Campaign: Dominion of Adventure 23/6/2023

With the Renegades reunited with Hamlet, who had finally shaken off the conviction that they were all monstrous mutants trying to kill him they sheltered below ground in a stone walled chamber at the foot of the stairs. Dorian used their magic to try and heal the party’s wounds. Investigating their immediate surroundings they were faced by two large and ornate doors – which seemed to be sealed with some kind of magical barrier that proved impervious to all their efforts. A passage led away on the left and right of the room they were in and they debated what their next move would be.

Eventually, either planning or boredom led Navarro, Dorian and the still rather subdued Hamlet to head down the left hand passageway, passing by a stout door they contined on and around a bend in the corridor. Bored with the discussions on how to breach the door Gunnar slowly wandered off following them and Iivan began creeping slowly along the opposite passage leaving Gregg, Sylas and Luther to continue investigating the magical barrier blocking the doors. Navarro and his group found themselves in another long corridor, along the right hand side were a trio of sturdy doors, which on investigation proved to be locked.

“We should check what’s in here” suggested Dorian

“Stand aside priest” ordered Navarro, sizing up the door for a moment before charging the stout timbers and crashing through in a spray of broken wood and iron fittings, unfortunately for the prideful Vilmean he stumbled as he crashed through rather ruining the dramatic effect he’d been aiming for. Huddled in the room, were terrified prisoners cowering from the noble warrior.

“Don’t worry, we’re here to save you” called Dorian, emerging from behind Navarro to offer a friendly wave to the cowering captives, the Dwarf’s words and friendly demenour seemed to calm the nascent panic Navarro’s violent entrance had triggered and one of the bolder captives stammered a question

“Can…can we go now?” he quavered

Navarro and Dorian shared a look before the Dwarf replied “I think for now you might be safer staying here – but once we’ve secured the area we’ll come back and get you out” they then reached into their pack and handed over some rations, sliding them across the slick stones towards the prisoners before grabbing Navarro’s arm and pulling him back out of the room. They approached the next door along the corridor, this time Navarro was determined to make the heroic entrance he’d planned….

Crashing through the door Navarro attempted to strike a suitable heroic pose, but tangled his spurs and instead stumbled into the room cursing – terrifying the prisoners trapped inside who pressed themselves back against the far wall of their dungeon eyes wide in fear. Once again Dorian was able to settle the crowd down, noticing that all these prisoners appeared to be female, and pregnant. For the last door Navarro broke it down then stepped aside huffily to let Dorian enter first, the follower of Helm once more reassuring the captives swiftly.

Meanwhile. Gunnar decided to try the door that Navarro’s group had ignored, easing it open he found himself in a luxurously decorated bed chamber, the elegant furnishings and wall hangings suggesting the rooms owner was very wealthy. The horrifying stench permeating the room however, suggested they were also very likely dead…. or worse thought the barbarian as he warily prodded at what seemed to be a pile of skin on the floor of the room, rotting into the thick carpet. Using the tip of his blade he carefully lifted some of the skin and realised that it was just that, skin. There was no body, it was almost as if a very obese man has shed his skin like a snake, claw marks showing where they must have ripped their own skin open to free themselves. Revolted, the half orc continued searching the room, hoping to find something valuable or at least useful he rummaged through the papers strewn across the desk, finding a letter addressed to the City’s Commander, Lord Chaval from what seemed to be one of his assistants named Flenns. Digesting the letter’s contents and noting the filth covering the large bed, and the pile of loose skin a thought began to form in Gunnar’s mind. This was Chaval’s room, and there was a disturbing possibility that the pile of loose skin and the stench also belonged to him.

Off on the other side of the complex Iivan had grown bored watching the others and wandered off to loot (or as he would have put it “scout”) while he waited, coming across a door leaning on it’s frame with broken hinges he slipped one of his pistols from beneath his cape and pressed himself to the crack. Hearing nothing untoward he put his shoulder to the door and as silently as he could pushed it open. Inside the room he found two sleeping mutants, both with the strange cage helmets they’d encountered in the hospital ealier, he slipped into the room and began creeping across the floor to end them when a loud crash announced the door’s hinges had finally given up their struggles with gravity and the heavy oak door crashed to the floor

“Fuck” cursed Iivan in a whisper and turned to check the two sleeping mutants, finding they were no longer asleep but blearily looking around the chamber in confusion

“Wzzzthft!” managed one before Iivan shrugged and brought his pistol up and shot it in the chest

“John! What’s happening” mumbled the other through the lingering befuddlement of sleep

“I’ve been shot” replied John…seemingly more confused that hurt

“Who’s this fancy bugger?”

“I dunno, but he bloody shot me” answered the one called John, anger beginning to overtake confusion in his tone

Iivan paused a moment then fired another volley of shots into the pair before darting back out of the room and into the corridor, the mutants gave chase – earning John another bullet hole as he stumbled out of the room, slamming him back against the wall with blood pouring from his chest

“He’s shot me again!” he complained loudly as he slid down to the flagstone floor as his companion barged past him in pursuit of Iivan, only for a lance of dark energy to shatter the stonewall beside him as Luther and Gregg, hearing the commotion rushed to help Iivan. Seeing this new threat the mutant turned on his heels and ran, sprinting away into the darkness. Luther skidded up to the fallen mutant and grabbed the cage helmet

“Who else is down here?” he demanded, but any answer he was going to get was obliterated as Iivan shot him point blank in the face before taking off after the other one, hotly pursued by Gregg and Sylas

“Well that wasn’t very fucking helpful was it!” called Luther after his two companions before dusting himself off and returning to the main entrance chamber.

Gunnar, meanwhile had found Hamlet and the others and told them about the room he’d discovered. Dorian decided to keep an eye on the prisoners they’d freed but Gunnar led Navarro and the still disfigured Hamlet back to the room. Navarro reached out with his mind to see if he could sense the presence of whatever abomination had left it’s skin on the floor but sensed nothing nearby and began to search the room

“Hey, you could wear this to hide your looks” joked Gunnar to Hamlet, before watching agast as the warlock gingerly lifted the skin up as if to see if it would fit his slender frame, a fresh wave of stench filling the room as maggots fell from the mass of flesh.

“Too big for me I think” muttered Hamlet before throwing it back down in disgust

Navarro’s patience, never the particularly strong was already wearing thin – and he’d become distracted by a large mirror and was practicing his entrance pose in front of it while the others rummaged through the room. Finding nothing more of interest the trio eventually abandoned their search (and preening) and made their way back to Dorian.

“Dorian, your scroll – does it cure the blight?” asked Gunnar

“I don’t know for sure, but I think it just stops it getting any worse” replied the dwarf hesitantly

“Well, it looks like the Lord of Coatlan might be one of them now, maybe we could use it to cure him and get his help dealing with the others?” persisted the barbarian

“To be honest mate, I don’t even know how to make the spell work yet” Dorian explained with their customary patience

Navarro reached for the door and pushed it open, revealing a long and well appointed chamber – closest to them were a group of the large mutated knights but perched atop the remains of a wooden throne…or perhaps a large cart was the most obese man Navarro had ever seen. He barely registered the four figures at the far end of the hall wreathed in purple magic as he was transfixed by the massive man salavating on their makeshift throne. The armoured knights turned and began to advance menacingly toward the paladin

“WAIT!” bellowed the blubbering mass on the throne “Who goesth there?” sprayed the apparent leader of this group of mutants

Navarro attempted to pull back into the hallway but the man muttered some words and gestured to the paladin and Navarro seemed to hesistate and a compulsion to stay and talk with this clearly educated man for a moment.

Charmed, the paladin walked into the room past the mutated knights

“I am Sir Navarro, and these are my Renegades”

“Wenegades? Oh, did you bring more fwiendsth with you? How exthiting!”

Navarro managed to shake off the effects of Chaval’s charm, but decided to feign that he was still in thrall to the twisted man

“Welcome fwiendsth, I am Chaval, Lord of Coatlan, Thso tell me thsir knight, what isth your name?”

“I SAID I am Sir Navarro Trovatero de Vimaa” irritation lacing his words

“Are you here to westhcue me and thsave my thcity?” asked Chaval

“Yes….my lord, we’ve been sent to save the city” blustered Navarro

Dorian and Gunnar shared a look, then the barbarian took the letter he’d discovered and strode into the room confidently

“I have a letter for you sir” he called out to Chaval

“A letter?” repeated Chaval sceptically

“Yes, I’m a…..postman” offered Gunnar reaching wildly for something to explain his presence and eyeing the still immobile mutant knights warily and moving closer to Navarro and Chaval

“Ooooo you’re a big one aren’t you?” leered Chaval as the barbarian approached “Oh yeth you look good enough to eat, posthivly delicthious….now tell me are you a pwoper Orc or a Half Orc?” lisped Chaval, drool slipping out of his maw and coating his jowls

“Half Orc, ALL postman” replied Gunnar in what he hoped was a very business like way, continuing to approach and brandishing the folded letter like a holy symbol to ward off the evil radiating from the former Lord of Coatlan

“And how fares my thcity?”

“There are many fiends roaming the streets m’lord” began Navarro “..and a thieving little dwarf” added Gunnar thinking of Gumba and trying to steer the conversation away from mutants given Chaval’s current physical state

“Nasthty theiving dwarvesth too, you’ve awived juthst in time it thseemsth, and what bringsth you to my thcity?”

“We came to find a Doctor”

“..and to rescue you of course” interrupted Gunnar before the Vilmean could continue

“Whithch Doctor were you thseeking in my fair thcity thsir Navarro?” lisped Chaval

“Kleinberg was his name I belive” replied Navarro before Gunnar could shush him

“Ohhh no Doctor Kleinberg left agesth ago, I have a new Doctor now, a betther one…. he isth helping me with my experimenths, how faresth the good Doctor?”

“Last I saw he was dead my Lord” answered Navarro

“DEAD? How beasthly! Tell me how did he die?” asked Chaval

“Err it was Demon related we think” answered Gunnar

“Demon welated?” queried Chaval

“Yes he was in the presence of a Demon when he died” continued Navarro, skirting round the truth as best he could

“And what happened to thisth Demon?”

“Oh my squire dealt with it” explained Navarro with a hint of pride

“Your thsquire killed my Demon?”

“Yes, he is still learning his craft but he’s keen – but we did not know the demon was yours”

“Where isth your thsquire now?” asked Chaval

“He should be here soon my Lord, I’ve asked him to sing for you while we plan what to do next”

“Thsing?”

“Yes he is a famed performer in these lands – he won a competition of some renown not long ago”

“You don’t mean the famousth thsook do you?” asked Chaval, excitement clear in his voice

“He sometimes goes by that name yes”

“Ohhh thsplendid, yesth you muthst bwing him to me for a performanthce I inthsist” said Chaval clapping two of his mutated appendages together in a clap of delight

“He’ll be here soon, in fact if you would permit me to open these doors he should be waiting right outside” Navarro gestured to the doors sealed by the magical barrier hopefully

“No, I think not thsir Navarro – your thsquire may usthe the thsame doorsth you and your burly fwiend here did”

Eavesdropping as best they could Dorian sent Hamlet to run and fetch Luther, before using his ring to inform Sylas of what was happening

“Vewy well, read me thith letter then”

“Uhhh I’m afraid I can’t my lord, I don’t have my letters – which is why they trust me to carry the more sensitive messages” stumbled Gunnar

“Thir Navarro, you’re an educated man – you may do the honourth”

Gunnar moved over to Navarro, a questioning look on his face

“What’s the plan?” he whispered as he handed the letter over

“Buy time and then deal with them” he replied, flicking his eyes towards the four figures channeling energy into the magical barrier “while you keep him busy”

“The ummm light here is a little dim, perhaps it’d be easier if we could use their magical glow?” suggested Gunnar, trying to find a way to get Navarro nearer to his target

“Thereth plenty of light here, leave my petsth alone pwease” replied Chaval, closing off that avenue

Navarro held the letter up and made a great show of peering at the scrawled writing, frowning and moving the paper in an attempt to stall

“D…e…a oh, Dear…there’s an L I think, Gunnar is that an L?” he paused to show the letter to Gunnar, the barbarian made a show of squinting at the parchment before shrugging. Navarro continued his charade

“I’m gwowing bored thir Navarro” rumbled Chaval, eyeing the pair

“No My lord, I must insist we wait for my squire to read this for you – he has a talent with words that I lack”

Trying to buy more time Gunnar reached out and plucked the letter from Navarro’s hand, making a show of turning the letter the right way up before returning it to his friend

“Ahhh, yes good that’s better” said Navarro loudly, glancing around but drawing a blank on any other ways to stall the inevitable and began to recite the letter as slowly as he felt he could. However, at the mention of Flenns – the sender of the letter, the penny dropped for Chaval

“Ohh no thsir Navarro, that can’t possthibly be from Flennsth…. he’ths wight there you thsee?” and Chaval raised a corpulent limb and gestured lazily to one of the energy wreathed figures by the door.

“Perhaps I misread it m’lord” tried Navarro

“Are you twying to dethcieve me thsir Navarro?” snapped Chaval, his good humour vanishing in a moment

Before Navarro could reply a door slammed open and Sylas walked in “I KNEW you’d betray us!” he roared at Navarro, Gregg pushed in behind him and Dorian entered from the other door with Hamlet

“A DWARF! Kill the Dwarf!” squealed Chaval in panic

“No, no that’s a different Dwarf my lord” yelled Gunnar, drawing his sword and positioning himself as if to shield Chaval from these new arrivals

Navarro used the distraction to rush over to the closest of the energy shrouded people and slashed with his sword, but the magic seemed to absorb the blow’s force.

“Arrrgh, nooo some foul witchcraft is afoot m’lord” yelled Gunnar, hamming it up so badly that despite himself Luther sneered at his poor acting as he then slashed at Chaval with his sword… failing to land any kind of significant blow despite the element of surprise. The armoured knights, reacting to Chaval’s orders surrounded Dorian and rained blows down on the helpless cleric, while the other attacked Sylas with a wicked bladed axe.

“Don’t mind me” called out Luther with a smile as he picked his way through the throng to lean casually against a wall, where he feigned indifference to the melee errupting around him and ensuring he had a clear line of sight to Chaval. Iivan shot at one of the armoured figures while dodging frantically while Dorian summoned a ghostly hammer embued with the power of Helm to strike at the knights attacking them. Gregg staggered towards Luther, his senses reeling as he realised that Chaval himself was the source of the corruption that he’d been sensing since entering the city but managed to summon a fire under the ersatz throne Chaval was perched on. Hamlet pressed himself back against the far wall, sending beams of power slamming into the armoured figures surrounding Dorian. Chaval shifted his massive bulk and focused on the comparitively tiny figure of Gunnar

“That wasth a misthake” he lisped at the barbarian before raising a crooked finger and pointing at Gunnar’s chest “thsay goodbye little one” he added before a bright green beam of magical energy slammed into Gunnar’s chest, the magic trying to shred the half orc’s body apart into dust. Shaken, Gunnar grunted with pain but remained on his feet, swinging his sword in retaliation and cutting into Chaval’s blubbery form.

“You ok?” called out Luther helpfully in a breezy tone, unclear whether he was talking to Gunnar or Chaval, though it was the latter who answered him “Oh yesth, thanksth for asthking thSook, but I assthure you thisth one will be no twouble at all” gesturing to the still smouldering barbarian

“By the power of the Sword Lord’s I hearby relieve you of command of this city!” bellowed Navarro at the wobbling mass of the former Lord of Coatlan as he rushed to Gunnar’s side, whispering to the barbarian as he reached him.

“Fuck you thsir Navarro! I sthall kill you and then….I shall have my way with you for thisth tweachery” replied Chaval scornfully

Unnoticed by anyone in the confusion Luther cast a spell on Chaval, but it seemed to have little effect and he resumed his air of indifference as soon as Chaval cast his eyes at him. Iivan blasted away at another of the armoured mutants before Dorian attempted to heal their companions – but the spells power seemed to be sucked away as Chaval raised their hand and countered the cleric’s magic

“You…you monster!” gasped Dorian in shock

With Dorian’s spell blocked Sylas fell to the floor unconsious, Gregg tried to heal him but once more Chaval drew on his seemingly limitless magical reserves to counter the druid’s healing magic. Hamlet continued to blaze away at the knights pressing in around them but to little effect, they in turn renewed their assault, knocking Dorian insensible and hacking at the defenceless Sylas. Chaval himself lashed at Gunnar with a flailing limb but the barbarian managed to duck out of the way at the last moment. The smell of burnt flesh reaching his nostrils as Gregg’s magical fire caught some of Chaval’s fleshy bulk in it’s flames.

In repsonse to Navarro’s whispered instructions Gunnar turned and shoved the paladin as hard as he could toward Dorian, before turning back and cutting at Chaval with his sword. Navarro, boosted by Gunnar’s shove rushed to Dorian’s aid, sliding under one of the knight’s swinging weapons to lay a hand on the fallen cleric and pulsing a wave of healing energy into their lifeless body. Luther again tried to subtly attack Chaval with his magic but again the former Lord of Coatlan seemed to shrug off the effects with ease, leaving the bard to lean as nonchalantly as he could against the wall. Chaval muttered some arcane invocation and the four figures by the door flared with energy, Hamlet dived away from the doorway he was sheltering by as the magical barrier slammed down, trapping them all in the hall with Chaval and his minions. Chaval then unleashed a fireball at the Renegades, catching Dorian, Navarro, Sylas and Iivan in the blast, Dorian and Sylas both falling back to the floor under the onslaught. Abandoning all attempts at subterfuge Gunnar hacked away at Chaval, cutting deep into the mutant’s flesh in his rage, but Chaval had another trick up his sleeve and as Gunnar’s blow landed a wave of flames appeared to shield the former Lord of the city and burnt the barbarian badly in retaliation. Knelt by the fallen cleric Navarro once more reached out and healed his friend, the dwarf struggled to raise their head and locked eyes with the paladin

“I don’t think I’m going to make it through this, get out of here!” he gasped weakly and then summoned the last of his magical power to heal Navarro’s wounds

Luther watching in horror as his friends were being worn down mercilessly screamed “Stop hurting my friends!” and launched a beam of energy at Chaval, but the tears in his eyes blurred his vision and the blast missed, exploding harmlessly against the wall beside Chaval’s head.