[Let's Play] Dragonsword of Lankhmar: Thieves' Guild Assassins

[Dogopolis]

The weren't at the Great Library last time. With no other real evidence, let's just look for them there again.

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, let’s check the library out.

[Beroli]

They are not at the Great Library.

Word has it that Kontol the Storyteller might be able to help you find the two you seek. He hears all the news in the city and will reveal it--for a price.

Tossing a bronze rilk in his bowl, you sit down among the children to listen.

The old man looks at the rilk, frowns, then continues with his tale. "The two young heroes weren't afraid of the ground that buries. They rush into the place, looking for the treasure they knew was hidden in a dark corner."

1) This doesn't make any sense! Grabbing the old man, you drag him to his feet and demand he tell you what he knows about Fafhrd.

2) You patiently wait through the long story, and through Fafhrd's next two turns.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to grab him and demand to tell him what he knows about Fafhrd. Two turns is far too long IMO.

[Dogopolis]

I vote to listen. I don't think we'll get anything from him through violence, and the dartboard of possible places makes it unlikely we'll hit in 2 turns. The game may be over by then, but I think patience is the less bad option. (Beroli, if JN reiterates his desire for grabbing him then go with that, I will withdraw all objections)

[JourneymanN00b]

Going to change my vote to a half one due to Dogopolis’ reasoning, as there is merit to that explanation.

[Beroli]

"The clue was in my story all along," the old man cackles as you pay him a gold rilk for information. "Weren't you listening?"

Thinking back to the story, you ponder the meaning of the ground that buries. It must be the Lankhmar Burial Grounds! Hurrying there, you start searching among the tombstones for Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.

Did the storyteller really know where they two are? Use the Combat Table; the result is a hit and so he did!

[Beroli]

PRIMARY PLAYER CHARACTER: Claw

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Class: Lycanthrope Warrior

Level: 12

Armor: Magical Enchantment

Hit Points: 30/30

Weapon: Claws. You have two attacks per round.

Damage: Each hit does 13 damage, and the wounds your claws inflict fester, causing an enemy whom you have hit to lose 2 hit points every round for the rest of the fight (does not stack with itself).

Special Powers: Because of your exceptionally fierce nature, you take half damage from all nonmagical attacks, and ignore any extra effects from nonmagical “double damage” results. (That is, if an enemy’s text says that they do 10 damage normally and also cause their target to miss the next round on a double damage result, they’ll do 5 damage to you on a hit and 10 damage on a double damage result, and you won’t automatically miss any attacks.) Since there is a full moon during this adventure, you will regenerate 5 hit points worth of damage after every battle you survive.

Description: You are a powerful Werewolf Warrior. The Thieves’ Guild hired a wizard at great expense to summon you here. This is the guild’s last, desperate attempt to destroy Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and Hoorik had better pray that you die trying. You appear to be perfectly human while roaming the city. Only those you fight learn what now stalks Lankhmar.





Claw’s Ally: Fang

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Class: Weretiger Warrior

Level: 12

Armor: Magical Enchantment

Hit Points: 30/30

Weapon: Fangs.

Damage: Fang’s fangs do 17 damage, and the wounds his fangs inflict fester, causing an enemy whom he has hit to lose 2 hit points every round for the rest of the fight (does not stack with itself but does stack with Claw’s claws).

Special Powers: Because of his exceptionally fierce nature, he takes half damage from all nonmagical attacks, and ignores any extra effects from nonmagical “double damage” results. Since there is a full moon during this adventure, he will regenerate 5 hit points worth of damage after every battle he survives.

Description: Fang is a powerful Weretiger, brought here from another planet by an evil cleric at great expense. Fang likes the look of this place, and is considering starting his own Thieves’ Guild in the ruins of this old one. He appears to be perfectly human while roaming the city.



Thief Trainees

Each Primary Thief Character gets one set of trainees who Hoorik sends along on this mission. They are not particularly competent, but they are completely devoted to whoever is in charge. They fight collectively, as one unit. They do 6 damage per attack and have 15 total hit points.

[Beroli]

The Thieves' Guild spies tell you that Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are on the Street of the Gods. Where will you look for them?

Temple of the Rat God
Temple of Kos
Temple of Aarth
Temple of Mog
Temple of the Earth God
Temple of Issek
Temple of the Gods of Lankhmar
Marsh Gate
Shop of Ogo the Blind
Outdoors on the Street of the Gods

[Dogopolis]

With no further info, I would like to just keep hitting the temple of the gods.

And Merry Christmas.

[JourneymanN00b]

I will also vote for the Temple of the Gods.

Merry Christmas to all.

[Beroli]

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are not in the Temple of the Gods of Lankhmar.

"They're in the Black Temple?" you gasp. "What do you mean the guard said they are in the Black Temple? No one goes in there!"

"That's what I heard," repeated the spy, "from the Overlord's own bodyguard!"

Reluctantly, you head for the Street of the Gods. It is crowded today, all except one part. No one stands near the first temple on the street--the Black Temple! All too soon, you're approaching the worm-eaten, copper-bound doors. They're not locked. There's no need. No one in their right mind would go in here!

1) Enter the Black Temple, the Temple of the vicious Gods of Lankhmar (as distinct from all the gods whose primary defining feature is something other than this city).
2) Wait outside to see if Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser emerge.

[JourneymanN00b]

Going to vote to enter the temple.

[Dogopolis]

I'm leaning towards waiting them out. We only have this set of guys now so we don't want any big fights, but it's only a leaning. I'll let JN make the final decision.

[JourneymanN00b]

Now that I think about that, I think that our targets might not even be there if we go in, since we only have the spy’s word. I will change my vote to a half one.

[Beroli]

You wait all day and see no sign of the two you seek. Suddenly a women glides out of the temple door! You start to question her but, before you can, she is accosted by the Overlord's troops!

That woman is your only lead! You leap to do battle!

Claw hits twice for 26 total damage. The troops are infected. Fang misses. The trainees hit for 6 damage. The troops miss.
Claw hits twice, finishing off the troops.

The woman, far from being daunted by you both turning into monsters, is very grateful and offers to help you.

Her name is Alica. She has 18 hit points. Every odd-numbered round, she attacks once with her shortsword which does 7 damage on hit; every even-numbered round, she attacks twice with her dagger which does 5 damage on hit.

Your turn ends there, and you wait for Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser to end their turn.

[Beroli]

The Thieves' Guild spies tell you that Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are on the Street of the Gods. Where will you look for them?

Temple of the Rat God
Temple of Kos
Temple of Aarth
Temple of Mog
Temple of the Earth God
Temple of Issek
Temple of the Gods of Lankhmar
Marsh Gate
Shop of Ogo the Blind
Outdoors on the Street of the Gods

[Dogopolis]

This doesn't seem to be working. Let's go (throws dart) to the temple of Kos.

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, let’s go to the temple of Kos.

[Beroli]

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are not in the Temple of Kos.

You have searched up and down the Street of the Gods for hours and haven't found a thing. Finally, in desperation, you head towards the Marsh Gate. On your way, you pass the most humble of the temples, some of which are nothing more than tents. As you stand near one, however, you feel a chill go over your body. Without knowing quite why, you walk inside.

An old soothsayer sits on the floor. At your entrance, he looks up. "Give me all of your gold!" he demands.

1) Hand over all your gold.

2) Shove past him and leave by the back exit.

[Dogopolis]

Give him the gold, it's not like we've ever had any use for it.

[JourneymanN00b]

Sure, I vote to hand over the gold.

[Beroli]

The soothsayer catches the purse you toss him with surprising agility.

"You are seeking two called Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. For the paltry sum you have given me"--the soothsayer sneers--"I can do no more than transport you to where they are/were."

"Are/were?" you repeat angrily. "Look, don't get cute--"

A magical light bursts in your face.

Turning around, you find yourself in a strange chamber with two doors. Above the doors are the words FUTURE and PAST. As you stare into each of the two doorways, you see images of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser shimmer into view. You can reach them by entering one of these doors, but which one?

1) You go into the Future door. Use the Combat Table. If you get a double damage result, you find Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. If you get any other result, you arrive somewhere else.

2) You go into the Past door. Use the Combat Table. If you get a special result, you find Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. If you get any other result, a past enemy of yours injures you; your group takes a total of 10 damage (split up as you wish, but no therianthropic reductions, nor does this count as a battle for regeneration) and you remain in this room; choose again.

[JourneymanN00b]

The odds of success are too low to risk any damage by going into the past door, so I vote to go into the future door.

[Dogopolis]

Onward to the future.