Session 371 - A Disastrous Performance
General Summary
The Story So Far
Ash - An expert in the occult and a skilled monster hunter. Ash uses his talents and budding alchemical expertise to battle what people fear most for a price.
Ryobi - A monk of the embattled Order of the Warriors of Mameka. Ryobi is given an important mission; retrieve the holy blades containing the souls of his brother knights, which were lost in the recent Rethemi civil war.
They are joined by Vinzent, a bard with a morbid demeanor and a haunted past.
This is the continuation of Session 367 - Poisonous Metal.
Location - Gomis Manor in the Kingdom of Rethem.
15th Ilvin (Winter) 727TR
Part 1 – A Night at the Black Mice Tavern
The Ash and Ryobi are being entertained at the Black Mice Tavern. Vinzent, the bard, is performing some of his best songs and flute arrangements, and the small crowd is in a good-natured, generous mood. Then, the rotting stage collapses, and Vinzent falls through and disappears.
Rushing to his aid, Ash and Ryobi finding the platform covers a deep hole. “Don’t worry,” they hear from below. “I’ve fallen on something soft.” Then they hear a scream and a weak cry for help, then nothing.
Ash and Ryobi leap into the darkness to help their friend.
Part 2 – Glowing Beetles
The duo land in a cave partially illuminated by glowing fungi and giant beetles. The bugs have an organ that generates light in a quick bust, which dazzles the heroes. However, the insects are soon eradicated.
Ash lights a torch, and the heroes find blood trials indicating that a snakelike creature has dragged someone, likely Vinzent. This trail leads into a passage blocked by a yellowish sticky webbing, which turns into toxic, acrid smoke when Ash tries to burn it. Insead he slices through it with a blade, and apart from creating a mess and awful smell, it only slows the heroes.
Part 3 – A Flying Ray
The passage opens into another cave where much bigger bugs scuttle forward; giant beetles with deadly horns. Fortunately, they take their time squeezing through the passages, allowing Ash and Ryobi to deal with them individually.
But worse is nearby, a huge flying Mantra Ray-like creature glides in and emits a disturbing groan, which causes Ash to nearly vomit. Ryobi resists the audible attack and slices at the Cloaker with his holy sword, which is nearly lethal, cutting, and stunning the rubbery monster. The Cloaker lets out a final bone-chilling moan, but Ryobi fishes it off. Its hide might make a fine dark cloak, so Ash skins it and cuts out its vice box, adding it to his bag of trinkets.
Nearby are some very old skeletons and rusty weapons, former victims of the Cloaker. A thorough search finds a few small gems amid the corroded equipment.
Part 4 - Disgusting Worms
The duo enter another cavern bisected by a deep fissure, where strange ochre mucous webbing has created a dubious crossing. More huge bugs block their way. These spit acid but are soon killed. The pair work their way over the fissure by climbing around the cavern's walls.
The last cavern is sporadically covered in webbing, and the heroes hear Vinzent whimpering from nearby. Suddenly, disgusting-looking insects emerge from the various side passages. Three 6-ft long, nearly albino worm-like monsters have a sharp beak surrounded by four slimy tentacles. The bleed sticky yellow blood when they are cut, similar to the webbing. Ash identifies the monsters as Gricks and spots Vincent, who is wrapped in webbing, pale, delirious, and barely conscious.
Then, a huge Grick, the “mother,” emerges to join her offspring. The heroes battle smelly, nauseating insects and eventually dispatch them. Vinzent soon comes to his senses, and after a few hours of well-deserved rest, the heroes return to the cave under the tavern. Shouting for help, the locals drop a rope, and the trio climb back into the tavern and are offered free drinks for the night.
However, Ash is fascinated by the glowing mushrooms and before he leaves the caverns he grabs some samples. Vinzent recalls that the Hall of Ancient Knowledge (Golotha’s Guild of Arcane Lore) has a book on the subject. Ash will investigate further.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Patrons and the tavern keeper at the Black Mice Tavern
Player Characters
Ryobi - Human - L5 Monk
Background - Temple Guard.
Archetypes - Barbarian.
Ash - Human - L5 Thaumaturge
Background - Weaponcrafter.
Archetypes - Alchemist.
NPC Companion
Vinzent - Human - L5 Bard
Background - Cursed.
Archetypes - Blessed.
Next Session
Session 373 - The Whale's Graveyard.
NPC Companion
Vinzent
He is a skilled minstrel who is infamous for his depressing performances and bad luck.
LOL Ryobi, does he have a brother named DeWalt or a sister named HiKoki? Good write up, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, glad you liked it. It was fun.