DCC Recap #2

“It’s going to be an evening of tying up loose ends and maybe leveling up.” That’s what I texted the game group before we met up on Thursday. If I’m being completely honest, I was dubious about both of those things actually happening. As any gamemaster (ahem, I mean judge) knows, no plan survives first contact with the party. Which means you can’t make a plan, you need to make plans. And after making all of those plans, be ready to chuck them all out the window and ride that bull.

Suffice it to say, it was a wash on tying up loose ends and leveling did not happen. Hard to level up when you’re getting bombarded by an angry stone giant. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Last time, the party had defeated the Set worshippers. They had slain Akken, Sword Dak, and Rhakert. Avvani was the only one who remained, and had requested parley which the party accepted. It certainly didn’t look good for Avvani. The initial hatred the Knaves 3 had for her was now galvanized by the desire for revenge.

Avvani led the party back to the Inn of the Weeping Maiden and had Jicc bring them wine. Understandably suspicious, the party demanded she drink it first, which she did without any signs of being poisoned. She talked about how they should have Jicc talk to Gabbro the Stone Giant about accompanying them on their dangerous journey to Mitra’s Fist. And while Gabbro might remove the stones that buried the Temple of Mitra, he would also be compelled to do the same for the Temple of Set. Giants like him were really into balance, which is why he agreed to bury the Temple of Mitra if he could do the same to the Temple of Set. Since Jicc was very friendly with Gabbro, he would make a good ambassador.

Avvani also stated she was once a Priestess of Imhotep, and was forced into Set worship only as a means to survive. She also talked about how she was cursed to stay within a few miles of the Fang of Set, or else she would age rapidly. She learned this the hard way by straying too far from it once. This was why she looked more like Akken’s grandmother instead of his sister. It was around this point that Chandler had had enough. He surprise attacked her from across the bar with the Fang of Set. Initiatives were rolled, and Chandler got to strike again, this time with his long sword. He clove her head, killing her instantly. Jicc ran out the door screaming in horror.

The party then proceeded to explore the Inn. In the kitchen, they found a key. In the cellar, they found a bottle of yellow poison that had a peppery smell to it. Upstairs they discovered Avvani’s room. Notable items were 5 jade carvings, two of which (an ibis and an owl) had little ankhs hung around their necks. They also discovered a cobra hiding in her wardrobe, which Chandler made short work of. And it was in the Wardrobe they found a macabre painting:

“The portrait says, “The wedding of Avvakris & Avvani under the fangs of Set and His Chosen Son Manahath.” There is an artist’s signature (“Haffrung H.”) and it is dated approximately 325 years prior.”

With this discovery, the party felt a little more justified about the slaying of Avvani. Well, some of them anyway.

The party then discovered the drugged Acolyte Bentley in a locked room. After Stacia used some divine healing on him, he became lucid. He did not remember how long he had actually been in Mitra’s Cross. But he spoke of the statues of the Divine Bicameral, Mitra and the Maiden, that he heard existed in the temple. He also spoke about how Set was inclined to set up a temple anywhere Mitra did. None of these details were news to the party, but imagine if they had talked to him before descending into the cairn!

The party had also found a ladder to the roof, where they spotted a cabin to the west. After investigating the Inn, they went to that cabin which it turned out belonged to Bentley. There, in a shelf visible only to Lawful characters, they found a prayer book and a journal. In that journal the party learned that Bentley had been in Mitra’s Cross for over 2 years. His final entry was portentous:

“This simple wooden temple on the rocky hill is nothing like the glorious structure described to me by Curate Glossop! I dread the minions of the Most Sinful One have tainted this Holy Place with their foul wickedness. On the morrow I shall pray for Mitra’s Righteousness and The Maiden’s Divinity for guidance.”

Again, could’ve been useful earlier in the adventure. But hey, when there are dungeons to crawl, who has time to look for clues? What is this, Call of Cthulhu?

What is worth noting is that all of this exploring of Mitra’s Cross gave Jicc enough time to seek help from Gabbro the Stone Giant. While the party stood in front of the Inn, he emerged from around the trail that led to the back of the cairn. With Jicc on his shoulder, he began to grab rocks from the cairn and hurl them with lethal accuracy at the party from a range of 200′. Pogo got pasted by one, as did Nicklas and Calvert. But Stacia got them back on their feet, and the party made haste into the kitchen towards the cellar. In a game like DCC, where balance is not as important as keeping the action full of menace, running away is often the best choice.

And that’s where we left it. The party is still in Mitra’s Cross. They are now headed back into tunnels beneath the cairn. What will Gabbro do now that he has left his cave? What will become of Lord Snort, Sad Jim, Thin Rizzo and Beans? I asked that question last post and that time I meant it as a joke. We’ll just have to find out next time, in the thrilling conclusion (unless it’s not) to By Mitra’s Bones Meet Thy Doom!