Session 10
General Summary
The fight continued. Hadrian's aura and the icy patches continued to pose tactical issues. The aura
continued to damage and weaken his foes. At one stage no fewer than 4 of the gladiators were
unconscious on the floor. However a combination of gritty determination, healing potions and the
last dregs of their resources somehow saw everyone up and fighting again. A blast of Mika's
druidic magic finally dropped Hadrian and the fight became somewhat simpler. The other undead
were slowly whittled down and eventually defeated. Victory by the skin of the teeth!
Something had appeared on the nearby statue dais. The chaos relic. It took the form of a deck of
cards. This was something (in)famous - the Deck of Many Things. Little was known about it,
though subsequent research revealed some details. It was decided that Dash should bear it. As he
picked it up, it shuffled itself and momentarily flipped the top card, revealing the card of Talons.
Very cryptic.
A few other pieces of treasure were collected, selected for their mundane appearance so as not to
attract attention as to their origin. There was no interest in further exploration of the tomb. Time to
return to the city, dazed and bloodied yet triumphant.
Sister Valerius saw them immediately. They told a fuller story of the bandits, cultists, the Temple
of Elemental Evil and so on. No mention was made of the Deck and it was implied that Xavier and
comrades were responsible for all the opened doors and sprung traps. Sister Valerius was alarmed
about the news that Lareth was more than just an ambitious bandit lord and that the cult of
Elemental Evil might be making a return.
A team of specialists from Londinium will be despatched to the tomb. They'll clear out any
remaining undesirables. They'll reset traps, repair locks, patch up any damaged walls, redecorate,
block off kruthik tunnels and generally return the tomb to a state befitting a famous emperor.
After such a busy time, Nex Pervenio were now given some time to themselves. They are entered
in a local gladiator tournament in a couple of weeks, on 22nd January. They have one task to
perform before then but are otherwise free. The task is to capture a giant scorpion. This will be
used in an exhibition match, fighting the Scorpions team.
Time for research. It was quickly discovered that giant scorpions could be found in badlands a
couple of days to the north of Londinium. The same badlands where gnolls dwell, the Primitives
had recently disappeared and emissaries from Lareth were seeking alliances. Meanwhile, Dash
sought to learn about the Deck.
Oki came to talk to Shinobi. She spoke of the forthcoming tournament and the capture of a giant
scorpion. Shinobi asked about the Ensigns. Oki said they had (perhaps inadvertently) displeased
and offended a powerful force and been punished. She suggested she was on the cusp of
something and would know more after the tournament. They parted company, agreeing to meet in
the final of the gladiator tournament...
After a day of rest, research and shopping it was back to business. Dawn on 10th January saw Nex
Pervenio on the road north out of Londinium. They took a 2 day stroll through farmlands, passing
rows of olive and grape vines. They reached the edge of the badlands late on 11th and rested
overnight. 12th January saw them enter the badlands. They soon encountered small bands of gnoll
hunters. These had scorpions with them but nothing particularly impressive. They were swiftly
obliterated by the gladiators.
Around lunchtime they found the first signs of gnoll habitation. Ahead of them were 3 gnolls sat
around a campfire. Of more interest were the two cave entrances just beyond. Dash and Shinobi
snuck forward, then Argus marched boldy out. The speed of the gnolls was surprising as Valun
was suddenly face to face with one. But soon the gnolls lay dead, ripped apart. Time to explore
some caves...
Report Date
10 Apr 2024
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