Avernus Availed - Halloween in July - Session 3

Casey Ryback, Annaria, Avarice, Adelaide, and Badb by Candlelight

Halloween in July Preparation 

Since we had so much fun last week playing Accursed with the girls, my wife Jen and I decided that having a few "guest stars" over could make for an exciting evening!  So we contacted our friends Adam and Heather and set up a special night.  Adam hadn't played a table-top role-playing game since he was a kid, and despite being an avid console gamer, Heather had never rolled the polyhedrals before.  Realizing that this was going to be a special evening, the entire family pitched in to create "Halloween in July."  Candles were lit, the red tablecloth was brought out, and special decorations were placed all around the room.  The girls didn't get into full cosplay, but they did demand that I draw their Witchmarks on their arms.

Dramatis Personae

• Avarice Avernus, Mummy Matriarch and Skilled Duelist, played by Jen (Mommy)
• Annaria Avernus, Dhampir Daughter and Scout, played by Evie
• Adelaide Avernus, Shade Daughter and White Witch, played by Carrie
• Badb, Revenant Alchemist, played by Heather
• Casey Ryback, Vargr Warrior, played by Adam
• Rudolpho, Cranium Rat Spokesvermin, Non-Player Character

If this is your first time reading our Avernus Availed stories, please feel free to check out previous posts before reading ahead!

• Campaign Design
• Character Design
• Session 1: An Addled Arrival
• Session 2:  Many as One

Expedition to Arachnis' Lair, Part One

Determined to get her enchanted engagement ring back from the horrific monstrosity known as Arachnis, Avarice Avernus led her two daughters, Annaria and Adelaide, to the dreaded Cadogan Peak.  This dreary hill-top was not far south of Augsing, giving Arachnis a clear view of the town in which she would occasionally draw sustenance in the form of townsfolk handed over by Mayor Goering.  As humans, the Avernus family would never have attempted this mission, but now that they were accursed, the three women believed their powers to be more than adequate to deal with the eight-legged threat.  If they were successful in regaining the engagement ring, that would be one lest artifact in the hands of the Banes.  To destroy Arachnis herself could endear the Avernus family to the city of Augsing.  There was a lot riding on this mission!  

When they approached the peak they noticed that just before the entrance there were several cocoons lying about in a circle around a pool of stagnant water.  Most of the cocoons were popped open, with desiccated human limbs sticking out, but two were still moving, albeit slowly.  Avarice feared what could be inside the cocoons, so she lobbed a torch on the man sized, silk-covered container.  The cocoon began to move much more quickly at this point, rolling into the pool to quench the flames.  Surprisingly, from out of the pouch came a female revenant armed with a bow and a bandolier of alchemical tinctures.  The woman introduced herself as Badb, and along with Annaria's help, freed her associate Casey Ryback, a Vargr, from the other cocoon.  The two new accursed said that they too were in the hunt for Arachnis but believed themselves to be no match on their own for the dreaded beast.  Together with Badb's brother Beothach, they attempted to confront Arachnis in the evening, but were easily defeated by the monstrous spider-queen before they even entered the crypts.  Arachnis left Badb and Casey for dead outside, but dragged Beothach into the tunnels below.

Using her sarcophagus tools to help with the ascent, Avarice climbed the hilltop and took a look down the exposed tunnel.  Despite the spider-webs that filled the tunnels below, arachnophobia was not one of Adelaide's fears, so the white which climbed down the hole first.  She made it about halfway when tiny spiders began to pour onto her head from a chamber above!  Freaking out, Adelaide closed her mouth and covered her nose as the little minions tried to crawl into her noggin.  Casey Ryback knew exactly how to deal with spiders though.  Lighting a torch, the vargr ran forward and used the flames to burn the little creatures, while Annaria shook the rest off of her face.  Not wanting the spiders to have a chance at anyone else, Badb stepped forward and crushed the remaining bugs under her boot.  

At the end of the tunnel was a stairwell leading down.  Figuring that the threats below could be considerably more dangerous, and at the request of the rest of the party, Casey transformed into his full lupine beast form.  Descending the stairs the party had a choice to make, left or right.  With his keen sense of smell, Casey determined that to the left was the smell of a stagnant and old human corpse, but to the right there were dead or dying goblins.  Choosing the left passage, the vargr led the team to a door which he used his paw to open. Inside there were several coffins on the ground as well as suits of armor and cloaks.  Wanting a suit of armor for herself, since she was flat broke and destitute, Badb went to remove one of the decorative plates.  As the revenant turned the armor over however, a giant spider the size of a dog tumbled out of the suit and onto the ground.  Five more large spiders appeared and the party was surrounded!  

Casey Ryback was not a fan of spiders, and he took his anger out on the first, using his claws and bite to tear the arachnid limb from limb.  As the remaining spiders attacked, Badb, Casey, and Annaria were each bitten but managed to escape any effects from the venom, either due to their supreme constitution or undead status.  Lady Avarice's swords struck true on two of the spiders, and Annaria's hand axe was very useful in dispatching another.  While Casey was swallowing another spider whole, Badb used her entangle tonic to pin one of the beasts to the ground before slitting it wide open with her short sword.  The spiders had come from the coffins, but one remained closed.  Not wanting to leave any stone, or lid for that matter, unturned, Avarice opened the coffin to reveal another man-sized cocoon.  Slicing it open with her sword, Avarice found Beothatch, Badb's revenant brother, unharmed!  

Avarice was glad to have reunited the siblings but with grim determination looked at her daughters.  There was still a lot of dungeon to explore… 

Quotes

"In the 'meanwhile,' you slice him in half!" - Carrie was really hoping that Evie would cut Adam's character while freeing him from the cocoon.  

"Despite the fact that you can manipulate yourself like a 'Transformer' you can't turn into a funicular." - The game master tells Jen that Avarice can't ease the party's ascent up Cadogan Peak.

"Am I allowed to speak in a whisper?" - Adam whispers, hoping to get into his character, Casey Ryback.

"Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!" - The entire table chants, hoping that Adam while transform finally into full beast form.  

Adam gets into character

Special Thanks

The inspiration to write this adventure came through following Glynn Seal's work at MonkeyBlood Design.  Accursed really does feel somewhat like playing an RPG version of Castlevania, and what better way to map out your adventure than as a side-scroller!  Well a few weeks ago I was watching Glynn's progress on Google+ as he developed this phenomenal map and I realized that it would be absolutely PERFECT for our table.  Although neither of my girls are any good at Castlevania (they both say the original game is impossible, which is just about true), they are both familiar with side-scrollers, and Carrie is an avid Terraria fan. Although we did not get very far in the Howling Crypts yet (Glynn chose Bryan Steward's suggested title for the map, and I went with it), over the next few weeks the girls and their mom will be moving further through the abandoned temple, hoping to uncover the lair of Arachnis!

To check out more of Glynn Seal's work make sure to check out his website!

Finally, if you haven't had a chance to check out Accursed yet, please make sure to give the game a look at www.accursedrpg.com!  You'll be glad you did!

Additional Images from the Evening

Numenera Newbie Player One-Shot - Return to the Crawling Lake

Return to the Crawling Lake

So last week I put the word out that I again was looking for players to explore the Ninth World... but not just any players.  I wanted to recruit a team of neophyte-Numenerians who had never been given the opportunity, and privilege, of playing this terrific role-playing game that the rest of us Cypher-System-Fanatics have come to know and love.  So I sent out the call, to the four corners of the social media multi-verse, in order to assemble the most legendary team possible!  Now as some of you may have read, I ran an adventure called "The Crawling Lake" last month for Andy and Christian's characters (Caldros and Corvyn), and we had a great time.  Well this adventure is a return to the same location, the Crystal Pool located deep within the Westwood of Navarene.  Our intrepid band of Numenera hunters in this quest must deal with the ramifications of Caldros and Corvyn's actions just a few days earlier...

Characters

• Bhael (and Bel), a Graceful Jack who Exists in Two Places at Once, played by Ely
• Talon the Drifter, a Mystical Glaive who Carries a Quiver, played by Phil
• Arzed, a Rugged Glaive who Bears a Halo of Fire, played by Scott
• Cyphis, a Rugged Jack who Explores Dark Places, played by John
• Slowfingers Jr., a Mad Nano who Commands Mental Powers, played by Arnold

Summary

Following the crusader call of the Amber Papacy and countless Aeon Priests all around the Steadfast, our small team of numenera hunters were en route to the lands of the Gaians, far to the north.  Although not planning to do battle directly with the strange and unknown peoples who inhabited the northlands, and not even knowing why the crusade was called in the first place, Bhael, Talon, Arzed, Cyphis, and the wonderfully mad Slowfingers Jr. had departed the City of Ghan in the hopes of finding fortune and glory amongst the rubble of war.  Unlike the zealots and professional soldiers who were planning to lay the Gaians to waste, the band at the center of our story was more interested in the leftover spoils that would come out of the conflict: bits a pieces of the numenera.  The party was separate from the main force, but did happen to have friends directly serving the crusade, including Aeon Priest Nen, a kindly man willing to share tales of wonder and treasure. 

Following a suggested route from Ghan to the Cloudcrystal Skyfields that would take the crusaders just past the Westwood of Navarene, stories began to unfold all around the camp that the Culova, aboriginal sentient spider beings, were capturing Aeon Priests from the main force and dragging them into the massive forest.  These rumors meant little to the numenera hunters, until they found that Aeon Priest Nen was missing.  Slowfingers Jr. didn't have to be told that it was the Culova, as he already "knew" in some odd way that the spider-people were the culprits.  In addition, the most recent locale tale was that a monstrous beast known as the "Minotaur" was agitating the Culova.  Not wanting to let their friend and travelling companion fall victim to horrific torture, the companions separated from the rest of the crusade and traveled into the woods. 

Only a few hours into the Westwood, the party was having some difficulty navigating the quiet and dark forest floor.  The trees of the Westwood were massively high, and the branches above tangled together creating multiple levels of obscuring foliage, drowning out sunlight.  Although the team considered using some light source, they were glad that they decided not to, as it did not take long for Bhael (and his quantum duplicate Bel) to notice something strange ahead.  Perched atop a small rocky outcropping, just over two-hundred feet ahead, were a pair of stony "things" that were moving around.  Each was nearly a five-foot wide sphere of jagged edges, but it was hard to make out what exactly they were without light.  Cyphis cautioned the rest of the group to stay back, and slowly made his way forward, careful not to be seen.  When the rugged jack finally got a good look at the creatures he was horrified.  They were a pair of Flying Elchin, viciously mobile mouths of razor sharp teeth with four legs and a hard rocky carapace.  The beasts were tearing apart the remains of a tentacle-mouthed bear, with little regard to what was going on around them.  When Cyphis returned the party made the decision to go around the threats, and try to leave the scene quietly.

But as the party began to maneuver to the south, it became apparent that the tentacle-mouthed bear wasn't the only thing the two flying elchin were feasting upon.  Just behind the two creatures was a third living thing, but this one was in far more pain.  It was a culova, injured with three of eight limbs missing but still alive and trying to crawl away to no avail.  Seeing this as a possible lead for rescuing Aeon Priest Nen, Talon led the team towards a nearby tree where they could spring an ambush.  While Talon was notching his arrow Arzed moved to his side, maul in hand.  Cyphis wanted to gain some advantage, and since he was at home in the wilderness climbed a nearby tree.  Bhael pulled his longsword and commanded Bel to follow Cyphis in order to strike from above with a crossbow.  Finally Slowfingers Jr. stood in the back of everyone, dart thrower at the ready.  The party let loose their arrows in a devastating volley.  Bel's bolt knocked one of the flying elchin down the other side of the outcropping while the "lead" flying elchin took several hits before charging towards Talon.  Arzed took a huge swing at the beast when it moved past him but missed completely.  The creature in turn missed Talon, but was now frenzied by the mental connection made with Slowfingers Jr., who used his powers of telepathy to distract the monstrosity.  Bhael slashed away at the nearby flying elchin, carving up it's side, and with a few more arrows it fell to it's death. 

Unable to leave the dead carcass alone, however, Slowfingers Jr. started poking at the thing's eye.  The mad nano was ill-prepared for the slain creature's reflexes, causing the remains of the flying elchin to clamp down on Slowfingers Jr.'s head.  Slowfingers Jr. ran around in a blind frenzy as his entire upper torso was engulfed in a dead flying elchin's gullet, but the rest of the party still had to deal with the remaining flying elchin.  Talon again let loose an arrow, and quarrels were fired from both Cyphis and Bel.  The flying elchin had it's eyes set on Arzed.  But when the creature charged the rugged glaive, it's face made contact with a maul!  Arzed was quite pleased with the strike, since it forced the flying elchin to bound away from him, but was less than thrilled when he noticed that his maul was stuck in the creature's maw. 

The remaining flying elchin would fall to one of Cyphis' quarrels, and the party moved towards the injured culova as soon as Slowfingers Jr. was freed of his new "hat."  The culova spoke a language that no one understood, and despite being offered both it's own severed limbs and the limbs of the flying elchin, contrary to popular belief this was not a common greeting in the Westwood.  It seemed to appreciate the healing administered from Cyphis, and understood that the party meant it know harm.  Using his telepathic abilities (and explaining that, like the Culova, he too had once lost a hand but had it regrown), the mad nano Slowfingers Jr. was successful in connecting with the culova, learned that it's name was Chk Kyor-Tik, and that it was on the hunt for an Aeon Priest to bring back to his village.  Asked why the culova needed Aeon Priests, the spider responded that a "box" near their village, which in the past made metal disappear, had been tampered with by humans recently and now made "flesh" disappear.  Slowfingers Jr. told Chk that the party would help his village so long as the Aeon Priest Nen could return to the rest of the humans outside the forest.  The team journeyed further to the west and would soon find themselves near the Crystal Pool. 

Once at the village the party began to see what Chk Kyor-Tik was talking about.  The vertical village was on the northern side of a lake, about four-hundred feet across, surrounded by tall trees and grass.  But the grass was slowly dissolving into the lake, the trees tipping towards the waters, and the pool itself was completely devoid of any living creatures or plant life.  At the center of the lake, floating just above the surface of the water was a silvery metallic structure that resembled a four pointed star about fifty feet across and thirty feet high.  The entire structure seemed to balance on the water by a tiny point barely touching the surface.  Chk Kyor-Tik said that the "box" at the center of the lake had always been there, and that prior to the arrival of two humans a week ago, if metal objects were placed in the waters surrounding the structure they would disappear.  Organic material, however, was perfectly safe.  Chk said that the two humans assaulted the culova, found a way to get inside the structure, and departed on a metal boat that they made "appear" on the lake.  Ever since then, even touching the water made someone start to dissolve. 

Cyphis and Talon, with the aid of the Culova and the rest of their party, moved to the branches that were just above the structure.  Tying off to the branches, the jack and glaive were lowered to the metallic structure to get a closer look.  Talon saw that the top of the structure had a small pool of standing water collected in a concave basin, but that this was full of organic material.  Figuring it safe to touch the structure, Talon directed Cyphis to take a look at the northern face of the structure, where Chk said the humans entered.  Although Cyphis was able to find a doorway or portal of some sort, he was unable to open it.  Using a cypher to transition out of phase, Cyphis entered the structure as if it wasn't there and found himself completely surrounded by organic material, but miniaturized.  Trees, bushes, culova, limbs, fish-birds (flish), the structure was full to the brim with this material.  Slightly horrified, Cyphis stepped out of the structure and was given a cypher from Talon that would turn the door completely brittle like glass.

Bad idea.

The pressure inside the structure was incredibly high, and once a weak point was created on the northern face it exploded... right into Cyphis.  The rugged jack was blasted out into the water, and before the party could pull him back up they realized he wasn't there.  But a constant rush of debris, fluid, and organic slime was blasting out of the opening at high speed like a side-ways geyser.  Talon didn't want to get anywhere near this scene until it dissipated until he noticed something odd: there was a miniature, six-inch long version of Cyphis clinging to the side of the opening.  The device touching the water didn't destroy material, it simply shrunk anything placed in the water and deposited it within a holding tank.  So as the organic material was blasted into the water, it took Cyphis with it, and he was teleported back into the chamber, only to be dragged by the slimy current back out towards the water.  Luckily for Cyphis, an enormous hand picked him up and carried him to safety. 

Once the slimy spray was complete, the party regrouped.  Slowfingers Jr. was able to make contact with Aeon Priest Nen in a prisoner holding cell.  Nen explained that he had little idea how to fix the box, but that the other human in the cell actually knew the humans who had caused the problems.  Her name was Dineria, and she was a member of the Vadris clan of woodsmen and foresters.  She said that Corvyn and Caldros had saved her from a horrifying beast, but were only interested in finding a lost automaton of the Emol family of rival woodsmen.  She said that when they reached the Crystal Pool they left her for the culova and then started an assault.  The culova didn't particularly like Dineria, since they hated all humans who harvested "their" forest. 

Refocusing their efforts on the structure, the entire party lowered itself into the opening to the chamber.  At the center of the room was a domelike structure with two horn shaped connections attaching it to the walls.  Two viewscreens appeared like eyes, a control panel like a nose, and a ring-shaped lever was just beneath.  This must have been the minotaur!   Using his mastery over numenera the mad nano Slowfingers Jr. was able to use the controls to manipulate the device's "polarity".  It had been set to shrink organic material, so the nano did some experimentation and was able to reverse the setting.  Within moments a full-sized Cyphis sprung from a container at the back of the room!  Slowfingers Jr. even found a way to shut the entire machine down, rather than leave it on any setting at all.  Returning to the culova with the good news the spiders agreed to let the humans take their Aeon Priest home but stated that they wanted to keep the human female to eat, as retribution to the woodsmen.  The party convinced the culova otherwise by showing them that the metallic structure could be used to make things "bigger", including wood!  This would allow the culova to take small trees and grow them instantly, which they could then trade with the nearby humans.  Not realizing that they had just started a complete trade war in the region, the party gathered up their gear, Nen, and Dineria, and headed back to the crusading force. 

#TBT Campaign - 2009 D&D 3.5 Ravenloft - Session 2

Ravenloft: Luminaire

This is a continuation of my Throwback Thursday feature covering the Ravenloft campaign that I ran online in 2009 using Skype and a few amazing friends from High School.  If you missed our first #TBT feature, and you'd like a little backstory before moving forward, here you go!

The Second Test, Part One

Characters

• Rahotep, Human Cleric played by Tom
• Garrett Jax, Gnome Rogue/Wizard played by Cone
• Nathaniel, Half-Elf Ranger played by Joe-Pat
• Barth, Caliban (Half-Orc) Barbarian played by Randy

Journal Date:  5th Days of Twelfth-Month, the year 754

The characters would remain locked in their coffins for hours.  They were in transit to some location for at least 5 hours, and upon their arrival, the halfling Tinker Steve told them not to even try getting out of the coffin for an hour and a half.  The characters tried their coffin lids at first, but found themselves unable to get free.  Eventually, there were three loud pops, the small charges blowing on each lock, thus giving the group an opportunity to escape.  Both Barth and Nathaniel lifted their lids, however Rahotep, not content with being conventional summoned a single woodchuck to appear outside of his coffin.  This was just in tome for Barth and Nate to see this, however the woodchuck spent a single round chewing on Rahotep’s coffin before disappearing.  

Unfortunately for the group, it looked as though poor Garrett Jax was still locked within his own coffin.  Unable to rouse him from potential slumber, and with the lock still remaining on his coffin (the charge did not go off), the remaining three adventurers decided to leave the gnome behind for now.  

It appeared that the party was inside of a log cabin in the woods.  There was snow on the ground outside, and it was evening.  Remembering that the goal of the second test was to survive the night, Nathaniel, Barth, and Rahotep quickly began to assess their situation.   In the living room that they were currently in with their coffins, they found that there was a small fireplace, with a weak stew (including a slightly cooked rat) hanging over the embers of the fire.  The group needed a light source but truly had very little to go by.  Nathaniel and Barth both looked to Rahotep’s sacred oil, which they could combine with cloth and some broken wood to make torches.  The priest, however, explained that his oil was only for heads.  Luckily for them, Barth’s strange fey-warped caliban eyes were capable of darkvision.  Barth armed himself with an iron poker (which he was able to make combat worthy with his Craft skill) and prepared to defend his fellow teammates.  

The group first investigated the kitchen, where the floor was covered in a weird, dirt-like material.  Barth was able to find a cleaver for Nathaniel to use as a weapon, and a large carving knife for Rahotep.  Also, Barth found some oil to use to make torches.  As soon as Nathaniel lit the room up, however, he found that the entire floor was covered in rat excrement.  Piles and piles of it.  The party moved on to the pantry and found the same thing.  Droppings, half-eaten food, dead rats.  It was while Rahotep was investigating the pantry that he heard some noises coming from above.  Apparently, there was either a second floor or an attic above.  The claw marks on the pantry door were also fairly large, showing that something bigger than the common rat could be making its home in the cabin.  Not wanting to have only a simple knife to face such horrors, Rahotep opted to take the well made shovel out of the pantry to use as a bashing weapon.  

Moving on the trio examined the master bedroom of the cabin.  The family that had abandoned this place must have been well off, because the furniture and clothing was somewhat luxurious.  Barth raided the shiny goods from this room, in true Barth fashion.  The party did find a pair of letters from two young children in the room, wishing their parents farewell, and inferring that the mother and father of the house had passed on.  A giant dead rat was found in the foyer of the home, apparently eaten from both the inside and the outside.  The rat was the size of a medium dog, and would have been a ferocious enemy if it were faced while still alive.  

Things got exciting when the trio found the room of the two children.  A well made set of furniture garnished this room, but on the floor the bedspreads, quilts, and sheets had been made into a nest of sorts.  The characters assumed that this was made by the previous owners’ children.  Barth stepped into the room, and yanked the blankets away only to be engulfed quickly in a rat swarm!  Trying to scrape the creatures off as fast as he could, Barth tried not to panic.  Rahotep entered the room quickly and prayed for a “doom” spell from Ra to affect the rats.  It must have worked, because the little bastards were spooked for a bit.  At that time Nathaniel yanked Barth out of the room, and Rahotep jumped out as well.  After the door was slammed, Nate quickly looked for other options to escape the rodent fury while Barth waved the torch along the bottom of the door to keep the rats at bay.


Nate found a closet with a misshapen wall just across from the kids bedroom.  Both he and Rahotep tried to open what appeared to be a secret door but were both unable to do so.  Barth started to get completely freaked as more and more rats started to cover his legs, and lower torso.  But Rahotep was not going to let this go down poorly for his fellow teammate, even if the cursed one was a caliban!  Rahotep charged forward, shovel in hands and crushed the remaining swarm, and those rats that survived the cleric’s onslaught dispersed quickly.   

Avernus Availed - An Accursed Bedtime Story - Session 2

Dramatis Personae

• Avarice Avernus, Mummy Matriarch and Skilled Duelist, played by Jen (Mommy)
• Annaria Avernus, Dhampir Daughter and Scout, played by Evie
• Adelaide Avernus, Shade Daughter and White Witch, played by Carrie
• Uncle Nester Nihlity, Avarice's younger brother, Non-Player Character
• Rudolpho, Cranium Rat Spokesvermin, Non-Player Character

If this is your first time reading our Avernus Availed stories, please feel free to check out previous posts before reading ahead!

• Campaign Design
• Character Design
• Session 1: An Addled Arrival

Many as One

Avarice Avernus was not pleased with the condition of her home.  With the walls battered and smashed, the structure's interior open to the elements, and weeds and ivy overtaking the once-beautiful landscaping, the matriarch's absolute last concern was the rats in which Uncle Nester laid the blame.  Avarice's "old" younger brother (he was in his 70's now), admitted that during the Bane War Muridae Manor was used as a fortification for local militia fighting the Witches and their armies.  Many fought, and died, within the building's once powerful walls.  But it wasn't the spirits of these fallen soldiers that created such fear in Uncle Nester's heart, but the rats that lived within the buildings walls.  Due to his terror, Uncle Nester only maintained three rooms on the lower level of the home, allowing the rest of the building to fall apart.  

Avarice was not about to let a few rodents stop her from retaking command of her home and restoring it to it's former glory.  Even though she may be a Mummy, she had to maintain appearances for the Avernus family and Muridae Manor!  Avarice commanded her daughters to do as they were trained while serving the Coven, and secure the house properly.  First the matriarch transformed the arms of her sarcophagus shell into a pair of hooks so that she could pry the boards off of the entrance to the manor's second floor. Annaria used her incredibly sharp eyes to scout the stairwell and the hall at the top of the steps in total darkness before lighting a lantern and handing it over to Adelaide.  The youngest daughter had a journal and quill ready to document everything they found.  

The upstairs hallway had a dead soldier laying on the floor face down.  Adelaide and Annaria approached the body, knowing that it had to be dead but not sure exactly how dead it was.  Despite being the family's perceptive scout, Annaria was prone to screaming when she was frightened, but she was able to keep control of her voice when she flipped the body over.  The figure was in fact dead, consumed by thousands of tiny bites.  Avarice called down to Uncle Nester who admitted that various rebel factions had used the house as recent as a few years ago, right up until the end of the war, and that there could be a few surprises upstairs.  This did not make the women happy.  

Next the women found the door to the study.  This room was special to Adelaide, who would often find solace in the study with one of her books.  When the youngest daughter opened the door, she was sad to discover all of the books missing, the room in shambles, and the strange bearskin rug that always scared her as a child still on the floor.  As the women moved into the room, Annaria saw in the corner a hole in the wall, and five pairs of tiny eyes looking right at her.  Again holding her mouth shut to refrain from screaming, Annaria pointed to the eyes, and her sister shined the lantern in that direction.  A sound of dozens of voices boomed out from all around the women.  

"What are you doing in our home!?!"

This puzzled the Avernus ladies, as they were fairly certain the house was in fact in the Avernus name.  When the women didn't appear to be scared the voices subsided, and slowly the bearskin rug started to rise.  This was too much for poor Annaria, and the dhampir scout uncovered her mouth and started to scream, running into the hallway outside.  Lady Avernus watched her daughter charge out of the room, and then looked right at the rug.  Not thinking twice, Avarice slapped the overgrown shag carpet, causing dozens of rats to pour out of the bear's form and scatter about the room.  

Adjacent to the study was a secret workshop that Adelaide remembered from her childhood.  Often her father Alistair would work in the secluded chamber while the young daughter would read her books and draft her own tales of faeries and good spirits.  Using her sister's lockpicks, Adelaide opened the door, only to reveal the broken remains of her father's laboratory.  Perhaps with some assistance she would be able to restore this room to it's former glory.  The next room the trio entered was the garderobe, a simple privy chamber.  The women were surprised to see one of the rats with it's rear hanging over the edge.  Quickly the rat jumped and ran into a hole in the wall.  This was getting strange.  

The women decided it was time to go to the Library.  Passing through the shattered remains of what was once Avarice's master bedroom, the door to the Library was unlocked and swung open easily.  For being a library, however, there were no books to be found.  Like the study, all of the shelves were empty.  The voices of the rats surrounded the party again. The rats declared that "they" were the owners of the house, and that the women should respect their deal made with Alistair Avernus.  Hearing of this "deal", Avarice started to question the voices, although her daughters took turns shouting insults.  While the mother wanted answers, both Adelaide and Annaria were disgusted by the rats, and had no problem voicing their opinions.  Even when the rats admitted that they lived in the house when the dhampir and shade were only children, the younger Avernus women still did not relent in their insults.  Finally, the rats requested of Avarice that they meet in the lobby on the first floor so that a more civil conversation could occur.  

Avarice agreed to the meeting, and the three women traveled downstairs to the main hall of the building, where several hundred rats appeared on one side of the room, many of which possessing large, pulsing brains that protruded from their skulls.  A single, somewhat charismatic rodent appeared and introduced himself and his kin.  They were cranium rats, creatures formed in a far-off place that had existed in Muridae Manor since it was built by Alistair Avernus.  The rodent that spoke to the party was named "Rudolpho" by Alistair, although in reality the rats were a single hive-mind.  The cranium rats admitted that they were in the building when the militia occupied the home, as well as when the Banes stormed the building and took the thousands of books that were held in the study and library.  Rudolpho explained that it was fortunate for the remaining members of the Avernus family that the rats existed in the home, since they had absorbed the knowledge from each and every tome before the books were taken.  

Rudolpho asked Avarice Avernus for continued haven within the walls of Muridae Manor, as was promised by her husband Alistair.  Understanding that the situation was a bit out of the ordinary, the cranium rat "spokesvermin" offered a token of their thanks and reverence for the Avernus family.  Rudolpho stated that Lady Avernus' enchanted engagement ring had been sold by Uncle Nester to the twisted Mayor of Augsing, Piter Goering.  In turn, this ring was given as a token to an evil spirit named Arachnis who lived in the nearby hills.  Arachnis was a plague to the few farmers who tried to make a living growing crops in the cursed countryside of Valkenholm.  Vanquishing the spirit would most certainly endear the locals to the Avernus family if it were to come out that they were the slayers of Arachnis.  In addition, Rudolpho would come with the trio as an "advisor," bringing with him all of the knowledge of the Muridae Cranium Rat Clan, and the library of Muridae Manor.  Avarice agreed to both allowing the rats to remain as well as taking on the mission to hunt down Arachnis, with the understanding that the rats would have an active role in the Avernus family home's restoration.  

Quotes

"Is this my home or a dump?" - Avarice Avernus was not thrilled with the condition of Muridae Manor

- "It's not negotiable… you will stay." - Avarice to Uncle Nester
- "You can stay in the ruined bedroom… it's not completely collapsed." - Adelaide to Uncle Nester
- "We can always build him an 'outhouse!'" - Annaria, referring to Uncle Nester

"… and I dare say it appears to be moving.  Undulating about the floor." - Avarice's description of the rat-infested bearskin rug.  

"I'm going to dramatically slap that rug in the face, as it has the audacity to do this in my home." - Avarice threatens the rat-infested bearskin rug.  

"There is no One, there is only Many." - The GM channels Planescape: Torment

"You are so cute!" - Evie changed her perspective of the cranium rats so quickly once the puppet appeared. 

Avernus Availed - An Accursed Bedtime Story - Session 1

Dramatis Personae

• Avarice Avernus, Mummy Matriarch and Skilled Duelist, played by Jen (Mommy)
• Annaria Avernus, Dhampir Daughter and Scout, played by Evie
• Adelaide Avernus, Shade Daughter and White Witch, played by Carrie
• Uncle Nester Nihlity, Avarice's younger brother, Non-Player Character

If this is your first time reading our Avernus Availed stories, please feel free to check out our first two posts that discuss some of the campaign backstory and character design.  

• Campaign Design
• Character Design

An Addled Arrival 

It had been fifty years since Avarice Avernus saw her two children.  Her quest to find Annaria and Adelaide, who were both captured by the Witches during the Bane War and turned into Accursed, led to her own acquisition of a dreaded Witchmark.  Perhaps drawn by fate, the three family members met on a dark and cool evening at the end of summer, just outside the walls of Augsing.  Located deep within Valkenholm, Augsing was a bustling commercial hub before the war, but now it remained as a dark den of fear.  Still, for the Avernus family this was home.  Annaria and Adelaide met first, each recognizing the other, although shocked at their horrid transformations into Dhampir and Shade.  Believing themselves to be alone, they were surprised when a slow and lumbering figure started to walk towards them from out of the darkness.  The figure had it's arms outstretched, and moaned slightly.  Preparing for an attack, Annaria reached for her crossbow but both Avernus girls were surprised when the figure actually spoke.  Although desiccated and "corpsified," this mummy was the Matriarch of the Avernus family.  The three undead women hugged, and said a few words to each other.  When each mentioned Alistair Avernus, husband, father, and patriarch, there were no answers… not yet.  

With no time for continued chit-chat, Avarice motioned for her daughters to move towards the city walls.  It would be dark soon, and even though the mother and her daughters had gained some impressive skills serving the forces of darkness in the Bane War, there were creatures that lurked in the woods of Valkenholm that were best left undisturbed.  Approaching the gates to the city, Adelaide spared no time before tormenting the living with her powers.  Coming out of the shadows, the shade enabled her aura of fear which drove the two poor souls away from the gates and north towards the river.  When Avarice scolded her daughter, for the gate remained close, Adelaide winked and then passed through the gate as if it weren't there.  Turning corporeal on the other side of the wall, Adelaide raised the gate allowing her sister and mother to enter the town.  

Even though it was still early evening, everything was quiet in Augsing.  Avarice shrouded her sarcophagus-armored visage and shifted her fine hat before approaching a shopkeeper to inquire about the vineyards of Avernus Libations.  Despite her strong and proud manners, the mummy matriarch's memory was a bit cloudy and confused, and she did not remember where her own house was.  The shopkeeper was happy to point the three family members to the south gate, stating that Nester Nihlity, caretaker of the Avernus family vineyards, still maintained the home which was located a mile south of the city walls.  Faced with a choice of exploring Augsing or heading home, the three chose to get to the estate before nightfall.  

Approaching the Avernus estate, named Muridae Manor by Avarice when it was first built sixty years ago, the matriarch was horrified (as much as a mummy can be horrified) to see that the once strong and powerful structure was in very poor condition.  Made of mighty stone and strong timbers, Avarice assumed that the home was used as some kind of fortification during the Bane War, as many of the walls were shattered and broken possibly by cannon fire.  The lands that surrounded the estate, once vineyards for Avernus Libations, were now full of weeds.  Avarice's wrapped face grimaced beneath her sarcophagus armor.  Uncle Nester would have some explaining to do.  

Walking through the entrance the three undead women saw a fire burning and a quartet of ruffians cooking an unknown variety of meats over the flames.  Obviously bandits of some sort, Avarice called out to them, demanding that they leave Muridae Manor.  The ruffians shouted back that they were hired by the "old codger" that lived inside, and that they were his protection.  Avarice explained that if they worked for the Nester, they now worked for her, for she was the true owner of the estate.  When the men demanded coin for their patience, Avarice simply scoffed "no" (although she pronounced it "nee-oh".)  The ruffians didn't quite like this response, so with spear and club in hand they each stood up.  Avarice was pleased to remove her mask, showing a mummified face covered in grotesque bandages.  

"Accursed!" shouted the leader of the bandits, as he charged forward with his men to attack.  As fast as they were, they were nowhere near as fast as Adelaide and Annaria.  The shade quickly became incorporeal and passed into the ground below the bandits' feet while the dhampir leapt onto a nearby rooftop while drawing her crossbow.  The bandit leader began to swing his club when he was shot with one of Annaria's crossbow-bolts, but his other three men still continued the attack.  Annaria was sliced by a thrown spear, and Avarice was hit in the leg by a ruffian's club.  The bandits thought they had the better of the Witchmarked trio until Adelaide sprung up from the ground below their feet and shot one with a pistol at point blank range.  A second, the leader, fell to Annaria's musket just after pulling a bolt from his shoulder.  Avarice easily dispatched the last two bandits, slicing down one with her longsword while stabbing a second in the mouth with her heavy rapier.  

While the three Avernus women cleaned up the mess, an old man emerged from Muridae Manor.  He squabbled a bit with Avarice when he realized that the mummy was his sister.  Unfazed by his sibling's transformation, Uncle Nester begrudgingly handed over control of the estate to Avarice but gave her one warning.

"There are rats in the walls…"  

Quotes

"Are you my mummy?" - Adelaide to Avarice

"I'm bettin' I don't smell good if it's hot out." - Jen wasn't sure how her wrapped body would hold up in the summer.  

"Lip winning tool?" - Evie was pretty tired and was trying to read her list of hindrances, one of which was "Unwitting Tool"

"You're that dude from the movie… the one that stabs people in the head." - Carrie to her mother, referencing "Olympus has Fallen," after Avarice took down two ruffians at once.  

"I guess we took out the trash." - Mommy about the ruffians.  

Savage Worlds - Weird Wars Rome - Caesar Ascending - Session 4

August 52 BC, Alesia, Gaul

Adventure Summary:

Before leading his men up Mount Rea, Paulus wanted to see if silver edged weapons could possibly cause more damage to the lycanthropes that were tearing Caesar's army asunder.  Not sure where he heard that silver could be an effective agent (perhaps it was the old Roman deity "Meta Game"), Paulus conducted some tests and verified his hypothesis.  At the same time Xarax received a vision during the preparations that foretold of cold-forged iron being the material that most likely hurt the werewolves.  He tried to convince the rest of the party to have those materials brought forward, but Paulus declined.  Since there were only a few craftsmen in the Roman fortress capable of creating the necessary weapons, however, Paulus had to make a choice: craft enough weapons for his entire century, or just the party.  The newly appointed centurion didn't want to wait until evening to travel to the druid's shrine, and therefore just had spears and javelins made for his elite soldiers (the adventuring party) and let the men carry their regular gear.  This let the unit leave just after lunch.  Centurion Paulus had 80 men in his unit, not counting the party. 30 legionaries, 30 auxilia cohortes, and 20 auxilia skirmishers.  

The century started by traveling through the valley in which the party fled the previous day. Although still relatively early in the day, Paulus, Xarax, Matityahu, Aurelia, and Manicus were all rather tied, having not slept the night before.  Still, they were alert as the 80+ men (and woman) moved into the rocky valley just before the Mount Rea trail.  As the canopy of the forest closed in above them, the Romans heard the howls of wolves all around them.  Xarax, mounted on horseback, tried to see where the sounds were coming from, and was shocked to see that the vicious canines were closing in from all directions!  Paulus ordered his skirmishers to lob their javelins, which easily pierced the hides of the non-lycanthropic wolves.  Still, there were 60 wolves, and when they crashed into the Romans, they tore right through the lorica segmenta armor and chewed flesh.  By the time the wolves were vanquished, nearly a quarter of Paulus' unit lay dead.  It was not a good omen.

Centurion Paulus continued to march his century up the path towards the Lady of the Fang's standing stone shrine, with no attempt to hide or disguise his intent.  So it was no surprise that standing in front of his eight units was a small contingent of wolf-men hybrids, also in military formation near the summit of the mountain top.  Xarax couldn't spy any of the much larger Gallic Wolves of War, but it also was still daylight, and the party deduced that these monstrosities could not appear when the sun was up.  Paulus led his men in a slow march towards the wolf-men, hoping that Roman discipline and tactics would prevail.

The Centurion was wrong.

Twenty minutes later, Paulus's men, or what was left of them, were fleeing back down the mountain.  Only a few dozen remains, the rest scattered in pieces all along the trail.  Without silvered weapons, the legionaries and auxilia were no match for the wolf-men.  It is worth noting that the cold-forged iron arrows that were made just for Xarax were absolutely worthless.  Paulus and the rest of the party were hidden on the side of the trail, and watched in horror as nearly seventy wolf-men went racing down the hill to pick of retreating Romans.  Paulus swallowed hard… it was most likely that he would not retain his title of "Centurion" after this incident.  Even still, the party decided to move forward with their mission to destroy the shrine and the Lady of the Fang.  Xarax guessed that the cliff face the party stood next to would lead right to the shrine.  The Parthian horse-thief climbed the rocks easily the entire 100 feet and scouted the area around the shrine.  There were four wolf-men performing a ritual at the standing stones, two much larger wolf-men standing in the water, and eight normal human guards standing watch.  Xarax guesses that the Lady of the Fang was still in the water, where she had been the first time she was encountered.

Xarax tied off a rope so that the rest of the party could climb up, and then he hatched a plan.  The horse-thief would charge out and get the attention of the guards, while running back down the trail.  Hopefully the guards would follow and the rest of the party could pick off the wolf-men.  Not taking any chances, Paulus prayed to Mithras so that all of the party's weapons were capable of "smiting" the werewolves.  Moving quickly Xarax set off the trap!  

The Parthian charged out screaming and then ran towards the woods while Manicus and Paulus lobbed pila and Matityahu ensnared one of the wolf men with his net.  Only three human guards chased Xarax, throwing javelins at him while they ran, leaving the rest of the party to handle six werewolves and four guards.  Luckily the individual skill of Paulus' elite unit was effective at dealing with the werewolf threat.  Rather than clustering together, Paulus had the team split up.  The centurion held the center, pinning down two of the wolf-men with his sword and shield style, Matityahu to his rear doing the same with one of the greater wolf-men.  Manicus stood next to Aurelia to receive healing prayers while dealing with the remaining greater wolf-man.  The party was mostly successful in their attacks, although they were taking significant damage.

And then the Lady of the Fang showed up.  Her words were capable of charming opponents with very little ability to defend, and she could not be attacked directly by the Romans, but Aurelia's ability to cause fear worked quite nicely on the druid.  The Lady was not without defenses tough.  She had Aurelia heal one of her own werewolves, and commanded Matityahu with letting one of her wolf-men go free.  But the wily Xarax had a nasty plan up his sleeve again.  The Parthian could not aim at the Lady of the Fang due to her charming magic, but he could aim at Matityahu was behind her.  Hoping to miss his "actual" target and hit his "intended" target, Xarax was successful in pinning an arrow to the Lady of the Fang by... accident.

After getting hit once, the Lady became more defensive.  Her aura of charming was still difficult to contend with, however, so Paulus decided to turn it off.  The centurion prayed to Mithras to dispel the Lady's magicks, and his prayer was answered!  The Lady was now easy pickings for the Romans, and Manicus the Triari Legionary charged her and impaled her with his spear.  The remaining Gallic forces fled the scene, and with the Lady of the Fang laying dead and defiled, the time of the werewolves was over.  The Gallic forces encircling the Romans down in Alesia were briefly routed by Caesar, and while his legions were not numerous enough to lay siege to the Gaul city, the great Roman general vowed to return.  Paulus hoped that Centurion Vorenus of the Twilight Legion would take into account his victory over the Gallic Werewolves at his upcoming trial over losing his first century so quickly after receiving it.  

Quotes:

"I don't think we should waste too much time." - Paulus chose not to outfit his troops in silver weapons.

"I do a cheer for Craig for being a good leader!" - Frank tried to figure out a way to inspire the century when fighting the wolves.

"She's gonna be legless!" - Frank mocks Jim, who said that one of the mooks lost his legs due to taking too much damage from a sling stone.  Toughness of 6 and over 25 damage.  Made sense at the time.  

Cast of Characters:

Paulus Treblanus Epolonius - Decanus, Seasoned

- Agility: d6,  Smarts: d8,  Spirit: d8,  Strength: d8,  Vigor: d6

- Edges:  Rank, Shield Wall, Command, Arcane Background: Cult of Mithras

- Hindrances:  Code of Honor, Loyal, Vow: Twilight Legion

- Skills:  Fighting d8, Throwing d6, Knowledge: Battle d6, Intimidate d6, Faith d6, Survival d4, Stealth d6

- Powers:  Smite, Dispel

Manicus Atilus Damaticus- Roman Legionary, Seasoned

- Agility: d6,  Smarts: d6,  Spirit: d6,  Strength: d8,  Vigor: d10

- Edges:  Brawny, Shield Wall, Berserk, Counterattack

- Hindrances:  Touched, Shirker, Death Wish

- Skills:  Fighting d12, Throwing d8, Notice d4, Swimming d4, Climbing d6, Riding d4

Aurelia - Priestess of Mithras, Seasoned

- Agility: d8,  Smarts: d8,  Spirit: d10,  Strength: d4,  Vigor: d6

- Edges:  Arcane Background: Cult of Mithras, Power Points, New Power

- Hindrances: Small, Big Mouth, Loyal (Paulus)

- Skills:  Fighting d6, Shooting d8, Healing d6, Persuasion d8, Riding d6, Faith d10, Language (Gallic) d4

- Powers:  Healing, Fear, Stun, Boost/Lower Trait

Xarax - Auxilia Horse Thief, Seasoned

- Agility: d10,  Smarts: d8,  Spirit: d4,  Strength: d6,  Vigor: d6

- Edges:  Fleet-Footed, Marksman, Thief

- Hindrances:  Foreigner, Wanted, Delusional

- Skills:  Climbing d6, Notice d6, Riding d8, Shooting d10, Stealth d8, Tracking d6, Lockpicking d6, Fighting d4

Matityahu ben Sim'on - Ex-Gladiator, Seasoned

- Agility: d10,  Smarts: d4,  Spirit: d6,  Strength: d10,  Vigor: d6

- Edges:  Brave, First Strike, Quick, Extraction

- Hindrances:  Foreigner, Enemy (Apophis the Gladiator), Illiterate

- Skills:  Climbing d6, Fighting d10, Intimidation d6, Riding d6, Streetwise d4, Swimming d4, Throwing d10, Language (Aramaic) d4

#TBT Campaign - 2009 D&D 3.5 Ravenloft - Session 1

Ravenloft: Luminaire

A little backstory to start off this Throwback Thursday feature.  Like many gamers, some of the best gaming of my entire life occurred when I was in middle school and high school.  Long overnighters spent huddled around pizza boxes, Top Pop dollar store soda, and greasy polyhedrals.  Although I live in the Western Pennsylvania, I am originally from Levittown, about 45 minutes north of Philadelphia.  After finishing college at Penn State I settled down with my wife in suburban Pittsburgh and had to find a whole new cadre of gamers.  Although I would've loved to play with my old friends from back on the eastern side of the state, the technology in the early 2000's just wasn't adequate enough to facilitate a real gaming experience.  We tried WebRPG and OpenRPG, but the idea of typing all the dialogue was brutal.  

In 2009 technology finally caught up with us.  I had recently joined Facebook and reconnected with friends who I hadn't talked to in years, many of which spent time in my AD&D 2nd Edition campaigns.  My brother Tom, and good friends Cone, Randy, and Joe-Pat all agreed to join an online Ravenloft campaign using the D&D 3.5 ruleset.  We found Skype for VOIP, but were still a bit hazy on what kind of virtual tabletop to run.  Although we would eventually find Maptool, we started our campaign with a virtual whiteboard called "Twiddla".  So without further ado, here is the session report from our very first endeavor… 

The First Test

Characters

• Rahotep, Human Cleric played by Tom
• Garrett Jax, Gnome Rogue/Wizard played by Cone
• Nathaniel, Half-Elf Ranger played by Joe-Pat
• Barth, Caliban (Half-Orc) Barbarian played by Randy

Journal Date:  4th - 5th Days of Twelfth-Month, the year 754

On a soft mossy bed, four strangers awoke with few possessions and completely no idea where they were.  There was Rahotep Salidji Mdjai, a priest of the Akiri sun god Ra.  There was Garrett Jax, a gnomish semi-pro filcher and cat burglar.  There was Barth Windence, a large three horned caliban that rippled with mismatched muscles.  And finally there was Nathaniel Tenpenny, a half-elf ranger who was a little emotionally disturbed.

The characters quickly discovered that they were near a road leading south to a large city, and that night was falling.  As they set upon the trail to the south, Garrett careful to follow just beyond the tree line, the group saw a large horse coming upon them from the north.  The rider on the horse, a woodsman and hunter named Maximillian Franc, feared at first that the characters were refugees from Falkovnia to the north, a land that he described as bitter and brutal, full of great oppression.  The characters explained otherwise, and asked what land they were in.  Max explained that the characters were in the land of Richemulot, and that the city to the south was Pont-a-Museau.  He offered to meet the characters later at a tavern called the Uninvited Wench on the eastern shore of town.  

Before the characters entered the great city that spanned two banks, they saw a small wagon and encampment outside of town.  Approaching the wagon, a lovely Vistani woman called out to them, saying that she knew who was looking for them.  As all of the characters had been approached by a gentleman knight wearing the symbol of an Akiri god, the fact that she described this very same man was somewhat reassuring that they were going in the right direction.  Miss Zhora offered to tell the fortunes of the characters.  

Rahotep was immediately disturbed by this prospect.  Fortune telling was evil, wicked, and not of Ra.  Although he offered at first to preach the goodness of the sun deity, he was not given adequate opportunity, as Barth and Nathaniel were kicking around the idea of having their fortunes told.  Although the caliban backed out (fearing the potential magicks that this woman could produce with her cards), Nathaniel could not resist.  He pulled the "Begger" card.  Quickly Miss Zhora asked the half-elf if he was rich.  When he stated that he was, she let out a soft groan.  The beggar card, she explained, foretold of a quick change in economic condition.  It was not necessarily an evil card, but it was not a fortunate one either.  

While the fortune telling was going on, Garrett could not suppress his inner need to steal from the gypsy woman.  Let it be recorded that I, Jim, the Dungeon Master, have been DMing Ravenloft for about 15 years total.  Never, in recorded game time have I ever witnessed a character steal from the Vistani.  

This was an epic first... and an epic fail.  

Garrett climbed onto the front of the cart, where Zhora could not see.  He slowly reached his hand past the curtained window, and felt some beads.  But before he could pull them into his purse, he was caught by the Vistani seer!  Quickly she cursed him, telling him that she would not live her life fearful and paranoid of others, but that he would instead.  Cursed now with rampant paranoia, Garrett walked away empty handed from the cart.  The party took this as a good sign to enter town.

The city of Pont-a-Museau is a river city, full of canals, island districts, and boats offering access to both sides of town.  The characters decided to search out the Uninvited Wench first after entering town.  It did not take long to find, and soon the characters were sitting in the warm comfort of a local tavern.  Maximillian was inside, and offered drink to Garrett, Nathaniel, and Rahotep (who pretended to sip the ale, but refrained from actual consumption lest his deity strike him down with holy rays of death).  Looking for the "good stuff", Barth bellied up to the bar and asked for the strongest drink that they had.  As he swallowed he realized that he had not a coin on himself.  And so would begin the greatest standoff that ever occurred in the bar.  The barkeep wanted his money but was far too afraid to ask the caliban to pay up.  

During the party's interaction with Max the name "Luminaire" came up, the group that was trying to recruit the party.  Max hadn't heard of this group, but the party caught on that a halfling in the bar was listening in on their conversation.  Barth was getting a panic attack.  Knowing that he had to pay up, he faked passing out and collapsed onto the floor.  All eyes in the room turned to the caliban, who did not let up on his ruse.  When the halfling finally left, after the characters tried to convince him to pay for Barth's tab, Garrett followed him quietly, and Rahotep followed him not so quietly.  Barth was getting a panic attack.  Knowing that he had to pay up, he faked passing out and collapsed onto the floor.  

Eventually the party convinced Maximillian to pay for the drink, which he did hesitantly, somewhat sad that his new friends just wanted money.  Barth immediately rose from the dead, and thought it best to get out of the bar (not before rethinking having another beverage).  Outside of the tavern Barth promised the woodsman that he would pay him back in service immediately.  Max thought it over and decided that Barth could give him services as a weaponsmith.  It was at that time that Rahotep appeared.  Apparently Garrett had followed the halfling back to Raimond's butcher shop.  Now with a lead to this strange fellow that was all too interested in the party's business, the group decided to assist Garrett in the investigation of the butcher's shop.  Barth turned to Maximillian, and like a real jerk told the woodsman that his immediate assistance would have to come at a future time.  Typical, the woodsman thought.

Inside the butcher's shop, which was in the middle of closing, Garrett was able to hear the halfling tell the butcher that "they were here" (obviously the characters).  Stalking the back of the townhouse row, Garrett figured out where the rear of the butcher's shop was.  Now with the rest of the party, the group's stealth masters Nathaniel and Garrett were able to listen in on some conversations from the second story window.  There were now three individuals interested in what the characters were doing.  Unfortunately, no one was listening to the door downstairs, as the butcher decided that it was a good time to go out into the alley and clean off his trays in the street.  

Now facing a somewhat confused butcher, was a half-elf, a gnome, a caliban with three mismatched horns, and an egyptian lookin' guy.  The party decided that the only course of action (for a good aligned party) was to mug the butcher.  Quickly Nathaniel tried to tackle him, while Barth and Garrett laid into him with fists of fury.  Pinned by the half-elf on the steps of the butcher's shop, Rahotep stepped in to heal the man, but not before Barth put the absolute fear of the gods in the man with the most terrifying intimidation ever.  Before the characters could get anything useful out of him, however, a large man with a sword appeared at the top of the stairs.  "Come with me..."

The party, convinced that something bad was going to happen, followed the large armed man back to another townhouse a few blocks away.  Inside was Brandt, the noble knight who had first recruited the characters.  Brandt explained that the party's ability to enter town without equipment or money, and find his society called Luminaire was the first test of three required for entrance into the most secret of societies.  Although Brandt was somewhat dissapointed that the characters were not 100% quiet about their investigating, he was happy that they only took a few hours to find him.  


Brandt moved on to explain that Luminaire was an elite society of monster hunters, and that the party was recruited for both their current talents, but more importantly their future potential.  The first test passed, Brandt told the characters to get some rest before the second test.  The next morning Brandt brought the characters into a room with four coffins.  Brandt explained that for this second test, the characters would be locked into the coffins and taken to a place of darkness, where they would have to survive the night and return to the city the next morning.  One by one the characters entered the enveloping darkness of a pine box.