Game Report #3 - Centipede Poison and Zombies!

Friday night we played our third game.  We had three new folks (N, L2 and J2) show up, so there were ten players (L, J, G, L2, N, M, S, J2, V and H) sitting around the table, along with me (standing mostly, and walking between the table and the island in the kitchen, where I set up my stuff.

N's five characters were:  Gimli the armorer, Blarg the woodcutter, Jimmy the jeweler, Hans Olo, a gambler, and an old male jeweler known only as "Old Bald Lady."

L2 created Apollo the astrologer, Ditchy the ditch digger, Chip, a woodcutter, Knees the caravan guard and a mercenary named Stabby.

J2's rolled up Guilder the weaver, Enteri the locksmith, a ditch digger named Brock, an armorer named Kaza-runê, and an orphan called Sammy, who styles herself the "Dark Reaver of Souls."

As we began play, Grimm spoke to Pyotr and asked him if there was someone who could train him to be a magic user.  Pyotr said he'd speak to the Master of the Hall, and left through the kitchen.  In just a few moments, an old man in long grey robes came into the hall, and introduced himself as Aetherus, "Wizard of Milburn Hall."  He accepted Grimm as apprentice, and led him away for a month of training.  In the meantime, the rest of the group continued removing the brambles in front of the hall, and weaving baskets.  After a month, Aertherus and Grimm returned to the hall; Grimm a newly trained Medium, with the following spells in his book:  read magic, sleep, read languages, and detect magic.  As the party spoke to Grimm and Aetherus, Pyotr closed the kitchen door, used a key and opened the door again, to reveal the hallway leading to Cittá.  As the team of horses pulled the coach into the hall, Aetherus told the party he'd answer any questions they might have.

The only question I recall was how the door to the kitchen kept changing, to which he replied, "Pyotr is using one of the magical keys that lets the door open to other places... places like Cittá."  He went on to explain that he'd grown up just outside of Milburn Hall, when it was a very large community with several villages within a mile of the Hall.  He said that when he as a young man, something had come through, just like they were now doing, and it had forced the villagers to flee the countryside for many miles around, and was why the outer door was locked from the outside.   "The survivors, you see, were afraid to leave any door unlocked, and preferred to destroy doorframes altogether, so no other ways could be found."

Aetherus left them, then, and the original party met the 15 new people during the evening's feast.  The next day they set out for Kemper Village.  When they reached the orc's roadblock, several party members tried to bargain a new price, with Grimm first asking the orc's name (Grack) and then asking how much a lifetime pass would cost (50 gp for him, 100 gp for each of the others.)  Robin strode up to the wall, drew his bow and took aim at the orc, but before he could fire, arrows flew from the trees on both sides of the road, taking him out.  The party backed away, with Justin retrieving Robin's body, and the orcs allowed them to turn back south.

When they came to the bridge, they headed west along the southern bank of the stream.  When they came to the entrance to the kobold tunnels, the party decided to explore while Justin took Robin back to the Hall for rest.

They explored the dirt tunnels, hoping to find their way back to the kobolds caves, and took several wrong paths, finding two places where the tunnel sloped down, but shrunk to less than 15 inches high forcing them to turn back when they saw how difficult it was to find giant rats while slithering on their bellies.  The finally found the caves, where they fought fire beetles and giant centipedes.  Unfortunately, both Hans Olo and Knees were bitten by the centipedes and immediately fell into comas.  They died later without ever waking up.  The party decided to return to Milburn Hall once again to rest and recover.

At Milburn, they ordered equipment from Pyotr, and again spoke to Aetherus learning more of the area.  They decided to set out for Kemper Village once more, to seek treasure in the Mausoleum.  This time, after crossing the bridge and heading north, the travelled under cover of the trees, about a half mile east of the road.  They did surprise a patrol of three orcs, and felled two immediately.  The third threw down his weapon and shield and ran for help... but was hit in the back with a javelin before he could escape.

They spent an uneventful night in the three houses they'd picked before, and in the morning entered the Mausoleum.  This time, as an experiment, they decided not to light the oil lamp on the altar.  The thought the door to the basement might not open, but were surprised to find it did.  Heading downstairs after lighting torches, they took the long route to the room with the sarcophagus and pit, then tried the east exit.  It was blocked by a wooden portcullis, which the woodcutters handily dispatched.  Passing it, they turned left into a long room, and were surprised by a pair of richly dressed people... who of course turned out to be zombies.  Blarg was knocked out before they dispatched the zombies.  "Old Bald Lady" rigged a makeshift sling, and hoisted Blarg up on his back.  They found six gems on the zombies, and a sack of silver coins against the west wall of the room, and then headed back.  Back in the room with the pit, Blarg started waking up, but instead of speaking, he moaned, and attacked "Old Bald Lady," knocking him out.  In a panic, Jimmy and Gimli each attacked... one crushing Blarg's skull, the other "Old Bald Lady's"... because "We can't let them come back as zombies!"

After that, the party left the Mausoleum, and immediately headed back to Milburn Hall, again staying far to the east of the road to avoid the orcs.  The entire trip was uneventful, and at Milburn Hall they were able to sell the gems and split their profits after recovering.

Thus ended the night of play!

Welcome to Milburn Hall!

You found the merchant, or maybe he found you... whatever the case, you met with him, and he told you he could get you away from Cittá.  His price, as rumored, was seven years of service... but what was seven years and freedom compared to an entire lifetime of drudgery with no way out?  Of course you accepted his offer!

"We leave now," he told you, and before you could protest he hustled you aboard a horse-drawn coach full of strangers.  In moments, the coach headed down the street, toward one of the many gatehouses of Cittá.  You couldn't see much through the small windows of the coach, but the wooden walls past the gatehouse didn't seem usual in a city of stone.  Just a few moments later, passing through another gate, the walls gave way to a great hall.  The coach halted, and the merchant opened the door.

“You may come out now.”

Your fellow passengers grumbled, “How could we be out of the city?  We rode less than half an hour!”

In spite of their complaints, everyone left the coach.  You found yourselves in a great hall, fifty feet wide, and a hundred long.  The floor is paved with flagstones, the walls are stone up to 15 feet high, and wooden walls rise another 30 feet above that, until great wooden beams form an arch that peaks 15 feet beyond that!  On top of the stone walls is a balcony that runs around the entire room; with doors every ten feet all around.  There is a third floor above that, also with a balcony, and again, doors every ten feet all around. 

“Your attention, please!  I am Pyotr, Steward of Milburn Hall.  Welcome to your new home!  Some of you came here of your own free will, and some of you were purchased from the prisons of Cittá, but all of you are here now.  Each of you has a debt to pay, and the chance to make a new life for yourself, away from the cesspool that is the world-city, Cittá!  The balconies on the second and third floors of the hall lead to the rooms where you’ll be staying.  Each will hold five of you.  Please find rooms, and rest… we shall feast this evening!”

After choosing your rooms, and resting, you make your way back to the main hall.  You are seated on benches at tables in the hall.  Your table, as with all the others, is set with a great feast of roast game, goat and vegetable stew, loaves of dark bread and flasks of ale.  Servers cross the room to the kitchens constantly refilling mugs, and bringing trays of additional food as it is eaten. 

As evening falls, the feast goes on, and many people leave to make their way to their rooms for the night.  You, however, remain… hoping to hear what Pyotr has to say.

Cittá

Cittá, city of a thousand golden palaces and uncounted crystal towers... a city of unimaginable wealth; largest and most beautiful of all cities ever built!

For the highborn, a city of riches and ease... but you are not of the highborn.  You may have been part of the working class; those who fed, or clothed or guarded Cittá.  Maybe you were a baker, a butcher, a smith, or a jeweler, or possibly a scribe or a soldier or a guard.  Maybe you were lower than that; one of the Unseen:  a beggar, a sewerman, a cutpurse, an undertaker, or even a prisoner in the dungeons beneath Cittá.  In any case, the wealth and glory of Cittá was not for you, and your life was destined to be one of toil and drudgery.

Until you were offered an out... 7 years of indentured service, then freedom, true freedom, to live as you would, away from Cittá!  At first it seemed too good to be true.  Away from Cittá?  The city was all!  How could there be anyplace else?  And just seven years, rather than a lifetime?  Ridiculous!  But still, you were curious.  Who?  How?  And where?  Could it be possible?

A certain merchant caravan seemed to be the key...