Thursday, February 4, 2010

Chapter 15, Part 1 "Ayzold Birds of The Ahoggya Intoxicant Merchant"

The Adventurers:
Buzz Brazelhach - Womanizing Australian Fightin' Bloke
Corporal Radar O'Reiley - Naive Earth Boy Rocket Soldier
Dickie Dee - Bone Man Sorcerer Junkie
Jedediah - 1850s Hayseed Southerner Fightin' Man
Jek-Mor - Creepy Hyperborean Sorcerer
Mookla - Reeking, Deformed (yet very intelligent!) Mutant of the Slime Lands
Rodan the Scrounger - Zermish Green Man Fighting Scavenger

Part II Here, Part III Here.

The party continues down the canyon to the Red Sands. The settlement of Adomaz is visible and roughly 5 miles away. Off to one side of the canyon's mouth stands a huge, ancient cistern. Bright orange, cracked with pools of water at it's base. Rodan presses the party to refill their canteens and waterskins but Buzz points out that Adomaz is only a short ride away and will have assuredly potable water available.

Soon enough they ride up to the western gate of Adomaz, a town of baroque, flowing tall green mansions surrounded by a circular glassy wall with an irregular jagged top...the remains of a destroyed dome? The Lhovhami Red Man guards are wearing black armor, carry firelances and are talkative and helpful. When an inquiry is made regarding the orange cistern the party passed they are informed that those who drink it's water usually sicken and die. They get directions to reputable lodging, the Frenzied Stegosaur Caravan House and are soon sitting at a table ordering gin and supper, aside from Mookla the reeking mutant who finds a secluded alleyway.

Dickie Dee and Jek more inquire about intoxicants and are rebuffed as "this is a respectable establishment." Next Buzz inquires about companionship and is informed about The House of Masculine Relaxation, but is also warned that it is a fancy establishment where certain standards regarding dress and grooming are enforced.

Buzz immediately calls for a bath and a barber, and soon he and Rhodan and sitting in steaming basins while a barber slave shaves, perfumes and grooms them. The two end up with pomaded pompadours and Buzz inquires about getting a new sheath and handle for his foul-smelling willowy whip sword of the reeking Shunned Ones. The barber slaves asks for ten gold credits and takes the weapon, claiming that he will return on the morrow. The two go to the brothel where Optmar the Optimal, a man clad in a silver bodysuit and mask, scrutinizes and interrogates the two before discussing their arrangements. A sum of several hundred gold credits is arrived at before Jedediah bursts into the room. He is broke but the two take pity on Jedediah and frugal arrangements are made for him.

Meanwhile Dickie Dee and Jek-Mor are wandering the streets of Adomaz, seeking an intoxicant lounge. They notice a seedy-looking dive, The Jagged Gut Slicer, that seems to cater to disreputable mercenaries. The two enter and sit down.

The tavern is lit by dim, indirect garish illumination and several skinny, naked slave dancing women stroll show the signs of intoxicant abuse. The bouncer eyes the two sorcerers and stares hard at Dickie Dee's javelin and Jek-Mor's sword before loudly announcing "Well, it looks like we have a real pair of Fighting-Men here tonight!" and guffawing. The whole bar joins in, mockingly laughing at the two. Their gin tastes foul and metallic. Somehow they get directions to The Den of Utmost Relaxation, a subterranean intoxicant vendor in the alleyway.

Dickei Dee and Jek-Mor enter the alley, descend a filthy stair and enter the Den. The room is small and illuminated by a dim blue light. The proprietor is a strange four-armed, legged and faced, squat bristly, carapaced being. It is named Gnasher and Dickie Dee makes arrangements to purchase six Ayzolg Birds, small four-winged, six-legged live fetal birds coated with glowing ulfire mold that are steeped in boiling water to make a stimulant tea.

The two return to the inn where they procure a brazier, kettle and cups. The somewhat innocent youth Radar O'Reiley winces in horror when Dickie immerses two of the glowing Ayzold chicks in boiling water and declines the sickly sweet smelling stimulant tea that the sorcerers offer him.

The next day they visit the Baron's physician who, for a hefty sum, treats Buzz and Radar's acid burns (inflicted by the Black Pudding in the canyon) and sells Radar a small jar of the pink ooze he used to treat their injuries.

The party leaves Adomaz, heading south down the road to Kharhem. After a couple of hours they notice the ruins of a lilac dome off to one side of the road. Investigating for a couple of hours they find nothing but a shard of lilac glassteel inscribed with unintelligible glyphs before they continue their wanderings. The party decides to return with excavating tools in the near future.

6 comments:

  1. Mookla the Mutant of the Slime Lands pointed out that the water was clearly poisoned, just sayin'

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  2. love the Ayzold birds - just weird

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  3. The Frenzied Stegosaur is a great name for a pub. The next time I'm running a game with taverns in it, the very first one shall be so named!

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  4. Poor Mookla, he gets no respect from enyone...even the DM!

    @Sean: Courtesy of my random substance generator!

    @Kelvin: Born of sputtering DM desperations the name is!

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  5. Wasn't it Azyold birds? At least that was how we were pronouncing it.

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  6. @Balloona: Waaay off topic buddy, baleeted!

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