew finds a notice for “Bold Adventurers” directing them to a well-paying gig in Altdorf
• Crew learns that the nearby hamlet of Moersum is hosting their Market Day Festival tomorrow, a likely location for Dr. Hollseher’s carnival; Sven & Stathos agree to drop them off on their way to Talabheim

  Day 69 - Aubentag, 21 Erntezeit, 2512 IC   Off to the modest fair, in the Five Sisters foothills, spread out in old herding fields

• 
  Beer tent; various merchant stalls (mostly produce and woolen goods livestock pens and market; bowls pitch; two small entertainment stages; area being set up for tug-of-war
• In the back: Doktor Wolfgang Hollseher’s Pandemonium Carnival and Peripatetic Menagerie of Wonders / The Greatest Collection of Monstrosities and Bizarre Creatures of Dark Foulness held in Captivity. / By appointment to Crowned Heads of the Old World and of many Lands Beyond. / An Amazement to All who view the Menagerie and Its Denizens. / Accept no Substitutes! Believe only your Own Eyes!
• Dr. Hollseher entreats the Crew to enter, and offers a discount if someone will run him one of those delicious-smelling pies from the food tent
• Beau, Kris, and Karl form a tug-of-war team and, after several back-and-forth rounds, their team comes out victorious. They are awarded a basket of fresh-baked pies, the admiration of farmer’s daughter, and the respect of one of the strapping lads on the other team.
• Meanwhile, God, whilst trying to mind his own business in and around the merchant stalls, runs into Dino and a crew of Tilean gangsters. They escort him away whilst grilling God about his business, assured that he is there to spy on them. God’s frantic entreaties to his Crew-mates for help are interpreted as friendly waving, and the other three wave back, happy that God seems to have met some new friends. Dino eventually releases God confident that he hasn’t been sent by the justiciars, Schatzenheimers, or Lowhavens (God does a marvelous job playing dumb).

Crew enters the Pandemonium carnival and makes the rounds, observing the five armored carts of monstrosities (and three baggage/sleeping carts) and their various keepers.

• The “Farmyard Beasts” in cage 5, attended by Little Anders
• The golden “Imperial Beast” and the foot-tall “Twins” in cage 4, attended by Bertoldo
• Kris spies Paolo Innocenti slipping a purse full of coins to Bertoldo
• The savage Khornate Beastmen in cage 3, attended by Ivan
• The blind, white-furred “Rat Beastman” in cage 2, attended by Magda
• The massive wargor, “Urzo,” in cage 1, attended by Big Anders
• Other members of the carnival: Mikhail, Granny Haller, Benbow, and the dwarf Magnus

Around mid-day, while the crew is chatting with staff around cage 1, a scream alerts them to a commotion at cage 4: one of the Twins has bitten off several fingers of a young boy, attending the carnival with his father. As the Crew assesses the situation, Dino appears and, as a claimed relative of the injured, demands to speak with Hollseher. Dino, one of his associates, Hollseher, and Magnus, retire to Hollseher’s cart while the boy is attended by Little Anders and Benbow.   Crew starts stirring shit up, claiming a set-up, pointing fingers at Bertoldo. Ivan’s suspicions are aroused.   Five thuggish-looking types arrive in the middle of this, bypassing Mikhail’s request for payment. God notices one of the Tileans become apprehensive at the arrival of these Schatzenheimers, and he slinks off behind the caravan, in the direction of cage 1.   Beau has had enough and he bangs on the closed door of Hollseher’s cart demanding entry. The door flies open, and just as Hollseher and Dino emerge, a voice from the Schatzenheimer leader rings out: “Not so fast, Sansovino!” One of the Schatzenheimer thugs grabs Magda and puts a knife to her throat. They demand “the letter,” and then they’ll be on their way.   For a beat, time seems to stand still. Then, with a roar and a mechanical crash, the great beastman Urzo launches from his cage and snatches the knife-wielding thug. In one motion, he twists off the thug’s head, throws it at the aghast onlookers, scattering them, and then scoops up Magda and gallops north in the direction of the hills.   Hollseher entreats the Crew to return Urzo (intact, please) and Magda. Godabert, with uncharacteristic enthusiasm for imminent danger, agrees. Ivan joins the group to help rescue his wife.   The Cave

• 
  Crew follows trail to a dilapidated shepherd’s shack, and the cave entrance below its foundations.
• Pitch-dark inside, but thanks to a torch and a lantern, the five crawl through the wet, dank cave system.
• One of the paths leads to a wet cavern home to several dog-sized squigs. Ivan bravely attempts to forge a path through, but clumsily injures himself. They fight them off, sustaining some injuries, and Kris and Ivan keep dead souvenirs on their belt (“for Magnus”).
• There are snotlings running around the cave system, some of them throwing some kind of toxic spore-releasing mushroom.
• The Crew eventually finds Urzo, with an apparently unconscious Magda, in a far cavern. Beau lassos the beast’s arm, and Ivan lashes his leg from the other direction. Together with great forces of strength, will, and bravery, they manage to keep the massive creature tethered while the rest of the group batter it into unconsciousness.
• God, Karl, and Ivan begin the slow process of hauling Urzo back to the cave mouth (all careful to watch for signs of waking), while Beau and Kris decide to venture into some unexplored passageways.
• Beau and Kris discover an underwater lake home to a massive squig, who takes exception to the killing of its offspring. Beau and Kris run away, and the giant beast follows them into a narrow passageway.
• A flurry of teeth, claws, broken armor and flying rocks looks to be the end of the impetuous duo… but somehow the most lethal of blows miss them both! How?! And then they kill it.
• Team Urzo makes it back to the exit with the beastman still dozing.
• Kris and Beau discover a massive cavern with a dank, foul, terrifying pit. In its vicinity are three dead adventurers (whom they loot), and the torn-apart remains of a horse-sized spider. They take their booty and wisely scoot back to the entrance.

Back to the Carnival

• The sun is going down, and the Carnival is packed up and in formation to leave (despite another day of festival tomorrow). Mikhail is overjoyed to see his parents in one piece, and Hollseher is immensely grateful for the return of his prized possession.
• In the confusion, Bertoldo stole a horse and fled.
• They’re heading out under cover of night, en route to Delberz, then Middenheim. He offers them a lift to the Coach & Horses.
• Both the Sansovinos and Schatzenheimers knew that he was carrying a letter intended for a Verenan investigator. Someone also knew (likely from Bertoldo), that Hollseher keeps secret correspondence in a lockbox under Urzo’s cage. The box was opened, and the letter taken (not sure by whom).
• Hollseher rewards the Crew for their efforts with a portion of the day’s receipts, and, as they happen to be interested in objets d’art, an ancient and curious Ranaldian playing card that Magnus claims can fetch some serious coin with a collector in Altdorf.
• The Crew gets dropped off at the Inn around 8:00 PM.

  Interlude:   Wolfgang seems to have quite forgotten the question, as he stares somberly out the small window of his coach at the misty, moonlit hills in the distance. He sighs and reaches into his doublet for his pipe.   “Dr. Hollseher?” Beau breaks the awkward silence first.   “Oh, I’m sorry Beau. Lost in thought there. You were telling me about the cave?”   “Whatever was in there… I mean, deep within there… must be something of some infamy, no? Like, enough to warrant an adventurous expedition into the bowels of the cavern in search of glory? Or, you know, maybe you’ve heard something.”   God and Karl turn to Beau with equally confused expressions. “There are ancient things in these hills, for certain, All over the Reikland, really. I can’t say for certain whether what you almost encountered has been chronicled or not -- it’s been twenty years or more since I traveled this road from Talabheim.” Wolfgang swivels in his seat and starts packing his bowl.   “Adventure --? Beau, what did you guys find in there?” Godabert hisses his question in a near-whisper.   “Shh -- tell you later!” Beau opens his hands and smiles back in the direction of Dr. Hollseher. “But Doktor, you’re the expert here, right? You would be able to tell us, if, say… it might be worth returning?”   Wolfgang lets an unlit match fall from his fingers and he stares directly at Beau. “That, my dear boy, seems monumentally unadvisable.” After composing himself somewhat, he continues. “You of course are addressing me in my capacity as one of the Empire’s foremost experts on creatures of Chaos and darkness-spawned horrors. So let me see what I can deduce.   “The squigs you encountered? Often underestimated because of their size and somewhat laughable appearance, but they are deadly serious, as I know you discovered. They grow, you see, not unlike a fungus. Some say that the original squig spores grew from a Chaos-infected ancestral goblinoid. Any areas rife with foul taints are likely to be just as brimming with squig pods, ranging in size from a large rat to a small dog. But a squig the likes of which you fended off? The one that filled the cave tunnel with its loathsome body? I can only imagine the long-simmering evil that has engendered such a monstrosity.   “No, I would say you were wise to retreat from the vicinity of that pit when you did. It might not have taken much to rouse the slumber of whatever lurks deep under the Sisters.”   Beau, somewhat disheartened by the admonishment, slumps back against his bench. Karl seizes the opportunity to change the subject.   “Wolfgang, buddy, listen -- about this card here.” Karl points to the parchment-wrapped playing card on Godabert’s lap. “I know you said you’d never come across anything of similar design -- “   “Nor of such a vintage.” Wolfgang picks his match up and prepares to light his pipe. “That card is at least two hundred years old, if it’s a day.”   “Yes, well -- remarkably good shape, wouldn’t you say? Considering?” Godabert continues the new line of questioning.   “Look, I’m a smart man.” Wolfgang smiles and takes three loud smacks on his pipe and the tobacco smolders. “You knew to come looking for that card, and you clearly know its value. Was it the collector who sent you? Madame Purple is what she goes by, if I’m not mistaken?”   Beau, Kris, Karl, and God take turns casting sidelong glances at one another.   After a deep puff, Wolfgang breaks the silence.   “No matter. Magnus thinks she’s no longer in Altdorf anyway. Thinks she claims Nuln as her home. At least, that’s where we first heard of her. Long way to go to cash in that card for a few crowns, if you ask me. Besides…” Dr. Hollseher leans closer to the Crewmates, letting a fresh cloud of smoke envelop his face. “There’s something sinister about that card, and when it comes to mystery… we’re just about at capacity.”   The coach stops abruptly. Through the southern-facing window can be seen the lights of the Coach & Horses.   “Somewhat relieved to be rid of it, in truth.” He then deftly opens the coach door with his foot. “But you four, I will miss. Safe travels, friends.”   * * *

Rewards Granted

XP:

• 10 pts for remembering to deliver Captain Hecter’s message (G)
• 10 pts for winning the tug-of-war (B, K, and K)
• 10 pts for alerting the Carnival staff to treachery
• 50 pts for rescuing Magda
• 35 pts for returning Urzo in one piece
• 25 points for killing a monster squig (Kr, B)
• 25 points for hauling Urzo’s body through the cavern without waking him up (G, Ka)
• 50 points for recovering a second card from the Deck of Many Things (Party short-term ambition)

• Godabert: 180
• Beau: 180
• Karl: 180
• Kris: 180

Loot:

• 3 GC 33/10 (looted corpses)
• Two vials of a clear potion (looted corpses)
• Pouch of silver arrowheads (looted corpses)
• Necklace of vaguely Elvish design (looted corpses)
• 7 GC 13/- (reward from Hollseher)
• The Piper, a card from The Deck of Many Things (reward from Hollseher)

Character(s) interacted with

Locations scouted and new NPC’s engaged:   The Burning Table, Altdorf

• Matthias Tafel, proprietor
• Fanriel, Ted, Rumli, and Camila - the bold adventurers

The Seven Spokes, along the Drakwald Corridor   The Coach & Horses, along the Delbren Road

• Gustav Fondleburger, proprietor
• Herpin Stiggerwurt, barman
• Blackie, the crow

The Moersum Market Fair

• Hilde, the farmer’s daughter
• Albus, the strapping young lad

The Pandemonium Carnival

• Dr. Wolfgang Hollseher, owner
• Magnus Bugman, dwarf loremaster
• “Granny” Haller, soothsayer
• Benbow, caravan driver
• Ivan, his wife Magda, and their son, Mikhail
• Bertoldo, the traitor
• Little Anders
• Big Anders