MÖRK BORG: Chapter I: Nurse the Rot

[Stormbringer]

The dagger comes out of the corpse's chest with ease. From the look of the corpse, it seems the dagger may have been laced with some kind of poison.

Am I ok to keep it?

Absolutely. It's only d4 damage (not as good as the d6 handaxe you own), but you may keep it as a backup or something.

[Animalmother]

Marvellous

Malaiz is chuffed with his new dagger and gives it a few experimental swings while making swishing noises.

[Stormbringer]

So, what's everyone going to do next?

The party is somewhat spread out across the northern half of the 'outer ring' of this subterranean structure.



We've got Fechr and Malaiz in the room to the east, looting a dead corpse (do either of you want to actually see what else the corpse might be carrying?)

We've got Lord Margar and his devoted friend Giant Dances the Sea over in the west, near that strange hole in the ground.

Prügl and Grin are somewhere in between.

[Sly Boots]

Giant would like to poke a mushroom.

[Wrathbone]

I'd like to carefully inspect the mushrooms, but first I'm going to cover my mouth and nose with whatever clothing I can use in case any spores or similar are released.

[Stormbringer]

Both Lord Margar and Giant Dances the Sea inspect one of the mushrooms.

Giant Dances the Sea pokes it with his usual exploratory finger technique, while Lord Margar, wrapping a strip of cloth around his face (torn off a shirt or something), crouches low and inspects the fungi up close with his eyes.

Could you both roll a Presence test (d20) to see if either of you recognises the shrooms?

[Raid]

Can I poke my head out into the corridor and just see what's on the other side of that grating in the passage that headed east from the central room?

[Wrathbone]

Could you both roll a Presence test (d20) to see if either of you recognises the shrooms?

Good grief... natural 1.

[Sly Boots]

Slightly better... 17!

[Stormbringer]

Lord Margar doesn't have a clue what the mushrooms are.


BLADE OF THE ANCESTORS
"Ugh. Useless child. Of course you don't know what it is, do you? Forgotton all your herbology lessons, eh? All that private tuition down the drain. A good use of your dear father's resources, I dare say...especially after you ruined his shield just now. A lesser son of greater sires indeed!"


Giant Dances the Sea, however — being hatched in a swamp, and possessing strange knowledge beyond the ken of man — knows exactly what the mushrooms are. Eating them is not only restorative to one's health, but can significantly enhance one's physical and mental performance! It would be beneficial if everyone in the group ate one.

Can I poke my head out into the corridor and just see what's on the other side of that grating in the passage that headed east from the central room?

Certainly.

Having collected his one hundred silver coins, Fechr lopes forward and pokes his head through the archway to the south of the room he's in.

He sees a room to the south, lit by three torches along the outer wall. The room is filthy, full of scrappy debris and mud. Five strange creatures sit in the mud, eating it and regularly urinating into a series of holes in the floor. The creatures are man-sized, but very spindly, with long, gangly, clawed limbs and lashing barbed tails. They have needle-toothed mouths and horns jutting out of their heads. One of their kind lies dead in the dirt nearby. All of them are armed with daggers, similar to the one found embedded in the body of the corpse in the room to the north (now in Malaiz' possession).

[Sly Boots]

With a broken cackle of glee, Giant picks every mushroom he can find, and distributes them to the rest of the party.

Is Giant aware of whether the affects are permanent or temporary and, if the latter, how long they might last?

[Wrathbone]

BLADE OF THE ANCESTORS
"Ugh. Useless child. Of course you don't know what it is, do you? Forgotton all your herbology lessons, eh? All that private tuition down the drain. A good use of your dear father's resources, I dare say...especially after you ruined his shield just now. A lesser son of greater sires indeed!"

I dangle the blade precariously over the hole. "Feel like scouting ahead?"

Can I see how deep the hole is or hear anything in the singing that triggers the memory on the edge of my thoughts?

[Stormbringer]

With a broken cackle of glee, Giant picks every mushroom he can find, and distributes them to the rest of the party.

Is Giant aware of whether the affects are permanent or temporary and, if the latter, how long they might last?

Giant Dances the Sea knows the effects are permanent, but with unpredictable results. Usually positive.

BLADE OF THE ANCESTORS
"Ugh. Useless child. Of course you don't know what it is, do you? Forgotton all your herbology lessons, eh? All that private tuition down the drain. A good use of your dear father's resources, I dare say...especially after you ruined his shield just now. A lesser son of greater sires indeed!"

I dangle the blade precariously over the hole. "Feel like scouting ahead?"

Can I see how deep the hole is or hear anything in the singing that triggers the memory on the edge of my thoughts?

With your torch you can see the hole is about six feet deep, and there is a dark tunnel leading off from the bottom. Something at the bottom glimmers in the dark, reflecting your torchlight.

BLADE OF THE ANCESTORS
"Oh yes, by all means, drop me down the hole and lose the greatest weapon you've ever owned. You do realise just how finely crafted, sharp, and well balanced I am? Quite unlike yourself, of course. While you'll find yourself defenceless, I'm sure I'll be found eventually by someone of finer breeding."


Test Presence, Lord Margar (d20+3) to see if you recognise the strange song you hear from the hole.

[Sly Boots]

Giant would like to scarf down a magic mushroom.

[Raid]

Fechr will quietly step back and inform the rest of the party that there's a room full of monsters ahead.