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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 3695501" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dungeon Crawl Classics #0 Legends are Made, not Born An Adventure for 0 Level CharactersTurn 9: Army of One.They rush down the passage way towards a chamber ahead, a portcullis blocks their path, Newt points, Bec stretches out an arm, snags it in a rope and pulls- the portcullis raises. They dash on and in while Bec works out how to tie the rope off.A strange sight, a large chamber with eight or so cages- each a five foot square wooden cell; two of which are occupied. One by a screaming woman, the adventurers recognise her, Dayl, a serving girl from the Merry Riot- she disappeared on the same day that Pop and Ginger were killed. The other cage holds an aging Gnome in leather breaches, a craftsman by the look of things; the Gnome says nothing, stares into the middle-distance.The strangest sight however is a Dwarvern carpenter, whistling and singing, putting together another of the cages.“That’s Durbin, he fixed our roof.” Newt proclaims.Durbin, for it is he, turns at the sound of his name, shrugs- grins, then continues with his work. “Never mind that- get them out of there.” Cas states.Newt gets on with freeing Dayl.“Thank you, thank you, thank you…” She mumbles all tears and hysteria.Click.The doors open.“AAAArrrggh”WHACK-FUNKIt goes like this, Newt opens the cage door, Durbin screams, picks up a lump of 2x4 and wraps it around the back of Newt’s head, Newt collapses- ko’d.The adventurers clear a circle as Durbin menaces them.“Why couldn’t you just leave it, Suto’s my friend, he doesn’t want you here, messing with his stuff… Go AWAY.”He circles looking for someone else to hit.Cas leaps in, “Clear the way, I shall disarm him.” He swings with the flat of his blade, misses by a country mile and hits Bec, hardly diverting him however, Bec has just managed to tie the rope off and is mid-rush about to save Newt.“Sandwich?”Bec pushes Lord Cas over, he hits the deck, and dashes on towards Durbin, who hefts the lump of wood up above his head ready to bring it crashing down, two-handed, onto Bec.The giant man spots this, lurches in and grabs him up, arms wrapped around Durbin’s waist- crushing the life out of him.“Suto’s my friend.”Durbin’s arms are still free.CRACKHe brings the 2x4 down onto Bec’s head, Bec sinks to his knees then slumps forward- ko’d, blood gushes from his broken skull.Mischa scrambles over to look at Bec, Anya points the way to Swish, “Ackatt”, the broom attacks Durbin, keeping him at bay for a while.Jim fumbles out his blade and stabs it towards Durbin, it buries itself a good three or four inches in to the carpenter’s gut.“AAaaaaarrrghhh.”“Keep him alive, if you can.” Cas shouts, then, “for Pelor”, he rushes in and punches Durbin with all his might, the carpenter hits the deck. Seconds later those not comatose are upon him, he’s hog-tied.“He’s charmed.” Anya states.“How do you know?” Mischa wonders.“Look at me.” They all do.“Well.”“I’ve had lots of experience with charmed men, believe me.” She grins.A little while later Bec has been healed by Mischa, Newt is conscious again.Cas is making sure Dayl, the serving wench, is ok.“Should we check for cuts and bruises.” Cas winks.“Oh thank you my Lord, thank you, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t saved me.”Cas grins some more.“I will have to certify that you’ve not received any psychological damage from your experience.”“Lord?”“I will have to examine you thoroughly on our return to Lowth.”“Yes, Lord.”The pair only have eyes for each other.Meanwhile Newt has opened the other cage, he vaguely recognises the Gnome within, “hi my name’s…” he begins.CrackThe Gnome punches Newt out, “I’m Jonas and I know who you are you scheming little thief.”And that’s all we get from Jonas because Bec gets a second chance to revenge his short friend.CRACKThe second Gnome hits the deck, and gets tied up for his troubles.Après a quick search of the chamber the group file back to the Alchemist’s Laboratory.“Can I have sand…”Newt shoves a cheese bun in Bec’s mouth.“… Wijj.”They eat, watch over Durbin and Jonas, Cas feeds Dayl by hand, it looks like he may lose a finger, she must be ravenous.Anya gets back to Suto’s journal- reads on, stopping to read aloud any of the good bits, like-“I have purchased at great expense, not my own, but courtesy of the kind people of Lowth, a scroll which will enable me to summon Frogroth, and yet I do not feel I am ready to chance the spell, I need desperately to increase my power.”“So it was Suto- controlling the Ogre, we’d better be careful.” Cas states.The others nod between bites.“He charmed the Ogre?” Mischa offers, Anya nods.“Either way he’s a wizard of some sort, that’s certain.” Newt adds.Anya finds some more to read.“I have taken precautions; purchased a magic oil which I will use to coat my weapons less The Voice Below prove duplicitous.”“We should find that before taking on ‘The Voice Below.’” Cas declares.“You’re so clever… and brave.” Dayl reaches for Cas’ hand, holds it, kisses it.“Get a room.” Newt snarls.Anya looks less than happy, just for a moment mind.She reads on awhile.“Here’s the last entry- in one more day I will have finished, the magic circle will be complete, then all will be ready- Frogroth will at last serve me.”That makes everyone sit up, “When’s it dated?” Mischa asks.“Ummm. Yesterday.”The adventurers leap to their feet.“Come on.” Cas heads off north.Mischa meanwhile has been amongst them healing all their wounds, she tucks away her medical supplies, only two uses of her healing salve left, one of her Healing Kits is also finished, one kit left.They stumble into what looks to be the living quarters of someone- Suto most likely, a thick red carpet on the floor, a desk and chair- the desk strewn with papers, a large bookcase crammed with texts, a crude bed with a chest as a bedside cabinet. Newt’s already at the lock.“A quick search, if there’s nothing here we move on. Try to keep the noise down.” Cas warns.Mischa and Jim head for the bookcase, grab books, fumble through them.Silently two thick tomes glide from the bookcase and hover into the air.WHACKx2And slam, in unison, into the back of Mischa and Jim.The pair spin around, look embarrassed for a second, and then scramble for their weapons.Newt meanwhile is having problems with the chest, “bloody thing won’t open.” He slams his fist into the top of the chest, so much for keeping the noise down.Cas and Anya dive in, both grab the same book, there’s a brief struggle and then the dusty tome springs free again, just in time to be skewered by Bec’s spear.Newt bangs again on the lid of the chest, whatever’s in it is probably broken by now.The other book comes at Jim, dashes forward and slaps him around the face, he sees red and slices down hard, the book falls to the floor, flutters its pages for a while, neatly cut in two.Silence for a second, then…“Fecking chest wont open.”Each word accompanied by the thud of Newt’s fist smashing into the lid.Bec steps in, grabs his greatclub, and swings with all his might.CRUNCHThe lid of the chest is caved in.“Ta.” Newt smiles up at the giant man.And in the same instant a tiny Viper leaps from its position, coiled within the chest, and sinks its fangs into the Gnomes knee.“AAaaaargh.”Newt rolls backwards, comes up one hand on his knee, which oozes blood and some black liquid, the other on the hilt of his dagger.The Viper goes to strike again but Newt is too quick, his dagger darts out, and severs the Viper’s head.Mischa rushes over, already casting, the area around Newt’s knee glows and pulses, “It’s poisoned; here take this- drink it.” She hands over an Antitoxin Potion; Newt grits his teeth and swigs the foul brew. He feels woozy.Several minutes later the group are back on their feet, Newt is not feeling very well, his leg hurts a lot and his head seems to be full of fog. Jim’s face still stings from the book slap he received. Once again Mischa has had to use her healing skills, the second Healer’s Kit has been broached and there’s only one use of her salve left.The chest contains a blank spellbook- Anya takes it; a ring of keys, they guess they’re for the cells- Newt takes them; and another diary, this one’s written by someone called Erasmus, Anya begins to read it.“Who the feck is Erasmus?” Newt enquires to shrugs.“Suto’s father, or at least I think so.” Anya states.“We should read this.” Anya continues.“No time.” Cas is certain.The six gather their stuff and head off.And into the western passage from the Alchemist’s Laboratory.They get a way down the passage when…“Squeeeee…”Next Turn: Suto</blockquote>

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