Comparing versions of The Trial of the Champions
Showing changes between February 28, 2023 at 8:59:09 pm (crossed out) and February 28, 2023 at 9:04:11 pm (underlined)
Memories come flooding back to the companions... They had been visiting at Blackrock during Festival Week, staying at a less than salubrious establishment called the Swaying Donkey Inn. The Trail of Champions, a deadly challenge beneath the city, was much discussed by the patrons and considered the highlight of the celebrations. The ruler, BaronHukhumvit, offered a purse of 2,000 gold crowns to anyone to survive his dungeon. That same evening Vahlok the innkeeper, a mean pig faced man, was uncharacteristically generous with his sweet wine. Our party concludes foul play has lead them to play the Baron's deadly game.
Sir Hugh a friendly, if guileless, knight naturally concludes he must command and our elderly wizards are happy for him to lead. He follows a helpful white arrow painted on the floor, pointing north, ignoring exits to the east and west. Grimgor pads silently behind the group. Meanwhile, Dirk and Zorba seem to have slipped away.
They encounter a room with an archaic statue, similar in appearance to Isabella, Goddess of Love. In her outstretched palms are two scrolls of similar appearance. There is a grating in the ceiling and sunlight floods down along with the sounds of laughter and the chink of money changing hands.Kethran knocks off one scroll with a pole and reads it carefully, it is a scroll of Protection from Evil. Fagen reads the other and is cursed. The magic conversely making the wizard more vulnerable to the wicked. There is much laughter at his misfortune echoing from above. Sir Hugh leads on to the north.
Next is a wide room, perhaps once a great dining hall. 6 small chests sit on 6 large stone tables. The chests appear new, while the tables are from a long forgotten age. The knight casually opens a container and is rewarded with handfuls of silver coins. Everyone else stands well back but gives no word of caution to the oblivious Sir Hugh. Unfortunately for the brave man, as he reaches inside the 5th chest vicious teeth spring from the wood and chop his hands off. The thing scuttles away to the west, unmolested by our horrified heroes. Poor Sir Hugh stumbles about spraying blood and screaming in agony before collapsing dead. Fagen quickly loots his corpse andKethran orders <his man> to wear the noble's plate armour, a task done without complaint.
Keen to avoid the creaturecreature, the eastern route is taken,taken with leads down a narrow,steepflight of stairs, the body tumbles down into the darkness and out of sight. This soon revealed to be into a catacomb, with skulls in various alcoves. The troopstroop overhears the grizzly sound of rending of flesh up aheadfrom below andSteff the Unbeaten is ordered in front. HeA quick sweep of torch reveals a low ceilinged and two sets of blood redbloody eyes. The heroes quickly take that path up and out of the graveyard. 20 minutes of trudging they reach a t-junction is reached, fromt-junction. From the eastwest a man, possibly Dirk the mages take the westerneastern path which leads them annoyed by Grimgor's insistence in staying at the back ofback, the pair demand he towards where Dirk's cries onesonce emanated. The rogue is Reluctantly healing potions are applied and asapplied. As Dirk recovers he explains prize, the competition is impossible, howeverimpossible. However, there is a secret
The now blind Dirk leads them to an ancient thrown room where a seated rotting corpse wears a golden crown. Our heroes remain excessively suspicious and refuse to touch the treasure. To the east they can hear the crowds chanting "Codgers! Codgers! Codgers!" Dirk fumbles with his fingers but finds a small switch behind the chair and opens a secret door with stairs leading upwards. There is an empty barracks and the sound of guards at their leisure beyond. The watchmen are ambushed, but appear to be a gang of champion body builders, such is their constitutions, and are not easily overcome. Grimgor holds the warriors off while the scholars, now without any magic and badly wounded flee. Dirk is left to his fate as he stumbles about in the barracks room. 2 guards sent down to chase are ambushed with lucky shots back in the throne room.
Kethran and Fagen chance the stairs again and find the barracks empty but hear the tramp of running feet elsewhere in the building. They flee into a filthy alley, to the west is the main road, the crowds press in and they throng continue their chorus "Codgers! Codgers!" However the eldery duo do not fancy their chances and have simple revenege on their mind. Fagen, the master of the piss soaked alley, unnervilying finds a way through the grimy gloom to the rear of the Swaying Donkey Inn where, pressing their ears to the greasy glass panes, the unplesent sound ofVahlok the traitorous innkeep can be heard. Fagen throws a cobblestone through the window andKethran follows with a torch.Vahlok flees through the back door, only to be turned into a pin cushion and poked with oil soaked torches.
Festival week ends, and the Trial of Champions remains yet unconquored. Two minor mysteries are debated over in the tap houses and markets of Blackrock. Who killedVahlok the Shady, and what ever happened to those two codgers?
