Session #38: Cothon-Under-City

[written by Jacob, who ran this session (21 May), developing an area of adventure quite different from the Tel al Safina; those interested in continuing adventures here, or returning to "the Facility" will have to go to him!]

Being new to the city, Najm ibn Marwan, a fisherman by trade and recently deciding to begin his foray into adventuring, made his way through the various taverns and adventuring places seeking his fortune. Little did he know what might be in store.

Ultimately he found himself at Cothon-Under-Star speaking to Sesel, who spoke of goings on in the Under City of Cothon [or, Taht Medina ~the Scribes]. Sesel himself spends much of his downtime in what he calls the ‘market square’ of the place. Though honestly it’s just a collection of rock and rubble that Sesel explains from his mind's eye “here is where you’d see the fountain, and over there the vendor stalls”. Either way, stories of ghosts, maybe some pirates, hopefully adventure, and maybe even some treasure, were shared in relation to the expansive ruins of the Under City.

Gan, having returned to Cothon with Sesel from their rather long-term triage camp after his recent hike up to the Spire of the Attines, found himself yearning for some adventure of his own. And so the two hired some beggars and set forth through the entrance provided by Sesel:

• Najm ibn Marwan (Magic-User 1)

  • Sahla (Beggar)

• Gan ad-Din (Fighter 2)

  • Old Zelma / “Wise Grandmother” (Beggar)

After a short while exploring the city they were joined by:

• Lars Fangripper (Magic-User 1)

  • Abu Kuruku (Beggar)

The group returned a few hours later looking haggard and wounded, though obviously holding themselves high with success. They paid out to their companions, Old Zelma promptly taking her rather large sack of coins paid by Gan out to the fanciest tavern she knew and telling stories of how she single handedly slayed a horrible crab-creature that spits globs of acidic brown goop (the crab creature pictured below).

Sketches by Najm, providing 100xp per level

The group, having gotten some healing potions and resting the night, collected themselves up for one more foray into the Under City, in hopes of finding further success. Hiring a handful of different hirelings, though Old Zelma was initially found and declined to join them having gotten enough coin from Gan for the time being. So, setting out as a group:

• Najm ibn Marwan (Magic-User 1)

  • al Rabb (free Renyu)

• Gan ad-Din (Fighter 2)

  • Musa “the Hook” (beggar)

• Lars Fangripper (Magic-User 1)

  • Stark the Wandsman (Fighter 1)

The group returned only a short time later, perhaps slightly jumpier than they were when they first entered, though Najm and Gan both had grins on their faces. After receiving his cut, Stark makes a straight shot for drinks. Between his rapid drinks he tells a story of the party being swallowed up by darkness, fingers of inky black reaching out towards them; and then of finding, of all the things one might find in these dark and dank tunnels under the city, an altogether unnerving tavern with a ghost-man (or maybe a mole-man?) all white skin and red eyes. Before long he finds himself in something of a brawl though, and passes out drunk and bruised shortly after.

The Lucre

• 1 Crab claw (claimed by Lars)

• 2 flasks of Crab sludge

• ½ flask of expended Crab sludge

• 5 ‘simple’ gems (total of 2,610 gp)

• To get the full value of any of these items one must Find the Right Buyer (two separate weeks, one for the fiery gem, another for the set with the diamond; though a remarkable success may provide a way to sell all of them)

  • 1 well cut fiery red gem, while not magical does draw the eye and would almost certainly be recognizable

  • Large, well cut diamond that was found with the brooch and pendant, and would certainly be recognizable

  • Ornate silver brooch with an unrecognizable house symbol

  • Gold pendant with several sparkly red gems inset into it

Experienced Earned

• 40,110 from treasure

• 284 from the crab creatures x2 (125 + hp ea)

• 100 xp to each character for exploring previously unknown districts

The Cut

• 12,555 xp per character (3,928 to Stark)

  • Note: XP is capped at 1 less than your next-next level. For example, a level 1 Magic User is capped at 4,999 XP (1 XP below level 3)

• 694 gp 33 sp per player character
  435 gp to Stark
  87 gp to al Rabb
  5 gp to Musa
  (note: previous beggars were paid mid-session, so their pay was not deducted from the treasure)

• Gold earned can be increased by "finding the right buyer" for those items; xp is already accounted for