"A Vitch You Can't Scratch" Chapter 17 of the Xanthus River Campaign

This week, the party fights some more kobolds, almost gets their butts kicked, spends some down-time healing and leveling, then find and murder execute a disgruntled and bitter kobold wizard named "Vitch". It's Racially-Motivated Home Invasions, the RPG!

Our party:

Player characters

• Ser Valerius (Level 3 Human Paladin)
• Absalom (Level 2 Human Cleric of Justica)
• Gwen (Level 2 Elf Fighter)
• Jalani (Level 2 Human Cleric of Amun-Tor)
• Stefan (Level 1 Elf Fighter/Thief, special guest star)

Henchmen

• Babu (Level 2 Human Magic User)
• Knott (Level 1 Human Fighter)
• Brown Tom (Level 1 Human Fighter, Squire of Valerius)

Hirelings

• Clench (Human Mercenary Heavy Infantryman)
• Squat (Human Mercenary  Heavy Infantryman)
• Push (Human Mercenary  Heavy Infantryman)
• War Dog

Old Gnuder
When we left our party, they had just defeated the kobold chieftain and his bodyguards and freed the poor old dwarf prisoner, Old Gnuder. Old Gnuder had no legs and only a left arm. He was chained by a collar to the wall like a dog and fed scraps.

The party took Old Gnuder out of the mountain and into safety in the village of Duirndown.

As they emerged, they spied two figures standing on the bridge connecting the entrance to Duirnhold to the village of Duirndown. It was Gwen and another elf, her cousin Stefan. Gwen re-joined the party joined by Stefan, who had only recently arrived from the Otherworld.

In Duirndown, an attendant was hired to see to Old Gnuder's needs and a scribe was hired to record his tale and anything else he knew about the fate of Duirnhold.

Old Gnuder recounted the story of Duirnhold as he knew it. He said that many of the dwarfs of Duirnhold had at first become passive and lethargic, eventually turning evil, their eyes black and their skin ashen. The evil dwarfs, the so-called Derro, began to enslave the remaining good dwarfs. A civil war resulted, killing thousands. With the war came an invasion, led by whom he knew not. He only knew that an army of evil humanoids, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, orgres, and trolls, had swarmed through the hidden cracks in the earth, and attacked the weakened city. The dwarfs were forced to flee. Old Gnuder was tasked to hold the checkpoint during the evacuation. He was eventually overrun by the orcs and left to die. He was later found by the kobolds and taken prisoner. He has been the "pet" of the kobolds for the past few years.

The party informed Old Gnuder that fifty years had passed since the fall of Duirnhold. Old Gnuder could not accept that. It had been no more then ten years at the most! Of this he was certain!

Back Into the Mountain
The party left Old Gnuder in caring hands and returned to the mountain. They retraced their steps and followed various unexplored passages, noticing and avoiding passages covered in alchemical powders.

Eventually, they reached a long L-shaped room, a temple, protected by twelve kobolds, four guards, and a shaman.

That's a lot of kobolds!

A fierce battle ensued as a forward force of kobolds kept the party pinned in the door while another force of kobolds formed a line, backed by the guards, to protect the shaman. The party finally broke through and advanced to do battle with the defensive line. As the kobolds began to fall, the surviving kobolds turned to flee. The guards began killing deserters and the shaman case Remove Fear to reestablish morale. Eventually, however, all the kobolds were wiped out.

Form up! Defend the Shaman!

The room was searched. Two stone-giant skulls flanked a pair of ever-burning fires in braziers on top of the raised altar platform. Piles of skulls from orcs, goblins, and even ogres, flanked the altar platform. A well in the center of the room was filled with black oily liquid. Valerius prayed over the well and the oil retreated into cracks at the bottom, revealing 4900 copper pennies.

 The party continued on, discovering another guard room with one guard and eight kobolds. The fight was ferocious and Knott and Jilani found themselves at death's door, only to be saved by Absolom. The fight was so fierce, in fact, that Brown Tom and the mercenaries were called up off the bench and got to kill their first opponents!

These guards were surprisingly tough!

After the fight, three of the party members were unconscious and unable to continue so the party retreated to Duirndown to rest and heal.

Down Time
Everyone spent a week in Duirndown. During that week, Stefan took a job as captain of the village guard and Gwen found herself robbed of 10% of her total wealth. Absolom was offered a business opportunity to fund a traveling merchant but refused.

The next week, once everyone had recovered, Absolom, Babu, and Jalani traveled to Swallow, a day's hike away, to study for a week. Absolom studied under the tutelage of the priest of Justica in the Hall of Justice. Babu, with the help of his imaginary friend Urso, found the secret wizard shop ("Wizards Only, Fools!") and was instructed in how to meet and learn from a more experienced mage. Jalani, however, followed a series of clues and secret messages concealed in various landmarks around Swallow to lead her to the place of secrets, where priests of Amon-Tor learn the mysteries of the God of Secrets.

During that same week, Valerius was offered a dangerous mission that involved a cave high up on the mountains. He refused, but Stefan took the mission. A week passed and Stefan did not return. Everyone feared him dead. That same week, Gwen made a friend of an assassin from Swallow. The assassin was grateful to Gwen and gave her the choice of awards: the nullification of any assassination order at some point in the future or a reward of 1900 gold coins. Gwen took the gold coins.

Once More Into the Mountain
After two weeks, the party once more ventured into the mountain. They retraced their steps, encountering no dangers along the way, until they reached another guard room. This time, the guards backed away cautiously. One of the guards tossed a capped metal cylinder into the room. Jalani moved away from the rest of the group and cautiously opened it. A puff of powder exploded and Jalani fell unconscious. The kobolds, chagrined that their plan failed, tossed another capped metal tube into the room and waited for a response. The party ignored the tube and rushed the kobolds, slaying each and every one of them.

Later, after Jalani was restored to consciousness, the tube was inspected and opened, revealing a note. The note contained a notice of surrender and an invitation to discuss terms, eloquently written in excellent handwriting, signed Vitch.

The party moved forward and found a kobold alchemist and wizard, wearing dirty robes and along pointy hat that curved forward, sitting in his study. The kobold surrendered himself saying, in the common tongue, "I give up! I give up! I'm the last one!"

Poor doomed Vitch.

The Story of Vitch the Doomed
The kobold introduced himself as Vitch, kobold alchemist and wizard. Vitched seemed erudite and well-educated, but bitter and angry. Vitch asked how the party came to be here. When told about the key, he exclaimed, "You have a key? You can leave this place! Take me with you! I'll tell you anything you want to know, just get me out of here! I was once a promising wizard! I studied at the best colleges across Agartha! I've been trapped in this fucking place for almost ten years! TEN YEARS with these damn disgusting rat-dogs!"

When it was explained that fifty years had passed on the outside, he became enraged, "Those FUCKING Mages of Bhakru! DAMN IT!"

He explained that he was a human that came here to study alchemy from the dwarves of Duirndown. While he was here, the city had fallen to an evil influence called Ogremoch, and that this evil corruption led to a civil war. When the wizard Ezekiel attacked with his army of evil humanoids, he tried to escape. He was captured. He eventually fell into the company of an infestation of kobolds here.

GM Note - Vitch was a human who was polymorphed into a kobold by Ezekiel, a detail Vitch failed to mention that could have saved his life. Indeed, I didn't think of it until just now and I wish I had at the time.

The Mages of Bhakru came to re-take the city and send Ogremoch back to the elemental plane of Earth. They failed. Ogremoch could not be stopped. He would continue to grow and expand until one day he would destroy all of Agartha. However, although he could not be stopped, he could be contained. The Mages cast a powerful spell on the mountain. Nothing that entered the mountain could escape. Thus would Ogremoch and the armies of Ezekiel be trapped within.

Vitch described what the party might expect below, with tribes of orcs, hobgoblins, goblins, and ogres trapped in the abandoned dwarfish city. He also said that the protective spell allowed things to enter, but would not allow them to leave, so other monsters and even explorers have found their way through the secret cracks and passages of the mountain into the city. He said that Ezekiel had taken over Duirn's palace as his own and that different forces have taken control of different areas of the city.

However, it seemed the Mages not only sealed everything within, they froze time as well, probably hoping to deal with the problem at some point in the future. Well, its obvious the spell wasn't perfect. Several years have passed, so time has been leaking, possibly even accelerating. Ogremoch was slowed but not stopped. And one day, the spell will fail, time will catch up, and Ogremoch will escape his prison!

"In the meantime, get me out of here!"

While the party was distracted, Knott approached Vitch, brandishing his battle axe. Vitch tried to cast Invisibility on himself but failed. Knott hacked Vitch down in cold blood. Ending any debate before it could begin.

With the murder of Vitch, the party searched the room. An arch opened into an adjoining empty room. In the other room, the arch disappeared behind an illusory wall. Vitch's quarters contained a laboratory, within which was discovered:

• A fine magic axe of dwarfish manufacture, with inlaid knot-work on the blade and runes caved along the haft. The axe was later identified by Old Gnuder as being his axe, which he donated to the party due to his current infirmity.
• A two-hundred pound magic anvil, later revealed by Old Gnuder to be the Anvil of Hrind the Fabricator. The anvil is of great use and importance to the dwarves, but is useless without the hammer and tongs of Hrind which must still be in the mountain somewhere.
• Two potions of Stone Giant Strength.
• One vials of Sleeping Powder (As MU Spell of same name, can be thrown by anyone, subject to grenade-like missile rules).
• Two vials of Stinking Cloud Powder (as MU spell of same name, can be thrown by anyone, subject to grenade-like missile rules).
• Two vials of Scare Powder (as MU spell of same name, can be thrown by anyone, subject to grenade-like missile rules).
• One potion of Stone Giant Control.
• 300 gold coins stashed in clay jars.
• Two golden statuettes worth 100 GP each.
• Alchemy tools and laboratory worth 500 GP.
• Various alchemical ingredients and magic user spell components.

The party once more made their way back to the surface to stash their gains, consult Old Gnuder, and make plans for future forays.

 

TO BE CONTINUED!

 

After Action Report

Knott's murder of Vitch brought Knott's neutrality into question. At the time, I ignored it. The players do not like having to deal with issues of morality and philosophy in the game. However, after the fact, I raised the question with Knott's player: At best it could be interpreted as an execution of a kobold - an irredeemable enemy of humanity. At worst, it could be interpreted as the cold-blooded murder of an individual who has surrendered, had, in fact, done you no direct harm (discounting the fabrication of alchemical traps), and seemed to be held there as an unwilling prisoner!

 

That's the second surrendered prisoner Knott has executed. It definitely displays a certain amount of wrath on Knott's part, and I associate wrath with evil and its opposite compassion with good. Definitely not the act of a disinterested neutral party. I think a neutral character would only execute someone if they were personally wronged, injured, or in some way personally put at risk. Or if they logically came to the conclusion that the offender was irredeemable and a threat to others.

 

Knott's first execution was a cultist who was a mass-murderer and probably a cannibal and definitely irredeemably evil. Totally logically justified. However, Vitch the kobold was another story. Assuming Vitch was just a kobold (and not a polymorphed human), and that kobolds are irredeemably and indisputably evil (which is only possible in a game like D&D), is it neutrally logical to exterminate them to eliminate their threat?

 

Knott's player is basing Knott on Jayne from Firefly. His alignment is "Jayne". His philosophy is "What would Jayne do?"

 

And that's a fair question. What alignment is Jayne? I've seen various alignment charts on the web, and they vary from Neutral Evil to Chaotic Neutral to Chaotic Evil.

 

 

Personally, I think Knott is 60% Neutral Neutral, 20% Neutral Evil, and 20% Chaotic Neutral.

 

What do you think?

"Escape from the Pit of the Kobold Chieftain" Chapter 16 of the Xanthus River Campaign

 Our party:

• Valerius (Level 3 Paladin)
• Absalom (Level 2 Cleric of Justica)
• Babu (Level 2 Thief)
• Jalani (Level 2 Cleric of Amun-Tor)
• Knott (Level 1 Fighter)
• Brown Tom (Level 1 Fighter, Squire of Valerius)
• Clench (Mercenary Foot Soldier)
• Squat (Mercenary Foot Soldier)
• Favreau (Cook)
• Paula (Cook)
• War Dog

Into Duirnhold
When we left our party last time, they had just fought their way past the makeshift kobold fortifications at the entrance to the lost dwarfish city of Duirnhold and had made their way to the checkpoint hall.

Inspecting their surroundings, they found a room filled with debris, the tailings of some sort of mining operation, and another empty room with a small tunnel dug into the wall. They crossed the empty room to the tunnel only to find that the floor was a thin veneer placed over a pit. Absalom broke through the crust and fell ten feet to the floor below and beset by nine large centipedes! Two of the centipedes managed to bite him and he failed his saving throw, taking 4D4 damage! His companions managed to haul him back up but Absalom was at death's door. A prayer of healing brought Absalom back but he was spent. Favreau and Paula escorted him up the passage entrance and back to the village of Duirndown to recover.

The rest of the party continued into the small tunnel, having to stoop to gain entry. The tunnel branched several times, turning back on itself, etc. The kobold tunnels resembled a termite colony. At one point, Valerius encountered a section of tunnel covered in mysterious yellow powder that was quick to puff into vaporous clouds. The powder caused him to itch but he pulled away. The group took a different branch.

Eventually, the party found its way to a bare room occupied by four well-armed kobold guards. As the party poured into the room to do battle, the kobolds tried to drink potions at their side. Three of the four kobolds were killed instantly and only one managed to imbibe his potion. It did him little good for he too was soon dispatched. Upon recovering the three unopened potions, the party determined that they were Potions of Giant Strength.

New Minis for Clench and Squat

The party could find no reason to guard the empty room and left the way they came.

They soon found a room once occupied by guards, now empty, and passages that led into the entrance corridor and to the niches that provided the archers with a vantage over any intruders. They then found a tunnel that led beneath the passage and up the other side, revealing another empty room where guards once sat.

Taking another tunnel, the group climbed a steep incline until the tunnel started to loop back around. There Valerius triggered a trap that released sleeping powder. The powder soon overcame everyone in the party.

Escape from the Pit of the Kobold Chieftain
The party woke later, stripped naked and thrown atop some refuse at the bottom of a dark pit. Dim torches revealed a ledge twenty feet above guarded by two kobolds. Babu cast a spell and put the guards to sleep. The rest of the party formed a human pyramid and managed to get Knott and Valerius to the lip of the ledge so that he could climb up. Knott and Valerius killed the two guards and took their spears and shields, then went out into the warren to look for rope. After some quick exploring, they found a store room with some kobold spears, shields, crossbows, and some rope, as well as a bolt of linen, some sacks of flour, and some amphorae of vinegar. They returned to the pit with the rope and began to haul everyone else out.

No sooner than they were done with a random kobold entered the room. He managed to escape their attack and ran for help. The party gave chase and soon caught up with him and killed him.

Now, armed with nothing more than some pitiful spears and shields, they continued to explore. they soon found a set of two large doors, large enough to admit a horse or cow. They opened them and caught the stench of an animal pen. Within were two giant weasels and three warthogs with two kobold tenders.

The tenders quickly began releasing the animals by opening their pens. The animals rushed to attack the party who stood firm in the doorway. Babu put the two weasels and one of the warthogs to sleep but the other two warthogs pressed the attack against Valerius and Knott in the doorway.

The fight went poorly and Knott soon found himself at death's door. In short order, Jalani too was near death. At this point, Valerius managed to get the doors shut and shoved his spear into the handles to keep them closed. They picked up Knott and Jalani and ran.

They carried their fallen comrade down a tunnel that opened over the collapsed portion of ceiling of the checkpoint room. The used their rope to climb down and made their way up the passage to the exit. The kobolds, now alerted to their escape but wary of combat, began hurling feces and rocks at the party as they crossed the threshold to safety.

Time Heals All Wounds
The party spent the next seven days recuperating in Duirndown. Valerius prayed for a cure to the disease afflicting Duirndown and was granted one. The black oil from the earth that was draining the town of its vitality was stopped, at least for a little while. After a few days, it came back, and Valerius prayed it away again. Valerius then prayed for the health of his companions Absalom and Jalani, and they miraculously recuperated. Absalom and Jalani, in turn, prayed for their fellow companions and were likewise rewarded with miracles of faith.

Valerius and Wardog

Soon, the party was rested up and, after borrowing some equipment from the Headman of the village, were ready to head back into the kobold warrens.

They re-opened the doors and entered cautiously. This time, they were prepared for the falling stone trap and crossed the ten-foot pressure plate using a timber from the village laid across the rubble. With no sound to alert the guards, the party crossed the threshold unopposed.

This time, they climbed into one of the archer niches and scrambled through a tunnel to a guard post. There they surprised four guards sitting around a fire. The guards were quickly dispatched.

The party continued, returning to the animal pen. Babu cast two spells and put both weasels, a warthog, and both handlers to sleep. After a fierce battle, Valerius and Knott defeated the remaining two warthogs.

The party then traveled down an unexplored tunnel and heard the squeaking yip of female kobolds. They pulled aside a heavy curtain to reveal a large room with a sunken area in its center containing the harem of the kobold chieftain. Two well-armed guards stood in each corner and burst into action upon seeing the intruders.

A melee ensued and all eight guardians were soon killed. The party showed no mercy towards the vicious snarling females and hatchlings, slaying them all as they bit and clawed at the party ineffectually.

The Throne Room of the Kobold Chieftain
A single passage led up some stairs on the far side of the harem room. They ascended the stairs and entered the throne room of the kobold chieftain. The chieftain was a large fellow, nearly man-sized, clad in plate armor and wielding twin short swords. He was flanked by two bodyguards. A miserable figure huddled in the corner: a naked old dwarf with no legs and only one arm, chained by the neck to the wall like a dog. In addition, the party's belongings were stacked in a niche in the rear of the room along with piles of dwarfish treasure.

The Final Battle of the Kobold Chieftain

The kobold chieftain stood from his ivory throne and, along with his bodyguards, entered into combat with the intruders. The fight was bloody and challenging. At one point Knott fell and faced death but was saved by Clench. After a terrible battle, the kobold chieftain and his bodyguards were finally killed.

The party was victorious!

TO BE CONTINUED...

After Action Report
Here's a map of the explored parts of the kobold warren. One of the questions from the peanut gallery was, "If the gate into Duirnhold has been sealed for 50 years, why do the kobolds have a manned guard post?" I dismissed the question, but there is a reason, and it's a mystery. Through really, the players couldn't care less and that detail is the furthest from their mind. I'll post the entire dungeon when we're done.

The Kobold Bodyguards

Kobold Bodyguards

Frequency: Uncommon
No. Appearing: 4-8
Armor Class: 4 [16]
Move: 6"
Hit Dice: 2d4 (8 hit points)
% in Lair: 40%
Treasure Type:
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1-6 or by weapon type (spear or sword)
Special Attacks: Attacks as 2 HD creature (+1)
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Average (low)
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Size: S (4' tall)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil


The Kobold Chieftain

Kobold Chieftain

Frequency: Uncommon
No. Appearing: 1
Armor Class: 2 [18]
Move: 12"
Hit Dice: 5d4+1 (12 hit points)
% in Lair: 40%
Treasure Type:
No. of Attacks: 2
Damage/Attack: 1-6 or by weapon type (twin short swords)
Special Attacks: Attacks as a 5 HD creature (+4)
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Average (low)
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Size: M (5' tall)
Psionic Ability: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil

"Hard to Swallow" Chapter 15 of the Xanthus River Campaign

Our party:

• Valerius (Level 3 Paladin)
• Absalom (Level 2 Cleric of Justica)
• Babu (Level 2 Thief)
• Jalani (Level 2 Cleric of Amun-Tor)
• Knott (Level 1 Fighter)

On their return trip from Thither to Duirndown, the party spent a day and a night in the bustling market town of Swallow, where the Xanthus river cascades over a thousand foot cliff as it plunges from the mountain highlands to the jungle on its way to the sea.

Swallow

Valerius was recruiting hirelings and henchmen, Absalom was shopping and running into old friends, Knott was frequenting the whorehouse, and Jalani was off doing something mysterious.

While Babu was in the market square, he came across a tent selling magical curios. A sign outside proclaimed, "Free Stuff! Inquire Within" Babu pulled aside the richly embroidered tapestry covering the doorway and entered. The space within was dimly lit and filled with magical artifacts. A strange ancient looking hooded proprietor with long wiry hairs sprouting from his leathery chin said, "Come closer. What is your name?"

Babu answered.

"Ah, Babu. I have something for you!" A withered skeletal hand reached into a box and pulled forth a small dark glassy ovoid, the size of a robin's egg, that glowed from within. "This is for you!"

Babu said "What is it?"

The old man replied, "Free! And Yours!"

Babu took it and asked "What does it do?"

"It will grant you magical powers!"

"How does it work?"

"In order for it to take effect, it must be ingested. Swallow it!"

Babu swallowed the ovoid. The old man began to laugh menacingly.

The world began to spin and Babu descended into a vortex of spinning unreality. When he awoke, he was lying on a tattered reed mat in the bare space where he found the tent. An oddly translucent face stood over him shouting, "Get up!"

The voice came from a ghostly form, the disembodied torso of a dead wizard. His name was Urso the Evoker. Usro revealed that he was once a wizard adventurer and that he and his party died while attacking the evil alchemist Ezekiel. Urso deduced that Ezekiel must have trapped his soul within the gem, which was then transferred to Babu for reasons unknown. Now Urso was a disembodied spirit that only Babu could see and hear.

A side effect of this spiritual transference was that Babu could now cast spells as a second-level wizard. Unfortunately, Babu had lost all knowledge of thiefcraft, which had been transferred to Urso. Urso could emerge from or retreat back into Babu as he wished but could not travel more than ten feet away and could not pass through solid matter. Likewise, Babu could summon Urso at any time or send him back into dormancy.

Upon rejoining his comrades at the inn, Babu recounted the tale and everyone was up to speed.

That evening, Valerius interviewed two prospective squires but found neither of them worthy.

The next day, Knott rejoined the party and they set off towards Duirndown.

Halfway to Choke, the party encountered a caravan of 80 pilgrims coming the other direction. The pilgrims were religious adherents of Adhinata, the god of penance.  They were wearing spiked collars around their necks and were flagellating themselves with barbed whips. The caravan seemed to be transporting a hierophant and several curates, possibly on their way from the wastes beyond the mountains to Swallow or Thither. Since they were violating no laws, the party moved aside and allowed the pilgrims to pass without incident.

The party arrived in Choke around noontime. They got a bite to eat and Valerius, Jalani, and Absolom spent some time recruiting hirelings and henchmen. Valerius hired:

• Brown Tom, a young lady with experience as a torchbearer for other adventurers. She was a novice fighter and agreed to become Valerius' squire.
• Clench, a mercenary infantryman.
• A war dog.

Clench, a Mercenary

Jalani hired:

• Squat, a mercenary infantryman, brother of Clench.

Squat, a Mercenary

Absolom hired:

• Favreau, a cook with a funny foreign accent
• Paula, wife of Favreau, also a cook

After lunch and recruitment, the party continued on their way.

That evening, towards dusk, the party crested the ridge overlooking the village of Duirndown, home of Valerius and Absolom. The village looked dreary, almost abandoned.

Duirndown

No one challenged them as they approached the closed gate. When they called, an apathetic voice said that the gate was not barred. The party entered. The village was nearly deserted. No one was moving about. The shutters were closed. No business was transacting.

Absolom took the party to his family home. Everyone was just lying about, bored, uninterested. Valerius could sense an evil presence, nothing specific or localized, just a general feeling of doom. The evil presence did, however, strongly emanate from the fields. They decided to go to one of the local inns. There, they were offered some boiled leeks and potatoes by the indifferent innkeepers. The food itself was the source of the evil. Everyone excused themselves from the food and instead chose to eat their rations of crackers and jerky.

Valerius assembled everyone and marched to the entrance to Duirnhold. The entrance was still closed and locked. Brown Tom spoke for Squat and Clench, expressing concern about beginning the delve tonight after an afternoon's hike and no rest. Valerius dismissed everyone for the evening.

In the morning, the party ate gruel prepared by Favreau and Paula and prepared to enter Duirnhold. They were met by Lothorn, Headman of Duirndown. Lothorn was still vigorous and healthy. He exclaimed great pleasure and relief at seeing the return of Valerius and Absolom. He explained that since they left, the village had undergone some kind of change. Everyone has succumbed to a kind of torpor or lethargy. He explains that the evil is coming up from beneath the earth, that it is entering the roots of the plants and infecting the food. He said the entire area has become infected with this blight, and that it has turned all the vegetation grey and tasteless and that all the animals, even the beasts of the wild, have become apathetic and listless. He is worried that it is but the beginning stage of an even longer-term change. Into what he knows not, but he does know that it was this same malady that caused the dwarves to evacuate Duirnhold fifty years ago, and that the evil must be originating from there. Valerius pledged to investigate and do what he can to end the menace.

With that, the party prepared themselves and proceeded across the old Dwarven bridge to the entrance to Duirnhold.

Valerius inserted the key that unlocked the gate and entered, deftly avoiding the falling block trap that had been reset by the kobolds. The metal chains, pieces of armor, and goblets that followed the massive stone block, however, echoed for several seconds, alerting anyone within of the party's entrance.

The party proceeded carefully into the gauntlet of barriers set by the kobolds. The kobolds soon arrived and began firing on the party from their high niches. Another set of kobolds, led by an armored warrior, emerged from the darkness and blocked the entrance. Valerius, Valerius' dog, Knott, and Absolom pushed forward while Babu and Jalani fired arrows at the kobold crossbowmen in their niches.

After a brief battle in which Knott was slightly wounded, the party won entrance into Duirnhold. They advanced carefully, intentionally setting off and avoiding the rolling boulder trap which crashed safely at the bottom of the long corridor. They navigated the secret bypass and entered the partially collapsed entrance foyer. After a brief reconnoiter of the adjoining rooms, the party leaders met to decide what to do next.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Post Game Analysis

This game we tried to adhere to Rules-as-Written AD&D as much as possible, with the exception of some slight modifications to the initiative system by myself. Here's the analysis.

Initiative System
My initiative system assumes 10-second melee rounds (as opposed to one-minute rounds in AD&D). Each player rolls 1d10. Their character, as well as their henchmen and hirelings, act on that segment. Re-roll every round. Spell-casters begin casting on their initiative and the spell takes effect after a number of segments equal to their casting time has elapsed. This could mean a spell may not take effect until the next round.

This initiative system worked surprisingly well. It was super-fast and still felt "old-school". It's really not at all functionally different from original AD&D except that a lower result is better and spell casting times are incorporated into the initiative of every round, not just surprise rounds.

Attack Modifiers for Various Weapons vs. Various Armor Types
We tried it. We universally hated it. We will be ignoring it.

Weapon Speed Factors
We considered integrating speed factors into the initiative system but decided instead on just using speed factor to adjudicate ties. I plan on using the rule that says if your speed factor is half your opponent's, or more than ten less than your opponent's,  you get two attacks. But to do that I need to know the speed factor for all the opponents, and I forgot to make a note of that for the kobolds. I don't think it mattered in the last fight. I still plan on making an intentional effort to try this often-ignored rule out and evaluate it for myself. We never played that way in high school, and I want to see what we missed.

Hirelings
Henchmen are ridiculously cheap and easy to hire. Of course, they will never level and get better. Contrary to custom, my players were very stingy using their hirelings. It's only the first encounter and the PC's were not at all challenged, but the hirelings would be. The players wisely want them to survive until they encounter a tough fight, where the PCs will need to provide additional targets for their opponents.

Henchmen
Valerius is a knight. He wanted a squire. I used the Meatshields henchman generator. Valerius' player did not like the results. He finally took Brown Tom on the condition that she be female to match a mini that Valerius' player liked.

I later looked at the actual henchman rules in the DMG and was struck by two things:

1. I don't think Meatshields is following the rules in the DMG.
2. The rules in the DMG are INCREDIBLY expensive and are really used for hiring additional PCs for the party, except that you don't get to choose race and class. Hiring a henchman can cost you a hundred GP or more for only the CHANCE of getting a handful of applicants who have a CHANCE of accepting your offer.

In any case, I'm going to try to follow the rules laid down in the DMG but I'm going to re-write them to be less Gygaxian, ie- clearer, faster, and easier to understand at a glance.

Urso the Enchanter
Urso is the result of Babu's player wishing to switch classes from Thief to Magic User. Babu was only a second level thief, and lacked the stats to make an official change using the rules in the PHB. But I am a generous and benevolent overlord and allowed the switch since Babu is still kind of a new character and because we're switching systems.

Wardogs
As has been pointed out by other DMs in various forums, the use of a 2HD Wardog with a 2-8 damage bite seems almost too good to be true. I'm allowing it. A guard dog costs 25 g.p.

Purchasing a war dog is like a purchasing a hunting dog. When Valerius bought the dog, the dog breeder/trainer taught him a few of the basic commands and whistles.

First of all, that dog doesn't know Valerius from a kobold. So the first thing the trainer gave Valerius was a few week's supply of a kind of musk. He instructed Valerius to put a dab of musk on himself so that the dog wouldn't attack him. Eventually, the dog will get to know Valerius and his compatriots. Until then, they must use the musk.

Valerius must keep the dog on its chain. It's default mode is to attack everything not wearing the musk until someone says "Down".

Valerius was then taught a few commands. He will only respond to the commands of someone wearing the musk.

• "Down" = Stop killing things
• "Heel" = Walk by my side
• "Sit" = sit down and be good
• "Hold" = Grab hold and pin/slow a target down, but do not bite

 Wardogs make morale checks like a hireling. Unless Valerius is holding onto the chain with a free hand, he might ignore the command and run away and not come back.

The Under-City of Duirnhold

Duirnhold was founded by the dwarfish King Duirn over 2400 years ago when an exploratory tunnel into the mountain that now bears his name revealed rich veins of Atuta Dhatu (mithril), iron, copper, gold, silver, and other precious metals and gemstones. In time, the mines and foundries of Duirnhold became one of the most productive and lucrative dwarfish enterprises in all of Agartha.  Traders came up the Xanthus river from across the continent to do business with the dwarfs, trading food, furs, textiles, and other goods in exchange for raw ore, prepared ingots, and finished products such as weapons, armor, metalwork, jewelry, and custom goods.

There are two publically known entrances to Duirnhold. The first is located on the west slope of the mountain in the town of Duirndown near the headwaters of the Xanthus river. The second is located  on the east slope of the mountain facing the desert wastes of Gazh. On this side, a long stairway descends the mountain to the desert several thousand feet below.

Anyone entering through either entrance descends down a twenty-foot wide corridor for a few hundred feet before needing to pass a checkpoint. It is here that the trade goods were inspected and the traveler recorded and given a passport. Past the checkpoint, the corridor descends another mile.
Visitors from Duirndown must cross over a bridge that spans a great cleft under the mountain. The cleft rises several hundred feet above and descends into an interminable chasm below.

 Lower Level

The lower level is the only level accessible to outsiders. It consists of five connected chambers: two Halls of Statues, the Hall of Trade, the Hall of Metals, and the Hall of Goods.

Visitors entering from either direction then pass through one of two impressive Halls of Statues, a one-hundred foot tall vaulted gallery filled with 16 colossal statues of ancient dwarfish heroes and legendary figures. The gallery is imposing and is meant to intimidate and impress visitors as they pass underneath.

Visitors then enter the Hall of Trade, a busy bustling gallery of offices where factors from the various dwarfish mercantile houses meet with visiting merchants to conduct business transactions. Visitors may be taken into the adjacent Hall of Metals or Hall of Goods to inspect the items they intend to purchase prior to completing the transaction.  The Hall of Trade also maintains houses of accommodation for visiting dignitaries. Diplomatic envoys are escorted through one of two passages to the upper level to conduct court business.

Rumors tell of secret doors that lead to hidden chambers and covert passages to restricted levels.

Upper Level

The chambers of the upper level is restricted to the dwarfs of Duirnhold. Only visiting dignitaries may enter.

The upper level consists of one large gallery connected to three smaller chambers as well as three labyrinthine networks of rooms and corridors.

The largest gallery is devoted to the royal palace and the temple to the mountain lord. This cavernous chamber rises five hundred feet and is supported by ten forty-foot wide stone columns. The south end of the gallery is dominated by a large stepped pyramid, a temple to Daenthar the Mountain Lord, chief g the dwarfish pantheon. A moat surrounds the impressive structure. Eight statues of each of the gods of the dwarfs stand against the west and east walls surrounding the temple.

The north end contains the palace of Duirn, an impressive edifice sporting two tapering two-hundred foot tall obelisks and a soaring 150-foot dome. The wide stairs that lead into the entrance is flanked by statues of Duirn's mother and father. During its heyday, hundreds of dwarfs lived and worked within the palace household and the descendants of Duirn held court in the audience chamber.

The southern gallery is 300 feet wide by 540 feet long by 300 feet high. This chamber contains the forge, a mighty furnace that taps into the very heart of the mountain. Here metal ores are melted down and separated into refined metals. During its day, the forge was filled with working dwarfs, rock crushers, blast furnaces, bloomeries, powerful mechanical bellows, crucibles, and foundries. Vents leading to the surface provided fresh air for the bellows and carried away exhaust from the furnaces. Water wheels powered by underground rivers drove the fans that moved the air through the vents.

Ores were mined far below and stored in the adjoining Hall of Ores, a 300 feet wide by 300 feet long by 300 feet high warehouse piled high with various rocks laced with metal ores. The ores were separated into distinct piles: gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and the exotic unbreakable metal the dwarfs call Atuta Dhatu, found only in the deepest places under the mountain.

Finished metals and parts were later cleaned, polished, and assembled into weapons, armor, tools, and other devices in the adjoining workshop. The workshop is 180 feet wide by 540 feet long and 240 feet high. The workshop contained hundreds of work benches and anvils. Ores, metals, and finished goods were then transported to the Hall of Metals or Hall of Goods for trade with the outside world.

A complicated network of metal tracks connected the mines to the Hall of Ores, the Forge, the Workshop, and the trade halls below. Mine carts were pulled by mules.

The eastern gallery is known as the Hall of Workers. The Hall of Workers measures 780 feet long by 420 foot wide by 240 feet tall and is supported by 18 40-foot wide columns. In its day, the hall contained homes and dormitories to house the common unskilled workers, miners, and laborers of Duirnhold. The gallery is a network of public spaces, dormitories, private apartments, dining halls, taverns, and other residential services.

The Hall of Nobles measures 660 feet long by 300 feet wide by 300 feet tall and is supported by 9 columns. The chamber is divided into 12 private multi-story compounds, each belonging to one of the 12 noble families of Duirnhold.

The Hall of Artisans measures 300 feet wide by 480 feet long by 300 feet tall and is supported by 6 columns. This space contains the private residences of the twelve master artisans of Duirnhold. Whenever a master artisan dies, a contest of skills is held and a new master artisan is selected from the general populace.

Secret Locations

There are several secret locations in Duirnhold, including the fabled Vault of Duirn, rumored to measure 300 feet wide by 600 feet deep and 300 feet high, it is said to be filled with the accumulated wealth of thousands of years of prosperity. Its location is unknown. Other locations not shown on the maps above include the catacombs which lead to the burial vaults of the twelve noble families and the ossuaries of the commoners. According to dwarfish tradition, dwarfs are buried in their finest raiment with their most treasured possessions. These tombs are protected by deadly traps enchanted guardian statuary.

The Fall of Duirnhold

Forty years ago, the dwarfs of Duirn uncovered a lost chamber deep underneath the mountain, far down in its very roots. The chamber unleashed a primal force of evil, the titan of chaos known as Zoggolorth, buried since the dawn of time. Once freed, the evil of Zoggolorth quickly spread, corrupting everything it touched. The dwarfs built bulwark after bulwark to defend themselves from the spread of the evil, but it slowly overcame each line of defense. Eventually, the city itself fell. Thousands of dwarfs died in the final desperate battles against the Spawn of Zoggolorth. The surviving dwarfs were forced to abandon their homes and flee for their lives. The dwarfs called upon the aid of the human mages to magically seal the portals behind them, preventing the further spread of the chaos. Today, Duirnhold is sealed behind multiple layers of magical gates. Each gate can only be opened by a magical key in the possession of one of the human mages of Bhaakru.

Mages of Bhaakru

Illustration by Christian Conkle

The Mages of Bhaakru are an order of wizards, sorcerers, and thaumaturgists. There are 24 members of the order. Each member is a master of a specialized form of magic.

1. Keryodel Mitchak, Master and Head Instructor for Ethereal Physiology Analytical Studies 
2. Yondel the Injurious, Master of Destructive Proverbs 
3. Omod the Incessant, Drover of the Howling Black 
4. Thrice-born Guillarme, Lord of Ash 
5. Massimo Pellipar Benari, High Adept of the Scalding Spire 
6. Madame Corvax, Sage of the Inverse Serpent 
7. Calla'dara the Lusty, Mistress of Manipulation 
8. Avgred Horath, Superluminary Aetherweaver 
9. Beetledrum the Absent-Minded, Supreme Benefactor of Accidental Mayhem Magic 
10. Vapula, Master Alchemist of the Venerable Order of the Emerald Exodus 
11. Possuvex the Most Puissant Magister of the Puccoon Hexes 
12. Umtrios the Delusive, Supreme Illusionist of the Hidden Court 
13. Fat Mongrel the Obdurate 
14. Tramga the New, Initiate of the Fifth Shard 
15. Feyjer Wolf, Spawn of the Protean Chaos 
16. Svorr the Elder, Keeper of the Nth Aeon 
17. Hailoon the Mystic, Master of the Blinded Eye. 
18. Goram the Salamander, Master of the Soulflame. 
19. Jessra the Knight, Master of the Warrior’s Way. 
20. Mezzer the Ringlord, Master of the Enchanter’s Loop 
21. Sandorex the Supernumerary, Purveyor of Ontological Ennui 
22. Meefallanananfanganan the Metamathematical, Minister of Meteorological Mellifluence 
23. Gaitexthe the Sporn, Disciple of Roving Gortlflexiyon 
24. Dorex the Depraved, Sultan of 796 Succulent Sins

Given that membership is for life, the roster is surprisingly fluid. The order suffers a 11-16 percent annual turnover rate as members are killed or mysteriously disappear. 

The Mages meet quarterly at each solstice and equinox. The solstice gatherings are business related and are usually convened to deal with matters of great import while equinox gatherings are more casual social networking affairs. Individual mages will correspond, cooperate, and fraternize from time to time and certain social cliques and political factions exist between like-minded members. The Grand Magus is selected at special meetings held at each solar eclipse at the headquarters located atop Mount Mashushammu in the southern deserts of Agartha.

The Mages will also respond to urgent summons at times when the entire universe faces great peril. Smaller groups will be assigned by the Grand Magus to deal with lesser threats. Forty years ago, eight of the twenty-four Mages were tasked with saving the the dwarfish city of Duirndown from the corruption of the elder chaos titan Zoggolorth. The Octet were unable to defeat Zoggolorth and the city fell. In their retreat, they placed eight magical seals were upon the gates leading to the city. Each gate could only be opened with a magical key.

The outer-most key was created by Fezoon the Cerulean, who in turn entrusted it to Guirn, the nominal leader the dwarfish exiles. In time, the key passed to Guirn's son, Huirn, who used the key to unlock the gate, seeking forgotten treasures left within. Huirn was killed during that expedition and the key passed to Squire Valerius of Duirndown.

Edit to add: I should point out that I had some marvelous help coming up with some of the names above.
#1 was created by Jeff Mason, #3-6 were created by Senator Cybus and #21-24 were created by Michael Tree, both over at RPG.Net. #7 by R.S. Tilton, #8 by Noah Stevens, #9 by Impact Miniatures, and #10 by John Sayler over at the DCC G+ Community, amd #17-20 were by Jeff Low.