NIGHTWICK ABBEY: The Purple Eater of People, Session 2

 

Art by Chris Huth 

Interested in Nightwick? Join the fun and death here!

MAYFLY 1st level MU (NEW)
Spells: Light, Protection from Evil, Read Magic
STR 07 (-1) INT 15 (+1) WIS 08 (-1) DEX 16 (+2) CON 16 (+2) CHA 08 (-1)

And So Begins the Story of Mayfly...

Back at the Medusa's Head, Blossom recounts the unfortunate end to the last party that followed her into Nightwick Abbey (Session 1 here.). Mayfly quickly surmises it was mere incompetence and a student of the mystical arts would certainly not blunder into unprepared like that frog. Besides they had one of the local woodsmen with them, Osbert (1st lvl Fighter), and even a man of god, Dominic (1st lvl Cleric), judging by his sandwich board. Blossom dropped coin for two peasants, Sibet & Pavel, and Akeyteus, a man of skill judging by his weapons. Supplies were bought. And so, a cleric, fighter, magic-user, and thief walked into a dungeon...

Delve #2 now with mapping

RIGHT TOWER: The party quickly locked in on the right tower as per Blossom's recollection of all the death that occurred in the left tower. Osbert's professional door opening skills were on fine display as the trapdoor was yanked up. Torches were dropped and the party descended. Mayfly was one of the last to descend as he spiked the trap door open as in the old ways-- which earned Mayfly a squirt of some sorta viscous fluid.

MAGGOT-EYED STATUE: Fanning out, the PCs noted the room they found themselves in contained 4 fours (2 left, 2 right) and a disturbing iron statue depicting one of the Sword Brothers- heretics who founded the Abbey. Mayfly and Blossom circled the statue hoping it would reveal secrets-- it did not. But though Blossom's probing with her thieves' tool found it was full of meat with maggots writhing in the eyes which seems to follow the party. Osbert solved this eerie issue by just placing a bag over its head. Surprisingly Osbert did not immediately die or suffer some other worse fate. Mayfly spikes a door open as in the old ways.

FIRST CONTACT!: The PCs picked one direction and kept going. West it was. First, through a room with burned trash in it. Nothing interesting. Next, the PCs proceeded into a room with two corpses on the floor. Burn marks all over them- potential victims of the previous room?

The slight twitching that proceeded the corpses rising up kept the party from being completely surprised. Akeyteus, the professional, rushed to engage the first with Blossom, and the brave peasant, Pavel. Dominic, heart bolstered in by God, engaged the second. Osbert rushed into the melee, but not before the fury of the living dead began their attack. Mayfly, daggers ready, retreated to a strategic position in no way due to cowardness.

The first strike of the dead was fatal! Akeytus was lifted off his feet and dropped on his head which busted like a ripe melon (5 HP and took 6 DMG-- oof!). The next rounds were a rough back and forth, the dead's cackles filling the chamber with the swears and grunts of the party. Dominic returns the second one back to the grave it came from with a mighty blow (Nat 20-- nice!). And Osbert and Blossom laid low the second one shortly after. Mayfly emerged with not a scratch on him. And spiked another door.

RUINED LIBRARY & READING ROOM: Turning south, the PC encountered something Mayfly could defeat, the written word. Sensing treasure, Mayfly combed the selves while the others looked around. This survey turned up a magic scroll. Blossom decided to check the door to the east and hearing nothing, opened it. There she witnesses a slow, silent dance between a group of swordsmen. And just as slowly, she closed the door. Not a way forward. The southern door yielded to a small reading room. Like the rooms, before it contained smashed furniture, but a large ornate lectern. Osbert, seeing a way to needle Mayfly, quickly pilfered another scroll he spotted. Mayfly lamented over the ruined book. Continuing further south, the PCs hear an ominous...thwack! THWACK! thwack!... with overtures of wet meat.

Time was running short, so the PCs decided a fight and found scrolls were enough. So without incident, the party returned to the surface unmolested. And with the body of Akeytus.

Back at the Medusa's Head...

Osbert confronted Mayfly about his lack of magical manifestation. Mayfly stammered an apology and vague offense to having been questioned as a university man. Osbert offered up the pilfered scroll and Mayfly stunned by the kindness, magicked two new shirts to replace Osber's ruined one using only the silver in his pocket and the local tailor.

NIGHTWICK ABBEY: The Purple Eater of People (& Froglings), Session 1

Art by Chris Huth (and actually roughly matches our party)

Last week I finally got to put down my DM's cap, pick up my player's d20, and delve down deep into Miranda's Nightwick Abbey (I have been a Patreon of this fantastic setting and look forward to its eventual publication. If you, dear readers, are interested in joining these delves there is an opportunity!)

CHARACTER GENERATION

Our party of three rolled-up fresh BX characters in just a few minutes using the Forge (my first time). My scores: STR 11 (+0) INT 08 (-1) WIS 08 (-1) DEX 14 (+1) CON 11 (+0) CHA 12 (+0)

While I could have rolled a new character based on the total bonus being less than +1, I was pretty happy with the DEX score and it was the prime requisite to get me a frogling, so I went with it. Additional equipment (leather armor, shortsword, handaxe, chalk, rope + grappling hook- ooo!) and background (craftsman) was rolled on random tables. Rumors also provided to the party: The strange vines around Nightwick Abbey are known to be a form of pipeweed for some.

And so Bürp Lillyfoot, 1st level Frogling, awoke in Nightwick village after a night in the Medusa's Head Tavern with two traveling companions Blossom, 1st level Rogue, and Dirangus (sp?), 1st level Fighter.

SO IT BEGINS...

SHOCKTOBER the 14th in the year of our Lord 13--

The Bishop of Litchgate has allowed those with St. Gax in their hearts (assumed, often unverified) to return treasure and items lost in Nightwick Abbey to the bosom of The Church.

Overhearing the party's conversation on the matter, three woodsmen approached with an offer to escort them to the abbey for a small fee of 1 GP per month. One shy, one silent, and one brash-- hired on the spot. No doubt they were down on their luck honest village folk.

The next day, the 15th, the party set off toward the Abbey. An easy walk with little interruption. Upon arriving at the site of The Abbey, the PCs beheld two towers that were not so much ruined as in a state of fungal-like "growth". Bürp was able to employ a fine leaping ability to hop up to the second floor of each tower and the spongy swollen wooden interiors. The left tower was chosen for delving. 

Dornik smoothly popped open the trap door (earning 10 sp from Bürp in the process) and Blossom threw one torch down. With nothing dangerous illuminated, Bürp made the easy leap 25 feet down. The humans picked their way carefully down a rickety ladder. The party now faced another common threat... another stuck door!

Bürp attached the grappling hook to the pull ring and one heave-hoe later the PCs were exploring the next room. Easy decisions were made to avoid the screaming to the west and head east. Once through the 3rd door, our party turned north coming to a "T" section. West was a series of 6 doors and east were 4 similar doors. Blossom the rogue listen carefully at a couple, but only heard chanting and bleating through another one. Dirangus marshaled the hirelings into a better formation right when Blossom decides to peek into the room.

(Record scratch)...A congregation of deerfolk turned their accursed eyes on Blossom. With a yell, they ran to attack! Dirangus and Bürp bottlenecked the group at the door. Fighter and frogling fought bravely avoiding multiple attacks by the maligned creatures. Blossom and the hirelings (now suspiciously absent Doniyk) hailed down stones and arrows from afar. But as the first deerfolk fell, more stepped in to take their place. So the party decided to retreat in full. Bürp and Blossom set the pace, but Dirangus fell behind to the deefolk axes. Back south and to the east the party flew.

As the party bolted through the door on the way to freedom, they were brought up short by Doniyk (the hireling who went missing earlier) and two large butchers. A short fight ensued as heavy axes fell the hirelings Tylo and Dietol. Then, poor Bürp was savagely sliced in two (8 dmg vs 5 hp). In this frenzy of shredded meat, a blood-spattered Blossom was able to escape!

... AND SO IT ENDS

Bloody good fun and a memorable time! I certainly would have outfitted Bürp a little differently, but I figure for a first session it would be better to get to the play than to agonize over equipment. Now with a feel for the dungeon itself, I think it will be easier to decide what to take and ensure more diversified armament. Speaking of which, my new character's scores: 

MAYFLY 1st level MU
Spells: Light, Protection from Evil, Read Magic
STR 07 (-1) INT 15 (+1) WIS 08 (-1) DEX 16 (+2) CON 16 (+2) CHA 08 (-1)