Session #49: Horror and Madness in the Undercity

[the Scribes must apologize for their hiatus of a lunar month or so; the new tax codes have required a greater deal of attention than expected, and so these chronicles of deeds have languished in the meantime; this entry is tardy several weeks!]

All the talk in the Dual-Cities of Cothon-Gadeed in recent weeks has revolved around the recent wedding feast of Zaida al Rashid and the former-barbarian Sesel, Voice of the Survivors. Not unprecedented--especially not since Sesel's grant of citizenship by the Souffets of Gadeed--nevertheless, it was a great public feast, and a reminder for all the foreign-residents and barbarians living in Cothon that perhaps they could indeed scrape together enough gold and influence to raise their own stature!

Nevertheless, life has continued, especially for the other barbarian-adventurers in Cothon, including Sesel's boon-companions and fellow Survivors of the Tel. Indeed, such were the adventurers who descended into the Undercity, following Sesel and something that he found when wandering the catacombs alone to get away briefly from the excitement of his pre-marriage party.

This adventure occurred some weeks ago, but only now have the rumors begun to turn from the wedding, and return to circulating the exploits of the Survivors and others:

• Bartholomew Pettibone (magic-user 5)
  accompanied by Nuur of Nous (psychic)
• Heijo (magic-user 4)
• Sesel (fighting-man 6)
  accompanied by Raoden (magic-user 3)
• Avin (magic-user 6)
• Durham (fighting-man 6)
  accompanied by Pako (renyu)
• Ravna (magic-user 5)

The company emerged from the Undercity some hours later, smelling of a strange mix of fishy garum, beer, and something musky, with emotions high--some so strung out that they seemed to stare wildly about with wide white eyes, unable to form their thoughts into coherent words. These last three--Heijo, Nuur, and Raoden, even after hours had passed at the tavern of Cothon-Under-Star, were still seen to be incoherently mumbling, watched over by Bart and others. Meanwhile, the ever-loyal Gan ad-Din was sent forth on yet another errand--to find a cure for this strange madness!

But what had happened? Durham had actually emerged somewhat before the rest of the company, and while he calmed his nerves with wine (for he was clearly agitated, and also curiously smelling of garum), his renyu-servant Pako spared a few details for curious fellow-patrons:

"Followed Sesel under city--into dungeon. Heard Klackons behind and hid. Then were kurgha ahead, very bad smell, very bad. Killed with magic. After that, smelled doors like Green Doors. Durham not like, me not like. People wear garum, I like that. Then we kill vampires. Durham want go home after that, and here we are."

Unfortunately, whatever transpired to drive Heijo, Raoden, and Nuur to invalid madness happened after Durham's and Pako's return, and Nuur and Raoden were both too incoherent to relate anything more. Perhaps an adventurer will present the tale in their own words in due time!

The Lucre

• a jeweled and brocaded bowcase, depicting a scene from the epic of Faramars, (1000 dinars, i.e. gp)
• still held in the bowcase, 11 arrows of hard dark tiu-wood, with smoky black obsidian heads (100 gp ea., for 1100 dinars altogether)
• a wondrous wreath of deliberately patinaed bronze laurels, along with finely wrought sahulen plumes of tumbaga; unfortunately, the metals are badly bent, which reduces the total value from what it could otherwise be (3500 dinars, unless repaired)
• several fragments of once valuable books, scrolls, and scroll cases--covers inlaid with nacreous ghar-shell, the pages all rotted away, and the gilt-and-jewelled ends of scroll cases, and a crumpled scroll of gold foil, its etchings long since lost, &c. &c. (5000 dinars)
• a bizarre and ornamental--knife?--the quillions of outreaching arms, four to either side; the "blade" strangely twining tentacles; at the center of the hilts, a face, alien and grinning; and the pommel a composite of gems, one blue, with a sliver of green to one side, and a crescent of red outside that (6000 dinars)
• another of the metallic orb-like "eyes"; this one is inscribed in a strange language seemingly composed of various "points" and "commas"
• a thin circular sheet of green metal (clearly zortrium), quite old, and yet still polished to a mirror-like sheen on one side; the back is inscribed in a spiral pattern with indecipherable logograms proceeding to (or from?) the center; it was clearly once set into some kind of frame that has since broken (or rotted?) away (unknown value; perhaps the right buyer would pay a fortune for such a thing?)
• three muskily-scented humanoid heads, cut off by the adventurers

The Learning

• 16,600 xp from treasure (can be increased by finding the right buyer and/or repairing certain items for increased value)
• 927 xp from kurgha x17 (50 + hp ea.)
• 652 xp from vampires x3 (200 + hp ea.)
• 878 xp from hli'ir x2 (400 + hp ea.)
• 100 xp to ea. character for exploring an unknown section of the Undercity

The Cut

• 2371 dinars (gp) and 2 dirhams (sp) to ea. player-character
  1185 dinars, 7 dirhams to Nuur and Raoden
• 3509 xp to each player-character
  1755 xp to Nuur and Raoden each
• the "eye"
• the strange mirror-like object of zortrium
• the three vampire-heads

As always, anything that a player-character wishes to retain for personal use may be "bought out" of the lucre with that character's own funds. Anything sold to the right buyer for a higher price than listed will increase xp and gold cuts commensurate with the increase.

And reports, art, etc., regarding the events of this expedition are worth 100 xp per level to the player-character furnishing such a thing in-character