Pathfinder 1E Savage: Legacy of Fire

[mikeawmids]

SAVAGE: LEGACY OF FIRE

Running the Legacy of Fire adventure path, converted to Savage Worlds Adventure Edition. The four player party consists of;

NADIYYA EMBERSTORM
Beautiful and athletic young human woman, with long black hair and smouldering red eyes. Pale skin that resists the burning gaze of the desert sun.

MISFAR
Elven wizard. Dark complexion, grey ponytail and grey eyes. Searching for lost ruins swallowed by the desert. Unfailingly polite & courteous, even to his enemies.

ZAIN AL-SAHLI
Tall and muscular human man, devoted to the sun goddess Sarenrae. Bald with sun tattoo forehead head. Slow to anger, but fearsome when roused. Wields an enormous hammer.

FUK URF
Sandy skinned desert goblin. Bit of a loner. Likes to catch and eat small vermin that live in the desert (lizards, scorpions, ect...)

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter One: Sultan's Claw

The Legacy of Fire adventure path opens as the party travel into the desert. They were approached in Solku by a gruff old man called Garavel and hired to accompany him to Sultan's Claw, an oasis in the shadow of an ancient, withered tree.

Each PC has been provided with a riding camel for the journey. To the surprise of all, the beasts are possessed of uncharacteristically pleasant dispositions. Nadiyya names her camel Blaze and its attitude (randomly determined by rolling 2d6 on the Reactions table) is Cooperative. Misfar's mount is Uncooperative and he has named it Geminara, after a former lover with a similarly disobliging nature. Zain has named his Sonny and it is Friendly. Fuk has not bothered naming his mount. Mirroring its rider's indifference, the beast is Neutral.

Misfar spots a column of dark smoke rising from beyond the next dune. Nadiyya and Zain rush ahead. Misfar and Fuk follow warily. A half dozen wagons are drawn up around the Sultan's Claw. One of the wagons is on fire and the flames have set the old tree ablaze! Nadiyya feels drawn toward the inferno, as she is to any open flame. She urges Blaze onward, with Zain and Sonny hot on their hooves.

Nadiyya can understand the language of flame. She speaks directly into the fire, calming the flames. Fuk dismounts and offerers first aid to those already injured battling the blaze. The nomads are alarmed by the sudden appearance of the goblin, but Garavel gestures for Fuk to continue and the nomads step aside. Meanwhile, Zain lifts a barrel of drinking water from one of the other wagons and pours it over the fire. Misfar consults his spellbook and summons a cloud of swirling sand to smother the flames. At this point, the fire is practically out. Fuk whacks out his (impressively proportioned) goblin willy* and emits a long, steaming stream of bright yellow piss to finally extinguish the blaze.

* Fuk's player insisted on rolling 2D6 to determine the length of his character's junk = 9 inches.

A beautiful young woman approaches the heroes. Garavel sinks to his knees reverently and indicates the party should follow his example. They do so. Fuk goes one better and prostrates himself in the sand at the woman's feet. She steps over him and addresses the heroes directly;

"I am Almah Roveshki. You must be the trouble-shooters Garavel hired in Solku. You arrived in the nick of time and have my thanks for saving the camp. Impress me further by finding out how the fire began. Garavel will introduce you to the other members of the caravan, any one of whom could be responsible."

Almah ducks back into her tent, leaving the heroes with her grizzled major-domo. Garavel nods respectfully and enquires who they would like to speak to first?

Q: "What was in the burning wagon?"
A: "It belonged to Eloais, an astrologer and Almah's personal fortune teller. He was trapped inside when the wagon caught fire and was burnt to death."

Q: "So this is a murder investigation?"
A: "That is for you to determine."

Q: "Did Eloais have any enemies, here in the camp?" (Persuasion)
A: "Dashki, the scout / gnoll expert harbours strong feelings for Almah and may have been jealous of the time and attention the merchant princess gave to Eloais."

The party decide they would like to interview/interrogate Dashki. They find the alleged "gnoll expert" skulking behind Almah's tent, trying to perv on the princess. He is a filthy and nigh feral individual with long, greasy hair and bad teeth. Garavel is outraged and draws his sword. Nadiyya persuades the makor-domo to sheath his weapon and let her deal with Dirty Dashki. Dashki himself is immediately smitten with Nadiyya, who is just as Attractive as Almah (literally, she has the Edge to prove it).

Q: "What were you doing behind Almah's tent?"
A: "Nothing. I was checking the camp for hidden dangers."

Q: "Don't lie to us, Dashki!!" (Intimidation, failed)
"Where were you before / during the fire?"
A: "I was eating by the campfire. When I saw the flames, I rushed to help."

Zain does remember seeing Dashki beating ineffectually at a burning shrub, but is pretty sure he was not among the nomads gathered around the fire, as he and Nadiyya first galloped into the camp.

Q: "What was your opinion of Eloais the astrologer?"
A: "He was a fool, always looking up at the stars - or down his nose at me. Burning to death is a nasty way to go, but I shan't be shedding any tears for him."

The party are reasonably convinced that Dashki is telling the truth.

Q: "Who else might have wanted to kill Eloais?"
A: "Don't know. Maybe it was pugwampis."

Q: "WTF is a pugwampi?!"
A: "It's a type of gremlin. Wherever you find gnolls, you'll also find pugwampis - and this whole desert is lousy with both."

Q: "Why would pugwampis burn Eloais' wagon?"
A: "They wouldn't, but their presence alone is enough to cause unhappy accidents. They act like Bad Luck magnets for anyone nearby."

So, according to Dashki, the astrologer's fiery demise was an accident, triggered by the proximity of tiny Bad Luck monsters. That sounds like a hard sell. Fuk suggests that it might be easier just to frame Dashki as the arsonist, kind-of-joking-but-not-really. Before Almah will accept the party's explanation, she demands to see an actual pugwampi, with her own eyes. The party are dispatched into the darkening dunes to capture a living specimen.

Fuk pokes around the charred ruin of the astrologer's wagon and does find evidence of tiny, humanoid creatures in the vicinity. The heroes also meet Father Zastoran (cleric of Nethys), who laments the disappearance of his favourite goat, but has little of value to add to their investigation. He does offer the party some Healing Potions if they find his precious Rombard. The heroes scour the area around the camp but cannot find any more tracks. They can, however, hear the distant bleating of a distressed goat.

The party follow the sound and soon reach the edge of a dense cactus forest. Rombard's helpless bleating beckons them into the prickly copse. Nadiyya decides to cut a path through the thorny jungle. She focuses her power - and nothing happens. Her player tries to spend a Benny to re-roll the failed Focus check, but something stops her. It doesn't take the players long to realise the pugwampi's bad luck aura is suppressing their ability to spend Bennies to re-roll. The party enter the cactus forest. Zain and Fuk weave between the cacti without getting prickled, however Nadiyya is Fatigued and Misfar (Critical Fail) is Fatigued and Wounded.

"Cursed pugwampis!" the wizard cries, as he trips over his own feet and falls head-first into a clump of particularly prickly plants. Someone (or something) sniggers quietly, amused by the wizard's misfortune.

The party find Rombard tied to the thorny trunk of a huge cactus in the centre of a clearing. Nadiyya, Zain and Fuk sense movement all around them. Only Misfar is surprised when the pugwampis attack!

Six tiny creatures appear from among the cacti. Fuk draws a bead on the closest gremlin, only for the bowstring to snap! Cursed pugwampis!! Again, Nadiyya focuses on her sword, willing the blade to burst into flame. Nothing happens, then suddenly the huge cactus in the centre of the clearing is ablaze! Nadiyya is Shaken by the arcane backlash.

(Seriously, two Critical Fails in a row? Cursed Pugwampis!!!)

On the plus side, the burning cactus negates the Dim Lighting penalty! Zain swings his battle hammer with wild abandon and pulverizes a gremlin. The other pugwampis find this hilarious. The gremlins taunt the heroes. Nadiyya fails to remove Shaken condition, spends a Benny to recover (it seems the pugwampis bad luck aura only prevents Bennies being spent on re-rolls).

"We need an intact body to show Almah!" Nadiyyah screams, as Zain smears another pugwampi into the ground.

The gremlins attack - and all miss. Fuk grapples a gremlin and manages to hold onto it!

"Fuk got one! Let's go!!"

Nadiyya cuts the rope tethering Rombard to the burning cactus. Misfar (finally!) casts Burst and flays the remaining pugwampis with a cone of burning sand! The heroes (carefully) exit the burning cactus forest, dragging Rombard and their captive pugwampi. They return to the camp at Sultan's Claw.

Fuk presents the squirming pugwampi to Almah and her court. The rest of the party describe their experiences with the bad luck aura. Her curiosity satisfied, Almah orders Garavel to wring the creatures neck and dispose of it away from the camp. He takes the writhing pugwampi from Fuk and ducks out of the tent. Once her major-domo has returned, the merchant princess continues;

"Twice now, you have demonstrated your value and I would share with you the details of my mission. The Pactmasters of Katapesh have tasked me with reclaiming the town of Kelmarane from the savage gnoll tribe occupying the ruins. I need strong and resourceful allies to assist me in this undertaking. Once trade begins to flow through Kelmarane once more, you will find yourselves generously compensated. Can I count on you to seize this unique opportunity?"

The heroes are interested! Killing some gnolls for a fat payday sounds good to them!

"Excellent! Garavel chose you well, it seems!"

"Thankyou, princess." answers the major-domo, "However, we have a small problem. We had planned on staging our assault on Kelmarane from here, but recent events have highlighted how vulnerable we would be in the event of a counter-attack. My map shows an abandoned monastery to the north-east. It would serve us well as a temporary headquarters.
"My men are needed here, to protect the princess. Can you heroes be relied upon to scout the ruins and deal with any dangerous inhabitants?"

The party agree to clear out the old monastery.

TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter Two: The Old Monastery

Misfar is still plucking cactus spines out of his face the next morning, as the party prepare to break camp. After reuniting Father Zastoran with his beloved Rombard, each hero is rewarded with a healing potion.

"You'll find the monastery several miles to the north-east," Garavel says, squinting off toward the horizon, "Beyond the monastery lies the town of Kelmarane. Try not to advertise your presence. We don't want the gnolls to know we're there until we're ready for them."

The heroes leave their camels behind and continue afoot. Fuk takes the lead, he has years of experience navigating the trackless desert and the party reach the old monastery before noon. A half dozen giant vultures circle the ruin. The kettle (no, really, Google it) spot the party approaching their crumbling eyrie and swoop to attack!

Misfar is raked by razor-sharp talons and suffers a second wound! Ignoring the pain, Misfar casts Sand Blast and shreds his feathered assailant in a flurry of burning sand. Another vulture attempts to grapple Fuk and carry him off, but the wily goblin drops prone to evade the attack. Fuk rolls to his feet with his bow drawn and fires an arrow through the vulture's leathery wing. He puts a second arrow in the shaken vulture, killing it. The big black bird crumples at the goblin's feet. Zain casts Dazzling Aura (with a Raise) and the sunburst tattoo on his head begins to glow, blindingly bright. Nadiyya's sword bursts into flame and she skewers another vulture with the burning blade!

A dark shadow falls across the party. An enormous vulture drops out of the clear blue sky, its 60ft wingspan eclipsing the sun!

The two remaining not-actually-that-giant-after-all vultures attack first, followed by the mega-vulture. Fuk shoots & kills one of the smaller birds. Nadiyya swings her flaming sword at the mega-vulture, it is both singed and Shaken. Misfar gambles half his remaining Power Points on an empowered Burst and delivers 27 damage to the mega-vulture, more than enough to kill it! The wizard's spell scours the flesh off the vultures head, leaving a surprised looking skull bobbing on the end of its long, scrawny neck. Zain batters the final vulture out of the air and the battle is won!

The sand around the old monastery is littered with dead vultures. Fuk begins stuffing giant black feathers into his pack, for some weird goblin reason. The party head into the ruin. It's about now that Zain remembers he can cast Healing and heals Nadiyya's and Misfar's wounds. The nave is a long, shady chamber strewn with broken masonry from the collapsed ceiling. A large tree has fallen through the western wall, beyond which can be seen an overgrown garden, home to a family of surly baboons. A door in the eastern wall opens into a large library, half buried by sand blown in by the wind. The heroes approach the chapel. Faded tapestries flanking the stone altar depict the golden sunburst of Sarenrae. Zain kneels before the altar and offers a quick prayer to his Goddess.

Having secured the monastery, the party set a watch and wait for the rest of the caravan to arrive.

Nadiyya and Misfar search the library. Most of the books are badly damaged, but one old tome has held up against the elements; Courts of Stone and Flame. Together, Nadiyya and Misfar translate the ancient text; it recounts the battle between the Templars of the Five Winds and a rogue genie called Jhavul.

Meanwhile, Fuk climbs onto the roof of the chapel, where the giant vultures laired. The nests are full of old bones and also three large eggs.

'Well, that's breakfast sorted,' Fuk thinks, stuffing the eggs into his pack.

Fuk also gets a roll on the random treasure table! He has a 1% chance of finding something good! Fuk rolls 100%. Fuk finds nothing good. Fuk stares off to the north and sees the ruined town of Kelmarane, beyond a sea of gently swaying pesh fields.

Back in the chapel, Zain is scrubbing crusty vulture naughty word off the altar, when he feels the whole thing shift slightly.

'I hope Sarenrae's not watching this,' he thinks, pushing the altar aside.

The altar covered a hidden trapdoor! Zain opens it and sees a dark, dusty chamber, wherein five stone statues stand in a half-circle. Zain drops down to investigate. Almost immediately, he hears a voice in his head.

"Warrior of God. Approach."

The voice seems to be coming from the statue of a tall, bearded man resting against a massive, two-handed hammer.

"I am Vardishal. Once I was known as the Templar of the North Wind, general of Nefeshti's armies and scourge of Jhavul. Now, I am forgotten. In the garden above, buried beneath the roots off the great tree, you will find my weapon. Take it, warrior. Wield it in battle and rekindle the embers of my legacy."

"For the glory of Sarenrae, I will honour your memory!" Zain promises.

Zain clambers out of the pit, returns the altar to its rightful place, then heads to the garden. The baboons hoot and howl in protest, largely ignored by the brawny fighter. Zain digs among the roots of the fallen tree and excavates a massive, two-handed hammer * wrapped in a fine, blue cloak **.

* Tempest is a +1 genie-bane maul that deals +1d6 damage to elemental creatures (including genies)

** Cloak of the North Wind, grants the Fleet Footed Edge (+2 Pace, running die increases one die type)

TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter Three: Kelmarane

By sunset, the merchant princess and her retinue have reached the monastery and begun fortifying the ruins. The heroes convene in the chapel to strategize. Garavel spreads a map across the altar, weighing the edges down with a pair of ornate daggers.

"We need to gather more more information, before we attack," Garavel explains, "We know the gnolls hold Kelmarane, but we don't know who leads them, how many there are or what kind of reinforcements they can call upon. I propose that a small group infiltrate the gnoll camp to assess what we're up against."

"That'll be us then?" Misfar surmises.

He's not wrong.

"There is more," Almah adds, her expression uncharacteristically pensive , "Before Kelmarane fell to ruin, its people succumbed to a demon, spreading madness and destruction. The Pactmasters sealed the demon in the crypt beneath the church. This evil must also be vanquished, once and for all."

The heroes bed down for the night, anticipating an early start. Fuk opts to sleep in the empty nest atop the chapel. Nobody in camp rests easy, their sleep is disturbed by a ghoulish howling from the ruins of Kelmarane. The call is answered from among the foothills of Pale Mountain. Fuk notices lights in the distance, far beyond the pesh fields and the ruined town.

The heroes head out at first light, using the arid pesh fields to cover their approach. Nadiyya notices an odd trembling underfoot. Moments later, a pair of huge, centipede-like creatures erupt from beneath the ground!

Only Nadiyya gets an action card in the first round, but at least her high Notice prevented the dustdiggers from getting The Drop.

The first digger rises up and lunges for Nadiyya! Her shield does nothing to deter the monster's crushing mandibles! 25 damage = Shaken + 5 wounds!!! The optional Wound Cap rule is in effect, reducing that to 4 wounds, which is still plenty dangerous! Nadiyya soaks some of that damage, but is still grievously injured! The second digger goes for Misfar and seems determined to swallow the elven mage whole. Nadiyya does not recover from Shaken, but is able to gulp down a healing potion as a free action.

Zain is dealt the Joker, everyone gets a Benny! Moving with unnatural grace (thanks to his new magical cloak), Zain moves up alongside Misfar to defend the wounded wizard. He swings Tempest with such force that the digger's chitinous armour shatters like a old pot! The second digger burrows into the sand. Nadiyya gets an Opportunity Attack, but her blade bounces off its hardened carapace. The monster resurfaces beside Misfar. Fuk gets the other Joker and finishes off the second digger before it can finish off the wizard.

The heroes wipe the monster blood from their weapons and continue through the pesh fields, wary of further attacks from underground. They reach the outskirts of Kelmarane unmolested. There is not a soul in sight, but the heroes can hear the barking of gnolls among the ruins. The abandoned church stands among a desolate and windswept cemetery. Zain is eager to cleanse the demonic corruption gestating in the shrine's undercroft. The party attempt to move unseen, darting between ruined buildings. Turning a corner, the heroes come face to face with a gnoll patrol.

Fuk ducks into the cover provided by a ruined shop front as the two gnoll marksmen raise their bows. Fuk fires first and one of the archers is punched of his feet by an arrow to the chest. Zain casts Deflection and the sun tattoo on his head burst into light, dazzling the remaining gnolls. The gnolls stab blindly with their short spears but miss. The four hyenas accompanying the patrol split up to attack Nadiyya and Misfar. Nadiyya's sword bursts into flame and she cuts a hyena in half!

Nadiyya twists aside as the gnoll archer takes a shot, smoothly decapitating the second hyena as she pivots around.

Misfar defends himself against the other two hyenas.

(Rules question, if anyone reading wants to chime in: does using the Burrow power in melee range of an opponent trigger an Opportunity Attack?)

Zain sweeps his new hammer at the two foes attacking him, one is shaken, the other is killed. He finishes the shaken gnoll off in the next round.

Nadiyya charges the gnoll archer and brings her flaming sword down upon him with calamitous effect. The two surviving hyenas flees into the desert.

"We should have taken one alive," Nadiyya suggests, somewhat belatedly, as Zain moves the bodies out of sight, "Wait, are any of them still alive? Did anyone check?"

Queue Vigour rolls at -2 for the 4x gnolls. It turns out that yes, one of them is still clinging to life. The heroes interrogate the wounded gnoll.

Q: "What's your name, gnoll?"
A: "Narg."

Q: "Alright... Narg. Answer our questions truthfully and we'll let you go.
"Who's in charge here, and where do we find them?"
A: "Kulldis tribe have new Alpha, a human warrior called Kardswann! He killed the old chieftain and took over the tribe. He is in the Battle Market - that large, domed building in the centre of town."

Q: "Tell us more about this Kardswann!"
A: "He is very strong! Very powerful to have defeated the old chieftain. He fights with a big axe and uses magic!"

Q: "How do we get into this Battle Market?"
A: "Doors are always open! Visitors are welcome!"

Q: "Know anything about a demon under the church?"
A: "I don't know anything about that!"

The heroes run out of questions. Narg looks up at them hopefully.

"Are we actually going to let him go?" Fuk asks.

The party decide to tie Narg up for now, and release him after they have murdered the rest of his tribe, leaving him to wander the desert alone and plan his revenge. Fuk plays along, even though his own plan is to sneak back here and murder the helpless gnoll while the rest of the party are occupied elsewhere.

TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter Four: Xulthos the Defiler

The midday sun hangs over the ruined town of Kelmarane, its oppressive heat beating down on the heroes like an open furnace. Despite the sweat trickling down his bald head and stinging his eyes, Zain Al-Sahli interprets this as a promising omen, indicative that his goddess is watching over him.

"The light of Sarenrae shows us the path!" he cries, "We have a sacred duty to purge this church of demonic corruption!"

"Easy there, big fella. It's on our to-do list." Fuk grumbles.

The interior of the church has been gutted and skeletons litter the ground, remnants of the battle between the Pactmasters Guard and the corrupted priests of Sarenrae. A magical barrier obstructs the entrance to the crypt beneath the church. Before the party left the monastery, Almah disclosed the ritual for deactivating the barrier, but warned them that to do so would release a powerful demon trapped below.

"Once I read from this scroll, there's no going back," Misfar says, "We must defeat whatever evil lies beyond, or it will spread its foulness across the land once more."

Zain nods. He is totally up for this. Nadiyya and Fuk exchange a worried glance. What if they are biting off more than they can chew?

Too late for that now! Misfar speaks the magic words to dispel the barrier. Steeling themselves for the battle ahead, the party descend into a large, rough-hewn chamber, the walls of which are lined with shallow niches, where the shrouded corpses of the faithful were laid to rest.

There is no sign of the alleged demon, but the heroes do hear an evil voice whispering in the darkness.

"Many years have I languished in this prison, endless decades have I waited for the seal to be broken. Now, thanks to you, my captivity is at an end. But before I depart, I will kill you one by one, until the last of you begs to be made my slave. Which one of you, I wonder, will that be?"

"You are going nowhere, save back to Hell!" Zain cries, "Show yourself, demon, so that I may end your reign of terror!"

Fuk squints into the gloom and discerns a large, invisible creature clinging to the ceiling of the crypt.

"There! It's there!" the goblin squeals, firing an arrow at the unseen horror. His aim is true, but the demon is resistant to mundane weapons (half damage).

The thing on the ceiling scuttles forward. Misfar screams as invisible claws close on his torso, slashing through his dusty robes and breaking skin. He struggles free before the demon can cut him in half (Misfar spent his last Benny to Soak a truckload of damage).

Zain casts Solar Flare and the demon shrieks as it is blinded. The demon counters with Hypnotic Pattern, but the heroes shield their eyes and resist the mesmerising assault on their senses.

(Another rules question: does the penalty from Blind affect Parry? We ruled yes, but the rules as written aren't awfully clear on that point. Zain's argument was that a blind person can't defend as effectively against an attack they can't see coming.)

Zain swings Tempest, inflicting a wound on the demon and dislodging it from the ceiling. The invisibility effect fails and the heroes get their first good look at what they're fighting. Their adversary is a large, demonic spider monster with huge, snapping claws! It is so goddamn-awful-looking that it triggers an immediate Fear test from all who gaze upon it! The whole party fails! Nadiyya is frightened and gains the Hesitant hindrance for the rest of the battle (act on the worst of two action cards). Misfar is panicked and flees from the crypt, before his lifeless corpse joins the dead interred therein. Zain is Distracted (after a Critical Fail on his Spirit roll, everyone agreed he got off lightly). Fuk is horrified and gains a Major phobia of all demons (- 2 to all rolls while in their presence)!

"Cowardly wizard! Stay and die with honour!" Zain hollers at Misfar's back.

Misfar keeps running.

Nadiyya is dealt a much needed Joker (and everyone gets a Benny - even with the Hesitant hindrance, a Joker still counts). She screams and drives her flaming sword into the belly of the prone demon! It suffers another two wounds and squeals like a pig being forced through a mangle.

"You have not seen the last of Xulthos the Defiler!" the demon hisses.

It rights itself and attempts to flee, leaving a trail of acidic demon blood in its wake. Nadiyya and Zain get attacks of opportunity on the retreating monster. Nadiyya swings her flaming sword and hacks off one of the demon's spider legs, hindering its escape.

"Defile this!!" Zain roars, bringing Tempest down on the demon's head and splattering demon brains across the floor!

TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter 5: Battle for the Battle Market

With a bit of GM prompting, the party remember they have heard the names Vardishal and Kardswann before. Misfar pulls his copy of Courts of Stone and Flame from his pack and flips forward to the bit about the Genie War. Both Vardishal and Kardswann were Templars of the Five Winds, along with three others: Davashuum, Pazhvann and Zayifid. All five templars were powerful jann in the service of a djinni princess called Nefeshti.

"Why would a powerful jann be leading a pack of degenerate gnolls?" Misfar muses.

"At the monastery, I spoke to a spirit calling himself Vardishal." Zain adds, "He told me where to find this sweet magic hammer."

"These Templars have been in-active for centuries," Misfar says, "Yet we have crossed paths with two of them in the space of as many days. It is most peculiar indeed!"

Peculiarities aside, the party still have a job to do! It's about 3pm and the party are only lightly wounded. According to Narg, Kardswann can be found in the Battle Market, a large, domed structure in the centre of Kelmarane. If the gnoll can be trusted (lol), they should be able to swan in through the front door.

The heroes advance up the main thoroughfare toward the Battle Market. The front doors are wide open and a colorfully costumed goblin waits to greet them.

"Be welcome travellers! Welcome to the Kelmarane Battle Market!" the strange creature simpers, prancing this way and that as though in dire need of a lavatory, "Kardsw - sorry, Ugruk, master of the Kullid tribe welcomes you! Come in! Come in!"

Q: "Ugruk? We heard Kardswann was in charge here."
A: "Ugruk is new-new chieftain."

Q: "So what happened to the old-new chieftain?"
A: "Old-new chieftain is indisposed right now."

"Indisposed is a pretty big word," Zain rumbles, menacingly, "How about you explain a little more clearly, for those of us with only d4 Smarts."

The goblin greeter explains that about an hour ago, Kardswann fell into a deep sleep and Ugruk, his second in command, seized his chance to take control of the tribe. The party realise that Kardswann's incapacitation must have occured around the same time that they were finishing up with Xulthos the Defiler. Could the two incidents be connected?

The heroes enter the Battle Market. The centre of the building is dominated by a raised, blood-stained stage, overlooked by balconies on the higher levels. A crowd of gnolls, orcs and human brigands gather around the battle stage, baying for the next death-match to begin. Several seedy looking smugglers are seated at a long counter, where a one-eyed gnoll bartender is serving drinks.

The heroes sidle up to the bar and order drinks. Meanwhile, two human prisoners are being dragged up onto the battle stage.

"New in Kelmarane?" one of the smugglers enquires, "Must be, if I've not seen you before. If you need weapons or armour and have the coin to pay for quality, then I'm your man. Gorundal's the name."

"Nadiyya Emberstorm." Nadiyya replies, "What's going on over there?"

"Savages!" the merchant mutters, quietly enough that he wont be overheard, "The Kulldis captured a group of adventurers several days back. They've been making them fight in the arena. They call it spirt, but it's a death sentence. Oh, look, here we go again."

"Hurvank!! Hurvank!!" chant the crowd.

"Who or what is Hurvank?" Misfar asks.

"Arena champion," Gorundal answers, "Big bastard. Nasty too. I don't think I can watch...."

A large, brutish ogre stomps onto the stage, dragging a studded greatclub.

At the same time, a tough-looking gnoll warrior with grey streaks in his fur appears on the balcony overlooking the arena.

"That's Chief Ugruk," Gorundal explains, following Nadiyya's gaze, "The top dog. He calls the shots, for now at least."

Nadiyya does not like the odds stacked against the two unarmed prisoners. Misfar does not like the odds stacked against the party if they aggro the entire Battle Market all at once. Unable to sit drinking while two defenceless men get smashed into jelly, Nadiyya vaults onto the battle stage. She swings her flaming sword and severs Hurvank's arm above the elbow! The crowd are shocked into silence as blood gushes from the wound! Hurvank gawps at his severed arm, flopping around at his feet like some kind of horrible fish.

Chief Ugruk is the first to recover his wits.

"One thousand gold to whoever brings me her corpse!"

The gnolls and orcs and human brigands clustered around the battle stage exchange looks. That's a lot of gold and no-one wants to share! Misfar off-loads a Burst spell into the tightly-packed crowd, obliterating two gnolls and a human mercenary. The surviving bad guys look pissed, so he takes cover behind the bar. The one-eyed gnoll bartender smashes a bottle against the counter and menaces Misfar with the jagged end. Misfar cracks the gnoll bartender over the head with his staff, knocking him out cold.

Zain charges into the crowd and starts swinging Tempest, taking advantage of his new Sweep edge. Chief Ugruk makes a Support/Intimidation roll to motivate Hurvank (+1). The wounded ogre retrieves his greatclub and swings it clumsily in his left hand. Nadiyya ducks and rolls under the attack. Three gnolls gang up on Zain, three more climb onto the battle stage to claim the bounty on Nadiyya's corpse.

The two prisoners are not as helpless as first thought, the smaller man screams encouragement (Boost Trait) and the larger man bravely grapples one of Nadiyya's assailants in a vice-like headlock.

"Who are you guys?" Nadiyya asks.

"I'm Felliped - you can call me Fel." the little guy answers, "The big guy is Ox."

"Less talking, more fighting!" Ox grunts, breaking the gnolls neck for emphasis and kicking its sword over to Fel.

The bard scoops up the weapon. He's not much of a fighter, but his incompetent flailing does take some of the pressure off Nadiyya.

Hurvank makes another clumsy sweep with his greatclub, heedless of his gnoll 'allies' on the battle stage. Nadiyya and Fel continue hacking at the ogre champion, but cannot seem to put him down for good.

Fuk hears a crazed shout and turns to see the goblin greeter from the main entrance bearing down on him with a knife raised! Fuk buries his axe in the goblins' skull and leaves it there, switching back to his bow.

Chief Ugruk summons his personal bodyguards onto the balcony. A few of them have bows.

Zain spends his last Benny soaking damage from the three gnolls ganging up on him.

Misfar grabs a bottle of liqueur from behind the bar. He takes a swig to steady his nerves, then throws the bottle at the ogre. It shatters against Hurvank's broad back, drenching the ogre in alcohol. Nadiyya snaps her fingers (re: Elemental Manipulation) and ignites the ogre's alcohol soaked loincloth. Hurvank goes up like a bonfire (and starts taking on-going fire damage every round). Hurvank stops, drops and rolls to extinguish the flames.

Chief Ugruk barks a command and the gnoll archers on the balcony open fire. Nadiyya is shot twice, but has no Bennies left to soak. Oxvard is shot in the spine, he convulses and falls prone, the arrow protruding from his back.

Fell scrambles over to his dying companion and tells him (tearfully) that everything is going to be OK.

"Won't you sing for me, Fel?" Ox whispers, blood tricking from the corners of his mouth, "Just this one last time...."

Nadiyya crawls away, wincing at the two arrows in her side. Behind her, Hurvank has beaten out the last of the flames and regained his feet, a mask of dull witted fury twisting his burnt-ass face. Being a vindictive sort, Chieft Ugruk holds up a paw - ordering his retinue to hold fire (they are essentially on Hold). Hurvank looms over the wounded woman. Understanding Nadiyya's predicament, but unable to reach her, Zain hurls Tempest at the ogre. The hammer hits Hurvank in the face! The ogre is shaken! The GM awards Zain a Benny for heroism and he immediately uses it to re-roll his damage. The new total is enough to explode Hurvank's thick skull like an over-ripe melon!! The ogre goes down in a shower of bone fragments and matted hair! Chief Ugruk is so stunned he forgets to give his bodyguards the order to fire.

Nadiyya takes cover behind Hurvank's slumped corpse, shielding her from the archers on the balcony. Arrows thud into the dead ogre's back. Chief Ugruk leaves two archers to provide cover and leads his other two bodyguards down to join the battle. Felliped applies pressure to Oxvard's wound, sobbing as the light fades from his old friends eyes. Zain vaults up onto the battle stage, big hands glowing with the healing power of his goddess.

"No!" Nadiyya cries, pointing to Oxvard, "Help him!"

Unfortunately, Zain rolls a Critical Failure on his Faith roll. Sarenrae rejects his prayer to save Ox. The light in Zain's hands abruptly dies.

"He's gone!" Felliped cries, cradling his dead friend, "Oxvard is gone!"

"But why?!" Zain stammers, his faith in Sarenrae shaken to the bedrock.

A red mist descends on the bereaved bard. Fell grabs his sword and charges Chief Ugruk. One of the gnoll bodyguards gets in the way and the raging bard cuts him down!

Zain tries to heal Nadiyya. She is healed! Several arrows thud into the cleric's back and he is driven to his knees. Fuk shoots and kills one of the archers. Misfar crit fails his Spellcasting roll and is Fatigued. He starts peering around suspiciously, expecting to see a pugwampi.

Felliped kills the second bodyguard! Wow, he sure is mad about his dead friend! Only Ugruk is left standing. Nadiyya stabs the chieftain in the back, then decapitates him on the back-swing.

After eight (exhausting) combat rounds, the battle for Kelmarane is won!

TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter Six: A Prelude to War

After the deafeat of Chief Ugruk, the surviving members of the Kullid tribe slink away, tails tucked between their legs. Fuk clambers onto the roof of the Battle Market and flourishes a colourful rag to signal the all clear. Almah and her retinue abandon the old monastery and head into town. Almah claims the suite of rooms overlooking the Battle Market, which she renames the Victory Market. Garavel, Zastoran and Dashki are assigned quarters nearby. The merchant princess grants the party the deed to a large (albeit ruined) mansion near the waterfront.

A large, powerfully built man is found sleeping within a locked storeroom. The party assume this is Kardswann, former Templar of the Five Winds and more recently, usurped leader of the Kullid tribe. Misfar and Father Zastoran both examine the sleeper, but nothing they attempt will rouse the slumbering janni. Misfar has Kardswann moved to the party's new headquarters, where he poses less of an immediate threat to the merchant princess.

As word spreads that Kelmarane has been made safe, travellers begin trickling into the town. These travellers bring coin and their coin attracts merchants. Soon, the Victory Market is flourishing and the road to Kelmarane is thick with caravans, carrying goods to and from the town.

Once their wounds have healed, the heroes have the opportunity to enjoy some downtime and pursue their own personal goals.

Nadiyya is driven to learn about her ifreeti heritage. Every day, she visits Kardswann's room, in the hope that the comatose templar has woken up. Every day, she is disappointed. Instead, she pores over the party's copy of Courts of Stone and Flame and visits the market to look for rare book vendors recently arrived in Kelmarane.

Meanwhile, Misfar fills his hours with painstaking research into other ruins swallowed by the desert. He uncovers references to a lost temple called Marudshar, located somewhere to the north. Could this be the site he's been looking for? He scribbles frantically in his journal.

The death of Oxvard weighs heavily on Zane's conscience. He returns to the old monastery to meditate on his failure to save the warrior. He receives a vision from the goddess, showing how the Lions of Senara looted a shrine to Sarenrae and disturbed the bodies of the priests interred therein. Zain approaches Fel, demanding the location of the desecrated shrine and that they travel there together to lay the dead to rest. Zain asks Fuk to come along, knowing the goblin's survival skills will make it easier to locate the shrine. Fuk is just happy to be included!

(This side-quest was treated as a Quick Encounter.) Between Felliped's recollections and Fuk's desert lore, the trio find their way back to the ruined temple. Skeletons of the restless dead wander the darkened halls. Zain brandishes his holy symbol and compels the old bones return to their graves. This is enough to lift the curse on Felliped and restore Zain's faith in Sarenrae.

Meanwhile, a travelling priest comes to Kelmarane, looking for the heroes. He is tall, bald and gaunt, dressed in colourful robes that do little to soften his grim demeanour. He sits cross-legged on what used to be the battle stage and waits for the heroes to come to him. Almah, Garavel, Nadiyya and Misfar approach. Who is this mysterious holy man and what does he want?

Q: "Who are you and what do you want?"
A: "I am Zayifid the Wanderer. I heard tales of the mighty heroes who reclaimed Kelmarane for the Pactmasters of Katapesh and wanted to see them for myself.
"However, as I walked in the shadow of Pale Mountain, I noticed a great gathering of the other gnoll tribes. The Al'Chorhaiv, the Broken Jaw, the Wormhollow clan - those and many more. All have answered the call of the Carrion King and gathered in the House of the Beast.
"It is my fear that word of your victory has reached Ghartok's ear. Now he gathers an army to retake Kelmarane with an overwhelming show of force - and slay the heroes who dared to oppose his will."

Q: "Hold on. Zayifid? As in Zayifid-Templar-of-the-Five-Winds-Zayifid?"
A: "Er... no. I don't know who that is."

Nadiyya is convinced, but Misfar is not so easily swayed from his suspicions.

Q: "Are you sure you're not THAT Zayifid? I mean, it seems unlikely that another, totally different Zayifid would turn up in the story at this moment."
A: "I'm not THAT Zayifid!! Can we get back to the gnoll army, please?"

"For now...." Misfar mutters.

Q: "So who is this Carrion King?"
A: "Ghartok. A monstrous gnoll pledged to Rovagug, god of destruction. He commands all the other tribes in the Pale Mountain region. He lairs in the House of the Beast, a huge temple complex built long ago by evil priests, as a place to conduct their wicked rituals."

Q: "And you want us to kill him?"
A: "It is in your own interests to bring the King low, before his army descends from the mountain to wipe your town from the map. I only bring you this warning as a courtesy, for I abhor death and bloodshed and would not see the people of Kelmarane suffer needlessly. What you do with this information is now up to you."

Having delivered his warning, Not-THAT-Zayifid vanishes in a puff of smoke.

"Yeah, that was totally THAT Zayifid." Misfar says, "But why would he lie about his identity? Can we believe anything else that he said?"

"It would be foolish to disregard his warning." Garavel says, "Perhaps when your companions return, the four of you could search for this House of the Beast. If the holy man spoke true and there is an army of gnolls gathering there, it should not be too hard to find."

"I will instruct Dashki to accompany you," Almah adds, "He thinks like a gnoll and could be of use to you."

"... smells like a gnoll too. ..." Garavel mutters, but he is glad to have Dashki out of town and away from the princess.

TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter Seven: Into the Brazen Peaks

The party are now Seasoned!

The heroes are reunited with their camels, which have been largely ignored for the majority of book one. The steadfast beasts don't appear to have taken this personally, apart from Geminara, but she was always a bitch. She goes for Misfar's fingers as he tries to fit her bridle.

Dashki reckons that if the party travel quickly and quietly, they could reach Pale Mountain within four days. He is not enthused with the idea of leading strangers so deep into gnoll territory, but he will do as the princess commands. Felliped is also travelling with the party.

Father Zastoran gives each hero a healing potion. Zain approaches Gorundal the merchant/smuggler (who now has a semi-permanent store front in the Victory Market) to buy a platemail corselet to cover his torso (Zain makes a Wealth roll; he gets the item but goes broke).

As per the Travel rules in SWADE, a playing card is drawn for each day that the party are on the road. A face card (Jack > Ace) results in an encounter, with the card's suit determining the nature of the encounter: enemies, strangers, treasure or an obstacle.

Day One (Four of Clubs): With Fuk and Dashki leading the way, the party ride out of Kelmarane and into the foothills. The spire of Pale Mountain is visible in the distance, towering over the lesser peaks. Fel sings to keep everyone's spirits up, until Dashki hushes the bard into silence. This is gnoll territory and you never know who is listening....

Day Two (Queen of Clubs): The distant roar of a waterfall grows louder as the party resume their trek through the mountains. They reach the base of the Anvil at midday, where the Pale River plunges 150ft into a deep pool of churning water.

"We must climb." Dashki states, "Who has rope?"

Climbing the waterfall requires 3x Athletics checks, each one representing a third of the ascent. Everyone in the party has d6 Athletics - except Dashki, who has d8 but no Wild Die. Nadiyya volunteers to go first and secure a rope to assist the others.

"Wait!" Misfar says, doing some quick mental arithmetic in his head, "I can burrow through the rock by spending three Power Points. I can move 15ft per round, or 30ft with a Raise. If the waterfall is 150ft tall, it will take 10 rounds for me to reach the top, or 5 with a Raise. The duration of the spell is five rounds. I can take additional recipients for another 1 point per head. Theoretically, I can take half the party - including the camels - to the top, assuming I roll a Raise on my Spellcasting die, for 13 Power Points. After a short rest to recover, I can bring up the other half of the party!"

"Are you sure you've worked that out right?" Nadiyya asks, doubtfully.

"Sounds complicated..." Fuk agrees, "Fuk not want to get stuck in rock if you mess up."

"I don't think the camels are going to like this plan either." Zain adds.

"They'll like falling 150ft when a rope frays a lot less!" Misfar snaps.

The heroes have to blindfold their mounts before they will follow Misfar into the wall of solid rock. It takes two Bennies, but the wizard gets his Raise and burrows to the top of the waterfall, taking Geminara, Nadiyya & Blaze, Zain & Sonny and one of the other two unnamed camels. They emerge safely and wave down to the others, stranded at the bottom of the cliff.

It takes two more trips and another five hours, but Misfar eventually ferries everyone to the top of the Anvil. The sun is setting and the party make camp, wishing they had just taken their chances with the rope.

Day Three (Red Joker):

A Joker means two different encounters occur simultaneously, in this case: obstacle + stranger/s.

The mountain path is blocked by a landslide. A wounded lion is trapped, pinned down by a heavy rock. The helpless beast snarls when it spots the party approaching.

"Kill the beast!" Dashki urges, "We cannot clear the path while it is alive. It will certainly attack us the moment it is free."

Fuk raises his bow, but Zain motions for him to lower the weapon. Zain lays Tempest down and approaches the lion unarmed. He is able to calm the beast, so that it does not attack as he lifts the boulder. The injured lion limps clear and Zain calls upon Sarenrae to heal this noble beast. The lion is so grateful, it follows the party! Zain names the beast Mufasa, because of course he does. The party clear the road and continue their journey toward Pale Mountain.

Day Four (King of Clubs): Early the next morning, the rest of Mufasa's pride come sniffing around the camp, looking for an easy meal. They are scrawny beasts and desperately hungry. The party spend a Benny to influence the story! According to Nadiyya, Mufasa was the leader of this pack, but was left for dead after he was trapped beneath the rock-fall. His brother Scar (sigh) has taken over th pride and the two lions must fight for dominance! The heroes cannot interfere in this combat!

It's not much of a contest. Mufasa pounces on Scar and utterly wrecks his opponent in a flurry of savage claw attacks. It's all over in seconds.

"Wow, Fuk glad we didn't have to fight that guy!" Fuk says.

Mufasa nods respecrfully to Zain and leads his pack away, presumably back to Pride Rock for some hot lion loving. Mayhaps one day they will meet again (assuming someone takes the requisite edge to get a permanent animal companion).

TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter Eight: Doorstep of the Beast

Mid-afternoon, the party arrive outside the House of the Beast. They would have arrived sooner, only Fuk decided he wanted to skin the dead lion and craft its pelt into a cool cloak (so his face is framed by the beasts jaws). He does look pretty badass.

An enormous temple nestles amidst the crags of Pale Mountain. It is ominously quiet. Gnolls mounted astride giant hyenas patrol near the ruins, but there is no sign of the army Zayifid claimed was gathering here. Misfar notices that these gnolls look much bigger than the ones from the Kullid tribe. The party are suspicious. Why did Zayifid lure them here, if there is no threat to Kelmarane?

Against their better judgement, the party approach the temple. They leave Fel to look after the camels. They reach the outer wall without attracting any attention. The main entrance is guarded by a squad of huge, armoured gnolls, so the heroes give that a wide berth. Fortunately, a section of wall has collapsed, creating a back door into the inner compound.

Beyond the wall lies a large courtyard, choked by a forest of tall limestone pillars. A half-dozen gargoyles carved from chalky white stone perch watchfully atop several of the columns. The gargoyles don't appear to be alive or dangerous, but the party are immediately suspicious. Unfortunately, there is no other way of reaching the main temple building, besides fighting the gnoll guards on the front gate.

Sure enough, the gargoyles animate as soon as the party enter the compound. Rather than attacking, the gargoyles pair up and attempt to grapple intruders. Misfar is Entangled (bad), while Fuk is Bound (worse). All three victims are hoisted up into the air! Fuk crit fails his Athletics roll and drops his bow. Misfar wriggles out of his robe and falls back to the ground, leaving the two gargoyles to fight over his travel-stained rags.

The two gargoyles holding Fuk ascend, until they are above the huge domed temple. Part of the dome has collapsed. The gargoyles release Fuk, dropping him through the hole in the roof. Fuk reaches out and grabs onto the edge! Below him, a giant scorpion circles restlessly, venomous stinger poised to strike at anyone dropping into its lair. Fuk tries to pull himself up, but just doesn't possess the upper body strength. The last two gargoyles circle the struggling goblin, waiting for his fingers to slip.

The others saw Fuk fall, but aren't aware of his current predicament, dangling 50ft above the den of a massive scorpion! They race toward the temple. Zain unbars the door and charges the scorpion! He bats the questing pincers aside and smacks it upside the head. Nadiyya puts a flaming arrow between the giant scorpion's eyes, killing it!

Zain looks up, he can see Fuk dangling from the edge of the roof.

"Jump!" Zain roars, "I will catch you!"

Fuk jumps!

Zain catches him!

The last few gargoyles are driven away. The party find stairs leading down into the sub-levels beneath the temple. The familiar stench of gnolls wafts up from below, as well as something far fouler....

TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Chapter Nine: Digging for Secrets

Steeling their resolve, the party descend into the belly of the (House of the) Beast. Sickly green flames flicker from smoky braziers and the air is thick with the stench of carrion. The dungeon beneath the temple was once a tomb, but the industrious gnolls have transformed it into a sprawling excavation site. Wretched slaves toil beneath the whips of their gnoll overlords, piling wooden barrows high with ancient bones and hauling them deeper into the complex.

"What are they digging for?" Nadiyya asks.

"Fuk ask!" Fuk offers, slipping away before anyone can grab him.

Stealthily, Fuk approaches a pair of human slaves, too busy with their back-breaking labour to notice the lightfooted little goblin.

"Hey! What you dig for?" Fuk asks.

A roll on the Reaction table determines these slaves are Cooperative. They are prepared to exchange information for a promise that the party will break their chains. The slaves know the gnolls are expanding this level of the dungeon, but there are whispers that Rokova - Ghartok's second in command - is using the excavation work to conceal his own search for something else entirely. The slaves don't know what the sneaky gnoll mystic is really after.

Q: "Where do we find Ghartok?"
A: "The Carrion King is usually lounging on his Maggot Throne, below. Follow your nose, you can't miss it - although you may wish that you could."

Q: "What about this Rokova?"
A: "He has a room on this floor, although he rarely uses it. He can usually be found with the King."

Q: "What are you doing with all the bones?"
A: "We take them from the crypts and empty them into a hole."
(they don't know why, only that the gnolls told them to do it)

Q: "How did you end up here?"
A: "We were attached to a merchant caravan bound for Katapesh. The caravan master took a shortcut that skirted the Brazen Peaks and we were ambushed by gnolls. Those of us that survived the attack were chained together, dragged here and put to work."

Fuk assures the slaves he will be back to free them after the party have dealt with the Carrion King. The prisoners agree to bide their time.

A gnoll patrol passes. They snarl at the slaves, but fail to notice Fuk.

"Fuk come back soon!" the goblin promises, melting into the shadows.

The party consider their options. If Rokova is working against the Carrion King, it could be worth checking his room, but they don't know where it is, nor do they want to blow their cover searching for it. However, if they can dig up some dirt on the treacherous mystic, he could be a useful ally against the King. Also, they really want to know what he's looking for beneath the temple.

The party try to sneak passed the gnoll overseers guarding the mine (using the Quick Encounter rules). The heroes (and Dashki) remain unseen. Fuk spots two hulking gnolls (the slaves called them Unchosen) guarding a door.

'That has to lead somewhere interesting', the goblin reckons.

But how to bypass the guards without alerting the rest of the dungeon? Can gnolls see in the dark? Dashki says they can. The party recall that Dashki is some kind of self-proclaimed gnoll whisperer. Rather than attempt anything too convoluted, Misfar hits the Unchosen with a Slumber spell. The huge gnolls yawn, then slump to the ground, dozing peacefully. Fuk ensures they never wake again.

"Fuk check for traps!" Fuk announces, after wiping the blood off his axe.

"Wait!" Misfar cries, pulling the goblin back, "I sense something...."

The wizard detects a magical trap on the door, but cannot discern its exact nature, nor can he dispel it without the Dispel power. Instead, he casts Burrow on himself and Fuk. The two of them sink into the floor and emerge on the other side of the trapped portal.

They are in a study, of sorts. A large magnifying lens has been affixed to the edge of a makeshift desk, the surface of which is covered by ancient scrolls and faded maps. A bright orange robe has been discarded in one corner of the room. Misfar recalls Zayifid the Wanderer wearing something similar when he visited Kelmarane. Rifling through the notes strewn across the desk, the wizard finds a journal written by Rokova or Zayifid or whoever actually uses this chamber.

'Several weeks have passed since I came to this loathsone place, yet I am no closer to finding the Tomb of Shirak than the day I arrived! All the clues point me toward the Maggot Throne, but I cannot get close while that brutish mongrel Ghartok occupies it.

'Rumours circulate of a group of heroes reclaiming Kelmarane from the Kullid tribe. With a small nudge in the right direction, perhaps they can be manipulated into taking out another petty warlord. With any luck, they'll destroy each other and save me the trouble of tying off any loose ends.

'I visited Kelmarane in the guise of a travelling priest. In hindsight, I should have come up with a better alias than Zayifid. I baited the hook, now I have to wait and see if they bite.... Once Ghartok is defeated and I crown myself the new Carrion King, there will be nobody to stop me unlocking the secrets of the tomb and claiming the great treasure that lies within!'

"Son of a witch!" Misfar curses, tossing the journal across the room, "That bald bastard lied my face! There was never any army! He just wanted us to do his dirty work!"

Misfar converts a Benny into five Power Points and uses them to burrow out. He describes to the others what he and Fuk found inside the sealed room. Zain feels an overwhelming sense of unease emanating from his magical hammer, almost as though the spirit of Vardishal is trying to tell him something. The party decide to stick with the original plan to take down the Carrion King, with a side objective of murdering this Rokova clown while they're about it.

TBC