Message:We continued our journey through the Scarlet Pits. By the end we had collected eight treasures but had to surrender one for safe passage to a dragon. The dragon was later determined to be named US Grant, Ulysses or Odysseus, Penelope’s husband. She has a plan to free the demon Ba’Te’Wet’Ab and use the monster’s power to break the curse on her husband. As if being a dragon is a curse?
Many a trap was avoided (by good rolls). With the smaller group our Task Resolution were a mere eight. We had a good run as a party of three: Holger, Inga and Roho, all advancing yet another level.
Chrysus Chests were plentiful, and we all became quite rich. Inga wasted all his wealth on idiots in his household and war debts to fight the Huns. Holgar’s riches grew as he became a Baron with hirelings, Henchmen and Retainers.
Roho was satisfied with a new honing stone. As he heeded the poem of the delvers and shunned Chrysus treasure.
The gold of the depths is abundant,
Enough to pay every king’s loans.
But till you are given your share,
take none of the treasure to own.
Roho also was too afraid to stand before US Grant, the dragon.
Back within the Scarlet pits, the geese of the gods were eating a blue goo. A puzzle trap barred the passage lower to the Soulfang Caverns. Magic Mist blocked the tunnels deeper. We found a novel way to fill a silver basin to hold just four gallons of goo. Holgar and Inga used the contents of a bucket to displace enough of that basin’s contents to leave just enough remaining in volumn to clear a mist, yet not too much to remove all the air of the passage out. Holger made the run to the next domain, the Soulfang Caverns, and there pull the lever to safe the mist tunnel.
In Soulfang, we fought more of the Undead Captains, slaying the Wendigo Nuk as he still gripped the wheel of his ship. The ship wheels, five total, will be part of another puzzle.
The skeletal pirates are known to have these accoutrement:
***Dragon Cladding: Undead have fashioned offset Roman style squama armor small flecks of woven dragon scales. Engage and random player suffers Bleeder; plus any Harm (failed with doubles) here, additionally results in extra Bruise/Cuts.
***Garish Uniforms: One selected Professional and one Acclaim Skill is OFF for duration of combat: Courtier and Thief.
There was one case of great magic that resulted in sake eyes. In the aftermath, tongues were left blue but the ringing in the ears has somewhat subsided.
DAGON, the demon within many of our magical charms, continued to taunt us with aphorisms:
DAGON: Home is any four safe walls that enclose
the right person.
DAGON: How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg?
Four. Saying that a tail is a leg doesn't make it a leg.
DAGON: He who works with his hands is a
laborer.
DAGON: He who works with his hands and his head is a
craftsman.
DAGON: He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an
artist.
Most of these were known and apeased the monster – no internet, please.
We ended the day leaving and risking being lost. We may return or leave Penelope to suffer her own fate. We returned to the civilized lands to invest in estates. Then we outfitted an expedition to travel to the River of Fire to learn more about our magic items. Along the way we defeated a rogue giant with our skills.
Play continues next week.
Yours,
IronRed
23-Jul-2023