Fantasy

Château des Faussesflammes (Castle Xyntillan) session 6

David Skelector Château des Fausseflammes, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG ,

Life has been hectic the past few weeks, which is usual for this time of the year, but more so this year as my wife is trying to adapt to a new job whilst still having to tie ends at the one she’s leaving behind. We’ll go at a much-needed trip at our cabin next week one last time before winter but for now, it’s gaming time!

Olivier is with his father this week end so no Team Jean this time. Well, that’s not entirely true as Stuffed Jean-Paul has seemingly disinterred himself and somehow got at the rendez-vous point (I’m sure Olivier will protest vehemently when he’ll hear about that!) and so he’s back as Cordélia’s creepy beads-eyed retainer.

Castle Xyntillan, by Gabor Lux. https://emdt.bigcartel.com/products

System: Worlds without Number, by Kevin Crawford

Adventurers – Player Characters (PCs)

  • Cordélia Lenoir (Marjorie), using the dark arts for good (probably), Necromancer lvl 2
  • Noah (Isaac), crafts stuff, Expert lvl 2
  • Monmon (Edmond), has a powerful antique spear, Warrior lvl 3
  • Loic Leblanc (Jason), healbot, Adventurer (expert/healer) lvl 2

Retainers:

  • Eudes le Bâtard (Marjorie), Comte de La Frenaie’s young bastard son, Morale 9
  • Stuffed Jean-Paul (Marjorie), killed by stuffed animals, now stuffed himself, Morale 12
  • Conrad (Jason), crusader, heavy drinker, Morale 9
  • Jacques (Isaac), daytaler, grumpy, Morale 7

Crypt

  • Zachary, Elementalist, electrocuted in front of the Anteroom (corpse in castle)
  • Pierre-Jean Pierre, ex-monk, clawed to death by a dark monk (RIP)
  • Edgar, daytaler, throat slashed by a dark monk (corpse in castle)
  • Charles, daytaler, skewered by a drunken skeleton (corpse in castle)
  • Hercule, caravan hand, seized off the raft by the Lake Monster. (MIA)
  • Pierre Laroche du Rocher, mason, pierced by the Huntsman’s arrows. (corpse in castle)
  • Alphonse, crusader, savaged by Count Giscard’s Children of the Night. (corpse in castle)

Previous Infractions:

Eliminated Tristano Malévol the Love-Lost. Eliminated Merlerik the Ancient. (0)

Smoked the Ruined Quarters: 1/2 Angered a werewolf washwoman: 1/2 Stole the Reliquary of Bygone Kings: 1 Failed to convince Jean-Honoré the butler of their lies: 1/2 Stole a treasure chest full of gold from the Lake Grotto treasury: 1/2 Interrupted Runcius Malévol’s pagan ritual: 1 Slightly annoyed Count Giscard Malévol while he drank « wine »: 1

Infractions rating: 5

Rumors:

  • My uncle once tried to rob the place with his pal, the miller. He was killed by a cupboard.
  • Alchemists and practitioners of dark arts have been seen in the company of Azédarac, the Bishop of Ximes!

We start in Vyônes. Noah have crafted himself a fast-loading crossbow. Noah and Loic fail to find a buyer for a regal outfit. Loic hires the Troubadour de l’Automne to help find competent hirelings. He hires ex-crusader Conrad this way. Noah hires one Jacques who seems to have a bad temper. Stuffed Jean-Paul simply show up at the rendez-vous point near Périgon, even if he had been put in a grave the previous week. Bruno is back but Cordélia isn’t interested as she’s been put off by his weird demeanor and his suspicious absence last delve. He begs to be in, without pay if need be, but to no avail. Instead, Cordélia forcefully gets him in the care of the monks at Périgon, hoping that they would find what the hell is wrong with him. Cordélia buys vials of holy water from the monks.

Grand Entrance

  • Near the Château Cordélia spot someone hiding behind a bush and send Stuffed Jean-Paul after it. The man in hiding start to run away and Cordélia shoots him with her bow. Loic heals him just enough so he can be interrogated. They learn that Gilbert the Fox want to ambush them once they exit. Loic slit the wounded man’s throat ruthlessly.
  • The adventurers try to interact with the 2 monstrous statues at the grand entrance but fail to have any reaction.
  • They open the great doors and see that Jean-Honoré the butler is there again in the vestibule. He seems lethargic, with his head down, but still hold a platter with goblets ready to serve. Cordélia sucessfully shoot the platter off his hand, the butler is dismayed at the spill and hurry away through a door to re-fill the drinks.
  • Nearby in the Entrance Halls the PCs find a Portrait Gallery. They interact with the portraits (Harry Potter-style): Philomène Malévol smiles and invites them upstair; a bureaucrat is annoyed with the interruption; skeletal and richly-attired Aristide Malévol ignores them; a paint his covered over and bleeds when scratched and a voice says « I’ll be vindicated, you can’t prove anything! »; an executioner is sharpening his axe; Marcel the Malnourished begs for food, Cordélia gives him a ration and ask him a few questions after but he’s sleepy after eating and takes a nap.
  • Cordélia sprinkles holy water on the living paints, except Marcel’s, they cease to be « alive »
  • A bit further they hear loud singing and much ruckus from a mess hall, they turn left instead in another corridor
  • They open a door into the Summer Wing, push aside a heavy curtain and get into a vast throne room with much cobwebs. There’s empty armors each standing in front of columns in rows facing each other. The PCs want the team to coordinate to tie up the armors with ropes, and using the curtain also (as they don’t have enough rope) to immobilize them in case they would get hostile. The plan mostly works, 5 armors are tied to columns but then they animate suddenly and Loic didn’t have time to tie his. And the 2 armors under the curtain just slice it open and free themselves. Combat ensues. Jacques takes a halberd hit on the face and dies instantly. Monmon manages to push an armor on the ground with the help of Cordélia, the armor disassemble with the impact, a swarm of (little) spiders get out of it, quickly scattering away. Loic slam his hammer on another’s helm and dislodges it from its shoulders with the same result. They then team up to break apart the last free armor.
  • They inspect the decorated throne. They find a jeweled scepter in a hidden compartment. They also find a button and when pressed it makes the throne descend into the catacombs.
  • They go down with the throne into the Lake Grotto area.
  • Next room Cordélia does a Smite the Dead, annihilating a bunch of undead nuns.
  • A bit further, now into the Oubliette area, they get inside an impressive statuary, they’re attacked by 3 Stone Reapers (statues with scythes). Monmon uses his magic spear to good effect. He and Conrad got wounded too but are immediately healed by Loic. A tough fight but they prevail. They find a precious necklace, a mundane lantern and sheet of paper with a spell of warding (single use) inscribed on it.
  • Right next to the statuary are prisoner cells. There’s 3 prisoners, one weirdo is chewing on a dead rat, says that this way the vampires will choose to drain somebody else. Another, Jaubert, gets a promise from the adventurers to kill Mortagu the warden/executioner and bring back the keys. The other one is a gaunt woman that keeps silent.
  • They leave the captives behind and go in search of the warden. Past a clammy corridor they get into a root cellar. There they see giant beets, almost humanoids in shape, slumbering. Careful to not disturb the beet creatures they go inspect a statue of a woman that seems out of place. They find a secret passage behind and go inside.
  • They get into a cistern room. There’s a well entrance above them. There’s corpses in the water, zombies that animate when they get near. The PCs hurry away and spike the door behind them.
  • They get further, evading a trio of cackling witches in a kitchen.
  • Next room is empty except for an axe and a stump. And dried blood everywhere. Monmon takes the axe, thinking it will piss off the executioner to be weaponless! (there was chance of finding Mortagu here but it didn’t happen)
  • Next room there’s a weird thing going on as heavily-armored Monmon is attracted in the center where a spiked ball attached on a chain is rotating furiously. He got hit 2 times before he could extricate himself from the magnetic field (but he can take it).
  • Nearby they find a secret door and get into a large circular room bordered by alcoves. They have time to search a few before alerting the resident rats. A whole horde of rats, hundreds. The PCs flee through the only door and quickly close it behind them.
  • They leave the angry screeches and scratching and now see that they’ve circled back to the clammy corridor and root cellar. From there they get to a wine cellar. There’s many barrels along the wall and messing with them they find one that is empty, behind is a secret passage.
  • They enter and once they get out of a man-made tunnel they arrive in a cavern. Oddly, they can see the light of day entering at the other end of the cavern. There’s also a satyr wearing robes. He let them pass with the promise that the adventurers bring him alcohol on their way back.
  • The PCs enter the Indoorness, a primordial forest unstuck in time and space.
  • They follow a path and soon get into a clearing where they see a gazebo surrounded by wildflowers. They get inside. (the players are not old-timers, they have no fear of gazebos) The gazebo fly up at vertiginous speed and reach a splendid cloud garden. They get back on the ground after a while, feeling refreshed.
  • Further on the forest path, they come across another clearing, this time there’s a mill. The miller talks about giant mice, trolls under bridges and a druid who’s master of the forest. They pay good money for a cask of whiskey and leave.
  • The adventurers were worried at the thought of encountering trolls and decided it was time to turn back and call it a day. They gave the satyr the cask of whiskey which he seized and gulped down without another word. They entered back the catacombs, found their way up to the throne room and managed to get out of the castle yet again… with grumpy fellow Jacques as casualty.

(I had planned to have the players ambushed by bandit Gilbert the Fox and his men as they exited the castle, as it was pretty much telegraphed from last session’s rumors and today’s foreshadowing (the man in hiding) but it was getting late and so it’ll be another time.)

Session wrap up:

  • 5 hours session with a lot accomplished, a lot of exploration done if a bit haphazard. They found the way to the « Indoorness » which frankly I’m quite surprised by. When I read the book the first time I wasn’t sure they would ever find it at all. Interesting…
  • First time the players get to interact with portraits, even if they’re like everywhere in the castle. That was fun.
  • No random encounters, not a single one, against the odds, as I’ve rolled like 30 times (with a 1 on d6 needed)!
  • XP: Participation: 1 Treasure: 2 Secrets: 3
  • Treasures: Scepter of the Merovings. Jeweled Necklace.
  • Fatalities: Jacques, got hit in the face by an Empty Armor’s halberd
  • Quote: Marjorie: « Eeeekkk, spiders! I squash them all! Every single one of them! »
  • New Infractions: Stole the Scepter of the Merovings, Defaced living portraits with holy water.

Clark Ashton Smith – Averoigne: vol 4, excerpts

David Skelector Books, Fantasy ,

The fourth and final volume of the collection have three Averoigne stories within. Among them is The Beast of Averoigne, one of the best, and quite inspirational for my present endeavor. In fact it even directly serves as a backdrop for my Château des Fausseflammes/Castle Xyntillan campaign.

The Mandrakes

Now, in the old legend of Averoigne which I recount herewith, it is told that the impious and audacious wizard, fearing neither God nor devil nor witch-woman, dared to dig again in the earth of Sabine’s grave, removing many more of the white, female-shapen roots, which cried aloud in shrill complaint to the waning moon or turned like living limbs at his violence. And all those which he dug were formed alike, in the miniature image of the dead Sabine, from breasts to toes. And from them, it is said, he compounded other philtres, which he meant to sell in time when such should be requested.

…

As it happenned, however, these latter potions were never dispensed; and only a few of the first were sold, owing to the frightful and calamitous consequences that followed their use. For those to whom the potions had been administered privily, wheter men or women, were not moved by the genial fury of desire, as was the wonted result, but were driven by a darker rage, by a woeful and Satanic madness, irresistibly impelling them to harm or even slay the persons who had sought to attract their love.

The Beast of Averoigne

At first, it did not strike at living men, but assailed the helpless dead like some foul eater of carrion. Two freshly buried corpses were found lying in the cemetary at Ste. Zénobie, where the thing had dug them from their graves and had laid open their vertebrae. In each case, only a little of the marrow had been eaten; but as if in rage or disappointment, the cadavers had been torn into shreds from crown to heel, and the tatters were mixed inxtricably with the rags of their cerements. From this, it would seem that only the spinal marrow of creatures newly killed was pleasing to the monster.

…

Since then, the middle summer has gone by with nightly deeds of terror, beneath the blasting of the comet. Beasts, men, children, women, have been done to death by the monster, which, though seeming to haunt mainly the environs of the abbey, has ranged afiled even to the shores of the river Isoile and the gates of La Frénaie and Ximes. And some have beheld the monster at night, a black and slithering foulness clad in changeable luminescence; but no man has ever beheld it in the day.

…

« You, Messire le Chaudronnier, » said the marshal, « are reputed to know the arcanic arts of sorcery, and the spells that summon or dismiss evil demons and other spirits. Therefore, in dealing with this devil, it may be that you should succed whre all others have failed. Not willingly do we employ you in the matter, since it is not seemly for the church and the law to ally themselves with wizardry. But the need is desperate, lest the demon should take other victims. In return for your aid, we can promise you a goodly reward of gold and a guarantee of lifelong immunity from all inquisition and prosecution which your doings might otherwise invite. The Bishop of Ximes, and the Archbishop of Vyônes, are privy to this offer, which must be kept secret. »

…

Unquestionning, with ready weapons, the two men-atarms companioned me in that vigil. Well they knew the demonian terror which they might face before dawn; but there was no trace of trepidation in their bearing. And knowing much that they could not know, I drew the ring of Eibon from my finger, and made ready for that which the demon had directed me to do.

…

From the pieces of the lighly shattered gem, the disemprisoned demon rose in the form of a smoky fire, small as a candle-flame at first, and greatening like a conflagration of piled faggots. And, hissing softly with the voice of fire, and brightening to a wrathful. terrible gold, the demon leapt forward to do battle with the Beast, even as it had promised me, in return for its freedom after cycles of captivity.

The Disinternment of Venus

Prior to certain highly deplorable and scandalous happenings in the year 1550, the vegetable garden of Périgon was situated on the southeast side of the abbey. After these events, it was removed to the northwest side, where it has remained ever since; and the former garden-site was given to weeds and briars which, by strict order of the successive abbots, no one has ever tried to eradicate or curb.

…

Wild whispers were circulating among the monks; and it was said that several others besides the eight culprits had been drawn to touch the sorcerous marble in secret, and would succumb anon to the overpowering nympholepsy which they had incurred. It was said that the image was no mere lifeless lump of stone, but had sought to entice with wanton smiles and harlot gestures those who had labored in the garden after Paul, Pierre and Hughues.

Session 46: Temple of the Ever-Burning

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, jeux de rôles, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG, Ruins of chult campaign

Petite session de 3 heures dans laquelle les PJs ont eu le temps d’explorer et de nettoyer le premier de trois étages du temple volcanique. Nous aurions pu jouer plus longtemps mais honnêtement j’avais atteint mon quota plus tôt qu’à l’habitude.

Personnages Joueurs (PJs)

  • (Jason) Shin, (level 10) Tabaxi Fighter (arcane archer), Outlander, veut devenir le plus grand chasseur de tout les temps + Vorn, Shield Guardian
  • (Marjorie) Kalohan, (level 10) High Elf Wizard (evoker), Inheritor,  doit trouver un sort inconnu jusque là avant de pouvoir obtenir son héritage
  • (Isaac) Anfi, (level 10) Locathah Fighter (eldritch knight), Outlander, venu sur la terre ferme en passant par la Caverne-Tunnel, là pour découvrir ce nouvel environnement + Salamandre Géante
  • (Olivier) Léon, (level 7>>8) Human Monk (way of shadow), Outlander, revenu à la vie grâce à Zotzilaha, maintenant libre de faire ce qu’il veut
  • (Edmond) Vingt, (level 6>>7) Myconid Druid (circle of spores), Acolyte, envoyé de Zuggtmoy, la Déesse du fongique + Fourmi Zombifiée

Fuite de Gaz

Les PJs sortent de la salle au trésor. Ils savent que les ennemis sont maintenant aux aguets mais Shin trouve un second passage secret qui leur permet d’éviter de sortir là ou on les attend de pied ferme. Ils formulent un plan: la magicienne va utiliser un sort de Gaseous Form sur elle-même pour tenter de trouver les captifs tandis que le reste du groupe l’attend dans la pièce fermée. Pour plus de sûreté, Kalohan crée une grille avec un Fabricate pour bloquer le passage d’où ils arrivent (1). Puis elle s’échappe en flottant (2).

Chapelle de Feu

En nuage de gaz la magicienne traverse des groupes d’ennemis impunément et parcourt le lieux. Elle traverse des logements de Firenewts, des étables pour les Striders, des entrepôts à vivres et matériels; un habitat assez mondain pour le moment (3). Elle trouve aussi une pièce où sont emprisonnées des harpies, de celles à la langue coupée au service des mercenaires du Flaming Fist, mais pas de traces de l’équipage du bateau volant pour le moment. Puis elle aboutit dans un lieu de culte dédié à Kossuth, dieu des Volcans. Au milieu d’un cercle de braises ardentes se tient un individu agenouillé, en prière, faisant fi de la chaleur. Kalohan hésite à faire un Detect Thoughts, décide contre, et au moment ou elle veut quitter les lieux un mur de feu s’érige et lui bloque le passage. L’individu se redresse, toujours parmi les braises, (c’est visiblement un Efreet) et l’enjoint à venir prier avec lui. Nullement intéressée elle fait un Dispel Magic dissipant le mur de feu et s’éloigne (lentement). L’Efreet lui dit: « On se reverra » et se contente de la regarder s’éloigner.

La porte est percée

Pendant ce temps le groupe subit un premier assaut contre leur position alors que les lourdes portes sont rougies de chaleur puis percées par un pseudopode magmatique. Léon attaque le pseudopode avec un puissant poing d’air, repoussant ainsi le Magma Ooze. Celle-ci par contre peut tirer de dangereuses boules de magma, heureusement que Vingt est là pour faire de la guérison!

image:paizo

Shin et Anfi en profite de leur côté pour envoyer flèches explosives et Ice Knife respectivement par l’ouverture, réduisant les ennemis. Un moment s’écoule puis une nouvelle tentative a lieu alors qu’un imposant personnage (4) défonce la porte!

image:paizo

Il est accompagné d’une autre douzaine de Firenewts, certains ont le temps d’envoyer des crachats enflammés vers les PJs mais ils sont bien vite en déroute alors que le Children of Kossuth succombe sous les attaques combinées des aventuriers.

Dernière Vague

Les ennemis n’ont pas dit leur dernier mot, 2 Fire Elementals s’infiltrent par le tunnel, la grille n’étant pas un obstacle pour eux, tandis que des Firenewts mené par un dangereux cultiste Pterafolk se prépare à attaquer par la porte défoncée. Les élémentaux se révèlent plus difficiles à éliminer pour les PJs, Anfi et Léon absorbent beaucoup de dommages simplement en les attaquant de proche. Shin est lui aussi blessé puisque il était à l’arrière et se retrouve cibler par un des deux, son Shield Guardian est passablement endommagé par l’autre.

Heureusement, Kalohan revient de son exploration à ce moment et un Cone of Cold bien placé a vite fait de changer le rapport de force. Elle est un moment en duel magique contre le Pterafolk mais ce dernier n’est pas de taille contre le combo Lightning Bolt/Counterspell de la magicienne (5).

Ensuite, le groupe de nouveau réunit se rend dans un coin de l’étage encore inexploré où ils affrontent de nouveau des Firenewts, cette fois accompagnés d’une sorte de dinosaure cornu à carapace. Léon se téléporte d’une ombre à une autre et esquive ainsi une charge qui fait trembler le sol. Flèches, sorts et coups déferlent sur la bête confuse, qui succombe vite malgré son blindage. Les Firenewts sont de la chair à canon et sont encore une fois décimés.

Les aventuriers trouvent un imposant escalier…

Notes du DM:

  1. Ils auraient également pu mieux barricadé les doubles-portes mais ils n’y ont pas pensé
  2. d’un point de vue tactique c’est bien, mais un joueur qui fait de la reconnaissance seul c’est presque toujours un problème pour l’ambiance du jeu selon mon expérience
  3. ce qui est réaliste mais pas fascinant
  4. un children of Kossuth, un Fire Giant essentiellement
  5. le système de magie de D&D commence à sérieusement me répugner!

Château des Faussesflammes/Castle Xyntillan: Notes of the DM

David Skelector Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, megadungeon, OSR, Roleplaying Game, RPG

After 5 sessions here’s a few things that emerged from play that I wish to keep in mind.

RIP and MIA

People are dying in Castle Xyntillan and, pretty much as its author said in his book intro, its the henchmen that bears the brunt of the dying too. Its weird but filling up the crypt with new additions makes me feel like a (morbid) collector. A guy ripped apart by stuffed animals? Check! Another seized off the raft by a lake monster! Check! Collection is coming along great!

Those left behind

I’m patting myself in the back a little but I’m happy with the way I’m showing the players that the castle’s inhabitants react to their intrusion, albeit in minor ways (for the moment). The party saw henchman Charles (killed in a previous foray) being hacked up by ghoul cooks. They also saw Pierre-Jean’s corpse on a wheelbarrow in the garden area. So, I’m keeping tab of who died where and (if left behind) a small prep I do afterward is to decide what happens with the corpses. I have some special things in mind concerning this, oh yeah, I do!

Henchmen are people too

It’s the first time I’m using a character quirks table and it’s been a lot of fun. Jean-Paul Jean the lackwit was endearing said Olivier. So much so that he mounted a special expedition just to retrieve his body so that he could have a proper funeral with the family. That was awesome. We’ve expanded on this idea a bit and decided that the Jean family is numerous in the region, and thus, a grateful Jean family provides a good source of potential henchmen.

(aside: Jean-Paul Jean is a silly name, of course. As is Pierre-Jean Pierre and Paul-Jean Paul. It is possible to have such a name in french, but the repetition of first name and surname is, yeah, silly. I had to say enough to the kids, they would have named every henchmen in this fashion…)

(aside 2: Jean is a male name, english-speaking people have it all wrong)

Rumors

There’s three d12 rumor tables in the book. We don’t roleplay how the rumors come about, we simply roll two per sessions. What I did though was adding a fourth d12 table of rumors that are not about the castle per se, but rather about the setting (of Averoigne). This way they can learn of existing NPCs and of other « dungeons » too. Despite that it might well be that the campaign will focus on the castle only and that would be perfectly fine by me.

Rumors may be true, partially true or false. They found the cave entrance with an obviously true rumor. Some are simply gamer jokes (i.e the gazebos) and can be discarded as such. Some are less obvious and lead to fun moments such as when they heard that red clothing could somehow protect against the « red specter ». Cordélia proceeded to buy some red clothes for her henchmen (not fully trusting the rumor, only on the henchmen), specifiying that they could be put on fast « like a coat is that it? » And when a Malévol that could well be a « red specter » attacked them, well, we had a Little red riding hood moment! Did that work? The jury is still on the fence on that one…

The Malévols

Surprisingly for an OSR product, there’s not much in terms of factions in Castle Xyntillan. That’s a weakness of the module IMO, though many of the Malévols will talk to the PCs, with a wide variety of sincerity. The Malévols themselves, the 50ish of them, don’t satisfy me entirely I must say. A family tree would have been a great appendix. But I’ve been thinking about this and I’m beginning to classify somewhat their roles in a kind of hierarchy. I find it helpful. First there’s the living Malévols who have comprehensible (mostly) goals, an heir, a bandit, a monk, etc. There’s the undead servants with clear support roles; the huntsman, the playwright, the alchemist, the butler, etc, who in fact shouldn’t really be Malévols at all but are important nonetheless. There’s ghosts and specters, all things haunting, powerful or not, that are more hazard than anything. Then there’s the true Malévols who have their own area of the castle, with many brand of peculiar habits. And at the top of the hierarchy ladder there’s a few ancients that are linked with the castle’ very foundations, amid layers of secrets. That’s something that I’m eager to work on, expanding/improving the « rogues’ gallery » will be interesting.

Edit: Classification of the Malévols

Next session: D&D 5E, Temple of Fire

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, jeux de rôles, Roleplaying Game, RPG, Ruins of chult campaign, session prep

Our next gaming session will be this weekend for Marjorie’s birthday. She tells me she’s eager to play her 10th level wizard again, and feel powerful, that’s what she said, so we’ll be back in our 5E campaign. We’ll return to the Château des Faussesflammes/Castle Xyntillan soon enough though as the kids much prefer it.

Anyway, last time we played the characters had entered the volcanic lair of fire-loving pterafolks. Their goal is to find the survivors of the Star Princess, an airship that crashed in the area a couple of weeks ago. They managed to enter the lair with stealth and immediately had a choice: turn left into a dimly lit area and explore discreetly or turn right and have a fight against a pterafolk leader and two dozens firenewts guards. They chose to fight. They pretty much decimated their opponents without much resistance and not long after, past a secret door, found the lair’s treasury.

Right there, after like 4 or 5 keyed areas, on a 3 levels, mid-sized dungeon.

That’s because I’m using Gygax’s Hall of the Fire Giant King layout:

The main concept is pretty neat in my opinion; the fire giant king, the « Dungeon Boss » and his treasure is accessible at the very start of the lair. But is it worth abandoning discretion so soon? The players have to make that choice and as designed, it will have a huge impact on how organized or not will be the dungeon’s defenses afterward. Because the goal of the adventure isn’t treasure this time around, it’s to find information (who united the giants in this case), attacking the Boss (and looting the place) can be actually detrimental to their mission.

So, I’m not actually running this adventure mind you, I just needed a map (I’m lazy with maps), but then I liked this idea and decided to use it. It’s a similar setup, in our game too the goal is to find someone, or clues at least. And as I said, my players chose to fight and loot, so our upcoming session will be combat-heavy as the defenders, who are intelligent and had time to organize, will try hard to repulse the invading adventurers. It’s fire-themed, with the aforementionned pterafolks and firenewts will be a variety of monsters that I didn’t use at all in the campaign until now. Including magma oozes, I have this great mini… I just have to use magma oozes!

Play report here.

Clark Ashton Smith – Averoigne: vol 2, excerpts

David Skelector Books, Fantasy , ,

There’s only one Averoigne story in volume 2 but it’s a great one, very evocative:

(A Rendezvous in Averoigne)

« Somewhere in this wood, there was the ruinous and haunted Château des Fausseflammes; and , also, there was a double tomb within which the Sieur Hugh du Malinbois and his chatelaine, who were notorious for sorcery in their time, had lain unconsecrated for more than two hundred years. Of these, and their phantoms, there were grisly tales; and there were stories of loupgarous and goblins, of fays and devils and vampires that infested Averoigne.

[…]

Gérard surveyed his environment with a cautious eye; and the more he looked the less he liked it; for some new and disagreeable detail was manifest at every glance. There were moving lights in the wood that vanished if he eyed them intently; there were drowned faces in the tarn that came and went like bubbles before he could discern their features. And, peering across the lake, he wondered why he had not seen the many-turreted castle of hoary stone whose neared walls were based in the dead waters. It was so grey and still and vasty, that it seemed to have stood for incomputable ages between the stagnant tarn and the equally stagnant heavens. it was ancienter than the world, it was older than the light; it was coeval with fear and darkness; and a horror dwelt upon it and crept unseen but palpable along its bastions. »

[…]

« Raoul », said the troubadour a little sternly,  » you must gather all your strength and come with me. Amid the gloomy walls that surrond us, the somber ancient halls, the high towers, and the heavy bastions, there is but one thing that veritably exists; and all the rest is a fabric of illusion. We must find the reality whereof I speak, and deal with it like true and valiant Christians. Come, we will now search the castle ere the lord and chatelaine shall awaken from their vampire lethargy. »

He led the way along the devious corridors with a swiftness that betokened much forethought. He had reconstructed in his mind the hoary pile of battlements and turrets as he had seen them the previous day, and he felt that the great donjon, being the center and stronghold of the edifice, might well be the place which he sought. With the sharpened staff in his hand, with Raoul lagging bloodlessly at his heels, he passed the doors of many secret rooms, the many windows that gave on the blindness of an inner court, and came at last to the lower story of the donjon-keep. »

Clark Ashton Smith – Averoigne: vol 1, excerpts

David Skelector Books, Château des Fausseflammes, Fantasy , , ,

As I’ve stated many times already on this blog, I’m a big fan of CAS. I’ve put Castle Xyntillan (of the eponymous adventure module) into Averoigne, CAS’ fictional France setting. I’m already using some of its characters and places in our rpg game and I’m planning to add a few other things inspired by those stories too. Can’t say too much at the moment but here’s some excerpts to help vindicate my choice:

(The End of the Story)

« [Gérard de Venteillon] found his way to the ruins of the Château des Faussesflammes, which stands on a hill opposite the Benedictine abbey of Périgon.

Now these ruins (said the manuscript) are very old, and have long been avoided by the people of the district; for a legendry of immemorial evil clings about them, and it is said that they are the dwelling-place of foul spirits, the rendezvous of sorcerers and succubi. But Gérard, as if oblivious or fearless of their ill renown, plunged like one who is devil-driven into the shadow of the crumbling walls, and went, with the careful groping of a man who follows some given direction, to the northern end of the courtyard. There, directly between and below the two centermost windows, which, it may be, looked forth from the chamber of forgotten chatelaines, he pressed with his right foot on a flagstone differing from those about it in being of a triangular form. And the flagstone moved and tilted beneath his foot, revealing a flight of granite steps that went down into the earth. Then, lighting a taper he had brought with him, Gérard descended the steps, and the flagstone swung into place behind him.

On the morrow, his betrothed, Eleanor des Lys, and all her bridal train, waited vainly for him at the cathedral of Vyônes, the principal town of Averoigne, where the wedding has been set. And from that time his face was beheld by no man, and no vaguest rumor of Gérard de Venteillon or of the fate that befell him has ever passed among the living… »

(The Satyr)

« The couple [Olivier du Montoir and Comtesse Adèle] had wandered beyond the limits of their customary stroll, and were nearing a portion of the forest of Averoigne where the trees were older and taller than all others. Here, some of the huge oaks were said to date back to pagan days. Few people ever passed beneath them; and queer beliefs and legends had been attached to them by the peasantry for ages. Things had been seen within these precincts whose very existence was an affront to science and a blasphemy to religion; and evil influences were said to attend those who dared to intrude upon the sullen umbrage of the immemorial glades and thickets. The beliefs varied, and the legends were far from explicit; but all agreed that the wood was haunted by some entity inimical to man, some primordial spirit of ill that was ancienter than Christ or Satan. Panic, madness, demoniac possession, or baleful, unreasoning passions that led them to doom, were the lot of all who had trodden the demesnes of this entity. There were those who whispered what the spirit was, who told the incredible tales regarding its true nature, and described its true aspect; but such tales were not meet for the ear of devout Christians. »

Château des Faussesflammes (Castle Xyntillan): Session 5

David Skelector Château des Fausseflammes, Fantasy, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG ,

Still at our cabin, still raining, the boys keep pestering me to play another session. I mean, I’m glad that they like it, I am, but we’re here to enjoy the great outdoors aren’t we? Of course they’re having none of it and they use their ultimate weapon to make me agree, they send 8 yo Edmond to beg… Large-eyed Edmond saying « pretty please » with his cutest voice, my heart of stone melts, no one could resist…

Castle Xyntillan, by Gabor Lux. https://emdt.bigcartel.com/products

System: Worlds without Number, by Kevin Crawford

Adventurers – Player Characters (PCs)

  • Paul Neref (Olivier), friend of the numerous Jean clan, Warrior lvl 3
  • Paul-Jean Paul (Olivier), a cousin of the Jean, Warrior lvl 2
  • Noah (Isaac), loves throwing knives, Expert lvl 2
  • Monmon (Edmond), has a powerful antique spear, Warrior lvl 2

Retainers:

  • Hercule (Isaac), Caravan Hand (hvy), nervous, Morale 7
  • Alphonse (Edmond), Crusader (hvy), has a ring of false keys, Morale 9
  • Pierre Laroche du Rocher, mason (lgt), contrarian, Morale 6
  • Constant Jean, of the numerous Jean clan, daytaler (hvy), healthy, Morale 7

Crypt

  • Zachary, Elementalist, electrocuted in front of the Anteroom (corpse in castle)
  • Jean-Paul Jean, Man-at-Arms (hvy), ripped apart by stuffed animals (RIP)
  • Pierre-Jean Pierre, Man-at-Arms (hvy), clawed to death by a dark monk (RIP)
  • Edgar, Man-at-Arms (hvy), throat slashed by a dark monk (corpse in castle)
  • Charles, Man-at-Arms (hvy), skewered by a drunken skeleton (corpse in castle)

Previous Infractions:

Eliminated Tristano Malévol the Love-Lost. Eliminated Merlerik the Ancient.

Smoked the Ruined Quarters. Angered a werewolf washwoman. Stole the Reliquary of Bygone Kings. Failed to convince Jean-Honoré the butler of their lies. Stole a treasure chest full of gold from the Lake Grotto treasury.

Infractions rating: 3

Rumors:

  • Gilbert Malévol the Fox and his merry men lurk near the Castle. Watch your belongings!
  • There’s really no monsters in Malinbois, just brigands.

We start in Vyones. Paul Nereff recruits a pair of new henchmen. He’s not very fond of Pierre Laroche du Rocher’s personality but he’s very glad that Constant Jean seems like a robust specimen and equips them accordingly (nothing for Pierre, good hauberk for Constant).

Dungeon Level:

  • Another go through the lake cave entrance.
  • Unfortunately this time the/a lake monster interrupts their short crossing: Poor Hercule is seized off the raft and disappears underwater.
  • They go through the flooded vault and on to the room of prophecy. A rather ridiculously anemic « swarm » of 4 (out of 64) crawling hands is easily dispatched.
  • Pierre is convinced (through his contrarian nature) to not-not taste the water from the basin of prophecy… He speaks nonsense for awhile aftrerward.
  • A bit further, standing in front of another inundated grotto, they ring a bell and here comes Charon the Ferryman himself on his barge! They pay 3 gold pieces each and get aboard. They go through dense fog and disembark not very far it seems.
  • They encounter a strange creature with human legs and the upper body of a cockroach. They can’t make heads or tails of its mandible clicking but they let it follow them.
  • They get into the Service Tunnels area. They go through an amphitheatre with a skeleton (the unmoving variety) at a ticket booth, otherwise empty.
  • In a small room, they see an hovering hatchet splintering an animated table that acts like its in pain. Monmon catches the hatchet middair and shove it in a nearby drawer to spare the agonizing table. They find a collection of valuable polished crystals.
  • The adjacent door leads to a taproom with a sinister bartender but is otherwise unoccupied at the moment (that’s a random thing, like much of the module). They leave but not without taking a deck of cards that was left on a table. A very special deck of cards indeed…
  • They backtrack a little and stumble into 4 zombies that they kill quickly. The cockroach man still following.
  • A stuck door, they bash it open and interrupts some kind of occult ritual! The adventurers quickly kill half a dozen cultists still on their knees. The master though, wearing an antique crown, is already on his feet and use dark sorcery: Paul Nereff averts a most gruesome fate with a feat of will. He’s wounded but not, huh, inverted (!), by an Invert the Inwardness spell. They thrust and slash at the crowned cultist but the latter simply lifts a hand and is absorbed away in some kind of weird vortex.
  • After the fight, they go down a few corridors, a set of stairs, more corridors and get into a chapel inside the Understores. There’s some statues of monks, a bas-relief, moss everywhere but the adeventurers also hear dogs barking, getting closer. The cockroach man, still following, is gueninely gleeful.
  • Monmon readies his spear and soon skewer one of the Huntsman’s hunting dog jumping at him.
  • A chaotic melee ensues as 15 spiked-collared hunting mastiffs are pitted against the fortune seekers. The latter get the upper hand but the Huntsman himself intervenes whilst his dogs are getting killed and kills Pierre Laroche du Rocher with 2 arrows. Another arrow hits Paul Nereff who manages to resist a deadly poison. With most of the dogs killed, the adventurers turn their attention to the Hunstman but he simply vanishes with a blow of his horn, again.
  • They leave poor Pierre Laroche du Rocher behind and get back at the lake grotto, call Charon the Ferryman once again and continue exploring the Lake Grotto area.
  • They get into a dressing room and find a fool’s garb and a regal outit into a locked cloakroom that Alphonse managed to open with his set of false keys. They can also see, through a grille, a praying man into another room with no doors. They leave him be.
  • They encounter Sybille Malévol who offers to sell them some of her potions. They decline. Spiteful, before vanishing she tries to change Paul into a toad but luckily he resists the transformation.
  • At the end of another passage arrayed by incense burners they see another chapel. Paul Nereff , notices that the floor tiles aren’t mortared over there. They remove the tiles and start digging but they have few shovels betwen them and its hard work.
  • They’re interrupted by a dark-clad, elegant man holding a glass of « wine »: « I’ve never liked this place… » he says, looking at the chapel. Red eyes appear behind him. « Children, do dispose of these va-nu-pieds! » Wolves attack them.
  • The adventurers are getting ready to use their wooden stakes on what they suppose is a vampire but the dark-clad man turns into mist (vindicating their not-so wild guess) and let his « children » fight. This time the battle isn’t going so well… Alphonse is downed by the wolves’ ferocious attacks, and then Constant and Paul-Jean Paul, and Monmon soon after. Noah and Paul Nereff, both severely wounded, manage to slay the last wolf. Both then try to apply first aid on their dying comrades. They do a great job and sucessfully save Constant and Paul-Jean. Monmon doesn’t need saving as he’s tough as nails but Alphonse, survivor of the crusade, succumbs to the Château des Faussesflammes…
  • The survivors, sporting bloody bandages, get out of the castle the way they came in as fast as their wounds allowed. Fortunately the lake monster doesn’t appear this time.

Wrap up:

  • XP: Participation: 1 Treasure: 2 Secrets: 1
  • Treasures: polished crystals, regal outfit
  • Crypt: Hercule, eaten by the lake monster. Pierre Laroche du Rocher, pierced by the Huntsman’s arrows. Alphonse, savaged by Count Giscard’s Children of the Night.
  • Quote:
  • New Infractions: Interrupted Runcius Malévol’s pagan ritual. Slightly annoyed Count Giscard while he drank « wine ».
  • Paul Neref free of his phobia after another trip at the sanatorium

Château des Faussesflammes (Castle Xyntillan): Session 4

David Skelector Fantasy, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game, RPG ,

This play report, and the next one, comes from game sessions played at our cabin with the boys. This summer has been incredibly rainy here in eastern Quebec so we had to stay indoors more than usual. Its unfortunate – I hope that’s not a climate trend that will settle, though it could be a lot worse of course, like the fires that are STILL raging west. But let’s switch to a lighter subject…

Castle Xyntillan, by Gabor Lux. https://emdt.bigcartel.com/products

System: Worlds without Number, by Kevin Crawford

Adventurers – Player Characters (PCs)

  • Paul Neref (Olivier), Warrior lvl 2
  • Noah (Isaac), Expert lvl 1
  • Monmon (Edmond), Warrior lvl 2

Retainers:

  • Paul-Jean Paul (Olivier), in training to be a full-fledged Warrior, cousin of deceased Jean-Paul Jean, Morale 8
  • Hercules (Isaac), Caravan Hand (hvy), nervous, Morale 7
  • Alphonse (Edmond), Crusader (hvy), has a ring of false keys, Morale 9

Crypt

  • Zachary, Elementalist, strangled by Malvina Malévol and electrocuted in front of the Anteroom
  • Jean-Paul Jean, Man-at-Arms (hvy), lackwit, ripped apart by stuffed animals
  • Pierre-Jean Pierre, Man-at-Arms (hvy), clawed to death by a dark monk
  • Edgar, Man-at-Arms (hvy), throat slashed by a dark monk
  • Charles, Man-at-Arms (hvy), skewered by a drunken skeleton

Previous Infractions:

Eliminated Tristano Malévol the Love-Lost. Eliminated Merlerik the Ancient. Smoked the Ruined Quarters. Angered a werewolf washwoman. Stole the Reliquary of Bygone Kings. Failed to convince Jean-Honoré the butler of their lies.

Infractions rating: 3

Rumors:

  • It is said that the Hero Roland himself was buried under the Castle, and a great relic with him.
  • The goats are not what they seem.

Through the Cave Mouth

  • The group, smaller than usual, decide to search for the cave mouth entrance that they’ve heard about. They build a raft with the help of artisan Noah’s knowhow. It’s a bit fragile but it’ll do to get them on the castle’s lake side.
  • They disembark in a garden area with unkept vegetation and an outdoor chapel. There’s a fountain in the chapel with copper lambs with topaz for eyes. Paul can’t enter the chapel for some reason. Monmon wanted to pry off the topaz eyes but changed his mind and went against it. Noah takes the white clothe from the altar.
  • There’s stairs leading down to the lake surface. Paul notices a small cave entrance hidden behind vegetation. Here it is, the entrance to the Lake Grotto, the rumor was true! They go inside, water to their thighs.
  • Bats fly out of the passage. The adventurers find objects in the water, amid bones, a golden comb and a decorative sword.
  • The passage leads to a larger grotto but Paul finds a secret door and they get to a flooded vault with 7 submerged sarcophagi. Another secret door, hard to find, leads them to room with a treasure chest. They’re happy with their find but at this moment they hear the dead coming at them. The fight doesn’t go too bad, except for Noah that is nearly dead the others only have a few light wounds. They resume pillaging the treasure chest. There’s a lot of gold and also, a mummified bird that squawks: « X marks the spot« .
  • With bags full of gold, the adventurers decided to call it a day.
  • They’re back in the flooded passage but between them and the exit are 7 headless manservants. They’re weaponless and not much of a challenge though and the adventurers cut through them and get out.

Wrap up:

  • XP: Participation: 1 Treasure: 2 Secrets: 1
  • Treasures: 5000gp!
  • Crypt: None
  • Quote:
  • New Infractions: Stole a treasure chest full of gold
  • Paul Neref still mentally shaken after 3 visits at the sanatorium

Château des Faussesflammes (Castle Xyntillan) – Session 3

David Skelector Fantasy, jeux de rôles, megadungeon, OSR, Play reports, Roleplaying Game , ,

This session’s goal (as stated by Olivier), is to retrieve henchman Jean-Paul Jean’s corpse so that his cousin can bring him back to the family. Olivier has really taken this to heart to Marjorie’s utter befuddlement… I think it’s hilarious and awesome. Jason could not be with us so no healer this session but fortunately for the players my random encounter rolls were very light, no dangerous Malévol specter this time around.

Castle Xyntillan, by Gabor Lux. https://emdt.bigcartel.com/products

System: Worlds without Number, by Kevin Crawford

Adventurers – Player Characters (PCs)

  • Cordélia Lenoir (Marjorie), Necromancer lvl 2
  • Paul Neref (Olivier), Warrior lvl 2
  • Noah (Isaac), Expert lvl 1
  • Monmon (Edmond), Warrior lvl 2

Retainers:

  • Eudes le Bâtard (Marjorie), Man-at-Arms (lgt), Comte de La Frenaie’s young bastard son, Morale 9
  • Paul-Jean Paul (Olivier), in training to be a full-fledged Warrior, cousin of deceased Jean-Paul Jean, Morale 5
  • Hercules (Isaac), Caravan Hand (hvy), nervous, Morale 7
  • Alphonse (Edmond), Crusader (hvy), has a ring of false keys, Morale 9

Crypt

  • Zachary, Elementalist, strangled by Malvina Malévol and electrocuted in front of the Anteroom
  • Jean-Paul Jean, Man-at-Arms (hvy), lackwit, ripped apart by stuffed animals
  • Pierre-Jean Pierre, Man-at-Arms (hvy), clawed to death by a dark monk
  • Edgar, Man-at-Arms (hvy), throat slashed by a dark monk
  • Charles, Man-at-Arms (hvy), skewered by a drunken skeleton

Previous Infractions:

Eliminated Tristano Malévol the Love-Lost. Eliminated Merlerik the Ancient. Smoked the Ruined Quarters Angered a werewolf washwoman. Stole the Reliquary of Bygone Kings. Infractions rating: 2

Rumors:

  • You can get in through a cave mouth from the lake if you don’t care for a frontal approach.
  • Périgon’s monks had their faith shaken really bad recently, some of them aren’t devout christians anymore…

Retrieving Jean-Paul Jean

We start in Périgon. Loic the Healer is unavailable. Louis the Man-at-Arms promptly retired after seeing 3 companions die horribly in last foray. Bruno the Man-at-Arms didn’t show up, reasons unkown. There’s only a pair of recruits to hire but both have seen action before and are capable fighters. Paul Neref spent some time at Ste-Zénobie’s sanatorium trying to restore his sanity, wasn’t done with his treatment and still went back with the other into the cursed château.

  • The adventurers decide to enter at the Grand Entrance instead of the Gatehouse, a bit odd as it’s farther away from their chosen objective, the Ménagerie.
  • The two statues bordering the double doors react at their approach, one erupts in maniacal laughter, the other flicks its fingers. Nothing else happens.
  • They open the heavy doors and find themselves into the Vestibule. There’s a ghostly butler weeping softly in a corner. The PCs ask him why he cries but he simply denies and ask whose names he shall announce. Cordélia thinks on her feet and answers « Claudette Malévol ». The butler, Jean-Honoré, seems unsure but tell them to sit down and wait for his return.
  • The PCs bolt away as soon as he turns the corner, open the nearest door and get into another part of the Servants’ wing.
  • First room is a simple maid’s room but they do find a silver dagger under a pillow.
  • Next door opens into the Stables. Through their rummaging they manage to find a lucky horseshoe.
  • They then open the door to the kitchen where 5 horrible cooks (ghouls), are busy hacking henchman Charles’ corpse. The PCs react first and Cordélia do a powerful Smite the Dead and kill 4. Monmon finish the last one with a spear thrust but then he opens another door and a guillotine trap hurt him severely. Cordélia heals him with a balm.
  • Paul hears Jean-Honoré in a nearby room talk to others about the « visitors ». The PCs hurry up further away. They get into a corridor and then another and finally get to a place they already visited, the entrance passage leading to the garden area.
  • They find henchman Pierre-Jean’s corpse in a wheelbarrow with ravens pecking at his face. They leave him there for the moment.
  • From there they open the same side door they did in their first visit, hesitated at the propect of crossing the corridor of the phantom steeds and looking at their maps decided to go the long way.
  • Heard the werewolf washwoman singing and they hurried away.
  • They finally get to the Ménagerie, once again the Huntsman on the throne blows his horn and disappear along with his dogs. They see the stuffed animals on their pedestals, To their dismay they can see that Jean-Paul has been added to the display, dressed as a hunter!
  • Cordélia tries something, a Command the Dead spell on stuffed Jean-Paul and it works, he’s under her command! She wishes to use him to shoot the Huntsman if he gets back.
  • They wait.
  • And wait some more.
  • Still no Huntsman.
  • But 6 undead aristocrats, alerted earlier by the butler, found them: « you misérables mécréants, surrender! »
  • The adventurers attack. Cordélia use her wand of the marshland, points the moss tapestry, and vines immobilize one undead fop. Paul and Monmon charge side by side and kill 2 in no time.
  • The stuffed Lion chooses this very moment to come to life and jumps on Cordélia but he only graze her with a claw attack. Stuffed Jean-Paul shoots the lion but misses.
  • Eudes bravely attacks the stuffed Lion and slashes it with his sword. Monmon gets over there and pierce it with his magic spear.
  • Meanwhile, Noah and Hercules kill an undead aristocrat together and Paul Neref another one. The remaining one tries to flee but Paul is swifter and ignoring his pleas for his unlife, slays him.
  • Eudes finishes the stuffed Lion with another good slash. Alphonse cuts the head of the undead aristocrat bound by vines.
  • They get out of the castle, Jean-Paul Jean in tow, looking creepy with glass beads for eyes…

Wrap up:

  • XP: Participation: 1 Treasure: 0 Secrets: 0 Special Mission: 1 Total: 2
  • Treasures:
  • Crypt: None
  • Quote: Marjorie: « I’m Claudette Malévol, a, er distant relative… »
  • New Infractions: Failed to convince Jean-Honoré the butler of their lies.
  • Retrieved Jean-Paul Jean and Pierre-Jean but left Charles all hacked up on the kitchen’s table.
  • Paul Neref still mentally shaken after 2 visits at the sanatorium