Well, we played the first scenario of this adventure today. It went pretty well, I think.
The characters consist of Khonsuhotep, a human female fighter, and Benge, a halfling rogue (considered quite unusual in this setting where halflings are almost always clerics). They're recently escaped slaves, floating down the Yor in a boat they don't quite know how to sail.
Here's a condensed transcript of what went on, from Khonsu's point of view:
They are trying to reach Hamunaptra, reputedly a place where all slaves are free and the streets are paved with gold!
1/2 day south of Qarat Werset, last city south of the 2nd Cataract and part of the evil kingdom. East bank - soldier encampment, soldiers searching boats. They debate hiding and sneaking by at night, but decide to bluff their way through. Benge has forged papers saying they're going to Qarat Werset to the Temple of Set, carrying messages. Remarkably, their bluff works beautifully and they are let through with no trouble at all!
(This neatly circumvented most of my first adventure, drat them!)
They reach the city, and pull in for the night. Hunting about, they find a tavern called "Bast's Pillow". They order a meal, but before it arrives a scorpion bigger than a man's head appears, and attacks the tavernkeeper. Benge shoots it, and Khonsu finishes it off with her spear. The tavernkeeper Ranitep has been stung on the hand; Benge heals him.
Ranitep begs the PCs to investigate his cellar and find out why the vermin keep coming out of it; he can't understand what is drawing them here. The PCs agree in return for a free night's stay and help finding further passage down the river (they realize their boating skills are insufficient).
When they open the trapdoor to the cellar, a swarm of centipedes, tiny snakes, scorpions and stinging flies (stats as per a spider swarm) comes boiling up at them. Some lamp oil, a torch and Ranitep's wife weilding a pot of scalding water finish the swarm in fairly short order. Khonsu is just scalded and stung enough that they seal the door and rest for the night.
Next day, investigation reveals a hidden door in the cellar (behind the platform and clay pots of beer). Further vermin attacks are defeated again in short order. A strange room with a horridly bloodstained table and cookfire and three small cells are found. Also another secret door.
Ranitep admits that when he bought the tavern he heard stories that the previous owner was a cultist "torn to pieces" by his neighbors when he was found to be a cannibal. But he always thought the story was a tall tale.
Beyond the second secret door is a black altar in a small chamber. Upon the alter stands a golden statuette of a four-armed snake-headed woman. Before the altar are two horrible mutant woman-headed snakes. Benge cannot bring himself to attack them until one spits poison saliva at Khonsu. Benge then shoots one snake in the throat and nearly kills it at once. Khonsu finishes it off with her khopesh. Unfortunately, as she does so the statue whispers evil words into her ears, and she finds herself turning on Benge. Convinced he is the evil one, she attacks him and misses. He backs out of the room and throws his bola at her, tripping her up. She tries to get to her feet, but he manages to deliver a blow to her head, knocking her out. Benge is then able to smash the evil statue with a few blows.
Khonsu returns to herself at this point. She and Benge are horrified to discover a set of bone saws and butcher's knives spread out on the altar; clearly the last tavern owner lived up to the tales about him! They chop up the statuette, discovering it is only painted gold over wood, but still is worth about 50 gp. They are also able to sell the tools to a butcher for 10 gp.
Overall, they gained enough experience to go up a level!
