I am sorry to report that there have been several dark omens of the Day of Wrath lately. Among these was an incredible flock of ravens in the hundreds blotting out the sun over the city.... goat kids born with three or more horns!.... Corpses riding skeleton steeds through the streets by night.... The vile fire wyrm Conflagratius demanding an extra Napolite maiden! Outrageous and cruel spawn of the Devil!
The priest spits and crosses himself with his silver cross....
nods at the priest's words
Aye we have seen some of this as well
Do you know of people who are servants of these evil forces? Perhaps we can find their masters and do something about them.
Aye...cut the head off the snake and we can see about righting the world.
The priest looks at each with a stark, featureless expression....
Eh.... You don't seem like evil men yourselves, seeking to catch me in some trap.... I feel I can trust you, though Jesu Christe alone knows why.... The Antichrist himself is in Rome, as he has been since he fiddled while it burnt. Nero, once an emperor of Rome in the ancient days, now a vile, undying thing.... a lich.... He cozens with witches at Black Sabbaths and with the great Beast, Wormwood, or Conflagratius....
A lich, eh? How might one go about killing one of those? Haven't ckme across one yet...might be handy to know....and with witches too? This might be a good scrap yet, lads!
The lich is hard to destroy, friends. Magic weapons will be needed even to harm it. And once it has fallen, you must find and destroy its phylactery, or soul object, or else it will reform and continue its evil!
I think... magic weapons will not be an issue Hisao says But this soul object would. Maybe we can ask it where it is, hah
Divinations have failed to reveal the exact location of the Antichrist or his phylactery, unfortunately.... But it is suspected by the Holy Father and his cardinals that the Enemy divides his time between a base in Rome and the lair of the Beast in Mount Vesuvius....
Which is closer?
Chances are he'd keep his soul close...although amongst a dragon's horde would be pretty safe, i think. I vote Rome...skewer this abomination so i can get back to Bettina....or one of the other maids...
"I not be concerned about distance. we can be anywhere quickly"
I can tell you that the dragon may be planning to invoke the wrath of Mount Vesuvius in the coming days.... There have been increased rumblings and growling from the mountain....
And so the heroes decide to journey to Rome to hunt down the Antichrist and his phylactery.
The ancient metropolis rivals Paris and London in size and grandeur, and its ancient streets teem with Romans and foreign travelers alike....
The cry of merchants and harlots echo in the plazas, and a thousand colorful sights assail the eye, as a complex bouquet of odors assault the nose....
As the Lusty Fools roam the streets of Rome, they encounter a variety of citizens and visitors, including a familiar old face--one they recognize from their time in Paris--the alchemist and wizard, Nicolas Flamel, whom they meet in an apothecary near the great Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, shopping for alchemical reagents....
Well, well! What a welcome surprise to see old friends here among so many strange faces! It's the Lusty Fools, yes? What brings you to Rome? Or should we discuss it somewhere more private?
I think a private meeting is better, Monsieur Flamel. There might be a few prying ears about. Can't trust everyone, you know.
I know a more private location....
Flamel gestures for the Lusty Fools to follow him into a private room in the apothecary, exchanging discreet nods with the old Roman behind the counter.... Once therein, Flamel smiles and signals for the Lusty Fools to link hands with him....
And now for Old Nick's Disappearing Act....
I think a private meeting is better, Monsieur Flamel. There might be a few prying ears about. Can't trust everyone, you know.
[dice=know local]1d20+10
We are told that the undead master seeking to end the world is somewhere in this city Hisao says once they are safe.
Having been teleported by Nicolas Flamel to a secret safe house in a quarter of Rome not far from the ancient Coliseum, the Lusty Fools are at liberty to speak freely about their divine quest....
You are correct, Hisao of the Yellow Reeds.... The old emperor of Ancient Rome, Nero, is an undead abomination, as I have long suspected. My recent explorations of Rome have confirmed my suspicions.... Nero is a lich, and walks among us, disguised as a merchant of rare spices, or as the prodigal bastard son of Duke of Milan.... My recent divinations have revealed this much.... The location of Nero's phylactery, I could not discern.... wherever it is, its warded against magical scrutiny....
So a merchant or a spoiled noble. I think we should check out the merchant angle first....we can check it stealthily between Hisao and I...and if he isn't there, it leaves us one option. I just have to get some clothes to blend in.... Monsieur Flamel, do you have a tailor you can recommend?
Rich merchants attract thieves Hisao notes. I suspect Paddy and I would make good thieves.
Fredrick grunts
"i be thinking i could talk to some sailors they might know a thing or two and some sailors gossip worse then whores"
Ahh, good idea me boyo....sailors are a talkative lot... especially with a bit of booze in their gullets and a wench on their laps. Let's see what we can find out and gk from there....
Taverns first then!
The Lusty Fools stop at a tavern near the harbor called Mama Valentini's, a salty dive filled with bawdy sailors and wenches.
A halfling (or possibly a gnome or a midget) plays a lively tune on an accordion, and the Goblin Duo join him to create a raucous entertainment for the patrons.
The bartender is a fat, balding, mustachioed Italian with an eye patch and an anchor tattoo on his beefy right arm.
The most interesting figure in the taproom is a tall, giant, hooded figure in robes with a hunchback, sitting by himself in a shadowy corner, neither eating nor drinking, but seeming to watch and listen intently to everything....
fredrick smiles he is very familiar with these types of taverns
how ye lads be this fine of an evening?
The salty sailors and other scalawags in the tavern look with eyes agog at the Lusty Fools.
One of them, a lad of about 20, calls out, "Who are you lot? Ye have the look of adventurers about ye....
We've been a few places thereabouts...name's Paddy, lad. What might your name be? Paddy says as he glances about the room as he makes his way to the bar. A bottle of whiskey, if you don't mind. he asks of the barkeep. He looks back at the others. You fellows want something too?
Over the next hour, Paddy, Hisao, and Fredrick become acquainted with the patrons, the bartender, and the saucy tarts that serve as wenches here.
Alphonse, meanwhile, excuses himself to take a hot bath, accompanied by a lovely raven-haired half-elf wench named Aerie.
Nacht seems to vanish in the shadows of a dark corner of the tavern, then wanders off into the night in search of interesting sport....
Hisao doesn't do a great job of trying to talk to the locals, he's still not very comfortable in Europe. Odd that he's become a lord of a portion of it...
walks to the counter and sets about 15 gold in front of the tavern keep
keep the drinks a coming lad. Aye be buying this evening for my brothers of the sea
with that done he makes is way around the room speaking to each sailor slowly trying to find something out
Paddy wanders around the bar, introducing himself to everyone and swapping stories of feats real and imagined.
Hisao and Paddy get on reasonably well with the locals, but Fredrick's attempts to win friends by buying drinks somehow backfires, causing the sailors and laborers to either suspect him of some sinister ulterior motive, or else mark him as a target for theft....
As a result, Hisao and Paddy each learn a rumor:
Hisao hears that the players of the Scarlatti Opera House on Via Francese street are masters of disguise and subterfuge, and know many secrets about the nobility and clergy of Rome and other cities throughout Italia....
Paddy hears that a terrible demon haunts the catacombs beneath Rome....
Fredrick is targeted by a master cut purse....
[dice=perception]1d20+15
Fredrick notices a grubby midget nonchalantly poking his fingers into Fred's coin pouch!
fredrick waves his hand and the little man is surrounded in water. fredrick groins after the water wraps the man up.
I’ve written a novel loosely based on this campaign, it’s the first of a trilogy called Apocalypse Anon. Book One is subtitled The Lucky Fools. Here’s a LINK
That's pretty cool.
That's pretty cool.
Lol! Now you can finally find out how the story ends.
You kind of disappeared there Mike :).
Yeah, sorry, mate. Been busy working, playing tabletop games, chasing the ladies, running from the ladies (lol), and writing. I’ve started a new campaign though in the PBP boards, set in the same world but seven years after the Lusty Fools’ adventures. It would be cool if Hisao made a cameo at some point, or joined the party once they hit level 10, if it goes that far.
Hit me up when it gets that far and we'll see :). Maybe Hisao's been zapped into time stasis or something.
Hey mj
Hey mj
Hi man, how’ve you been?
Good. I'll hit you up on Facebook later today
Hey Mike, could you deactivate the game again? Thanks!