Shifty Louts Session 20: Hard Choices at Night’s Cavehold
Players
- Monterey od Mecanizio-Manzaza, Rust Clan Barbarian (Chance)
- Alias: Bonty Banconziao of Bonzonza
- Stout Bigguy the Greenlander Acrobat (Phocas)
- Yellowlander disaster tourists of Arnisto, Astia, Belina, and Benito (NPCs)
Summary
The First of Oldsecond
The early ultraviolet morning sees the group learn more about neotroglodyte from Sergeant Dormenta as they apply heavy dollops of zinc sunscreen on the veranda of Stormhold. The group learns that soldiers escorted the Deep Bluelander as they gave a hefty donation to the CUPs
The sergeant says they have strange eyes, and some soldiers say they are part of a wizard cult. He’s never faced them, but Fire Base and the CUPS issued new visors to block out their powers, apparently. The group learns of a road that is cut along the mountain from Noonhold and that neotroglodytes are found further up the mountain near a place called Night’s Cavehold.
After some banter, the sergeant gets the idea that the two are doing off-the-books CUP work and doesn’t ask questions anymore as the group leaves Stormhold.
The group leaves and by noon hears lost tourists in the bush as they attempt to find the road through the jungle. The group poses as safari guides and learns the group is lost Yellowlanders on some disaster tourists who got lost from Saint A.n.t trying to find their safari guide, Amber One-face. Their map is soggy and wet, but legible enough to give the group a better lay of the land.
Discussions and banter are had, as Monterey and Stout perform a mime show and offer to escort them to a sight of large neofauna called Night’s Cavehold.
The Yellowlander tourists agree, and the group proceeds to attempt to find the road, but nightfall prevents them.
The Second of Oldsecond
Belina awakens our two safari guys as three Swamp scavengers are rustling through the tents. Monterey and Stout spring into action and quickly (and savagely) kill all three. One even begs for his life before having his throat slit by Monterey.
The safari guides run the pockets of the scavengers and find 6d and a viscous talking budgie named Justin who accuses the two of murder as the Yellowlander tourists are in shock at the ultra violence. Eventually, Justin flies away vowing revenge as Stout assuages any fear and they finally find the road as another blue pea souper rolls in with air plankton.
The group eventually finds the road and heads west further up Old Mountain, eventually finding the small fungi village of Hard Choice, a friendly lot who invite them for aerolith ambrosia. Stout does his act once more, much to the non-delight of the village, who, out of politeness, give him 7d.
The group asks about neotroglodytes and learn the are further up near a blue door, but advise them to turn around and seek out Noonhold or Saint A.n.t as nothing ever good comes from the site of the dead Blue God.
The group learns more about the nature of the dead Blue God, and the Yellowlander tourists still say to press forward, even after the morning’s ultraviolence.
The group pays from their aerolith ambrosia and reaches Night’s Cavehold.
The Third of Oldsecond
The group reaches Night’s Cavehold. Pieces of the cyclopean dead Blue God hang in the thick pea-souper. A blue door is embedded within the rock of Old Mountain. Arnisto is the first to push open the doors. A waft of cinnamon spills out from the rough-hewn entrance.
Aftermath
Treasure Found
- 6d from the Swamp Scavengers
- 7d collected from Stout Biggy’s performance in Hard Choice
- 3 river oars taken from the Swamp Scavengers (given to the Yellowlander tourists)
Foes Encountered:
- Three local Swamp Scavengers
- Justin the Vicious Budgie
Rumors:
- Arnisto, Astia, Belina, and Benito are Yellowlander tourists who work for Diamante
- Saint A.n.t is further upstream from Noonhold
- A CUP fort called Cup Hold is further upstream from Noonhold
- The village of Hard Choice sells Dead God Materials and Aeroliths
- The villagers of Hard Choice steal honey from the bee-people who live in the Blue Land aeroliths, making it into “aerolith ambrosia” or “sky honey”
- Eating the dead Blue God turns one into a neotroglodyte
- The Ruins Azure is composed of pieces of the Dead Blue God
Deaths:
- N/A
XP Awarded:
- 13d earned
- 30xp for killing the Swamp Scavengers
- 300xp for traveling three hexes
- 343 / 2 = 172xp/per
Notes
Justin will fly to Saint A.n.t and report the murders of Cleetus, Austace, and Billjimin
Stats for the Yellowlander Tourists
- Arnisto: STR: 12 | DEX: 10 | WIS: 8 | HP: 4
- Astia: STR: 11 | DEX: 11 | WIS: 10 | HP: 1
- Belina: STR: 12 | DEX: 11 | WIS: 11 | HP: 1
- Benito: STR: 14 | DEX: 11 | WIS: 10 | HP: 2
Night’s Cavehold with use Blark’s Dungeon of the Blue Door as the dungeon
- Not sure if I want to use all of it. Need to decide
A lot of the session relied on relaxing, trusting myself, and using the wilderness exploration procedures to allow encounters to drive the story. The Yellowlander tourists and the friendly village of Hard Choice were useful in providing and fleshing out additional local context, while the introduction of Justin the Budgie as a villain should prove interesting down the line.
The dungeon element should be quite the challenge for the group given the size and how Blark keys the dungeon (this should be fun, however), so I’ll likely pull back on encounter frequency and size. I’ll likely structure more on atmosphere (leaning into tactile senses) and tension (mounting implied threats and dwindling resources) rather than overt combat.