Difference between revisions of "The Rusty Axes"

Revision as of 19:11, 5 July 2007

About the Saga

The new arrivals to the dark city hunt the Bloody Axes, murderous cultists spreading terror and pain throughout Obsidian Bay's Mudsitters District.

Timeframe

• Greyhawk Date: Goodmonth 26, CY 591
• Real World Date: December 3, 2004
• Read other Dark City Sagas

Cast of Characters

• Prug, Half-Orc Monk 1 (Bob), a refuge from the Wild Coast with a shameful past, Prug seeks the path to enlightenment.
• Gruffudd Castlemaine, Half-Elf Paladin 1 (Jon), a paladin of Lendor and former resident of Urnst out to see the world, and to conquer his despised elven heritage.
• Absalom, Human Urban Druid 1 (James), child of the woods transplanted into the city, where communes with the water and tries to eek out a living as a city guide.
• Largo Leftpocket, Halfling Rogue 1 (Lance), a former locksmith on the run from the Blue Thieves Guild and eager to start a new life.
• Vargas of Ralsend, Human Aristocraft 1 (Nate), a young aristocrat, late of Greyhawk College, who comes to the city seeking apprentice himself to a powerful shadow mage.
• Corash, Elven Wizard 1 (Damon), Celenese seeker of arcane knowledge and cultural awareness.
• Laucin, Elven Swashbuckler 1 (Steve), a former resident of Obsidian Bay forced to flee the city during the Fall, now returned to seek adventure and profit.
• Thom Silverbow, Half-Elf Bard 1 (Ken), a half-elf native looking to make a name for himself in the dark city.

Notable Quotes

"Unmurderousness." -- The DM

What Has Come Before

A group of new arrivals to Obsidian Bay have linked up to complete two very different goals. Vargas, an aristocrat, seeks a rare spell component buried deep in the UnderOerth. Prug, a half-orc monk, and Gruffudd, a half-elf paladin, are looking to end the reign of terror of a band of murderous thugs calling themselves the Rusty Axes.

The Saga

Goodmonth 26, 591

Down at the Docks

Laucin, an elven swashbuckler, former resident of Obsidian Bay, and child of Celene, arrives in the city from the Principality of Ulek after nearly a half-dozen years away from the city. A child named Goreth begs to act as his guide. The elf reluctantly agrees, and follows him. Unsurprisingly, he's ambushed by members of the Brainsmashers Gang. One spoils surprise by smashing forehead into wall, then another runs up, hurls a dagger and sends it into the wall behind the elf, where it bounces back, hitting the ruffian in the forehead.

Laucin drops two of his attackers, while the boy runs off. He tries to stabilize the two he dropped, healing one but the other bleeds out. He offers the third villain his life in return for knowing who his leader was. He says "Turin" and runs off.

Back at Fire-Eaters

Party assembles and heads for the sewers. Dropping down into them, Absalom and Corash are nauseated by the noxious fumes. The party brings out the fire beetle glands Absalom had acquired earlier (refusing to buy torches, since they produced flames he was opposed to).

After an hour of searching, they come across wandering zombies. Prug and Gruffudd go running up to attack them, but miss. The zombies don't, striking out at the paladin and hitting him. A pitched fight follows, but the zombies are finally defeated. After the fight, they check the bodies and discover they are most likely citizens of Obsidian Bay, taken from the Mudsitters District above.

On the Surface

Meanwhile, Laucin heads to the Griffin District, and renews his citizenship in the city. On his way to Strange Quarter he encounters a half-elf bard attempting to rundown a cutpurse. When Laucin joins the chase, the half-elf scowls at him, saying that this was his chance for glory, and that Laucin could go find his own somewhere else.

Laucin ignores him, and together they both take down the thief and turn him over to the authorities. The half-elf introduces himself as Thom, and proceeds to unload his life story, explaining how his elven father is one of the leaders of the Orcslayers, and how his mother was a human bard practicing in the Strange Quarter. She died during the fall of Obsidian Bay, and left him a house as inheritance. His father despises him for refusing to join the orcslayers and take the fight to the humanoids of the Pomarj ("Sure, I hate orcs as much as the next guy, but I just don't want to leave the city to kill the buggers."). Instead, he sold his mother's house and used the inheritance to fund six months of high living in the city, as well as his tuition at the city's Bard's College. However, now his money is running out. He's decided that the best thing for him to do is become famous, earn amazing amounts of money, and then never have to worry about gold again.

Laucin asks Thom for a recommendation for a place to stay. Thom suggests Fire-eaters Inn in the Strange Quarter, where he has a job lined up as a performer. The two head there.

In Sewers Again

In the sewers, the wandering adventurers find the lair of the Rusty Axes. Prug charges in, but instantly falls to a series of brutish attacks by the Axes. The elf steps forward and casts a sleep spell, dropping three of the five Axes the party was facing. The rest of the adventurers enter the room, and quickly kill the surviving murders.

When the adventuers interrogate the surviving Axes, they are told that they were summoned to the city by the "great lord of murder".

Back on the surface, and at one of the city guard barracks, they turn in their three captives. They are rewarded for their efforts by having the foreign requirements lifted, have their wounds healed by the Church of St. Cuthbert, as well as a small amount of gold. Also given two cure light wound potions as a reward. Prug uses his reward to buy food for people, and converts his remaining gold to coppers. He then spreads both around the Mudsitters district.

The Performance of a Lifetime

That night at Fire-Eaters, Laucin and Thom perform - the elf brilliantly, Tom awfully. While performing, Laucin catches a glimpse of the ragtag band of adventurers entering Fire-Eaters, led by the paladin Gruffudd. At the end of the night, Laucin approaches the half-elf paladin and strikes up a conversation.

He learns about Gruffudd's adventuring companions, and their respective quests. The over-eager bard Thom hears this, and urges Laucin to strike a deal these adventurers ("psst, this is our chance for glory and fame!" he whispers). Laucin needs no urging, and after an hour or two of conversation, they've agreed to join forces with Gruffud's people.

Goodmonth 27, 591

The next morning they meet up at Fire-eaters and start discussing a plan of attack for finding and navigating the Sidewinder Pass. One contingent goes to library, where they secure a map pointing to the entrance to the Sidewinder Pass, as well as information about its former inhabitants: kobolds. Also commission a report detailing the area and dungeon survival techniques for ten gold griffins.

Others go to the Sewer Workers Guildhall in the Wharf District, where they meet with one of its junior guildmasters, Dorsin. They convince him to give instructions on how to get to entrance to the Sidewinder Pass … including how to avoid certain monsters living in the sewers.

And finally, Vargas and Tom go to the bard's college, where they meet with the dean of the college. They learn more about specific locations within the Sidewinder Pass, including the "Drop", the gem-encrusted "Death's Alley" and the area's only freshwater source, "The Weeping Room."

Experience

Not available.