(TFT) The third, cave of water

[David Michael Grouchy II <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>]

The third, cave of water


     I design a new campaign and take everyone on it.  For some reason I
haven`t figured out that a new setting or a new city doesn`t require an entire
new campaign.  Well sort of.  This is still the period where players expect to
take their existing characters to any adventure.  So it is a new campaign, but
the characters are preexisting.  It starts with trying to sell the new setting
to Ward.

     ``You arrive here by ship.``  I`m showing him the side view sketch.
``The entire city rises up this mountain slope from these docks.``  I have
sketched in buildings, towers, and steeples rising up the slope.  ``The higher
you go the more important you are.``  Underneath the entire mountain is hollow
and there is a lake.  ``Some buildings have back rooms that look out on the
underground sea.  There are docks, and ships, and tunnels in all
directions.``

     There is a sketch of a galley with no sails and four stick men polling
along.  ``And each tunnel leads to an adventure.``  I`m running away with
myself cause I think it`s such a cool idea. ``And the whole party can bring
their gear on the ship, and store all their treasure there until they are
ready to come back.``

     Ward looks up form the picture and just looks at me.

     I don`t know what he`s thinking but he doesn`t look happy.  I don`t want
to risk a no if he is unwilling to risk his characters so I ask in a small
voice ``Want to make a new character and just try it out?``

     He nods.  ``Yeah, Ok.  I`ll do that.``

     Nothing to lose right.

     Well we play.  He gets everyone to make new characters to just try it
out.  But it quickly becomes obvious that Ward has no intention of going down
to any of the water tunnels or even the sea under the mountain.  Instead Ward
stays on the surface and attacks people who live up hill from him.

     Eventually the temple of Xorn declares war on him.  Now this is Wards
first main character who is a wizard.  During one fight all his hirelings are
killed and he uses up all his fatigue.  They take him prisoner, drag him to
the temple of Xorn, chain him to the wall.  The cell has two other prisoners
and the skeleton of a third.  They leave and lock the door.

     ``I hang on the wall till I get 2 fatigue back then cast lock knock on
the chains.  I have high enough IQ to cast just by speaking.``

     Thinking the story is already over I resist a little bit.  ``Minus four
dex for the Iron Chains.``  He misses, but just barely.

      ``I wait for another fatigue.``

     ``Ok, roll.``  He makes it.

     I drain strength from the other two how much fatigue do I get back.``

     ``Uh, roll.  Um, no dex minus.``  He makes it.

     ``And roll.``  He makes it.

     ``Four points.  One of them is now unconscious.``  I figure he is going
to knock lock on the door and I start to figure out what kind of guard is in
the hallway.

     ``I make an illusion of a demon.``  He rolls 3D and makes it.

     Like moving though lead I reach over and pick up one dice.  I move my
hand out to the middle of the table and roll it.  It`s a four.  ``You have a
lesser demon.``

     ``Get me out of here.``

     I shake it off and play the demon, as best I can, in the way Ward has
just been playing his mage.  ``The demon picks you up and kicks open the
door.``  Roll 6d vs 50 ST . . . nineteen.  ``There is a spearman in the hall.
The demon teleports behind him.  He carries you up the stairs, out the door
and into the courtyard.  He teleports to the gate, opens it with one hand, and
then teleports you home.``

     ``Those temple of Xorn people are going to pay.``



     The next time we play Ward makes sure everyone is there.  The old
characters arrive by ship.  Each player hires soldiers at daily rates out of
ITL.  It`s a small army.  They march on the temple of Xorn, kill everyone, and
take over the place as their own.

     Ward`s victory words are ``See Mike.  That`s all I want.  An army of
fanatical followers.``


David Michael Grouchy II

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