Tuesday, 31 March 2026

Session 446 - Everything He Hoped For

Date: 24 March 1626


Zenith: The Allfather
Moon Phase: First Quarter
Moon Face: Dragon Face (Tidelocked) 

New Characters:
- Goblinda, a Hobgoblin madame who took a particular interest in costumery.|
Masnavi-I-Manavi, Necromancer-Diplomat

New Backstory:
- Hammer Hatmakerson snuck into a party of Necromancer Lords who mocked him for being a dumb serf. Double exp if you fail Carousing roll.

Events:

--- Plans for the Future
- Our heroes are in a pub, flush with victory over some firebombed children. So far so topical. They are considering where to go next. It is a lovely day and they are thus far full of conjecture regarding the ground structure of the Wheatlands, seeing as it is built upon wheat over meat.
- Hammer confirms that the King of this realm is called King Swan. So far so good.

--- The Road North
- They decide to head north to a Sepulchre which is the home of the "Last Shard of the Mountain God", close to the relatively new Dwarf Hold known as Mount Grumblebelch.
- Hammer considers that this may be related to the Old Miner, the ancient Dwarf Satan.
- There is spirited debate over the meaning of "Feudal System". Aline maintains that a Feudal System requires feuding with rival powers, the others insist that Feudalism is defined by class relations. Aline is proven wrong (Feudalism is etymologically related to Latin word for fiefdom - land granted to a beneficiary in exchange for future service) but she grouses for the rest of the trip regardless.
- Hammer insists that there is a secret meaning behind the name of "Little Pushell" but does not deign to furnish this fact on the others. Perhaps the secret will be revealed in 2-3 hours as we pack up.

--- Classic Bandits!
- They take the road north, endless fields of wheat on their right, and.. lo! Real classic bandits! They burst from the head-high wheat, hide their faces behind masks and demand money and/or life! Hammer is delighted.
- Goblinda attempts to seduce the most handsome one, whose bearing is in the sort of upper-middle range where you wouldn't go flirting with him but wouldn't mind him flirting with you. He's not attracted to Goblinda though!
- Aline leaps off her horse (which she's had the whole time) and fumbles. Luckily she's wearing the Blast Armour that explodes on a notch! The horse, the bandit, and all of her friends are thrown backwards by the blast! Goblinda's little goblin minion has a moment of shock before being reduced to atoms.

--- Last Gasp of the Paintress
- The other bandits swarm from the field towards Aline, who barely survives.
- Hammer runs in, weapon aloft, and cleave-cleave-cleaves! Shattered bodies lie in his wake!
- Hammer seizes the Last Breath from the final kill, using the lesson his mentor taught him to raise a bandit as a zombie.
- Aline does the same. Once with a bound spell, easily successful. The second time, at a risk, casting without mana.
- The spell collapses, creates vortices. The second zombie rises as Aline falls into a pile of skin and muscle. Her bones are in the Ghost Dimension, the rest of her gurgles.
- Despite the (to me) obvious fact that this is the end of her story, Aline burbles otherwise. Through spittle and phlegm she orders her zombies to carry her back to town, there to counteract her lack of skeleton.

--- The Refugees of Pus Crack
- The remaining two continue, and soon find themselves at Pus Crack. A great rill in the land, opened up on poisoned and unmoisturised flesh. It splits the road ahead. A horrid mix of pus and blood flow downstream.
- They decide to circumnavigate via the wheat, cutting through and bringing themselves around the tender edge of the world-wound.
- A child laughs. They investigate.
- Hidden in the wheat are several refugees from the demon-ridden city of Edge and their children. They ask for help, and our heroes give it. They wish to reach Swansberg, for it is said to be a safe place under a kind and competent king.

--- Larger Pushell
- They continue on, refugees in tow, and meet the best-dressed of the group. His name is Masnavi-I-Manavi and he was a diplomat in Edge. He has been helping the refugees come south, and he's willing to become a player character!
- The group push on through the evening. A full moon leers overhead, the corpse of the black apocalypse dragon splatted across the sea of tranquility.
- A town is in view, and they head in through the evening. Circular tracks are ignored.
- They reach the town. No walls. Buildings of stacked stone. A single pub - the Broken Crow - shut hours ago. A granary sags under the wheat of its contents. A barber and taxidermist are interesting, but closed too.

--- Guards? Guards?
- A man in full armour and an extravagant helmet approaches with a lantern. Hammer strides forth, and tells him the situation. Refugees and adventurers in need of room and board.
- After some suspicion, the guard uses his key to let them into the Broken Crow. Inside are tables, benches... and a skeleton bartender! This one is Australian and is called, of course, Guido.
- The skeleton says it'll take a few hours to get the rooms (of which there are two) ready, so feel free to sit on the benches for now. To the exhausted refugees this is wonderful, and they're soon snoring.

--- Final Rumours
- They ask Guido for rumours, and despite lack of content he's happy to oblige.
- A splinter faction from Mt Grumblebelch is causing a nuisance in the hills.
- A fungal infection down the river from Grumblebelch has infected the meat, kill it to grant clear mountain water to those downstream.
- We end slightly early! The secret of Little Pushell is... it can be read as "Little Pus Hell".

Total: 9000 exp


Murders:
- Some bandits (50 exp)

OOC: 
- Carter the Chronicler, Paymaster, and Chef (300 exp/lvl)
- George the Expedition Leader (100 exp/lvl)
- Zoë the Vanguard (100 exp/lvl)


Exp Totals:
- George / Hammer Hatmakerson, Level 3 Fighter: 5731 (Level up at 8000)
*LEVEL UP!* +1d8 HP! +1 to Saves! +1 to Hit! +1 to Crit/Fumble! +Backstory!
- Zoë / Goblinda, Level 2 Goblin: 3117 (Level up at 4000)
*LEVEL UP! +1d6 HP! +1 to Saves! +1 Goblin! +Backstory!
- Carter / Masnavi-I-Manavi, Level 2 Necromancer: 3317 (Level up at 4500)
*LEVEL UP! +1d4 HP! +1 to Saves! +1 Mana! +Free Spell! + Backstory!

Tuesday, 24 March 2026

Session 445 - Dawn of a New Generic Fantasy Era

 Date: 17 March 1626


Zenith: Dispater
Moon Phase: Waning Crescent
Moon Face: Dragon Face (Tidelocked) 


New Characters:
- Hammer Hatmakerson. The favoured serf of Celebus until he ran away. Fighter.
- Mother Flotsam. An old woman who is vociferously not a witch. Magic-User.
- Benito Brazil. Hungry Halfling on a foreign exchange program. Halfling.
- Aline Dessend. A well-dressed older woman with a skeleton manservant. Necromancer.


--- A New Start
- In the generic fantasy land of the Wheatlands, in the generic fantasy village of Little Pushell, in the generic fantasy tavern called Nice to Weat You, a gang of low level heroes meet up for adventure.
- Mother Flotsam ("not a witch") and the little Hobbit called Benito Brazil, are boon companions. She is helping him navigate the english-speaking world, since his first language is Portuguese.
- Aline and Mother Flotsam, by contrast, have a friendly camaraderie over their shared professional interest in things magickal.
- Guido, the bartender, plonks down frothing mugs of ale. He is a skeleton, and currently emotionally entangled with Hammer Hatmakerson. He's been hiding Hammer in the inn, despite Hammer's misgivings about the Dead.

--- A Quest, Of Course
- Their eyes fall on a mysterious figure smoking at the back of the tavern, cigarette smoke curling from under his hood. They approach and he throws back his hood to reveal... Ratfink Babylon. A hardboiled old ratman who commands pigeons.
- He tells them he's got humans in his basement. 10 000 obols to clear them out. Classic starting quest.
- Meanwhile Aline checks the noticeboard and sees two quests ready to go - "Slay the Last Piece of the Mountain God in the Sephulchre - 5000 obols" and "Clear the Undead basement to unlock Fast Travel".
- So far, so classic. Benito acquires molotov cocktails from the bartender, then mind-controls a local drunk to be his steed. Aline buys some painting supplies.

--- Humans in the Basement
- They arrive at the house of Ratfink Babylon in short order and hear a childish laugh.
- A child calls for aid from a nearby sewer grate so Hammer rips it off to free the child! Alas, it is no ordinary child - it has long limbs and leaps straight for his face!
- Benito runs up and stabs it to death with one blow of his knife. Aline is quick with a vial to catch its Last Breath, but before she can examine it for clues Benito has whipped it into his sack! He's saving it for later, you see.
- Hammer knocks on a neighbour's door for more info. He says the basements beneath the houses here are all linked up, but his reasons for why are very conspiratorial and untrustworthy.

--- Enter the Home of Ratfink
- They head into the house and see it is laid out around a central bathroom. They raid the kitchen for ingredients, but the first thing they find is a weird greeny-yellow mushroom that fuses into Mother Flotsam's hand as soon as she picks it up! She can no longer use that hand, but now has a touch attack.
- They figure out that the central toilet is in fact a lift! They send it down and see many eyes staring back at them...
- Benito chucks a molotov immediately. The long-limbed children SCREAM and die quite quickly.
- When the fire dies, pigeons flutter down from alcoves and start scavenging the cooked flesh.
- The party descend the lift and Benito harvests meat from the corpses. The basements of the houses are indeed connected. 

--- First Loot
- They look around and find loot!
- Benito finds a mushroom that will make him even shorter. Mother Flotsam finds the Quicksilver Charm that slows everyone but her until she leaves the room. Hammer finds the hefty Lachrymaxe - an axe that feeds on torture. Aline gains Blast Armour that releases a detonation when notched.
- Ratfink Babylon arrives and tells them that the kids came with the place so he's glad that they've been removed. He pays up, obols flowing over skin, but Aline wants her payment in trinkets so she gets those.

--- House of Carouse
- Now that they're flush, it's time to party! For everyone but Aline that is, because she's still hung up on this whole thing where they just killed a bunch of unknown children. She decides to research spells instead.
- Mother Flotsam was the life of the party! Carousing costs double in this town now.
- Benito gambled it all away... losing an extra 100 obols.
- Hammer woke up next to a very attractive woman! He even beat his save vs venereal disease!

--- Prep for Next Time
- Next time they'll head on off to kill the mountain god.
- But first, lunch!
- They cook "Friendship Feijoada", consisting of bread, glimmerjack, and succulent child meat. Aline does not partake, but the others find that it's some of the best food they've ever tasted! It even makes them feel lighter, -2 Encumbrance!
- Ratfink Babylon judges from a distance.

Total: 8000 exp


Loot:
- Last Breaths
- Child Meat (5 exp)
- Mushroom Spore-Hand
- Shrinking Violet Mushroom - eat to become 2' tall... permanently.
- Quicksilver Charm - Slow Time Field slows all in room until you leave it.
- Lachrymaxe - Greataxe that feeds on misery; torture someone to death over the course of 10 minutes with it to gain +1 to hit. Max +5. Resets at midday.
- Blast Armour. On Notch, detonates to blast all in 10' radius back 30' and deal d6 damage to all affected (Save vs Blast for half) including yourself; those blasted into walls take double damage.
- Quest Reward: 10 000 obols.
Total: 5 exp

Murders:
- Several long-limbed mutant children (50 exp)
Total: 50 exp

Carousing:
- Benito gains 300 exp!
- Hammer gains 500 exp!
- Mother Flotsam gains 200 exp!

OOC:
- Carter the Chronicler and Treasurer (200 exp/level)
- Kitty the Expedition Leader (100 exp/level)
- George the Vanguard (100 exp/level)


Exp Totals:
- George / Hammer Hatmakerson, Level 2 Fighter: 2614 (Level up at 4000)
*LEVEL UP!* +1d8 HP! +1 to Saves! +1 to Hit! +1 to Crit/Fumble! +Backstory!
- Charles / Benito Brazil, Level 2 Halfling: 2414 (Level up at 4000)
*LEVEL UP!* +1d6 HP! +1 to Saves! +1 to Mind Control! +1 to Cooking! +Backstory!
- Kitty / Mother Flotsam, Level 2 Magic-User: 2314 (Level up at 4500)
*LEVEL UP! +1d4 HP! +1 to Saves! +1 Mana! +Free Spell! + Backstory!
- Carter / Aline Dessend, Level 1 Necromancer: 2214 (Level up at 2250)

Tuesday, 17 March 2026

Session 444 - End of an Arc

 Date: 24 February 1626

Zenith: Deusix
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous
Moon Face: Dragon Face (Tidelocked)



Events:

--- Let's End This Motherfucker
- Now, this is it! Now is the time to choose.
- The boss battle begins, a spear thrown by Hidra slices past the enemy's face.
- The enemy is named Un'Goth who is possessing Balagos, one of the three Necromancers who our heroes are trying to murder. Said heroes will murder him before the day is through.
- Skeletons emerge from berths in the far wall and unsheathe shadowy punch-daggers from their wrsits weapped in silver wire.

--- Swippety Swappety
- Ghost Snels turns and twists a key into the wall, opening a door to the Gardens of Ynn.
- Nieval the Good fires a magical crossbow bolt at Un'Goth on his throne. On contact, they swap places. Nieval sits upon a throne of bone, Un'Goth is in shoved out the door.
- Bye bitch!
- Un'Goth is now in the gardens. Nieval is now under assault by a bunch of freezing skeletons. Ideal.

--- Eye Scream
- Un-Goth grabs his eyes and THROWS them like bolas into the main hall! They click-clack around Snels's neck! The mental wrestle begins! Snels maintains his mind... for now.
- A ball made of meat and bone emerges from the door beside the throne. It is the Ponderous Orb, created from a load of skin kites wrapped around a sphere of bones, and it slurps down any flesh is makes contact with. It rolls over Nieval, who screams bloody murder.

--- All Mind
-Sulphur starts taking over the enemies, huffing down a Last Breath and demanding that they obey him. They are strong, so it takes time.
- In the mean time his undead tear chunks out of the enemy. Little by little they are thinning the swarm.

---Begone
- Un'Goth runs in from the door to Ynn and is immediately whipped back out by Hidra. Snels twists the key, jamming the key in the lock. Un'Goth is GONE!
- The ghost-skeletons are a real horror for our resident Necromancer, since every time one dies it possesses a nearby Dead entity.
- Nevertheless, after more near-death experiences than I expected and a LOT of flesh-eating from the Ponderous Orb, our heroes emerge triumphant!

--- Victory!
- Nieval sits upon the throne of bone. The others strip the silver wire from the enemy dead.
- They find the ritual that creates a Ponderous Orb in the next room, alongside a spellbook containing several other spells and many potions.
- In the meantime, Balagos, Mancy and Dargle have started to merge via maggots. They are slain via stomps.
- The soul-battleaxe of Castigate Pox is found amongst the treasures. A partnership between Hidra and Castigate is forged.
- After all this, our heroes decide to retire. Next time, the Wheatlands!


Retired:
- Kitty / Sulphur, Level 7 Boo-gilist:
- Zoë / Nostradama, Level 6 Cleric of Nonanism
- Carter / Hidra, Level 6 Fighter
- Charles / Nieval the Good, Level 6 Specialist