Session 17:
“The Company of the Summoned Monkey!” 8-03-2008
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Cast of Characters:
Celceor The Wise; Elf Mage (Dave M.)
Nick; human rogue (Dave P.)
Wryan O’Malley; Human fighter (Kevin/NPC)
Bent Bullswaggit; Dwarf Mage/Bard (Brook)
Fafnir; Human Barbarian (Jon C.)
Werkle of Dinnsmere; Dwarf Fighter (Al)
Eggo of the Holy Brotherhood; Human Cleric (
Skwortch; Goblin (NPC)
Keygan Ghelve; Gnome Expert/Illusionist (NPC)
8… no, 7 other various former slaves
21st of the month of Ches
Session 17:
You have spent several days resting in the monastery gate house while Celceor casts umpteen identify spells. You have not seen any ghouls or other undead, but, due to the cold, you have had to make many trips to the monastery proper to replenish your firewood supply. However, you have been very careful and always sent someone along to 'watch out' when visiting the monastery for food, water or wood.
The former slaves have spent most of their time resting, recovering their spirits and helping you with the cooking, the cleaning, etc. You have gathered food and clothing from the monastery proper but the quarters in the gatehouse are a little cramped, so you have to return to the monastery from time to time to gather firewood and food. There are plenty of both, although most of it is fairly plain.
Bent Bullswaggit amuses himself by playing cards
with the slaves or singing ditties and reciting dirty limericks (there once was
a man from
Some time during the 4th day it is discovered that one of the former slaves is missing. A small gnome named Jasper Drundlesput, who had been a teacher of Mathematics from Cauldron, is missing. Jasper's blanket was wrapped around a pile of old clothes, obviously made to look like he was bundled up and asleep. No one can quite agree on when they saw him last. Everyone remembers seeing him at dinner the night before. After dinner he played cards with Bent Bullswaggit and a few other slaves; they all remember that he won a lot, more even than Bent. The other people playing remember that the gnome never said a word except for when he won, whereas the rest of them were laughing at Bent's jokes and antics. Bent says that the gnome was trying to teach him an obscure mathematical card trick after the game, but the trick was not very interesting so Bent didn't bother learning it. Celceor remembers seeing the gnome go downstairs to empty a chamber pot after the card game but specifically remembers that the gnome came back. Fafnir and Bane remember that the missing gnome came along with them after dinner to get some firewood from the guest house. He (the gnome) also went up on the roof at some point to look at the stars but Rune, Celceor's owl, was up there hunting for mice and didn't report anything unusual, although Rune remembers the gnome being on the roof and looking at the stars. Everyone who took turns at watch that night agrees that after he (the gnome) lay down in his traditional sleeping corner, he didn't stir. Eggo had made a rich stew that night with sausages, leeks and onions in order to 'strengthen up' the travelers and Bent and Fafnir had brought over a keg of lager beer. Due to the richness of the food and the beer, the slaves had slept pretty soundly.
Everyone agrees that Jasper was an eccentric gnome who seemed traumatized by his experience and would sometimes sit for hours, staring into the fire. The only thing he enjoyed was playing cards, although sometimes he appeared lost in thought, muttering mathematical formulae under his breath. He was small and pretty feeble; he never showed much aptitude for fighting or 'roughing it' and even had trouble cutting wood for the fire.
You search around the courtyard and find a few flecks of blood in the snow as well as some partially obscured tracks in the snow. There are footprints leading back and forth between the tower and the gatehouse and the gatehouse and the guesthouse, as well as to the ruined buildings (where people were salvaging some scraps of wood to burn in the fireplace rather than go into the 'spooky' monastery). You are not certain which footprints might belong to the abductor(s) and which footprints belong to yourselves and the ex-slaves just going about your errands.
You finally find his body in the basement in the brewery room. It has been ripped to pieces and obviously chewed on; it appears that the ghouls made a meal of him. The skull appears to have been smashed and someone ate the brains.
After your last bad experience with former comrades killed by ghouls rising from the dead, Eggo instructs you to take the body to the cemetery and bury it in consecrated ground. He says a few words and assures you that a body laid to rest properly will not rise from the dead.
By now it is mid day. You are debating what to do next. Bane has been looking out the window and annouces that he sees a procession of people, mostly humans in white cloaks with weapons and armor, leading mules and pack horses towards the monastery. A man in armor with the silver circle of the Allfather on his breastplate, leads the procession, sitting atop a heavy warhorse that plows through the snow. As they approach they blow a signal horn...
The party in the snow outside were calculated to arrive in 15 minutes or so. The group compared notes and a few accusations and theories were bandied around. Skwortch was accused because he had been observed squabbling with Jasper (the victim) the day before at dinner. Bent was accused because he had been observed cheating at cards, but Bent replied, “Of course I was cheating… I was just cheating to prevent Japer from winning every game. That gnome was cheating himself… so for me it was defensive cheating.” The theory is advanced that someone is infected with ‘ghoulism.’ Fafnir attempts to use the ‘undead detecting’ qualities of his sword to no avail. Keygan attempts to put his forearm in Skwortch’s mouth to see if the goblin will bite it (since his theory is that ghouls hunger for flesh and if the goblin is a ghoul he will be unable to resist a nibble) but Skwortch mistakes this for some sort of perverted sex act and asks Keygan, “Are you also one who makes the love in the anus of another man?!?” Eggo tries to ‘turn undead’ on the group, thinking it might cause a hidden ghoul to reveal himself, but to no avail. Finally, having failed to resolve the mystery but feeling certain that someone in the group was concealing something, they elected to turn over the monastery to the group waiting outside.
They unlocked the gates and advanced, humans in the front. The travelers demanded to know who they were and why isn’t the abbot here to greet them. As well as they could, they described the situation. Sir Thenfir, a champion of the Allfather and Father Benson Hedges were suspicious at first, but Father Benson seemed genuinely moved when Wryan presented him with the bejeweled holy symbol from the abbot’s room. The players attempted to present a bill for services rendered, but Sir Thenfir stated that no agreement had been struck beforehand, so any question of a bill was moot. A few insults are exchanged, but it is clear that Thirfir feels he can defeat the party so Fafnir puts his hackles down. As a gesture of goodwill, Father Benson used a restoration to restore some of Wryan’s lost wisdom which had been drained by the undead the session before.
Sir Thenfir demands they wait in the courtyard and the group bristles at this suggestion, but Nick states that it is reasonable. Members of the party attempt to ask questions or debate theology with the guardsmen who stonewall them with replies that they are but humble guardsmen on duty. “Please stay right there. This is for your protection…”
After Father Benson and Sir Thenfir have checked out the monastery and interviewed one of the dead bodies via a ‘speak-with-dead’ spell, they confirm the tale the party has been telling and detail six of their men-at-arms as well as six servants and twelve mules with supplies to escort the group, along with their servants, down the nearest village in the valley below.
The journey takes three days and they arrive in Kingfisher Hollow. Bane seeks to keep a low profile. After resting and stocking up on a few necessaries, they discuss ‘what to do about Skwortch.’ Skwortch doesn’t want to be ‘set free’ in the farmlands around Kingfisher Hollow since he believes that the farmers and their dogs will simply kill him if they catch him. He weeps tears which seem unconvincing because he immediately begins to grovel and beg when money is mentioned. In honor of his good service, Nick offers the goblin a pocket full of gold and Skwortch immediately begins to excitedly caper about and shout that with 100 gold, he could be a very rich goblin and be able to afford many wives whom he could schtup all day and night. He demonstrates his amatory technique with thrusting hips and everyone is sorry they asked. Women faint and children cry; brave men turn their heads away in fear from the thrusting pelvis of the ugly goblin. As the crowd is distracted by the goblin’s performance, Bane slips out of the inn saying, “I have something to take care of…”
The next morning, Bane shows up with a newly
painted wagon with a signs on the back that say, “Crack your whip if you like
Ostrich!” and “EMU: The other white meat!”
It is noted that the paint on the wagon is still fresh and somewhat wet. Bane wants to leave town immediately. They toss the former captives in the back and
ride-like-the-wind to
In Cauldron, they announce themselves as “The Company of the Summoned Monkey”
and, after summoning Mr. Chips, ride through the streets, tossing copper coins
to passers by and showing their accomplishments by parading the former
prisoners around the city. A few
ingrates shout back that the Stormblades throw silver 
coins
but most of the town seems appreciative.
After the parade, they headed over to The Temple
of Cuthbert to see Priestess Jenya. She
was very pleased to see them and listened closely to their description of their
travels. The former slaves depart for
their homes and Keygan returns to his lock shop. Based on documents that they had recovered
from Rowgli’s
slave market, it was agreed that a pirate captain named Jared Goldtooth and
his Lieutenant, Jack Mortimer, were in cahoots with some strange organization
named ‘The Iron League’ in the plot to kidnap people and sell them into
slavery. The boy, Terrem Khatrys, who
had been removed from the orphanage, had not been recovered. The documents suggested that the boy had some
sort of significance and was to be delivered, unharmed, to certain agents. The town of
The rogues and thieves all packed off to the
local watering holes to glean info.
Local barflys revealed that Captain Goldtooth was a notorious pirate,
who sailed up and down the
They then sold off a ton of loot and each
pocketed a pile of gold. They rushed
around buying supplies, scribing scrolls and shopping for better gear (and
magic stuff, when they could find it).
Skwortch purchased a snazzy new purple courtier’s outfit with ersatz
zebra skin hat and lapels. They stock up
on healing potions. Celceor established
contact with a local cleric of Hermes and declares his intention to study the
creed of the God of Luck. Nick begins
hanging with a crowd of dapper dandies in order to garner fashion tips and
learn the ways of the swashbuckler. They
show him how a swash is buckled but snigger at his low class accent and
unfashionable spats. Donations are made
to the various temples and charities (500 gps was given by Wryan to the
Along the way across the Carnellian Plains, they
stayed the night in a cave where they had a horrible dream about a hideous
monster with tentacles which attacked them while singing a song that started
off with, “Come and
knock on our door (come and knock on our door), we’ve been waiting for you
(we’ve been waiting for you…)…”
In the morning they discovered that there was a rotted piñata shaped
like an enormous grey phallus hidden in the cave (doubtless left over from some
fertility rite) with paper streamers that waggled in the wind, thus suggesting
tentacles. Perhaps this dreadful piñata
had inspired the bad dream? Or maybe it
was those mushrooms they gathered at the side of the road that the barbarian
assured them were safe? The piñata
contained only rotted custard that was so rancid that Celceor fainted at the
smell of it and Fafnir was sickened...
The next few days, having crossed the Carnelian Plains, through the
|
Character / Player: |
Race / Class & Level: |
XP at start: |
XP for session: |
XP total: |
Notes: |
|
Eryn Bane / Mike D. |
(half-elf / Thief 3) |
3722 |
165 |
3877 |
|
|
Celceor The Wise / Dave M. |
(Elf / Mage 4) |
8676 |
165 |
8841 |
-4 xp* |
|
Nick / Dave P. |
(Human / Rogue 4) |
6078 |
165 |
6243 |
|
|
Wryan O’Malley / Kevin S. |
(Human / Ftr 3) |
5299 |
165 |
5464 |
|
|
Werkle of Dinnsmere / Al G. |
(Dwarf / Fighter 3) |
5174 |
165 |
5399 |
|
|
Eggo of the Holy Brotherhood / NPC |
(Human / Cleric 3) |
4123 |
165 |
4288 |
|
|
Skwortch / NPC |
(Goblin ) |
432 |
83 |
515 |
|
|
Fafnir; Human Barbarian / Jon C. |
(Human Barbarian 3) |
3549 |
165 |
3714 |
|
|
Bent Bullswaggit / Brooke |
(Dwarf Bard 1/Mage 1 ?) |
3684 |
165 |
3849 |
|
*for scribing scrolls