Whether you’ve been in town for ages or just pulled in today, there’s no way you couldn’t have heard about Alkenstar’s newest, hottest play, The First Sin of Pharasma. It’s almost all that anyone in town talks about, posters have been plastered all about the place, and fliers thrust into the hands of anyone nearby. The most recent creation of the famed Melsa Aldthistle, her traveling theatre troupe is renting out the renowned Aldivur Company Theater House for a limited run of the performance. Promising to be a“once-in-a-lifetime experience” that is “sure to go down in history!”, the play’s first showing sold out within hours.
Whether you love, hate or feel indifferent about it, there’s one thing for sure, the play has made getting a seat nearly impossible at the Powder Horn, a hidden gem of a tavern with affordable but good food and drink. Two hours before sunset on a Fireday, with the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend, this is the time where restaurants, gambling halls and taverns, especially Powder Horn, are at their busiest, but the performance just across the street has pushed even more people into the business. People push and squeeze, having to double up on tables, or just stand around and chat with food or drinks in hand. More than a few have tickets for tonight’s second performance of the play. Luckily the first showing is already underway or it’d be hard to even breath in the place.
By stroke of luck, or a bit of verbal or physical force, the four of you have found seating at a table in the corner of the tavern near the entrance, not the best spot to sit, but it beats having to stand. It’s taken the bar owner, Martelle, a burly half-elf woman, over 15 minutes just to work her way around the crowd and get your orders, and you're sure it will be that long again just for her to bring drinks around, giving you some time to chat.
Zindarel frowns as she looks around the crowded tavern. "Look at this crowd. It'll take Matrell ages to get our drinks to us. Aldthistle and her troupe have ruined this place. It used to be great, now you can't even breathe without bumping into someone rambling on about that ridiculous play. I still can't believe you want to see it, Zakzak." She snorts derisively at the goblin.
"Seriously. The First Sin of Pharasma? Could the title be any more lurid?"
The elf turns to the two humans. "So what do you think? Is this play thing overrated or not?" She looks longingly at another table that is just receiving their drinks. "Also do you think we'll ever get our drinks? I should have ordered some dinner to go with my wine."
Zakzak seems about so speak when he is overcome by a fit couching and hacking.
"Me!? Me!? You says Zakzak idea? Ha. Yes. Good idea it was. This is a storiy of the Crookedtoes. Yes yes."
The tall dusky woman with long dark hair takes a swig of ale. With a gusty sigh, she places it back on the table, none too gently. She looks over at the small green creature and sniffs.
"The gobbo's been here awhile. He's a fairly decent card player. Mebbe not as good as what I've seen, but he'll do."
She rakes in the chips after the others fold.
"Beats workin' as a surgeon. Doesn't hurt nobody. Though if anyone's accusin' me of cheatin' I've got Solutions to my Problems" she laughs coarsely at her own joke.
Just as everyone gets settled in and start chatting with each other a loud crash sounds from outside. The chatter and anticipatory murmurs of excitement echoing off the walls of the Powder Horn slow before being completely silenced by a bloodcurdling scream.
A man stumbles through the main door, clutching at a gushing neck wound. "Help...me..." The words escape his lips, before he topples to the floor with a final sigh. Even as the man’s body collapses, a shambling horde of misshapen humanoids attempts to follow him through, accompanied by a fetid stench of blood and excrement.
“What th— ” The cry comes from inside the bar as the patrons begin a panicked rush for the upper floor. They quickly move away from the zombies that have come into the building, bumping and flipping your table around making standing up from it more difficult. As the crowd starts to panic, the formerly living man starts to twitch and shudder, slowly standing up with glazed eyes and a moan on his now undead lips.
As patrons rush for the possible safety of the upper story, Martelle leaps over the countertop, a heavy length of wood in her hands. “The doors!” she cries out. “Clobber those blighters and shut the door or we’re all doomed!”
As she does, the zombies scan the place and find the four of you trapped by the table in the corner and start to slowly shamble over to you.
Booker is faster than the shambling zombies, getting clear from the table as the rest of the group has to take a little more to clear the mess.
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Booker
Shamblers
Zindarel
Zakzak
Doc Featherton
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Current map Table 1
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Quick as lightning Booker pulls his scattergun, keeping it tight to block any zombie bites. He points the powerful gun at the zombie front and center and it booms out.
+1 piercing splash
Working quickly he slams another round home and fires again.
+1 piercing splash
◇ Living Fortification, +1 AC
◆ Strike
◆ Interact, reload
◆ Strike
Booker brings out his gun and braces it to keep himself safe... however he moves fast enough that he can get two shots off before the shambling horde gets to close on him.
His first shot lands into the neck of zombie nearly taking off the zombies head. The pellets spray everywhere and hit all of the zombies around the main target, peppering them with small holes.
After a moment, Booker has his gun loaded again and fires another shot, but this time it flies wide and misses the zombies entirely.
The shambling dead then move in to attack.
The zombie with blackened skin moves up to Booker and tries to slam a fist into his face.
It moans some as it misses the man entirely. Next the one with torn ashen skin also tries to repay Booker for his first shot taking a swing at him as well.
This swing connects however and deals a small blow to the human.
Next the lady zombie in a white and now red with blood summer dress shambles over to Doc and takes a swing at her.
She misses as well.
The rest of the zombies all shamble around chairs and tables to get next to people but are too slow to actually punch at anyone.
++++++++++++++++
Zindarel 30/30
Zakzak 39/39
Doc Featherton 32/32
~~~~~~~~Round 2~~~~~~~~~
Booker 32/38
Shamblers:
Black -1
Grey -1
White -1
Black dash -1
Grey dash -5
White dash -1
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Current map Table 1
Weapon in hand, Zakzak unloads on the zombie (black dash) in front of him
Zakzak quicly reloads his gun and tries to bite the zombie
The elven sniper quickly assesses the situation and shouts out a battle plan. "Everyone concentrate your fire. Clear the way to the door so it can be shut. Start with the ones closest to the door."
She draws her ornate musket and fires at the zombie next to the door.
Afterwards she hides as best she can behind the table and reloads.
Zindarel takes a shot at the zombie with blackened skin, barreling a round into the skin of it's arm. The zombie doesn't have enough presence of mind to try ducking out of the way.
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Zindarel 30/30 1 Action left
Zakzak 39/39 Shooting hurts friends, Do you still want to shoot?
Doc Featherton 32/32
~~~~~~~~Round 2~~~~~~~~~
Booker 32/38
Shamblers:
Black -5
Grey -1
White -1
Black dash -1
Grey dash -5
White dash -1
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Current map
Doc curses half in surprise and disbelief as the zombies rush forward. In one motion, she draws Solution, then draws Problem. Taking aim at white, she fires Solution.
She points Problem at Grey and fires.
She then reloads Solution.
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Booker angles his barrel between the closest zombies and fires at the grey zombie hiding behind them.
+1 splash
Barrel empty he pushes the nearby black zombie back to get some room and reload.
With some room to maneuver Booker swings the stock of his gun into the nearest remaining zombie, grey dashed.
Make some space so we can get that door closed.
Zakzak fires a spray of cheap knives at the zombie in front of him. They cut through the black tie wearing zombie a little too easily, but the moment the cutlery hits bone it shatters and sends shards flying everywhere, hitting both Zakzak and Doc and slicing open skin on the zombie in the white sundress.
He reloads as he reaches out and bites into the zombie as well leaving it looking very weakened.
Doc then fires Problem and Solution and quickly finds both are a solution to two of the zombies crowding her as she put holes into both of their heads and leaves them lying completely dead on the floor.
Booker slams a round into the side of the zombie spewing grey bile, but he forgets the gun he's holding scatters pellets further than he remembered.
He then slams the heated barrel of the gun into the gut of the blakcened zombie pushing it past the door, and keeping on his tail the
He then pistol whips the zombie covered in grey bile.
Blackened sking takes a swing at the Booker standing next to him.
Missing the first swing it swings again.
and misses again.
The one spewing grey bile takes a swing at the man next to him.
Hitting, it then grabs the man with both hands.
Next the shambling zombie in a progressively more and more red sundress, takes a swing at Doc.
She misses terribly, so she tries again.
With similar results.
Finally, the zombie in black suit and tie desperately tries to take down the goblin that has nearly killed him.
It lands a nasty blow that has the goblin seeing stars before he too gets grabbed.
++++++++++++++++
Zindarel 30/30
Zakzak 22/39 Grabbed
Doc Featherton 29/32
~~~~~~~~Round 3~~~~~~~~~
Booker 26/38 Grabbed
Shamblers:
Black -3
Grey -12
White HEADSHOT!
Black dash -16
Grey dash HEADSHOT!
White dash -8
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Current map
Zindarel braces herself on the overturned table and fires at the zombie strangling her goblin friend.
She hides behind the table once more and reloads before popping up and firing once more. "Shut the door, big guy.
Doc lashes out at the zombie holding ZakZak and with the same motion reloads Problem ()
"Booker, duck!" she yells, unleashing a shower of shot from Solution at Grey.
She watches in satisfaction as Grey's head explodes into a million pieces.
She reloads Solution, ready for more.
Zindarel fires a bullet at the zombie holding down Zakzak and fills the shambler's head with lead, knocking it out cold. Her next shot also burrows into a zombie but sadly only it's arm.
Doc takes a swing at the former woman in the formerly white dress but misses, she then takes down grey with a well placed scattering of pellets.
++++++++++++++++
Zindarel 30/30
Zakzak 22/39
Doc Featherton 29/32
~~~~~~~~Round 3~~~~~~~~~
Booker 25/38 Grabbed
Shamblers:
Black -4
Grey HEADSHOT!
Black dash HEADSHOT!
White dash -8
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Current map
Zakzak spins in a circle as the zombie knocks out several of his loose teeth.
But when Zindarel make its head go boom, Zakzak shoots Zindarel a grin as bright as a daylight spell, or maybe just a regular light spell on account of his darkly stained teeth. "Free at last, free at last!"
The goblin moves past Doc and squares up on the zombie holding Booker, "Duck!"
Zakzak tries a risky reload on his gun, tossing the knives in the air as he catches them in his barrel and fires at the remaining zombie.
"Duck!"
Zakzak takes down the zombie with blackened skin in one quick headshot, the knifes again shatter on impact with bones, spraying Booker in some shards as well, but otherwise leaving him healthy in front of the open door with what looks like a large mob of more zombies attacking a few stragglers outside. They've yet to notice the prime meat standing in the doorway, but it's just a matter of time.
Zakzak then quickly reloads and fires his gun again, slicing good sections of flesh off the remaining zombie.
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Booker 25/38
Shamblers:
Black HEADSHOT!
White dash -16
Zindarel 30/30
Zakzak 22/39
Doc Featherton 29/32
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Current map
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Booker barrels after the zombie and finds himself the lone sentry in the doorway as the rest of his team mows down the initial horde. He pulls out a healing potion and takes a swig.
He quickly shuts the door before the group outside can notice him.
Lots more outside. Looks like we'll have to go hunting.
◆ Interact
◆ Interact
◆ Interact
As soon as the door is closed, Martelle comes rushing out from where she'd been waiting and slams the length of wood in her hands down into braces and locks the door solidly. "Good, we won't have more of the fudgers getting in here, but you still need to take down that last one!"
The lady in the now 90 percent red shredded dress takes one last furverent punch at Doc, as she barely seems to be able to stay standing.
She puts her full weight behind the punch and slams it into Doc's jaw, leaving what is going to be an AMAZING bruise later.
The zombie then grabs ahold of the doctor as it tries to stay on its unsteady feet.
++++++++++++++++
Zindarel 30/30
Zakzak 22/39
Doc Featherton 13/32 Grabbed
~~~~~~~~Round 4~~~~~~~~~
Booker 28/38
Shamblers:
White dash -17
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Current map
"OOF! You'll pay for that!"
Doc shoves Problem at the zombie holding her.
Furious, she stabs it again.
And again...
With a boom Doc slices the zombie's head clean off and then proceeds to smack he body down into a bloody mess.
Martelle looks on in amusement mixed with annoyance. "Good work on handling those shamblers. But we need to figure out what's going on with them. Also try not to get anymore blood into the floorboards, there. It's going to be a night mare to clean up that whole mess already."
She takes in the group, "Maybe you should look t patching yourselves up before we talk?"
Doc also heads to an undamaged table and starts wrapping her wounds.
After wrapping her wounds, she heads over to ZakZak and tries to patch him up as well.
She also chugs down one of her healing potions.
While Doc and Booker patch themselves up, Booker showing he has definitely learned something from his partner and Doc showing why she has that appellation in the first place, there's the sounds of fighting in the streets and some clawing sounds at the front door, but no zombies seem to break in.
As soon as you're done patching yourselves up, Martelle comes back down from upstairs and has you come up. "Doesn't seem like those zombies will be getting in here anytime soon. Thanks for waiting while I calmed everyone else down. Now get up here, you have to see this."
The second floor proves to be a wide, open area that provides additional seating for patrons of the bar. A waist-high railing surrounds a ten-foot-by-ten foot opening to the bar below, and each of the room’s walls sport a pair of large windows overlooking the street and alleys below.
Many of the multitudes of patrons from earlier crowd arround the windows looking at the alleys and street, but more than a few are huddled against the opposite wall and slowly trying to comfort themselves to the reality.
Martelle has passed around some blankets and non-alcoholic drinks to try getting people calmed down but not all of them are taking it well. She calls out to clear some space around the windows and ushers you up to them. Looking out its clear to see that the street has been over run with zombies, a few more leaving the theater house to the west every now and then. The half-elf lets you take in the scene for a moment before bringing you back to a table she has left clear.
“So here’s the deal,” she begins. “You all clearly have more fight and experience in you than most of the folks out this way, you’re a bit more smartly armed, and who knows what to expect of the guard. We could wait things out, see what happens, but it’s not exactly like the number of zombies out there is shrinking and new ones keep coming out of the theater..." She pauses to take a drink, clearly not enjoying the idea of that. "If we don’t put a stop to this now, the whole city could be overrun. So here’s what I’m proposing — you lot head to the theater house and see if you can’t figure out where all these zombies are coming from. Put a stop to them if you can or come back and let us know if you can’t. You put an end to this mess and you’ve got free drinks for life here at the Powder Horn. I’m pretty sure any of the rest of us that survive can probably scrape together a purse for you if the city doesn’t pay out a reward. Deal?”
The half-elf gives a laugh at the idea, Don't even have to pay for a ticket... assuming the actors are still going. Could have sworn I saw a woman in half of a horse costume down there." She stops as she realizes how sad that could be, "But does the big one speak for you all?"
Zindarel sighs. "I was hoping to avoid it but it looks like I'm headed to the theatre after all. Yeah I'm in." She grins at her goblin companion. "What do you say Zakzak? Are you up for a show before dinner?"
Zindarel - Untouched
Zakzak - 33/39
Doc Featherton - 32/32
Booker - 36/38
Martelle nods at the agreements to participate and then sets down a map of the square on the table. “Way I see it, you’ve got two paths forward. The first one is that you make a break for this house across the square. It’s owned by Aldivur, the theater’s operator, and is also used to store costumes and props from the theater. You should be able to lock it up from the inside, keep the zombies out while you look for anything useful. The other is maybe a bit trickier, but also safer.” Martelle gestures to a building next to the Powder Horn and then the window along the west wall.
“That window has a clothesline to next door and it is bolted in pretty good. The Thuss’s are good folks and told me they didn't buy tickets to the show yesterday. If you can shimmy across there without falling into the alley, they might be able to help you out some. Rickard is a gunsmith and is likely to have some extra ammo on hand, maybe even some weapons. If you fall off the line, you can still make a break for Aldivur’s house. If you get in their place, well, they’re closer to the theater than we are, so maybe they’ll have an idea on what your best next move is. Whaddaya think?”
Zindarel carefully weighs the options, checking the distance to the house across the square and the strength of the clothesline. "Well I can make it across the street pretty quickly but I'm not sure about you slowpokes." She grins at the rest of the party before looking at her ammo pouch.
"I've got 17 rounds left. If we finish this quickly we'll be okay but it wouldn't hurt to load up on a few more rounds just in case. Besides Rickard may have something interesting to loan us. So...gunsmith everyone?"
She steps over to the clothesline and gives the others a questioning look.
"Works for me. I'd love to meet another gunsmith here and load up on ammo."
The clothesline proves to be a large loop of line strung between two pulleys that almost look like they belong in the Dogun Hold moving tons fo melted metal and not bolted to the sides of two buildings in the middle of Alkenstar. Martelle gives a small shrug as she opens the window and tosses a rock at the neighboring one. "My bedding weighs a ton when wet okay? Anyways it looks like Rickard is home, he can help you get inside when you get over there."
Doc jumps onto the tightrope next.
Doc also makes it to the other side.
Zakzak listens quietly to the talking of the longshanks, then gets bored and rummages through the bar looking for unclaimed cutlery. But at the mention fo a show before dinner, Zakzak's attention returns.
"Yes....grate showe! Crookedtoes grate! Heroes of the longshanks and goblins alike!"
Zakzak sees the rope and is not so sure. "Ah...tie rope to rope?" The goblin cuts a piece of rope and ties one around his waist and the other around the cable so that it slides along as he balances. More confident, Zakzak attempts to cross
The goblin loses his balance and instinctively tries to grab the rope.
Zindarel starts across the rope and it starts to slide under her, but she quickly gets her balance back, and gets across with no troubles. As she gets to the window a man slides it open and extends a hand to help her inside. The man proves to be tall and balding with an ample belly and a thick, curling moustache that hasn’t yet succumbed to the encroaching gray already claiming the fringe of hair around his pate. Most likely the eponymous Rickard of Rickard's Gunnery and Sales.
He quietly helps usher in Zindarel before looking to help others across as well.
Doc moves out onto the line, but also has a scary moment where it shifts under her and she is at risk of falling before she rights herself and finishes across. Inside the new building she finds the man's wife handing Zindarel a chilled cup of something, and then offers Doc one as well.
Booker proves his strength and monkeys himself across the rope with no trouble, getting inside easily and earning his chilled cup of tea.
Zakzak, however, doesn't have the luck of his companions and tries to climb out onto the rope. It shifts along the pulleys and unceremoniously casts him off. The goblin desperately grabs for the rope but misses, and ends up on the ground flat on his back.
The sound of falling goblin makes a loud sound and the zombies milling about the main road start to approach the downed goblin.
As soon as he spots the downed Zakzak, Rickard pulls out an emergency rope ladder and tosses it down from the window sill. "Quick climb this!" Zakzak proves fast enough that he can climb back up before any zombies can close in on him. They are also uncoordinated enough that they can't get up the ladder themselves.
After Rickard pulls up the ladder and his wife serves the last of the guests a cold glass of tea, he turns to face the group. "I have to admit, it's a surprise to have visitors. However given how you're armed and Martelle is helping you, You lot must be making your way to the theater to see what this nightmare is all about, eh?”
He pauses to ensure that his assumption was correct before plowing ahead. "If you need ammo you've come to the right place. I'm Rickard and this is my wife Maggie, Rosie's down stairs barking at all the 'people' outside. Now, excuse me for a moment while I go grab a few things and see about finally getting Rosie away from that window."
He goes stomping down stairs, calling "Quiet Rosie! You're going to draw them in here!"
After a second, Maggie, dressed in a fine gown, gives a small shudder at some thought and turns to the party. "Really odd circumstances, here, really. I'm a little glad we were only able to swing tickets for the second showing. I swear I saw Mr. Scothwel stumble out of the building covered in blood and glassy eyed earlier... While we wait for Rosie and my husband, would you like some biscuits? I have a tin from my cousin in Almas."