"The Sacrifice of the Serpent God" Chapter 5 of the Xanthus River Campaign

We picked up this week where we left off last week, the party, consisting of...

• Valerius, 1st level fighter
• Absalom, 1st level cleric
• Gwen, 1st level elf
• Ven, zero level elfish falconer
• Nip, zero level turnip farmer
• Another zero level character whose name I forget.

...had discovered a secret cult of the serpent god operating in a secret basement below the livestock barn in Wince. Absalom was paralyzed on the floor, struck down by the poisoned blowgun dart of the cult guard. The party discussed their next move, then interrogated their cult prisoner in the barn above. The prisoner revealed that the cult used the paralytic toxin to prepare sacrifices to the demon-snakes they are trying to summon. There are times when the cult must restore their victims, so they keep a supply of antidote in the next room. At this, the party resolved to storm the room, defeat their foes, and acquire the antidote. 

They burst through the doors to find the three "Empty Ones", cultists controlled by hideous two-headed snakes living inside their bodies, three acoltyes, and one high priest standing near a desk on a platform at the top of some stairs. There were two cages swinging from the ceiling containing paralyzed smugglers captured earlier that evening. Two magic sigils were drawn on the floor. Small piles of ash and dust occupied the center of each circle. Two of the acolytes were chanting a sibilant incantation near the circles. 

(The rules were thus: on each round, I would roll a d6 on the acolyte's initiative. If I rolled a 6, they succeeded in summoning a skeletal giant viper. If one acolyte was cut down, another could take their place, picking up where they left off. The high priest was, in fact, a serpent man in disguise. He possessed the spells of a 5th level cleric. In retrospect, the entire encounter was overpowered for my party, but more about that in a moment.)

Valerius instantly cut down one of the acolytes. The other magic circle immediately burst into a pillar of light in which the ash and dust swirled as it took the form of a skeletal snake of prodigious size. The third acolyte then moved in to continue the chant of the first dead acolyte. Valerius then entered into deadly combat with the diabolic foe while Gwen made several pathetic attempts to fire a bow at the high priest, then failed at summoning animal helpers. Eventually, Gwen was able to create an interposing wall of force to help shield Valerius from the skeletal snake's attack. 

Meanwhile, the three zero-level adventurers took on an acolyte and an "Empty One". The fight did not go well for the trio and they were eventually cut down, but not before killing the acolyte and Empty One, which only released the two-headed snake within.

At the top of the platform, the high priest failed many spell-casting attempts before finally delivering a curse against Valerius. At one point, the priest accidentally utters a curse against his serpent god, and is punished. At this point, the priest draws his poisoned dagger, slowly walks down the stairs, saunters up to Gwen, and inserts the curved blade into the elfish heart. Gwen immediately fell down dead!

Valerius eventually killed the demon-snake, but only in time for a second demon-snake to be summoned. All seemed lost at Valerius was bitten and fell! 

At this point, eight members of the town guard's night watch, at the direction of Shau, burst into the room and dragged Valerius and Gwen from danger. The high priest was attacked and immediately turned into green gaseous mist. Seconds later, a secret door on the wall behind the platform mysteriously opened, revealing a hidden passage, then closed. 

Valerius was turned over, and he survived! Gwen, however, was dead. 

The next morning, Valerius informed their merchant employer of the death of the crew of the boat. The merchant is saddened but sets about recruiting a new crew. Valerius then obtained an antidote from Bhau, the town apothecary, and gave it to Absalom, who in turned healed Valerius of all his injuries. 

The surviving party members decided to continue down river with the merchant. The rest of the journey was uneventful. They arrived in Thither a few hours after nightfall. 

Shau, impatient to return home, invited everyone to her family mansion, only a two hour hike away on the coast! They could stay the night and receive their reward in the morning! Her uncle is a wealthy alchemist. He will welcome them all! 

The group parts ways with the merchant, giving him the boat. The party, or what by now can only be more accurately described as a caravan, consisting of Shau, Valerius, Absalom, twelve hangers-on, two ponies, and a hen, set off down the trail with torches and lamps held high. 

They arrived at the gates to the compound of Shau's estate at around midnight. The wall is dilapidated and overgrown, the gate hanging limply and swinging loudly in the breeze. The silhouette of the decaying manor could be made out against the moonlit sky, the ocean glowing with the reflection of the moon in the distance. It appears as if no one has been in the manor house for years!

Shau said "This.. this can't be right!"

Valerius inquired, "How long since you were last here?"

To which Shau replied, "As far as I know, only six days ago. I.. I don't know what's happening."

TO BE CONTINUED

Afterthoughts

My original plan for this room was going to be one serpent man, three acolytes, and three "Empty Ones". I added the demon-snakes at the last minute, a decision I now regret. I turned a tough fight for 0/1st level characters into an impossible fight. 

That being said, several things went against the party this fight:

1. Not having a cleric to provide healing.
2. Gwen's inability to roll higher than a 5 all fight!
3. My rolling a 6 to summon the demon-snake on the first round! I was expecting them to have more time to kill acolytes and prevent their being summoned. 
4. Not killing all the acolytes to prevent a second demon-snake from being summoned.
5. Their unwillingness to feed the smugglers to the giant snakes. This was set up as an option but either a) no one thought of it, or b) it was not an acceptable option.
6. No one tried to parley! 
7. Valerius not knowing when to retreat!

Other lessons learned from this fight: 

I had set up the minis and terrain before they decided to storm the room. They were VERY reticient about storming the room without a cleric. But by having the room all set up, I essentially pressured them into doing so, even thought I gave them every assurance they didn't have to go in there if they didn't want to, the implied guilt was probably still there.

I shouldn't have added the demon-snakes at all, or at most just have used one, and I DEFINITELY shouldn't have used the stats for the giant viper in the book. 3d8 HP were fine, but +8 to hit was just way too much! At most it should have been +1 or +2.

I didn't want a TPK and have everyone start over at zero level, so I saved them with some deus ex machina at the end. I feel guilty about that too. I'm okay with losing a PC here and there, but I hate TPKs. It tends to kill campaigns and any sense of continuity. 

Next week, I'm reskinning an old AD&D module: the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh!

A Visual Guide to Wince

The Village known as Wince was founded four hundred years ago during the Imperial colonization period. At that time, the surrounding land was covered by the Blackwood Jungle. In time, much of the land was cleared away for farmland. Wince was established as a river trading port where the local farmers could trade their produce and have it shipped up and down the river. The name of the village is actually a corruption of the town’s original name of Whence.

The town and surrounding area is ruled by Archon Hadrus, the 16th generation descendant of the founder of the village, Archon Ulls. The walls protect the town from the occasional raid by bandits, reavers, and warlords. Every few generations, the walls are breached and the town is razed. The survivors simply re-build and start over.

The village of Wince has just over 400 residents, mostly traders, artisans, craftsmen, laborers, the household of the archon, and town guards. The surrounding hinterlands is a patchwork of dozens of farms, each protected by low field walls. The farmhouses are located within high-walled compounds.

1.       Docks

a.        Tunnel to Keep: a tunnel dug into the side of the bank opens to a guard room and armory and stairs that lead inside the archons’ keep above.

b.      Ramp: a ramp allows wagons full of grain, barrels, flour, and produce to descend the bank to the docks.

c.       Stairs: these stairs allow access to the dock from the barns above.

d.      Patrician’s Stairs: these stairs allow Patrician Umok private access to the docks from his mansion.

2.       Dockmaster’s House: The dockmaster collects docking fees and taxes. He is assisted by two town guards (Level 0, armed with spears and wearing padded armor).

3.       Barns

a.       Livestock Barn: this large barn temporarily holds animals such as aurochs, pigs, chickens, horses, and mules.

b.      Warehouse Barn: this large barn is used as a warehouse for the temporary storage of grains, flour, and other dry goods to be shipped.

4.       Patrician Umok’s Mansion: This large mansion overlooks the river and is home to Umok, a wealthy trader and owner of a fleet of river boats. Umok is a rotund jovial man with a bushy mustache. He wears a puffy turban with a long feather and flowing silk garments. Umok has three wives and eleven children, on whom he smothers with his affection, attention, and wealth. Umok is a patrician, meaning he is a powerful commoner with recognized influence in Archon Hadron’s court.

5.       Town Square: this open area is the site of official pronouncements, town justice, and other public events.

a.       Notice Board: public notices, wanted posters, pronouncements, newsletters, and job openings are routinely posted on this board in the center of town.

6.       The Archon’s Keep: this small walled keep and donjon are home to the household and retinue of archon Hadrus. Hadrus is a handsome man in his late twenties. He has yet to marry or sire an heir. He inherited the position of archon when his parents, archon Getredes along with his mother Yerta, were killed in a pirate attack while traveling on the Xanthus river. The archon’s surviving family includes his younger sisters Halen, 18, and Helise, 10.  His household consists of four attendants, a handful of servants, and 8 bodyguards selected from the town watch.

7.       Green Tiger Inn: a fine establishment with private rooms and the finest comestibles. The Green Tiger’s patrons include wealthy merchants and travelers.

8.       Bilious Froth Inn: an inn that caters to less discriminating patrons, usually river boat crews. Everyone sleeps in a common room and is served stew and grog.

9.       Dry Goods/General Store: the proprietor is Galo, a fast-talking salesman with no sense of humor.

10.   Farm Tools: the proprietor is named Eithuan, a friendly but pessimistic man.

11.   Apothecary: the town apothecary and barber is named Bhau, an older man, inquisitive, calm, and overly chivalrous with the ladies. Bhau offers restorative elixirs that cure paralysis, blindness, and impotence (10 silver each), and more expensive libations that speed healing (+1d4 HP, 10 gold each), and restore vigor (+1 STR, AGI, or STA, 100 gold each).

12.   Bakery: the town baker is named Mathabo, an intelligent man who is averse to confrontation.

13.   Tailor: The town tailor is named Zara Logn. Zara is multi-talented, serving as the town’s haberdasher and shoemaker. Zara is a cautious man who analyzes all the angles before making a decision. His wife Yrksha serves as a seamstress. She is self-assured and assertive.

14.   Canned, Pickled, Smoked, and Dried foods: one can purchase any sort of preserved food from the shop’s proprietor, Gorano. Gorano is a sniveling weak-willed coward who takes cover at the first sign of a fight and avoids all confrontations.

15.   Leatherworker: the town leatherworker is named Rarhas, a haughty self-indulgent blowhard who enjoys practical jokes and bawdy nicknames.

16.   Moneychanger: this shop offers currency exchange, assay, vault storage, and even small loans. The proprietor is named Phalzo, a close-minded pessimist who refuses to acknowledge other points of view.

17.   Alchemist: this shop provides various herbicides, fertilizers, and insecticides to the area farmers, as well as needed chemicals to the other artisans in town. The village alchemist is named Rn-Kan, an exotic foreigner from the western desert. Rn-Kan is open-minded and of liberal philosophy. However, he is easily distracted and tends to ramble about diverse subjects.

18.   Brothel: this establishment caters primarily to the transient crews of the river-boats. Only 6 women work here under the protection of the burly bodyguard Lachugo and his slimy bald brother Prothlogo. The women are tolerated in town but are generally not accepted members of the community.

19.   Sailmaker: Egatalug the sail-maker and his family make and repair sails for the river boats that pass through. Ergatalug is laconic and serious. His wife Pharcala is dim-witted, insecure, and slightly flighty. They have eight children.

20.   Vintner: the proprietor Olot makes his own wine from local grapes and also imports barrels from other lands. Olot is a popular man. He is considered hilarious but his jokes tend to be insulting. He is second only to Umok in the town council. He is married to Krthu, a no-nonsense hard-working woman, and has 6 children.

21.   Midwife/Orphanage: Mathol the midwife provides her services to the town and surrounding farms. Mathol is a harsh matron, sadistic and cruel. She is married to Hoshag, a bully with low self-esteem. Mathol often provides her services to the brothel next door. In addition to mid-wifery, Mathol is able to perform abortions. She also runs an orphanage for unwanted children. There are currently 12 children in the orphanage. Mathol puts them to work helping the local craftsmen.

22.   Dyer: Acanista the dyer is a lovely young lady in her early twenties. She is shy and demure. The rumor about town is that Archon Hadrus is having a secret affair with the beautiful lass.

23.   Soapmaker: Rolgnok the soap-maker renders fat into soap. Rolgnok is an overweight man, silly and absent-minded. He is married to Mindh and has 4 children.

24.   Tanner: Elbaga tans animal hides into leather. Elbaga is adventurous and impractical, always trying out new inventions or procedures. His wife Zhoda is a passive weak-willed day-dreamer. They have 9 children.

25.   Cooper: barrels may be purchased from Marndo, the village cooper. Marndo is a dull conservative man with no imagination. His wife Isza is strong-willed but likewise serious and humorless. They have 3 children.

26.   Wheelwright: Ntharo makes and sells wagon wheels for the community. Ntharo is young, a bit naïve, and easily fooled. He has yet to take a wife.

27.   Wainwright: Ntharo’s older brother Osluro is an experienced wagon-maker. Osluro is jaded and unenthusiastic. His wife Hmala is timid and filled with regret.

28.   Cheesemaker: Zhanat was once a dairy farmer who sold his land and retired to make cheese in the village. Zhanat is friendly and helpful but refuses all aid for himself. He is a widower with no surviving children.

29.   Jeweler: the town jeweler is a dwarf named Iggy. Iggy is neutral towards village politics and likes to stay above any local drama. He is very serious and refuses to acknowledge jokes or humorous situations.

30.   Woodcarver: Kela is a woodcarver from Flinch. She is a woman in her forties, strong and independent with a rebellious spirit. She has never had a husband that anyone knows about, but when she alone and thinks no one is looking she has conversations with an invisible person named Linis.

31.   Ropemaker: river boats use a lot of rope, and it can be purchased from Botho Gogom, the rope-maker. Botho is lazy but highly observant and intelligent. He is married to Ysquida, an outgoing woman with dreams of adventure. They have 4 children.

32.   Animal Traps/Furrier: One may purchase animal traps of all sizes from Ollzholl the trap-maker. Ollzholl is a former hunter with a missing leg. He likes to tell old hunting stories, especially how he lost his leg, a story that changes with every telling. He also purchases and re-sells furs. His wife Phella is a talented furrier, creating beautiful coats, hats, gloves, etc. They have 8 grown children.

33.   Silversmith/Goldsmith: the proprietor Cagoth is an ingenious inventor of new alloys. Cagoth loves jokes and is a hearty laugher. He is often at odds with the dwarfish jeweler Iggy over the proper use of metals. Cagoth is married to Norata, a boring person with no personality, and has 5 children.

34.   Fence: Silith, the local layabout and pickpocket, can usually be found hanging out sitting on this garden wall. Silith is a member of the thieves’ guild of Thither which grants him limited protection from prosecution as long as his crimes remain petty, are kept to an acceptable minimum, and truly precious items are returned to their owners.

35.   Pantheon: the village temple provides shrines to all the major socially acceptable gods of Agartha. The temple is shared and attended by three friendly but competitive priests: Pirdus, priest of Tzann; Ulea, priestess of Thumina; and Wethis, priest of Justica. A handful of acolytes and monks live in the attached clergy house.

36.   Blacksmith: the blacksmith of Wince is a burly man named Oren. Oren is grouchy and rude and a violent drunk. He is served by two apprentices and two slaves who live in constant fear of their master.

37.   Artisan’s House: this large building is shared by jewelers, silver smiths, gemcutters, and woodcarvers.

38.   Potter’s House: Several potters, masons, and stonecarvers earn their livelihoods in this two-story

39.   Town Gate: four guards from the towns’ volunteer watch man the gate during the day, only two stand guard at night.

40.   Bastions: these square towers aid in the defense of the village. Each bastion contains a room containing weapons and armor. The defense of the town is provided by a force called the town guard. Every able bodied citizen between the ages of 15 and 40 are expected to serve in the town guard, working an eight-hour shift for three months of the year, or pay a fee for an exception. Each bastion is manned by four guards twenty-four hours a day. Two of which are expected to be on look-out duty at any given time. In reality, there are days where the bastions may go un-manned or where some or all of the guards neglect their duty to hang out in other bastions or in the village. If the sergeant on duty that day is a particular stickler for the rules and for the duty, he might punish deserters with a day in the stocks.

41.   Towers: unlike the bastions, the towers do not contain rooms of equipment. Two guards man each tower.

42.   Farms: the surrounding countryside is cleared of jungle for miles around. The terrain is a patchwork of fieldstone walls protecting fields of corn, wheat, barley, rye, oats, beans, and other staples. The farmhouse is, in turn, protected by a high walled compound. Each farmstead is home to a family of ten to twenty, five servants, and ten to twenty farm hands and laborers. At harvest time, all the grains are taken to one of the dozen local mills to be turned into flour or meal, then shipped up or down river through Wince. 

Adventure Ideas

An Ophidian (Serpent Man) named Salek runs a secret cult devoted to the Serpent God Set out of a secret hideout located beneath the livestock barn. Salek is attended by four Empty Ones (Hollow Ones who spill snakes instead of tentacle monsters when they die) and four acolytes. Salek possesses a magic wand that can create a portal to a remote temple hidden deep in the Blackwood Jungle on any walled surface which he can use to make an escape. 

Pirates menace shipping on the Xanthus river from their hidden base up the Atrous river. Archon Hadrus is offering a 500gp reward to anyone who can end the pirate threat. 

"Down the River" Chapter 4 of the Xanthus River Campaign

This week we were joined by a new player: Matt.

As we left our party, they were escorting a merchant down the Xanthus river to the coastal city of Thither. Whilst in Swallow, the merchant hired a river barge to take them the rest of the way down river. Half-a-day out of Swallow, as they passed the confluence of the Xanthus and the Atrous river, 16 pirates in war canoes emerged from the Atrous river and were quickly closing on the party.

The pirates charged closer, gaining on the river barge, closing the distance by 30 feet/round. Valerius the Squire told the captain to slow down and let them get closer, allowing the pirates to gain 40 feet/round. When the pirates got within bow range, three of the pirates began firing longbows. The party, along with the four-man crew of barge, pulled up sections of the deck and used the sections as makeshift shields. The first arrow immediately killed the fat drunken barge captain.

As the pirates were closing, Gwen the elf summoned an eagle (+2 attack, 1d6 damage, AC 12, 2d8 HD, 40' flight), then fired a few volleys from her own longbow. One of the crewmembers, an elfish falconer, let loose his own falcon (+0 attack, 1d4 damage, AC 10, 1d6 HD, 40' fly) on the pirates. The eagle occupied one of the archers while the poor falcon was quickly cut down.  Gwen immediately summoned another animal, this time a pterodactyl (+4 attack, 1d8 damage, AC 12, 4d8 HD, 40' fly) I temporarily forgot you needed a piece of the creature in question to summon it, but I suggested it and Bill went with it).

Ultimately most of the arrows fired by either side went into the river.

Eventually, the canoes came alongside the barge and the pirates used grappling hooks and ropes to begin boarding. Valerius and the crew of the barge (four 0-level PCs played by Matt), set their weapons to receive boarders. Valerius immediately cut down the first boarder in one chop. The sight of the violence sent a shiver of hesitation through the pirates. The pirate captain (4 HD) and his three veterans (3 HD each) chose to hold back and let the younger pirates (all 2 HD) take care of the action (the captain and the three veterans, plus a few pirates, all failed their morale saves).

On the deck of the barge, the battle was furious and fluid. The crew held their own using pitchforks, shovels, and weapons donated by the party. Only one of the crew-members, a farmer, was killed by a pirate. Absalom the Holy Man cast Holy Sanctuary on himself so that he could provide succor to the wounded without impediment, then paralyzed one of the pirates. Gwen found herself near death (down to 1 HP) before repelling the boarders. Having seen the direction the battle had taken, the remaining pirates, their veterans, and their captain, chose to shove off and return up the Atrous River empty-handed.

The party healed their wounds and searched the bodies of the pirates. They looted chain mail armor and scimitars. On one pirate, they found a folded piece of paper.

Afterwards, the party continued down river to Wince. Wince is a small walled river-side village of about 400. The town a tower and keep, and a mill at the end of a long pier powered by a paddle-wheel, and a dock with several river barges and boats.  A group of angry dogs fought on the docks over a fish. The entire area is a patchwork of walled farms dotted with small compounds. While the merchant dealt with the gruff dock-master, the party removed their gear. While doing so, they discovered a woman being held prisoner in the bilge under one of the deck boards. They freed her and discovered that her name was Shau, that she was the daughter of one of the noble families of Thither, and that she was kidnapped by bandits when they raided her home and sold into slavery. The bastard ship captain purchased her six days ago and has kept her bound and gagged in the bilge ever since. She claimed that her family would pay a reward for her safe return!

The party was dismissed to their own recognizance for the evening. They were given group accommodations in the single inn and a stipend for essentials. It was suggested that Shau share a room with Gwen, the crew share a room, and Valerius and Absalom share a room. The party spent the night making plans, eating stew, and drinking ale.

In the middle of the night, Gwen the elf, who was new to having a physical form, woke to a strange new biological urge, a biological compulsion to which she was unfamiliar and by which she was startled and confused. She felt the urgent need to evacuate waste from the lower orifice of her corporeal shell. Confused by this sensation, she asked for guidance and assistance from her roommate. Shau suggested that Gwen utilize the village latrine behind the inn and provided a brief, and awkward, lesson in its usage.

Gwen darted outside and was almost run down by a speeding wagon. Annoyed and covered in mud, Gwen noticed the wagon come to a stop in front of a barn by the river and was met by several cloaked figures, whispering. After taking care of her more pressing needs, she decided to investigate.

She spied a clandestine transaction between four smugglers and half-a-dozen robed and hooded figures. After the smugglers unloaded nearly a dozen clay amphorae and demanded their payment, the hooded figures produced blowguns from their robes and shot each smuggler with a dart, causing them to fall instantly. Startled, Gwen ran back to the inn and roused the rest of the party, including the barge crew.

Geared up and seeing no one, the party of six brazenly approached the barn. Valerius opened the barn door to find a startled figure wearing a hooded robe preparing to exit said door. Both were surprised. After recovering their composure, both angrily demanded to know the others identity and to know what the other was doing here. A section of the wooden floor of the barn was opened, revealing a secret passage to an underground stairway. Annoyed by this stalemate, the robed figure turned to descend down the stairway to get help. Abasalom, thinking quickly, reached out and paralyzed the robed figure with a touch. After binding and gagging their quarry, Absalom noticed a strange tumorous lump in the abdomen of the prisoner. Unnerved by the sight, they left the prisoner alone and descended the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs was an unlocked door. Opening it revealed a room lit with several glowing braziers. The floor of the room was carpeted in deadly snakes (+1 bite, 1 point damage + poison, AC 11, 1d8 HD, 5' move, 1/2 damage from non-area attacks).

A massive pillar a few feet in front of the door obstructed most of the view of the room. Several bookshelves were visible along the wall to the right. A door guarded by two robed figures stood on the wall to the left. A corridor disappeared around the corner to the far left. A large marble table was on the far wall piled with the bones of what appeared to be a gigantic snake.

A fight ensued, with Valerius battling the enraged snakes, Gwen uselessly firing arrows into the room, and one of the crew members loosing sling stones. One of the guards is immediately killed, another flees down the corridor, the rest fire blowguns at the intruders. Suddenly, a large two-headed snake erupted from the abdomen of the first fallen guard. Absalom doused the snakes in oil and set them ablaze while Valerius decapitated the remaining snakes. Absalom was hit by a blowgun dart and fell immediately unconscious. Depleted of darts and snakes, the guards charged forth, scimitars drawn. Unfortunately, one guard broke his weapon in the attack and the other was cleaved in twain by Valerius' mighty blade. Valerius mocked the other guard, offering his own weapon in order to continue the fight. The surviving guard, as well as his two companions, fled down the corridor. Finally, although it menaced the party, the two-headed abdomen-snake was quickly destroyed by Valerius.

TO BE CONTINUED

Afterthoughts

It was another fun night. The group really seemed to enjoy the river barge fight. The morale rules felt natural and real. It made sense that the veterans became veterans by holding back and knowing when NOT to fight. Heh.

I totally forgot about the requirement of having a piece of the animal to summon. We will remember that next time. We figured an eagle feather and a young pterodactyl weren't out of the ordinary.

In other spellcaster news, Gwen's player can't wait to get to Thither to spend two weeks casting spells: one week for patron bond and one week for summon familiar. The Midkemia Press Cities book has tables for determining what happens to PCs during "down-time" and I can't wait to use them.

As a GM, I enjoy riffing off of player suggestions and also off of random events. In tonight's adventure, the addition of Shau happened when one of the players, Scott, suggested "We should search the captain's cabin, he probably had a prisoner in there." so I said, "There's no cabin, but you find a prisoner in the bilge." Bill absently minded said, "Be careful, she's probably a demon-witch!" to which I replied, "What? No!" and quickly wrote down "Demon-witch?" in my notes.

Likewise, the entire adventure with the cultists came from rolling a mundane random event in the middle of the night: Gwen is splashed by mud from a passing cart. That challenged me right off the bat by asking "Why would this happen in the middle of the night?" and I remembered that Gwen was an elf, and in the world of Agartha, Elves are spirit beings given mortal form in our world. They are unaccustomed to having physical bodies. Everything is new to her, and she has only had a body for 3 or 4 days now. Hey, she has to go to the outhouse! That got her outside.

I could have just left it at that but I had to think of a reason for myself why the wagon was going so fast in a walled village in the middle of the night. It seemed an odd event to me and one likely to provide investigation by a player. So I quickly thought of smugglers and cultists. At first the cultists were just going to be Hollow Ones from the DCC book but Scott said something about them being serpent men! So I changed them to snake cultists!

I always make sure to reward my players for coming up with story points like that. Scott one 1XP for Shau and 1 XP for the snake cultists. Bill got 1 XP for demon-witch idea (whether I use it or not).

In other news, this was our first game with Matt, and he was a great player. I recruited Matt from the G+ DCC Community. We had never met Matt before tonight. He fit right in and did a great job. He added a lot to the group and to the evening and everyone really enjoyed themselves.

By the way, we rolled for Gwen's elfish attributes.
She has pale white skin, white hair, and milky white orbs for eyes. She has two nub horns growing from her forehead.

Next week: room two of the Sinister Secret of the Serpent God!