Date: 5 November 1624
Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent
Moon Face: Plain
Moon Face: Plain
Zenith Deity: Minerva
Returning Characters:
- Bulgur, Son of Borgar. Barbarian. Has gained the ability to create Chaos Bursts when forced to Save vs Chaos.
- Manrat Snels. Ratman. A throwback to a former era when the lines between Rat and Man were blurred.
- Nines. Inheritor. Ever-hungry. Has eaten a Hobgoblin and can now create minions.
- Nines. Inheritor. Ever-hungry. Has eaten a Hobgoblin and can now create minions.
- Zeppelino. Mad inventor Goblin of the classic type.
New Backstory:
- Nines was once very overweight due to his love of food, fitting for an Inheritor! +2 HP when you eat to heal.
- Bulgur's favourite calf died too young, rustled by some post-apocalyptic cattle wrestlers. Bulgur sought vengeance, cursing their names! Deal double damage against creatures that have killed a PC this session.
- Bulgur's favourite calf died too young, rustled by some post-apocalyptic cattle wrestlers. Bulgur sought vengeance, cursing their names! Deal double damage against creatures that have killed a PC this session.
- Manrat Snels was huddling in a cave when a Goblin came in seeking shelter. Manrat waited for the Goblin to fall asleep... then killed and ate it! +1 die size to damage the first time you hit a foe.
Events:
--- The Cat's Away
- We rejoin the party in the Halfling polity of Bunkertown, where they recently succeeded in defeating Halloween nonsense!
- This part of Bunkertown is the less ruthless side - Westerling. Unlike the xenophobic industrialists of Northfell, Westerling is welcoming to outsiders. Perhaps suspiciously so. To the west are the vast fields of wheat that make up Easthollow.
- Wait a second... wheat?? Growing here in the wastes? Despite the poison storms and all the rest? Hmmm.
- This part of Bunkertown is the less ruthless side - Westerling. Unlike the xenophobic industrialists of Northfell, Westerling is welcoming to outsiders. Perhaps suspiciously so. To the west are the vast fields of wheat that make up Easthollow.
- Wait a second... wheat?? Growing here in the wastes? Despite the poison storms and all the rest? Hmmm.
- They head towards the wheat and come across a fat human "Doubling" boy called Augustus playing with Halfling children. Adult Halflings look on, and all note the party's "minder", Gaius, is no longer present. Maybe they're available!
- They continue on and come to the edge of the wheat field. The sunrise shimmers across the wheat. Glass greenhouse domes are scattered across the field, and where the sunrise touches them they shine blindingly bright.
- Zeppelino examines the grains and discovers that it's all fake! Some kind of long red fungus painted like wheat with paint and glitter and covered with a pale glaze!
- They ask the gathered Halflings what the point of all this is, and they say that the real food (meat) is grown in the domes - the wheat is a fun activity for children. Why wheat? Well, there was this idea going around, an idea of wheat?
- By the way the fields are off-limits at the moment. There's an evil cult out there stealing children who wander too deep into the wheat.
--- The Green Dragon
- Someone mentions the nearby inn, the Green Dragon, and Bulgur's ears prick up! A pub! It might be sunrise but it's always 5 o'clock somewhere right?
- On the way, Nines notices that there are manhole covers at every cross-street. Embossed on the metal are the words "rigged to blow". He asks their guide about that, and he says that these streets are all indeed rigged to blow. The whole town can be destroyed if necessary - a countermeasure against dangerous interlopers or an uprising from the Doubling staff.
- The pub itself has two levels. A lower Halfling-height pub for the Halflings, and a sort of higher mezzanine for Doublings whose heads stick up above that level. Of course they only sell half-pints in the lower level, so it's good to be tall!
- They get some ales and ask after food, Bulgur mentions high tea. There is indeed high tea... a variety of Otherpot varietals! Zeppelino selects a nice Banana Kush from the options presented by the weed sommelier and passes the spliff around. It gives everyone an insight into everyone else's motivations, and also makes everyone very peaceful.
- Nines wasn't up for getting high so went off to see if he could find an entry to the tunnels that must be beneath. Alas, no. These hobbit holes don't even have lower levels as far as he can tell.
--- Waddler
- Manrat looks around the room and sees - wow! - a mysterious hooded Halfling man in the corner of the pub. Real quest giver vibes. They head over and he reveals that he's ridiculously handsome. They call him... Waddler.
- He says that this is usually part of the experience - outsiders come in, have a nice telegraphed adventure, and leave the town without messing anything up. It's a way for the Halflings to stay safe and unmolested by outside people.
- However he's not doing that this time. He wants the party to kill an Aldermen of Northfell who has his finger on the button that can blow Westerling to smithereens! It's meant to be for the safety of the Halflings, but this corrupt Alderman is using the threat to extort people!
- He also tells them that the usual system is to put potential assassins through "training" wherein they become more susceptible to mind-control in exchange for some cool magic items. Since he's going around the usual protocol though, he gives them the choice. Also the food here is laced with a mild dose of the susceptibility drugs... he can't do much about that.
- He also tells them that the usual system is to put potential assassins through "training" wherein they become more susceptible to mind-control in exchange for some cool magic items. Since he's going around the usual protocol though, he gives them the choice. Also the food here is laced with a mild dose of the susceptibility drugs... he can't do much about that.
- Bulgur considers undergoing "training" if it means the Halflings will release their human "staff" from mind control, and is informed that the humans here actually aren't controlled directly. They might think they are, but it's actually a serfdom situation where they're tied to the land.
- For some reason the idea of the Bermuda Heron is mentioned - an enormous heron that eats ships on Atlantic shipping lanes. Add to canon!
--- The First Target
- That decided, Waddler gives them their first target - the Alderman whose name is Bertio. He's due to be at the milliner in Northfell tomorrow.
- They also ask about this cult in the wheat fields. It's not Waddler's remit, but he knows that they're called the Cult of the Green Skull and have taken over a greenhouse dome out there.
- Waddler heads home and leaves the party to chew over their mission. All decide to eat leftovers other than Bulgur, who is happy to discover that the meat in Beef Ragout is real beef!
- They head out because they don't want to miss their assassination window. It might seem morally dubious but everyone's pretty on board with killing any and all Halflings, since the vibes in every part of this town are broadly fucked in specific ways
- On the way towards Northfell, Bulgur hails a human woman working on Smallfoot street. He asks her if she's happy here and discovers that she's clearly indoctrinated into thinking living here is normal. It's better than being out in the Wastes, you see, and she has stuff to do, so it's not that bad you know?
- Bulgur tells her about the Wheatlands. You could do the same stuff but under a Lord, not a mere Halfling! She's kinda into it! Where are the Wheatlands? Uhhhhhh... south west across the river? From here? Probably? She says she'll prepare!
--- Murder Time
- The party creep through Northfell following the directions they were given. Zeppelino is in a hood to make him seem like a hooded Halfling. The plan as is is to kill the Milliner and have Nines transform into him, then kill the Alderman when he comes in for his appointment.
- They approach and see that there's already stuff going on - a Doubling has collapsed while pulling a cart down the street to the market, to the consternation of his Halfling master! It's right near the Milliner's shop, so this will have to be dealt with.
- They approach and see that there's already stuff going on - a Doubling has collapsed while pulling a cart down the street to the market, to the consternation of his Halfling master! It's right near the Milliner's shop, so this will have to be dealt with.
- Zeppelino pretends to be a Halfling and offers the services of his minion, Bulgur, to pull the cart to the market. He is cautioned that the orbs of black slime in the cart are volatile, but if Bulgur is gentle it should be fine.
- Meanwhile, Nines enters the Milliner's shop under the pretense of picking up some items and meets the Milliner himself. The Milliner is confused and goes to look in his ledger, and Nines shanks him between the upper vertebrae with his wrist-knife. Nines collapses into mud and flesh and begins to digest the shopkeeper!
- Meanwhile, Nines enters the Milliner's shop under the pretense of picking up some items and meets the Milliner himself. The Milliner is confused and goes to look in his ledger, and Nines shanks him between the upper vertebrae with his wrist-knife. Nines collapses into mud and flesh and begins to digest the shopkeeper!
- Bulgur reaches the market and leaves the cart. The Halfling master, named Sebastian, tells him to thank his master for his service, very lovely of him under the circumstances.
- Bulgur returns to the collapsed fellow Doubling, learns his name is Bjorn, and shows him kindness. Bjorn is very confused, but grateful, and reveals he's been a mind-slave for 20 years at this point. His master often overworks him.
- Sebastian returns and browbeats Bjorn. Bulgur looks on, anger building. And then...
- Nines in Milliner form steps in and shanks Sebastian in the neck! Bjorn collapses, mind finally free, and they bundle Sebastian's corpse and Bjorn into the milliner's for now!
- Nines realises he can combine his Hobgoblin powers with his form-stealing powers to create copies of forms he's stolen... a plan forms!
- Bulgur returns to the collapsed fellow Doubling, learns his name is Bjorn, and shows him kindness. Bjorn is very confused, but grateful, and reveals he's been a mind-slave for 20 years at this point. His master often overworks him.
- Sebastian returns and browbeats Bjorn. Bulgur looks on, anger building. And then...
- Nines in Milliner form steps in and shanks Sebastian in the neck! Bjorn collapses, mind finally free, and they bundle Sebastian's corpse and Bjorn into the milliner's for now!
- Nines realises he can combine his Hobgoblin powers with his form-stealing powers to create copies of forms he's stolen... a plan forms!
- They hide Sebastian's corpse and lay Bjorn down on the nice bed in the back of the shop. The bed is overlooked by a horrible cage - clearly a punishment chamber for recalcitrant doublings. But hey - a bed!
- They scheme about how they'll kill the Alderman tomorrow. They've got a false Milliner, they've got weapons. Should be easy, right?
Total: 6000 exp
Murders:
- A Halfling Milliner (5 exp)
- A Halfling Master (5 exp)
Total: 10 exp
- A Halfling Master (5 exp)
Total: 10 exp
Roles:
- Carter the Chronicler, Cartographer, and Quartermaster (300 exp/level)
- Kitty the Expedition Leader (100 exp/level)
- Charles the Paymaster and Chef (200 exp/level)
- George the Vanguard (100 exp/level)
- George the Vanguard (100 exp/level)
Exp Totals:
- Carter / Nines, Level 4 Inheritor: 9018 (Level up at 18000)
Level Up! +1d6 HP! +1 to Saves! +1 Meat Point! +Backstory!
- Kitty / Bulgur, Son of Borgar, Level 4 Barbarian: 8118 (Level up at 16000)
Level Up! +1d8 HP! +1 to Saves! +Barbarian Power! +Backstory!
- George / Manrat Snels, Level 3 Ratman: 5443 (Level up at 7000)
Level Up! +1d6 HP! +1 to Saves! A whole 9 Rats wow! +Backstory!
- Charles / Zeppelino, Level 2 Goblin: 3959 (Level up at 4000)
Level Up! +1d6 HP! +1 to Saves! +1 Buddy! +Backstory!
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