[CR] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim (MAJ 05/12/17) [IN ENGLISH]

[Sammael99]

Merci pour le CR !

Et bien voila une tentative de sauvetage qui c'est mal finit, avec 2 pjs mort c'est cas de le dire.

Très chouette CR en tout cas ^^

Et l'occasion de mettre en scène le pittoresque système juridique de Vornheim ;-)

[Dante 059]

C'est clair que c'est franchement particulier ce système, pas étonnant qu'il soit repris comme tel en Voidvoja ( A Red and Pleasant Land conseille de reprendre ce systeme pour la justice ) ^^

[Sammael99]

Les nouveaux personnages:

Makabee the confused Northern Elf (M)
Makabee is a Northern Elf and Wistul's cousin. He has been sent over from the Elven lands to meet with Wistul and convince him to come home. Makabee enjoys his magics, perhaps a little too much. One of his spells in particular has the secondary effect of forcing a gender change onto him each time it is cast. Makabee has been enjoying casting that particular spell not because of its primary effect but because of the gender change. That's in fact the real reason (although he doesn't know it) he has been sent to Vornheim: he's entirely too bizarre for the Elven society and they hope he never comes back.

Humboldt Barley the cretinous Halfling (M)
Humboldt Barley is an incredibly lucky Halfling, and that's probably what has kept him alive all these years: he is also probably the stupidest Halfling in the history of Halflings. He is convinced that he's really good at whatever he does, and that everyone admires him despite evidence to the contrary. He lives as a vagrant in the streets of Vornheim but that doesn't strike him as odd. He often says that he once met a long dead Carnifex of Vornheim in the sewers near the Palace Immense, but it's probably just drunken talk. He admires Makabee and usually sticks with him.

[Sammael99]

Session 5-6 Epilogue

In our next installment, some of the following questions may be answered:

• What happened to the alleged necromancer that fled from the Whitefish mausoleum?
• Why are granary cats to be found in the sewers?
• What exactly is this Undertaker's Ball and will our heroes want to venture there?
• What mysterious activities is the Taxidermists' Guild a cover for, and will they accept their defeat?
• Are the Versheim catacombs worth exploring and why is the Count paying so little to get it done?
• How will Wistul get rid of his brown scars before they turn him into an undead? And what will happen to Jack's infected corpse after his death?
• Will Dwimberg consider Sabrina's debt repaid despite her failure to procure the bracelet?
• Will Signor Rallentando leave the city and dissappear or will he stay to enact revenge and/or acquire the second bracelet from Dwimberg?
• What are these damn bracelets?

[Sammael99]

Session 7: The Undertaker's Ball

The day of the Undertaker's Ball has arrived. It is to be a masked and costumed affair. Valya and Wistul are very keen to get to the bottom of it and understand why the necromancer from the Whitefish family mausoleum had an invite (and hopefully identify who he was as well...) Makabee, Wistul's cousin likes the idea of a party, and Humboldt rarely overthinks any decision, so he's game too. Sabrina seems to have disappeared since Jack and Elan's execution.

They decide to go as follows: Valya will be dressed as a mock wizard with starred robe, pointy hat and a black leather mask. Humboldt will pretend to be his manservant, wearing a hooked nose mask and a ruff. Makabee will be his ladyfriend, wearing exaggerated elf features. The fact that she is currently a woman is a convenient coincidence. Wistul is not disguised and pretends to be Valya's (or rather Reginald Whitefish's) bodyguard.

The ball takes place in the long low building of the St Cuthbert's Mortuary. As the four approach, they are struck by the powerful smell of formaldehyde that seems to pervade the building. A guard in red livery and wearing a wig (but with a sword by his side) takes the fake Reginald's invite and welcomes him. His manservant and bodyguard will have to stay in the servant's welcome area (he waves to the side) but he and his lady companion are most welcome.

Valya and Makabee walk into the reception area. The entire place is candlelit and guests are lavishly dressed and (for the most part) masked. The tasteful music is produced by a string quartet standing at one end of the room. Waiters are dressed in black with a smooth white mask on their faces and Makabee quickly notices that there is something odd about them: they seem to move a bit too slowly. Makabee also notices a good number of fat cats sitting on beams above the party or standing by the curtains on the sides of the room.

In the servant's area, Humboldt starts stuffing himself with the (rather better than usual) fare and making friends. Wistul stands next to the corridor that connects the side room with the main hall where the party is, just in case Valya and Makabee need his help. After a while, he notices that just outside of the corridor some of the waiters have gathered, staring at him listlessly. One of the two guards standing between the ballroom and the side room tries shooing them off, but they seem to come back, to the guard's mounting irritation.

Back in the ballroom, Valya notices a rotund man disguised as a theatrical devil (complete with barbed tail and fake red fork). His posture seems somewhat familiar although Valya can't quite place him. He decides to go speak with him. Meanwhile, Makabee's attention is attracted to the cluster of idle waiters near the servants' room. She immediately notices that the waiters are looking at Wistul, although she can't quite figure out why. While one of the guards again tries to yell ineffectually at the waiters to get them to do their jobs, Makabee walks to the second guard and, mumbling under her breath touches him on the shoulder. This utterance of Mornay's Secret of Lasting Friendship (1) formula causes him to change gender back to male. The guard turns around and looks at Makabee with friendly eyes:
- Oh, it's you my friend! So good to see you here!
- It is indeed!
- Love the transvestite elf costume. They are strange buggers, these elves, aren't they...
- They sure are! I actually have an Elf friend in the servant's area there (he points at Wistul). You wouldn't mind letting him in, would you? He's missing out on all the fun.
- Sure, I'll let him through, just make sure that my colleague doesn't see him.
- Great! See you soon!

Wistul passes unnoticed by the second guard. Humboldt, seeing Wistul goes through, follows discreetly.

Valya is chatting with the theater devil gentleman but the man seems guarded and himself fishing for information. He asks Valya if he knows what is going on behind the velvet door, pointing. Valya looks in the direction the man indicates and notices an ornate side-door guarded by no less than four guards. At this very moment, the door opens and a fantastically beautiful woman walks out. She is thin and tall but curvy where it matters. Her skin is impossibly pale but her lips are ruby red. Her hair as dark as night. "Great costume", Valya gurgles worriedly.

The woman walks towards the guests and immediately is surrounded. She grabs a glass of ruby wine handed to her by one of the guards and starts talking with the guests. Her cristalline laughter resonates in the room and all around her seem entranced. Worried that the wine is not what it seems, Wistul quickly chants the words to Allaskobe's Wonder Identification but determines the wine is not magical. Outside, it starts to snow again (2). A few minutes later, having sipped all of her wine, the pale lady walks back to the ornate door and walks through. The guards block all those who try to follow.

Makabee and Wilbur join Valya in the ballroom, not noticing that Humboldt is right behind them, drinking wine and laughing with guests surprised and delighted at what they assume to be some sort of clown act. "We should try to slip behind that door", Makabee says. Seems to be where interesting things are happening..." But just as they are starting to plot to do so, a guard walks to Valya and says: "Sir Reginald Whitefish ? You are kindly requested to join The Committee. Follow me please."

Valya hesitates an instant then walks towards the ornate door, escorted by the guard and followed by Humboldt who manages to slip inside unseen and hide behind a wall curtain. Valya walks towards the center of the room where a few old but comfortable looking couches have been laid. Five people are standing or sitting there, including the disturbingly stunning lady Valya noticed previously. Valya also spots a few cats languishingly lying in front of a chimney.

- "Welcome, Sir Reginald. For those not in the know I am Lady Tate, but you have probably heard of me under my real name, that of Lady in Tatters. We at the Committee are glad to finally meet you in the flesh, so to speak. Let me introduce my colleagues."

Lady Tate points to a man (or creature) disguised with what looks like really ancient cloth bands and wearing nothing but an old and worn iron crown on his head. She introduces him as Rostrum King.

She then looks at an impossibly emaciated looking woman whose arms are abnormally long and whose skin seems to have been painted grey. Lady Tate calls her Ashaya Thin.

She then turns to someone whose disguise consists solely of a white sheet with a couple of holes cut out for the eyes. "This is Evan Essence", Lady Tate says.

The last member of the Committee seems to be a man, or to have been a man. His parched skin is stretched so thinly upon his skull that it seems like there is no flesh in between. There's a faint amber glow emanating from his eyes. Lady Tate introduces him as Jiang Feng, the oldest wizard alive.

- "So, Lord Reginald, even though our contacts have so far been distant, you were awakened a few months back and accepted the tasks we gave you. How does your mission progress ?"
- "Errr. Well. It progresses well. Very well."
- "That is rather vague. Please be more specific. How many of the noble family mausoleums have you infected with the Rot?"
- "Errr... How many... Let me see... About a dozen, I think. Yes."
- "Which ones for example?"
- "Well, the Whitefish of course, but also the Brittleshins, the Silverfish and many more."

Lady Tate looks at Valya with a glint of suspicion in her eyes and then says:
- "You seem ill at ease... And why is it that I sense a pulse coming from you?"
- "Ahhh, magic! I found an amulet that fakes the body heat and pulse of a live man. But this costume is ill fitting and that's why I fidget!"

Lady Tate crosses eyes with the other members of the committee, and after a long silence she speaks again.

- "Very well, Sir Reginald. I trust you will continue with your mission. We need all the mausoleums infected and ready for the Long Night one month from now. Good luck."

Valya bows and walks out. Humboldt, who was too busy looking at a spider crawling on the curtain he was hiding behind paid no attention whatsoever to the conversation and totally forgets to leave. He hears the voices inside the room in heated conversation, but still does not pay any attention until suddenly everything goes silent.

- "I can still feel a pulse!" a female voice says.

The curtain is swung open, and Lady Tate stares straight into Humboldt's eyes.

- "Who are you?" she hisses menacingly.
- "I'm Humboldt. Pleased to meet you!" the dimwitted halfling says, holding his hand out.
- "What are you doing here?" Lady Tate asks, a little taken aback.
- "I was looking at a spider. Fascinating little creature, it was! But it must have ran off when you opened the curtain. If spiders do run off. Crawl off?"
- "What have you heard of our conversations?", Lady Tate asks again, this time in a more seductive voice that carries a lot of persuasion.
- "Conversations? Nothing at all. As I told you I was looking at this really interesting spider. It had red speckles on its hairy legs. I wonder where it's gone..."
- "Enough with your damn spider! Look me in the eyes."

Humboldt does as Lady Tate asks, and she waves her hands slowly in front of her.

- "You will forget every conversation you heard while inside this room!"
- "Conversation? What conversation?"

Lady Tate seems satisfied (3). She opens the door and kicks Humboldt out.

While all this is going on inside the room where the Committee sits, Wistul and Makabee loiter outside, trying to look inconspicuous. Again, waiters dressed in black and wearing the disturbing white face masks seem to congregate near Wistul. They start moaning in low voices.

- "You seem to attract them," Makabee says. "I've noticed there's a faint smell of fermentation around them..."
- "Yes. I suspect they are not human but undead. I was bitten by one like them once, and maybe they feel some kinship with me..."
- "You are full of surprises, cousin, even though that particular one seems rather more gruesome than I'd like..."

Suddenly there's a commotion when one of the waiters rushes towards the ornate door, only to be stopped by the guards. His mask is torn off, and Wistul recognizes the man he and his companions called the necromancer, first encountered in the Whitefish Mausoleum.

- "You don't understand!" the man yells. "I am Reginald Whitefish!"

Makabee loses no time and rushes towards the man, still held by two guards, while muttering the words to Mornay's Friendship formula, which causes him to change gender again. He touches Sir Reginald who turns around, suddenly despondent and obedient (4). Makabee flashes her best smile to one of the guards and charmingly apologizes for her drunk uncle. She and Wistul quietly move away with a now unresponsive Sir Reginald Whitefish.

Once Valya and (a few minutes later) Humboldt exit the Committee's salon, they join Wistul and Makabee and decide to make a quiet exit. Once outside, they find a dark alley and start questioning Sir Reginald. He only answers to Makabee, and the friendship formula seems to have a less spectacular effect than on the guard Makabee seduced earlier.

- "So, what's this 'rot' thing, Reginald?"
- "The Committee brought me back to undeath to contribute to their master plan. They gave me a substance that they call 'The Rot' that slowly seeps into the corpses of the dead and buried and brings them back to undeath."
- "And what is the master plan?"
- "I don't know for sure, they did not tell me, but the size of the army of undead I am helping to create suggests that they want to take over the city. Maybe even more..."
- "And these undead that are created, are they intelligent like you?"
- "Oh no. They follow the orders of the most powerful undead in the vicinity. Some are slow and tough, usually those that still had some flesh on them when revived. Others are skeletal, fast but weak."
- "Any idea how the Committee could be stopped?"
- "Not really, I think they're unstoppable. But they seem worried about the Congregation of the Carnifex."
- "What's that?"
- "A pervasive Vornheim legend. It is said that in the City's hour of need, the spirits of the dead Carnifex will rise to help those who would protect the city."
- "Is there any truth to this legend?"
- "I have no idea, but the Committee seems to think so..."

Finally, Makabee asks Reginald to list all of the mausoleums that he has already infected with the rot. She then asks him to bring them to the Whitefish Mausoleum. Reginald finds a nearby sewer exit and takes the four friends down with him to just under the Whitefish palace. Wistul and Valya who have already been here notice that the secret exit they broke through has not been repaired. They walk inside the mausoleum following Sir Reginald.

As they enter the central corridor with the stairs leading to the ground floor, they are suddenly faced with a massive Iron warrior wielding a sharp sword. It moves swiftly towards them, clearly intent on an attack. "The animated statue!" Valya yells. "We'd forgotten about it!"

But Makabee is once more undeterred. She touches the iron statue and utters the words to Mornay's Lasting Friendship. To the utter surprise of the others, the statue stops in its tracks. It cannot speak, but it seems to obey Makabee's words: he understands instinctively that the magic that animates the statue is triggered when intruders steal valuables in the mausoleum. In his newfound deep male voice, he simply instructs the statue that they are not intruders.

They follow Reginald to his tomb, the place where Wistul and Valya first confronted it. Makabee instructs the undead to rest, then on a signal given by him, they all attack it at the same time. Wistul and Humboldt's sword blows combine with an eruption of flames from Valya's hands and a parallel eruption of a purple fluid from Makabee's hands. The undead is reduced to cinders in an instant.

"I do like Vezz'enan's Netherworld Refraction (5) when confronting undead...", Makabee says with great satisfaction.

They spend the next few minutes looting the mausoleum of all they didn't have time to retrieve during their previous visit, and then exit.

Once outside, they find an upmarket tavern bizarrely named The Grotesque Cousin, and order a good bottle of wine as well as a large jug of beer.

- "So," Valya says, "it looks like we need to find those dead Carnifex if we want the city to survive the undead onslaught..."
- "The undead helping us against the undead, how ironic", Makabee replies. "Do we care about the city though?"
- "We do!" Valya answers heatedly. "I was born here, I've never left the city walls. Vornheim may not be much, but it's all I've got!"
- "I quite like it here as well..." Wistul says more quietly.
- "But I thought you were coming back with me to the Elven Forest? That's what they sent me here for, you know..."
- "Cousin, I hate to tell you this, but I doubt it..."
- "What do you mean?"
- "Everybody hates you back there. You're a weirdo, shifting gender all the time. You even do it for fun. You try to seduce people of both sexes. I don't mind much, but they do back home. I think they sent you here knowing full well that I wouldn't want to go back, just to get rid of you..."
- "I'll be damned!"

- "Hey, Humboldt," Makeeba says after a few minutes of silence, "what about you?"
- "What about me?"
- "Do you care about Vornheim?"
- "Of course I do! I'm a hero here, everyone thinks highly of me!"
- "Really?"
- "Oh yes, just you wait and see!"

- "OK, so if we're going to try and save Vornheim, how do we go about finding those dead Carnifex?" Valya asks.
- "A Carnifex, is that like a king?" Humboldt asks.
- "Well, I suppose..."
- "I saw a dead king of Vornheim in the sewers once. He told me stuff. Sounded important, but I can't really remember."
- "Yes, yes, we know", Valya says. "You told us a million times."
- "Wait a minute", Wistul interjects. "What if he really did see a dead Carnifex? Humboldt, do you remember where you saw the dead king?"
- "Not precisely, but I think I could find my way back there..."

***

(1) Charm Person
(2) Wistul's Mercurial Magic Effect for Detect Magic is to change the weather
(3) Against all odds (he has Intelligence 4) Humboldt made his save, but since he didn't know anything in the first place, Lady Tate thought her suggestion had worked
(4) In DCC Charm Person works on monsters with a penalty. Makabee's player Greg rolled really really well that night.
(5) Chill Touch

[Sammael99]

Session 7 Epilogue

The next day, Valya goes to the Red Mansion, the headquarters of the Vornheim militia. He finds Rulius in his dingy little office.

- "No offense, Master Rulius, but I thought that considering your important role, you would be better accommodated."
- "That would require for the so-called thinking heads up above to realize the importance of what I am trying to do."
- "Which is what exactly?"
- "Elucidate crime rather than simply find someone to take the fall. Anticipate threats to the security of Vornheim. And generally take a modern and scientific approach to dealing with criminals."
- "Well, that's very convenient, because I think you and I could help each other on one of these missions you listed."
- "And why should I trust you, pray tell? You are friends with the Wizardess Sabrina, who is increasingly high on my list of people with suspicious activities, you were friends with two criminals who have been executed for destroying Sir Rallentando's circus, and I strongly suspect you to have been part of that endeavour, though you have not been caught."
- "You don't have to trust me, just to listen to me. Have you heard of the Undertaker's Ball that took place last night?"

A flash of surprise briefly flickers on Valya's face who then remembers thinking that the man disguised as a theater devil looked familiar.

- "Of course you do," Valya says. "You were there, disguised as a devil."
- "You were there as well?"
- "I was the theatrical wizard with a pointy starred hat. We spoke."
- "So we did... Did you find out more about the meetings in the salon? And why did they call you Whitefish?"
- "I think the time has come for both of us to be as open books to each other..."

Valya then tells Rulius nearly everything about the situation. He only dissembles on the reasons for them being in the Whitefish mausoleum in the first place and glosses over a few illegal things they might have done over the course of their adventures. Most importantly, he asks Rulius for confirmation of the legend of the Dead Carnifex. Rulius confirms that he has heard the legend but has no idea if any of it is true. "Stranger things have happened in Vornheim..."

Rulius asks Valya if he and his companions would be willing to clean up the infected mausoleums. Valya hesitates, pointing out that while he is keen to protect the city, others are less attached to it.

- "It's a risky job. It would be easier to convince them if monies were guaranteed to come their way."
- "I understand. However, I do not have personal or professional access to sufficient funds to motivate adventurers such as yourselves. Try to convince your friends to at least scout the places, and I will try on my side to convince people higher up the hierarchy that it is worth funding you. Also, keep me informed."

Satisfied that the path ahead is at least a little clearer, but also worried about the looming dangers, Valya decides that evening to undertake the ritual to bond with the magical Patron he has found out about in the ophidian papers of Edgar Brittleshins. By the end of the night, Valya is recognised as a valuable aid to Vendel Re'Yune, the rebel yet immortal sorcerer whose spite for the Gods earned him a life of eternal pain blocked in a slab of rock on an elemental demi-plane. Re'Yune teaches Valya a secret formula that will allow him to wither his own arm in exchange for dreadful powers...

In our next installment, some of the following questions may be answered:

• What are the Committee's goals, who are they exactly and how can they be countered?
• What is the link between the granary cats and the Committee?
• Will our heroes find the Dead Carnifex, assuming the legend is real?
• What mysterious activities is the Taxidermists' Guild a cover for, and will they accept their defeat?
• Are the Versheim catacombs worth exploring and why is the Count paying so little to get it done?
• How will Wistul get rid of his brown scars before they turn him into an undead? And what will happen to Jack's infected corpse after his death?
• Will Dwimberg consider Sabrina's debt repaid despite her failure to procure the bracelet?
• Will Signor Rallentando leave the city and dissappear or will he stay to enact revenge and/or acquire the second bracelet from Dwimberg?
• What are these damn bracelets?

[Dante 059]

Merci pour ce CR !

La scène ou Humbold se fait interroger par lady Tate est excellente

[Sammael99]

Encore merci pour tes commentaires, Dante 059.

Oui, cette scène était très drôle à jouer. En fait le joueur a voulu faire sortir Humboldt discrètement quand Valya est sorti, et il a fait un 2 sur son jet. Du coup il me dit: "Humboldt oublie de sortir". J'ai trouvé ça excellent et du coup on l'a joué comme ça.

[Sammael99]

Séance très old school et très fun ce soir. Je vous raconte ça ce week-end !!!

[Sammael99]

J'ai décidé de raconter la fin de cette campagne en mode super (super) résumé. 

Session 8: A la rencontre des Carnifex

Alors que le groupe discute de la marche à suivre, Humboldt est soudain saisi de malaise. Il dodeline, ouvre la bouche et de là sort un spectre couronné qui enjoint les autres à se rendre au pied du Palais Immense (non sans préciser qu'il est difficile de travailler avec un hôte au cerveau aussi ramolli). Wistul, Valya et Sabrina se rendent au lieu indiqué et trouvent un passage secret dans les égouts qui mène à une série de salles qui forment une spirale. Les salles présentent des pièges, des énigmes et des épreuves, mais aussi des bas reliefs sur les origines de la ville. 

C'est la nuit des temps. Vornheim est une petite communauté dans les montagnes, le reste du monde est dominé par les Ophidiens. Le Roi de Vornheim soulève son peuple, et peu à peu mène la révolte contre les hommes serpents jusqu'à défaire leur empire. Il revient triomphant à Vornheim, accompagné de son lieutenant, un homme au masque à triple bec. Le Roi à la couronne de fer assoit alors son pouvoir sur le monde des hommes. Mais le temps passe et le roi tombe amoureux d'une femme et se détourne des affaires de l'état. L'empire s'effondre, et bientôt le Roi Ferreux n'est plus que le roi de Vornheim. Afin que leur amour dure toujours, il entreprend un rituel de magie ophidienne pour donner à lui et à sa femme la vie éternelle. Mais son lieutenant, inquiet pour l'avenir de la cité perturbe le rituel. La femme meurt, le roi est capturé et enfermé dans un tombeau en dehors de la ville. Les bas-reliefs laissent entendre que le lieutenant a bénéficié d'une forme d'immortalité suite au rituel. 

Arrivés au centre de la spirale, Wistul, Valya et Sabrina sont confrontés aux corps animés des Carnifex. Ceux-ci se meuvent peu mais les cavités de leurs orbites brillent d'une lueur verdâtre. Les Carnifex expriment leur surprise qu'ils aient réussi les épreuves, et sous-entendent qu'ils auraient préféré travailler avec un matériau plus noble, mais que vu l'urgence de la situation, il n'est plus question de faire les difficiles. 

Ils expliquent aux trois compagnons que Vornheim sans Carnifex ne peut pas se défendre, l'urgence est donc de retrouver Sire Thrawl. Les compagnons ressortent par où ils sont venus se demandant comment ils vont bien pouvoir retrouver Sire Thrawl. 

[Sammael99]

Session 9: Dirigeant et Jardinier

Humboldt, Valya, Wistul, Sabrina et Zeera se renseignent sur Sire Thrawl. Valya rend visite au Seigneur Brittleshins pour lui demander des informations sur Sire Thrawl, son apparence et sa personnalité. Sir Edgar lui dit qu'il n'a jamais vu le Carnifex qu'avec son masque à trois cornes, et ne sait donc pas à quoi il ressemble, mais il le décrit comme étant de taille moyenne et plutôt mince. Valya apprend surtout que Sire Thrawl avait une passion pour les plantes, et qu'il consacrait son moindre temps libre (qui était fort limité) à effectuer des greffons et à entretenir les plantes du Palais Immense. 

Valya se rappelle que Zeera connaissait un jardinier du nom de Spade qui leur avait indiqué où pouvait être le labyrinthe de la sorcière Thorn. Ils décident de le retrouver, pensant qu'il connaît peut-être d'autres jardins secrets où pourrait officier Sire Thrawl. Un vague souvenir effleure Sabrina, mais elle n'arrive pas à mettre le doigt dessus. 

Ils se rendent donc chez Lady Thespaline dont ils ont appris qu'elle avait récemment fait faire un jardin paysager de toiture par Spade. Lorsqu'ils se font introduire chez la gente dame, ils voient bien que quelque chose la tracasse. Valya n'hésite pas une seconde et lui dit qu'elle est sans doute infestée d'abominations mort-vivantes issues de sa crypte. Elle acquiesce, impressionnée. Valya lui explique que pour remédier à ce problème il faut qu'ils retrouvent Spade. Lady Thespaline est gênée, parce que Spade fait promettre à ses clients de ne rien dire sur lui.

C'est alors que Sabrina remet le doigt sur ce qui la tracasse: la première fois qu'elle a vu Spade, il lui a semblé le reconnaître: un menton très carré, assez particulier, et des yeux intelligents et mélancoliques à la fois. Et maintenant, elle sort une pièce d'or de Vornheim et reconnaît sous le masque du Carnifex ce même menton et ces yeux. Sire Thrawl et Spade ne font qu'un, elle en est convaincue. Il est d'autant plus urgent qu'ils le retrouvent. 

Mais Lady Thespaline exige un prix: qu'on la débarasse des horreurs qui hantent son mausolée. Les compagnons demandent l'aide de ses gardes, mais ceux-ci sont terrifiés et inutiles. Les cinq compagnons affrontent une dizaine d'horreurs putréfiées, dans l'atmosphère irrespirable du mausolée. La victoire est finalement là, mais non sans peur. Lady Thespaline leur indique le jardin privé de Spade où on peut le trouver lorsqu'on est de ses amis. 

Alors qu'ils se rendent vers le lieu indiqué, leur chemin est barré par une imposante silhouette qu'ils connaissent bien: c'est Porlo Trois-Phalanges. Il a le regard vague, mais les attaque immédiatement. Sur son épaule il y a un petit chat. Saisie d'une intuition, Sabrina envoie des rayons acides vers le félin, qui meurt sur le champ. Porlo reprend ses esprits, se demandant ce qu'il fait là et pourquoi il y a du sang sur son épée. Sabrina sort promptement quelques pièces de sa bourse et demande à l'homme d'armes combien il coûterait de sécuriser ses services pendant quelques jours. Porlo est maintenant leur garde du corps. 

Les rumeurs bruissent dans la ville. La prison aurait été incendiée parce que tous les prisonniers étaient devenus morts vivants. L'infection a été tracée au cadavre d'un condamné à mort récent. Plusieurs demeures nobles ont été barricadées après que les habitants n'aient été infectés par cette peste surnaturelle. La panique règne. 

Arrivés au jardin secret, les compagnons se confrontent verbalement à Spade / Sire Thrawl. Il ne nie pas son identité, mais de prime abord, il refuse d'envisager de reprendre du service. Il veut consacrer le reste de sa vie aux plantes, pas aux hommes ingrats. Les personnages lui expliquent la situation, le complot des morts-vivants et insistent sur l'urgence de la situation. Spade promet qu'il va réfléchir et leur demande une nuit dans son jardin pour se décider. Ils décident de camper à l'entrée pour éviter qu'il ne s'échappe. 

Pendant la nuit, ils sont réveillés par l'arrivée d'une troupe de félins. Des chats, des panthères, des lions. Menaçants, ils entourent et protègent une chatte siamoise dont le pelage dessine comme un diadème sur le haut de son crâne. La chatte prend la parole dans la langue des hommes et promet à chacun ce dont il rêve le plus. Elle semble bien renseignée, et ses offres sont alléchantes. En échange elle veut juste accès à Spade. Les compagnons hésitent un peu, et refusent tous sa proposition. Les fauves se retirent. 

Le lendemain matin, Spade a pris sa décision. Il redevient Sire Thrawl. Ils l'escortent au Palais Immense. 

[Sammael99]

Ping @Dante 059 si jamais tu n'as pas vu...

[Sammael99]

Session 10: La Fin ou le Début ?

Vornheim est à feu et à sang. La milice, l'armée et des groupes de citoyens affrontent une armée de morts vivants sortis des cryptes, des mausolées et des cimetières, infectés par la Pourriture. Evidemment, tous ceux qui tombent dans l'affrontement reviennent à la non-vie dans le camp d'en face. Il est urgent de réagir.

Le Carnifex convoque Valya, Makabee, Humboldt, Zeera, Sabrina et Porlo et leur explique qu'il a réussi à retrouver la tombe dans laquelle était enfermé le Roi de Fer. Les archives antiques du Palais mentionnent un puissant sortilège maintenu par l'éclat d'un crystal magique. Sire Thrawl suppose que ce crystal a du être brisé pour libérer le Roi. Il pense que si tous les éclats sont retrouvés, ses Magisters pourront reconstituer le crystal, ce qui devrait avoir pour effet de plonger de nouveau le Roi, où qu'il soit, dans sa torpeur.

Les compagnons se mettent en route et sortent de la ville pour parvenir après quelques heures à l'entrée du Mausolée indiqué par le Carnifex. Là, ils trouvent des traces d'effraction, et entreprennent d'explorer eux-même les lieux. Après avoir descendu un long boyau vertical, ils arrivent dans un complexe de pièces, mélange d'hommage au Roi de Fer et de pièges visant à détourner les pilleurs de tombes.

Après avoir déjoué quelques mécanismes léthaux et affronté des créatures insectoïdes qui ont semble-t'il trouvé accès à la tombe en creusant, ils parviennent à la tombe du Roi de Fer lui-même, mais c'est en fait un gigantesque piège. Heureusement, avec le temps, certains des mécanismes ne fonctionnent plus. Ils parviennent à mettre à bas les statues animées qui les bombardent d'éclairs, et à fuir la pièce avant qu'elle ne soit inondée.

Ils trouvent un passage secret qui mène à la véritable tombe du Roi de Fer. Là, ils trouvent les éclats du crystal et utilisent leur magie pour s'assurer qu'ils n'en ont oublié aucun. Puis ils retournent à Vornheim.

Au pied du Palais Immense se masse l'armée des Morts-Vivants, retenue seulement par des sortilèges des Magisters qui faiblissent d'heure en heure. A l'instant où les éclats du crystal lui sont remis, le Carnifex ordonne à quelques uns des Magisters de détourner leur attention pour le réparer. Ils pensent que cela aura deux effets: d'une part de replonger le Roi de Fer dans sa torpeur, et d'autre part d'annuler les effets de la Pourriture, qui n'est qu'un partage de son immortalité corrompue.

Et c'est ce qui se passe: une fois le crystal reconstruit, la volonté de fer qui dirigeait l'armée des Morts Vivants faiblit, et le Carnifex ordonne que les barrières de protection soient levées pour affronter l'armée directement. C'est un combat sanglant et meurtrier, mais cette fois-ci il est plus égal: des deux côtés, les morts qui tombent restent morts. La milice et les troupes du Carnifex, non sans l'aide des compagnons, finit par l'emporter, et les armées Morts-Vivantes sont défaites.

Vornheim peut maintenant se reconstruire.

[Sammael99]

Petit Bilan

J'ai adoré Vornheim, un bon mélange de Leiber et de Vance. Le livret est certes succinct, mais blindé d'inspirations qui permettent vraiment de donner à la ville une personnalité.

J'ai beaucoup apprécié DCC qui n'a certes pas l'élégance de certains OSR mais a énormément de saveur au naturel, certainement plus qu'un D&D classique. J'ai particulièrement aimé le côté imprévisible de la Magie qui marche super bien pour une campagne ouverte (dont on ne connaît pas la fin dès le début) puisque un sort plus puissant que d'habitude peut complètement changer la donne en termes d'histoire.

Je suis très content de mes rumeurs, et ça m'a permis de découvrir une nouvelle manière de faire vivre une ville sans préparer d'aventures préconçues.

Je suis moins content de mon final, contraint par le temps et par une certaine lassitude de mon côté (je commençais à avoir d'autres envies ludiques). Du coup c'est très planplan et ça manque de piment. Mais bon, les fins de campagne c'est toujours le plus dur...

[Dante 059]

Merci d'avoir raconté la fin !
Ce fut très agréable à lire