February 16, 2024

AD&D Session 10: The Witches' Sorority

We started the session by dividing up the treasure from last time. The treasure haul from the teleportation magical college adventure was 5 rings, 5 potions, and a metric ton of gold. To split it up, we implemented a share system: everyone got 3363 shares in the treasure. One share could be spent to buy one gold piece from the treasure. A ring was worth 3000, a potion 400 shares.

Since Oscar the Thief was not here at the table, we stipulated that she opted for the most advantageous piece of the cake: 363 G.P. and one ring. Rings are possibly magical, but must be identified if their true value is to be found. Unidentified magical rings will sell as the least valuable ring in the DMG.

With the XP from their treasure, Kai the Druid and Soldier Number One the Fighter went training on Feb. 3. Costs are as follows.

Kai: 14 days, 3000 GP

SNO: 12 days, 2570 GP

If funds are insufficient, characters can "buy" 215 GP worth of training costs for one extra day of service with their master. This can be stacked as needed. Characters doing this are required however to spend all the gold they can, they cannot "save" more than 215 gold for extra days of service. Service will also sometimes result in mishaps, accidents, or opportunities.

We had quite a bit of downtime from last time. There is now a whole mountain in the sea right next to Ashes Island! Here are some more of the most salient results.

Zelda went exploring the surroundings of Trilo. She discovered a mountain pass, a small walled keep in the forested hills, and a ghastly Swamp with a lone hut on a wooden plank, right in the middle of it.

Sir Goldborn offered his healing services to an adventurer party returning from Ashes Island. The party is now resting in Trilo.

Oscar finished her training. She gained knowledge of a heistable building in B'Gazze: the warehouse of Joe the powerful trader.

Maraké found 4 survivors at the ruined site of his tribal village. He decided to stay there and rebuild the village.

Finally, we come to today's cast: S. Goldborn, Zelda, Green Gary the Druid, Temalkel the freshly Lv. 2 Illusionist along with his assistant Soldier #2, and Pocco the Magic-User. During breakfast at the Inn, they interacted with the aforementioned adventuring party as well as with Giorno's armorer Boudicca, but nothing much came of it. Then, they decide to check out the hut at the swamp, convinced that it's going to be a Witch hut. It is February 14.

Travel to the swamp takes most of the day and goes without incidents. They arrive about 2 hours before sunset, and decide to cross the swamp. While Sir Goldborn mounts his freshly acquired Light Horse, everyone else has to wade through the shallow muddy waters. Disease checks will be made! Finally, they climb the wooden platform and knock on the door. A young witch named Melissa opens the door, and after some squabbling invites them in.

This is the Witches' Sorority House. It's bigger on the inside. The adventurers come into a large dining hall where 11 other young witches much like Melissa are sitting in small groups, drinking cocktails. The adventurers are invited to take a shower and join them for drinks and dinner. Temalkel and his soldier are very skeptical, refusing even the shower. Sir Goldborn (who Detected a lot of Evil in this room...) and Green Gary are more cautios, quizzing the witches for information throughout the evening. Zelda and Pocco seem a bit more trusting and socialize with the witches. The characters learn of the six main extracurricular activities organized by the sorority: the witches' ball, a makeup course, animal training activities, pest control, the B.A.D., and mud wrestling competition organizing.

Pocco makes cocktails for everyone in order to avoid drinking weird witch drinks. He then inquires about the animal training activities. He cannot become an animal trainer with the witches, but they offer him a special item if he gives up his Manticore egg from 6 sessions ago. He accepts and gets a special ornated Mace. Also a jar of Giant Spider Silk since he asked for it. He then asks for the ring he got from last session to be identified. The witches challenge him to a game of Craps: if he wins someone will identify his ring. If he loses, he'll have to stay with the witches for one week as their Resident Wizard Boy. He wins! It is a Ring of Free Action. He then flirts with the witch Melisasha for good measure.

Zelda inquires about the makeup course. The witches are happy to offer her a demonstration. The makeup is based on mud. But wait, it's magical mud! It effervescently vanishes from the skin, leaving it rejuvenated. Zelda is interested in gaining magical capabilities, and the witches teach her how to use the mud and give her a jar of magical mud.

The witches seem to be quite the gift-giving sort! But wait, all items are only granted on exit from the hut. Similarly, the larger weapons like Sir's halberd had to be deposited at the weapons rack by the door.

Green Gary just enjoys the company. His dog whose name I forget sniffs around to detect suspicious smells, but there are so many new and strange smells that he doesn't know what to make of any of it.

Sir Goldborn and Temalkel have a slightly more adversarial plan in mind. They go to the kitchen and Sir starts to talk to the cook Melisandra, who is working a large cauldron. He tries to extract information and/or trick Melisandra into visiting the Blue Mountain by Trilo. Then the plan takes place: Temalkel casts Hypnosis! The witch is distracted by Sir so couldn't react to the casting, but for the spell itself, she makes her saving throw. Temalkel formulates his Suggestion: that Melisandra's friends are secretly against her so she should put something in the soup that causes high stomach pain! Unfortunatly, the saving throw means that Melisandra sees through it. She puts Temalkel to sleep with a witchy spell, and tells his soldier to bring him to the guest rooms to rest. Sir instead orders the soldier to bring Temalkel outside. They make it outside, but only talking their way out of the door.

At this point, dinner is served. Nobody is poisoned, it's just a pleasant soup. But then our heroes are offered to stay the night. Zelda has a bad feeling, thinks it would be better to book it. But group consensus seems to be that the party should stay the night. Even Temalkel comes back inside and joins the party to the guest rooms.

In the morning, Zelda and Pocco wake up and goes to the breakfast table. A witch informs them that their companions are now being held by the sisters at the B.A.D., the Boy Abduction Department. Pocco (who actually spent the night with Melisasha) was able to avoid this because he made his saving throw. The others are held by invisible magical chains and are required to do various tasks like cleaning, housekeeping, and participating in Mud Wrestling contests. Romantic entanglements, although encouraged, are strictly voluntary, unlike cleaning and so on.

Zelda is mildly horrified by this and resolves to go back to Trilo and gather a force of female warriors to liberate her friends! She is let go freely by the witches, gathers her jar of mud and receives Pocco's ring from him. She makes it back to Trilo on Sir Goldborn's horse.

Pocco decides to stay with the witches after all, as the Resident Wizard. He doesn't think the witches harmful, and hopes to get some advantage from associating with them. He did give his ring to Zelda in case the witches do something horrible to him.

We now come to everyone elses's plan to break free. Sir Goldborn's plan is Mud Wrestle to Freedom. He also wants to get to know the two other captives of the B.A.D. Temalkel wants to bribe his way to freedom. Unfortunately he can only offer wealth that he doesn't yet have (5000 GP), but he does so anyway. Green Gary has still his Entangle spell memorized, he will try to use it in an opportune moment to break free. Soldies #2 doesn't have a plan because he's an NPC.

And that was all! I'll post the results of the downtime orders here below when I've evaluated them. Thanks to the players for an exciting social adventure!

Downtime Results

Zelda finds 10 light footwomen who would be interested in being recruited. Cost is 1 g.p. per month plus 1 g.p. per expedition day. Also all equipment must be bought by the employer.

Pocco is unfortunately imprisoned by the witches much like his friends earlier (bad reaction roll, bad saving throw).

Sir Goldborn has a chance to free himself, we'll resolve it next session.

Green Gary succeeded in freeing himself, we'll see next session whether he uses this to do anything useful. By default he'll just go back to Trilo.

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