DM Brainiac's Dungeon Crawl Classics

Game Master Brainiac

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Chapter 0: Hole in the Sky

You've been living the wrong life.

For as long as you can remember, you've believed you were destined for something much greater than your mundane existence. Yet you've found no way to escape the droll repetition of your provincial lives.

Then the dreams began. An alluring woman dressed in blue finery, her face shrouded in shadows, appeared to you. She confirmed what you've believed your whole life -- your true destiny has been snatched away by sinister forces!

“Become my ally,” she intoned in a ghostly tapestry of indistinct voices, “and your enemies shall become my enemies, and together we shall take back the life that was promised to you by the stars. Come and find me at the cliff.”

As the dreams continued, you became more and more detached from your lives. You started to ignore your work. You had an increasingly difficult time engaging with your old family and friends, seeing each as a jailer in the prison of your life. Finally the dreams become a mandate, and you left home and followed the visions of your dreams, hoping to discover the mysterious cliff your saw the woman standing before.

You traveled dazedly, as if in a fever dream, your path dictated by strange omens and portents. Eventually, these now waking visions lead you to your destination.

You arrive, exhausted and confused, at the cliff overlooking the ocean. Looking around, you see numerous other people showing up at exactly the same time as you. The scene is exactly as it appeared in your dreams, and you are suddenly grateful as this must mean that you are not insane. There at the edge of the cliff is the woman who has haunted your dreams for months, standing behind a long table, incongruously set for a banquet here in this wild place. The woman is nearly seven foot tall, wearing tattered finery of deepest blue, and for the first time you see her face – somehow her head is that of a statue of a woman. Her features are inanimate and softened, as if rain and wind had eroded the statue head over time. In her left hand she holds two severed human heads by the hair. In her right hand she holds three.

As you approach she holds all five up as if to great you with their dead faces. Then those dead eyes open, and the five heads speak to you in unison, each in their own voice. “Welcome, brave friends. I know you have many questions, but let them wait for now. I know you must be exhausted from your journey. Sit, eat and rest. All of your questions shall be answered this day.” You notice that one of the heads, a pale-skinned outlander with bright red hair, speaks in a foreign tongue.

The feast is laid out before you – meat, bread, cheese, vegetables, and wine. Of every ten dishes, eight are fresh and delicious but two are visibly rotted or otherwise despoiled – for example, a plate of mutton crawls with maggots, a bowl of berries is green with fungus.

Lou sits quietly carefully studying the supplied corn to see if he can learn anything to improve his own project.

Bernie tries to be inconspicuous as he peers about to see if anyone here might recognize him.

Franc and Lester are discussing the nuances of dwarven craftsmanship and how it applies to crafting armor. The conversation is growing a bit heated.

Cyne moves to one of the dishes ladelled with fresh mutton and greedily digs in, grunting in pleasure as he wolfs down the meal.

Aerond and Mirinde (who are clearly siblings) speak up to the strange woman, "Why have you brought us here? You speak of a...destiny that we have forgotten? What, pray tell do you mean?"

Gauward looks askance at the piggish man wolfing down his food, but refrains from talking, preferring to let the elves do the speaking here.

Sloe Moe's legs ached from the long days of walking. He eyes the horrid scene before him. The talking heads reach deep down inside the fat man; it squeezes his sphincter into a tight pucker. But he was tired. He was hungry. He sits on one of the benches and snags up a turkey leg. Sloe spins away from the nasty head-holding woman. He eats heartily. A burp afterwards changes his frown into a grin.

Mister Wanderful erupts with a melodic laughter. "Stupendously sinful scene." The elf says with a lisp that lingers on the 'S's. "Corpse heads make for an unsavory supping." His arms and hands add a dance like addition to his words.

Eyehope Eudie wanders up to the lady and holds out his hand. "Any spare coin?" Ignored, he starts asking everyone else, person by person. "Any spare coin?"

Percolation N. Sound pulls free his loot and starts to sing.

Pip the halfling glovemaker tugs at a glove absentmindedly, with a gloved hand. The glove he tugs is in his other, gloved hand. So really he is tugging a glove with a glove, and the more he thinks about the absurdity of that the less absentminded it becomes. He tries not to look at the rotting food nor make eye contact with Eudie.

Aio the elven navigator casts his spyglass across the waves out to sea, then snaps it shut with a firm action. ”Why should we take your enemies to be our own good lady?” The elf casts about for support.

Two other indistinct shapes seem to be arriving late…[See discussion…halp!]

After Aio’s dramatic flourish, the two human trapper brothers Dell and Dee approach. With a shared thoughtful countenance and what looks like one bushy contiguous eyebrow between them Dell is clearly the brawn and Dee the brains. They keep a wary eye on all those gathered, the table of choice and risky repasts and the cliff’s edge.

Pip tries not to look at the rotting food nor make eye contact with Eudie.

Eudie gives the glovemaker a glare. "You think you're better than me? Huh?

Pip sighs inwardly, having made the mistake of not making just enough eye contact. He draws himself to what he considers his fullest of full heights and looks Eudie directly in the eyes.

”Better at what? Darts? Rounders?”

He waits a moment before finishing.

”Or leaving people alone?”

Pip...looks Eudie directly in the eyes.

”Better at what? Darts? Rounders?”

He waits a moment before finishing.

”Or leaving people alone?”

Eyehope draws in a deep breath and launches an exclamation, "Euuuuhhhh!" He looks at the others while he shoves his thumb at the halfling. A smirk spreads across his face. "That toddler's a man 'baby'."

The strange woman declines to answer any questions until you have all eaten as much as you intend to. Finally, the assortment of heads she holds addresses you again:

“Thank you friends, for taking the dangerous journey to be here today. I know each of you, your minds and your hearts, and yet I must keep my identity veiled. If I were even to think my true name it would instantly be sensed by our enemies, and they would race here to break our fellowship and confound our plans. Please let me be known to you as the Lady in Blue. Trust that I am a friend, and not one that would mislead you.

“If you wish to have me for an ally, I ask just this: that tonight, when the full moon reaches the top of the sky, you step off that cliff and on to an invisible bridge that does not yet exist, but shall exist tonight. This bridge will take you on a long journey across the ocean. This journey will be difficult, and some of you may not live to see its end. But those who do shall find the hole in the sky, a porthole to another world. That world is a prison, and its warden is a titan, a fierce creature that cannot be slain by mortal means. This titan keeps a prisoner in a cage of Alder wood. Its prisoner is our ally, and to say her name aloud would give my presence away to our enemies.”

At this, the Lady in Blue takes a cup of wine from the banquet table and carefully pours it there on the dusty ground. For a moment you see a word written there – DREZZTA. A moment later, a mass of beetles bubble up from the earth and devour the word. An instant later they disappear, leaving only bare ground.

“Never speak the name aloud. Friends, I would ask that you take this bridge tonight under the full moon to the hole in the sky. Free our ally. Those who do shall be my trusted friends, and I shall set their stars right with this –“

The Lady in Blue gestures and you hear an immense tearing noise, as if the spinning of the world was grinding to a halt. Incredibly, a seam opens in the morning sky, and you are looking through it into another world, one where a massive black monolith is the epicenter of what seems like the mother of all storms. The wind blows so hard you are all shoved back several feet, almost to the edge of the cliff. As your eyes adjust, you see that the monolith is actually the edge of an immense black wheel. The wheel turns slowly and seems to be made of the night sky itself. You see stars, clustered in groups or shining alone, in its surface. As it spins you feel as if reality itself might slip from beneath your feet at any moment.

You clearly hear every word the Lady in Blue speaks, despite the hurricane winds. “This is the Wheel of Destiny, one of the posters of the universe. For each brave friend who aids in the rescue of our ally and returns, I shall allow them to spin it... once. One time, and the true destiny you were meant for shall be yours.”

With a gesture, the Lady closes the seam in the morning sky. The winds dissipate. You see that the remnants of your feast have all been blown into the ocean.

Lou, Bernie, Frank and Lester mill around a bit with their mouths open wondering if they'll be alive after midnight tonight... and not really sure if they want to find out.

Lou spots a cob of corn that got stuck behind Bernie's foot and scoops it up eagerly blowing it off before taking a bite.

Franc attempts to explain to Lester that armor should be curved so that huge gusts of wind aren't able to fully impact the armor, while Lester claims that if you make it heavy enough it won't go anywhere anyway. Anyone bored enough to listen realizes that though it seems they are about to come to blows it's mostly bluster.

After a moment Lester walks to the edge of the cliff and chucks a rock to the "invisible Bridge" location mentioned... then another... then another.

During the Initial Approach...
Two men, a male elf and a young girl approach the table with looks that vary from nonchalance to wary trepidation, given the very strange appearance and welcome given them by the lady of their dreams. Though all four were relative strangers to each other, still they had met on the road and so perhaps knew a bit about each other - at least more than they knew of those that had gathered around this wonderful table of food set high upon the cliff overlooking the sea.

One of the men is a tall, lanky fellow with stringy brown hair, pale skin and a long beard wearing ratty clothes that are quite soiled. A small, darkly-stained bag hangs at one hip, supported by a simple rope belt into which a trowel is tucked as well. The other three have given him a wide berth due to the horrific stench that emanates from him, which is immediately apparent to all as he grins wildly and darts toward one of the chairs with a look of thanks directed at The Lady along with a few words. "Oh my, what a feast you have prepared! Thank you, thank you!" He seems unperturbed by her appearance, as well as the severed heads she holds in each hand. Upon reaching the table, he starts plucking food seemingly at random, the expression on his face is joyous as he grabs whatever is near, fresh-food and spoiled alike. He doesn't seem picky at all.

The other man is a blond-haired youth with tanned skin and a broad, handsome face - his soft, downy-like whiskers look reluctant to form anything resembling a true beard, but it somehow works for him. He has a pitchfork slung awkwardly across his back and he carries a basket, from which peers a healthy-looking hen. The farmer's eyes are fixed upon The Lady, and he swallows visibly as his gaze strays toward the heads she holds for a just a moment before he reluctantly looks away from the grisly trophies, then he bobs his head once in a nervous movement as he too approaches the table, nearly tripping on an exposed root that he apparently didn't see. "Uh... yes, thank you, ma'am. It all looks... quite delicious." Unlike the stringy-haired man gobbling food no matter its condition, he avoids the spoiled food and takes only the fresh food, feeding his hen bites of food as she sits complacently in her basket beside him on the bench.

The third to approach is a male elf of indeterminate years, not uncommon to the members of that long-lived race. His hair is dark like ink, his eyes are a luminous blue not unlike the waters of the ocean that stretch away from the cliff toward the distant horizon. His traveling clothes are cleaner and in better condition than those of his companions, a leather belt at his waist holds a small sack and a hammer that dangles in a loop at his right hip. He gazes at The Lady with a curious look, but his eyes reveal no fear nor even any particular surprise. The elf bows in response to her offer and approaches the table, sitting well away from the one that smells as though he fell into a cesspool less than an hour ago and takes only food that is fresh and green, though he also consumes a bit of fish - if any is available.

The fourth is a rather young girl - though beneath the grime and filthy hair (that might be a pretty auburn color) mostly covered by a bowl-shaped hat, it's difficult to get a definite fix on either her age or gender. Still, the pink dress she wears gives at least some indication as to her sex, and though she is quite small in stature her world-weary dark eyes and the lines upon her face could put her anywhere between fourteen and twenty five years of age. Oddly, she has a coil of rope looped over her left shoulder, the end of which is tied off to a heavy stick. Wordlessly, and without a second look at The Lady, she sits at the table, taking a seat near the wild-looking fellow despite the stench he emits and begins plucking at the food as well, though she seems to be at least a bit more discerning than her companion, as she avoids the rotting food and sticks to the fresh stuff.

As Eudi approaches her, the little girl removes her strange wooden hat and swats away the boy's hand with what he recognizes as a begging bowl. "That's my gig, kid. Get the hell away from me!" She snarls.

After Supper...
Again, the reactions of the four companions to the sight of the enormous spinning wheel varies between each - though all struggle to see against the wild winds that pummel them mercilessly. The farmer witnesses the scene with a sort of fascinated dread - like a man who cannot decide whether he is living a rather strange dream or an absolute nightmare. He holds tightly to his hen, as though for support. The stinky, lanky fellow drops to his knees and raises his arms as though in supplication or worship. His eyes, revealed to be a rather startling green as they widen in awe, are filled with tears as he shouts. "My life for you! My life for you!!" The elf crosses his arms and gazes at the 'Wheel of Destiny' with a look of interest, turning to regard the Lady in Blue with a similar gaze, though he keeps his thoughts to himself. Demon? Or angel? Very interesting... The young girl holds the bowl up to her eyes at first, as though to shield herself from the violent winds, then lowers it and gazes at the massive, spinning disk with an undisguised look of greed as she whispers to herself. "Yes. I will spin the wheel and show them all. They all will pay..."

Once everything has settled down again, the hen farmer turns the Lady in Blue, his eyes flickering unwillingly toward the heads clutched in her hands, then clears his throat nervously and speaks. "Uh... thank you, Lady, for our repast and your very generous offer. But... well, umm... how do we cross this bridge if we cannot see it? Won't we... you know, fall off the edge or something? And... how far must we walk to reach this... this hole? All I see out there is the water, just as far as the eye can see."

Cyne looks up with a look of disappointment when he sees the extra remnants of the feast blown away here. Still he was fortunate to stow an extra lamb mutton portion for later. When he prods the cliff edge with the tip of his shovel, he shakes his head in disgust. "Bah! Sounds like a fool's drop ta me! An invisible bridge? never heard of such a thing!"

Gauward shakes his head at the uncouth man and decides to try his luck with one of his fellow halflings. Approaching Pip he asks softly, "I do not know what to make of this. Is she a demon or an angel? Dare we trust her?"

The two elvish siblings Aerond and Mirinde listen to the Blue Lady's words thoughtfully and they wordlessly mouth the forbidden word to one another as they both peer up where the seam in their world had been just an instant before. With a solemn nod to one another they slowly approach the cliff edge whilst peering up at the moonlit sky, awaiting the time when the bridge should appear.

Lester’s rocks fall down from the edge of the cliff and splash into the water far below, one after the other.

The heads in the Lady’s hands swivel to regard Clucky as he asks his questions. ”It is a test of faith. Walk straight and true once the moon rises, and trust that the bridge will be beneath your feet. But do not stray too far from the past, lest you meet your doom. The journey will be long. Several days, at least. But you will know the hole when you reach it. It will be unmistakable.”

Again the farmer (whose name is Clucky, a derisive term that others have used because of his infatuation with hens - an affectation that he doesn't particularly mind and so has taken to calling himself since leaving the farm where he grew up) swallows hard. "I... I thank you for this opportunity, Lady. I have often thought I was meant for much more than this world has given me." He strokes the feathers of his hen absently, almost seeming to gain some strength of spirit as he speaks again, haltingly, before the inhuman gaze of the Lady in Blue. "But... several days? What will we eat? Or drink? Our food ran out days ago and the land provides at least some substance for those that know how to look. But a bridge that spans the ocean? There won't be any food at all to be found, and the water ain't fit to drink -not for huma... um... us, anyway. Meaning no offense!" Though not terribly bright in the way of words and books, the farmer is practical to the core and so gives voice to his concerns despite his fear of this being and his disgust at the speaking heads she holds in her hands. Are they truly doing the talking? Or is she throwing her voice like that fellow that passed by the local village with the wooden puppet some years back?

He either doesn't hear - or pretends not to hear - the crazed-looking man (who so often hears the word "dude" by those that wander close enough to smell him before plugging their nose and rushing swiftly away with watering eyes that he has taken the utterance proudly as his own moniker) that stinks of refuse a short distance behind him as Dude mutters softly, as though to himself. "Blasphemer! The Lady will provide!"

"You know the task that lies ahead of you. I suggest you prepare yourselves appropriately," says the Lady in Blue.

Clucky remembers seeing signs for a village called Mherkin nearby towards the end of the journey to the cliffs. It is hours yet until moonrise. You should have enough time to venture to the village and purchase supplies before returning to the cliff at the appointed time.

Mherkin is a tiny fishing and trade village that owes fealty to the local warlord. There are two guards who stand post on the main road, and a half dozen more stationed in the city. Players with trade goods can find buyers in the big fish marketplace. Characters with money or trade goods can find certain necessities for sale or trade: basic weapons (short swords, spears, and daggers), food and drink, as much as 200’ of rope, and enough leather armor to outfit three men.

Do you mean the town has enough leather to outfit three people total? First in, first dressed?

Pip, having mostly survived Eudie’s attention confers with Gauward.

”Exactly my thought, exactly. See, I’m not really a risk taker by trade. A glove maker actually. [here Pip holds up a glove as confirmation] But something about all this rings true. Think about it. Who is seven feet tall, and wields five heads to command….dross like us? No offense to you, sir, as I do not know you, but if a ruse this might be, it is rather overdone, just to set a score of fools to jump a cliff. Nay, I shall return, cross the bridge, fly the sea, kick the titan’s rump and return to spin the wheel of Destiny.”

Pip grins almost manically at Gauward.

”Do you not feel it?”

For their parts, Aio, Dee and Dell keep their own counsel, though appraising looks and shrugs pass between the human brothers. They wander off toward the town, Pip following not long after.

Pip makes sure to let Gauward reply etc before leaving for town…

Halifax did not expect to see Pip here, even though they had talked more than once about their hopes for more than the glovemaking business as they toiled away endlessly at the shop. Still it offered the emaciated halfling a measure of comfort to find his co-worker here, even if for some reason they never managed to become friends. He offered him a polite nod, and continued eating all the while through everything they had witnessed - one never knows if there will be a next meal, so...

Lisa immediately recognized Eudie, crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned - "I have no money for you" - she snarled while staring at the other intently - many times the kids about the village, Lisa included, had made life miserable for Eudie, throwing pebbles or shouting names as the mendicant passed by. Now there was a measure of discomfort in having to face her here, without her 'posse'. The stick dangling from a cord at her waist offered her some measure of comfort though.

Artemis's eyes darted about as he scanned the people around him - he sat and ate by himself, not interested in idle chitchat. His sneer was obvious at the ladies' comments - "What a hoax" - he chuckled to himself, still shrugging at the whole ridiculous situation and taking it all in stride. It wasn't as if he had many alternatives anyway so, whatever...

As he tugged at his ukulele, Alasdair smiled - he had spent enough time around con-artists and swindlers to recognize this for what it was. He just couldn't quite put his finger on what anyone would want from such a rag-tag and hopeless group of people. But stories abound about abductions of hard working folk, who were then sold as slaves, or some even say 'food' for cannibal monstrosities? He shrugged, and turned to whomever would be willing to listen - "Come now, the punchline always reveals itself sooner or later" - his smile seemed ever present - "If we stick together, I am sure we will be safer. So we just need to see this through, right?"

One way or another, the whole group eventually started meandering toward this village of Mherkin and after the others. But Artemis stayed behind a tad longer, scavenging whatever food he may think can last the longest in a trip - maybe some dried meats or fruits, bread which can last a few days even if hard, fresh fruit which can hold its own if protected from the sun (like apples), any sort of cereal, and so forth.

Not sure about the mechanics of it, but Artemis is trying to look for any food which he may think is less perishable.

Rations: 1d4 ⇒ 2

No mechanics given, so we'll jus say Artemis is able to scavenge 2 days' worth of rations from the remains of the feast.

Those of you who venture to the village of Mherkin return to the cliff shortly after sunset. Soon thereafter, the moon rises working its way up to the top of the sky.

If the Lady in Blue is to be believed, the invisible bridge should have manifested now. But who among you will be brave enough to be the first to step off of the cliff and test the truth of its existence?

Pip, having mostly survived Eudie’s attention confers with Gauward.

”Exactly my thought, exactly. See, I’m not really a risk taker by trade. A glove maker actually. [here Pip holds up a glove as confirmation] But something about all this rings true. Think about it. Who is seven feet tall, and wields five heads to command….dross like us? No offense to you, sir, as I do not know you, but if a ruse this might be, it is rather overdone, just to set a score of fools to jump a cliff. Nay, I shall return, cross the bridge, fly the sea, kick the titan’s rump and return to spin the wheel of Destiny.”

Pip grins almost manically at Gauward.

”Do you not feel it?”

Pip makes sure to let Gauward reply etc before leaving for town…

Gauward shakes his head slowly in reply, "I...I feel the pull in my bones yet I cannot help but wonder "Why us?" We know nothing of this Lady of Blue..." he sighs in frustration, "All I say is we need to keep our eyes wide open here. Many enemies must oppose her, but who is to say they would not be our friends?"

Cyne grins like a madman now that he is all decked out in ill-fitting armor and wielding a well-used sword but he does not care at this moment. "So, now it be time to test the words of this 'Lady'." He motions to one of the elves, "Tie this rope around my waist anyway...just in case I slip right?" He then bravely steps off the clif face, trying not to flinch too badly...

Franc grabs the rope tied around Cyne's waist and says. "Go for it brave one. I've got the rope".

Cyne steps off of the cliff and out into empty air! His foot comes down on nothingness...

...until it, mercifully, connects with something solid. The invisible bridge!

Through feeling around very carefully, you are able to determine that the bridge is 30feet wide, 2 feet thick, and feels like stone cobbles underfoot. It simply hangs in the sky with no support. This is the path forward...

Pooling their meager resources together, and led by the practical hen farmer named Clucky, the shopping excursion consists mostly of several days of rations split between them, small sacks to hold their food and other belongings, as well as a couple of flasks that could perhaps hold drinking water or the like to use at need during their journey.

Dude is the first of this crew to step onto the bridge, close on the heels of Cyne. The gongfarmer claps the ill-armored man on the shoulder (should he not shy away at the approaching stink) and grins with fanatical approval. "Well done sir, well done indeed! Trust the Lady! Oh my yes, She will provide!" Clucky looks dubious, but follows after, and then the elf (named Fennik, though he has not yet introduced himself to the strangers) - his eyes darting about as though distrustful, and finally the filthy urchin girl in the pink dress - who goes by the name of Mickey - bringing up the rear, her eyes feral and conniving.

As they walk along the invisible bridge - a crazy idea, the practical Clucky feels - the farmer suggests to his immediate companions that they tie themselves off together should Dude, walking in the lead, take a fall or otherwise slip. The same would go for Mickey, walking behind them. Both are relatively light compared to the stout farmer and even the more slender elf. Fennik clearly doesn't like the idea, but goes along with the plan.

GM, can we tie ourselves together with the 50' of rope? Perhaps with ten feet or so between each of us?

Marching Order
1. Dude the Gongfarmer
2. Clucky the Farmer
3. Fennik the Elven Glassblower
4. Mickey the Urchin

Pip is glad to see Gauward and Halifax also return from the village. Once Cyne has taken the first step and not-died, Pip’s feels faith has been rewarded. Gripping his spear he follows…as do
Dell, Dee and Aio, each after their own fashion.

The Lady in Blue takes a cup of wine from the banquet table and carefully pours it there on the dusty ground. For a moment you see a word written there – DREZZTA. A moment later, a mass of beetles bubble up from the earth and devour the word. An instant later they disappear, leaving only bare ground.

“Never speak the name aloud. Friends, I would ask that you take this bridge tonight under the full moon...

Eyehope starts reading the forbidden word. "Drizz... Sloe quickly smacks the back of his head.

"She just said don't speak it!" Sloe admonitions him.

Eyehope pauses a half a second. "...ta" He finished it out of defiance.

Sloes face projects a 'What is wrong with you?' look.

-------------

Percolation, once he gets his footing, starts tapping his feet in rhythm. His voice and lute match in tune.

@Stiehle, yes, you can tie yourselves together!

Eyehope Luck 11 Check: 1d20 ⇒ 19

As soon as Eyehope speaks the forbidden name aloud, a feeling of impending doom falls over him. Nothing else happens, though...

***

You muster your druthers as you set out as a group along the invisible bridge. It is just wide enough for you to March six abreast, forming four ranks.

As you travel through the night, the bridge gently rises to a height of a half mile over the surface of the ocean. Dawn eventually breaks, and the day is sunny but the air is quite cold at this height. Land is completely out of sight.

Eventually, you reach the limits of your stamina. You will need to rest here, on a bridge you cannot see, oh so high in the sky...

Throughout the journey, the mismatched group shares another thing in common - they are completely dumbfounded by the invisible bridge, and move around with their mouths agape in disbelief.

As they all plop themselves down to rest, Alasdair hums a tune, and plays some notes on his ukulele, trying to keep everyone's spirits up - something about never giving up hope, and finding the path.

Artemis wears his usual scowl, but stays close to the rest of the group this time, munching on his scavenged food. He seems slightly uncomfortable by the fact Lisa tends to orbit around him for some reason.

Dude strides forward in the formation, a beatific smile upon his face and confidence in his every step. Fortunately for everyone, the air currents up here wash his stench over the side of the bridge to spare his companions of the ripe odor emanating from his clothes, skin, hair and most especially that soiled-looking sack hanging from his rope belt. Clucky keeps his eyes resolutely forward as he walks along, not wanting to look to either side as he clutches the hen basket to his hip, while the elf simply seems bored and the urchin girl mutters constantly under her breath, sometimes in a sing-song voice and other times in an angry, cursing tone.

As the group travels into the night until the pink dawn lights the sky to the east, even Dude is struggling to stay upright, weaving ever so slightly, which alarms Clucky badly as he imagines the entire column marching right off the edge of the bridge to one side or the other.

"Whoa! Let's stop and get some rest, we need it." He adds, plopping down heavily as the others that travel with him do likewise - though Dude seems keen to continue on, unflagging in his manic state, until the taut rope between himself and the farmer refuses to slacken. Finally, the gongfarmer sits with a word and nibbles absently at his rations as Mickey eats her share greedily, glancing at Fennik's food constantly as though waiting for the elf to drop a scrap for her to grab up.

Clucky eats thoughtfully and slowly as Alasdair hums and plays the ukulele, his eyes gazing toward the distant sunrise. "What do you all think? Rest six hours or so and continue on? We should look to getting to this... this 'hole' the Lady spoke of as quickly as possible, before our food runs out." He almost seems to be talking to himself, but his voice is loud enough to be heard by everyone nearby.

After a few minutes of silence, he turns to regard not only his companions, but those that he has just met, almost as though seeing them for the first time. "Strange, that we all had the same dream, isn't it? What do you think of her? The... Lady in Blue? Not human, that's for damn sure. And she has some kind of magic power, that's for sure. That giant wheel we saw spinning in the sky." He chews his lip for a minute and then speaks again, tentatively this time. "Do you think she's truthful? That if we do this task for us, she can... can let us become something important? More than what we are? I want to believe, but..." He shakes his head, his gaze straying again toward the distant horizon. "She sure wasn't what I was expecting. That face of hers. And those... those heads she was holding..." He shudders as he recalls the sightless dead eyes of those grisly trophies, even as they spoke words - and what the hell language was that red-headed one speaking anyway?

Cyne sits down heavily upon the invisible bridge feeling more exhausted than he had ever before - the novelty of walking suspended in midair long worn off by now. Reaching into his pack to pull out the half moldy hardtack he passes out rations to the rest of his companions. "This is...much less than I expected. I thought digging ditches was hard...yeah we need to keep moving here once we have rested."

"I agree with Cyne here. Not only will food be an issue but, more importantly, water too." Aerond sighs heavily here, clearly exhausted by the long trek. "The only source of water we could harness would be be any rain falling from the sky."

Gauward munches thoughtfully on his rations, "I know not what the Blue Lady stands for but this I know: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Whatever rewards she offers us will be paid for by us at twice the price-this I can say for sure!"

Mirinde yawns mightily and turns to face the halfling, "Your words have the ring of truth...yet I feel such a price is a small thing to pay no?" She gazes at the halfling appraising him like a fascinating new pet, "Unless you wish to keep working with your cottons and silks..."

Lou had been fighting Gretchen most of the trip to get her to trust the invisible footing, but with the liberal use of offered treats, and pulling on the rope she finally consented. After a couple of hours, she simply relied on his guidance and accepted her new reality. Lou lays down beside her exhausted, but thankful for her reassuring bulk.

Bernie nibbles a bit at his meager food source and hopes for better days ahead. He takes his crutches and pokes at the invisible ground beneath him laying one at the outer limits of each side of the path. "Stay between these crutches, and you should be safe".

Lester eats one of his rations and lays his large sack down as a pillow. He places his grappling hook close to him with rope tied to it. He picks a spot close to Franc since he has at least spoken with him.

Franc waits till everyone else seems settled before laying down with his new spear across his lap. He wonders after about an hour of trying if he's supposed to sleep in this armor. Franc scowls but is secretly happy to have an acquaintance bed down close to him.

Clucky glances up at the sky and nods in agreement. "Yup, was one of the concerns I had startin' out. The water, I mean. But those damn skin bladders in town were pricey. We got a couple flasks and filled 'em, but they won't last long. If it rains, we can store some water inside, but we'll be hurtin' in a few days either way. Glad the sea breeze is keepin' us cool at any rate."

Dude turns his dark gaze upon the farmer and then the others. "The Lady will provide." He insists in a tone that brooks no argument. Fennik smiles thinly and shakes his head slightly, as though amused at some private joke. Mickey nods as Mirande speaks. "To change our lives forever? Yes. I'd pay any price."

Fennik's small small smile fades into a thoughtful frown as he glances at the girl, who has already laid her head down upon the sack she has folded up in a makeshift pillow. Then he too lays down wordlessly, soon followed by the farmer, whose hen clucks softly as the sun begins to warm the air. Only Dude continues to stare off into the distance, toward the promised 'hole in the sky' that the Lady promised would change his life. And everyone's, if they should survive long enough. After several long minutes, his head bows as he sits in a lotus position and he begins to snore softly...

Pip is too far gone in reverie of adventure to wonder too hard on whether they are “safe”, or even whether the bridge will….”pffft” and disappear. For now he is happy to rest, sure more real, actual challenges will occur.

Dell and Dee huddle together sharing small morsels of food and again, keeping their own closed counsel,

Aio scans everywhere with his spyglass. Up, down, north, south, east and west. A peculiar frown seems to live on his brow, as if all the worries of the world are his alone to bear.

You rest for several hours before resuming your journey along the invisible bridge. Gray clouds begin to gather in the sky above you. By midday it starts to rain. By late afternoon it becomes a full-fledged storm! You struggle to make progress in the pouring rain as thunder booms and wild winds whip you about!

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blasts you!

Every character must make a Luck check (roll d20, succeed by rolling under your Luck score); on a failure, the wind blows that individual off the bridge. They must make a DC 10 Reflex save to grab the side or they fall half a mile to their death!

If you are tethered together by a rope and you fall off the bridge, one person tethered to you must succeed at a DC 10 Strength check to pull you back onto the bridge. On a failure, they fall off too! If a third person is tethered to the group, they can save both people with a DC 15 Strength check. Failure means they fall off. If a fourth person is tethered, they must succeed at a DC 20 Strength check to pull everybody back onto the bridge. On a failure, all four plummet to their grisly demise.

This is a good time to remind you about your ability to burn Luck to increase your saving throws or ability checks! (Quick Start Guide pg. 22)

OK here we go...

The sudden blast of wind catches the Misfits completely by surprise here...

...but by some miraculous stroke of luck all of the roped companions stay on the bridge although perilously close to the edge for comfort!

IMHO, if one falls off it should be a dc 10 strength with combined strength modifiers of the remaining three. But I roll it now as written. Assume tethered

Slow Mo Luck DC:6: 1d20 ⇒ 12
Mister Wanderful Luck DC:8: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Eyehope Eudie Luck DC:11: 1d20 ⇒ 3
Percolation Luck DC:11: 1d20 ⇒ 1

Slow Mo Reflex DC:10: 1d20 ⇒ 17

Mister Wanderful Strength DC:10: 1d20 ⇒ 14

The gale force wind buffeted the small crew back and forth against the invisible floor. Sloe lands face first into the illusionary floor with less than illusionary pain. He rolls onto his back barely conscience but still scrambling to find purchase. He slide over in a freefall until the tether snaps tight. The rope pulls at Mr. wanderful before he has time to steady himself. "Sun of a..." is all he can say before plummeting.

Percolation cuts the rope with a dagger. He shrugs at Eyehope.

So Percolation has let Mr Wanderful and Sloe go off to the discard pile?

No rope available…

The adventurers are buffeted by billowing winds, Pip hunkers down low and is safe. Dell and Dee seem to somehow, miraculously hang on, but Aio, poor, benighted Aio is blown across the bridge. He reaches out and somehow, miraculously finds….absolutely no purchase and slides inexorably off the bridge. Pip’s face is aghast, and he looks down to see Aio furtively pull out his spyglass, all the better to watch his own certain demise….

Pip DC 15: 1d20 ⇒ 5 Sucess!
Aio DC 5: 1d20 ⇒ 13 Aaaaaiieeeeeee
Dell DC 9: 1d20 ⇒ 10 Burn 1 Luck point: Success!
Dee DC 14: 1d20 ⇒ 17 Burn 3 Luck points: Success!

Aio Reflex DC 10: 1d20 ⇒ 19 Aiiiiieeeeeeee!

RIP Aio the Elven navigator.

So Percolation has let Mr Wanderful and Sloe go off to the discard pile?

I thought that was the point. :) Percolation may feel bad about it...you'd have to ask him.

Oceanshieldwolf wrote:

So Percolation has let Mr Wanderful and Sloe go off to the discard pile?

I thought that was the point. :) Percolation may feel bad about it...you'd have to ask him.

Just trying to work out what happened! No judgment here…

Percolation voice and lute sings out sadly.

But What Really Happened Was This!

Sloe lands face first into the illusionary floor with less than illusionary pain. He rolls onto his back barely conscious but still scrambling to find purchase. Fortunately, he is able to do so, grabbing the edge of the invisible bridge! Mister Wanderful hauls him back to safety.

Meanwhile, Aio, poor, benighted Aio is blown across the bridge. He reaches out and somehow, miraculously finds… his spyglass is caught behind the legs of Dee, preventing him from plummeting to his doom! The elven navigator lives as well.

So far, so good. Albion, scranford, and Stiehle have yet to roll for their characters, though. :)

Dee’s….legs!

Luck Halifax 14: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Luck Alasdair 4: 1d20 ⇒ 12
Luck Lisa 6: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Luck Artemis 13: 1d20 ⇒ 8

Halifax did not even realize what was happening, distracted by munching on a piece of hard bread - by sheer luck he bumped into Alasdair who stopped him from plummeting to his death, but unfortunately pushed the man over the side.

Lisa happened to be on the ground taking a rest, so she easily managed to fight the winds.

Artemis kinda spotted the wind buffet as those before him started tumbling left and right, so his quick reactions saved him.

Reflex Alasdair DC10: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (11) - 1 = 10

The less than agile minstrel still somehow managed to catch the lip of the invisible walkway, and was saved from certain death. Wide-eyed and speechless for the first time in a long while, Alasdair said nothing and rejoins the others with a shiver...

"I am sorry friend..." - Halifax offered hesitantly. Alasdair still said nothing, holding tight onto his ukulele.

Luck Check for Clucky the Farmer (LK 16): 1d20 ⇒ 12 = Success!

Luck Check for Mickey the Urchin (LK 9): 1d20 ⇒ 2 = Success!

Luck Check for Fennik the Elven Glassblower (LK 9): 1d20 ⇒ 20 = Failure!
Fennik's Reflex Save: 1d20 ⇒ 10 vs DC 10 = Success!

Luck Check for Dude the Gongfarmer (LK 8): 1d20 ⇒ 18 = Failure!
Dude's Reflex Save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 vs DC 10 = Failure!

Clucky's STR Check: 1d20 ⇒ 12 vs DC 10 = Success!

A sudden and unexpected wind gust blows hard, knocking Fennik and Dude off their feet! The elf is barely able to grab the edge of the bridge, holding on for his life as the gongfarmer is pummeled over the side entirely!

Clucky, seeing this and realizing that he will certainly be next, braces himself and slides a few feet toward the edge as the rope goes taut, and with pulling onto the tether grimly, one hand after the other, brings Dude back up to the bridge. By then, Fennik has also clambered back onto the surface (albeit invisible) of the bridge as well and all three men collapse in a heap, neither of them caring about the godsawful stench surrounding Dude.

Only Mickey stands to one side, a sneer etched on her face. "Are you three about done? By the Gods I thought it was going to be up to me to drag your sorry asses back up for a second there, and I couldn't care less if you all die or not! I really need a knife..." She growls to herself as she turns around in disgust.

Lou's Luck 13 1d20 ⇒ 15

Bernie's Luck 10 1d20 ⇒ 20

Lester's Luck 11 1d20 ⇒ 19

Franc's Luck 7 1d20 ⇒ 9

Gretchen's (Mule) Luck 1d20 ⇒ 20

I'm assuming Gretchen being a sure footed Mule, and four-legged and all she'd have an easier time with the roll???

Wow. Looks like most of my party could be wiped out. Too bad we're not fighting something.

Lou spends (2) Luck points to survive. (Now 11 and no +1 adjustment)
Franc spends (2) Luck points to survive. (Now 5 and -2 adjustment)

Bernie Reflex save 1d20 ⇒ 3

Lester Reflex save 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Gretchen 1d20 ⇒ 16 Not sure what her bonus would be.

Lou and Franc are startled by the sudden gust but are able to somehow keep their feet and keep from plummeting to their death. Poor Bernie is bowled over, and grabs onto Gretchen to keep himself from falling, but only succeeds in pulling her over the edge with him. Lester using his quick reflexes and Dwarven stature is able to catch himself before falling to his death as a screaming beggar and braying mule sail over him.

In the silence after the loss of some of their journey mates, the loss of his mule is almost too much for Lou to bear. "No Gretchen! No"! He falls to his knees overcome with grief as though he had lost a family member.

"Please let this all be a dream and I'll wake up on my farm with Gretchen nosing at the bedroom shutters looking for an apple. Why did I bring her along on this madcap mission"?

Poor Bernie the beggar and Gretchen the mule have fallen off of the invisible bridge. You take small comfort in the fact that the storm makes it impossible to witness their gruesome deaths when they slam into the water half a mile below you. Fortunately, those are the only losses you suffer.

The wind becomes more manageable as the storm continues. It is cold and miserable, however, and those with a weak constitution begin to sniffle and cough.

Any character with a Stamina of 7 or lower begins to get sick. Sick characters take a -1 penalty on attack, damage (attacks still do a minimum of one point), ability checks, and skill checks based on Strength, Agility, or Stamina. Sick characters who get eight hours of rest can make a DC 11 Fort save to recover.

At long last, the storm abates around midnight. The silver lining is that you had the chance to collect plenty of rainwater to bolster your reserves...

Clucky looks up at the heavens as the rain begins to fall, after their near tragedy with the gusty winds, his face beaming for perhaps the first time in this grim endeavor. "Perhaps the gods favor us after all." He says, as he cups his hands to catch the rain and drinks deeply. He cocks his head a moment, then snaps his fingers, turning to the urchin - whose pink dress is looking quite sodden as the storm starts in earnest. "Mickey, let's have that bowl of yours. Don't give me that look little girl or I'll bend you over my knee. I know you can't be much older than fourteen, no matter what you'd like us to believe. There you go..."

The farmer takes the offered bowl in both hands, ignoring the urchin's glare (which is positively venomous) and sets it upon the bridge to collect as much water as he can. Fennik takes his flask as well, filling it up when the water level is high enough for later use, and the four companions take turns drinking water from the bowl until they are close to bursting. Clucky offers the water to share as well, if collecting the rain proves difficult or impossible for the others that have joined this strange quest that they have begun together.

As the storm continues unabated into the night, Clucky strides through the chill rain without batting an eye - for the farmer is used to working in foul weather - and though Dude coughs once or twice and wraps his arms tightly around his spare frame as they trudge onward, the rest of the quartet manage the conditions quite nearly as well.

Dude's STA is 9, but that's the lowest score I've got.

In the silence after the loss of some of their journey mates, the loss of his mule is almost too much for Lou to bear. "No Gretchen! No"! He falls to his knees overcome with grief as though he had lost a family member.

"Please let this all be a dream and I'll wake up on my farm with Gretchen nosing at the bedroom shutters looking for an apple. Why did I bring her along on this madcap mission"?

Eyehope says to the others, "No one cares about the dude who just went over, but that guy cries over the jack-ass." He pauses a moment then adds. "Do you think he was banging the mule?"

Sloe Moe:Sick
Eyehope Eudie:Sick