Chronicles of Arcania: B/X Homebrew game.

Game Master Peet

How are we on food? That is one pressure keeping us from resting too frequently.

I am fine either way; back to camp or camping here.

Zynazyr studies the coins to see if they are magical. He then considers their options for resting.

"I would like to return to camp as there are still spells I would like to copy from the spellbook. We do have the option to go the long way around to avoid the haunts. We also need to decide what to do with all these coins. I'm not sure how the rest of the group will react to such treasure."

"Bring them back with us. Even if someone in the group decides to make off with them, where are they going to go?"

Walia says, "I concur. They will just die of thirst in the desert with some money."

Walia starts pouring coins into his rucksack, being careful not to break any of his glassware.

Pretends to be Ferrous and dumps coins anywhere he can stash them.

Ferrous eyes the party suspiciously when they mention returning with the treasure hoard to the group.
I don't trust everyone back there with this much gold. Maybe we can stash it in a secret room on the way back.
Ferrous strokes his beard with one hand as he twirls a platinum coin between the fingers on his other hand.

Walia says, "I am more concerned about those other oddball groups running around this place than the people we came here with. The Magi or women warriors could find it and they have somewhere to go."

"Let's leave the gold in the Queen's tomb. I don't really want to take it. I can rationalize taking armor and weapons to fight Zargon, but the groups like the Magi and the Warrior Maidens aren't as delusional as the other locals. If we try to spend the money, they will know where it came from. I can't imagine they'll look favorably upon that."

Ana shrugs. "Spend it on what? It seems to me that food and water are much more precious than gold, here."

Bah yer a fool Brathas! Why should we leave gold for the dead and cold? Ye can forfeit your share if you wish. I'll gladly take it off your hands. But I'll be a damned bearded elf before I leave behind a trove like this.

Walia more concerned with survival and expunging this place of undead says, "Let's go. I was going to suggest leaving the coppers but time is a wasting." as he starts moving towards the secret exit.

Frankly I'd take it up to the first place we had the camp on the second level ... the area between the two secret doors Shrugs, Its easily accessible when we decide we can leave this place.

He scratches his chin, Which reminds me... we havent finished all of the third level either!

A few clarifications:
* You killed a bunch more fire beetles today so you do have food.
* There are no copper pieces but there are thousands of silver and electrum pieces in the hoard that Ferrous has not picked up (he ran out of carrying capacity).
* The areas on the Third Tier that you have not explored include the Madaruan and Gormite areas. You were able to speak fairly civilly with the Madaruans. You fought with the Gormites on the second tier and found what looked like a magically trapped door leading to the area on the third tier.

I had assumed you were taking the loot back to the camp, but now it seems like some other ideas have popped up.

So do you want to:
* Take the loot to camp?
* Leave the loot here?
* Stash the loot somewhere secret? (like the secret room that used to hold the camp before)

Ferrous jumps on Fistep's suggestion of moving the loot to a location other than the current camp. There you go man that's a great plan. Stash this treasure away from the eyes of the group at the camp. Tis enough that we feed them every day don't need to make them Lords and Ladies with our hard fought coin.

Walia says, "Lets stash this damned treasure then."

1:40 PM, Day 7

Ana and Zynazyr examine the coins but fail to find anything unusual about them. The rest of the party gathers up the silver and electrum coins (Ferrous is already carrying the gold and platinum).

Ferrous has about 80 pounds of treasure. There is another 100 pounds or so which I will assume the rest of the party can divide up without too much trouble.

Getting through the narrow crawlspaces takes a fair bit of work (and is not helped by Ferrous' refusal to give the coins he carries to someone else). But after about thirty minutes the group has gone past the narrow sections and the crawlspace and then past the loose tiles.

The party begins travelling down the hallway to the west, passing the stairs going down.

Ferrous, his sense supernaturally alert thanks to his fear of pickpockets, manages to hear the sound of footsteps up ahead around the corner. Covering the light and peering around the corner, he can make out with his infravision six humanoid figures, dressed in loose robes, going in single file up the hallway towards you. They do not have a light of their own and have probably seen the light from your beetle glands.

The figures seem to be moving carefully and are following a strange zig-zag path.

You are not in initiative yet.

So now what?
* Prepare an ambush?
* Retreat back down the corridor?
* Step around the corner and announce yourselves?
* Something else?

I will update the tactical map shortly.

Prepare an ambush

Announce ourselves.

How about a mixed ambush -announcement strategy. We set up an ambush and one of us says "Hello" if they are aggressive then we waste them but if they are cool then we will be.

"We should approach this cautiously," Ana hisses. "We've made enough enemies in this place, already."

"Well, they can either see in the dark or are blindly walking around in it, which might explain the way they are walking. I say let Ferrous announce himself with the rest of us around the corner for an ambush. Otherwise we can pull back past the stairs and hope they go down. But remember, I don't have much I can do against them if we get into combat," Zynazyr says quietly.

Ferrous, are you cool with that?

I don't want to "volunteer" someone to be a negotiator without hearing from them. But Ferrous and Fistep are tied for the highest charisma scores in the party. So theoretically Ferrous should make a decent spokesperson.

The TACTICAL MAP is updated with Ferrous currently in front.

The dwarf pushes the others to around the corner as he stands in the center at the front of the group.
Hail fellow wanderers. Who goes there, friend or foe?
The dwarf plants his feet firmly with his axe resting on his shoulder and his shield before him raised cover his face below his eyes. Several coins clink together as he makes the change in posture.

Readies his shield and sword.

Ferrous steps out as the people approach. They wear long dark robes, and have daggers strapped to their belts. They wear masks that look vaguely like the face of a camel. Like the other mask wearers you have seen their skin and hair is pale white.

Hail fellow wanderers. Who goes there, friend or foe?

"STOP!" the one in the lead shouts, holding his hands up palms out.

"DON'T MOVE! Spectral snakes. Very dangerous. There's one right there!" The man points at a spot just to the left of Ferrous' feet.

No one in the party can see anything. Ana and Zynazyr do not detect any magic, and Wallia does not sense any evil.

"They don't bite if you leave them be. But stepping on one will make it very angry."

Walia says, "Well met, friends. I am Walia of Winterbourne Stoke. Thank you for the assistance in helping us avoid those pesky spectral snakes. I am a friar and these are my friends, we have taken refuge in this most interesting building, fore the sandstorms be rough outside. What are your names?"

The dwarf shoots a steely gaze at the Cleric when he mentions "outside".
Please pardon our appearance for the Spectral foxes stole our masks while we slept. Beware of foxes looking like eagles for they are thieves of the lowest degree.

The man looks Wallia up and down as he speaks.

Walia says, "...Thank you for the assistance in helping us avoid those pesky spectral snakes..."

"Pesky? PESKY? Zargon's Gaze, man! Their venom is horrible! Those who are bitten gradually fade away, becoming more and more transparent, until they vanish entirely! They become specters themselves! No, that's not a fate I'd wish on any man."

"Outside, eh? Well, that would explain why your skin is so dark; if I didn't know better I would have thought you were a goblin! But no, you were burnt by the sun, obviously. The pain must have been terrible! I may have a salve for that somewhere."

The man begins looking through a small bag.

"Oh, and you can call me Nikos. You said your name was Wallia? Isn't that a woman's name?"

Please pardon our appearance for the Spectral foxes stole our masks while we slept. Beware of foxes looking like eagles for they are thieves of the lowest degree.

"Spectral foxes? What in Earth are you talking about? There's no such thing as Spectral Foxes. Those things are a myth. I'm an expert in all things spectral, so I would know."

"No, if things that looked like eagles stole your masks, I bet they were those Magi people. They can make themselves look like other things, you know, and they're all a bunch of thieves."

"You could always fake it with a piece of cloth until you have a chance to get one of your other ones. Just cut some holes for the eyes. Now where did I put that salve?"

Walia laughs and says, "In your culture, mayhap but in mine it is the name of a warrior. There was a famous king with that name. I was wondering if you had any information about what is downstairs?"

Brathas walks out, and he is wearing a mask - the parakeet mask.
We've found several other masks along the way and I don't know why nobody else is wearing one.
"Walia, downstairs is the path to the city. You know that, of course.
Well met, Nikos. I am Brathas. We must be on our way. Thank you for showing us the way through the snakes. I do not have the spectral expertise to see them myself."

I am not because I do not want to start a fight with an unintentional group.

Seeing their original plan of an ambush appear unnecessary, Zynazyr listens while the others talk with the group of strangers. He remains around the corner though, concerned a larger group may put the men on the defensive.

Walia laughs and says, "In your culture, mayhap but in mine it is the name of a warrior. There was a famous king with that name. I was wondering if you had any information about what is downstairs?"

"Why would you invent your own culture?" asks Nikos. "And if you are inventing famous kings, why would you make up a male king with a woman's name? I'd go with Wallios, or maybe Walliar. Much more masculine-sounding."

"As for downstairs, well, lots of things. The big ol' temple, the gardens of paradise, the hall of kings, sure, lots of stuff."

We've found several other masks along the way and I don't know why nobody else is wearing one.

Are you criticizing everyone else's fashion sense? :)

"Walia, downstairs is the path to the city. You know that, of course...."

"Yeah, that too."

"Well met, Nikos. I am Brathas. We must be on our way. Thank you for showing us the way through the snakes. I do not have the spectral expertise to see them myself."

"Brathos! See, that's a proper man's name. Ends with an S."

"Did I show you the path through the snakes already? Yeah, I must have. Just walk where I walked... as long as the snakes don't move you'll be fine."

Are you criticizing everyone else's fashion sense? :)

Oh, of course. It's always important to look good.

But more than that, by the standards of this place everyone else is walking around with their junk out. It's rude and draws a lot of attention.

So shall we be onwards?

Ferrous jabs Fistep in the ribs with an elbow before saying. Best let the men lead Fistep. Nikos it was a pleasure to meet you and thank you for your advice on the those imposture spectral foxes. I will be ready for the Magi's tricks next time. I don't believe I have given my name yet. I am Ferrous of Rockhome again thank you for your assistance.
After a slight bow of the head to Nikos Ferrous begins to walk past the party of mask wearing spectral snake see-ers.

Walia says, "I will be sure to chastise my parents for their issuing me such a feminine name. It was a pleasure meeting you, would it be ok if we were to call on you fine people in the future? I would love to break bread with you and discuss things. Have a good'un!"

Ana silently rolls her eyes at the discussion but says nothing. Instead, she simply follows her party members around the "spectral snakes" and continues on their way.

Walia follows Ana back to camp.

I am Ferrous of Rockhome...

"See? Another manly name. Ends with S." Nikos nods as Ferrous begins to move past him. The group begins to file forwards past the people in camel masks.

But as Ferrous gets past Nikos, Nikos gasps and grasps his hair in panic!

"AAAIIIIIEEEE! OH, NO! You've been bitten!"

Nikos spins around several times in terror. He pulls out his dagger.

"I have to suck the poison out!"

He lunges towards Ferrous.

Nikos seems intent on stabbing Ferrous in the calf with his dagger and then sucking on the wound. You can let it happen, or you can do something about it, which would be handled in combat (even if you want to do something other than attacking). The other people have not yet drawn their weapons.

TACTICAL MAP UPDATED

Round 1 Initiative:
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr
Block 2: Nikos and the gang.
Block 3: Spectral Snakes

Walia says to Nikos, "I have some holy water, do you think it may help?"

Brathas, without drawing his weapon, tries to interpose himself between Nikos and Ferrous.
"No, Nikos! His magic beard makes him immune to poison! But if you draw the poison you will fade away!"

Ana again rolls her eyes, "Oh for... there are no snakes! Look!"
To emphasize her point, she dances about the corridor, making sure to step everywhere. "Is everyone in this gods-forsaken place insane?"

Zynazyr tries to keep a low profile given the man's opinion of the magi. He too shakes his head in disbelief at his reaction to the imaginary snakes. "Apparently. Maybe there's not enough fresh air in here," he says quietly to Ana in response to her statement. He cringes when she starts dancing around, afraid of how the group will respond.

I expect that dancing sounded more like clank, clank, clank!

Was hoping to see if Ferrous had a reaction, but let's move ahead.

"No, Nikos! His magic beard makes him immune to poison! But if you draw the poison you will fade away!"

Well, let's see how far you get with the "magic beard" line.

charisma: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

"What? A magic beard?" Nikos stops and looks Ferrous over a second time. "It is very big... How did you get one of those?"

Ana again rolls her eyes, "Oh for... there are no snakes! Look!"

To emphasize her point, she dances about the corridor, making sure to step everywhere. "Is everyone in this gods-forsaken place insane?"

"Well, I can see them quite clearly, thank you very much. It's not my problem if - WAIT!" Nikos shouts as she starts to dance around. "You'll be bitten! Are you crazy? Don't you know you need a magic beard?"

Nikos has been distracted from the job of lancing the spectral bites and sucking out the spectral poison, but since Ana doesn't have a magic beard he might think he needs to do it to her.

So you could:
* Just push them out of the way and continue on ("pushing" someone would count as an unarmed attack against AC 9 and would do no damage. Three such successful "pushes" would clear your path). That probably wouldn't start a fight.
* Try to play along somehow (how?).
* Return the way you came (since that's where they were headed they might follow you).
* Try to talk sense into them (this hasn't really worked before).
* Something else?

Wallia says, "My holy water will help her, Nikos. It attacks the poison in the bloodstream and we do not need to cut her open."

The magic beard line would have worked!
Thanks a lot, Ana. Elves have no sense of humor.
"Yes, the holy water! Ana, please let Walia bless you."

I like this Nikos guy. sure he thinks Wallia is a woman's name but hey its fine with me.