Well now, settle in, dear readers, and let old Vilma spin you a yarn from the heart of Orlane. It's been another eventful week, or so the whispers go after our latest batch of "heroes" stumbled back into the Welcoming Inn. They arrived looking like they'd wrestled a barrel-load of bad luck, which, knowing them and that dreadful maze, is probably not far from the truth!
They started off on the eighth of May, Day Two of Ready Reit. And bless their hearts, they actually found a rather large pile of gold right off the bat! Of course, nothing comes easy, does it? No sooner had they seen the shine than that stone menace, Zach Six the gargoyle, showed up to, well, half cheer them on and half make fun. Always the charmer, that one. Especially seemed to enjoy picking on poor Master Arn, our dwarf with the fancy clock-watch.
Their next adventure, or perhaps I should say misadventure, involved a sealed door. They poked and prodded, and young Los was quite certain there were no obvious traps. But sometimes, dearie, the trap isn't on the outside, it's waiting behind the door! They hammered it open, with Zach Six cackling the whole time. Never a good sign, that laughter.
And what did they find? Not more gold, no sir. They found yellow mold, the kind that likes to burst and make a terrible stink when you show up. Nasty stuff! Most of the party managed to get away from the worst of it, but poor Master Feno got a real dose. Heard he was quite unwell for a good five minutes, gagging and carrying on right outside the doorway. The gargoyles, naturally, found this hilarious. A bit of advice from old Vilma: never trust creatures who laugh at a man throwing up. Mark my words.
They debated closing the door – sensible, you'd think! Los bravely zipped up to do it, holding her breath. Had to make another saving throw just for that. She managed it, but even a quick whiff of that stench is enough to turn anyone's stomach, or so they say. The gas went away once the door was shut, and the gargoyles had another laugh. Honestly, their social skills are worse than a troll's table manners.
Then came the bright idea to throw a torch in. Young Master Armatzi volunteered, opening the door just a crack, tossing in a lit torch. Well, that certainly dealt with the mold! But it also caused a burst of flames and, worse, seemed to trigger some magical unpleasantness. Poor Armatzi took a bit of a burn and had to make a save against death magic! Sounds like getting rid of that mold came at a cost.
Inside the burnt room, they found a scorched skeleton clutching a metal scarab. And what did Master Armatzi do? He picked it up, of course. Big mistake, dearie! That scarab promptly got stuck to his hand. Wouldn't budge! It wasn't painful, mind you, just stuck, like super glue on your best gloves, only worse because it seemed to be stuck through his gauntlet to his skin. The gargoyles thought this was the funniest thing they'd ever seen. More laughter! Honestly, you'd think they'd crack.
Meanwhile, after all that excitement, Master Arn decided to break down another door. Zach Six was still watching, chuckling away. And behind that door? A ghastly spectre appeared, looking quite cross. It floated towards Arn, hit him with a freezing touch, and knocked him down two whole levels! Poor Master Arn looked like he'd aged decades in a blink. He was weak and decrepit, and lost fifteen of his hard-earned hit points. Quite the shock!
The party fought it, of course. Master Feno hit it hard, and Master Armatzi finished it off with his magic missiles. But the damage was done. Spectres, they said, drain levels. A high price to pay just for opening a door!
Inside the spectre's room, they found a stone slab. Nikki, sharp-eyed lass, found a hidden crack in the slab. Inside were three statues: two gold, one steel. Nikki used her magic and found the steel one was magical, but the gold ones weren't. Always trust the gold that isn't magic, I say!
They decided to take the gold ones, naturally, but they weigh 40 pounds each! Their Bag of Holding, bless its magical heart, couldn't handle all the treasure they'd accumulated. They had a bit of a fuddle sorting out the weight, even with some folks carrying things. That steel statue only weighed four pounds, but they were so worried about touching it (after the scarab incident, you see) that Master Feno had to use a shovel to gingerly scoop it into the bag. Took quite the skill, apparently!
And here's where things get truly interesting. That Zaxics the gargoyle had made some kind of pact with them. They have to go back to the maze in seven days to follow him. If they don't, and they die... well, he threatened their souls. Never make deals with stony creatures who laugh at your misfortunes, I say! Master Armatzi apparently wasn't part of the initial pact, but he did get involved in the looting afterward, which the gargoyle later pointed out as him accepting the deal. These adventurers, honestly! They travel back to Orlane, weighed down by gold and worry, with Zaxics' voice echoing threats behind them. Master Arn was looking particularly miserable, and no wonder after losing two levels!
They got back to Orlane, had some much-needed good food at the Inn – a Feast of Orlane for some, I hear. A little comfort in these trying times is worth a couple of gold pieces. The next morning, Master Armatzi used his magic to finally get that bothersome scarab off his hand. He threw it right into the lake, and wouldn't you know it, a ray of sunlight hit it, and they heard the voice of his god, St. Cathart, saying, "Well done". Perhaps tossing evil shiny things into water is a good idea after all.
Then, they were off to Hokko. Heard the price to get into Hokko has gone up something fierce, ten gold pieces each, due to all the refugees from the war. Only the wealthy can get in now. Our adventurers certainly qualified after their gold finds!
In Hokko, Arn and Armatzi went to the Temple of St. Cathart. The High Priest was expecting them! Knew about Armatzi, knew about Arn's dwarf god being allied with St. Cathart against giants, and even knew they were fighting evil in the maze. The priest told them their mission is to find and destroy a terrible relic of some dark god named Narule, buried deep in the maze. A high cost, he warned. Sounds just like that maze!
Arn needed healing for his lost levels, and that came with a steep price: 7,000 gold pieces! Bless their party, they pooled their money, loans from everyone, dipping into the party stash. They managed to scrape together the coin, and the priest restored Arn completely. Good on him! A little restoration after dealing with death's touch is worth a mountain of gold, I suppose.
The priest also gave them a juicy quest: destroy Narule's Tablet of Chaos. He mentioned relics of Narule would be valuable to the temple. He even said getting rid of the gargoyles would be a great service, since they apparently tricked the party. Seems Master Armatzi was right about them being evil from the start.
While Arn and Armatzi were doing important temple business, Feno, Los, and Nikki went to see that eccentric mage, Diana. Feno gave him the bits he needed – a displacer beast hide, a sapphire, and 1500 gold – to make a Bag of Holding. Diana promised it in two weeks. Nikki also snagged one of Diana's strange plants – the ones she'd been 'watering' with beer, I hear? It apparently snapped at her fingers. Odd things, those mage-plants.
Later, back together, the party took some of their treasures to the temple to see if they were valuable. They sold the steel funerary idol – the one they were afraid to touch – for 1,000 gold. Good riddance to dangerous shiny things, I say! They also sold the two gold funerary idols, which the priest recognized as very old, holy symbols of St. Cathart, for a grand total of 1,600 gold.
Then came the runic tablets. Nine of them. The priest said they were high risk, high reward. Could grant stat boosts, or... well, instant death was the worst outcome. A gamble, wasn't it? Some wanted to keep them, hoping for a big win, but others, sensible folk, thought 100 gold each was a better deal than risking their lives. They sold all nine for 900 gold. Wise choice, I think. There are easier ways to get ahead than tempting fate with death-magic scribbles.
Finally, they sold a small platinum figurine, too expensive for Haskell the merchant, to the temple for a handsome 2,200 gold. All in all, a good bit of coin earned from their trip! They divided it up and got a good haul of experience points too, especially from defeating that nasty spectre. Master Arn should be right as rain with his levels back, and some others can even level up now.
But here's the rub: they have to be back in the maze in just a few days for that gargoyle pact! Not much time to rest, shop, and train before facing whatever Zach Six has planned. Master Armatzi thinks he might fulfill his quest to the temple by defeating the gargoyle, since the priest said they were evil. Seems like the gargoyles' mockery might just be their undoing.
So, they'll likely be heading back to that dreadful maze soon. Let's hope they remember their past lessons: check for traps, don't trust yellow mold, don't pick up random cursed objects, and for goodness sake, don't make deals with laughing stone creatures who threaten your immortal soul!
Until next time, keep your doors barred and your wits sharp!
– Vilma.
No comments:
Post a Comment