Here lies Xanovil Qaan
       A Hyperborean Holy Man Known for
             Courage, Honesty, Mercy
    He died in Battle with Honor and Glory

We had to cancel last night's game because of some Green Death-related symptoms among the party, but here's a recap from last week:

If We Had It to Do Over . . .

This is a Google+ game.

Meanwhile, back on the boat: Sadalus gets impatient with K and X's lack of coming back. Sends a party out after them with the normal don't-make-me-drink-your-soul-wine-because-I-can-you-know warning.

Riko: Half-Pict scout: Fat and nimble, including sausage fingers
Ioudas Mourdragos: Ixian necromancer (capitalbill)
Josson: Kimmerian druid

With some very helpful natives, after landing on Cranc Ynss Mor, they find the column and Kesuk (Esquimeaux bard) and Xanovil Qaan, cleric of YOG.

Aurelius can give directions to where to start looking for ruins and the Sword of Alexander. Asks for any statues or relics that can be brought back. Follow river fork into mtns. Tomb will be on shore of lake that reflects the seven greatest peaks of the mtns. Possible presence of mountain apes. Possible remnants of his father's people. Also, copper miners of various stripes.

Aur. sends Caw-Caw, one of his crow companions, along as a watcher and guide and chants a parting ceremony to convey his blessing.

Party sets off before dawn. Riko keeps and eye out for tracks. Reach other fork of river, 200' wide, slow moving. A splash--large animals wading ford toward party--aurochs. The party moves out of the way, and the aurochs pass by with snorts. Trail leads up--more trees, steeper terrain, gorges. Occasional mantracks.

At end of day, more in mountains. Camp in forested canyon, sheltering among boulders and setting a confusing watch. Like Dali.

Watch 4: Josson on guard. Hardshell barks a warning. Several blue-dyed-skinned crabkin (crab-men-men) jump out of darkness. Josson's entangle traps 2 and for a moment seems like it will block 2 more, but they seem to make it through. Party straggles awake, armorless. Josson goes down wounded, and Kessuk is badly wounded by the spears and hatchets of outrageous fortune. Crabby. Finally the last two flee after Riko takes out their leader with an arrow. Xanovil heals Josson enough to get him on his feet.

Gear collected from the fallen: Crablike gauntlets (blue and orange sets) from leqader. Copper helmet. Also three flasks of effervesent blue liquid that stains Kessuk's mouth when he tests a small sip.

Kessuk cuts the skin away from the eyes of the dead crabkin so that they cannot see their gods. Xanovil decides to get information from the prisoners and threatens them. Finally offers them a quick death. The first one freed tries runs away and evades pursuit. The second stabs Xanovil with a hidden dagger! Before the others can react, the cleric is bleeding badly and down. They cut down the crabkin but have no way to help or heal or move the cleric. Kessuk tries giving him the blue liquid, which solves all their problems as it efficiently poisons Xanovil. Kessuk then casts detect venom on the remaining vials, which, it turns out, contain poison. Xanovil's useful gear is taken, and the party prepares to wait out the rest of the long Hyperborean night.

The DM reminded me that "the crabkin had bowed his head at the promise of a clean execution but Xanovil decided to change the plan by stabbing him in the stomach (leaving the crabkin alive) most likely leading to the blue crabkin deciding to go out fighting."

You remember it your way, I'll remember it mine.

That said, we are accepting applications in our prisoner-liaison department. We're thinking about taking the company in a new direction, and we'd really like to see a range of candidates and just find the best fit, you know?

Chainsaw wrote:

Nice write-up, thanks Handy. Also, I think Eli's confused about how it all went down between pious Xanovil (RIP brother) and the bloodthirsty crab-kin (I spit on your corpse).

Speaking of corpses, here's an updated sketch of your character Xanovil...

Last edited by capitalbill (5/22/2015 10:45 pm)

We have met twice more since the last report. The first...

Our session began with the party in camp. The Necromancer used the corpse of the Cleric to patrol around the campsite during his watch and the rest of the night passed uneventfully. In the morning the old man at the museum sent a message with his bird: there is a party following after us seeking the sword, he tried to throw them off in a different direction.

We continued on following the bank of the river and hid from a caravan of crabs with two crab-kin riders. We found a meadow clearing with two buildings, a cave mouth, a chimney, and a ledge with flags up the bluff. A mountain stream enters the meadow from a ravine which we have not yet explored.

Up on the ledge there was a cairn of strange rocks, carcasses, and copper rods with flags. The Necromancer animated a dead badger after pulling the rod out. Got weird feeling somehow related to Yog, but chose to keep the rod anyway. We delicately went back down and explored the first building. Dead spider, charcoal briquettes, think they smelted copper here. Attacked by giant wasps, the Bard played his flute and mesmerized five of the six wasps and suggested they fly away. Sixth wasp attacked but was killed by the Scout. We explored the second building, found dead guy in mail with empty scabbard- killed by wasp (still had stinger in chest). We decided that the wasp nest was in chimney so we left it alone.

Went into tunnel, found fork, went left (the Scout had a feeling) dead end. Went back, another fork, went left (the Scout had another feeling), another dead end but found gold broach of eagle with wings and XVII inscription. Broach did nothing, even when the Necromancer held it and went "KA-KAH" while flapping his arms. Took right path, portcullis dropped behind us. Two crab-kin attacked us. The undead war badger injured one ruining his spell. The Druid injured the other and ruined his spell. Nowhere to run to so we chose to fight to the death like real men. The Bard sang inspirational songs of victory (or glorious death in battle). By the end of the melee: both crab-kin were dead, the Scout was unconscious at 0 hp (he was revived by the Necromancer's wine), the undead war badger was dead again (although it did take out one crab-kin, earning MVP honors for the day), the Bard was at 2 hp, the Druid was at 2 hp, and the Necromancer was somehow still uninjured at 4 hp.

We discovered that moldy red stuff was falling off the crab-kin carcasses and coalescing on ground. The Necromancer poured some of the blue liquid on the red moldy stuff, which gave off smoke/spores. The party backs away. The Necromancer animates the skeleton of one of the crab-kin, gives him a torch, and has him torch the red stuff. The Bard, the Druid, and the Necromancer try to force open portcullis. Fail. Party must press on down tunnel in search of safe refuge to lick their wounds. The Necromancer brings the carcass of dead badger, he's pretty sure he can re-animate it again.

To be continued...

You guys did perfect in my absence. This is precisely what I expected. Glue and fish hooks for everyone!