New Adventure in 4AD - in the city of Verania

In the city of Verania, death lurks beneath the streets.  As merchants and peddlers sell their wares in the market and peasants wander in shambling mobs, evil stalks from the depths to snare unsuspecting stragglers and drag them below. 

A particular merchant, a wealthy jewel dealer named Honsul, has gone missing.  The trail of Honsul’s apparent kidnapping led constables to an abandoned temple in the outskirts of Verania.  This temple to some forgotten god reflected the slums and ramshackle buildings that comprised this section of the city, from an era lost in decay and ruin.  In the belly of this temple they found doors into dark catacombs.  The constables went in, but only one returned.  The survivor raved about monsters and death around every corner. 

Now a reward has gone out, a call for adventurers and heroes; to venture forth into that dungeon, to save the merchant Honsul, and to lay waste to the denizens of those black warrens.

Answering the call are four daring travelers.  Asril Ervang is a born warrior; she is a tattooed giant skilled with an archaic great-sword.  Sertan Vesray is a roguish swashbuckler, keen with his rapier and a set of lockpicks.  Durn Ummos is a cleric of Luura the Shining One, bringing healing and light to the darkness.  Issendath is a deadly wizard who has stepped from the shadows of his mentor to prove his worth.  Together they entered the temple and found the doors to the dungeons.

1). The entrance was a room filled with rotten furniture and the dust of time.  Further in, a path split to the west and to the east.  Sertan’s sharp eyes and with the help of his lantern saw footprints more focused to the east.  Brave Asril clutched her great-sword and led the group to the east to a simple wooden door.  She pushed it open.  (Entrance)

2).  A corridor beckons them, with a tunnel that splits to the north with paths east and west, and a door ahead facing east.  There is nothing visible within these halls, so Asril approached the door to the east and opened it.  (Empty, Search empty)

3).  A narrow short corridor headed north to a door.  Yet in front of the door are seven short goblin swarmlings.  These diminutive goblins were kneeling, like in prayer, as they faced the door to the north.  Asril led the charge with Sertan beside her.  Her great-sword cut two of the swarmlings down before they realized they were not alone.  They desperately drew weapons and tried to attack back, but for naught.  Asril cleaved through the remaining small monsters, scything through their limbs and bodies like chaff.  Sertan spied 4 gold among the little bodies.  Durn held a brief prayer, clutching his holy symbol to the Shining One, and the group opened the door to the north.  (Vermin, Warrior exploding 6)

4).  The room before them was a square with no other exits.  A worn white carpet led to a gilded wood throne on a short dais.  A cloaked figure, feminine in form, sat upon this throne.  She stood as the party entered the room and pulled back her hood.  A Medusa!  Her snake-like hair hissed and a pulse of vile energy lanced towards the heroes.  Asril took one step and suddenly her body froze, her entire form petrified into stone.  Sertan had tried a somersaulting roll but the Medusa’s gaze latched onto him and he became stone as well.  Durn placed his hand on Asril’s frozen shoulder and called forth to Luura, bathing the statue in a brilliant light, which freed the warrior.  Issendath pointed to the Medusa and called forth the winds of magic, and a bolt of lightning struck the monstrous figure.  She reared back, fearing for her life.  Asril, now not bound by the Medusa’s petrifying gaze, leapt upon the dais and hacked the fiend down.  Durn blessed Sertan, freeing him as well from a stone form.  Asril found a scroll with a protection spell which she handed to the wizard.  Issendath felt invigorated by this stretching of his arcane talent.  The group headed back out to take the first corridor, heading north and to the east.  (Boss, Wizard leveled up)

5).  There was another corridor before them heading east, with a door on the northern wall.  Although appearing empty, Sertan found a discolored stone along the wall.  As he tried to pry it open, a horde of twelve rats scurried from the shadows behind the group, to leap upon the cleric and wizard.  Durn used his mace the best he could, smashing aside the vermin, but tiny teeth were able to get through his armor.  Issendath recited a deadly incantation and unleashed a fireball, incinerating scores of the rats.  With the rats destroyed, Sertan pulled out the stone and found a pouch containing 96 gold.  Now the heroes chose the door to the north.  (Empty, Search, Hidden Treasure, Alarm, Vermin)

6).  A narrow short corridor goes north to a door.  Sertan spots a clue in the dust along the floor.  It appears to be a piece of cloth, a rich fabric and not yet covered by grime.  This must be from the kidnapped merchant.  Determined the adventurers open the door to the north.  (Empty, Clue)

7).  This room has a path heading east and west.  Sarcophagi line the northern wall.  An ancient dread feeling occupies the room.  As the group heads to the eastern door, one of the sarcophagi explodes open.  Out shambled a mummy!  The cadaverous form, wrapped in funereal linen, swings rotted limbs at the cleric, a hated beacon of light in its evil eyes.  Asril and Sertan both cut at the mummy, but Durn is able to channel divine wrath, felling the undead monster.  The cleric spent a moment to pray to the Shining One, to free the evil spirit that had dwelled in the ancient carcass.  Sertan found a healing potion hidden among funeral shrouds.  The team took the door to the east.  (Special Event, Wandering Monster, Boss, Cleric leveled up)

8).  This was a square room, unoccupied except for chains and shackles along the walls.  A couple skeletal remains were still held fast in these restraints.  Sertan found another clue.  It appeared the merchant had been held captive in this room at some point.  They were closer to finding him!  Back to the west they went.  (Empty, Clue)

9).  A round room held a door to the west.  A circle of columns surround the room, with the wreckage of stone benches littering the floor.  Two giant centipedes scurry over the rubble.  Asril cut the large insects down before the group took the western door.  (Vermin)

10).  Another small corridor lies before them, with a door to the north and one to the west.  Strangely a handful of gold coins are scattered on the floor, 8 of them.  They take the north door.  (Treasure)

11).  A corridor goes north with a hall branching off west, with a junction at the end of the western path.  Asril started along the corridor when abruptly the floor gave way beneath her.  A trapdoor!  The warrior hit the bottom with a cursed shout.  As she brushed herself off she spotted 7 gold lying in the hole with her.  Sertan lowered his rope so Asril could climb out.  They decided to head back and take the door to the west.  (Treasure Protected by a Trap, Trapdoor)

12).  The corridor before them curls around to the south and east and has a door to the west.  But two trolls were there.  The warrior and rogue advance, cutting one of the monsters down.  Sertan is hit back, dropping to one knee.  Asril quickly kills the second one.  Together they chop the trolls to pieces to prevent them regenerating.  In a pouch carried by a troll they find jewelry valued at 130 gold; possibly belonging to the kidnapped merchant.  They take the western door.  (Minions)

13).  A small corridor has a door to the west.  Nothing of interest was seen.  They take the door to the west.  (Empty, Search empty)

14).  The large room has a door to the north and to the south.  Shattered stone coffins are haphazardly placed throughout the room.  Four zombies shamble out of their ancient caskets.  Asril beheaded one of the undead.  Then Durn brought forth divine energy into his mace and with righteous fury destroyed the remaining zombies.  The heroes chose the door to the south.  (Minions, Cleric exploding 6)

15).  Another small corridor it has a door to the east.  It was empty.  They take the eastern door.  (Empty, Search empty)

16).  A room has a long corridor stretching to the east to a door.  Six skeletal rats greet them.  Asril accounted for three of the undead.  Durn smashed two of them and Sertan handled the last one.  To the east they go.  (Vermin)

17).  A corridor leads to a large room with a door to the east.  Four goblins sprang up as the team entered the room.  Asril attacked, claiming one of the creatures.  Sertan sprang into action; impaling one goblin, disemboweling the next, before decapitating the last.  They find 5 gold on the corpses.  Through the east door they go.  (Minions, Rogue exploding 6)

18).  This room was similar to the one they found earlier, with chained skeletons along the walls.  Sertan found another clue.  The merchant was most definitely in this dungeon and had been in this room very recently.  They were closer.  Back the way they came!  (Empty, Search, final Clue, Someone Imprisoned)

* 16 * In the room they had killed the skeletal rats they were ambushed by nine hungry rats.  Issendath and Durn were both bitten by the rabid pests.  Asril retaliated in frenzy, killing four.  Sertan claimed three with his rapier and Durn finished off the last two.  (Wandering Monster, Vermin)

* 15 * As they cross into the corridor just south of the room they found the zombies, a bellowing beast bull-rushed the party from behind.  A Minotaur!  Issendath was slammed against the wall.  Durn hit the monster.  The Minotaur hit the wizard again and Issendath was on the precipice of death, his body mangled and bleeding.  Durn used his divine energies to heal all of the wizard’s wounds.  Issendath conjured forth a bolt of arcane lightning onto the monster and Durn hit the beast one final time to finish him off.  Asril was enraged by these monsters constantly surprising them, she vowed to get the team out of this dungeon in one piece.  Sertan found a potion of healing on the Minotaur.  They crossed the room they fought the zombies and took the door to the north.  (Wandering Monster, Weird Monster, Warrior leveled up)

19).  This room had a door to the north and east.  But the party did not need to go any further.  The target of their quest was before them.  Honsul, the kidnapped merchant, was shackled along the western wall.  But standing over him was the largest ogre they had ever seen.  This massive monstrosity was a towering brute of muscle and carnivorous appetite.  Asril swore vengeance, cutting the giant ogre across its large belly.  Durn scored a minor wound on the monster.  Sertan used his lockpicks and began trying to free Honsul from his shackles.  The ogre hit Asril, ripping apart her armor.  The warrior spit blood and dove forward, driving her great-sword deep into the chest of the ogre.  The ogre fell.  Honsul was freed.  Asril searched the ogre to find a pouch with 100 gold.  Issendath sought to focus his arcane energies in preparation for their return trek through the dungeon, but he still felt weak from his near death experience by the Minotaur.  The group made their way back to the catacomb entrance.  (Boss, Final Boss, freed Prisoner, Wizard failed level up)

* 5 * The team was only three areas away from the doors out of the dungeon when a strange croaking sound came at them from behind.  A vampire frog pounced on Issendath, biting him in the arm.  Durn was able to swiftly kill the frog.  From its bloated remains the cleric found a scroll with the sleep spell, which he handed to the wizard.  They only had one corridor more to go before they would reach the entrance area.  (Wandering Monster, Vermin)

* 2 * The long corridor abruptly echoed with a familiar bellowing sound.  A Minotaur charged into the rear of the group, knocking aside Durn.  Issendath hastily brought forth the scroll he had just received, casting a sleep spell on the Minotaur.  As the beast collapsed, Asril moved forward to finish it off.  She found a magic bow hung from its belt.  On to the entrance area they went.  (Wandering Monster, Weird Monster)

* 1 * The entrance area was unexpectedly filled with flying darting figures.  Seven vampire bats descended from the ceiling.  Durn and Issendath were both bit.  Sertan cut down two of the bats.  The cleric swiftly cast healing energy on the wizard, saving Issendath from death once more.  The wizard gathered his power and released a fireball, scorching four of the bats.  Sertan was bit as the last vampire bat decided to fight to the death.  Asril swung and tore through the last bat.  Bloodied and very weary, the party and the rescued merchant exited the dungeon.  (Wandering Monster, Vermin)

The heroes led Honsul to safety.  The merchant gladly gave his rescuers jewelry, a pile worth 140 gold, and a magical ring of teleportation.  Together the adventurers made their way to an inn, to recuperate and to plan how they would spend all the treasures they had accumulated.  They would have scars and memories to remind them of the day they braved danger to save an innocent man.  Meanwhile, they had gold to spare and the city of Verania had plenty to sell to those with wealth to share.

Final party sheet after the dungeon.

Final dungeon.