Runequest 2nd Ed: Tale of Flameshot - Glory of Yelmalio [FINAL UPDATE 6th Jun]

[PieAndDragon]

Enter the Beast

We wasted little time in looting, as our fallen foes had few items of value. Ascending the tree with Liverpate in the lead, we were assailed by nauseous scents of decay and troll-kin. Steeling ourselves, we found an entrance through the open maw of the dinosaur, and gruesome steps dug into the corpse’s neck, leading down into its innards. I took rear-guard with my bow at the ready, prepared for any foes who would creep up to attack us unawares.

The stench overpowered all of us, leaving lunch and breakfast behind us as we stumbled through low corridors. Bits of skin and decaying innards poked out from bones and rotten flesh. I had to crouch through much of the dinosaur’s inside, as did the Hemakt cultists, with only diminutive Khaki able to act unhindered. Of all the places I have explored, this was the one I least wish to remember.

The tunnel opened into a larger, empty cavern, perhaps where the dinosaur’s lungs once were, and we followed another tunnel, navigating further down the inside of the corpse, where we could see a shaft of light illuminate a crossroads. More troll-kin awaited us down the left-hand section of the crossing, the inner guards of whatever sanctum lay here. Khaki and Hoisin rushed to investigate wrapped up forms straight ahead of us, as Liverpate engaged our foes and I aided him from the right-hand tunnel as well as I could, outlined once more by the light coming in from an exit to the outdoors.

Although there were only three foes, they fought with great ferocity, directed by a shaman who used spells to bolster his warriors. Liverpate managed to fell one, but took more injuries in return. Khaki shouted to tell us she had found the man we were looking for, and we beat a fighting retreat with the still form of our quarry in tow. We were short on magic, breath and all bore injuries from our recent fights. We had no need to find more foes that day. The troll-kin let us go, no doubt glad to be rid of us too.

Our bedraggled group returned to the Leopold’s farmstead, where we related our tale to caravan and farmers alike. Dyllon tended our wounds and took care of our rescued stranger, who showed no signs of waking anytime soon. To our delight we found that we had also looted some of the valuables along with the stranger, dividing gold, silver and gems between our party of four. It was agreed that the stranger would travel with us, as we did not want to leave him after the trouble taken for his rescue.

The next day, we left the last bastion of civilisation, and made our way in the troll lands, heading for the city of Kragspider and the last stage of our outward journey.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Troll Brews

I have come to the conclusion that trolls bring very little to this world. They scavenge what they can, and steal most of the rest from others. They have little art, song or culture of note, and excel only at the art of war. Most of their buildings are tunnelled from whatever materials surround them, be it rock, clay, trees, rubbish or sand. They are brutal savages, who deserve not the light of Yelmalio. The sooner we leave their lands, the better for us all.

Three days away from our destination, Murias stopped us, telling us what he knew of the challenges that would face us ahead. It turned out that the details were bare, very little on which to base a trading expedition such as this.

He had a map, which showed the way to a secret entrance into the troll city. Once we got to this secret place, and we weren’t attacked, one of us would have to complete a drinking challenge, to be granted access to the city should we complete it. Murias had very little in the way of details on the tasks which would risk us our lives. We weren’t particularly complimentary about our employer, but we still had a job to do. I volunteered to take part in the challenge if more than one could take part, but reckoned Liverpate to be the strongest drinker among us.

Following the sketches which Murias claimed constituted a map, we finally came upon a roughshod building which could be the place we were looking for. Leaving Lorange and our newest companion with Dyllon and the other members of the caravan, I prepared to follow Liverpate in , alongside Hoisin, Khaki, alongside Hoisin, and lastly our employer. Part of the challenge was to enter and chant some nonsense rhyme about a drinking contest. This was Liverpate’s task, and he would lead the way.

Ready for trouble, we made our way in, Liverpate shouting the nonsensical words Murias had taught him. When I entered behind him, I saw what appeared to be a fairly normal bar, albeit troll-sized. We were greeted by a dark troll who appeared to be the bartender. After listening to my companion’s chant, he welcomed us to his bar and the challenge which awaited us.

Spooner was the name of our host, a laughing, welcoming specimen of kind, who welcomed us in surprisingly good Sartarite. Several more trolls comprised regular drinkers of the place, regarding us with varying degrees of hostility and curiousity. I reckoned them to be hunters of some sort. Behind the bar, a strange stone-like humanoid was used as a chair, some sort of gargoyle, stripped of wings and hands. A troll-kin cowered near to our host, a servant and the pourer of the various ales.

Spooner assumed we were here to gain entry to the city, and attempt the challenge before us. Although this place was supposed to be secret, I gathered that he had welcomed people like this many times before. There were three rounds to the contest, and as many of us as we liked could enter. We would be drinking troll-beers, harmless to troll-kind, but toxic to humans, with various side effects. For the first drink, we could choose our own punishment, with Spooner selecting the second drink, and a bystander our third. If we survived all three drinks, we would complete the contest. After a brief discussion, I stepped up to the test, alongside Liverpate and Hoisin. Our short ally decided to play it safe and Murias had no intention of touching liquid so dangerous as ale for trolls.

The patrons looked us over with interest, seeming to make bets with coins changing hands. The scraps of dark tongue I had learnt were not enough to discern much, but they didn’t seem to mean any harm. After some brief bargaining, the priest of Issaries agreed to pay for the ales consumed in the contest, as part of our costs. Any others we would need to pay for ourselves. Wishing each other luck, we prepared for the first round.

With six troll brews to choose from, Liverpate and I went for the crudely named Skullbuster, which we consumed without trouble. Although it had a dark appearance, mouldy texture and bitter aftertaste, it wasn’t as bad as we feared, and we had no trouble with the first round. Hoisin chose Rainbow Delight, a bubbly mixture of luminous orange, red and yellow sections. Drinking one colour at a time, and using spells to aid his recovery, the Hemakt initiate chugged his was through the colourful brew, one colour at a time. He described burning pains inside, but made it through regardless. The symbols on his abdomen glowed slightly, but our first round was complete.

Directing the troll-kin servant to the barrels, Spooner chose our second round brews. Liverpate easily finished a second Skullbuster, as I tackled a strong-but fruity drink known as Drive-Careful Wine. It had several unidentifiable chunks, possibly meat, floating at the top, but I calmed by stomach and drained the beverage without ill effect. Hoisin was another matter, demonstrating a lack of resistance to the troll alcohol. Erosion Uzo did it in for him, the strong ale causing him much head pain, with sweat almost steaming from his reddened head. He couldn’t manage to finish his tankard, leaving only two of us to face the last round.

For our final drink, Spooner decided we would choose what the other would drink. But instead of a safe practical decision, Liverpate chose an unknown beer, Old Rotgut, for my drink, whereas I let him off lightly, selecting Drive Careful Wine for him to see us through to the city. The Rotgut was surprisingly nice at first, only to be followed by a burning pain in my abdomen, and then several minutes of retching, returning the contents of the ales into a handy bucket. Once again, the Hemakt lay-member had little difficulty, reinforcing my belief of him as our drinking champion.

With the third round complete, we had done it, both of us had completed the challenge and gain Murias his entry into the city.

As Dyllon tended to some of our ills, Khaki drained the last of her one drink and Liverpate proved his iron stomach by draining a Powsy without trouble, the only beer we had not tasted. With us in varying states of intoxication, we went straight toward the city, ready to face the dangers ahead.

 

[Dr Simon]

Spooner's Grog Shop is great fun - I'm surprised you all got off as lightly as you did. I recall that Rainbow Delight is particularly noxious stuff!

 

[PieAndDragon]

Bargaining with Trolls

The troll-kin servant from the bar was our guide, bearing a bell which signalled to other trolls we had safe entry into their land. After a four hour drive over rough terrain, we were challenged by a lone dark troll guard, who let us through to the urban sprawl beyond.

Giant mounds of rubbish competed with towers of stone and shell. We passed structures made from bones of dinosaurs, several large troll-cult buildings and a massive building carved from a gigantic crab shell, standing several humans high. Murias pointed out giant spider-webs, with spiders many feet across, which created the spidersilk he was so desperate for.

We saw many trolls of different breeds and vocations, wearing a myriad of clothing and carrying various weapons. I resisted the urge to lash out at the abominations, knowing that any aggression would result in the untimely deaths of us all. One large, naked dark troll did try to provoke us, shoving each of us in front of his wrestling counterparts. We bore his taunts, getting on with the task at hand.

At a large stone building, we finally came to a halt, the destination of our arduous journey at hand. A troll in bright colours greeted the knock on the door, dressed in the fashion of a jester. He would only greet myself and Liverpate, avoiding communications with the rest of our companions. Eventually we were met by a weird troll, well-dressed for one of his race and some kind of merchant. His name was Sir Scissors, and he would deal with our merchant friend.

Next day we were ushered into another stone building, bags placed over our head as some sort of test. Here trading commenced, with Sir Scissors trying to pass off various items of rubbish as valuable goods. He a strange way of doing this, indicating some things as his, and others as tradable with grunts and snarls. Leaving Murias to his business, we tasted the various food dishes our host provided. The best I can say was that it was interesting. Some meat was pointed out as troll-kin meat, which all others of my party avoided, though I found it to be tasty and nourishing, probably the best of what we were served. If I can eat cattle and chicken, then what difference troll-kin meat?

I did ask our employer to enquire about a troll-kin slave, as such a creature could be useful to me, possibly as a spy or just useful to serve me. The others were disgusted at such a thought, once again demonstrating their lack of pragmatic and strategic thought. Murias could make me no trade however, but managed some of his own. Eventually a bargain was made, a contract agreed and our way home open to us.

 

[Deng]

Spooner's Grog Shop is great fun - I'm surprised you all got off as lightly as you did. I recall that Rainbow Delight is particularly noxious stuff!

One of the characters tried Powzie... After I think it was 10 drinks he thought... well this isn't too bad but I'd better stop.... I couldn't believe he survived!

One person did lose consciousness due to Rainbow Delight.

I'm the DM by the way!!!

 

[PieAndDragon]

Homeward Bound

Come morning, my head was clouded by a haze, and many of my thoughts would not complete themselves. We wasted no time leaving for Johnstown, taking the silks we had acquired in the wagons. No problems presented themselves on the way home, and we returned in a few short weeks.

Murias honoured our agreements, paying us our due, and we divided our spoils from the journey. Saying my farewells, I bid my former companions good luck in their endeavours, and returned to my temple of Yelmalio, ready for a period of rest, training and thoughtful introspection.

My superiors were very interested in my travels, making me give a detailed account of all I had seen. The priests of Sun and Truth asked many questions about the troll city, probing for more information about defences, troops, military preparations and other related matters. They agreed on my views about the heavy tuskers, that such foes should be executed without mercy. I suspect I was sent on a scouting mission, and one day a Yelmalio army will march to wipe out the troll blight from this world. Hopefully I will be there to see such a wondrous thing.

My next few weeks were good ones, spent learning the secrets of the Yelmalio cult, improving my command of firespeech and honing my skills in spear and shield. I completed a number of exercises designed to aid balance and poise, practicing dance-like patterns until I was nimbler than ever before. Twice I was asked to lead sermons in the temple of the Sun-Lord, and while in my first attempt, the brethren’s response was strangely quiet, in my second I switched to the evils of troll-kind, and managed to spark a stronger response among my cult-companions to my message.

During this time I searched for more tasks suitable for a warrior with a proud heritage such as mine. Many of my cult were concerned over a lost griffyn, intelligent flying beasts allied to our cause, much favoured by the Sun Lord. No reward was offered, but many wanted to find the lost family member. I approached several groups of Yelmalio brothers to see if they needed my aid, but none suited what I was after. Each group seemed to be dominated by a single rune priest and their immediate hangers-on, servants and guards. I had no intention to become a lackey to such a priest, as many of the Muskovy clan have more pride. And rightfully so.

Instead another opportunity presented itself. My old companion Khaki approached me about a joint venture between her cult and mine, and the Humakti as well , to be lead by herself. We would be hunting for cult relics lost in a chaos attack a couple weeks away, and would receive some of these relics as a just reward. Sensing more opportunities beside a proven ally, I accepted the proposal and found myself once more in cahoots with Hoisin and Liverpate.

Another adventure awaited us.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Teal Flameshot - Updated Statistics

Human (Sartarite) Male, 19 Years of Age, Initiate of Yelmalio
STR 16 CON 15 SIZ 16 INT 13 POW 9 DEX 12 CHA 14
Hit Points: 16
Skills: Camouflage 10, Climbing 35, Defence 5, Evaluate Treasure 20, Hide in Cover 15, Hide Item 15, Jumping 20, Listen 40, Lock Picking 10, Map Making 20, Move Silently 15, Oratory 25, Pick Pockets 5, Read Sartarite 25, Riding(Horse) 50, Speak Dark Tongue 5, Speak Firespeech 35,Speak Sartarite 65, Spot Hidden Item 60, Spot Trap 20, Swimming 30, Tracking 15, Trap Set / Disarm 10
Weapons: Composite Bow (Att 90, Parry 25), Javelin (Att 35), Kick (Att 30, Parry 35), Large Shield (Att 10, Parry 60), Longspear 1H (Att 65, Parry 15), Longspear 2H (Att 25, Parry 20), Shortspear 1H (Att 25, Parry 20), Shortspear 2H (Att 15, Parry 10)
Spells: Disruption, Fire Arrow, Ignite

Equipment of Note: Power Crystal (6 points store, party item)

 

[PieAndDragon]

Khaki’s Expedition

My latest step on the path to glory in Yelmalio’s name is a humble one. Lead by a short and temperamental lay-member of Savanka, journeying alongside comrades I grew to know on the road to troll lands. We do not go to root out great evil, or battle the foes of Johnstown. We search for the corpses of the dead, to find and return their valued goods to greedy priests who rule our temples.

Of all of our cults, only mine granted us any boons, supplying potent healing elixirs to keep us going should great harm befall us. Our journey took us a week and a half on horseback, with wagons following several days behind us, to carry back the temple treasures we are hunting for. The time was uneventful, almost tedious, leaving many of us in the mood to work bloody violence on any who stand in our path.

In the weeks since our sojourn into troll lands, my companions have also been busy. Hoisin and Liverpate spent much of their time improving their swordplay, an obsession among their kind. The larger of the two has yet to be made an initiate of the Humakt cult, but needs more time to prove himself.

Khaki attempted to guide us using a map from her cult, but her navigational skills are scarce at best. It fell to me and Liverpate to guide our small group to the caves where the priests we hunted had fallen, ignoring Hoisin’s unhelpful suggestions as we went. Together we uncovered the hidden entrance, whose two large doors had been taken from their hinges and left to the side.

I lead the way forward, bow and arrow at the ready, Khaki following with a torch, Hoisin with a lantern and lastly Liverpate with his sword and shield. What awaited us were smooth stone walls, worked with fine precision and craftsmanship, several collapsed cells and dark alcoves. We paused to search through a large room of rock debris, following Khaki’s instructions. It was clear to me that there would be little to find, but my companions are full of avarice and greed.

Our thorough investigations were disturbed by scuttling sounds from the way we had come. Instead of instantly investigating, we wasted time as first Khaki told us how she had once almost been killed by large rats, and then Hoisin spent several minutes regaling us with the full details. It still amazes me that both have survived so much danger in the past. Eventually we moved to investigate the sounds, following them to an intersection with three unexplored exits.

Choosing the left-hand tunnel, which sloped before us, we prepared for trouble. I rolled two bolgs, troll coins made from iron, along the ground to determine ahead of us, checking for any irregularities they might reveal. Liverpate warned us of foes about, his keen ears sensitive to sounds we missed. Hoisin spoke a prayer to Hemakt and pin-pointed several creatures nearby. Hearing chanting from the end of the passage, we readied weapons and advanced, searching for more signs of the inhabitants of the complex.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Hideous Foes

I took the lead, bow at the ready, Liverpate covering my right, Hoisin the left and our erstwhile leader behind, providing light to see by with her lantern. A large cavern opened before us, made of the same hewn stone as the previous passages and rooms. A small passageway was visible in the right wall, and ominous clacking sounds emerged from a second cavern through a wide archway.

Rushing forward, we found a half-dozen creatures of blood and bone, but like nothing we had seen before. Their lower bodies were that of a scorpion, six chitinous legs supporting a stinging tail and body which fused with that of a human torso halfway along. Their entire upper body was like that of a human, a hideous merging of man and insect. Although not mindless, they showed few signs of sophistication, carrying crude clubs and wearing no armour beyond hardened skin.

We met them where the caverns narrowed, negating their superior numbers and forcing them to fight us only two at a time. I stood two paces back as my companions stood ready, eager to face their foes in bloody hand-to-hand. Readying my first arrow, I noticed one that was different to the others, malformed in many ways, almost painful to look upon. He unnerved me with a baleful gaze and uncomfortable aura, and my trembling hand sent arrows past him, which normally would have met their mark.

My comrades were likewise disheartened, swinging their weapons with less confidence than normal. Seeking advantage over our disarray, I saw one man-scorpion darted forward toward me, looking to strike me down as I carried nothing other than bow and arrow. Liverpate and Khaki were faster, one shearing off a front leg and the other almost tearing its body in two. No others attempted to dart through the gap toward me.

Even awkward and uncertain, we still proved the more skilful warriors, as two more scorpion-men joined their kin on the bloodied ground. One of their kind was chanting rituals to dark gods, growing one of his arms into a massive claw the length of a sword. I joined the line, using spear and shield, and although Khaki had dropped a spear and Liverpate looked pale from a stinger’s poison, there seemed to be little doubt over whom the victory belonged.

Distant clacks heralded more of the beasts arriving, looking to reinforce their surviving kin. Desperate moments followed, Khaki smote down a fourth man-scorpion, leaving the deformed beast and its companion with the oversized arm battling us. Another, disguised by magic, appeared from nowhere behind us, striking at Liverpate and disappearing again as the Humakti leapt aside with some sixth sense aiding him. We grew frantic as three more man-scorpions engaged us to our rear, dividing our attention between two fronts. One of Hoisin’s swords shattered beneath a flailing club, Khaki bled from a poisoned stinger’s blow, Liverpate fell to a club in the chest, still on the ground and I could feel the afterlife calling to us.

But we would go down fighting.

One man-scorpion, sliding on the blood of his recently-slain kind, stabbed his tail into his neighbour, allowing my spear to finish the job. Then Khaki proved her worth once more, striking a decisive blow with her mace, caving in the head of the monstrosity which still unnerved us, freeing all of us from our malaise. I heard a clacking as the unseen man-scorpion fled down a side-tunnel, leaving the numbers even. I focused my attention on the man-scorpion before me, thrusting my spear fully through its thorax, even as a sharp pain blossomed in my leg, and I noticed its spear mangling my upper leg through blurring vision, then I was taken into the realm of the void.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Tunnel Exploration

When I heard voices once more, it was not the Host of Light which serve my lord Yelmalio, but the high pitched voice of Khaki, the low boom of Liverpate and the argumentative sound of Hoisin. I had not perished. The jagged pains in my injured leg receded as I drank our greatest restorative potion, supplied by my church. Bizarre sensations ran through my leg, as bones reset and flesh and muscle knitted together to restore the limb to whole. I would walk and fight once again.

Hoisin and Khaki had proved more than a match for the remaining man-scorpions, now turning to investigate the immediate cavern before we left to lick our wounds. Liverpate was likewise up and around, although still weakened from blood loss and injuries. The disgusting creatures carried no treasures among them, but at the back of the cave, we found various gems arranged in a runic pattern amidst a crude shrine. Khaki recognised the rune as belonging to a fearsome Chaos god, associated to beings she called vampires.

We destroyed the shrine with mace and blade, taking the gems for safe-keeping and retreating the way we came. None followed as we retreated, walking an hour into the wilderness to fined a safe refuge. Setting a watch, we rested for 3 nights, letting wounds heal and nerves calm, telling tales of family and past adventures. I spoke of my aspiration to find an earth-priest wife, the only type permitted by my cult, and desire to raise a family to continue the Muskovy name. My companions seek wealth, glory and power in the cult, as many do.

Fully rested, Khaki lead us back to labyrinth of the scorpion-men. We found no signs of recent tracks or other activity around the entrance, continuing the investigation of the room we has half-searched before. We kept ears pricked for more scuttling sounds, but heard nothing more of the scorpion-men. The rubble and debris of the room yielded nothing of worth, so we continued on to places we had yet to step.

Amongst the caverns and rooms near to our recent battle, there were signs of scorpion-man habitation, places they slept and left their messy business. There were corpses of scorpion-men and other creatures, all long dead, but nothing of value. Hoisin ignored Khaki’s orders to sift through the foul-smelling pile of refuse and excretion, using his magic to detect any eldritch auras. Finding nothing, we returned to more unexplored areas.

All of the complex was created with worked stone, obviously not worked by the crude scorpion-men, and I mused as to who had created these halls. My musings were cut short as the passageway widened into a cavern before us, and scorpion-men attacked from the darkness, where they had been awaiting us.