The Maztica Campaign - Interlude II

 

Voil Guldi had been pleased. The party was paid, as contracted, and the Dwarven gemcutter had offered to broker the converting of the barrels of copper and smaller barrels of silver into Awmnite currency for a modest commission.

"How modest?" Esperalda had asked.

"Practically embarrassed." Guldi had answered. "There's not much call for copper in Athkatlos - no status in it."

During the interval, the Jeweler's Guild had sent some guards down into the storm drain to secure the trapdoor, and to prevent the kobolds from re-establishing control of that level. Hunting dogs were let loose in the sewers. Success was mixed.

A week or so after, the party was summoned to Voil Guldi's office at the Jewelers' Guild. A series of burglaries had struck the Gem District, first a smith had some iron files stolen, then merchants began to report break-ins in their cellars - from the sewers.

"Kobolds...again!" said Esperalda.

"They seem pretty determined to get back into the storm drains." said Jao Afonse.

"Filth beckons filth." said Esperalda.

"Perhaps something is driving them from below?" mused Osondria.

Once again, with weary hearts (but dry feet) the party prepared to enter the storm sewers...

The Maztica Campaign: Where in the World is Ferdinando Poe? Part II

The Mother of all Clogs

 (What has Gone Before)

It was dark in the sewer. The reek of  greasy smoke and burnt hair stung João Afonse's eyes.

His flaming flask of oil had struck the nearer rat-pack, immolating the vermin in a rat-pocalypse of fire.The second rat-pack had fallen upon the party, scratching and biting. To complicate matters, the kobold shaman had magically thrown the corridor into darkness - at his barking command, strands of black fog, like a thick pitch, had coiled forth from the adventurers' lantern.

Esperalda's Gnome-vision could see the outline of the kobold shaman, as well as the bright shapes of the rats all about her - running up her leg, climbing upon Diego's maille, dangling from Osondria's hair. She decided to prioritize the one biting on her leg, and slashed at it. The rat fell away with an angry squeak. 

With her free hand, Esperalda drew an unlit torch from her belt; they needed light (at least the humans did) but with their lantern extinguished (or gouting darkness, she wasn't sure how this worked) she would need something with which to light the torch. Her beady, Gnomish eyes fell upon the flickering pool of flaming oil - on the opposite walkway.

The Edge of Night

"Garl's Glitterballs" Esperalda said, to no one in particular, as she readied herself to jump the greywater channel. "I hate this sewer..."

"Try to stay to your right..." said Osondria, as she slapped hard at the rats that assailed her. "...if you're jumping. The walkway was drier to the right."

"Thanks, coach..." Esperalda said, not without sarcasm. But she angled right as she leapt. She landed, surprised by her good luck, with a semi-dry squelch.

While this had been transpiring, the kobold shaman had taken to throwing small darts at João Afonso, who was defensively pressing himself into an archway.

"I can't see him!" called João Afonso. "I can't really see anything!"

"Hold on, Killer..." said Esperalda, as she bent to the now-guttering puddle of oil. A rat's body had caught fire, and she lit the torch from the sizzling corpse. She stood up as the torch took flame.

The fire was now interfering with her Gnome-vision, but she could just make out where João Afonso's big shape bulked, relative to the kobold. Osondria was suddenly at her side, as a kobold dart struck the masonry beside her.

"Take a step straight forward, then turn a clock-point to your left..." she called to João, ignoring the cleric. Osondria readied a blessing.

"Garl Glittergold..." said Esperalda, under her breath, "...just for once, just aid my throw."

"I can work with that..." said Osondria, as she blessed Esperalda, while the Gnome hurled the torch.



The torch arced across the channel, struck the walkway, bounced once, and then landed at the kobold shaman's feet.

"Yark?" said the shaman, looking down to the flaming torch at his feet. João Afonso leapt.

"Yark!" said the shaman, as João Afonso landed on the walkway next to him, drawing his greatsword.

"Squish!" said the greatsword, as it slew the shaman.

Across the channel, Esperalda grinned wickedly. "No "Yark" today..."Yark" tomorrow."

Beside her, Osondria smiled. "There's always "Yark" tomorrow..."

Shortly thereafter, the shaman's spell ended, and light returned to the lantern. Searching the corpse, Esperalda found a bone tube, in which rested a scrap of vellum. She handed the tube to Osondria, who unrolled the scroll and gazed at the runes.

"It's a scroll of Command...for animals, I'd say..." said the Cleric. "...probably how he controlled the rats." Seeing that the Gnome wasn't really listening, Osondria shrugged, re-rolled the scroll and tucked it back into the tube, before placing it into her belt.

Esparelda was working on untying the shaman's purse; once free, she examined the contents.

"Another addition to the Trove..." she said with a grin, as she poured another dozen or so gems into her hand.

João Afonso and Diego Garzia were examining the clog.

Diego sighed, "That is one big clog...do plumbers make dungeon calls?" he asked, wryly.

João Afonso nodded in agreement. "We're going to need some shovels and rakes..."

"...and men." said Diego. "We can't clear this and carry up the "treasure".

"Speaking of which..." said Osondria, "Look who I've found."

Fernando Poe trailed, embarrassed, behind the cleric. As he explained, just before the guardroom fight, he had been hit with an intense feeling of dread and doom. so as to make it difficult even to breath. He had run along the walkway, headlong into the wall, then had fallen into the water, before getting stuck at the doors in the middle chamber. Realizing he was lost, he sat down in the dark until the feeling left him. Shortly hereafter, he had seen Osondria's magic light approaching, and had called out to the cleric.

"Fear spell" said Osondria. "Happens to us all."

"Hmph!" said Esperalda, not entirely satisfied.

A party of workers were hired, through Voil Guldi, to help clear the clog and recover the lost coins, at a 10% commission, plus expenses. As Esparelda had predicted, it took the better part of the day.  As the last barrel of coins was carried up to the street, where Osondria was keeping tally, one of the workers called to Esparelda.

"Hey, Ms. Gnome...You'd better look at this..."

The graywater level had lowered considerably, as the clump had been removed and the drains finally cleared. Through the murky water, where the base of the clump had been, Esperalda could see the faint outlines of a door...no, a trapdoor, resting in a short plinth at the bottom of the channel.

The party agreed - the next adventure they accepted would be above ground. 

To Be Continued...

The Maztica Campaign: Where in the World is Ferdinando Poe?

 (What has Gone Before)

The kobold leader lay dead at the feet of João Afonso de Villalobos, while his guards had felt the keen point and heavy flange of Man-at-Arms Diego Garzia and Acolyte Osondria D'Esserain. Several deceased kobolds bore the marks of having been shivved by a Gnomish blade - the work of Esparelda de Ragosa (almost certainly an alias), but while the Adventuring Party could congratulate their own force of arms, their hired crossbowman, Ferdinando Poe, was missing.

Indeed, from the complete lack of quarrels (aka bolts) in evidence, it looked as though Bowman Poe had never engaged the enemy. A quick search out in the corridor had yielded up Ferdinand's discarded crossbow.

"I'll wager he ran away." said Esparelda, a touch scornfully. "Cowardly humans..." 

"We should search for him..." said João Afonso. Diego nodded in agreement.

"We haven't found the cause of the clog..." Esparelda huffed. "Clog first, coward second!"

Osondria nodded in agreement. "Poe could be anywhere between here and the stairs, or even above in the streets. We can search for him on the way out..."

"Pity" said Esparelda. "We're going to need help with these coins..."

The party had discovered the kobold leader's hoard - pots and pots, chests and sacks of coins...

"...all lömmebittzen." said Esparelda. "Spare change! These idiots must have cornered the market on every bit of lost pocket-change in the city. Losers..."  She kicked half-heartedly at a dead kobold, but without enthusiasm.

"Oh well..." said Osondria. "Not all that's not gold does glitter..."

"Especially down here!" said Esparelda, gesturing at the hoard. "There must be thousands of copper pieces here. It's going to take at least a day to haul this up street-side."

"There's some silver pieces, too..." said João Afonso, helpfully. Esparelda shot him a look.

Osondria stooped and leaned against a chest - the chest shifted, as did the flagstone on which it rested.

"Well, well..." said Osondria. "What have we here?  João, could you help with this?"

Once João Afonso and Diego had muscled the heavy chest out of the way, the flagstone was easy enough to lift. Using broken kobold weapons as crude levers, the slab was raised up, until Osondria was able to reach beneath and retrieve a modest leather bag. The contents rattled.

"Great..." said Diego, with resignation. "They were gamers..."

"I don't think so..." said Osondria. "Esparelda, hold out your hands."

Into the Gnome's cupped hands, Osondria poured the contents of the bag. 

"Well, all right!" said the suddenly-less-cranky Gnome. Cascaded into her oddly large, Gnomish hands was a glittering pile of about three-score gems; large, small, and in between.

"This is what adventuring is all about!" said João Afonso, with satisfaction.

Their celebration was interrupted by a whispering noise from the corridor. Quickly returning the gems to the bag, Esparelda stowed them in her pack. 

Venturing out into the corridor, the party heard the noise again, a great rustling of many feet, and what sounded like wheels...

"...squeaking." said Esparelda. "Rats!"

Gazing down the corridor, they could see a solitary kobold, wearing an ornamental cloak, who gestured towards the top of the great, oozing pile.

A great, soggy pile; an accretion of bits of wood, twisted vegetation, slimy weeds, bits of once-colourful cloth, all mushed together in a seeping, tangled knot, atop of which squatted a crude, vaguely reptilian icon.

"Behold, Great Qürtalmak!" declared the Kobold Priest, in the common tongue. "Now, Die!"

Rushing at the Adventurers was a moderate horde of foot-long rats, on both sides of the walkway.

"João Afonso, I think we could do with some more of your oil!" said the Gnome.

...To Be Continued...

The Maztica Campaign: Return to Beneath the Planet of the Kobolds (Yes, the Sewer...)

(What has Gone Before)

New Hirelings, not yet painted...

The newly assembled party of adventurers (João Afonso the Ranger,  Esparelda the Cranky Gnome, Osondria the Cleric and hirelings Diego Garzia and Ferdinando Poe) returned to the site of their earlier encounters with the sewer-infesting Kobolds. 

Upon descending into the storm drains, they were surprised to see that the secret door to the gate lever, as well as the gate itself, were tightly closed. Before each gate was built, from assorted flotsam and jetsam, a barricade.


"What now?" asked Esparelda the Cranky Gnome.

"They're fortifying." said João Afonso.

"They just don't want a repeat of last time." said Esparelda. 

"Neither do we..." said João Afonso.

Once Osondria the Cleric had located and opened the door to the Gate Lever, Esperalda entered cautiously. Fearing a trap, she grasped the lever, and was attacked by a foot-long centipede that had been tied to the handle. The insect latched onto her leather vambrace and began to chew. Making her saving throw, Esperalda slew the kobolds' gift.

Barricades of flotsam and jetsam...

"I hate these little gobshites!" she muttered, to no one in particular, as she pulled the lever.

The gate ground open with a rusty rattle. and the PC's were only slightly surprised to see that the newly-built barricade was defended by four kobolds. They had heard the cranky gnome's hurled shouts and curses, and laughed and jeered as the gnome peaked around the corner.

"They've been busy..." said João Afonso.

"They should have saved themselves the effort." said Esparelda, "Get them!"

A Kobold Boss falls to João Afonso

After an exchange of missile fire, including another flask of flaming oil, the kobolds were driven back, leaving two of their own dead. They fell back on the first guardroom, where another party of kobolds reinforced them, including a leader and his guards.

These, too, fell before the Adventurers, but not before they managed to inflicted some damage on the party; after the scrum in the guardroom, Esparelda was down to 2 hp and João Afonso was down to 7. Diego was down to 8. Osondria brought out some scrolls of "cure light wounds", and after some debate, the party barricaded themselves in the guardroom and rested for the night.

The sounds of heavy dragging could be heard in the corridor, as the kobolds built another barricade. The next morning (assumed so by the return of Osondria's clerical spells) the party set out to further scout the storm drains.

Finding another hidden door, and Gate Lever #3, the PCs found more kobolds, defending yet another barricade.

"This is getting ridiculous!" said Esparelda.

"They are definitely protecting something..." said Osondria.

"It's probably the source of the clog." said João Afonso.

A clatter of javelins and the odd pot of sewage rained down about the party.

"We can't take much more of this skirmishing!" said Osondria. "Let's charge the barricade!" She raised her shield eye-level and leapt across the channel, slipped on the landing, and fell backwards into the grey water. The kobolds burst into jeers and laughter:

"Yark! Yark!"  It must be fish!"

"Not fish...a TOAD!"

"Not toad...a TURD!"

"I begin to understand why the Gnomes dislike these little bastards so..." said Osondria to Ferdinando, as he helped the cleric onto the walkway, taking her shield and mace. The tall cleric pressed her hands together prayerfully, drew herself up to full height, and then threw both hands out, palms open, toward the kobolds.

"άς υπάρχει φως!" she cried, as a blaze of light struck the barricade, illuminating and now blinding the surprised kobolds.

"Blind!" shrieked a kobold. "That twice in two days!"

"Don't just stand there..." cried Esparelda, drawing her bow. "Shoot the little fëkkesh!"

Arrows thrummed and a crossbow rattled, as João Afonso, Diego Garzia, and Osondria D'Esserain charged the barricade under cover of the Light Spell.

Caught at a severe disadvantage, three of the kobolds fell where they stood. The fourth one, with a heart-felt "Yark!" took off down the walkway while shielding his eyes from the effects of Osondria's spell.

"That was great!" said João Afonso. "We cleared the barricade without taking any damage."

"Why didn't you use it yesterday?" asked Esparelda, a little pointedly. The cleric shrugged.

"I didn't have it yesterday..." she said. "I prayed to the Great Helm, and He sent it to me in my dreams. Rather useful, yes?"

"Yes!" the party agreed...even, grudgingly,  the cranky gnome.

Storming the Barricade - Can You Feel the Kobolds' Sting?

"Can you do it again?" asked the gnome.

"I can do it once more, today." answered the cleric
.
"Then make it count..." said the gnome, as the cleric nodded.

A sudden,  repetitious clanging sounded from further down the passage.

"That sounds like a kobold, giving an alarm." said João Afonso.

"That sounds like a kobold, requesting assisted suicide..." said Esparelda.

"We must be very close to the cause of the clog." said Osondria. She pointed to the water - it had stopped its slow course and was welling up to the edges of the walkway.

"Let's get this done..." said Esparelda. "I'd like to sleep with dry feet tonight, for a change." She set off ahead of the party, at the very edge of the lantern light. 

"Is she okay?" asked João Afonso. "I can't see her."

"I can..." said Osondria, "...barely. She's stopped at the corner."

Esparelda had indeed reached a left-hand turn in the storm sewer, where she had seen several kobolds rush through a door, in response to the clanging. She motioned for the adventure party to keep silent.

"There's a group of kobolds beyond that door..." the Gnome whispered, so gently she wouldn't have disturbed a dandelion. "I don't know if we can take them."

"I don't want to spend another night down in this sewer." said Osondria. "Bow your heads, all."

The rest of the party complied, and Osondria said, in a low but firm voice:

"Ελευθερώστε μας από το Κακό." in benediction. The cleric took up her mace and shield.

"C'mon!" she cried. "The Power of Helm!"

The party members answered, loudly, spontaneously: "The Power of Helm!"

"And Tymora, too!" shouted João Afonso, as he kicked in the oaken door.

Charging the final Guardroom

The door fell inward on sprung hinges, as the Party charged in to a room with a half dozen, very surprised kobolds. 

"φως!" cried Osondria, gesturing, as another wave of light burst forth against the kobolds. 

João Afonso squared off against a kobold in fancy leather & iron armour, while Diego held off the chieftain's guards with his spear. Osondira was laying about with her mace, while Esperalda was stabbing at anything nonhuman that presented its back.

Between the Light and Protection from Evil spells, the kobolds didn't stand much of a chance; João Afonso's opponent managed to get a good cut in before the ranger cut him down, and Diego and Esparelda both took a nasty scratch. Ferdinand had disappeared, but even without his bow, the weight of arms was with the party.

As the last kobold breathed his final "Yark!", the guardroom was taken.

"Where's Ferdinando?" asked Esparelda, as Osondira healed her wounds. "Wasn't he supposed to shoot at targets from the doorway?"

"He was behind me, and I didn't see him at the door." said Osondria.

"I'll go look..." said João Afonso. "Maybe I can track him..."

But while the ranger found a discarded crossbow, not far from where the party had their blessing, Ferdinando Poe was nowhere to be seen.

To be continued...

DM/Editor's Notes:
This post actually encompasses parts of two sessions - with an extra month's gap between the two. That's why the hireling miniatures go from being bare metal to fully painted from the entryway to the guardroom, and the barricades change manufacturer.

In the early part of this post, the Players were taking a lot of nickle and dime damage, which adds up fast at first level. The players were both puzzled as to why this encounter was so damaging, when they were fighting "only kobolds".  I told them (directly and also via the cleric) that they were fighting on the kobolds' terms, and they had to counter this. After some thought (sleeping in the first guardroom - overnight - for two months) they adapted the tactic of throwing lit torches down the corridors, to spoil the kobolds dark sight.

Even with the occasional miss-and-plonk into the waterway, the torches at least prevented the kobolds from easily ambushing the players, and the Light spell absolutely wrecked the kobold's infravision bonus, and gave them a -1 penalty to hit as well.

Finally, Osondria the Cleric had an opportunity to adjust her spells, stocking up on more group-effective spells like Light and Protection from Evil. 

The Leap of Faith

I had hoped to finish this particular tale with this post, but it was getting too long, and it's sometimes good to pause with a mystery...

Maztica Campaign Interlude - The Five Flagons Tavern

In Which the Adventurers Recruit Some Hirelings...

(What Has Gone Before) 

The Five Flagons Tavern is a favourite amongst the city guardsmen, mercenaries, and adventurers of Athkatlos, and so is normally a sedate location for a drink or two before retiring for the evening.  

Not so this evening, however.

As Esparelda the Cranky Gnome and João Afonso, the Ranger approached, the sound of laughter and raucous song greeted them.

"Humans..." said Esparelda, "...always drunk."

"They don't sound drunk..." said João Afonso. "That's sounds like a hymn they're singing."

Surely enough, upon entering, the pair of adventurers saw a clutch of guards and mercenaries, banging their tankards in reverent unison. In the center of the guards, half-ascended upon a bar-stool, Osondria was leading a chorus of the Song of Helm "And we shall rise up in the morning, before his guiding liiiiight!"

Seeing Gnome and Ranger staring, open mouthed, at her revival, Osondria told the singer on her right "Take over, brother..." and alighted from her perch to greet her new partners. The guard immediately took up the strain "O Helm, our Strength in Ages Past."

"Just spreading the Faith." Osondria said to the puzzled looks with a smile. She had three brimming tankards in hand.

"We're not here to drink." said Esparelda, a little crossly. "We're here to recruit some muscle for the drains."

"I've got that covered." said Osondria. "There's mostly loners here tonight, except those two..." She indicated an alcove where two mercs were nursing their tankards. "They've been pacing themselves pretty well - I'd guess they're short of money.

"That's a touchy topic, here." said João Afonso. "No-one likes to admit they're short..." Esparelda shot him a look. "...of cash." he finished.

"Perhaps I can save us some time." said Osondria, placing a coin on the bar and gathering up a half dozen tankards. She walked slowly towards the alcove, with a more-than-slightly exaggerated sway to her hips.

"Is she actually strutting her stuff? asked Esparelda.

"I would say so...yes." replied Joao Afonse.

The gnome and ranger watched while the cleric, bending low from the hip, placed the tankards on the mercs' table and greeted them with what sounded like "Hello, boys".

"Did you see that? She flashed them some cleavage!" said Esparelda.

"That's not easy when you're wearing maille, either." said João Afonso. 

After a minute or two in conversation, Osondria shot them a smile and a "thumbs up". The pair approached the alcove to work out the hiring details.

(Editor's note: In Real Life, the gnome works in corporate contracts, and the ranger is a lawyer. I'll leave it to the dear reader's imagination what the hiring details were, save that there were death and dismemberment clauses; compensation for widows, heirs and next of kin, and the standard rate of pay. The results were placed into a ledger that was shortly thereafter mis-laid, to the betterment of all concerned.) 

Diego Garzia and Ferdinando Poe

As the newly formed (and probably incorporated) party prepared to leave, including the now rather tipsy man-at-arms Diego Garzia and his crossbowman associate Ferdinando Poe, Esparelda confronted Osondria.

"Hey! Where does a cleric learn how to navigate a tavern that well?" asked the gnome.

"Not to mention practically seducing those guys into service." added the ranger.

"Well..." said Osondria, with a smile. "I'm a cleric...not a monk." 

And she winked at the both of them...

To Be Continued...

The Maztica Campaign Interlude - That Stinking Sewer...

In which the Player Characters Negotiate for More Money...
 
(What Has Gone Before...)

The Adventuring Party, having disengaged from their bloody investigation of the storm sewers beneath the Gem District of Athkatlos, received rest, healing and recuperation at the Temple of Tymora, Goddess of Luck and Fortune. In addition, they have formed a short-term partnership with a cleric of Helm Hammerhand, the Lawful Good/Lawful Neutral protector deity of Faerûn, who apparently had something of a Divine Fling with Tymora - so, at least someone got lucky.

After consulting with their patron, Voil Guldi - Dwarven Gem Master, they sought to negotiate a 50% increase on their retainer...

Heer Güldi

"What?!" thundered Guldi. "Has the sewer beneath these streets, since first I hired you, grown by half again?" 

"No" said Esparelda the Cranky Gnome. "But your problem has. There's definitely a blockage, and now we know it's caused by kobolds."

"A lot of kobolds..." added João Afonso, the Ranger. "Nasty ones..."

"Very nasty kobolds, indeed..." said Esparelda. "Organised, too."

"If you leave it, this sort of trouble only gets worse...." said João Afonso.

"They're probably sneaking up to the streets at night...stealing..." said Esparelda, ''...valuables."

"...and spreading disease..." said João Afonso. To Esparelda: "Say, do you think kobolds can spread Typhoid?"

"Wouldn't be surprised..." said Esparelda. "Last night, my arm was itching like an iron golem on a rust-monster, before the priestess cured me..."

"All right, All Right, ALL RIGHT!" stormed Guldi. "I know when I'm being wrung through the wine-press." He sighed.  "But you're probably right - the ink on this deal's getting redder as we speak." 

Seeing the puzzled looks on Esparelda and João Afonso, Guldi explained, in a tone generally reserved for thicker-than-usual, "just looking" tourists,  "This is becoming less of an inconvenience and more of a problem." he said.

The dwarf crossed to his ledger, and made a notation with a nearby quill, then drew a handful of gold coins out of a lockbox. One after another, on a chequered board, he counted the coins into two neat stacks of ten, and a half stack of five, each on its own red square.

"Let it not be said that we do things in a miserly way in Athkatlos..." said Guldi, grandly. "Here is your additional advance, 25 danthers, with a balance of 50 danth...IF...you clear the blockage and get rid of those wretched kobolds." He presented a receipt,  "Sign here, please."

The Ranger and Gnome exchanged satisfied looks, collected the coins, thanked their patron, and headed over to the Five Flagons Tavern, where they arranged to meet their new partner - the cleric Osondria - and see about hiring on some men-at-arms.

To be continued...

Half-Orcs, Rats and Kobolds

28mm Half-Orcs by Grenadier/Mirliton

These Half-Orcs are old Grenadier/Mirliton casts. One of the players in my AD&D 1E game made a joke about skipping out on their contract with the Coin Lords of Athkatlos, I decided to paint these as a potential Brute Squad, to send against them; should they break their bond, these guys will break their legs.

28mm Half-Orcs by Grenadier/Mirliton

There's also a half-orc assassin, also Grenadier/Mirliton, for the subtler approach:

25mm Half-Orc Assassin by Grenadier

25mm Half-Orc Assassin by Grenadier

The rat packs are from Ral Partha, for their AD&D line. My set has been gathering dust for 20 years, as I originally had intended to use them for a game of Call of Cthulhu, but the opportunity passed. Now that I'm running a table-top RPG/combat game of AD&D, these rats will prove useful again.

25mm Giant Rats from Ral Partha

Finally, some plastic Kobold Characters from Reaper Miniatures (Bones). Let me start off by stating that I don't like painting plastic figures. The detail usually isn't as fine as metal, the medium doesn't accept paint as well (even if primed) and the miniatures bend/break more easily and are more difficult to repair.)

(I will have a longer, more critical post on plastics, the economy of the New School, Corporate Games and other jolly topics, out shortly...)

28mm Plastic Kobolds from Reaper Bones

28mm Plastic Kobolds from Reaper Bones

All things considered, these came out halfway decent - except half-decent isn't all-the-way decent. I just noticed I forgot to paint the weight-stones on the back of the spellcaster's cloak (sigh).

Left side is the tribal spellcaster - either a cleric/witch doctor or a magic user/shaman. Usually very helpful to throw the players and their carefully-laid plans into confusion. On the right is the chieftain/leader. I realised after finishing him that he's probably supposed to be wearing a combination of chaine maille and leather, not steel. Oh well...plastics.

There's another 20 common warrior kobolds that are waiting on the paint blocks. Now that I've found some Reaper Kobolds in glorious metal, I don't think I'll be finishing them...

The Maztica Campaign Interlude - Reinforcements

 (What Has Gone Before)

Osondria D'esserain, Cleric of Helm (Elmore)

As suspected, the PCs, after escaping the kobold-infested sewer, realised they needed a cleric. So on to the Temple District (which is now mostly townhouses for the wealthy) and up the Street of Seven Altars to the Temple of Tymora.

The Acolytes were very helpful; wounds were healed, baths made available, and clean robes provided ("In all charity friends, you reek of the midden. The Laundress will surely earn her keep on the morrow...") and a simple-but-hardy stew was served ("We harvest the mussels ourselves, from the mouth of the river!"). 

All for a moderate donation. "All Coin is Good, but Gold is Best. It Guarantees a Blissful Rest..."

The next morning, in the Refectory, over fresh fruit, bread and cheese, the PCs inquired if any of the temple clergy were available for hire.

"Regrettably, no..." they were informed. "Our duties preclude. But if it's a cleric you seek, mayhap the All-Seeing Helm has sent you one, unlooked for? She meditates in our garden."

"I don't think we're hiring out..."

In the garden, which was really a herb garden with some flowers planted here and there, knelt a dark-haired female cleric, in prayerful meditation. After a moment, she concluded her meditations with the sign of Helm (which looks a lot like the Black Power fist, only the hand is reversed. So really, it looks like signing to a trucker to blow his air horn, without the pumping motion.)

The PCs introduced themselves, explained their interests, and the tall cleric responded. "I am Osondria D'esserain of Waterdeep, Acolyte of Helm Hammer-Hand. I too arrived in this city intending to join the new Golden Legion, but I was delayed upon the road and my party slain, and missed my chance to sail. It seems to me that we three are destined to meet this day, so I will join you, until such time as transport to New Amn can be arranged...

...and an equal share of any treasure. For the Church, you know."

"We know." said Ranger and Gnome in unison.

To be continued...

The Maztica Campaign: Never so Bold, as a Kobold Cold...

"Now We've Got Them!"

(What Has Gone Before)

Continuing their plunge into the depths of Athkatlos' storm sewer, João the Ranger and Esparelda the cranky Gnome have found a secret door...

"Right where I said it would be!" said Esparelda, eyeing João for confirmation.

The Ranger grinned, then pointed. "Is that a lever?"

Nestled against the wall, opposite the door, was a yard-long lever, mounted onto a honking great gear, half-set in the floor. Painted in faded white letters on the stone wall, above the lever, was the legend "Storm Gate Lever 2".

"So, there's another lever and gate somewhere..." said Esparelda.

"Or, possibly, the first lever broke, and this is a replacement." Said João Afonso, dryly.

The pair pulled at the lever, and were rewarded with the a rumble and metallic scraping sound from the main passageway. When they looked around the corner, the left-hand water-gate had opened.

"Presto!" said Esparelda, then motioned for quiet and cocked her head. The sound of scampering feet and muttered hissing issued forth from the newly opened doors. The Gnome peered down the passageway, looking for heat signatures.

Faint grey silhouettes, under a yard high, could be made out, against the darker background. "Kobolds..." said Esparelda with audible disgust. "Four of them."

The Kobolds approached the door with a hopping, bounding gait. Balancing his spear in his right hand, João Afonso drew it back above his shoulder and let it fly at the lead kobold. The throw was surprisingly accurate - it caught the hapless kobold square in the face and penetrated out the back of its head.

"Garl's GONADS!" exclaimed Esparelda. "Bulls eye!"

The lead kobold died noisily. The other three shrieked, then ran away howling, down the passageway.

(DM's Notes: Once again, Derek rolled a 20, with maximum damage. The surviving kobolds' morale collapsed like a cheap lawn chair...)

As the barks and yapping receded down the passage, Esperelda laughed. "They're calling you 'Far Slayer' - you certainly impressed them."

"It was a good cast..." agreed João Afonso, retrieving his spear with a little difficulty and giving it a quick wipe-down.

The sound of a gong carried up the passage, from the direction in which the kobolds had fled. They were massing for another attack.

João Afonso was peering down the tunnel. "They've stopped running."

The kobold-rout had been stemmed by a sub-leader. Esperelda could hear the Kobolds down the passage, there was a lot of them. They were whipping themselves up, chanting "Kill the smelly Human" and "Fat, dirty, Gnome thief!" they bayed.

"Bunch of mongrels..." she muttered as she handed an oil flask to João Afonso.

The kobold pack was advancing up the passageway, somewhat more cautiously than before. Esperalda could hear the leader, in the back, egging them on. They advanced in a semi-crouch, shields raised to better cover their heads and upper torsos.

The Kobolds Advance a Second Time

"Now We've Got Them!"

Esparelda held the lantern, while João Afonso used its flame to light the tallow-soaked rag that wrapped the neck of the ceramic flask. The Kobolds were getting nearer.

"Kill the white-skins! Kill the surface-runners!" they chanted.

"And kill that fat, dirty Gnome in the back!" yelled the leader.

"Motherless scum..." hissed Esparelda. "Let 'em have it, João!"

João Afonso threw the flaming flask of oil, more with a side-arc curve than an overhead shot. It flew over the head of the lead kobold, shattered on the stone wall, and sprayed the following ranks like fiery judgement.

"AAaaaiiiieeee!" Shrieked the middle three kobolds, as the blazing splash struck the leader full in the face.

"Blind!" it screeched, clawing at its eyes. Turning, the leader ran into the wall, then fell backwards and disappeared into the grey-water.

"Smells Like Burnt Dog Hair"

The surviving Kobolds had quite enough. "No more burning!"

João Afonso raised his arm, as if to throw again. "Do you yield?" He was answered by the clatter of weapons and shields being thrown to the pave-stones.

Ranger and Gnome advanced to secure their prisoners.

"They're kind of pathetic..." said João Afonso. "We shouldn't just kill them..."

"Vermin!" said Esperalda. "They deserved to burn..." 

Post Game Thoughts

The kobolds each had 2 hit points - it was just easier to track. This made the splash damage of the flaming oil more effective. Once again, hot dice from Derek helped make the difference, and taking out the leader is a great way to shatter a kobold's morale.

When the PCs decided to use flaming oil, I had some trouble finding the mechanic. The ranges and saving throw were easy enough to locate, but the Throw procedure wasn't anywhere I could find it. Eventually, I settled on the Chaosium percentile skill check.

Kobold Cam

Heritage Goblins were used as stand-ins for the Kobolds, though I do have some Heritage Kobolds somewhere, in their wee shorts and vests, they look like bell-hops. Some packs of Reaper Bones Plastics (Ewww, filthy Humans) arrived today, so I'll have proper Kobolds painted up for our next session.

It was interesting seeing how João Afonso/Derek played his character's Chaotic Good alignment, vs Esparelda/Megan's Chaotic Neutral. Derek had asked whether his character should be concerned with Esparelda's alignment. I answered that, broadly, both characters agree on the principles of individual liberty and personal responsibility - the Gnome just has a tendency to do what is "expedient".

"So, you'd better keep an eye on her..." I said.

He agreed...

To be continued...

The Maztica Campaign: Waste Management

"Now I know what they mean when they say 'Forbidden Wastes'!"

(What Has Gone Before...)

Early the next day found João Afonso Villalobos, Ranger and Esparelda Ragosa, cranky Gnome Fighter/Thief, opening a storm drain access grate with a key given to them by Voil Guldi, merchant and member of the committee on public work for the local Jeweler's Association. The faint reek of stagnant water grew stronger as they descended the sweaty stone stairs, accompanied by the vague odor of urine.

"Someone likes to pee down their drains..." said João Afonso.

"Eww!" said Esparelda, "Filthy humans..."

They both paused on the stairs. Below, they could see a stone-flagged chamber, about 30' wide, with a 10' wide channel, running down the centre. The channel was brimming to over-flowing with frothy, brownish water.

"There's got to be a better way to get some gold." muttered the Gnome, as she prepared to light the lantern Guldi had provided. She fidgeted with her flint and steel, awkwardly holding her sword beneath her arm.

"Maybe put your sword down?" remarked João Afonso, helpfully.

"I'm not putting anything down..." said Esperelda crankily. "All we need is for my sword to get dropped in that pool o'shite..." She jerked her elbow toward the effluvium below them. 

"Anyway, the wick's alight" she said, as the sputtering flame caught and grew brighter.

"That's your sleeve..." remarked João Afonso, again helpfully.

"Fornication!" yelled Esperelda, batting at her flaming sleeve with a leather-clad hand, simultaneously dropping the lantern, which João Afonso deftly caught.

(DM's Note: Esperelda's player, Megan, had rolled a 1 on her Dex check, while João Afonso's player, Derek, had rolled a 20 on his. The suggestion to put down the sword, and the rejection, was genuine. The impulse to protect the lantern, the loss of which to be taken from their wages, would grow in importance as the game progressed. Players are funny.)


Descending the stone stairs, both characters were able to step over the dreadful grey-water and alight with a wet slap upon the walkway, which ran on either side of the channel. Both assessed their situation. The channel sluggishly flowed to a "T" intersection, then diverted both left and right, before each arm passed around an elbow curve and then underneath a large metal gate on either side.

"We have ourselves a pair of floaters..." said João Afonso, indicating with his spear three brown, foot-and-a-half long torpedo shapes in the water.

"They're moving against the tide.." Esperelda said, "and coming straight for us!"

Three "waterbugs" attacked, trying to latch hold of soft leather while attempting to burrow into the tasty pink meat beneath. João Afonso stabbed the first one as it clambered out of the water, looking aghast as the skewered insect hissed at him from the end of his spear.

Esperalda hacked at another with her sword, missed with a clang and another curse. "That's gonna leave a ding..." The beetle bit her ankle, partially penetrating the thick leather boot. "Ow!" she howled. "So is that!"

The Beetle Battle

João Afonso had meanwhile driven his spear down into the water at the edge of the walkway, trying to dislodge the dying "waterbug". The spear lodged in a crack, left his hands with a wrench, and stuck shaft up, a foot or two out of the water. A third "waterbug" bit at him, but gained no purchase. João Afonso unlimbered his halberd from his back, and cut the thing in half.

Esperalda had been busying herself by cutting the legs off her own personal insect opponent, and as it ran about in a semi-circle, she stabbed it behind the head. It died with a hiss.

(DM's note: Basically, three Fire-beetles from MM1. I made them a bit small, with fewer hit points. I wanted a small challenge, but nothing too dangerous. The PC's also harvested the glowing glands, to sell, and made themselves vomit whilst doing so. Gad, they're desperate for money...)

A short while later...

Esparelda is surveying the steel doors on the left-hand channel.  "These can't be picked from this side. There's no lock to pick."

"Maybe there's a lever..." remarked João Afonso, helpfully tapping with his recovered spear.

Esparelda began to tap with her sword-pommel along the wall by the base of the entry steps. "If I were a Civic Engineer, I would put my lever behind a secret door, as close to the entryway as possible..." she stopped. "Nothing" she said. "Maybe the other side."

João Afonso reached past her shoulder and pressed a stone that looked out of place, helpfully. A section of wall about 3' across swung inward, a darkened recess beckoned.

"Presto!" he said.

Post Game Observations
Nothing particularly earth-shattering happened during this encounter. Just before the beetle attack, I made some "bubbling" noises, which caught the PCs attention and had them tense up a bit. Most players are a bit pessimistic, so it usually pays to let them sweat for a moment, fearing the worst, while the unknown approaches...

To be continued...

The Maztica Campaign: Pre-Season Training

Our first session of AD&D 1E was hosted this past Saturday. Only half of the intended party was included, as only half of the party hadn't played in at least a decade and, like the DM, were sorely in need of a refresher.

The Characters
João Afonso Villalobos: 1st Level Human Ranger, the younger son of a poor-but-proud Imnescar landowner.  Chaotic Good adherent of Tymora.





Esparelda Ragosa: 1st Level Gnomish Fighter/Thief. Second daughter of an itinerant Gnomish tinsmith. Neither of her names is particularly Gnomish, suggesting she's using an alias. Chaotic Neutral and Tymora will do. A bit shifty...



Part 1: Introductions

The scene opens at the capital city of Amn, Athkatla. The PCs have been conducted there by commissioned recruiters, to join the company of reinforcements, gathered for service in Maztica (The Nu World).
Unfortunately, the company they were supposed to rendevous with had already sailed (several days ago) and the PCs were forced to take lodging in the city to await the next levy.

Prices in Athkatla are high, even in the poor River District, rents are nearly double the book rate, and the PCs have spent most of their starting money on their armour, weapons and other kit (one player decided to buy a spear to save money, rather than the sexier sword).

With resources dwindling,  the PCs decide to look for work. Visiting the Shrine of Tymora, after making a donation ("When a coin to Tymora drops in the coffer, a seven-fold return she will surely offer.." the dæconess assured) they were rewarded with a referral to speak with Voil Guldi, a Dwarven merchant in the Jeweler's District.

After a short, confused interval, when Heer Guldi mistakenly assumed the PCs where there to wash down the coal cellar, the Dwarf, reading the clerical referral, offered a job: inspect the stormsewers beneath the market plaza and determine what's blocking the street drains from properly draining. The job pays 50 gp each.

Despite their financial straits, the PCs decided to haggle.

João Afonso: "It sounds dirty..."
Voil Guldi: "It IS dirty. That's why I'm hiring scallywags like yourselves."
Esperalda: "I'd hate to ruin my good clothes..."
Voil Guldi: "Just as well you're not wearing them, yes?"

Both parties finally arrived at a final sum of 75 gp each, plus two scrips, each redeemable for a Cure Disease casting, should either of the PCs need one upon return. Also included were some rope and a lantern - Guldi also threw in an old set of boots the Gnome could use as hip-waders.

"Of course, you may keep whatever loot you may find."

The PCs then asked for an advance, which after some more haggling, the Dwarf agreed to advance 25 gp, providing they left some articles as security. João Afonso's Tymora medallion and Esperalda's good boots were left behind, to be reclaimed on return.

That evening, as the PCs retired to the upper garret of their jointly rented shack, having dined on some roast poultry, purchased by their advance, Esperelda was melting tallow candles to waterproof Guldi's old boots.

"Are we missing some candles?" she asked João.

"Well, we've been frying bread in them..." he remarked, removing a chicken leg from his pocket as a pre-bedtime snack.


Post Game Observations
I haven't run AD&D in 30 years, Call of Cthulhu and Traveller having dominated my RPG world. It was rather amusing how these other games informed my decision-making: Starting the PCs off at near-penury (as Derek phrased it) is an old Traveller device, making doing a job a higher priority than simple "adventuring". The PCs are believably "pushed" where the DM wants them to go.

Also, the PCs knew each other, albeit casually, for some years - Esperalda's father would occasionally sharpen the pruning bill hooks on João Afonso's father's farm. I can't stand when new PCs awkwardly tiptoe around each other on first meeting - there's something to be said for piling your PCs onto a boat and then wrecking them onto a strange shore, "Lost" aside.

Dangling the conspicuous commercialism above their heads also seemed to drive home the message that the PCs were running out of money, and therefore time.

For some reason, I couldn't find the data on stat checks (the 1E books, while chock full of data, are atrociously organised (speaking as a former Technical Writer - EGG's kids should have bought him an Index for Father's Day) so I fell back on Chaosium's mechanic for Call of Cthulhu - multiple the stat by five to obtain the percentile range of success, 96-100 being a critical failure, anything under 20% of the necessary amount indicates a critical success.

Next time: Descent into the Depths of Waste-Water Management...