Session 11: Where Should We Hide the Bodies?

Increasingly alarmed by the expanding area of necrotic flesh, growing outwards from his Huecuva wound, and the sickening stench of decay that arose from it, Balinor hastened to a temple of Mithras in search of aid.  He had heard sorcerers speak of an incantation known as Suleiman's Sovereign of Purity, which was said to remove the taint of corruption from food and drink and he hoped that it might prove effective in removing the taint that was growing within his body.  Balinor was taken before the high priest of Mithras who elected to demonstrate the power of the One True God in hopes of swaying him from the worship of false gods.  The priest laid Balinor upon an altar and prepared the tools needed to work his sorcery.  The ritual was completed and the power of Mithras had stopped the spread of corruption, but the tainted necrotic flesh would need to be removed lest infection spread.  The priest cut out the dead flesh with a sacrificial dagger, then bathed the wound with spiced wine vinegar before placing a handful of maggots in the wound and binding it with linen.

Once Balinor was feeling stronger the group set out once again for the necropolis to plumb the depths of the catcombs beneath.  They continued their exploration by searching a room full of burial alcoves, which had proved extremely lucrative in the past.  Unfortunately these ones were empty except for a grey ooze that was concealed within one.  The disturbed ooze lashed out at Ebin with a pseudopod then slithered out of the alcove to consume him.  The ooze was quickly destroyed, but Ebin's brand new plate mail was reduced to a melted ruin and was quickly discarded before the acidic ectoplasm penetrated the armour's underpadding to reach the flesh beneath.

Unwilling to remain in the catacombs unprotected, Ebin convinced the party to return to Catapesh so that he could buy new armour.  However as the group emerged from the crypt they found half a dozen city guardsmen waiting for them, led by Captain Jerhyn Dragomere.  The slighted nobleman smiled at thought of avenging himself upon Ebin, and announced that, in the name of the Overlord, they were under arrest for tomb-robbing.

Ebin responded by hurling two throwing axes in succession at his nemesis, wounding him, while one of the hireling crossbowmen fired a bolt at a guardsman, killing him instantly.  Dragomere ordered his men to retreat, and they fled back towards Catapesh.  Realizing that they had now added resisting arrest, murder, and assault upon a noble to the charge of tomb-robbing, the party realized that they could not let the guardsmen reach the city and the chase was on.  Despite the head start that the guardsmen had, Ebin, Tohm, and Chale were unarmoured and eventually caught them near the outskirts of the necropolis.  Three of the guardsmen turned to engage the pursuers while Dragomere and one other continued on towards the city to get reinforcements.  Tohm and Chale continued their pursuit, while Ebin stayed to fight the three guardsmen himself.

Tohm and Chale quickly caught their quarry, but Captain Dragomere cut down Chale the thief, killing him, while brother Tohm died upon the spear of the guardsman.  Meanwhile, Ebin had killed the three guardsmen he was fighting and arrived just in time to slay the now badly wounded Dragomere before he could get away.  Balinor and the crossbowmen finally caught up and joined Ebin and the lone remaining guardsmen.  Realizing that if brought to justice, the entire remaining party faced the death penalty, they killed the last guardsman to eliminate the last witness.  The question now was how to dispose of the bodies and after a lengthy debate it was decided that they should drag them behind a nearby crypt and leave them unlooted.

As Ebin was now badly wounded, Balinor, the hirelings, and he made their way into the city to rest, heal and recruit.  There they met a sorcerer, and his bodyguard, who wished to explore the ancient Atlantean ruins in the necropolis.  They joined the party and set out to resume the exploration of the catacombs.

Once back in the dungeon, the party set to knocking down another bricked up entrance.  The noise from the hammering drew all sorts of attention, however: first a band of mutated mongrelmen, then a pair of ravenous dead, and finally a trio Huecuva, one of which managed to inflict one of their dreaded tainted wounds upon Ebin.  When the party finally broke through the wall they found a completely empty chamber.

The session ended with the party having looted not a single coin, while losing an expensive suit of plate mail and two party members, one of whom, Tohm, had been the last original character to have survived since the beginning of the campaign.  Ebin triumphed over his adversary, Jerhyn Dragomere, but at very great cost.