Monday, October 16, 2017

Rise of the Runelords Recap # 29 [RPG]

[8 Neth 4707 continued]

Goblin Ghasts
The exploration of the caverns under Foxglove Manor continues.  After navigating some twisting passageways, a choice of directions presents itself.  The adventurers proceed down one branch in single-file and emerge into a foul-smelling cavern heaped with bones.  But Arnald, in the rear of the marching order, doesn’t hear that the adventurers are being stalked.  From out of the darkness behind him, a ghoul-tainted goblin emerges and attacks!  The creature carries with it such an overpowering stench that both Arnald and Kang become physically ill, and the merest touch of the creature’s claw paralyzes Arnald!  Kang hurls a makeshift firebomb at the creature, but his throw goes awry and both he, Arnald, and the creature are burned by the resulting blast.  But the situation escalates from bad to worse when the adventurers realize that the creature, known to Kang as a goblin ghast, is not alone: three others emerge from the shadows with saliva dripping from their mouths.

Briza heroically runs to stand in front of the paralyzed Arnald and, although trying to trip the ghast, she ends up crushing its legs and destroying it.  Artemis lets loose with an arrow and destroys one of the ghasts attacking the front of their formation.  Briza, after dropping another one, charges back to the front to deal with the final ghast—but she ends up paralyzed and several yards away from her allies!  Kang shouts “death from above!” as he drinks from a vial and flies into the air to protect his “assistant” from having her throat ripped out.  Kang is clawed multiple times for his troubles, but he still has the strength to drop a bomb on the creature and destroy it.

The adventurers rest for several minutes before continuing their explorations.  They find their way to a massive chamber with a cathedral-like vaulted ceiling and a spiralling stone ledge that leads down into a surging pool of water below.  Discussion is had about investigating the pool, but Artemis is intent on picking the sophisticated lock barring passage through a stout stone door nearby.  When, after some minutes, he hears the tell-tale click of success, he summons his allies to take up formation and ready themselves for danger.  Arnald takes point this time, with Bey close behind him.  Arnald throws the door open and is treated to a sight he never would have imagined.

Inside a damp cave reeking with a horrific stench is a small oak table and a large leather chair stained by smears of rotten meat and blood; and sitting in the chair is Aldern Foxglove, his stylish and expensive clothes now torn and covered in the putrescence of death.  Aldern is busy clumsily using bits of blood and runny, rotten flesh to cover over a painting with a face that looks like a ghastly image of Bey!  Aldern expresses his delight in having visitors, and welcomes Arnald in for tea or punch. Bey utters an incantation to bless her friends and, upon hearing her voice, Aldern realizes the object of his twisted love is present.  He rushes over to Bey, drops to his knees and proclaims that from the moment she saved his life at the Swallowtail Festival he knew they were meant to be together, and that when their eyes met as he bandaged her wound at the boar hunt he knew she felt the same way.  He finishes his declaration of love by saying that once the others are dead, they can be together for eternity!

Bey, nonplussed, tells Aldern that she’s here to assist him in finding a true end to his life.  Artemis fires an arrow that grazes Aldern’s arm, and suddenly Aldern starts to sob.  “I’m sorry Bey, I tried to resist.  But I can’t keep him from coming.  He’s here . . . THE HURTER!”  Aldern suddenly jumps to his feet and draws a wicked-looking war razor from his belt.  Bey moves past him to make room for the others to enter the room and Aldern seems to be fighting with himself to resist slashing at her, with the result that he slashes himself instead.  Bey spirals into her apocalyptic mystery and suddenly bursts into flames.  As his flesh turns red and starts to crackle, Aldern drops to his knees again.  He begs for Bey to save him as he sobs.  “They made me do it!  The Brothers of the Seven! I had borrowed money to rebuild the manor.  And collecting the rats and the fungus.  I didn’t mean to kill Iesha—I saw her with that tradesman and just got so angry!  Please understand, our love is pure.  No . . . . no . . . . he’s coming!  Worse than the Hurter.  The Skinsaw Man!  Run!”

The Skinsaw Man
Aldern raises his arms over his head and pulls down a mask made from overlapping layers of human skin.  It transforms into a hideous visage of Bey as he bows and quiet calmly explains that he will murder Bey and all of her friends, one by one, but that he’ll take his time as they plead for an end to the pain.  The battle is well and truly-joined as the adventurers crowd into the room to surround Aldern.  The fighting is bloody and brutal but ends when Artemis shoots an arrow through the back of Aldern’s throat.  The burning, blood-soaked corpse falls forward onto Bey as a last whisper leaves its throat:  “All . . . For  . . . You.”

Briza rushes up next to Bey to offer her support, but she brushes up against something that, in the heat of battle, no one had time to observe: the western wall of the cave has been overtaken by a horrific growth of dark green mold and dripping fungi, and in the center a patch of black tumescent fungus grows in a shape that appears almost humanoid in outline.  On the floor near the patch are the broken pieces of some kind of puzzle box.  Briza is overcome by a feeling of vertigo as the others notice the pieces of the box start to rattle, and then she feels a powerful compulsion to turn towards the wall and begin devouring the fungus!  But somehow, her willpower is strong enough that she manages to resist the compulsion and she pulls herself away.

Kang moves up to examine the fungus and realizes that it’s extremely rare, extremely deadly, and only recently discovered.  It’s been given the name “Vorel’s Phage” and certain nefarious organizations have been known to covet it.  As the patch on the wall has been infused with necromantic energy, Kang speculates that it will grow back unless powerful divine magicks are used to cleanse it.  Artemis speculates that the strange shape is the outcome of Vorel Foxglove’s failed attempt to become a lich, and that his soul could still be trapped within the house.  He also surmises that Aldern’s reference to the Brothers of the Seven could refer to a “secret” society of foppish aristocrats in Magnimar.  A search of Aldern’s body leads to the discovery of several valuable magical items, such as an enchanted signet ring.  Meanwhile, a search of a nearby table reveals a disturbing collection of items related to Aldern’s obsession with Bey.  Mixed in with a stack of erotic drawings is a letter written in a graceful hand addressed to Aldern’s townhouse in the Grand Arch District in Magnimar.  The letter thanks Aldern for a mysterious delivery “harvested from the caverns” and says his debt to the Brothers is paid.  It continues on that, after Aldern’s “rebirth”, he should begin to carry out something called the “Sihedron ritual” on a particular list of victims so that “the greed in their souls will not go to waste.”  Finally, it notes that agents will be waiting at his townhouse to contact him should he need assistance.  The letter is signed “Xanesha, Mistress of the Seven.” 

The revelation that Aldern was operating on orders from someone else leads the adventurers to agree that a trip to Magnimar is in order.  Artemis notes he’ll need to get special permission from Sheriff Hemlock in order to leave his post.  Kang, operating on a hunch that something might be hidden within the humanoid-shaped fungus on the wall, clears the room and hurls a firebomb at it.  A mithral tube about a foot-long, covered in the fungus, falls to the ground.  Bey identifies it as a chime of opening, but, after much back and forth, it’s determined to be too dangerous to use given the toxicity of the fungus.  The adventurers make a cursory search of the pool in the adjoining room before deciding it’s time to leave the cavern, and Foxglove Manor, behind for good.
Letter from Xanesha to Aldern
-----------------------------------------------------------
Director's Commentary


 This session was all about the Skinsaw Man.  Since this was the big climax of of the murder "mystery" and the Foxglove Manor chapter, I really wanted it to be good.  Prepping it was a real challenge, because you have to to RP three different personalities (that trigger at specific times) and make sure each conveys the exposition necessary to make for a satisfying story, while keeping up the pace and horror of the moment.  I did some practice runs alone in my living room--I shudder to think what the neighbors thought!  Still, I was really happy with how it all came together.  He wasn't a huge threat in a combat-sense (which I could predict from the forums), but he at least lasted a few rounds.  All in all, a really good session that I was proud of running.

Next Recap


No comments: