A new day, a new set of would be adventurers. Thrust into adventure at the point of sharp spears, the would-be adventurers who survive the crucible will find themselves pawns in the great struggle between Law and Chaos.
Adventure: Beneath the Well of Brass
The residents of Little Stones have enjoyed an idyllic life for peasants in a medieval fantasy world, expect for the existence of that damnable cave, the Devil's Maw, in the hills nearby. The cave has been avoid by all, and spoken of by few given the dark goings-on there since so long ago, that no one even recalls what really occurred there or why they avoided the place. It was just a thing done, and no one saw any reason to change that. Sure a foolhardy teenager, or a man too far into his cups might wander in to the Devil's Maw, but never more than a few feet, far too short to realize the true dangers that lay inside. Yet, with the arrival of the bandit warlord, Kazoth the Great Serpent of the East, and his Ebon Horde, a band of villagers were forced to face their fears and venture into the horrifying cave. Otherwise Kazoth would unleash his wrath and slaughter every last villager and raze the squat buildings to ash.
Sufficiently cowed into service, the villagers:
hesitantly stepped into the soot-stained walls of the Devil's Maw. After a short walk from the entrance the group encountered a brass well with an iron ladder inside of it. Smelling a trap the group searched the room and were startled with a roar began and fire ushered forth from the well and played across the scorched ceiling.
The group sought other ways done, but found none. Still dickering Shark Bait and friends along with Bardo's gang descended the ladder they found within the well. Falcon Heavy and his compatriots attempted to forcibly send the DJ Beat's mule tumbling down the well (yes, with the six villagers still on their way down the ladder), but after an initial effort they demured when DJ Beats and his sidekicks flashed their steel at beggar and his friends.
Unfortunately for those on the ladder, by then enough gas had gathered in the room below to spark another fiery eruption and Shark Bait , Blark, Brick , Bardo, Flank, and Burps were fried alive, leaving behind toasty corpses and a roasted bag of shit. Thankfully for two of our players the warlord wasn't very confident in the villagers and sent in the halfing brothers Dink, Dank, and Dunk along with Shark Bait's uncle, Chum Bucket, Brick's brother Mortar, and Son of Blark. Fearing another fiery conflagration the villagers quickly descended the ladder and exited the connecting room without exploring it.
The found themselves at a 3 way intersection: left the smell of death, forward a rising path, and right a winding path. Here the party split with most taking the path towards death, and the new arrivals along with Sammy, HeiHei, and Gon going to the right. The left traveling party found their path quickly ending in a rocky nook containing a rotten sackcloth wearing skeleton with a curious book in his lap. Most of the group feared a trap, but Tommie Buttons stepped forth and yanked the book from the skeleton's grasp. To Tommie's chaotic hands the book felt like it fit perfectly even though he could tell it wasn't made with normal book bindings (it is bound in demon-flesh), while when Alvin the lawful sage held the book he felt the evil within.
Initially there wasn't much they could surmise except that the cover had a curious 7 pointed star, while the pages were hammered brass sheets with script in a strange tongue. More on the book later.
Our other party stumbled into a room of stalactites, a giant stalagmite, and fire playing along inky black pools. Upon entering they found themselves surrounded by dancing bits of flame. Sammie and his closest friends turned back to join the larger party, but the halfling trio and the relatives crew pushed forth and made it through the room barely escaping death at the hands of angered fire creatures seeking an offering.
While this escape happened Lantern was sent back with the book in hopes of appeasing the bandit warlord. Maybe we should have called him Book now? However Kazoth was not seeking the book and demanded the villagers find the Macguffin or the village would pay dearly.
The halflings and Mortar/Chum/Son pushed on and climbed a small set of rounded stone steps to find themselves looking down upon a small fissure in the ground. Within lay an oily black lake with fire dancing across its surface. As they watched a gauntleted fist rose out of the water wielding a night-black sword wreathed in equally black flame. Dink, Dank, and Chum Bucket each knelt down by the fissure only to be found wanting and then quickly found burned alive and plummeting into the black lake. Then brave Mortar, not having learned anything from watching his compatriots die, knelt down and was successfully granted the honor of becoming a Knight of Hell. Another hand rose from sable pool and proffered the black sword, the Blade of the Damned, to Mortar who took it. Sadly for Mortar he would not possess it for long.
Striding back through the offering room with unearned confidence Mortar was slain as the fulgurate rose up and slew him. Already grief-stricken, Dunk the last of the halfling brothers, charged forth to lay hand on the foul blade, but was immolated alive for his weakness. Then Son of Blark, the halfling chicken butcher, braved the flames and laid claim to the blade that was larger than himself and became the next Knight of Hell, and the last surviving member of the trip to the lake of fire.
Lantern hustled back down the well with the book in tow, and three new villagers Raph the Cutpurse, Pickle the Cutpures, and Alfred the Cutpursetax collector. Quite an undesirable lot. The other villagers in the meantime had proceeded onward to a room with a strange, almost alien pillar of gilt-copper plates.
While it is nearly impossible to see where the story began and where it ended, the panels on the prayer wheel depicted the following scenes over and over: a horned warrior leading an army against heavenly beings, the same warrior battling angels, the warrior resting on a funeral pyre alongside a giant egg, the egg being lit by a torch, a great winged bird of fire consuming the pyre, A youthful warrior rising from the ashes, and then a youthful warrior calling down chaos.
After some discussion of the puzzle like nature of the pillar, the DJ Beats(?) stepped forward began to rotate the pillar and was first surprised that it all rotated together, and then horrified by the scream-like screeching the pillar emitted that drowned out every noise in the cave. As a result of his actions the villager suffered a loss of luck. Fearful of what might occur next the villagers decided to not spin the prayer wheel again.
Judge's note: Players can spin this 6 times before getting a truly bad outcome, and of the results for the first six spins the PCs got the only poor outcome.
After the spinning stopped the party regrouped, but not before finding a small side passage that offered a potential escape route. Flook the dwarven chest-maker set to widening the natural chimney so the group could use it later.
The rest of the group proceeded into the first part of the cave that was clearly worked and proceeded up seven flights of seven stairs. Each flight was flanked by a mosaic. These mosaics depicted scenes of 7 cultists traveling into darkness with naught but candles to light their way. The cultists the proceed to perform a ritual involving the egg, and eventually become lords of the cosmos.
At the top of the step the party found a large black platform with a 7 pointed star carved into it. At each tip of the start sat a half-burned candle. In the middle of the star set a pair of 20' tall brass doors. The group set about lighting the candle with most of them seeking to stay within the sigil. Those that didn't soon met a dark fate. With the candles lit, nothing could pass in and out of the sigil, and giant brass key appeared in the door lock. Smartly guessing the correct number of turns the group turned the key 7 times, but that still did not save their companions outside the sigil as each turned spawned more and more shades who hungered for flesh and killing.
Despite a valiant effort Lantern and Alvin were slain by the shades. Saddened the party opened the now unlocked door unto a sight rarely witnessed by mortals. The doors lead to the Elemental Plane of Fire, and in particular to a throne room atop a mighty tower in the center of the fabled City of Brass. Volcanos spitting ash and fire ringed the city, while lightning and thunder tore through the skies. In the throne room stood two empty giant black thrones, and a standing a respectful distance behind them and facing away two flaming scimitar wielding ifrit. Using the thunder for cover the group snuck into a room shortly before the guardians and inside found their Macguffin, the Black Egg. They also discovered other treasures, but only took a scimitar and a few helms.
Quickly they improvised a plan to carry the heavy egg and headed back to their mortal realm. Returned they rejoined Flook, and after a long discussion decided to hide the egg and attempt to convince the bandits to head down into the cave and through the brass doors themselves. Perhaps they could get the shades to kill them?
Flook took the egg and its sheep carrier through the natural chimney and head outside the entrance where Kazoth and the helpless villagers stood. The rest of the group came back through the well, and attempted to trick the bandit. But the warlord was having none of it. He only wanted the egg. In a rage he attacked the party, and quickly his Ebon Horde joined in. Thinking to assuage the bandit, Tommie whistled for Flook to bring the egg.
But the Ebon Horde cared not and struck the villagers. Sammy, Raph, Pickle, and DJ all fell to the Horde's blades. Tommie having earlier deciphered some of the Key of Solomon, the book with the 7 pointed star on the cover, cast a dark spell, the chill touch. Between the necromantic magicks, a well aimed pitchfork, and Penelope's longsword the Great Serpent was slain. In shock at their great leader's death the horde fled the battle. However Tommie's fiendish magic came with a cost and several of his fellows were leeched of their life energy by his ghoulish presence.
A great victory, but at at great cost. In this dark moment though, fair Alfred remembered the story on the prayer wheel in those hellish depths. Quickly the corpses of dead party members were brought to the raging fires of the now cracked egg. However they weren't able to place every body within before the fires died, but those that were within arose fresh with life. Surely there are no costs to this miracle. 😉
With the bandits gone, the villagers needed to return to their lives, but those that had braved the caves and survived were irrevocably changed. No longer could they be content with a normal life farming a field, shearing a sheep, or crafting a fancy hat. No they need adventure, and thankfully for them one arrived at that time.
A group of fur and hide wearing northern barbarians strode forth requesting their aid. The barbarians had seen the great prowess the adventurers displayed and thought they surely could be the answers to their quest.
These barbarians are seeking champions to brave the Ghost Ice in the far away, Frozen North. The Ghost Ice is forbidden land to the northerners like the Devil's Maw is to the villagers of Little Stones. They also offered more wealth than a man could carry to any who answered the call. WIth a gleam of avarice in their eye, Gon the Warrior, Son the Halfling, Marvin Starvin the Elf, Tommie Buttons the Wizard, Alfred the Cleric of Daenthar, and Palamino the Thief, and Penelope the Warrior head north on a long journey for glory and gold.
Adventure: Sailors on the Starless Sea
After days hugging the coastal waters as they sailed north, the party took port near a quaint village. Intent on rest and resupply, the group was availed upon by the villagers to remedy a problem they were facing. Upon the hill in the distance sits an ancient keep. From that keep beastman issue forth and kidnap villagers from around the countryside. What they do with the villagers no one knows as no one returns.
Despite the possible delay a select group of the party decided to rescue the villagers if they could, and plunder the keep even if they couldn’t. Tommie the Wizard, Alfred the Cleric, and Gon the Warrior were joined by a quartet of villagers: Annie the Orphan, Frankie the Jester, Merlini the Parsnip Farmer, and Cnut the Radish Farmer.
There are two primary routes into the ancient keep, and on their way in the wizard and cleric recount tales of an ancient keep ruled by chaos lords - brothers Felan and Molan - who dominated the lands around them with a beastial horde. That is until an alliance of disparate forces of law - elves, men, dwarves, etc - laid siege and ended the brothers’ reign of terror. But the adherents of law failed to eradicate the forces of chaos who once again rise.
Along the dirt road the group finds a pair of vine covered bodies tethered to poles. Hesitant they send Besie the sheep forward as a test. The shambling vine horrors unfurl themselves from the poles and descend upon the sheep, but their lethargy (or my shitty rolling) proved them inept. The party made quick work of the pair of monstrosities, and for some odd reason gathered the seeds that burst out of the dead horror’s chests into a wooden chest. They then made their way to the keep and despite their worries made it across some rotten planks covering a deep ditch.
But their elation quickly turned to terror as the iron portcullis (Chekov’s portcullis) was slammed down and killed more Annie the Orphan. The group distraught, but still determined headed into the keeps courtyard. They tried to bash down the door with Bessie the cow, but quickly moved on. Next they investigated the misty sinkhole at the northeast corner, but decided against repelling down it after dropping a stone and finding the distance too far. Next they investigated the charnel house. Inside they found a demonic toad statue dripping black ichor and a decent bit of loot. They gathered loot, slew a tar ooze that could ignite itself, and Alfred began his career of defacing imagery or items of the forces of chaos with his warhammer.
Then they walked back across the courtyard to the odd well. Hearing a faint cry issuing forth they quickly hauled up the well’s chain to rescue an acolyte of the lawful war god, Klazath. However the poor bastard was too far gone and after being slapped into concisousness he struck back then called out for help. Alfred attempted to heal his brother in lawful belief, but it only allowed the man enough time to recount the story of the keep, and his fellow acolytes assault on the keep to finish the job.
After the death of the acolyte, Frankle decided to take a look into the well. This was nearly a deathly decision as the well’s bizarre powers enraptured the jester who ended up falling into the well. Thankfully for him he snagged the chain, and his fellow compatriots rapidly hauled him up. But damage was done as the horrors within the well scarred him not only mentally, but physically. Then for some reason, the villagers decided to dump the body of Annie down the well. I’m sure dumping the corpse of a companion down a crazy ass well while have no ramifications. None at all.
While waiting on the villagers to perform their bizarre exercise the group discovered a secreted away cache with a few items of note including a treasure map denoting treasure within a mountain near the village of Plish. Out of options the group decided to tackle the tower again, but with a new plan. Tommie cast a spell of ventriloquism to issue a command by a voice of deeply feared chaos. This spooked the combatants within who barreled forth instead of staying to face the potential threat implied by the voice. Battle was joined and the group quickly slew the beastman champion and one of his fellows before the others fled to the now barred gatehouse. The adventurers cornered the beastmen and slew them to a beast, however Frankle the Jester died to a beastman spear. Also somewhere in the fights Tommie failed a spell and as a result his eyes are now two different colors, and is now wearing the chaos branded skull torc of the beastman champion.
Discussion was had about tossing Frankle’s body into the well, but not acted upon. Instead the group quickly freed villagers they found within the tower, acquired some loot, then descended the newly discovered stairs down into the underground. There they found a vault with some gold, and three empty chests. One of the chests had an obvious false bottom that was trapped, but avarice overcame caution and Tommie lost a finger as result. So now it’s Tommie the Two Toned, Nine Fingered Wizard of Chaos. I can’t wait to add more epithets. The farmers made quick work of the chest to reveal a pair of silver rings with emeralds that they now wear as a sign of their closeness. Also they found a pleasant, fruity smelling oil that they didn’t investigate.
From there they made their way to the pool room. Here Alfred made a connection with a skull of a lawful dwarf that was in the pool. The party took in the scenes depicted in the mosiacs (and mostly remembered them) and decided to don some found robes of chaos. Next they descended a series of stairs to a dark sandy shore being lapped by the sea waters of a deep red wine variety. A golden glow broke through the gloom as furious drums echoed from a distant island ziggurat.
When they reached the shore a dragon-crowed longboat broke through the gloom and stopped 50 feet out from the shore. Gon the warrior decided to swim out to the boat, while Tommie ascended the narrow stairs around the menhir by the shore. Remembering one of the scenes from the mosaics Tommie lit the candle he found at the top of the menhir. Yet by then Gon had reached the boat, and unbeknownst to him had angered the tentacled monster beneath the water. Luckily though he was able to escape its tentacle’s grasp, and the tentacled disappeared back below the waves as the boat moved to the shore.
The group and the farm animals boarded the longboat which started moving across the waters to the distant growing light. About halfway over the tentacles of the beast from below broke the watery surface and began approaching the boat. Many discussions were had about what to do, and attempt at rowing away/around was made, but the tentacles enveloped the boat. Thankfully clearer heads prevailed and Besie the sheep was sacrificed to the leviathan by Tommie of the Many Names. The gods of law were not happy about this, but Tommie don’t care. (Judge’s note: They were on their last round to do anything before the creature attacks and pretty much TPKs them, but they finally made a decision).
Arriving on the shores of the distant ziggurat, they noticed many villagers being ushered up the wide ramps around the building by beastmen. The poor villagers were being sacrificed up at the top to resurrect one of the chaos lords. Over the grumblings of Alfred, the group still donning the robes of chaos escorted the lawful cleric up as a hostage to the pinnacle. There they found a beastman shaman waving a giant effigy of an armored chaos lord being attended by 3 beastmen acolytes furiously dumping coins into a fiery pit as normal beastmen tossed helpless villagers in as well.
The adventurers made use of their disguises to quickly assault and slay the acolytes and shaman, but not before the chaos lord effigy tumbled into the pit. After a brief explosion of fire, a black magma of giant proportions erupted from the pit. After a moment of utter tension the magma cracked to reveal a vicious armored chaos lord wielding a three headed mace. The battle was fierce, Merlini fell to the chaos lord’s flail, but the adventurers prevailed and slew the chaos lord.
Having slain the champion of chaos the party absconded with his flail and armor as everything began to collapse. They boarded the longboat and rode it out of the cave on giant wave into the great unknown.
Adventure: Emerald Enchanter
After riding the longboat for days through an underground river you emerge into daylight and sudden terror as the ship plunges down the mountain waterfall to join a wide river below. Astonishingly you survive, but rather soaked.
A few hours later you make shore alongside a small fishing village you learn later is called Ferrytown. Twelve ratty wooden shacks lie back a ways from the river. While the offerings are meager, the people are pleasant.
Over a meal of cooked river trout you hear strange tales such as the rumor of a great relic buried in the forests to west, or the fateful sighting of a bearded star, but the tale that seizes your heart is that of the Emerald Enchanter and his minions.
People tell of green monstrosities seizing villagers from Ferrytown, the nearby village of Riverdown, and even from under the Jarl of Hirot’s watchful eye. They say the people are experimented upon and turned into monsters themselves. In particular is mentioned Darby and his wife Meg. They are the owners of the empty 12th shack most of the PCs are sleeping in.
They say the Emerald Enchanter’s lair lies to the north amongst the black cliffs of the Trolltooth Mountains.
So north went Gon the warrior, Marvin the magical elf, Alfred the blessed of Daenathar, and Two-toned Tommie Nine-fingers. After a days march they found themselves outside the Emerald Enchanter's citadel, a short flat-topped structure with a massive pewter door flanked by a pair of green statues wearing emerald armor and holding translucent green swords.
After a couple of investigative glance the group was engaged by the pair of statues. Were it not for the blessings of the Mountain God, Gon would have perished, but instead the group persevered slaying both emerald guards. One burst into shards of emeralds while the other turned into flesh and died speaking of a Kyra.
After the battle there was a brief discussion on turning back, but as the saying goes "duty is heavier than a mountain, death is light as a feather" so they pressed onwards. Next they entered a room filled with mosaics depicting various acts purportedly performed by the owner of this scary fortress. While viewing said mosaics a strange wind began to blow and rip off the mosaic tiles. The tiles coalesced into a hideous Tile Golem that the the party briefly feared would be the last of them, but true strikes of Gon's axe saved the day.
Next the group entered a lavishly decorated room with a curious massive slab of emerald looking glass at the far side. After looting the room for various treasures and discovering the table of glass was magical, but not its purpose, the group decided to head out of one the adjoining doors. As fate would have it the massive slab began to glow at that instance, and two 6" emerald skulls with bat wings emerged from it and flew into the room. In a brief moment later, the green-robed wizard appeared and stepped down from the slab.
The Emerald Enchanter gestured for the skulls to follow Marvin the Elf, but in his hubris thought the PCs of little danger and therefore chose not to cast magic shield prior to teleporting into the room. His folly was quickly made known to him as Gon's fortune shone bright and severed one arm of the warlock, while Alfred worked at shattering the emerald glass slab. The other PCs taking notice of the action quickly joined the fray, and before the Emerald Enchanter could even take an action he lay dead on the ground.
Judge's note: I've read of several examples of the Enchanter dying here or parties taking the teleport slab up to the Enchanter's hideout and slaying him shortly into the adventure. Personally I think it is hilarious, but I've got to figure what I'm going to do in the hideout now. lol
Flush with glory, but still a little hesitant of tangling with another emerald guard the group chose to head down a strange passageway (Judge's note:there are supposed to be mechanics here for a fight, but it is very punitive like high chance of breaking your equipment with little chance of killing the creatures).
At the end they discovered a door and a secret door. The normal lead to a pit trap they decided not to attempt to cross, and went through the secret door to discover... more emerald guards!
They made quick work of one, then slew another in its barrack room, before holing up there to draw in the rest and whittle them down. There were. a few close calls: Marvin was bleeding out; Tommie carved an eye tattoo into his head, suffered supernatural chills, and was almost eaten alive by insects; Gon required the blessings of the Mountain Lord again to survive; and Alfred learned he is primarily a heal bot, and bonking was not included.
That’s right folks, it is now Three-eyed Tommie Ninefingers. After briefly crossing death’s threshold the group traveled further into the dungeon and discovered a secret room containing the remains of three long dead wizards.
Inside the spoke with the three and learned how to transmute emerald back into flesh, and that the Emerald Enchanter has bound two demons to his service.
From there they continued on to find three different oddities locked behind iron bars then in another room they found the imprisoned kidnapped villagers. They briefly attempted to free them, but after initial attempts failed they left saying they would return later.
The adventurers then decided to make camp back in the room with the dead warlocks. And it’s there we shall meet them the next time.