Episode 13 - Escaping the Sandbox

In which our heroes engage in some multi-dimensional travel, burglary and rescuing.


Having listed to the alien's odd request and after a brief sampling of it's wares the band agreed. It wanted a psychic amplifier retrieved from a band of reavers. The reaver's base was located in the space between worlds and had wards and devices to warn them of the alien. However the band possessed 'unique mental signatures' which should allow them to pass undetected. They would only have to worry about a few prying eyes.

The alien then opened a transplanar gate to the space between worlds. Some of the band felt disorientated by the weird, alien landscape but due to either mental resilience or lack of imagination soon took it in their stride. The space between worlds appeared as a great velvet expanse. There did not appear to be any ground and here and there could be seen lights or specks. Their alien employer pointed one out and they traveled towards it.


Soon the object resolved itself to be an irregular boulder. It was hard to gauge it's dimensions as there was nothing with which to reference it against. A little later the alien called for a halt and informed them it was near the limit at which it would be detected. The band would have to go on alone from here.

As they got closer they could make out two entrances. One had the appearance of a pier and two large doors, which were closed. The other resembled a large cave entrance. While the band immediately filed that as 'deeply suspicious' they went to have a look anyway. The cave went further into the structure and they could make out flickering lights within as well as the sound of bickering in some guttural tongue. The band volunteered Scawl to go look.

Inside Scawl soon found a massive cavern. Pride of place went to a large heap of coins of many different types. Gold, silver, bronze, copper and several metals Scawl could not identify lay about in fused clumps. Standing about were several small lizard-men. Using his arts Scawl managed to distract the creatures and then ushered the rest of the band into the rest of the complex.

The band quickly found the commander's room. While it contained what they sought it also held a Hobgoblin Princess. She imperiously demanded her release and return. The band vacillated between rescue, ignoring or stabbing the Princess. The debate was interrupted by the guards bringing her a meal. The fight was brief but drew the attention of the other guards. More fighting ensued and the band eventually decided to rescue the Princess and return her to Babylon.

Returning to the alien creature they asked to travel to Babylon in their world instead of returning to where they left. The alien complied since one location in the material was pretty much like another. The band stepped through into a hot dusty street. Hobgoblins were everywhere, engaged in the business of buying, selling, gawking, entertaining. Also present in the city were some dwarves, ferocious bull-men, centaurs and snake people. All going about their business. No-one seemed to recognise the princess and when asked about her most remarked that wasn't that the cause of one of the old wars with the dwarves? It seemed she had been gone a long time.

Nonetheless the band managed to get a large reward for returning the princess. With some of the money they purchased a copy of the Laws of Babylon and then asked the alien for one more transit. To Constantinople. The alien agreed reluctantly and deposited them into what to the band's rustic eyes as a very similar city but with many more dwarves and far less hobgoblins.

Episode 12 - I do like a siege besides the seaside.

So the band visited the Ghoul King, Brettanus to see if he could be of any help in the coming conflict. The King and his ghastly court were intrigued by news of a new intelligent race and inquired as to how they tasted. The band politely replied that the did not know. Brettanus ordered Joruth to venture with the band to the surface and bring back some leg of human for the court to try. Donning some ancient armour and a mace that had seen better millenia, Joryth obeyed his liege.

The band then snuck across to the copse where the humans were hiding. Perrin and Cheet conspired through various woodland arts to approach the monsters undetected. Cheet then summoned a pack of wolves to attack the invaders from the other side. While they were distracted by the wolves the band attacked and, with Joryth's aid, they quickly defeated them. They then took back some leg of human to Brettanus and his court. The Ghoul King proclaimed these new creatures to be very tasty. The band beat a hasty retreat in case they also went on the menu and wondered what to do next.

They decided to plan their next move in a tavern. They quickly set on the idea of fortifying it on the basis that a last stand with a wet bar was the best of a bad situation. The remaining townsfolk soon gathered and offered their own opinions. Some wanted to flee, while others thought surrender could not be so bad. The Dwarves were not so bad, what with the roads, trade, food, law and order, etc. These Humans could not be too different. The band filled them in on various conversations they had had with charmed humans and their casual talk of murdering / brutally enslaving the incumbent races. They also pointed out that the human's creator was Bane, accounted as being a total bastard even by the standards of the local divinities. The remaining townsfolk then looked more worried, went back to being indecisive and panicking.

It was about this point Scawl decided the alchemist Sala might be of use. Travelling to her house and store he found the low elf leaving on a cart. Impressed with her presence of brain Scawl advised her to make for Mamucium. This was mainly so he could find her later. Sala gave Scawl a deadly poison and left.

The band then went about deciding how to best poison the approaching army and went to investigate. A day later saw them watching the humans on the march. The humans traveled in the manner of dwarves, making a fortified camp each night. Three elite humans were riders of savage winged beasts that had the manner of giant hexapedal eagles. Using magic, stealth and a dissembling guise they snuck in and poisoned a number of humans and one of the beasts. During the day they hid from the patrols of the flying things and also ran from some misshapen giants wreaking havoc on the lawless countryside.

The humans eventually brought things to a head by flying directly over the walls and telling the city the fate awaiting all poisoners, crucifixion for the first offence. Fortunately the band had made it back to Deva and engaged the humans, their mounts and despite the human leader bringing Bane's divine power to the battle, managed to prevail. This was in no small part due to Scawls creative use of his telekinetic powers to 'surprise' one of the beasts in a sensitive place, causing it to flee.

The band then wondered what to do about the remaining humans. Cheet suggested unleashing the ghouls upon them and so they went to ask a favour of Brettanus. The Ghoul King was welcome to the idea since their first taste of human had been so good, they could not resist the allure of more. That evening the entire ghoul court went on procession down to the human camp and slaughtered them all. They then proceeded back before morning leaving a torn and desolate camp. The band promptly organised the city to loot it. Strangely, the coins of the humans were sharp triangular objects made of iron. But the rest of their stuff was well made, if odd.

A few days later as the looting was coming to an end the band were informed they had a strange visitor asking for them at the inn. It was the strange being from the silver mine  near Navio. It had a little job for our intrepid band and could promise the location of some artifacts of Law amongst it's payment.

Episode 11 - Spring is here and so are we.

After a winter with little to do but get the local fence addicted and suborned the band turned it's attentions to the wider world about them. Or at least, those bits they were interested in. What held the band's greatest interest was a controlling interest in the pubs, taverns and alehouses of the land. Who was in charge was largely immaterial but to their minds a network of pubs meant trade, working agriculture and a series of defensible points. This would hopefully counter the rising chaocity and keep the Watchers down. The fact that pubs contain alcohol, lodgings and wenches may of also been a contributing factor.

Early spring saw the lizard-folk trading their excess, infertile eggs with the town. The band lost little time ensuring that they handled the actual transactions. This potentially avoided a riot when the lizards asked if they could have some halflings (or children, dwarven is hard on saurian mouths) to feed the child of Tiamat they were raising in the swamp. The band managed to get them to accept cow instead and hurried off to the lovely ladies of Beshaba to confirm their suspicions of what the phrase 'child of Tiamat' was referring to. Who better to ask about potential disasters and calamities than the Servants of the Mistress of Misfortune?

The servants of Black Bess happily informed them that yes, a child of Tiamat was most likely a dragon. The also informed them that Ana, the waif and stray they had found (kidnapped?)  had the makings of a feared Doommistress. They also mentioned that she was planning an expedition to the south to spy on the Humans and check to see if her parents were okay. The ladies were excited by the prospect of a dragon in the area advising that it indicated chaos was on the rise, which was a holy thing. Lastly they alluded to knowing a ritual that would summon such a beast and then running real fast. They advised a human would make a fine material component for such a ritual. The band thanked them for their counsel and gave the matter of summoning the dragon to their enemies serious thought.

The party also then decided to check up on Ashrak and his new apprentice Myrdanus. On reaching the swamp and noticing the large impressive ziggurat almost near completion. They were decidedly creeped out by whatever it was the dead necromancer was up to and decided to to pester him. Instead they returned to Mamucium to travel with Ana.

Discovering Ana and company had left already the band took the path south to Viroconium and Ana's home village. After a day's travel they came upon a small empty camp. Showing signs that it was in use Cheet transformed and scouted about for the people. His senses were overwhelmed by a oily, loathsome scent on the air. While the miasma masked other scents it clearly was coming from the east. Venturing that way the band discovered disturbing signs. Clawed footprints and trees ring-barked by tentacles were worrying and they pressed on. The next thing they found were two bodies. The creatures had only the most superficial resemblance to people. While they had arms, legs and a head they had a fishy, amphibian appearance with bulging eyes, webbed feet and odd, but functional spears as weapons. One appeared to of been victim to being brought down by multiple foes while the other had been stabbed in the back of the neck, killing it instantly. Scawl determined that the attacker was either eight feet tall or had dropped out of a nearby tree onto their victim. The band proceeded through the woods a little more cautiously, looking upwards a lot.

After another mile they reached a circular hole in the ground, about 30 ft across and almost identical to the one in Coccium. Seeing as how only three of the band were present they decided discretion was the better part of valour and beat a hasty retreat and continued to Ana's village. Over the next two days the band thought it odd that they did not catch up with her. Nor did they find her at the outskirts of the hamlet.

The band discovered the hamlet overrun with humans, all working industriously fortifying the place. There were about a hundred of the creatures, most engaged with cutting trees and making a palisade with watch towers while a few stood guard. While the band could not find Ana they did find a low elf named Jake. Jake seemed rather unconcerned about his new masters. Sure they yelled at you and pushed you around but so had the dwarves. They were gearing up to invade Deva. There were two odd things that even Jake had noticed. First there were no human women to be seen and the humans did not bother the local women. The band decided that such unnatural perversions should not be allowed to exist. The band told Jake that there was a secret entrance to Deva and gave him the location of the nearby Watcher hole.

The band then travelled to Deva, noticing wear the Human scouts were hiding out. The much reduced town was in a panic. About ten bravos were manning the walls and the rest were running about like headless chooks. Scawl pointed out that surrender was a bad idea since the humans were going to enslave the remaining populace. The band decided that a message should be sent to Caius and he could rally his troops for the city's defence. They also wondered if they should let the ghoul's of the under-city know that Deva above was about to undergo a change of ownership.

Aftermath

And so winter has come and the murderhobos are waiting it out in Mamucium for spring and more importantly, when all us players have time again for a weekly game. For those who have been wondering where all the action took place. Mamucium is where Manchester is now, Deva is Chester and most of the wilderness action took place in what is now the nearby Peaks District. Ashrak resided at the Dark Peak and the stone giant at White Peak respectively.

Using real world locations and a loose interpretation of historical events gives players in-built knowledge from the get go without having to peruse what are often not very exciting screeds of lore for the game. The lore is there, the players knew where the towns were, what the Wall was, what people sort of dressed like and part of one of the underlying problems. The dwarves are abandoning Brittania and leaving the area ripe for chaotic incursions. Orcs, elves, aboleths, mind flayers and finally, humans. In other words, an ideal adventuring environment.

It seems we will be resuming in February. The cast may be a little different and so I present today the playable species. Note that no species except Tieflings have darkvision.

Dwarves: Abbathor’s children, the dwarves have established an empire analogous to that of Rome. Dwarves are Romans. Of course, the dwarven empire is in decline and beset by strife. The mountain dwarves are the military caste with hill dwarves being the commoners.

Elves: Correlon’s children. Literally for high elves. Each High elf is a special creation of Correlon with Wood elves being their subsequent descendants. High Elves are thus rare and often seldom leave Hibernia. They are the aristocracy of the elven courts, the most powerful and ancient being the fey lords themselves.

Low Elves (Half elves): It was said that elf and dwarf are incompatible and such unions cannot produce offspring. However in some forgotten time this somehow happened and their descendants muddied the waters further by being compatible with both elf and dwarf. Low elves typically retain mainly elven features but can be quite varied as the dwarven traits come to the fore here and there. Low elves are the most common people of Britannia, formerly a subject race, the decline of dwarven influence may mean a time where they can forge their own destiny.

Halflings. Yondalla's children and the first of the smaller sentient races.. Halflings have been shunted aside, displaced or enslaved by the larger peoples. It is their skill with agriculture and growing food that makes them tolerated at all, if only as slaves and serfs. Halflings are thus good at hiding and one may often find a halfling community tucked away in some forgotten, hard to reach area.

Orcs. The wild children of Gruumsh. They exist mainly to bring pain to the Elves although they will make war on others as they also delight in battle. Orcish by-blows abound in lands afflicted by them and orc blood can resurface at any time. Half orcs are everywhere.

Gnomes: Natives of Hibernia. Some say they were originally halflings that have changed from dwelling in the fey realms. Gnomes are strange, weird, little monsters. Many have not seen a gnome and will mistake them for a strange halfling.

Dragonborn and Tieflings: Somewhere in your family tree was either a fiend or a dragon and you are the strange monstrous result. People will fear and hate you. Or maybe worship you, thinking favour with you equates to favour with dark and draconic powers. Only dragonborn and tieflings have darkvision of all the races.

Hobgoblin: The exotic and martial peoples of the east. Hobgoblin society is Persian in nature. While the Dwarven and Hobgoblin empires are at war there is also trade and adventurers venture into each other’s lands. A Hobgoblin in Britannia is uncommon but not as remarkable as a Dragonborn, Tiefling or even a gnome.

Hobgoblin Characters
Languages: A hobgoblin adventurer will know Hobgoblin, Dwarven and one other language.

A hobgoblin is from a very militant society. Hobgoblins tend to Lawfulness and disdain Chaos.

Attributes: +1 to Str, Dex and Con. One of these is +2.

Martial training. Choose three weapons. You may be proficient in these weapons.

Armour training: Improve your armour proficiency by one step. All hobgoblins are proficient in shields.

Martial advantage: If an ally is using the same weapon as you, you are both proficient in the weapon and you are fighting the same opponent then you may claim advantage to the arttack roll.

Suspicious of magic: All hobgoblins fear the power of Mystra. Any known mage has advantage to intimidate them. Likewise they are at disadvantage to intimidate back.

Lizardmen: In many of the swamps and fens of Brittania dwell tribes of lizardmen. Whether they are the degenerate offspring of dragonborn or some strange species of a forgotten god is unknown. Lizardmen are unfamiliar with the trappings of civilisation but do excel in surviving where others do not.

Lizardmen Characters

Lizardmen are wild, swamp dwellers and primitive by the standards of the other species. 
Attributes: +2 Str, +1 Wis.
Heavy scales. A lizardman's natural AC is 12. If wearing armour then use the AC of the armour worn.
Survivors. Lizardmen have the Survival proficiency.
Bite Attack: Lizardmen may bite when in melee either as the main attack or as a second weapon. A lizard bite counts as a finesse weapon and does 1d6 piercing damage.
Languages: Lizardmen adventurers will know Draconic and Dwarven.

Ghouls: Dwelling beneath Deva is a society of Ghouls. They are dangerous, feral creatures but lucid and capable of reason and they may not eat everyone they meet. It goes without saying that all right thinking sentient beings will slay a ghoul on sight. Even a single ghoul is a potential extinction event. 

Ghoul Characters

Attributes: -2 Wis. -1 to one other characteristic.
Undead: A ghoul cannot be slept, frightened or poisoned. Being already dead they are resistant to necrotic damage but vulnerable to radiant damage. A ghoul need not breathe. A ghoul is also resistant to healing magic and the divinity providing the healing spell may flat out refuse to heal the ghoul.
Ghoulish touch. A ghoul may strike with it's claws or bite. Claws/Bite do d6 damage and may paralyse the victim as per the monster manual.
Ghoulish feeding. A ghoul may eat carrion. A good feeding equivalent to a human forelimb is sufficient to allow a ghoul to expend it's hit dice for healing. This is the only way for aghoul to recover hp using Hit Dice.
Already dead. A ghoul does not die when reduced to 0 hp unless felled by radiant or fire damage. It will instead fall unconscious.
Create ghoul. A victim slain by a ghoul's natural weapons may rise as a ghoul the next night. If not blessed the character makes a final Wis saving throw DC 13. If failed they rise as a ghoul.
Feared by all. Ghouls are at disadvantage to any social checks except intimidation.


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Episode 10 - The Children of Bane

In which our band reveals how new adventurers are made.

Eventually the band relented to Myrdynus' desire to visit Ashrak the necromancer. However, on their way there they saw a comet falling to the earth. Since they figured it landed not far to the south they imediately changed plans and went to investigate.

Two days later near Viroconium they spied a band of strange warriors. They were heavily armed and armoured, were as tall as elves, yet built like orcs. They had strange flat faces, round ears and a coppery colour to their skin. They spoke among themselves in a strange booming tongue no-one had heard before. Upon their shields they bore the device of Bane, the self styled Lord of All and god of Tyranny. Not wishing to provoke such a dangerous the band hid and let them pass.

They soon came upon a small hamlet. Five more of the alien warriors were present. The band found a lone villager, a young low elven woman. Myrdynus charmed her with magics to make her more her agreeable so they could find out what was going on. Her name was Ana, she had been sent off by her family gathering herbs so that the alien men wouldn't bother her. She said they had appeared on the night of the great light in the sky and had announced they were the new lords and masters. Because they were well armed and the hamlet not the low elves had agreed. The creatures called themselves Hummins, or something like that. About a quarter century had appeared. Most had marched off but five had remained.

While she was still ensorcelled the band had Ana find some poisonous mushrooms to add to the hummin's food for the night. They then waited. After their meal one of the hummins fell sick and the rest gathered up the hamlet. At this point Perrin sounded a horn, other drawing the warriors off into an ambush where they were slaughtered. The band then dragged the bodies off into the nearby woods and then Scawl, using a desembling guise to appear as a hummin went to question the remaining sick warrior. The hummin revealed that they were indeed creations of Bane. Bane was now a creator god and the Humans his mighty creation to rule this world. The sick warrior wondered who would get his wives since he had clearly failed and also informed Scawl that the others were travelling north to meet a devotee of Bane. The band wondered about the wives bit briefly, since all the humans they had seen so far were male. They then decided that the others meeting Antonius would be a bad thing and set off after them. They took Ana with them, since she knew too much and paid her father ten gold for her.

Moving quickly the band caught up with the humans. At night after having Ana gather and prepare more poisonous herbs Myrdanus made Scawl invisible. Scawl then infiltrated the camp, poisoned the food and then as warriors began dropping cut ropes to tents, set things alight and causing chaos. The rest of the band attacked and over the course of that night and the next day slaughtered the invaders. Since Ana managed to acquit herself well in the resulting mayhem and wasn't a twitching puddle or dead at the end they decided she would be a useful addition to the band. Some were unconvinced but when she evidenced interest in exactly how much wealth they had acquired over the last month or so they realised she was indeed a kindred spirit.

The band then went on to Mamucium. There they found that Antonius had been busy building a temple to Bane and he and his followers were expecting some sort of sign real soon. The band said nothing to them and inquired after their pub, the Illmaten cultists and finally the Beshaban priestesses. The devotees of the Lady of Misfortune secretly thanked the band for bringing suffering so soon to Bane's children and agreed to take Ana under their wing. They soon discovered Ana had an aptitude worthy of becoming a Doomistress, a holy champion of their goddess. The band exchanged worried looks and wondered what sort of monster they had created.

Since winter was coming the band decided to settle in for the cold in Mamucium. They made contact again with Ashrak. The dead necromancer was very interested in their exploits and made many helpful suggestions to Myrdanus. He also requested that they bring him samples of the new creatures, these humans, so that he might study them...

Episode 9 - Chivalry and Sorcery

In which our heroes observe the children of Corellon and Annan.

A week later the band was on their way to Deva. Having established a pub at Mamucium, Navio and Aquae Arnemetiae they felt Deva was the next step. Besides they found Antonius scary and didn't want to be around while Caius and Galbotorix negotiated. While on the road to Deva they heard the report of a horn. Perrin immediately recognised it as an Elven war horn. Some elves were out a hunting. Not wishing to become the hunted the band sought cover and hid.

Soon an elven hunting party cam into view. First came the gnomish beaters, armed with spear and shield. Behind them came four more of the large owl beasts hooting and chirping. Then came three elves on horseback. They were dressed gaily, as if for a festival. That is if you discounted the wicked looking weapons they carried. Beside them prowled two strange creatures, great cats with black-purple fur and two tentacles from their backs. Most disturbing was the way these creatures shimmered and flickered as if not wholly of this world. They never appeared to be in the same place twice and when you blinked they would be somewhere else entirely. The party passed, one of the elves sounding the horn occasionally. Intrigued, the band followed.

Soon there was an answering horn. The elven party formed up and began moving towards it. As it was moving past a cliff face, part of the cliff detached itself and smote one of the gnomes dead with a massive club. A giant! It was then the five other giants charged out of the rocks and trees and attacked.

The first giant had the appearance of being animate white chalk. The others were deformed and hideous. Boils, warts and blemishes covered their bodies which were misshapen and not at all symmetrical. One had three arms while another two heads. The giants tore into the gnomes and owl beasts while the elves hung back and provided covering fire. The feline monsters darted here and there flickering and shimmering as they raked the giants with their claws and lashed out with their tentacles. Gnomes screamed and died as the monsters fought. The deformed giants bodies were soon covered in many small wounds and bled a number of foul colours.

With a flash and a crack one of the elves let loose a bolt of lightning which struck one of the giants, killing it. In reply the chalk giant picked up a boulder and threw it at the offending elf, felling him. The other elves picked up their companion and fled, their creatures breaking as well. The deformed giants howled in victory and chased after them. The chalk giant gave a tectonic shrug and strode off on business of it's own. The band, having watched all this decided now was the time to loot the bodies.

The dead giant was even fouler in death, releasing strange, noxious gases. Persevering, Myrdynus looted the giants bag, in which were six large runestones. He also emasculated the creature and took the parts as a trophy. Cheet and Sendin tried to calm and tame the wounded beasts but had little success. Scawl and Perrin tried tracking the giants to see where they had come from.

They discovered a fissure in the ground that looked as if it recently had been torn open by massive claws. Going inside they discovered that instead of a cave there was a large tunnel of dressed and worked stone. While foul and noxious the workmanship was excellent. They lit a torch and ventured inside. They soon found a side passage, but before they could get to it a voice cried out in passable Dwarven greeting them. It asked if they had anything to eat. Scawl asked if it liked fresh gnome and the voice said yes, it did. There was a pause as Scawl and Perrin went and procured some gnome and brought it back. They threw the bodies into the intersection and a long leathery tentacle snaked out, gathered them up and dragged them away. There was then a hideous sound of crunching and feasting. The thing then inquired if they had any elf. It had not eaten elf in a long time. It offered them a book of magic should they bring it one. Perrin fled, not wishing to become a meal while Scawl tried to negotiate down to owl beast. The thing stuck to its demands, elf or nothing. The negotiations also roused another creature who called out, it was a disgusting yet female voice which the first voice informed Scawl was 'She who breeds monsters'. Scawl ran.

Up in the open the band gathered up and wondered what to do. The first voice seemed to be friendly and so they decided to go down and talk with it again. They dragged along the body of an owl beast as an offering. The voice was disappointed that there was no elf but appeared mollified. It came out to gather the much larger meal. It was a massive monstrous form, much larger than a bear with three stumpy legs and  three large, horned tentacles. One of the tentacles sported eyes and the body was bisected by a massive, toothy maw. Most of the band were frightened but stood there ground, greed overcoming fear until 'She who breeds monsters' called out again informing everyone that if no-one brought her elf she would gobble them back up. At this, the band fled.

The band then set to tracking the giants although track is probably too strong a word for following the trail of destruction their passage left. Eventually they heard the giants coming back the other way. Each of the monsters was covered in arrows and bleeding but still active. Scawl approached them and informed them of She who breeds monsters demands. The giants set to arguing among themselves about what to do. Despite Scawl's promptings they found the elves painful and did not want to go back. Eventually they decided to set out on their own. They asked where they could find some halflings and Scawl told them. The giants then dug the halflings out of their holes and then devoured them. In return they told Scawl where the chalk giant lived. White Peak. The band quickly set off, not wanting to become the next meal.

The trip to White Peak took two days and another half a day to the summit to speak with the giant. It maintained a lonely vigil over the surrounding countryside and smushed intruders. It was worried about the Watchers and suggested that Wall, a giant that had cooperated with the dwarves to form the Wall keeping the Orcs at bay may know more. It also suggested conferring with the remaining giant priests. They lived far to the south at the White Mountains, the resting place of Annan.

Episode 8 - Mining for slaves.

In which our heroes deal with an alien slaver.

The band set about consolidating their gains. While they thought Caius should bear the burden of having kingship thrust upon him they figured what they really needed was a good place to sleep wherever they went in the new kingdom. Some want fame, some want riches, others want hot and cold running courtesans. What they band desired most was a chain of pubs.

There was some argument as what to do with Aquae Arnemetiae. Cheet wanted to tear down the baths, form an alliance between the dog-people, local fey and the giant multi-headed serpent towards druidism and the old ways. The others wanted some stones still standing upon another. They were really set on the public house which was fairly large for a small community since it used to serve the tourist trade. Cheet eventually relented agreeing that bringing in tourists and pilgrims would aid in supplanting the worship of Abbathor.

The next morning brought a small snag in the entire chain of pubs plan. The local dog-man who was an actual brewer had been abducted! A thing had crept into the village, come in through a window and abducted him. The band set off in pursuit, only slightly worried by the fact that while they could follow the drag marks of the brewer the abductor seemed to have no feet. Myrdynus informed everyone it was probably a flying, lightning powered brain / tentacle beast he had seen in a book. Undeterred they pressed on.

The trail led to a section of forest that was dying. Fungi, molds and other noisome things had taken over the once lush forest. Moving through the dank mass they reached an old mine complex. Inside they discovered a large mushroom, taller than a dwarf but just as round. As they approached a mass of hyphae opened and squirmed followed by a second mass close by. The thing had eyes!

The band responded prudently and with fire and cold magics to the monstrosity and it was soon ablaze. They ventured further in and discovered a vertical shaft. Sending Scawl down he discoved the shaft was soon blocked by a mass of flesh. Further progress was possible through some sort of sphincter to which Scawl thought 'No fucking way!' The band retreated from the mine and started looking for another way in.

Outside in the fungus forest Cheet attempted to find the local fey. A blackened almost dead dryad responded, painfully crawling out of a mass of growths. She informed them that the attack had started last season and was centered on the mine. Fortunately she did know of a another way in. A stream from a broached aquifer had made an opening. The band ventured inside, crawling and squirming through the narrow gaps in the rock. It eventually opened out to a large cavern filled with tailings and covered in fungi. There were four large animate fungi around a fire. Nearby were six humanoids which had been transformed by fungi and could be described as fungus men. As the band watched another creature emerged from another tunnel.

The newcomer was a horrific fusion of cephalapod and humanoid. It had a massive ovoid head and two bulging, unblinking eyes. It's purple skin was oily and four snakelike tentacles writhed and squirmed around a lipless, quivering mouth. It wore a semblance of clothes, mainly belts and pouches to hold it's bizarre and eldritch possessions. The creature made no sound, but the fungus men lined up behind it and began to follow the creature. It was at this point that the band attacked.

The battle was quick and brutal. The monster had a mental scream that would reduce any regular mortal to an insensate heap but they prevailed against that and the thing's surprisingly strong tentacles. Soon, it was captured and after a quick charm from Sendin surprisingly talkative, if mental telepathy is talking. It was not a Watcher, but knew of them and regarded them as distant cousins or honoured ancestors, possibly both. It was an inter-dimensional traveler and miner. What it was mining was the head of a dead god floating in the space between worlds. It had come to the world to aquire miners and had allied with the fungus creatures to transform the inhabitants into slaves more able to withstand the horrors of no-space in general and the dead head in particular. It made all sorts of promises and offers, but in reality was biding it's time. Once it had enough strength it vanished, moving from one level of reality to another.

The band then ransacked the creatures local base of operations, found the brewer and left, setting the entire thing to the flame. Once outside they also made arrangements to repair the damage done by the fungus and restore the forest.