Session 17

The party:

• Ploikal (MU4)
• Erimewn (MU1)

Treasure: None. Update (2024-01-15 09:24):

Loot pilfered from the late Aralal’s emporium:

• 127 SP & 78 GP.
• Spellbook (1: Read Magic, Detect Magic, Protection From Evil; 2: Detect Evil, Knock, Locate Object, Wizard Lock; 3: Dispel Magic).
• Two scrolls: Shield & Light.
• Sturdy spectacles set with tinted glass.
• A bottle of pills.
• Plans for reconstructing a machine of the Ancients.

XP: 0 907.

Casualties: None.

Report:

Day 1

• Ploikal makes plans for the upcoming ritual to call on Uggoth for aid in getting Aralal and Dugalu to forget about The Ring.
• They need an appropriate sacrifice. He buys six bulls of increasing age and remarkable appearance, for the grand sum of 1000 SP.
• He also asks around for a lead on where Ganomar’s party resided and kept their treasure. He is pointed to a barn at the edge of town. He is also told Ganomar employed the services of Duma, Duma and Duma for safekeeping of their valuables.
• Meanwhile, Erim studies Shazulamur’s spellbook to learn hold portal.

Day 2

• The next morning, Erim, bleary-eyed, concludes his studies with no result.
• Together, Erim and Ploikal head to the barn that was used by Ganomar’s party as residence.
• Ploikal casts invisibility on both of them. Erim keeps an eye out while Ploikal searches the barn. Alas, they find nothing of value.
• Upon their return, Ploikal offers to tutor Erim.
• They spend the rest of the day studying hold portal together.

Day 3

• The next morning, they are forced to conclude Ploikal’s tutoring has not made much of a difference. Erim still doesn’t understand the spell.
• Erim goes for a long walk to get some distance from Ploikal.
• Ploikal visits Aralal. In a roundabout way he gets the items acquired from Ganomar’s party identified. Boots, armor, sword, and shield previously owned by a variety of ancient heroes. Aralal does not buy the story that he had no hand in their demise. Ploikal vows to resume their search for machine parts. Aralal expresses great enthusiasm for the prospects of actually building a machine and advancing human progress in doing so. Ploikal reads his mind and discovers Aralal’s true motivation is something closer to world domination.
• Ploikal also visits Neferha to have two potions identified: a healing potion, and one of undead control.
• Erim is gifted the scroll taken from Ganomar’s party. He studies it and discovers it to be a ward agains magic.
• Erim resumes his studies around noon.
• Ploikal brings the cattle and their oruxes to the temple, in preparation for the ritual the next day.

Day 4

• The next midday Erim finishes studying once more, and again has not made the desired progress.
• Upon sunset, they arrive at the temple. A shooting star has indeed appeared in the starry heavens.
• The ritual is performed. All six cattle are slaughtered and piled up at the feet of the massive statue of Uggoth in the main shrine. Acolytes sing, the head priest petitions the god, and then nudges Ploikal that it is time to make his case.
• Ploikal pleads with the god, and to his shock and amazement, the eyes of the statue come to life and observe him and the other worshippers.
• In a final moment of doubt, Ploikal looks into the near future to see if the god will respond favorably. He has a vision of the god admonishing all present in a thundering voice. Ploikal loses his nerve and runs for the exit, with Erim close behind. Behind them, from the shrine, they hear a booming voice scold the head priest…

Day 5

• The next day, Ploikal visits Neferha again. He inquires about the possibility of brewing a potion that would have people forget certain things. Neferha consults her books and claims such a thing would be possible with the right ingredients, but that it will likely never be an entirely permanent effect. Expressing disappointment, Ploikal leaves again.
• Ploikal and Erim meet to discuss what is to be done about Aralal, and Dugalu, now that the ritual appears to have failed. After much deliberation, they conclude the whole thing can’t be helped: they need to murder both Aralal and Dugalu.
• That night, they make their way to Aralal’s Emporium, once again invisible.
• Using a knock spell, they open the front door and sneak in. Carefully moving through the silent shop on the ground floor, they climb stairs, and find Aralal sitting up in his bed, reading a book by lamp light.
• Ploikal uses mind control to make Aralal consider him a trusted friend and ally.
• Having not brought any weapons, Ploikal ties a rope into a noose, and still invisible, throws it over Aralal’s head.
• Aralal responds with great shock and begins to claw at the noose. Ploikal becomes visible again, and struggles to choke his opponent.
• Erim, meanwhile, pulls out a dagger, and attempts to stab Aralal, but misses.
• Aralal is stabbed by Erim on a second try, throws off Ploikal, and runs out of the bedroom.
• Ploikal and Erim follow close behind. Aralal tries to slam the door in his face but fails. Ploikal casts haste on both of them, and Erim blasts Aralal with a magic missile.
• Hasted, Ploikal and Erim now easily overtake Aralal.
• The provisioner tries to push Erim aside, but fails, and is stabbed yet again. Ploikal delivers the coup de grace, with another magic missile barrage.
• Aralal’s ashes fall to the floor. His final scream echoes through the shop.
• Ploikal and Erim shrug, and turn to begin ransacking the shop, thoughts of how to make their escape from town occupying their minds.

We end the session, and the first season, there.