Call of Cthulhu, Episode #29: 'Shrink to Fit'

 After translating the story of the past, the party resolve to go to the temple chamber first. They initially speak to Father Jorge, the Island's Priest, and he and Professor Methridge (who just wants his missing students back) show them some of the local artifacts.  

Of these is the 10,000 year old statue of a deep one - the 'Long Ears' whom the human settlers took the island from, and a vase of ancient resin, which the cuneiform script indicates may be some sort of weapon against the unnatural when used to coat a blade - which they will use liberally. He also tells them of the Tangata Manu - the ancient birdman priest.

Resolving to address the temple problem first, they ride the airship to the ancient volcano on the cliffs, where the journal told of an ancient ambuscade. Finding a way in from the upper cliffs they emerge from an ancient stairway into the same chamber that contained the massive Cthulhu statue, and see four of the students in cages, with one already sacrificed, when they are rushed by deep ones whom they dispatch quickly, then move to release the students...though McLeoud sees something dripping, forming, rolling and sloughing in the darkness of the outer cave...the Shoggoth from the ancient text?

'uhhhh guys?.....'

Fumbling and forcing the locks, the characters manage to get the students free just as the shoggoth 'shrinks to fit' into the chamber...The chase is on, with DEX only being inhibited by large STR and SIZ, placing the order as McDade, Mcleoud, with the Professor and Sinead at the back guiding out students. 

Releasing the students

SAN rolls kick off, with McDade and McLeoud passing (losing 1d6) and the Prof and Sinead failing - potentially losing 1D20 each. INCREDIBLY, they roll a '1' for the Prof and a '2' for Sinead. They might even get away with this as they run, ...no.

The Shoggoth catches up to one of the sane students, the Prof and Sinead.simultaneously.. the roll is a 5...

'It's a big 'un'

 Sinead and one of the insane students are engulfed by the Shoggoth as it sloughs over them, melting and making their bodies one with it, despite their screams... Sinead lets go of the dead man's handle on the bag of explosives as she is eaten, and *BOOM*...the shoggoth is badly damaged, but of course will heal, but the slowing down of the thing lets the rest of the party get back to the airship.

Sinead's last BOOM!

 With memory of Sinead's death still fresh, they resolve to visit the Tangata Matu at the place where the journal locates him near the smaller island to the south west. Large eagle like birds guide them in to meet a small bald man, covered in feathers, by a cave. He relates the ancient wisdom of his forefathers, which ties in with the ancient journal script record...the ancient Black Spear of Nuah can defeat the creatures of the Mythos...and he knows where it is.

 On the island to which ShanTryan had swam in the ancient text, the remnants of the black spear still resides he claims...with a crystal that the Priest wants. Now, the conventional way to do this, would be to use the ancient mask he has to allow underwater travel, swim across alone, and fight your way through deep ones..no? Do they do that? Do they heck...using the airship with the Lewis gun as top cover they fight their way to the island, drop down, shoot their way into the cave with heavy weapon covering their movement, and shoot a couple of deep ones in the cave for good measure, grabbing the spear, and realising that it is in fact the ....remnants of Belphegor's black sword well attached to a thick shaft of oak...the Spear of Nuah.

Jazz Hands

 They drop the students back with Professor Methridge at the town and return to the temple complex, entering from the front this time, with the spear-sword-thing; the deep ones that remain are terrified by the spear..as is the Shoggoth, whom they manage to hold off whilst they restore the fourth pillar and record the spell that will enable them to return R'lyeh to the depths...if...they can find it.

Of course this time, as it reels from the blade, the Shoggoth turns, and part of Sinead's stretched face is in the side of its protoplasmic flesh ..>ROLL YOUR SAN!

Jazz hands...Sinead's mostly

Upon their return to the town, the Chilean army are now asking for their help...they have received word from the mainland...that an island or land mass, appears to have emerged far to the south west of Easter Island, and they have no means of reaching it with their ships...can the party help?

...sad music plays...

Shadowdark #16: 'The End! ... for now?'

Realising that Lord Trum is in fact a wily and powerful Rakshasha, and he has some sort of means of teleporting betwixt the castle and the caves of chaos, and that he is in fact responsible for all the trouble with moonstone production, AND that he is responsible for the bloodline that created Dagmara the Sorceress, whose blood will aid him in planar travelling across the multiverse, ...the characters should probably run away bravely...instead, they stay and fight.

Our heroes...

 Lady Maureen - Dagmara's mother, and the old yet 'sprightly' Priest - Byden, will accompany them...they being the only remnants of the old adventuring group that originally explored the vile caverns years before...losing the fighter Devlin AND,  not realising that Lord Trum had been transformed into something far less than human. 

'I used to worrrrrk forrrrr Morrrdorrrr'

 Dropping in on the now quiet cave complex via Jeralt's Griffin, they enter the top most rear cave...immediately encountering a Wraith in the caverns.

Wraith in the web spell...winks out and then attacks again

 This of course, is the undead remnants of the fighter - Devlin, previously a member of Lady Maureen's adventuring party...after some dodgy moments, he grants them a clue to the next 'trapped' room, which the characters eventually get after losing a whole batch 'o' hit points.

 

'yea though i expire....a clue I shalt give theee...or you could just ignore it like...'

'there must be a pattern..wait..FIREBALL...INCOMING!'

 Then, the final conflict...as they enter Lord Trum's...otherwise known as 'Crasus the Rakshasha's' - throne room, clearly part of some ancient spaceship, with which he either escaped, or was exiled from, the Tabaxi realm of Drymoon by the children of Duke Leto...or...has that even happened yet?...(all makes total sense to me).

'CHARRRRGE!'

 

'I'll just hang about behind this handy pillar, shall I?'

The Rakshasha - Crassus...has time to summon a demon, but is engaged by the fighters, before he can summon any more (he has a whole selection), fighting a defensive battle at his throne dais, as the characters force him to roll disadvantageously behind the now erected 'Mountainholme' magical shield wall...of course, his prescient mind-reading ability means the fighters have to do the same, when rolling against him.

Mountainholme in action pose...

 Casting out an energy ball, he manages to summon one demon before he is engulfed in combat - though this one - Balor himself..will prove to be a tough opponent.

'He seems friendly...'

  

The Sorceresses dally with the creature, trying to convince him to break the deal he has ...as Crassus screams (meows) 'BRING ME DAGMARA!' ...and the demon nods as a pact is made. Spells go off, one after the other .many failing...and many fumbling - it is just not the Sorceresses' day!

Spell effects..when they work...

Balor manages to rope in Dagmara, but she blinks out with Misty step, much to the Balrog's annoyance...

awww...he was really niiice

The growing Owlbears that Dagmara had adopted also attack (clearly now with magical improvements to attacks...uh..ahem...that enables them to tackle 'Balor the Balrog')... Biden too tries to both heal and take down the Balrog, where he can...

Balor destroys ALL in his wake...so far...

The Sorceresses conjure up a plan to become invisible and move behind Crasus, with Dagmara eventually finding her way into the hidden control room behind him, realising that breaking Balor's pact will not work...Maureen moves up, planning to use her 4th level spell on Crasus (as lower levels will not work on the Rakshasha)...casting 'Cloudkill' AND...it fails... She immediately uses her 'pearl of power' to regain the spell, the characters move out of the way ...AND...it fails again GAHHH!

'It's behiiiind you!'

Meanwhile,  Balor kills the Owlbears, and poor old Byden the Priest...then the demon flies toward the characters at the throne..who are CLOSE..very close... to killing Crasus himself.

Taking on Balor the Balrog...

Spying Dagmara, and still under pact, Balor moves to the rear control chamber to grab her again..and is deceived by her mirror image spell, grasping an illusion..and screaming his defiance! 

By now, Crasus has been worn down, and a triumphant Leeta the hobbit, slowly being turned into a dwarf by Mountainholme (a Dwobbit?, a Hwarf?...a Dwarbit?), leaps forward with the 'blessed magical crossbow bolt of doom' - the only thing that will kill a Rakshasha..and stabs him between the eyes - GREAT SUCCESS! ...except, now...the vile Balor is released from his pact with Crasus, and turns upon the characters. 

Bjorn Down!!! Bjorn Down!!!

Bjorn goes down in a flurry of horrible blows from the Demon Lord...just as Leeta, picks up his dropped magical Elven blade herself and rushes the huge beast....taking him down with a heroic CRITICAL...rolling for triple damage! WOW..what and end to the campaign... as Leeta the 'Dwobbit' saves the day!!!

Saved by the Dwobbit

Bjorn is revived, and our heroes have won the day...

Reasoning that the room was filled with portals to the other planes, which a sacrificed Dagmara's blood would have used to activate, and thus allow Crasus to escape...the party opts to destroy the whole place and (hopefully) end any future attempts to kidnap Dagmara...all's well that ends well...for now... 

 

  

Leeta the Brave

 

Lady Maureen goes on to become Castellan of the citadel now that Trum/Crasus is gone... 

Leeta the 'Dwobbit'...becomes her top bodyguard

Dagmara the Wise

 

Dagmara the Sorceress inherits her mother's Witchy-Woo Tower

Jeralt the Holy

Jeralt the Paladin takes over the church of Saint Terraginis in the citadel, succeeding his dead Mentor, Byden...

Bjorn the Mighty

Bjorn is promoted to 'Captain of the Guard' in the citadel

 But, it is rare in this world that heroes such as these, the only survivors of the 12 characters that started the campaign, are allowed to rest for long... 

  

Balor goes on to open a sandwich shop in Norwich, identifying as a cat called 'Bob'.

 

 

 

Shadowdark #15: 'It's a TWAP!'

 The characters resolve to return to the caves, though of course they now have new found information regarding Dagmara, the half orc wizard's parentage...stunning revelations; so much so that in fury, she returns the group to the caves in search of the apparently kidnapped babies...which of course is a ruse of devious nature.

'I hope this thing can fly?'

 They find tracks left by the kidnappers into a green mist filled cave...and discover that finding the clues is waaaay too easy.

'Wait...this seems far easier than...AHHHHHH!'

Entering a second entrance into the bandit lair instead, the bandits are reluctant to engage (after losing most of their number during the last encounter), but...they have a cunning plan (my lord). As the characters pursue the fleeing bandits, bags of 'anti-magical moonstone' cascade from the sides of the high chamber, stunning them and exploding amongst the magic users. Though they fight their way through, Dagmara is kidnapped and taken to the entrance, where harpies take her to the green mist cave, evading the descent of the party's 'Attack Griffin'.

 

Dagmara kidnapped by level 2 Bandit NPC morons! I mean...the embarrassment of it all...

With little choice now, the party rush inside the mist cave, discovering quickly that it is a maze and (DC15) checks must be made to stay together, which they invariably fail, except for Lyall the cleric, who dutifully finds the kidnapped Dagmara in the Harpy's lair (finding an ancient corpse on the floor, and a captured Dagmara in the nest above).

 His frantic Elven cries of 'HELP' reach the other characters, but they simply can not find him...though Fighter Bjorn finds a magical crossbow bolt of some nature in one of the rooms. The Harpies descend on the sole cleric, killing him in a few rounds., despite Leeta finding him, but being unable to save him.....when Bjorn and Jeralt reach the chamber and start to wreak vengeance on the winged hags.

Arriving home to discover that no one has emptied the dishwasher...AGAIN!

 In her vain attempt to escape, the bound Dagmara does find a secret entrance...apparently to the larger 'boss' cavern which has not been explored yet...and notes it for future reference.

Sadly, the characters regroup, and carry their once proud Spinal Tap drummer...I mean cleric, from the field of battle (cue music).

Death in the Harpy maze...

 Returning to the castle...there are things to discuss with Lady Maureen when they return her wand, whose big reveal as Dagmara's mother, makes many of the previous situations clear:

'I mean there is a chance, that I uhh, might not have exactly, precisely, told you everything?'

 

• 20 years previously, Dagmara, Trum, Byden the cleric and a fighter called Devlin (whose remains the party found in the Harpy nest), explored the caverns at various times. 
• Maureen found herself captured by White-Eye, escaping months later, and giving birth to her daughter in Boderfell (Borderfell...the Stroke City).
• She then headed north, leaving her daughter in the hands of the Boderfell/Borderfell rebels (who are really nice, honest)
• She returned here years later, in disguise, to wreak vengeance, find her daughter, or to determine exactly what was going on... 
• Trum had disappeared at one stage during the exploration - when returning to the party, he seemed 'different'.
• Clearly he, or his minion White-Eye, want Dagmara...Maureen believes that she is some sort of 'blood key', perhaps a blood sacrifice...that enables whoever is running the whole thing to escape somewhere...
• Maureen has also been passed 'moonstone' as a medicine but she realises now, that it is to dampen her magic. It came from Byden, who is clearly in the thrall of Trum too.
• When the characters tell of their 'eye of true seeing' magic item, and having seen Trum as some sort of Tabaxi/Cat person, behind his illusory human facade..Maureen gasps, grabs her ancient (1st ed no less) Monster Manual...and hisses 'Rakshasha...he is a Rakshasa! The real Trum is long dead then!' She shakes her head and sighs. 'This won't be easy.' 

Lord Trum...chillin'...with cheap fez that he bought from e bay, and pipe...

 

But what, gentle reader, is his devious plan...tune in next time... 

 

Cathulhu #2, 'I am here for the cemetery, not your weird shenannigans!'

Having been overheard by Lena...the cat of Paulie Pavlov, Whiskey and Fitz's discussion over the origins of the strange 'cat killer' are discussed by the new trio of investigator cats.

The gang - Whiskey, Fitz & Lena

 They resolve to investigate the last murder site, taking some milk at Fitz's hangout at Keenan's Laundry on East College Street. 

They look at the map in Brock's office, and mewl as they point to the sites of the four previous murders... Lena had also heard of some earlier cat murders in the cemetery to the south (one of her hangouts as she lives in the south east of the city with Paulie's family). She would like to return home of course, especially with a 'cat killer' on the streets, and persuades her two new friends to investigate in that direction. 

After a binned chicken dinner in Powder Mill Street, with a local cat called Maddox, he tells them of a house close to the cemetery, where the cellar was recently 'bricked up', removing it as one of Maddox's warm areas to sleep at night. Strange, unearthly sulphurous smells also emanated from the property at all hours. Mostly Irish immigrants live in this quarter, but there was a section of older richer houses on a large lot.

By mid afternoon, the party resolve to check the place out, finding a run down, though once expensive house. Fitz, whose speciality is opening doors, sneaks to the front. Finding it locked, he sneaks around the back and manages to enter via the kitchen, with Whiskey and Lena in tow.

 Their attention to the filth in the place is disturbed by a distinct banging from the basement, as if, something is trying to get out...present also is the voice of a man from below. 

They check out the living room and study, finding occult paraphernalia and messy 'insane' human notes. As they continue to search, they hear human 'can opener' footsteps coming up the stairs from the basement.Whiskey races to hide under the table, while Fitz heads for the chair...Lena heading for the fireplace, hoping to make her way out through the chimney...which turns to disaster, as she not only slips, but gets covered with inky black soot on the way down, convincing the approaching human...that she too is a black cat, and thereby, a target 'Here, kitty kitty!'

Terrified, the cats race from the room, though Lena is caught and dragged down the stairs to the basement...the next victim for the Black Cat Murderer?...the 'thing' that is making all the banging downstairs.

the 'horrible laboratory'

Fitz and Whiskey race to the bottom of the stairs, finding the basement and the horrific laboratory...where a door separates the 'thing' from the outside world. Whiskey tries to save Lena from the grasp of her human captor...whilst Lena herself manages to scratch and rip her way free, bolting up the stairs once more.

 

The cat that does not look like a D4, really...(well they have to useful for something)...

Fitz, bravely opens the door to the laundry room in the basement, revealing the horrific 'Cat from Saturn' which the human Montague has managed to summon from the Dreamlands and do his bidding, and help with his magical attempts to find eternal life and summon more cat demons, with the hearts of the black cats. With a lollop and a thrash, the thing tries to kill Fitz, who dodges and runs back up after his friends. 

 

the 'Cat from Saturn', and it hasn't had dinner yet...

Chased by Montague and the thing, the heroes race upstairs to the bedroom, with Lena and Fitz jumping onto the wardrobe.

Montague goes for a pistol in his drawer, whilst Whiskey races for the door...the cat thing lolloping toward the rickety wardrobe. Both cats pushing against the wall, they manage to bring the poorly balanced, heavy oak furniture down upon the cat-thing, hearing at least one bone break, but doing LOTS of damage, as they race for the kitchen downstairs...and the exit. Montague fires a shot from his revolver, but misses.

The old 'let's bring the wardrobe crashing down upon its alien head' trick.

They regroup back at Paulie Pavlov's house, where his young daughter feeds all the kitties some well deserved milk. Finally working out that the cat thing only comes out at night, they resolve to lay an ambush.

As expected, the the alien thing emerges for the night's hunt, though with one leg broken, and with a heavily wounded body. Clearly Montague could not repair it. Our heroes resolve to lead it to college street, where the traffic is heavy enough to cause an incident...taking it in turns to lead the thing in a merry chase for vengeance, they ultimately, in the darkness, manage to find an appropriate car, with a driver who could use better eye-glasses.

The cat thing misses one attack, as the heroes dodge effectively, and it is blinded by headlights from a driver who didn't even know it was there and ...SPLAT! Game over man! Game over!

That time when you realise that AI has absolutely no idea what you are asking for ...

 Breathing a sigh of relief, and with the thing's head not altogether attached properly, they retrieve their grisly trophy to return to Ricardo's gang...as proof of mission. Ricardo is grateful, having his gang feed on what is left of the 'thing' , and gives the party more catnip...informing them that his gang will take care of the 'can-opener' that had held the cat-killer.

'I mean this book is great and all, but where the heck did Kitty go???'

Returning to Lady 'Madame' with the Catnip, she is impressed (having never sampled it before) and hopelessly addicted.

Laughing at their triumph, the cats return to their homes, with Fitz returning to the Professor's home, near the University... a letter from London, an invitation to a lecture, has arrived... 

   TO BE CONTINUED ... in 'Horror on the Orient Express' (with added cat)