Smells Like BBQ: Karst Chantry Part 2c

Whew, this is the final installment of the seriously awesome Old School Hack dungeon crawl that I ran a week ago Saturday. Wow, it's a testament to the quality of the session that I still recall details, especially since my notes dribbled off to nothing by this point in the session. I should also point out that this session was only four hours long. Hats off to Kirin for writing a game that can do old school dungeon crawls this efficiently while still piling on lots of shiny new school combat flourishes.

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Hearing the location of the Philosopher's Stone straight from the lips of a big ass Petrified Head did not do the party any good. Getting past the room with the offensive purple miasma and accross the howling chasm seemed too much of a challenge, especially since there was at least one area that they had not explored. So grabbing a few more handfuls of Fool's Gold (and a few more bottles of enchanted spirits), they crossed back over the Moon Bridge and made their way across the precarious span made of chain and mostly preserved wood.

On other side, they found the remains of Zog's original encampment near the base of the ruined Observatory. Zog explained that there was an alternate way up into the Karsts and the party wondered just where Drak purchased his map, since their approach had been so much more difficult. Of course, they were not decimated by flayed hunters, so there was that...

On the northern side of the Karst were five old standing stones arranged in a semi-circle around a perfectly tranquil lake of purest water. Still parched form their refusal to drink at the well, various party members approached the pool. The first to get his hands wet was Zog and he suffered greatly for it. A single drop was enough to send him into convulsive fits and excruciating headaches, When he recovered, all that was left of his third eye (and enhanced powers of perception) was a very subtle scar.

Upon further examination, Drak deduced that the standing stone and the lake signified an ancient Druid's shrine that predated the arrival of the necromancers. He guessed (correctly) that the dark wizards would find their own powers similar weakened by the cthonic energies and he gave the waters a wide birth lest he lose he newfound powers.

Moving on, the party followed a trail of blood across a nearly collapsed bridge to yet another karst. They found a set of double-doors slightly ajar with the angry sound of drums coming from within.

Preparing for battle, they kicked in the doors and rushed down a hallway into the midst of a hideous sacrificial ritual. Two more of Zog's former companions, a beautiful elf maid and a shaven dwarf woman, stood immodestly in a cage in the center of a large room. Dozens of spear-carriering flayed hunters danced about led by six priests of the dark god.

The battle was fast and furious, with everyone scrambling about the room, wading through hordes of bad guys, and Sven bravely leaping into the sacrificial cage to defend the poor ladies from the wicked knives of cultists eager to complete their dark ritual. It was then that Drak's enhanced magical powers got the best of him, bringing sleep to the entire room but for a few fleeing priests and the combatants in the cage.

The fleeing priests had an ace up their sleeve, however. They ran into an adjacent chamber and called down the avatar of the Flayed God to smite the party. Its first act was to let loose a powerful blast of magic that sent the sacrificial cage (with Sven, the girls, and another cultist still inside) tumbling into another room with pit of smoldering hellfire.

It was then that the party hatched an ingenious plan. Luring the depraved godling with taunts and displays offensively unflayed flesh, they ran to the other side of the hearth (freeing Sven and the would-be-victims as they went). When the flayed god charged their position, Drak and Zog joined forces in an awesome blast of magic that sent the abomination into the firepit. It was consumed in a burst of fire and disturbingly delicious odors.

After that, the party was spent. They had just enough energy to loot the old library and claim the possessions of Zog's former companions (those that weren't currently thanking Sven with their sweaty affections). The party decided that an expedition into the final karst would have to wait and that they needed to hurry back to Sanctuary to unload their Fool's Golds before it turned to garbage again.

So concludes my second Old School Hack adventure.