Session 161 - Unite Us!

What a session! Who knew that being beloved saviours of a city could come in handy some day?

The sundry factions of New Rakedin, so untrusting of each other, are now united under the Dragon Ninhursag and his apocalypse cult!

This is pretty late again so I'm sending it out IMMEDIATELY. I guess that's what happens if you spend all weekend drinking.

Unfortunately my laptop seems to be refusing to allow me to charge it, so hopefully I'll have enough power to get through a session. Wish me luck. And see you tonight!

Session 161 - Unite Us!

Campaign Date:

Sunday, 7 November, 1600

Moon Phase: Third Quarter

Zodiac: Ophiuchus

New Backstory:

- The evil wizard who infiltrated Nix's family had concocted a dark and secretive experimental ritual. Nix shut it down, but ended up getting the blame! (Take half damage from traps other players set off)
- Coalminer Dan found the strange glowing meteorite in that cave and heard it speak inside his mind - "GIVE ME YOUR FLESH, HUMAN! I DEMAND IT!" (Once per session, cast a random spell)

Enemies Defeated:

- 4 very drunk ratmen (40 exp)

Total: 40 exp

Treasure and Equipment:

- Nix joined the Drakencult of Ninhursag!

Total: 0 exp

Exploration:

- First party to visit New Rakedin (400 exp)
- Travelled 24 or so miles (80 exp)

Total: 480 exp

Events:

- POWERLAD, newly minted scion of Ninhursag, falls out of the sky trailing electricity. He smashes into the ground in a classic superhero three-point landing. Luckily the rest of the party is conveniently close by and jogs on over. (50 exp)
- It's time to go north and see what Castigate Pox and RISEN are up to, since they know that they've been begrudgingly forced into an alliance by circumstance. (50 exp)
- As they leave Moondin behind, they see a man nailed to a tree by arrows. He's still breathing, barely, and has the obvious marks of an ex-mould junkie pocking his skin. (50 exp)
- Galaxy Johnson flares up a healing glyph to keep him stable while the arrows are snapped off and he is pulled off the tree. He's alive! Galaxy Johnson teaches him how to power runes and tells him to keep the heal beam on himself until they reach a doctor. (50 exp)

- The guy's name is Keith, and Galaxy Johnson helps him stumble onwards until the group reach the town of Crossroad. Or at least it used to be called Crossroad, now it's fortified with wooden palisades and has "New Rakedin" on a banner above the gate! (50 exp)
- The palisades have clearly been hastily erected from scavenged wood, doors, and rope. Archers stand guard around the top, and ghouls have been chained around the outside for defence. Somewhat defaced RISEN propaganda is plastered to the walls. (50 exp)

- A soldier hails the party from atop the wall, telling them to come in before more Dead arrive. Inside, it looks like the revolutionary RISEN faction and Castigate's Rebel Dead are in an uneasy alliance. Nobody fraternises with the other faction, and tensions are high. (50 exp)
- The soldier's name is also Keith, and he takes the injured Keith to the church to be hospitalised. Keiths gotta stick together. (50 exp)
- Making smalltalk, Galaxy asks a RISEN member where Castigate Pox is. He says he doesn't care. Andromeda's whereabouts are inquired into, but nobody's seen her for months. (50 exp)
- Bertha looks around for a Necromancer and finds one. When the Necromancer finds out that she's THE Bertha, and that's THE POWERLAD, and that's THE Nix, she's so so excited. She asks whether they're "together" together, and Bertha retorts that they are indeed happily married thank you very much. (50 exp)
- The Necromancer, whose name is Marie, leads the group towards Castigate's HQ. It becomes apparent that she's a massive fan of the POWERLAD and Bertha series of erotic novels. They're "pretty electric, if you know what I mean". Bertha is mildly embarrassed, but she's got nothing on POWERLAD. (50 exp)
- All too soon they reach Castigate's place - a disused pub. The new Rebel Dead symbol, the Duvan'Ku Dead Sign with a slash through it, has been drawn over the original pub sign. (50 exp)
- Inside it is sombre and dusty. Castigate begins to ask who would dare interrupt his work, then sees who it is! POWERLAD! Nix! Bertha! It's been so long! (50 exp)

- It's been a trying time. Between the vanishing of the mould, the rise of the dragon in Moondin, Final Dogma, he's been managing quite the refugee crisis. (50 exp)
- Also he has had scattered reports about the angels falling from the heavens. At the very least they seem to be attacking the tentacles, but not much is known (50 exp)
- POWERLAD starts straight up proselytising about the merits of worshipping Ninhursag. Become an ally of the dragon! It's better than entire planetary destruction! Plus on the down low, there's evidence that dragons can be killed. (50 exp)
- Castigate doesn't believe them, until he is shown that the dead dragon's rune can be powered but doesn't do anything. (50 exp)
- Galaxy Johnson starts carving runes into rocks so that the town will be armed. Nix spends some time on a map, while POWERLAD and Bertha go around giving alms and heal beams to the sick in the church. (50 exp)

- The priestess seems veeeery interested in POWERLAD, going so far as to offer him her room, if he needs it... (50 exp)
- Bertha steps in to pointedly ask that she and POWERLAD, her husband, share the room. The priestess acquiesces, sighing, and shows them the room. It's got a ton of POWERLAD erotic novels in it. POWERLAD opens a book and blushes furiously, but it is very educational (50 exp)

- Nix has headed to the guarded city quarter where the armed prostitutes have set up shop. They recognise Nix, and take her to their leader. They ask Nix for advice, they don't know what to do! (50 exp)
- She advises them to work with the Necromancers, but never live under them like before. Common cause, enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. (50 exp)
- Bertha and POWERLAD decide to try to make a big speech to unify the people of New Rakedin, hopefully under the aegis of Ninhursag. They spend the evening writing it. (50 exp)
- That same evening, Galaxy Johnson's rolling around in some thatch under the moonlight, getting ready for his elf madness to kick in. He hears shouting from the palisade. He slides creepily up the wall, scaring the shit out of some poor guards! (50 exp)
- They nearly shoot at him, but Keith the soldier from earlier recognises him and lets him up. Galaxy Johnson looks out across a sea of fog that's rolling in right up to the walls, to the shock of the guards. (50 exp)
- Galaxy passes around some Explosion and Light beams to the guards and shows them how to use them. They're very impressed. (50 exp)
- There is a glow in the distance and an angelic chorus as a beam of light blasts down from the heavens, presumably frying some far-off tentacle. (50 exp)
- Galaxy Johnson can feel his elf madness coming on, so he takes his leave before he makes it too obvious that he's a creepy alien fae from another planet. (50 exp)
- He creeps and cavorts through the thatch, while elsewhere in the town Nix has met up with Bertha to be sold on worshipping Ninhursag in place of/in addition to Ereshkigal. It works! Nix is inducted into the cult, and is now bonded to TWO dragons. Playing the field! (50 exp)
- Morning arrives, and POWERLAD has gotten over his speech nerves by throwing up a few times. Poor kid. Everyone else has informed the townspeople of all factions to come see POWERLAD give a speech at the church later. (50 exp)
- At midday, it happens! Castigate Pox gives a short introduction, then POWERLAD takes the stage with an inspiring speech about sticking together against a common foe, as Rake would have wanted. (50 exp)
- Then he pivots to selling the crowd on the cult of Ninhursag, especially because the power of the runes comes from dragons. Join forces with the dragon and we can defeat the tentacles together! (50 exp)
- Galaxy Johnson butts in with "AND WEED IS NOW LEGAL!" which is one of my favourite running gags, flicking joints into the crowd. (50 exp)
- A very much sold Keith is inducted into Ninhursag's Drakencult in front of the crowd via an earth rune drawn in dirt on his forehead. Galaxy Johnson gives him an Enlarge glyph and he does indeed get bigger! Amazing! (50 exp)
- This sets off a chain reaction, and soon POWERLAD is baptising the whole town! Such is the power of Ninhursag flowing through him that he bonds closer to the dragon, gaining the ability to sense beating hearts through walls and see circulatory systems in people's bodies. (50 exp)
- Even Castigate Pox gets in on the action, thanking POWERLAD and saying that unity is indeed what Rake would have wanted. He was very moved by the speech. (50 exp)

- It's the perfect time to party! Carousing begins, and Castigate even makes an appearance at the festivities. Hurrah! (50 exp)
- Several days of binge drinking and some bad rolls later, the party find themselves in a secret ratman dive bar underground. Suddenly Ratimir pisses of one of the regulars! (50 exp)
- A bar brawl erupts. POWERLAD knocks out the roulette croupier and coins go flying. Galaxy Johnson casts a random spell and fixes his shirt. Ratimir reaches over the bar to pour himself a beer. (50 exp)
- POWERLAD and Bertha doubleteam a rat, but Bertha spares his life in order to gain Ninhursag's favour. Nix sucker-punches the bouncer and knocks him out too. (50 exp)
- The last rat, seemingly suicidally brave, rushes Nix and crits! But it's not good enough when Nix swings the unconscious bouncer's entire body at him! (50 exp)

- Surveying the chaos, it's been a pretty good night! The party continues for several days more. Life is good when you're in a cult's inner circle! (50 exp)

Total: 2100 exp

Misc:

- Balls to the Wall bonus (50 exp)
- Classic Charles bonus (50 exp)
- Diplomancy bonus (50 exp)
- Dramatic Battle bonus (50 exp)

- Fame bonus (50 exp)- Inspiring Speech bonus (50 exp)
- Noblebright bonus (50 exp)
- Politico bonus (50 exp)
- Pundemonium bonus (50 exp)
- Split the Party bonus (50 exp)

Total: 500 exp

Party Roles and Individual Exp:

- Remembrancer (Charles / Galaxy Johnson - 100 exp)

- Caller (James / Ratimir - 100 exp)

- Mapper (Fraser / Nix - 100 exp)

- Treasurer (Fraser / Nix - 100 exp)

- Quartermaster (Kitty / POWERLAD - 100 exp)

- Guard (Kitty / POWERLAD - 100 exp)

- Tracker (Kitty / POWERLAD - 100 exp)

- Chippo Man bonus (Fraser*2 - 200 exp)

- JÜGBRINGYR bonus (Charles, James, Fraser - 500 exp ea.)
- Art Attack bonus (Charles - 100 exp)
- Artapalooza bonus (Charles - 100 exp)

Rumours:

- 

Active Businesses:

- Bone Alone. Wild. 302sp. (Zena's Stake: 201sp, Carrie's Stake: 101sp)

- Honey Healing. Safe. 2034sp. (Nix's Stake: 1696sp. Bertha's Stake: 338sp)

Death Toll and Injuries:

- None!

Exp Totals:

- Fraser / Nix Neckbiter, Level 7 Barbarian: 67140 (Level up at 128000)

--- Devotee of Ereshkigal, Bond 2
--- Devotee of Ninhursag, Bond 2
- Kitty / POWERLAD!, Level 6 Muscle Wizard: 55605 (Level up at 72000)--- Devotee of Ninhursag, Bond 3

- Charles / Galaxy Johnson, Level 4 Elf (Alpdrucke): 15613 (Level up at 24000)
--- Devotee of Ereshkigal, Bond 2

- James / Ratimir, Level 4 Ratman: 10250 (Level up at 12000)

Absent or Retired:
- Tom / Clarence Eclair, Level 3 Specialist: 3040 (Level up at 6000)
- Kitty / Bertha, Level 3 Necromancer: 6731 (Level up at 9000)- Imran / Friar, Level 1 Magic User: 1040 (Level up at 2250)
- Andy / Carrie Meleste, Level 5 Cleric: 25557 (Level up at 28000)

- Yuri / Bjorn Gunnerson, Level 2 Barbarian: 2278 (Level up at 4000)

- Sunni / Larry's Legends, Level 1 Extras: 758 (Level up at 1500)

- Fraser / Tippin, Level 1 Ratman: 1458 (Level up at 1500)

- Charles / Zena, Level 6 Fighter: 41566 (Level up at 64000)

- Tom / Meteor Power Shower, Level 2 Barbarian: 3061 (Level up at 4000)

- Nix's Retainer

--- Huz, Level 0 Hireling

- Tom / Spicy Mac, Level 2 Halfling: 3457 (Level up at 4000)

- Eleanor / Mugg, Level 2 Fighter: 2357 (Level up at 4000)

- Kyle / Gimlass the Brave, Level 2 Dwarf: 2257 (Level up at 4400)

- Amar / Amar's Cleric, Level 1 Cleric: 1413 (Level up at 1750)

- Henry / Henry's Next Character: +2084 exp

- Ollie / Tremendo Picante, Level 2 Ratman: 2654 (Level up at 3000)

- James / Raaf van Held, Level 4 Fighter: 14838 (Level up at 16000)

- Eglė / Bob, Level 1 Dwarf: 434 (Level up at 2200)

- Ollie / Andromeda Spiderbite, Level 5 Muscle Wizard: 19872 (Level up at 36000)

- Will / Cecil Fulbright, Level 5 Cleric (Termaxian): 15063 (Level up at 28000)

- James / William Fox-Shitt, Level 3 Cleric (Zeanist): 4571 (Level up at 7000)