Chapter 5: I'll Show You the Door

It was pointed out to me that I really screwed up the ghoul encounter back in chapter 3. They get three attacks, not one. If I played that encounter accurately, someone likely would've died, but there's nothing I can do now. I'll try to be more diligent in the future.
UNE Wraith background: A well-traveled, highly respected scholar. Spacey, but speaks in rapid bursts. Affluent in life, penniless in death.
That explains what we saw in the room.
Scholar's cause of death (Maze Rats Omens): Trapped in endless darkness.

The wraith appeared to be wrought from pure darkness, from his thin, hateful face to his undulating eldritch robes. He hovered silently in the middle of the room, scanning the trespasser with cold eyes.

"You're no worker," the wraith remarked after a long pause. "Have you come to pilfer what's left?" he inquired with a deadly stare. "Or were you hired to slay my former colleagues?"

"Ah, well, you see... sir," the thief stammered, his hands shaking and clammy.

"Out with it!" the wraith barked harshly.

In the hall, the party sat deathly still, cursing the necessity of their breathing.

"We were hired to clear out the undead, sir," the half-orc croaked meekly.

The wraith slowly orbited his quarry, testing his claim within his arcane mind. Not once did his gaze leave Urukubarr, and the thief could swear it was sapping the heat from his bones.

"Where are the others, half-orc?"

Commoner morale check: Failure.

Cahran's eyes went wide as a terrified scream broke the silence. He turned just in time to see the new recruit fleeing from the hall, her forsaken sword clattering upon the tiled floor.

"Stop!" Juho cried, but she was already gone. Within moments, her hysterical prayers faded completely.

"Damnit! Nobody panic!" the bard bellowed.

How hateful is this wraith? Does this amuse him?
OPSE Yes/No (Likely): Yes, and he is utterly thrilled.

A blacker tear ripped across the wraith's blackened face. To call it a smile would be a mistake.

"Ahahaha! Yes! Run! Run, you pathetic worms!"

ROUND 1
Urukubarr declares a full retreat.
OSE Initiative: Party first.

"Fucking go!" Urukubarr screamed, evading the accursed wraith as he emerged into the hall. All at once, the party burst into a full retreat. Cahran lagged behind, impeded by the weight of his weapon and armor.

Cahran is by far the slowest member of the party. If he can't appease the wraith somehow, he's dead. The party flees unimpeded, as their path does not come close to any unexplored rooms.

Cahran was alone in the dark. Before him was a hellish thing bent on human suffering, its mere presence extinguishing all hope. What could a mortal do in the face of such terror?

"I-I yield!" Cahran squealed, throwing down his battle axe.

"Do you now?" the wraith cooed.

Does the wraith make a demand? If not, he kills him. I'm not rolling any attacks; Cahran's situation is hopeless.
OPSE Yes/No (Even): No.

"Hrk!" the man choked as a ghostly hand seized his throat. The warmth of his collapsing body dissipated as his soul writhed in unnatural torment. Cahran was no more.

...

OPSE Set The Scene: All is not as it seems.
OPSE Altered Scene: Not altered.
The party makes it back to their usual tavern, but...
Mythic Action/Subject: Malice Fears.

Tense faces huddled around a table. Not even the bounty they seized could dispel the unease in their spines.

"More wealth and more death," Taadia remarked grimly.

Does anyone in the party know what wraiths can do? I think Bimhesa might. I'm going to roll his INT. If the d20 is equal to or less than his INT, he succeeds.
Bimhesa INT check: Success.

"There's something you all need to know," Bimhesa spoke, his voice filled with concern. The others turned to face him.

"What is it?" Juho asked before taking an unusually small sip of rum. The bard wanted to keep his wits sharp tonight. Just in case.

"Cahran was no doubt slain by the wraith. That means he too will become one before long."

"You're shitting me," Urukubarr gawked at the mage.

"I'm not," he replied matter-of-factly.

The conversation was interrupted by the footsteps of an approaching wench.

"Ah, we don't need any more rum," Juho grunted, waving her off dismissively.

"That's not it," she replied markedly, nodding her head towards the bartender. He shot the party a firm glance, and gestured towards the door. "We keep seeing you come back from that academy with fewer faces than when you left, and... look, we don't want any trouble. You all have to leave."

"Fine," the thief spoke up. "We're out of here," he asserted to his comrades.

"Just a second," Taadia interrupted him. "Bimhesa, how much time do we have before Cahran comes around?"

"Enough," he answered. The word carried multiple meanings, as he shot a subtle glance towards the wench.

"Alright then," she sighed, getting up from the table.

The steamy night air embraced the four as they left the tavern. One thought occupied their minds: What now?

"I think it's time to leave the city," Urukubarr declared. "I hope you all didn't have families here."

Did they? Urukubarr doesn't, and I don't think Taadia cares, but what about the other two?
OPSE Yes/No (Even): No.

"I didn't, but I'm gonna miss my bandmates," Juho sighed.

"I was only here for work before I met you all," Bimhesa muttered, his thoughts elsewhere as he looked at the stars.

"Cama is a hellhole and I'm glad to be rid of it," Taadia spat bluntly. "I suggest we pawn off the gems and take the next caravan out of here."

"Yeah," Urukubarr grunted.

Everyone gets a share of 512 gold and the same in XP, rounded down. The leftover gold paid for their drinks, I reckon. Anyway, Urukubarr is now very close to reaching level 2, and the entire party has become quite wealthy. So wealthy, in fact, that I'm wondering how they're going to take all this money with them.

"I never thought in all my days that I'd have to wonder how to secure so much wealth," Bimhesa remarked. "I think I shall hire some protection."

"Me too," Urukubarr nodded. "Come on, let's find an inn."

And so the group set forth into the winding maze that is Cama. Vine-entwined establishments sat packed together on tightly knit streets, the curtains on their windows swaying in the damp breeze. Large insects buzzed and chirped all around while the occasional rat scurried underfoot. Religious iconography was painted, erected and etched upon all things, reminding the faithful and faithless alike of who held dominion here. A lonely guard watched the four warily from his post, but left them alone as they passed by.

The four adventurers knew that this would be their last night in Cama for a long time.

What a chapter. I actually played out Cahran's escape at first. The wraith missed him four times as he fled to the barred windows in the classroom while Spotify chose to delight me with this comically appropriate song. Miraculously, he then succeeded on his Force Door roll and burst out the window, swearing vengeance on the party. Then I realized he didn't have a light source...

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Pub: 31 Aug 2022 21:41 UTC

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