Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 23 [RPG]

[18 Desnus, 4708 A.R. continued]

Having penetrated deeply into bowels of a newly-built Temple of Ugathoa under Korvosa, the Harrowed Heroes press on, conscious that time—and their protective magicks—are slipping away.  It seems Doctor Davaulus was confident that foreknowledge would make no difference to the intruders’ prospects of success, because the intelligence he provided remains accurate: the next room they enter does indeed contain an impossibly ancient vampire!  The nosferatu is holding a syringe and leaning over a table with three heavy iron crossbeams securing an unconscious young Varisian man.  The nosferatu looks irritated at the interruption, but unlike the cultists and Queen’s Physicians, has no interest in fighting.  Indeed, the nosferatu, Ramoska Arkminos, says he’ll forgive the intrusion if the raiders leave immediately!

The Reckoner strides quickly into the room with a spear at the ready as Goldcape shouts that they can’t leave without the prisoner.  Arkminos explains, all too calmly, that the prisoner (Ruan Mirukova) is a valuable laboratory subject and difficult to replace.  Nonetheless, he offers to sell the youth and leave quietly for a substantial sum of gold.  When the offer is refused, Arkminos offers an alternative: if the intruders bring him an intriguing magical item called a death’s head coffer from Lady Andaisin’s inner sanctum, he’ll leave the boy behind and depart.  But confident in their fighting strength, the intruders refuse to negotiate and launch an attack!

The resulting battle turns into a long stalemate, as the nosferatu’s wounds close up in just seconds, but The Reckoner’s and Goldcape’s willpower is strong enough to resist Arkminos’ attempts to mentally dominate them.  While The Reckoner and Grau trade blows with Arkminos, Goldcape and Yraelzin work to free the prisoner from the table that looks to be a combination of restraint and torture device.  With his prisoner freed, Arkminos is irritated.  In a swift combination of slashing claws, he renders Grau helpless and threatens to kill him if the others don’t immediately withdraw. 

Arkminos

The Reckoner has prepared to fight a vampire by bringing garlic with him, and tries to surreptitiously draw it from his pack to force Arkminos to flee.  But Arkminos’ vampiric eyesight sees the trick coming and follows through on his word—killing Grau!  The Reckoner hurls the garlic at the doorway to block Arkminos from following them as he and his allies escape with both the rescued Varisian and Grau’s body.

Although an explored area of the temple stands to the east, the Harrowed Heroes decide to first gather the spoils of their victory by carefully searching the slain cultists.  Goldcape finds a set of keys and hurries to start freeing all of the prisoners held in the cells and manacled to beds, forming a group that, along with Ruan and the injured Korvosan Guards, start making the difficult ascent up the rope dangling in the elevator shaft.  Meanwhile, The Reckoner sets about searching the cultists’ quarters.  Several valuable treasures are found, but the delay means the matriarch of the temple has come to find them!

The eastern doors of the room containing the vats of raw blood veil are thrown open.  A quartet of surprisingly speedy zombies march in, followed by an imposing woman wearing dark black and red robes and an unholy symbol of Urgathoa.  The deadly-looking scythe she holds adds to her intimidating presence, as she greets the scattered intruders with an icy smile.  “So you have found your way to me, hopeful heroes.  You must be Blackjack?  We were hoping you would visit us here. Know that you stand before Lady Andaisin, the architect of your city’s death.  You call this sending blood veil, yet I know it as the gentle kiss of the Pallid Princess.  Your reward shall be great—choose of the seven scourges to become one with the goddess.  Those who drink I shall only cripple, leaving you alive to enjoy her as she quickens inside your flesh.  Those who abstain are fools, not fit to house the divine gift.  You may prostrate yourselves at my feet, and I shall make your end all the more swift for it.  Swifter, in any event, than—“ but her villainous monologue is cut off by an insulting interjection from The Reckoner.  The battle begins!

A wanted criminal in Nidal,
 Lady Andaisin sees blood veil as
her personal contribution to the
glory of the pallid princess.

The Reckoner cuts down zombies left and right, depriving Lady Andaisin of her undead shields.  She responds by casting a spell to climb into the air.  Seeing a rival cleric amongst her foes, she tries to magically blind Yraelzin, but the Priest of Razmir resists and responds with the last of his magical power to speed up his allies.  “Which one of you is the leader?” demands Lady Andaisin, and Goldcape announces she is!  An even icier smile appears on the cult leader’s face as she “steps” down next to the Vanara and tries to slay her with her most deadly spell.  But the incantation is disrupted at the last second.  Furious, Lady Andaisin turns to her enchanted scythe—a weapon that visibly seethes with greenish energy that seems to harm both the wielder and its victim.  Goldcape is grievously wounded but still manages to stand when The Reckoner comes to the rescue!  His powerful attack sends Lady Andaisin’s broken and dying body hurling against a nearby wall.

But that’s only the prologue to the climactic battle to come.  For Lady Andaisin’s corpse begins to crackle with unholy power and is lifted into the air before her sundered flesh explodes with boils and pustules as torrents of the foul slurry from the vats flood forth and congeal into a sickening new body: Lady Andaisin has been reborn as something even more dangerous.  What was once a woman now towers as a monstrosity of ectoplasmic flesh, horns, and a tremendous scythe-like claw!

The Harrowed Heroes have smashed into the hidden Temple of Urgathoa, freeing prisoners and disrupting operations.  Yet their ultimate test has come: can they stand against a priestess reborn with a spark of life from a goddess?

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GM Commentary

The PCs were over their heads fighting the nosferatu, and didn't seem to grasp it until Grau was killed.  Overconfidence kills!

One thing I always try to keep consistent is that characters spend a lot of time doing something, that doesn't mean the rest of the world stands still.  In this case, spending extensive periods of time searching the chambers gave Lady Andaisin the opportunity to become *fully* buffed before seeking out the PCs.  It made the fight harder than it could have been.

We still laugh to this day about Goldcape proclaiming herself the group's leader, which led Lady Andaisin to attempt her most lethal spell.  Sometimes it's best to *not* be the leader.