Campaign Journal: Odd Jobs

Well, it looks like everyone got into a bad batch of hydra meat. It's getting a bit ripe. Well, except for:

• Slick: thief
• Orzu: gnome

With their comrades laid low or otherwise indisposed, the two PCs were left twiddling their thumbs. Casting about town, there was news of an attack on a patrol by Opharel forces. Concerning, as the two duchies had been in detente for some time. 

The two decided to visit the Temple of Garond, as the party had a writ of support from Proctor Armin, thanking them for their support of the temple in Neuforde. Prior Jaume Magrans was happy to chat with them and offer the temple's support while they were in town. That said, he did have a task of a sensitive nature that a pair of idle adventurers might be interested in. Although the problem of the Chaos mutants was one many leaders' minds, other nefarious things were afoot. Namely, necromancy. One of the local merchants, wine-seller Zadok Meir, may have a side gig going...  Sounds good. We like to keep the dead dead. 

But first, they needed some muscle. Orzu has Torvald to absorb some damage, but Slick's hench Flick is back at Cobalt Lake, helping the naga Queen Adra's crew.

Let's talk to Akreos. He has spare bodies. Particularly, Dukan Dildran, a flamboyant warrior from the northern tundra. A business call to Akreos. What would it take to free him? We could use his skills. Akreos is a businessman, willing to entertain an offer. Or more importantly, entertain his audience. And, in contrast to some of the criminals that end up in the arena, Dildran is a free man captured by the duchy's patrols. Ok, we can fake his death, I'll make some anonymous side bets to offset the loss. But you need to get his agreement. He's a proud one. Down to the gladiator pits, and cells of incarcerated combatants. Some negotiation and gaining of trust, and the northern nomad agreed to freedom in exchange for some help putting down the dead.

For game purposes, "NPC Jax" agreed to fake a few blows with the flat of her blade at the appropriate time, while Orzu cast an illusion of a convincing mortal wound. Slick and Torvard would wait in the wings as stretcher bearers to whisk the "dead" combatant away. All set.

But first, the wine-seller for a bit of recon. And snacks. Slick and Orzu ordered a couple of glasses and a charcuterie board. After a bit, Slick excused himself to hit the head. A quick twist of his ring, and invisible Slick checked out the back areas of the establishment. Kitchen, check. Servers, check. Stairs down, check. Slick slid down the steps to confirm a wine cellar. But there was a subtle undercurrent of decay. Not the most attractive bouquet. Hmm... Recon done, he slipped back upstairs and visibility to exit the place.

Source

Time for the matinee at the arena. Slick and Torvald took their places. Orzu clambered along the barrier between the ground-level cheap seats and the arena. After a fight or two, the battle of the champions was announced, between Jax and Dukan. The crowd rumbled its approval. A flamboyant battle, with convincing struggle, before Dukan "fell" with an impressive evisceration and snapped spine. The crowd was convinced. Stretcher bearers hauled the fallen warrior away.

Of course I used this picture

Not all those blows were faked, mumbled Dildran from under the tarp....

Night fell, and time for some healthy B&E. The two PCs and their companions crept to the wineseller. Lights were extinguished upstairs in the proprietor's quarters, time to infiltrate. So, Slick is a good pickpocket, but a poor lockpick. That's Flick's job. Two doors, and no success. Finally a 'pop' and Dukan whistled around the corner. He'd managed to pry open a window. A quick 'upsies' to deliver Orzu inside. The gnome unlatched a door, finding it barred from inside. Slick had a valid excuse for failure.

Time to search. Down to the wine-cellar. Casks, wheels of cheese, wine bottles. Slick took note of the more expensive vintages for pilfering. Orzu discovered a secret door, hidden behind an empty cask. Hmm.

More stairs down. Like any good city, Chirath is built on the bones of the last. The source of the unpleasant odor was found, in a rediscovered catacomb. The statue of a death god greeted the party. Must be the place. Sure enough, a welcoming committee of three strong skeletons emerged from  alcoves. Of course, we have no cleric tonight... Slick went invisible as the other two fighters closed. Orzu managed to stun them with a color spray. Almost as good as a cleric's turn undead. A couple of rounds, and the bones lay silent. 

At which point, Zadok Meir and his pet undead ogre emerged from a side room, enraged. Meir cast a spell at Slick, but he shook it off, taking some superficial damage. The fighters took on the ogre. Meir held Dukan, but took some damage before Slick put him down with his draining blade. The necromancer recognized its powers as the light left his eyes...

source

More silence, and time to search. Some valuables were recovered, as well as Meir's necromancy volumes. Orzu promised to return them to Prior Magrans, but not after a bit of "reading." The party began to pack up when an undiscovered secret door slid open.

"Why have you slain my ally?" Damnit, a wraith. The enraged undead attacked, but was unable to land a draining blow. Torvald and Slick took swings with their magic weapons, and Orzu fired off a few bolts from a wand of magic missile he had forgotten that he had... The thing fizzled away, and its sarcophagus was looted for a sword (given to Dukan) and a bit of change.

Time to boogie back to lodgings, with a few bottles of the good stuff.

DM Notes:

I had two scheduled absences, and two last minute cancellations. Hence, two players. But you run for whoever shows. People take the time to convene and play, so you honor that time. 

With two PCs, we weren't going to push the main narrative forward. Plus Slick and Orzu are a couple of troublemakers, so I'm sure they could be pointed in the direction of some fun trouble.

A peek behind the curtain. Since the party has been in a couple of cities, I've pulled together a collection of building floorplans for heists, investigation, and general misbehavior. The wineseller just happened to be at the top of the pile. Perfect, it has a catacomb level. Since the party has mucked about in the sewers a bit, they know that the city has an underbelly. As we talked with the Prior, the idea for a clandestine mission came to be. 

Fortunately, the map has enough detail to describe the space, and I really only needed to be "one room ahead" of the party. Heavy-duty skeletons and undead ogres are already in my repertoire, and Theorems & Thaumaturgy lives in my bag for alternative spells. It took a couple of minutes to make up a quick spell list for Meir to prepare the encounter. After battle, random treasure, and throwing the party a bone with a spare magic sword...

It wasn't a groundbreaking or highly innovative adventure, but it does give us another couple of NPCs for later interactions. The Temple of Garond has been a long running ally in the game, and a prideful nomad will be a fun play. We've agreed that Dukan will make a morale roll each session to determine if his debt is paid.

And I have my previously prepared "real" session plans still in the notebook for the next session, hopefully with a fuller house.