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

Critiques de Jeu, Comptes rendus et retour d'expérience
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Sammael99
Dieu des babines ruinées
Messages : 12919
Inscription : mer. sept. 15, 2004 11:43 pm
Localisation : Nantes, France

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Sammael99 »

Partie intéressante hier soir. J'aurais sans doute pas le temps de la retranscrire avant le week-end, mais c'était fun!
Mozart n'a pas écrit que le Boléro de Ravel. Mais aussi plein d'autres trucs beaucoup moins connus (comme le canon de Pachelbel). - Le Grümph
Avatar de l’utilisateur
beret
Evêque
Messages : 494
Inscription : lun. oct. 11, 2010 10:11 pm

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par beret »

La suite ! La suite !
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Sammael99
Dieu des babines ruinées
Messages : 12919
Inscription : mer. sept. 15, 2004 11:43 pm
Localisation : Nantes, France

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Sammael99 »

beret a écrit : sam. mars 04, 2017 4:58 am La suite ! La suite !
Je suis dessus. Un petit quart d'écrit, je dirais.
Mozart n'a pas écrit que le Boléro de Ravel. Mais aussi plein d'autres trucs beaucoup moins connus (comme le canon de Pachelbel). - Le Grümph
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Sammael99
Dieu des babines ruinées
Messages : 12919
Inscription : mer. sept. 15, 2004 11:43 pm
Localisation : Nantes, France

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Sammael99 »

Session 5: A Sudden Reversal

Sabrina and Wistul have recently spent time together and decide to find a solution to their necromantic corruption. Jack is corrupted as well, but drinking keeps him busy.

After putting their heads together and deciding that the solution to the issue would be either magical or religious they decide to experiment this second angle. Sabrina recalls that the Cult of the Underground Vault worships a subterranean facet of Vorn, and that their holy symbol is a coffin. She remembers that some of their priestly rituals involve being locked in a coffin underground for long periods of time to be reminded that death is very much a part of life. (1) The two decide to head to the District of Under the Mountain where the Cathedral of the Underground Vault lies.

There is no city wall in Under the Mountain because Vornheim buildings there directly touch the cliff face. The Cathedral stands in the middle of a square where beggars, peddlers and street merchants abound. It's a low stone building, not unlike a very big longfarm. There are no visible windows and the stone it's built from is pitch black and offers no reflection.

The only ornament atop the low arch at the entrance is a representation of a coffin. There are two urns on either side of the entrance that are filled with earth. Sabrina and Wistul notice that some (but not all) of those who enter put their hands in one of the urns and rub a handful of soil on their faces. As they walk in, Wistul decides to do so, and Sabrina doesn't.

Inside, it's very dark except for small shafts of bright light probably originating from slits in the roof or walls. There is no altar, nor, in fact, any particular feature or ornament inside the vast low chamber. Petitioners seem to wander aimlessly in contemplation. As Wistul and Sabrina move further down inside, they notice a woman standing next to the ledge of a well, about two-thirds in the room. She teeters on the edge, seemingly hesitating, and suddenly jumps in. Wistul runs, expecting to see her crushed down below, but in fact he sees only pitch darkness which, considering how well he can see in the dark is decidedly uncanny.

Sabrina comes to stand on the ledge and waits for a while, hesitating. Finally, she hands her backpack to Wistul and jumps. Her fall quickly turns into a floating sensation. She is surrounded by darkness, it feels warm around her (a welcome sensation in Vornheim). After what seems like a long moment of silence and contemplation in darkness, a male voice speaks next to Sabrina. She does not see anything, nor can she pinpoint a direction the voice comes from.

-" You have taken the leap of faith. Vorn welcomes you in this place of peace and darkness where the warmth of His embrace makes us all secure...
- Vorn sounds a lot like my aunt Gertrude...
- Are you here just to pay homage to Him or do you seek his blessing?
- Well, of course I pay homage to Him with all my soul... but I would indeed like his blessing on something... I have these wounds... They have healed badly. I am told they are necromantic in nature and could turn me into an undead which, I'm sure you'll agree, is not desirable.
- That is not for me to judge... But indeed, you are corrupted with necromantic infection, even I can see that.
- Can Vorn do something about it?
- Vorn's Will is unlimited. And I am told that he will indeed help you, provided you pass the challenge he will lay before you.
- And what will this challenge be?
- You will see. Know this: once Vorn has healed you, you will owe a favor to him. Once, and only once in your life, he will express His will directly to you. On that day, you will follow his wishes or incur the Wrath of Vorn and, through Him of the entire Church of the Underground Vault.
- I would definitely not want that. I heed your warning, and accept the God's challenge.
- So be it.

Meanwhile, Wistul waits by the well. He expected Sabrina to come back quickly and now he's hesitating himself. Finally, he puts the backpack she gave him down on the floor and hesitantly walks over the ledge into the darkness below. He also feels the weightlessness in the darkness, and here's a female voice:

-" You have taken the leap of faith. Vorn welcomes you in this place of peace and darkness where the warmth of His embrace makes us all secure...
- Err... Sure. Thanks, I guess.
- Are you here just to pay homage to Him or do you seek his blessing?
- I, errr, have a friend, who jumped earlier. She's, I mean, we're infected with some undead thingy, and she thought...
- Yes, your friend has accepted the Challenge of Vorn. She now faces that challenge, and if she succeeds, she will be cured. Do you wish to face your challenge?
- What's the challenge?
- You will see...
- Well, in that case, I mean, thanks, but I'd rather not.

As he utters these words, Wistul finds himself standing again by the well, as if he'd never left. Next to him, Sven the Hen clucks in the backpack.

The darkness around Sabrina seems to shift, to take on a more tangible quality. She gradually realizes that while she still is in pitch black darkness, she can feel a hard plane behind her back. She stretches her fingers and touches something above her head. She starts to suspect where she may be, and a close examination with her fingers confirms her fear: she's in a coffin. Tapping the lid suggests there is earth above the box as well.

Sabrina starts pondering how she may get out. She has no doubt that this is Vorn's challenge. After a while, she feels inside one of her belt pouches and, with a few strands of rat hair in her fingers, she starts intoning the worlds to Drojafin's Faunal Assistance. There is a flash of lightning and a thunderclap, during which she sees a skeletal giant rat appear and quickly acquire flesh and muscles. As the darkness falls again, she feels the rat scuffling around. She crouches in one corner, not at all at ease with the giant animal she now has to share a coffin with. But she forces herself to calm down and orders the rat to gnaw at the coffin lid. After a few minutes, the rat breaches the wooden plank, and soft earth starts falling inside the coffin. The rat enlarges the hole, and soon Sabrina's torso can get through, but she is getting smothered by falling earth. She tells the rat to dig a passage ahead of her, but that only causes more soil collapsing. Sabrina starts to choke and realizes this is not the solution.

She fights mounting panic and tries to think about how her powers could help her more effectively. Finally, as an earthworm wriggles next to her eye, she grabs it and intones the words to Djorfin's Assistance again. This time a gigantic earthworm appears in the flash of lightning. She orders it to swallow the earth liberated by the rat above. Slowly, the three creatures progress towards the top: rat first, then earthworm, then Sabrina. Finally, the rat emerges and Sabrina quickly burrows her way to the surface, where she lies down for an instant. Then she realizes there is faint sound and light around her. She's lying next to the well in the Cathedral, with Wistul above her saying: "Wow, I was starting to worry!"

Sabrina stands up and passes a hand under her tunic to check the wound on her abdomen. The scar seems to have disappeared.

- "It worked", she says cheerfully.

***

The next day, Sabrina receives a message from Dwimberg the dwarven antiquarian to come and visit him. Once in the shop, Dwimberg takes Sabrina to his private office and reminds her that she owes him a favor:

- "You may have heard that the Halfling Circus of Signor Rallentando has recently come into town. Rallentando is a previous associate of mine. He is also a rascal. When we parted ways, he stole something from me that I would very much like to retrieve. I want you to find this object for me. It is a bracelet made of the finest gold with delicate ornaments. I do not know where he keeps it, only that it is undoubtedly very precious to him."
- "Do you have a sketching of the bracelet that I could use as reference ?"
- "I have better than that: its exact copy."

Dwimberg takes a golden bracelet out of a jewel box. It is indeed of exquisite make. The ornaments seems to replicate the links of a very delicate chain all around the bracelet. Once Sabrina has looked at it Dwimberg quickly puts it back in the box and then inside one of his jacket pockets.

- "So that is what I want in exchange for the favor you owe me. Take a burglar with you, I doubt it will be easy..."

Sabrina rounds up Wistul and Elan and explains what she is after. They decide to go and reconnoiter the circus first.

The circus has settled in the District of the Little Moon in the middle of one of the frost parks. There's a high circular palisade which blocks the entry except where the ticket booths are. At the center of the palisade is a high circus tent where the show takes place. All around the tent, alongside the palisade are many wagons with various attractions, animals on display, the abode of Madame Sosotris the fortune teller, etc.

Sabrina, Wistul and Elan pay a few coppers each to get inside the circus. It's midday, and there isn't a crowd inside yet, although they are far from being the only ones there. Sabrina heads towards the animal wagons and finds what she is looking for: two green tigers lazying behind bars. She crouches and speaks to one of the tigers.

- "Greetings, oh mighty one. It is not often one can bask in the glory of the sight of a green tiger so far from the Jungles of the South."
- "Oh! The tigers responds, visibly startled. A hairless ape that speaks. That is unusual."
- "I spent many an hour practicing the language of the most intelligent of the creatures of the Earth..."
- "Are you trying to flatter me?"
- "Errr..."
- "Because it's working!"

The tiger grins.

- "Are you treated well here?"
- "We are well fed, and the tamer dares not actually lay the whip on us for fear of ending in our bellies. So yes, I would say, although it is damnably cold."
- "That is Vornheim, I'm afraid..."
- "Is it always this freezing?"
- "This is mild actually. It can get a lot worse than this in the winter..."
- "Cursed place..."
- "Are you unhappy that Rallentando took you here?"
- "Well, it's part of the job... We can be lazy and not do very much at all while the crowds gawp at us, and in exchange we go where he takes us. Occasionally he feeds us the meat of his enemies. It's a mostly beneficial arrangement."
- "You don't long to return to your native jungles?"
- "Not really. Although a powerful male to scratch our hides and our itches wouldn't go amiss once in a while..."

Sabrina blushes.

- "On another topic, do you happen to know where Rallentando's wagon is?"
- "It's the one at the back of the tent from the entrance. Red shutters, and round door, it looks like a halfling hole on wheels. You can't miss it."
- "Thank you so much."
- "You're welcome, most pleasant talking to a talking hairless ape!"

Meanwhile Wistul spends a fair amount of time looking at the three bearded ladies who perform songs and tricks. Not only is the elf fascinated by the barely concealed femininity of the women, but he's never seen such beards on elfs, let alone elvin maidens.

Elan wanders around, checking for guards, identifying places where he could hide and assessing potential escape routes (his conclusion being that there are none apart from the main entrance...)

The three of them then assist to the afternoon show in order to time it and get some auditory cues as to how the show progresses. Signor Rallentando is the circus Ringmaster, which suggests that while the show is on they may have some freedom to wander around near his wagon.

During the evening show, they do just that. Sabrina stays inside to check on Rallentando's presence, while Elan and Wistul head out towards the wagon that the tigers described to Sabrina as being Rallentando's.

Wistul hides near the wagon while Elan creeps towards the round door as quietly as possible. He notices that there is some light coming from the inside but no movement or noise. He knocks lightly on the door, but there is no response. He quickly manages to pick the lock and enters the wagon, pushing the door close behind him. The wagon is lushly decorated by empty. On the left is what looks like a sleeping area, and on the right a tiny kitchen with a table and some stools. On the table is a lit candle which Elan looks at with fascination.

Ten minutes laster, Wistul is starting to get concerned. He creeps towards the wagon and, checking that nobody is around, pushed the door open. He stoops to get inside, and seeing Elan says "What on earth are you do..." Wistul has seen the candle and is now starting at it in fascination too.

Inside the circus, Sabrina is getting worried. Only half an hour of the show to go and Elan and Wistul aren't back. Annoyed at the ineffectiveness of males, she exits the circus tent and quietly makes her way towards Rallentando's wagon. She sees the light inside and the door ajar, but nothing seems to be moving. Sabrina walks briskly towards the wagon and swings the door open.

She sees Wistul and Elan motionless, staring at the candle. Shaking her head in disbelief, she snuffs the candle's flame (2) and grabs the candle. She then lights her lantern while Elan and Wistul rub their eyes.

- "What happened?" asks Elan.
- "You two louts were staring at the magic candle like infants at a box of sweets. Now let's get a move on and find the damned bracelet."

The three of them quickly search the little wagon, and they do find a jewelry box; it contains a medallion and some earrings, but no bracelet. In desperation and conscious that the show is ending in only a few minutes, they exit the wagon.

The start circling the tent towards the left, but Wistul stops Sabrina and Elan with his arms: he has just spotted a large silhouette in the shadows. Inhumanly large in fact. The creature walks forward ponderously. It looks like an impossibly tall and fat humanoid wearing an animal pelt. It has an enormous club in its hands and is flashing its half rotted teeth in a hungry grin.

Wistul mutters the formula of the Mighty Embiggenment while the creature approaches slowly, but the tension makes him fumble the complicated words and the spell fizzles. Sabrina and Elan have already turned around to circle the tent from the other side, but they find themselves face to face with Signor Rallentando himself in his ringmaster costume. He has the two tigers on a leash and a lady wearing a black veil is standing behind him.

- "Well, well, well... It looks like your divinations were right once again, Madame Sosostris. We were going to be burgled. I recommend you drop your weapons, interlopers, or I'll let the tigers have their ways with you. Unless Gorm gets to you before them."

The tigers growl, but only Sabrina understands what they are saying:

- "I'll leave the little female ape to you, sister. She and I had a nice conversation, I wouldn't be able to truly appreciate the taste of her."
- "How do you know the males from the females?"
- "Never you mind. The smallest one I leave to you."
- "Good! It looks plump and tasty!"

Sabrina puts her hands up in the air to show she is unarmed:

- "Look, let us be reasonable here. We were sent to rob you, we failed. There is no need to get violent: we will find a way of making it up to you."
- "Who sent you to rob me?" the halfling asks.
- "A dwarf by the name of Dwimberg, says you were an old associate of his."
- "The old fox. I should have guessed. And did he point you to an item in particular?"
- "Yes, a golden bracelet."
- "Indeed. Well, you failed."
- "Look, I can give you this very previous phial if you let us go." Sabrina slowly takes the glass phial with the green gas inside from her pocket.
- "I don't think so..."
- "Then keep these two fools, feed them to the tigers for all I care, but let me go!"

Wistul and Elan both stare at Sabrina in shock. Rallentando laughs and says:

- "Well, thank you for being so candid. I was going to make a counter proposition that involved you leaving and they staying as hostages, but I can now see that's pointless. I think I will feed you all to my tigers instead. It's been a while since they've had fresh human meat, and they've developed a taste for it. As for elven meat, I don't think they've ever had it, but elfs are delicate or so I'm told. I'm sure the cats'll appreciate it."

He turns to the difformed giant and says "Gorm, knock them senseless, we'll dump them in the cage tonight."

- "Wait! Elan shouts. Sabrina may not care about us, but I care about her. She saved my life and I have a debt of honour towards her. So tell me what it is you want and I'll do it. I won't abandon her and Wistul here, I swear it! (3)"

- "Interesting", Rallentando says. "I think I'm going to trust you on this, you seem sincere. I pity you of course, but then what do I care. It's simple: bring me the other bracelet, the one that is currently in Dwimberg's possession, and I'll let your friends go. You have until the end of the show tomorrow night. After that, the tigers will have their meal."

***

(1) This was a player contribution that I liked and adopted.
(2) Elan and Wistul failed their Will saving throws.
(3) Elan's player rolled a 20 on what I had deemed would be a very hard roll...
Dernière modification par Sammael99 le mer. mars 29, 2017 12:42 pm, modifié 3 fois.
Mozart n'a pas écrit que le Boléro de Ravel. Mais aussi plein d'autres trucs beaucoup moins connus (comme le canon de Pachelbel). - Le Grümph
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Dante 059
Pratiquant
Messages : 239
Inscription : sam. déc. 22, 2007 12:03 pm
Localisation : Douai

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Dante 059 »

merci pour le CR, c'est toujours aussi intéressant !
She remembers that some of their priestly rituals involve being locked in a coffin underground for long periods of time to be reminded that death is very much a part of life. (1) The two decide to head to the District of Under the Mountain where the Cathedral of the Underground Vault lies.


Le (1) renvoie à quelle donnée ?
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Sammael99
Dieu des babines ruinées
Messages : 12919
Inscription : mer. sept. 15, 2004 11:43 pm
Localisation : Nantes, France

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Sammael99 »

A rien pour le moment parce que j'ai pas fini la narration. Mais je vais éditer. Ca devrait dire:

(1) This was player contribution that I liked and adopted.
Mozart n'a pas écrit que le Boléro de Ravel. Mais aussi plein d'autres trucs beaucoup moins connus (comme le canon de Pachelbel). - Le Grümph
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Lotin
Dieu d'après le panthéon
Messages : 2153
Inscription : jeu. août 30, 2012 9:31 pm
Localisation : Back to the trees !

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Lotin »

Merci beaucoup Sammael99 !!!
La suite, maintenant !
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Sammael99
Dieu des babines ruinées
Messages : 12919
Inscription : mer. sept. 15, 2004 11:43 pm
Localisation : Nantes, France

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Sammael99 »

Je viens de mettre à jour la dernière session dans le post plus haut.

Retours bienvenus, surtout vu le retournement de dernière minute.
Mozart n'a pas écrit que le Boléro de Ravel. Mais aussi plein d'autres trucs beaucoup moins connus (comme le canon de Pachelbel). - Le Grümph
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Dante 059
Pratiquant
Messages : 239
Inscription : sam. déc. 22, 2007 12:03 pm
Localisation : Douai

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Dante 059 »

Merci pour ce retour !


J'ai bien aimé,

En tout cas l'expédition de tes pjs a tourné à la catastrophe, ils ne sont pas passé loin du TPK :P .
D'ailleurs l'échec de l'expédition est du au fait que les pjs ne se soient pas renseigné sur la troupe du cirque ?

Le coup en traître de Sabrina est surprenant , ça a été bien accepté par les autres joueurs ?
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Sammael99
Dieu des babines ruinées
Messages : 12919
Inscription : mer. sept. 15, 2004 11:43 pm
Localisation : Nantes, France

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Sammael99 »

Si tu penses que c'était une catastrophe tu aurais du voir la partie de ce soir...

Le joueur de Wistul a un peu halluciné du retournement de veste de Sabrina, mais c'est un nouveau joueur (c'est son premier JdR) donc quelque part ça le protège un peu de ces trucs là parce qu'il se dit que c'est normal, ou en tous cas pas anormal.

Après c'était tout à fait raccord avec le personnage de Sabrina.

Le joueur d'Elan jouait pour la première fois depuis le début, donc il a juste pris les choses comme elles venaient.

Mais c'était fun et ça a mené à un clusterfuck de proportion épique cette semaine.
Mozart n'a pas écrit que le Boléro de Ravel. Mais aussi plein d'autres trucs beaucoup moins connus (comme le canon de Pachelbel). - Le Grümph
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Dante 059
Pratiquant
Messages : 239
Inscription : sam. déc. 22, 2007 12:03 pm
Localisation : Douai

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Dante 059 »

Si tes joueurs l'ont bien prit, ça va ^^
( J'ai eu des expériences de mon coté ou se genre d'événements ont pourrit mes parties )

Curieux de lire la suite :bierre:
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Spassinando
Prêtre
Messages : 333
Inscription : jeu. mai 22, 2014 9:56 am
Localisation : Nantes

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Spassinando »

Chouette compte-rendu de partie ! Ton anglais n'est pas trop dur à lire.
Et merci pour les rumeurs, ça peut toujours servir.
Donc, je me joins aux autres lecteurs pour demander la suite :D
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Sammael99
Dieu des babines ruinées
Messages : 12919
Inscription : mer. sept. 15, 2004 11:43 pm
Localisation : Nantes, France

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Sammael99 »

Je vais commencer à bosser sur la suite aujourd'hui.
Mozart n'a pas écrit que le Boléro de Ravel. Mais aussi plein d'autres trucs beaucoup moins connus (comme le canon de Pachelbel). - Le Grümph
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Sammael99
Dieu des babines ruinées
Messages : 12919
Inscription : mer. sept. 15, 2004 11:43 pm
Localisation : Nantes, France

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Sammael99 »

Session 6: An Unfortunate Rescue

Elan runs to the Bleak Beaver where he finds Jack and Valya in a deep drinking session. Breathlessly, he explains the events of the evening and tells them that they need to find Dwimberg. Valya casually mentions that Elan is welcome to break into his no doubt highly secure Antiquarian shop, but that things will otherwise wait 'til the morning. Elan is worried about Wistul's fate, not so much about Sabrina's.

In the morning, the three of them walk up to Dwimberg's shop. When he sees Jack, the dwarf clearly registers that something is wrong and signals for them to head into his office.

- "It is not a good sign to see you here without your diminutive female leader..." he starts.
- "She's not our leader, but apart from that your assessment is correct. Things did not go well last night, and my friend Elan can tell you all about it", Jack answers.

Elan retells his tale without embellishing it in anyway.

- "And so", Elan concludes, "I managed to convince Rallentando to let me go by promising I would rob you of your bracelet."
- "And do you intend to do that?" Dwimberg asks defensively.
- "If I was I wouldn't be telling you about it..."
- "So then what do you intend to do?"
- "Do you think it would be possible to get a copy of the bracelet?"

Dwimberg takes a moment to think and says that he can probably work out something to look like the bracelet from a few meters away. It will not withstand close scrutiny, but in the allotted time, that's the best he can offer. He also suggests that Rallentando most likely keeps the bracelet on his person at all times but does not wear it. Finally, as Jack asks him whether he can help them in case they get into a scuffle, Dwimberg reluctantly offers him a phial of Elixir of the Furies. "It will make you greatly more powerful as a warrior" he says, "while it lasts."

Elan, Jack and Valya decide to head out towards the circus around the middle of the day. They haven't decided on a plan yet, they are just looking up the place. Elan makes sure he's discreet and not easily recognizable.

Jack, thinking back on the fact that Madame Sosostris seems to have anticipated the attempted robbery the night before decides to see if there is something to her divination or not. He queues up to get his palms read and enters her tent.

Madame Sosostris puts her hand over his and slowly follows the various lines on his calloused hands. She then makes some generic statements promising prosperity and danger. Jack is not impressed. Still, he decides to take her out of the picture and extracts his machete from inside his cape while she isn't looking. He hits her with the blunt side of the blade to knock her out, but fails. She starts yelling "Murderer!" and alternatively mumbles incomprehensible phrases while Jack repeatedly hits her on the head until she finally collapses.

Outside, the seer's cries for help have been heard and when Jack emerges, there's a crowd in front of the tent. A few men who clearly seem to be guarding the circus move forward towards Jack.

- "She's a witch!" he yells. He puts his hand up, the one with the massive brown and unnatural scar from the shambling corpse. "A witch! And she cursed me with a deadly disease!"

Some in the crowd walk back a few meters. This is the moment Valya decides to use to create a diversion. In front of one of the animal cages in which a truly massive bovine with enormous horns is held, he shakes his hands and intones the words to Ludurafet's Igneous Eruption. A massive gust of flames erupts from his hands, setting fire to the straw in the bovine's cage, but also the wooden floor and roof of the cage itself. The buffalo like creature starts to moo desperately and rock the cage. Valya turns around as if in a panic and leaves the circus grounds.

Elan has already exited the grounds, worried that Rallentando might recognize him. Jack takes advantage of the panic and starts running towards the inside of the grounds, yelling "Sabrina, Wistul, where are you?" Sabrina actually answers, but Jack is being pursued, he cannot stop. He manages to run faster than the circus strongmen and exits the grounds as well.

***

Sabrina and Wistul are tied at the back of the tiger cage in a small enclosed area where the tigers sleep at night. They cannot be seen by the circus' visitors but Rallentando didn't think it necessary to gag them. Sabrina has already tried to negotiate with the tigers for them to gnaw the knots that bind her, but she has nothing to offer them in exchange... When she hears Jack's voice asking where she is, she yells in return, and the tigers start growling at her, so she stands still, biding her time. She attempts to summon animals, but her binds make it hard and ineffective. Wistul's attempts to make himself larger similarly fail.

Meanwhile, Elan, Jack and Valya regroup outside the grounds and decide to go back in in full attack mode, heading out for the back of the tiger cage. Jack drinks the elixir given to him by Dwimberg. It burns his innards but he feels energy pump into his veins. As they walk towards the circus grounds, still in chaos and smoke following the fire of the bovine cage, Valya lays his hand on Jack's shoulder, and Jack doubles in size. The warrior grabs his cleaver (similarly grown) and runs towards the tiger cage.

From the shadows of the circus tent emerges a silhouette nearly as tall as his: it's the giant and deformed creature that Rallentando called Gorm the night before. Jack then notices a small silhouette standing on a barrel: it's signor Rallentando himself. "Be a good ogre, Gorm! Attack the intruders and you will get to eat their flesh!" he yells.

The circus guards are also joining the fray. Elan tries to discreetly get closer to Rallentando, but he is spotted and chased by a guard. Valya is the only one who manages to head out to the tiger cage without being seen. He decides that since his previous tactic of setting a cage on fire using Ludurafet's very effective formula worked so well, he might as well use it again. He sets fire to the tiger cage.

What Valya doesn't know is that Rollentando has sent some guards to retrieve Wistul and Sabrina from the back of the cage. They have just at that instant opened the backdoor to the cage. One of them has a crossbow armed and pointed at the prisoners. The other one unties their knots. Sabrina attempts a discreet spell, but fails. Wistul punches the guard that has just untied him towards the other one, and quickly intones the words to Caskel's Distant Direction. The spell conjures up an invisible wall between him and Sabrina and the two guards. When the armed guard manages to find a line of sight and shoots, his bolt inexplicably bounces back.

Sabrina then crawls through the open semi-circle passage that connects the back of the cage with the main cage. Wistul follows. But the cage is now on fire, and the tigers are in a panic.
- "Help us survive the evil flames!" one of them growls at Sabrina.
- "I asked you for help earlier and you refused. Roast in hell!", the wizardess answers.

The two quickly crawl back to the guards waiting for them, and in a desperate gamble, Wistul jumps on one of them, toppling him down outside the cage. Lithe Sabrina manages to squeeze out as well. Wistul avoids the sword blow of the second guard as he stands up then punches him in the face and runs. Sabrina hides under the cage until she can safely crawl to the next caravan and thus closer to the exit.

Meanwhile, Jack is starting to discover that despite his enhanced size and the effect of Dwimberg's elixir, he is no match for the muscular ogre. He manages to land a blow on the creature, but the ogre's spiked club hits him repeatedly. Finally he decides to try and run away, but the ogre lands a solid blow on his back and he collapses.

Elan attempts to escape the guard chasing him by rolling under the circus tent flap, but he misjudges and hits one of the big stakes that keep the tent tied to the ground instead. The guard hits him with his club. Elan scrambles to crawl under the flap in a different area but hits a bench on the other side. A second club blow puts him out. As he dozes out to unconsciousness he hears the distinct whistles of the Vornheim militia storming the circus grounds.

Outside the grounds, Valya has retreated to a safe place where the milita men can't spot him. From afar he sees Wistul emerging from the circus grounds and discreetly slide through a manhole in the sewers below. A moment later, Sabrina crawls from the wreckage. She walks to him casually and says:

- "I never though I would ever say this, but you are a sight for sore eyes..."

***

- "Judges, here are the three accused," the advocate says.
- "Introduce them to the judges!" the spokesperson responds.
- "First, here is one Elan, known in the District of the Forked Tongue as "the Petty Thief". He has a reputation for burglary and small time scamming but to this day was never arrested or accused. He was found unconscious on the grounds of Signor Rallentando's Circus."
- "Second is one Aventine Jack, deserter of the Third Army of Melliflu in the Southern Realms. He earns his living as a part-time bouncer at the Bleak Beaver drinking and fornicating establishment, with no known family or attachments. He was also found unconscious on the same Circus grounds."
- "Third is Signor Rallentando of Halfling blood, a stranger to the City of Vornheim and owner of the Circus that bears his name. Signor Rallentando accuses the other two of breaking and entering with intent to burgle and kill, resulting in the fire of his animal caravans and the death of one Giant Marsh Buffalo and two Southern Green Tigers. He however is himself accused of aiding and abetting a known criminal barred from the city, an Ogre known as Gorm. Gorm has been captured and will be tried separately."
- "What say you, judges?" the advocate asks.
- "Here is the Judges' deliberation" the spokesperson answers, "in accordance with the will of Vorn: the case of Elan and Aventine Jack vs. Signor Rallentando shall be tried by Proxy Combat. Are the accused familiar with this Trial Method ?"

None of the accused know of this method. The Spokesperson continues:

"In a trial by Proxy Combat each party shall name three proxys. These must be personal friends or acquaintances of the accused. The Minister will concurrently appoint three officially sanctioned Judicial Assassins. Assassins and Proxys must eliminate each other. Should the three appointed assassins be eliminated first, the accused will go free of any charges. Should the (in this case) six proxys die first, the accused will be proved guilty and hanged. You have exactly one day to name your proxys."

***

Sabrina waits in front of the Red Mansion, where the Vornheim militia has its headquarters. She's been waiting all day for Rulius, the new fangled detective of the force. He finally walks out, heading for a nearby wine bar. Sabrina follows him and, once he's seated with a glass of mulled wine in front of him, she slips in the seat next to his and says:
- "Can I buy you that drink?"
- "I hope this is not an attempt at bribery, young lady..."
- "No, of course not. But I do need to speak to you."
- "I'm listening..."
- "It's about my friends. They have been arrested, and are awaiting trial."
- "Yes, I am aware. Elan the thief and Aventine Jack. To be tried by Proxy Combat."

Sabrina blanches when hearing the trial method.

- "Listen, they are wrongly accused. They came to rescue me. I had been abducted by Signor Rollentando. He seduced me, then drugged me. He intended to feed me to his tigers. I was tied at the back of that cage. That's why they set fire to it, to help me free myself."
- "Well, you see, that is all well and good", Rulius answers, his voice thick with irony, "but the beauty of our legal system is that Vorn will help decide who is right and who is wrong... No doubt you will have a chance yourself to face the Judicial Assassins and prove your friends correct..."
- "No, we don't stand a chance. Listen, can't you do something?"
- "How could I? As absurd as I think our legal system is, my duty is to arrest the guilty, not to try them."
- "But you must know people, you can pull some favors maybe..."
- "And why would I do that?"
- "Because my friends aren't guilty and that matters to you? Because we helped you with the Taxidermist' case and probably eliminated a very real threat to the safety of the city..."
- "Hrm... I will see what I can do."

***

A few days later, Elan, Jack and Signor Rallentando are summoned in front of the Judges again.
- "Two of you have not named any friends. Why is that?"
- "Because we don't have any friends", Jack answers defiantly. "We only have each other."
- "In consideration of this fact, and because it has been pointed to us that this case is not Vornheim vs. the accused but rather Elan the thief and Aventine Jack vs. Signor Rallentando, the Trial Method is commuted to a Trial by Crowd Duel. Are the accused familiar with this Trial Method?"

None of the accused are. The Spokesperson continues: "Fourty and six citizens will be recruited. Each party may also directly recruit two, for a total of fifty citizens. The accused (or, in the case of Elan the thief and Aventine Jack, one of the accused) will each be standing on the shoulders of one of their named recruits. They will fight bare chested with swords handed over by the Minister. The first of the accused to pass out from wounds or fall to the ground shall be deemed guilty. That party will be hanged, the other will be free."

***

During one more week, Elan and Jack are looked after and made to rest until they are fully healed. Then comes the big day of the trial. Jack named Sabrina and Wistul as their recruits, pretending that they are not friends but only known by reputation. Jack is escorted to a small room where he meets Sabrina and Wistul. He doesn't say a word to the Wizardess, but hugs Wistul and tells him that he couldn't hope for someone better on whose shoulders to stand for this fight that may be his last.

They walk out into a small round arena where people picked randomly from the streets are massed. Wistul and Jack walk to the center of the arena. There they see Signor Rallentando and one of his named recruits, a tall and muscular man. Jack is helped onto Wistul's shoulders while Rallentando hops on his friends'. The swords are handed out to them, and the officials close the arena and go walk to the side. Elan is also there, in a position to see his friend and associate succeed or fail.

Things start well, with Jack landing a solid blow on Rallentando's left shoulder, but the halfling is nimble and surprisingly good with his sword. Repeatedly, Jack tries to push his advantage and topple his diminutive adversary, but the Halfling not only hangs on, he gives as good as he's getting.

Sabrina tries to summon some rats to crawl up the legs of Rallentando's, but she fails miserably. Her other magical formulas are all too blatant to use in public and get away with. She can do nothing but helplessly watch Jack get slowly hacked by his unexpectedly effective halfling opponent.

Finally, one last blow from Rallentando saps out Jack's energy for good. He slowly falls back from Wistul's shoulders. The elf turns around to stop his fall and slowly lays him on the ground. He sees immediately that Jack is dead. Wistul closes the warrior's eyes. Outside of the ring, Elan starts pulling his hair out as the Judicial Guard escorts him away.

The next day at dawn, a gallows is erected in one of the squares in Under the Mountain. Elan is escorted there and summarily hanged.
Mozart n'a pas écrit que le Boléro de Ravel. Mais aussi plein d'autres trucs beaucoup moins connus (comme le canon de Pachelbel). - Le Grümph
Avatar de l’utilisateur
Dante 059
Pratiquant
Messages : 239
Inscription : sam. déc. 22, 2007 12:03 pm
Localisation : Douai

Re: [IN ENGLISH] Dungeon Crawl Classics - Vornheim

Message par Dante 059 »

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 ^^
Répondre