DDAL Jasper DMs Dungeon of the Mad Mage Spoilers Completed

[jasper]

Dungeon of the Mad Mage Session 7
Level 3 Sargauth Level
PC Killed 1 Monsters Killed 264 Villains Captured 12 Villains Escaped 13 Obaya Uday Cash left on hand 6,895 PP
I had a strong group with Aukan Barbarian owner of Trollskull Manor, Smile Jack Multiclassing, Joseph Bard Owner of Trollskull Manor, Jade Warlock/fighter, Geuxbras Druid, and Kyen Fighter. I may give up letting the player choose from my d20s at start. I let each player choose one of my d20s at the start of night. These are the dice I use for the monsters. The dice loved the group during the session. I did make the following changes. All drow rolled with advantage. All monsters rolled initiative with advantage due to the bag. I also add some extra monsters in some encounters. This did not help.
If I could smack PCs with alignment changes in Adventure League I would. Some of them have demons lining up to bid on their souls.
The “Squires of Azrok” of are tasked by Azrok to deliver a basket to the Oni merchant Krek. None of the group bat an eye as Krek opens the basket and bites off the head of the baby hobgoblin. They wander around Hotel Hobgoblin meeting some of other citizens and visit the orphanage.
They decide to go drow hunting. They were not quiet as they stuck up on the group watching the river. But were able to wipe them out quickly. Paying the ferry skeleton, they cross the river into the old lady territory. After defeating a drider, Joseph and Aukan decide body parts would give body to the beer they sell out of Trollskull Manor. So Aukan starts shoving parts into various bags. The group finds the soup kitchen. Aukan drinks from it. Getting the first boon or bane trap from Halaster. (Note I have photocopied them runes. And either highlight the boon or bane. The deck is then shuffled and the player draws). It is 24-hour boon with makes Aukan immune to almost all conditions. This help him a lot later.
The next room they release a goblin and a 13-year-old boy Delvin (who would become one of their servants at Trollskull). They release the goblin when he points out the hags’ treasure room. Joseph sets off the alarm trap which warn the hags. But he collects the loot and donates the 500 GP to the hobgoblin orphanage making him a “Knight of Azrok”. The group enters the sea hags lair which has 12 pools of scummy water. After a decent combat where the hags were swimming from pool to pool, they defeat the hags.
Exploring further Kyen discovers ten grimlocks. After Aukan defeats one in single combat, and Joseph making up a fake bill of slavery, Kyen takes the remaining nine into the group as his slaves. As they finish exploring the south side of caverns, unknown to all the group two grimlocks and Joseph are possessed by ghosts. The ghosts want to find their lost treasure. Joseph gets the group to go north up river. As the ferry can’t carry all the pcs and the slaves. Kyen tells seven of the grimlocks to remain at the dock. When the ferry makes landfall, the seven grimlocks flip off the group and flee back into the caverns. When Kyen complains about disloyalty, one the grimlocks calls him a BEEP. Kyen kills him on the spot not noticing the grimlock went from speaking broken common to good common. Kyen and Joseph (Fishbone’s ghost) starts player versus player. All the rest of group of says out except Jade. She tries to banish Kyen which does work due to the Mad Mage effect. This alerts the two demons who were guarding the treasure. After a quick combat, the ghosts leave their hosts and are laid to raise. But Slurtongue does call Kyen an BEEP as a parting shop. Aukan starts packing demon body parts into the bag. (at least I call enough. As the joke had gotten way old).
They finish up the level three by killing five drow and forcing Pellanonia and Ghirith into their employment. Taking the drow captives and the body parts the party returns to the surface and Trollskull Manor.
Day 10. In the morning Aukan and Joseph are doing the books on the manor. They are not happy; the operation has broken even. The pcs become very unhappy when they are arrested on the following charges. Two counts of slavery. Serving foul beer. Keeping of body parts. Unauthorized crypt (the changes the Blood Baron made to the basement). Unauthorized changes to a structure. Littering.
Even with Pellanonia and Ghirith being a witness for the city they get off on all the charges. Since the drow were being paid they were not slaves. Even if it was heavily hinted while they were under Waterdeep that they were to be made slaves. The owners agree not to used dead bodies to flavor their beer and dump the kegs which had the body parts. Unknown to the group the Blood Baron got them off on the crypt and structure changes. And you can not litter in your own house.
The owners are thinking of starting a second bar in Mad Mage Dungeon using the vats on the second level.
This session does show depending on who shows, and their mood how naughty or nice game play can be.

 

[jasper]

DDAL 08-10 Session
The Skull Square Murders with spoilers.
TP 4 AP 4 Renown 1 Downtime 10 APL 7
PC Killed 1 Monsters Killed 264 Villains Captured 12 Villains Escaped 13 Obaya Uday Cash left on hand 6,895 PP. No one died in this adventure. And only one hero was zeroed out. Four hour module in one hour fifty minutes due to smart play.
I had a weak group of five. Since this was in Skullport those players who had pcs with “Wanted in Skullport” did not play them. “SIGH”.
The party of five meet Volo at the Guts and Garters who mentions he needs a golden ticket um key to loot Ahghairon’s Tower and casually mentions the murders. He thinks Thimblewine Pawn shop may have it.
Scattershot the beast master tries to threaten Thimblewine with his great four feet height. Thimblewine stands on her tip toes; licks him on the nose and demands a bigger bribe. With the bribe being paid and some calming words from Jasper, she tells about Mugrub and his location at Skull Square.
Arriving at the square the party questions three of the town people. All the murder victims were evil and nasty. They were either garroted or stabbed with stiletto heels. The slum lord committed suicide by tying himself into a chair and throw himself off the roof six times. When this did not work, he drown himself in a kiddy pool. The bodies were consumed by some of town’s people and been food were the best think the victims ever did for the town. Frankie points out Mugrub’s house which is strangely darker than normal.
Silently breaking into his house they totally ignore his body for a half hour while they search for the key. They discover a note about Ms. Stillwater. Then they investigate the body. Mugrub was strangled and beheaded by who they don’t know. Asking Frankie they get the location of Ms. Stillwater.
Ms. Stillwater makes a living by selling zombie trap triggers. Ok she sells dead folks by sea side. After not making a sell but finding out that Jasper’s smooth talking ways. She reveals she was just a go between Grubbus the bookie and Mugrub.
Arriving at the back door of the Bat Roost warehouse, they back down from people in front of them and get back in line. After about a half hour they are invited inside. They see Grubbus interviewing the people who were in front of them. Grubbus is not impress with the group but let slips he knows who has the key. Since Scattershot tick Grubbus off, Grubbus agrees to give up the information if Scattershot would wear a clown outfit and be the intermission entertainment. The fight (and only combat of the day) between Scattershot and blackguard goes five rounds. With the party members throwing rotted tomatoes at either their friend or the blackguard. After Scattershot’s defeat, the bookie tells them where the mind flayer Yraxilinith lives.
Breaking into Yraxilinith’s lair was easy. Well, except for the cross bolt to Jasper’s head when she failed to disarm the trap. The group was very respectable and asked nicely about the key. (Totally forgetting the murders.) Yraxilinith tells them they was pass on to Cory a courier to be deliver to Keel Haul in Middle Skullport. He also confesses to the murders, but the adventurers didn’t care.
This is the first module of this season I could run as is without adding to or making things up to get the story to fit.

 

[jasper]

DDAL08-11 Poisoned Words Session
Pc Killed Monsters Killed 273 Villains Captured 12 Villains Escaped 13 Obaya Uday Cash left on hand 6,895 PP.
AP 4 TP 4 Renown 1 Downtime 10
Magic Item Unlocked Glamoured Studded Leather Table G. Potion of Speed. Potion of Vitality. Potion of Heroism.
Story Award Beat Me. You were captured and tortured. One level of exhaustion and half your hit dice gone if you play 08-12. You have private and sergeant medallions of Xanathar. (note the medallions possession may go away as I have not read 08-12).
I had a four person very weak party. One with a Gambling Addiction.
The group arrived at Keel Haul looking for the courier Cory. Bosskyn is mad because the courier is two hours late and asks the group to find her.
Back tracking to the Poisoned Quill, Markov starts asking questions. He ends up paying ten GP for the answers since Tasselgyn Veldarn is an information broker. But the smooth talking daylighters get her to talk. She tells of Cory’s kidnapping by the Hired Horrors workers. On the way to Hired Horrors, a heavy set drow runs over Bankshot and his pursers knock Markov and Heskan to the ground.
The group give chase and corner them in a blind alley. The first couple rounds the group just fires at all three of members of the chase. The drow finally gets them to attack the Xanathar’s guild members. The drow is discover to be a construct. It loots the guild members. Dongar and Bankshot are given the eye medallions which note sergeant level in the guild. The construct is a member of drow Bregan D’aerthe. It awards Heskan a black whistle and gives him the code to summon reinforcements.
The Hired Horrors is getting ready for the noon auction. To get the necromancer Markov out his face he mentions some Xanathar’s Guild put the bag on Cory and took her to Skull Island. As Heskan and Markov got get lunch (ok the players need a break to order lunch or something), Bankshot gets into a three person poker game with his marked cards. Even with his marked cards it takes him eight hands to win two Xanathar’s guild private medallions.
On the way to the bridge they nearly get killed by Bregan D’aerthe because they wanted to fight first before answering the simple question on where they got the black whistle. After cooler heads calm down the group, they are given a second code for the whistle.
The group crosses the bridge to Skull Island. After a nice conversation with the gate guard they are let in. They boldly open the prison tower only to be frighten away by Commander Sundeth a blackguard who yells at them for letting in a draft. Quickly closing the door, they leave to regroup and think. They decide to turn everyone invisible. Have Markov’s skeleton open the door and keep it open while they sneak up the stairs.
This plan works (the group passed the stealth check). Burning through all their fireballs spells, all their fireball scrolls, they call for reinforcements. The group does win the fight. Release Cory who gets away. Kill the bad girl. But they don’t get away in the end. (Ok I did call the fight early. And one of players should have been on his second set of death saves but a player successfully bluffed me on the initiative order.)

 

[jasper]

Ok I now know why the necromancer player was always asking questions about how many undead and what they could wear. His skeleton was AC 18. I was told after the fact the player running Heskan was a high function Autistic. I told the player who brought it up I didn't notice since it is his first pc, he bumped it to fifth level just before the game, and half my group are never ready on their initiative.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of the Mad Mage Session 8
Level 4 Twisted Caverns Day 11 A full Morning call it a day. Morning on Day 12.
PC Killed 1 Monsters Killed 295 Villains Captured 12 Villains Escaped 16 Obaya Uday Cash left on hand 6,895 PP. Group will start next to Room 13 next session.
AP 4 TP 4 Renown 1 Downtime 10 Magic Item Scroll of Gaseous Form.
Story Award Downtown Drow Town Killers (aka the drow know you).
I had four players Smile Jack, Drew, Rick, Aukan which made them an average group. Two of players have ran on this level, so Smile Jack was making the directions choices.
The party slowing enters the fourth level. They hear echoes of a river which explains the high humidity. Mushrooms, some as tall as the Goliath Aukan, grow all around them. Heavy feet approach them. They all hide. Well except Rick.
“Hmm, Handy Chief. “A loud voice grumbles as a hairy hand pull the halfling wizard up by his cloak. “You are always losing stuff Jibber,” stated a soft voice.
Jibber grumbles, “It has a booger!”
Rick screams, “I am not a booger, and this is not a handkerchief!”.
Jibber blows his nose into the cloak, “It is now talking booger!” After much laughing at Rick’s expense, the group was able to get some information on the various mushrooms. (Ok I saw some player knowledge accidently coming out and just speed up this encounter.) Jabber talks them about the nice man toward the north. Meanwhile Drew is hearing voices in her head. Talking about multiple mad wizards on this level and others, Kuo-Toa to the south of the river and Drow to north and east of the river.
The group goes toward the nice man in the north after dodging some Piercers. The nice man is an alchemist who does business with the Drow and any adventurers wandering through. Yes, Halaster the Mad Mage is evil enough to install a stop and rob in his dungeons. A deal is made to swap out mushrooms for potions. Drew gets a potion of comprehend languages, and Smile Jack gets a long rest potion.
Exploring east triggers a fight with two Ropers. This would be the best combat of the night due to the Ropers being on the ceiling and good rolls of my dice. The party learn that Ropers bounce when dead but pcs don’t bounce too high. Drew was zeroed out twice. And Aukan was nearly zeroed out. As they are crawling away from the combat a nice voice from the north welcomes them in.
Darribeth is a mad wizard. So, mad the party talks briefly with her and leaves quickly. Retreating through the Roper Room, the wander north east tripping a trap to the Driders guarding the arch gate to level 6. Activating the gate, the party jumps in. Drew and Rick are spit out on the sixth level. Jack and Aukan are thrown to the floor. Noticing the party is split, Drew and Rick return back to the fourth level. Note Rick and Aukan both got boons for passing through the gate. The gang preps some defenses and take a long rest.
The alarm bells ring as the Drow make their move. But due to great spell casting, the downtown drow town killers turn into a chase. Only Melith the mage escapes with some of her look outs. (oops why did I do two mages instead priest and mage).

Note. If I had remembered that Aukan was part of the Downtown Drow Town Killers, the drow would have reacted differently.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of the Mad Mage Session 9
Level 4 Twisted Caverns Morning on Day 12 to evening Day 13
PC Killed 1 Monsters Killed 326 Villains Captured 12 Villains Escaped 17 Obaya Uday Cash left on hand 6,895 PP. Group will start next to Room 13 next session.
AP 4 TP 4 Renown 1 Downtime 10 Magic Item Left Boot of Elvenkind
NOTE. NO LONG REST BETWEEN SESSION. NO HP recovery, no spell recovery. You are frozen in room 20.
Story Award Slaves of Flint Hardy or Betrayers of Fish face
I had four players Smile Jack, Drew, Rick, Aukan with an average APL. Everyone was members of the Downtown Drow Town Killer.
The Drow Killers start out cautiously. Staying away from the crunching noises in south they discover some chopped down Zurkhwood mushrooms chopped down, and a blood trail leading south. Smile Jack decides to back out of the grove and go south. After a quick battle with some Darkmantles, they decide to go river rafting using some of the drow rafts.
They pole the raft to the island in the lake. Both Rick and Drew set off to explore the sleeping Otyugh. Drew says the magic word but the Otyugh does not wake up. Rick discovers it just stone. With lots of treasure around it, including a dead elf. Well a mostly dead elf. Ok, it was just the left leg and nice boot.
Hardy bellows in their minds, “Serve me and live. Or die.”
Rick, “Die!”
“So be it!” proclaims Hardy as a huge wave washes over the raft and island. Sending Smile Jack and Rick into the depths. Three Chuuls (lobsters) arise from the depths. One attacking Smile Jack. Two attacking Aukan. Drew hears laughing in her head. “Thanks for dinner.” Smiles Hardy.
Rick gets some tail in the face; three tail swipes leaves him K.O. Aukan is pulled under the water by a Chuul and charmed by Hardy. Aukan will spend the rest of the combat on the lake bottom thinking about why he is in time out. The Chuuls rub butter over Smile Jack while making him be a wishbone. But he is also charmed by Hardy, he spends the rest of the combat dancing around the Otyugh. As Drew is about to pulled into three pieces the party decides to cut a deal. (yes, they better cut a deal as it is only 8:10 and this will be a TPK).
The deal. Become Hardy’s assassins. Kill the drow (they already doing that.) Kill whom ever Hardy says so (they murderhobos anyway). They can keep any magic items they find. But all the treasure mush be given to Hardy (you can’t keep money in Season 8). They agree and take a long rest.
Morning of day 13 Sneaking into the Kuo-toa lair, they bypass the Troglodytes prisoners. They wipe out eight or so Hook Horrors who are protecting the Kuo-toa. As they meet the high priest, they decide to betray Hardy. Hardy is not having it. He mentally talks to the high priest. And the fireballs come out. Only three of the thirty or so Troglodytes survive by fleeing into the river.
Rick casts water breathing on the party, “we coming for you Hardy!”
This why everything is frozen.

 

[jasper]

DDAL08-12 Session Xanathar’s Wrath
PC Killed 2 Monsters Killed 331 Villains Captured 12 Villains Escaped 19
Obaya Uday Cash left on hand 6,895 PP, 5 gold fish were also murdered.
AP 3 TP 3 Renown you will have calculate. (1 every 4 AP). Downtime 10. Story Award Xanathar’s Wrath. Disadvantage on social checks when dealing with anyone from Xanathar’s Guild. 5 CP have been offered for your heads.
I had seven pcs with only two less than the APL so a very strong group.
The party is coughing out river water. Trying to remember if they had an excellence party. But not they remembers they help rescued Cory a few days ago. They were captured, beaten, bruised, tickled, beat some more and tossed into the river. Everyone had one level of exhaustion and half they hit dice for short rest healing are gone. (This was a story award from 08-11. Was never mentioned in 08-12. Aka bad editing.)
Grumble’s minions toss the party onto stretchers and transport them to Grumble. There is no time for a short or long rest. It is going down today. What is it? The painting of Xanathar and Sylgar by Veena. (See Xanathar’s Guide to everything cover). The adventurers must find a way on to Xanathar’s Wrath, a ship hung from the ceiling of Skullport which is one of the bases of Xanathar. The group need to rescue Veena a child prodigy painter because Xanathar generally eats the painters when they are done with the job. Assassinate Sylgar an evil goldfish trying to take over the fish market in Skullport, okay its Xanathar’s pet. Find the key which unlocks the tower of the First Lord of Waterdeep, AHGHAIRON. One of these is the aberrant SHADOWDUSK FAMILY living on the twenty second level of the Mad Mage’s dungeon. (Note additional information never mentioned in other modules.)

They have three choices of getting onto the ship. Scope out the ship and make a plan. Play as delivery people delivering a magical Minotaur skull to Ahmaergo who is a collector of Minotaur items. Follow Ott Steeltoes a strange dwarf wearing a Mardi Gras Beholder hat. (Note to speed up game play I did not give the group the scope out option.) The group follows Ott.
Ott hits a pet shop on his way home and buys his usual monthly buy of a gold fish. He does not care three of the group has follow him inside. He leaves with his purchase and the sales person confronts the new customers. Some buy something others are just window shopping.
Ott hits a bar as he second stop on his way home. And staggers out drunk. Making his way to the Wrath he scratches himself and summons a Tensor’s Floating disc. (Okay I did not explain to the group about twenty feet distance was between the dock and the ship.) He disappears out of sight. Ershila peeks over and see Ott working a secret door. Ok, the group so far has been lucky with group stealth checks. Ershila jumps on the disc and the group follows. It takes her two tries to open the lock, and everyone is scared after the first attempt the disc floats back up. Lucky the guards on deck don’t notice.
Ok. People, try to imagine seven PC (35 feet) trying to sneak on a ship which is only 32 feet wide. However I made a mistake when drawing the map and just went with the bigger size. The group sleep the butler and cooking slaves. Then tie them up in their hammocks. They break in on Ott as he dropping his latest insurance policy into the tank. Milo goes to inspect the tank but triggers a trap which summons a Shambling Mound. Strangely Ott just watches, pulls out a pipe and sits himself to watch the show. Milo, Brother Leonard, and Daardendrian the sorcerer engage the monster. To finish it off Daardendrian decides to cast Chromatic Orb Lightning but decides against it. (New player with his first pc. I made him roll an Insight check to change his mind he made the roll.) With the monster dead, Daardendrian goes to smash the tanks. But Nox casts Shatter to speed the process along. This causes the whole ship to shutter and the upper decks to go on alert. (Some discussion on how loud and what were the effects of spell happen.) Ott is ticked off and throws a magic mushroom at the group in the main hall of the ship, and a smaller mushroom at the sorcerer. The mushrooms summon a Shambling Mound and two Shambling Mound arms. The group make quick work of these. Especially when Nathaniel charms monster and has the Shambling Mound jump from the ship. The population of Middle Skullport were not happy to find a raging monster dropping in from out of the sky. The rest of deck is explored but except of one room they cannot find a door too, it is empty.
The group creeps up to the middle deck. Nathaniel charms the cook. He convinces the cook he deliver the former crewman arm to the master of the ship. As he enters the rear galley, Nathaniel see a kid painting. Painting Xanathar’s portrait. Xanathar in rage that the food is early throws three rays at Nathaniel. Nathaniel replies with a spell of his own. The rest of group starts the ball rolling. (I did play the anti-magic cone wrong for one round oops).
Some of highlights of the battle. Ershila rushes tucks the kid under an arm and rushes down the stairs, yelling “we are leaving!” On the bottom deck she grabs the parachute and jumps. Brother Leonard casts a blocking spell which will trigger when someone from the deck descents to the middle level. Also Brother Leonard got knock back against a wall by an eye ray while trying to banish Xanathar, (player did not make his Insight roll to know banishment did not work). Nathaniel was the second to jump ship, literally. Nox and Daardendrian follow the rest and hoped someone had feather fall. Brother Leonard was the last to leave the ship. The group waited. Where were Milo and Dongar?
Fifteen minutes pass.
Thirty minutes pass.
Forty Five minutes pass.
Fifty nine minutes pass, Nathaniel sees Dongar holding the body of Milo. Dongar jumps for the galley window. He saved with a feather fall spell just before he splats. Dongar had been charmed by the Beholder, and watched Ahmaergo chop Milo down and keep chopping to make sure he was dead.
The party retreated into the dark of Skullport wondering where on the ship the key was.

 

[jasper]

Okay, I had a couple of problems with this module. One Ahmaergo was never stated out, the designer did give his stats on a discussion on DM's Guild. But his stats should been in the pdf. Ahmaergo is also on page 193 of Waterdeep Heist. The lead designer mentions a story award from DDIA-XGE but does not mention the story award from 08-11. The Beholder is a large creature but all the ship has five foot doors, I don't think Xanathar would allow himself to be squeezed.

 

[jasper]

Dungeon of the Mad Mage Session 10
Twisted Caverns and Wyllowwood Evening of day 13 to morning of Day 19.
PC Killed 5 Monsters Killed 336 Villains Captured 12 Villains Escaped 19
Obaya Uday Cash left on hand 6,895 PP, 5 gold fish were also murdered.
AP 3 TP 3 Renown you will have calculate. (1 every 4 AP). Downtime 5.
Wand of Fireballs unlocked table G 20 points.
Begin mid-morning Day 19 at the door of 6C.
Ok Smile Jack, Rick, Drew, and Aukan were gearing up for the fight with Hardy the Aboleth. Guexbro a druid joined them. Ok the fight was epic even with me forgetting all the abilities of the Aboleth. Rick mouth got him a piece of tail. Lots of tail. Upside his face. With legendary actions Rick was KO in the first round and finished off in the second. Smile Jack was the second to fall and was eaten by the Chuul. Guexbro did a great shark attack but was the third to fall. Aukan go the killing blow on Hardy. With three hit points left Drew finished off the two remaining Chuul. Aukan and Drew carried out the dead.
I call a break. The battle took 9 rounds and one hour and thirty-eight minutes. We then figured up the cost of raising the dead. Smile Jack decided to remain dead. Rick had a free raise dead from the Emerald Enclave from Waterdeep 08-00. Guexbro spend cash and treasure points. I let everyone level and raise four days to recover from the battle. See I am a nice DM. (big evil grin). Mr. Crowley joins the group.
Polling a raft down to the Wyllowwod they shore themselves. They think are outside of Waterdeep due to the sun just coming up. Exploring the deep woods, they spy a gravestone. Beloved Crissann rest in peace. But Crissann is ticked off. His spirit tells them he was murdered by Wyllow. Dig up his body and take his magic wand of fireballs. Aukan starts digging with his hands when Mr. Crowley hands him an E-tool. They follow Crissann to Wyllow’s courtyard.
Wyllow is very nice and ask who they are and what are they doing her. Aukan mentions Crissann. Wyllow hopes they did not dig up the grave. Aukan says oops. And the murderhobos attack killing the awaken tree. Wyllow flees thru a secret door. Rick shatters the courtyard.
To be continued. Same Murderhobo channel. Same Murderhobo time.

 

[jasper]

DDAL08-13 session
The Vampire of Skullport
AP 3 TP 6 Downtime 5 Renown 0
PC Killed 5 Monsters Killed 348 Villains Captured 12 Villains Escape 23
Staff of Withering Table G unlocked
Obaya Uday Cash left on hand 6,895 PP.
Over twenty felonies were committed during the course of play. Note Skullport now has a version of Waterdeep’s Code Legal. Appears a couple of adventurers left their copies behind and the flameskulls read them.
I had four players. One sixteen level Lister Simons druid multicasting. John C, Ramza, and Otleh were eleventh. So a weak group.
The adventures get a note from the Baron Blood, which states, “please read the letter I sent to my minions. Until we meat. Baron A. Morlin.”. Thankfully the messenger delivering the mail had the letter. After giving the messenger a super wedgie they got the letter. The letter told them to meet with Cal’al Claddani to get the lasted update.
Arriving at the Flagon and Dragon in lower Skullport Cal’al mentions the other minions when missing seven or eight days ago while checking out rumors of the Cult of Shar and a portal to Vanrakdoom the eighteenth level of the Mad Mage’s dungeon. Spying Fergus overhearing the conversation, Lister bribes him with two potions of healing and a promise not to let John C beat him up. Fergus tells about the trinket merchant Vyraxxan and slithers home to tell the vampire lady Austra Trumaine about the group.
Lister finds the trinket merchant and notices Brimble’s hornet nest. Talking with the hornets (note a swarm of insects are beasts, so all insects are beast. This allows a druid to talk to insects), he discovers Vyraxxan is the second new bad sugar water provider this week. Lister buys the bad mean bumble bee nest and trinket from him. The trinket has a slight quirk/curse which makes the owner covetous for three levels (note not guidance on this quirk was given). The merchant tells them Cutie a meat merchant sold to them.
Cutie is a mangy Minotaur with half a horn missing. She sells hot dogs, sausage on a stick, sausage on an onion roll, and meat pies. The meat pies are the best meat pies in London um Skullport. Cutie was upset that the slavers um meat sellers from the Worm’s Gullet. The Beast master was offered 2 GP for his baby furry raptor but refused. Cutie even said she would tan the hide. Also John C ask for drow and cutie replied it would take three or four days to obtain that meat. No one batted an eye.
John C spies two kobolds on smoke break when he arrives at the Worm’s Gullet. He picks a fight. He picked a fight with two lowly Kobolds and multiple Vampire Spawn. This fights ends with all but the druid Lister arrested by order of Flameskull patrol. Lister does take out one Flameskull with sixteen constrictor snakes but wild shapes into a brown rat and follows the spawn and party to the court room.
In court they are charged with: Illegal importation of a pet raptor. Twelve counts of assaulting a Skullport citizen. Twelve counts of murdering a citizen without justification. Twelve counts of murdering a citizen without justification. Murder of an official the Flameskull (the group argued undead cannot be murdered but this argument was thrown out by Judge Dread Flameskull.) John C pleaded guilty to all charges. Otleh got the raptor charged dropped but pleaded not guilty. Ramza the knight pleaded not guilty. The court ruled to turn them over to the cult of Shar (hey skulls like bribes too.)
Ok, the worm fight had last a bit long and I wanted to move on to the boss fight because it was close to five PM.
So the group is put to sleep and after a short rest the come to. Except for Lister, they are shackled, missing all but they armor. Their gear is being guarded by the raptor and two of the vampire spawns. Lister is listening at the door. The vampire lady Austra Trumaine has John C chained to floor of teleportation / ritual circle. She smiles and shows her fangs. John C says, “Kiss me darling!” And the fight begins. The next words out John C mouth is “You suck!” Which Austra replies “yes I am sucking the life out you!” Ok, I under estimated how difficult four vampire spawns with a vampire lady would be. (I also dropped her spellcasting abilities.) Since time was passing I gave the players an out. If their PC ran out the room and north a hundred or so feet, they would escape. John C and Otleh escaped. Lister was trying to help Ramza escape but every time he broke a grapple; he was grappled again due to attacks of opportunity. I finally had to call time and let everyone escape.
The group really only complete two of the objectives but I decide to give one more due time running out.