1.2.6 Ratmother
down into the caves
Opening Monologue¶
The cave breathes around you—wet stone, moss-slick walls, and the ceaseless roar of falling water drowning all but the loudest thoughts. The air is thick, heavy with damp and the iron tang of blood not yet washed away. It was no peaceful rest… but it was rest all the same. And after the battle with the carrion crawlers, even the cold stone felt like a blessing.
Muscles scream. Wounds throb. But you live.
Brelka still breathes somewhere in these dark halls. She and her cursed wererats—traitors to the Hand, kin turned against kin. Why? That question festers, unanswered. But it can rot with her corpse.
When Brelka dies, you can return. Back to the Black Tide Tavern. Back to warmth. Back to drink, to safety, to something like peace.
But not yet. Not until her blood wets the stone.
Steel yourselves. The darkness watches. The stone remembers. And revenge waits only a few steps deeper into the dark.
Scene 1¶
Main Cavern¶
Sounds of waterfalls hide most noise but the wererats have been left to await the heroes. They have destroyed the ladder from the overlook to the main cavern and set many many hidden spike traps covered by the moss growing around the bottom of the cliffs. The campsite closest to the traps is lying in wait for anyone to attempt to scale down the cliffs but they will shoot at range and attempt to fetch reinforcements from the other camp quickly if general combat breaks out.
Scene 2¶
Grettir's Frankenstein¶
Grettir was building a Carrion Golem guard. It is complete and his research book lies upon a lectern. Investigation into the book (written in Old Norse/Common) for a few minutes identifies the Command Word to activate the Golem. With Grettir dead, the golem lies here dormant.
All systems go¶
If players speak the command word then the golem activates, it is a mindless creature and bonded to Grettir and powered by the Soul Gem inside it. If it is activated without Grettir there it just attacks in a frenzied/mindless way. Once defeated the soul gem can be extracted from the reeking corpse of the golem. The throbbing light of the soul gem will slow until it eventually glows with a soft light but no longer throbs.
Session Notes¶
Session ended when the Carrion Golem was defeated.
Hanzt (played by Yukei) decided to 'accidently' speak the command word when reviewing the book.
Think group decided to retrieve the soul gem
Gunnar must always be on fire
Brawn drowned the cinder rat and turned it into a water rat
Gunnar and Brawn both infected with Wererats curse
Gunnar, Brawn and Hanzt all diseased with Filth Fever Stage 1 (LOL)
For some reason despite everyone being Recall Knowledge maniacs normally, only Gunnar did 1 successful Recall Knowledge on the Golem and figured out its lowest save. They got the resistance information by hitting it and some of its immunities with various attacks. But no1 discovered any of the golem antimagic feature. Anywhoo thought it was weird for a normally RK-happy group.
Brawn and Gunnar settled down for a nice charcuterie platter of dried fruits and nuts and cheeseboard and were inconvenienced by the annoying were rats attacking...
Yukei is playing Hanzt as healbot, I allowed 30 mins which was 2 vials per 10 mins so 6 x vials of healing one person. This was 6d6 + (6x5) healing.