Session #103: A Brush with Death

[put together with info from Max, who ran the session--thanks, Max!]

The threat of the restless dead in Tsurrr al Qadim has continued to grow, unchecked by any attacks of or efforts against them, though held at bay by the brave and thankless road- and tomb-guards of the Poor Brothers of the Dead. Of much greater concern has been the rise in power of the Red Cloud and his Kzinti horde.

But with the threat of Fort Bugeater totally removed, the eyes of those in the Dual-Cities turned to the ruins of Old Tsurr with fresh concern--and a company of adventurers decided to take the matter of dealing with the restless dead into their own hands. Though wary of battling the Stygian--the undead giant rumored to be marshalling the forces of the dead--without Iqtadar Sesel, the group nevertheless hoped to discover some useful information while also doing whatever damage they could to the forces of the undead in the process.

And so they ventured forth into along the Pallbearers' Way into Tsurr al Qadim with spirits high after their recent successes.

• Bart, magic-user 9
• Gan, fighter 7
• Heijo, magic-user 7
• Najm, magic-user 7
• Alianor, fighter 4
• Fa Mei, fighter 3
• Durham, fighter 8
• Pako, thief 5

the horn of the creature

A dark thunderstorm was seen over Tsurr al Qadim while they were venturing there, black clouds hanging low over the city like a pall of death. A short time later, the party returned to Cothon, battered and beaten (Alianor looked particularly pale and weak), but nevertheless carrying tokens suggestive of success in their endeavor--chiefly, the hacked-off body-parts of some terrible undead sro, as well as many gems and other items.

However, news followed their return of the fall of the Hastati Gate--the closest the ruins come to the Pallbearers' Way, and which had been used as a bastion by the Poor Brothers in their defense against the undead--and that traffic to the Necropolis would thenceforth be cut off until that gate, at least, could be retaken.

the heart of the creature

The Lucre

• 800 fals (cp), 7000 dirhams (sp), 2600 dinars (gp), 40 mithqals (pp worth 5 gp), 110 nisab (pp worth 10 gp)
• 550 dinars from gems
• bloodstone x2 (50 ea.), chalcedony (50), chrysoprase (50), citrine (50), jasper x2 (50 ea.), onyx (50), quartz (50), star rose quartz (50), zircon (50)
• a sapphire shaped like a tooth (magic)
• rotting finger wand (magic)
• dice set (magic)
• cultist tools (magic)
• potion (magic)
• rod (magic)
• corpsewing horn, heart, pair of wings, 12 teeth, and 6 claws (magic)

The Learning

• 5158 xp from treasure
• 35 from 5 deer-skulled penguin bats (6 + hp ea)
• 1210 xp from 55 zombies (20 + hp ea)
• 4408 xp from 3 collectors (type A) (1450 + hp ea)
• 2964 xp from collector (type B) (2900 = hp)
• 1776 xp from Necromancer (1750 + hp)
• 114 xp from 2 (lesser) necromancers (50 + hp ea)
• 8512 xp from Corpsewing (8400 + hp)

The Cut

• 133 fals, 1167 dirhams, 433 dinars, 7 mithqals, and 18 nisabs each to Bart, Heijo, Najm, and Durham
• 67 fals, 583 dirhams, 217 dinars, 3 mithqals, 9 nisab to Gan and Pako
• 67 fals, 583 dirhams, 217 dinars, 3 mithqals, 8 nisab to Alianor and Fa Mei
• 6044 xp each to Bart, Heijo, Najm, and Durham
• 3022 xp each to Gan, Alianor, Fa Mei, and Pako
• the tooth-shaped sapphire (magic)
• dice set (magic)
• rotting finger wand (magic)
• cultist tools (magic)
• unknown potion (magic)
• rod (magic)
• corpsewing horn (magic, claimed by Durham)
• corpsewing heart (magic, claimed by Najm)
• 2 corpsewing wings (magic, claimed by Najm)
• 4 corpsewing teeth each to Bart, Durham, and Heijo (magic)
• 3 corpsewing claws each to Durham and Bart (magic)

As always, art, maps, reports, &c. provided to the scribes will earn 100 xp per level for the presenting character