Campaign Journal: AS&SH The Anthropophagi of Xamboola (Session 4)

SPOILER ALERT: This journal is extracted from an unpublished and upcoming Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea adventure I am currently completing. This account eventuates from the playtest. You have been warned!

Visitors to the desert-city of Xamboola beware! Demoniacal cachinnations and dull totemic drumbeats sound nocturnal from the outskirts of the city. Too, vile shrieks echo in response to the nightmarish noises, making even those of heroic aspect shudder in repulsion. Residents do not tarry to lock themselves in their homes at night, for something sinister lingers in the fringes of the black of night. Whisperings and warnings intimate that foreign guests residing at the inn of one Aramis D’athak oft disappear at night, never to be seen or heard from again. Where they disappear is not known, nor do the people of Xamboola speak of the hellish noises that darken their oasis city in the gloom of night.

Session 4: The Warlord's Mirror

The Party

Sint the Pict Ranger (Level 1)

Heron the Kimmerian Druid (Level 1)

Moloch the Male Ixian Witch (Level 1)

Grimnear Hothgar the Viking Berserker (Level 1)

Estorane the Ixian Thief (Level 2; Hireling)

Part I: The Death Of The Eight

Arrows flew, magick was woven, and iron wreaked havoc on the cannibals. Taking respite from the usual diet of human flesh, the cannibals were entirely surprised when five armed and dangerous intruders of mercenary persuasion began attacking. Before they could react feathered shafts were protruding from them, and the rest succumbed to the witcheries of the strange Moloch. A fresh pool swelled upon the floor: the life blood of the slain cannibals flowed as their throats were cut while they slept. 

With little adieu, the wanderers exited the kitchen, and began exploring the remainder of the complex. After sleeping, selling acquired goods in the bazaar of Xamboola, and returning to the ruinous palace, the group continued with their prior explorations. One room, a cube of 20 feet by 20 feet, was entered. Two filthy beds were within, and a mural depicting Xamboola razed in violent conquest. It looked recently painted. The room was turned upside-down, but scant was discovered, besides Sint happening upon a letter opener. Leaving, the adjacent room was entered, albeit cautiously. This room appeared as a once-armoury, with bits of rusting metal sitting on a rack, and a mouldy drape pooling on the ground. Grimnear poked at the drape with his sword, while Estorane and Sint scanned the walls for possible nooks and crannies. Nothing of worth was found.

On the other side of the complex a room filled with women and children was discovered. They all appeared to be akin to the cannibals. After questioning them and discovering little besides the existence of some certain 'wise masters' Grimnear decided to steal a grotesque statue they seemingly revered. Despite cowering in the corner and protecting their children, one women was brave enough to prevent Grimnear from snatching the idol. He shoved her away and attempted to grab it again, but she had enough: drawing a makeshift dagger she slashed him across the arm. The Viking's patience was depleted and drawing steel he hew through muscle and bone, decapitating her. The women and children whimpered and cowered. Eventually the brute left with the idol in hand.

A nearby room, appearing mostly collapsed was explored. Grimnear shoved the queasy idol into one a chamber pot, piled with defecation, as this room appeared to be where they relieved themselves. Poking around Grimnear and Sint unearthed a brood of venomous vipers. Ironically the vipers proved to be much trouble for the group, compared with the nil challenge of the now-dead cannibals. Tirelessly the vipers attacked injecting their poison into Sint and Grimnear. After the near death of the two it was decided to return to Xamboola; those bitten appeared very sickly. 


Part II: Fugly Attackers

Back in Xamboola the wounded employed the services of the priest of Rel to remove any residual venom. A ceremony was undertaken one in the evening, one the next morning for Sint and Grimnear respectively. After recovery the party returned to the palace yet again, this time descending into the depths of the basement. Below, a wine cellar was discovered, though any remaining wine or foodstuffs had long evaporated or been devoured by rapacious rodents. And rodents there were. As the group busily pried and poked around the room, a group of giant rats sized as canines attacked, drooling for the taste of flesh. This time Moloch fell prey to diseased ailment. Again the party returned to employ the priest, who lamented Moloch's demise would have been imminent without his steadfast assistance.

And yet again the group returned to the underground of the palace!

Listening at a door and hearing nothing the wary explorers forced another door. This one led into a vast storage chamber, with arched columns supporting the palace roof above. Seeing or hearing nothing they continued into a hallway lined with dungeon cells. Two contained a skeleton, while one showed evidence of escape attempts, however futile they ended up being. The other cells were not examined, for another door held the party's attention. Without any thought to safety the door was pushed open, however on the other side awaited two horrible anthropoids. They were not human, yet appeared roughly so, standing at most 3 feet tall. They were sinewy and broad, yet held none of the sympathies or curiosity associated with humanity. Instead, these dark and sour creatures attacked immediately, targeting Moloch. They proved both deft and hale, at last being bested with the weapons of Heron, Estorane, Grimnear and Sint. Moloch in a panic, departed with haste from these fiends lest they tear him to pieces in their savagery. When the hostilities expired the corpses were stripped of their chain armour. The room was thoroughly searched: a torture chamber with a secret doorway. In addition was a stone bench with bloodstains and two strange stone closets lined with hideous spikes.

Opening the secret door Grimnear, Sint, Heron and Estorane entered a strange hallway lined with four stone statues flanking each side of the passage. Moloch remained in the 'safety' and relative darkness of the dungeon, while the others tiptoed into the hallway with slight trepidation...


Part III: Smoke & Mirrors

Being a man of haste, and not given to bouts of elongated musing, Grimnear gazed upon two diadems on the heads of two statues. Overcome with gold-lust he grabbed the first. An otherworldly voice filled the air. 
"I didn't quite catch what they said, but it sounded good" said Grimnear as he adorned the crown with little contemplation. He walked over to the second diademed statue as no ill-effect befell him. In as much haste, he grabbed the other diadem. This time a voice spoke illy, bespeaking the intruders' imminent deaths. That's when a noxious gas began to fill the corridor, and the door between Moloch and the others slammed with a deafening "BOOM!"

Nasty boils immediately formed on the skin of Estorane and Sint as they gasped for breath inside the acrid and choking passageway. Imbued with otherworldly strength the mighty Viking dove for the opposite doorway, yet unexplored, and hove it open with a deriding snarl. Heron and Grimnear stumbled into the distant room, and Estorane and Sint fell inside too. Moloch was on the other side of the passageway, alone in the dark. After half-heartedly calling out his companion's names, and without checking behind the now-closed doorway he returned to Xamboola - after all, terrible accidents do happen, and he dare not tarry lest death befall him too!

Inside this new chamber, the lucky survivors soaked in their new surroundings. An unspeakable cosmic presence resided in this chamber, yet none could name it. A twenty-foot idol grimly sat on the opposite end of the room, horned and ugly, behind which was a raised dais and a tantalising mirror. Three huge columns held the roof up, set within alcoves, while a foreign and antediluvian sigil was inscribed in the floor. After exploring the room to no avail, the mirror was examined. Heron examined the mirror, reaching out to it with his surreptitious ancient majick. Without warning he disappeared in a puff of blue smoke: ye gawds! The Viking and the ranger touched the mirror, yet all they received for their trouble was a bone shaking jolt. Wisely, they determined the departed witch should be summoned to retrieve their druidic friend, now gone, and divine the approximate usage of the portentous mirror.

They found the witch in Saturn's Luck Hall drinking and contemplating his fortunes. 
"Fuck you!" shouted the Viking. "Where did you go, and why did you leave us?!"
"I thought you guys were dead" was the reply.
"Did you at least check behind the door?" demanded Sint.
"No. I thought I might die, and I came back here" came Moloch's sheepish response.
"Fuck you!" repeated the massive Viking, storming away in a fury.
"Hrmmphhh!" exhaled Sint, with a scowl, turning his back on the disloyal and disavowed witch. 

That night was awkwardly quiet.

Morning dawned and Grimnear grit his teeth. 
"We're going back, and you're coming with us".
The witch knew better than to disagree. They filled him in on the way back, detailing their misfortunes.
Reentering the enigmatic chamber the Viking pointed:
"You're going to try to use that" he commanded.
The witch took the dais, eyes darting around the room nervously.
"Alright, alright"
Gazing into the mirror the blue smoke returned. Moloch was overcome by a vision...

A purple and twisted land rose up, debased and foul. A dull orb rested in the sky, not unlike Hyperborea but more sinister somehow. Heron was amidst a jungle, feverish and horrible. He talked with a man. The man had no hair, and his skin was a lurid blue, smooth and bald..dia.........wit....pur.....mir.... 

The vision faded.

"I saw him! He's in a strange land" declared Moloch with glee and bliss. 
Those in Hyperborea agreed to employ the mirror in an attempt to reclaim Heron from the odious land he now occupied. Another cloud of charcoal-bluish smoke engulfed the party as they joined hands in an attempt to travel together. A loud crack resounded and a fleeting mad cachinnation pierced the air as pain riddled their bodies. Sint and Estorane passed into unconsciousness, while the Viking was shaken: his soul felt afire. The smoke finally subsided, revealing the witch's body. Rent, and splayed, the witch had a manic grin on his face, eyes open in death. In his last his utmost thirst for power had been exercised, his joy complete amidst the pain - he had experienced a magick presence unearthly, and although he now passed unto death, the knowledge of its presence was surely worth it...


Part IV: Epilogue/Carcosa

Heron was bewildered. He had been looking at a mirror and now...

Where was he?

A strange marshland opened before him, replete with jungle trees and creeping vines. Another mirror was a stone's throw away. He began to walk towards. From behind a tree sprang a terrifying man. He was blue. 

Hairless and blue. 

The blue man spoke immediately in an accursed tongue, vile to discern, alien to interpret. 
Heron asked "who are you?"
The man pulled on a mouthpiece, incomprehensible to the druid. As the druid spoke the man fiddled with something on the side of the mouthpiece, and suddenly he somehow mimicked the druid's own voice exactly. The stranger spoke through the device in an unnatural manner.
"I need your help to locate a purple man. I'm so close!"
"Where am I?" asked Heron.
"This land is known as Carcosa", spake the blue man.
For some reason the very name sent repulsion through Heron's core.
"How do I get back to my land?" he asked.
"If you help me, I'll help you!" promised the blue man.
"I'm so close!" he repeated. "Some are in the nearby swamp, and I have a small boat and everything."
His fervour disturbed Heron deeply.
Walking to the mirror he ignored the blue man's taunts: "The only way to leave here is with my help, the purple man will be mine, he'll be mine! You'll see! Ohhh....."

Defying fate, the laws of the universe, and evoking the mirth of whatever gods watched, Heron magicked the mirror, appearing amidst his sleeping companions, in that cosmic room in that dark dungeon of Hyperborea...

Notes:

In this session I used Carcosa by Geoffrey McKinney, for the otherworldly bit.
Zak S's A Red & Pleasant Land was implemented for the random objects to roll up the letter opener Sint found. All other content was drawn from the official Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea box set, or it was derived from my strange imagination.

By a twist of fate, and rebuking all odds of mathematics the dice indicated Heron returned to Hyperborea! That was unexpected. 


Adventure Rewards

216xp for defeating 9 Cannibals
75xp for defeating 3 Vipers
36xp for defeating 4 Giant Rats
160xp for defeating two grotesque humanoids
60xp for finding a silver chalice and leafy brooch
10xp for finding a letter opener
2000xp for finding two magical diadems
500xp for solving puzzles
1800xp for attendance and role-playing

971 xp each

Previous Post - Session #3 An Unholy Feasting

A Red & Pleasant Land + Isle of the Unknown (Double Review)

I have a double review for you today.

After not buying anything from Lamentations of the Flame Princess, ever, but repeatedly hearing things* about the brand I decided the time was impending for me to taste of the fruit. Today was a good day because... *drum roll*

...this arrived!

But what's in the box?

When the bubble wrap was removed, this is what I saw:

Yes, those of astute disposition will surely recognise A Red & Pleasant Land by Zak S., alongside Geoffrey McKinney's Isle of the Unknown. I have had my eye (or consciousness) on McKinney's Carcosa for awhile too, and finally put in an order from Noble Knight Games. James Raggi (owner of LotFP) got these pictured books sent off quickly, beating my Noble Knight order to arrive, even though Carcosa was ordered a week or so before these books! For the record, James will also honour customers with a free PDF download copy of any LotFP book you have purchased in the past, provided you can produce some proof of purchase. Consequently I have been reading through these three books via PDF before they even landed on the fair shores of New Zealand, and already have a good notion of their contents. Although I digress, I have found LotFP to be a good company to deal with thus far, both in speed of delivery and my personal dealings with Mr Raggi. Tick that box.

First things first. These products make some presumptions, namely that:

A) you'll be using their system Lamentations of the Flame Princess - Weird Fantasy Role-Playing, which seems fairly similar to OD&D/Basic. 

B) that you're not a G or PG rated kind of player, and don't mind a bit of madness/darkness in your games.

The first is certainly not a deal breaker. Any gamer with any knowledge of role-playing games should have no difficulty translating these products to their game of choice. The second is much harder to get around, you either like an M or 18+ style of gaming or you do not. Having said that, if one opens their mind a little, and actually digs into these products, you'll certainly find inspiration in abundance. And of course, not all of it, nor even the majority of the content is that extreme. That Raggi has been rather successful as a publisher suggests there is a market for it, and alongside Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea provides a niche of gaming I personally really enjoy. 

A Red & Pleasant Land:

Author/Artist: Zak S.
Price: 35.75€
Format: Print + PDF
Page count: 187
System: Lamentations of the Flame Princess (implied)
Year: 2014

The Good
An old adage goes something like 'don't judge a book by its cover', yet that is what we inevitably do. I guess that's as good a place to start as any, thus I will. The cover reminds me of a novel from the 19th or early 20th century - reminiscent of a Charles Dickens volume, or a novella you may expect to find in an antiquated bookstore. The difference being it is very 'new' looking, and is extremely vibrant. It is red (surprise!), and embossed with gold. Sitting on one's bookshelf, it would be indistinguishable as an RPG product, and I like that; it's very thematic. The image on the front features a rendition of what I can only assume to be an 'Alice'. It contains a red, cloth bookmark sewn into the spine, while the back is simply red. In sum, a suiting cover to match the book's title.

Within the volume itself, the artwork, illustrations, maps and layout is impressive, most of it being drawn by Zak himself (he is a professional artist). Thus we have interesting images that look like this 
                            |
                           V

Is this a D&D map? I mean is this D&D at all? Well, it's not not D&D! And this really captures my overall sentiments on the book. It is a retelling of the classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, appropriated for a D&D context. Please, let me stress this though, it goes far beyond the Alice narrative, drawing upon Transylvanian myth, accompanied with Zak's wild imagination, and amusing off-beat prose. In my opinion the artwork does as much to lure me into this setting as the writing does: both doing so equally well. It does not read like a D&D supplement, but it oozes D&D anyway. This is what Gygax meant when he said something along the lines of 'don't let us do all the imagining for you'. It follows the DIY D&D ethic, and presents the reader with something challenging; something that will invariably alter the way you approach your D&D game. That is, if you let it.

Even if you never use a single word from within this book, the artwork alone is worth it for me. But you get so much more than artwork. This is an intriguing locale (called Voivodja), which can either be used within an existing campaign (which is how I'd likely use it), or as a complete setting of its own. There are a four warring vampire houses of different colours, with varying agendas, and hapless humanity has been caught in the middle: or rather, eaten in the middle. The remnants of humanity are hiding, and due to the physics of the place, one's sense of reality is very fluid. Among various player handouts, maps, adventure locations, a new character class called 'The Alice', and quirky beasts, monsters and people, are tables for determining random things within Voivodja, and plenty of 'fluff' material for how life works on this phantasmagorical plane. 

A player handout:

A monster illustration and description of the Jabberwock:


An area map:

The Bad
Although I don't believe there's anything 'bad' about this book, I will say the utility of it may vary depending on who you are, and what style of game you prefer. For me this is not a problem: I read it as an ideas book, not a how-to. But for those of you who want to buy something you can immediately use (like a Forgotten Realms setting or something) I imagine this book may fit into the 'what the hell do I do with this?' category. I may be misrepresenting it slightly, because even if you don't use this 'whole cloth', there is plenty of useable stuff to mine from it. I plan on using this pretty liberally in my new AS&SH campaign, as I think it fits the overall weirdness and implied setting. I can see people whinging about its utility, so you have been warned. Though personally I think it's a pretty brilliant approach to a tired genre of game products...

Final Thoughts
If you like your games weird, or if you want a bit of fresh air, then I would recommend the purchase of this book. If you let it, it will speak to you in ways beyond what the words or art alone present; that is, Zak's methods will challenge your status-quo of DMing and beg the question: what else have I overlooked in my game, and what else about this hobby is tired? In a strange kind of way, this has taught me as much about DMing as Gygax's Dungeon Master's Guide did. At one stage D&D was innovative and new, this book is a return to reclaiming that. 



Isle of the Unknown:

Author: Geoffrey McKinney
Price: 22.00€
Format: Print + PDF
Page count: 125
System: Lamentations of the Flame Princess (implied)
Year: 2011

Let me preface this review by saying Isle of the Unknown was a product I had wanted for awhile, but due to other (mostly negative) reviews I read online I was partially deterred. When I was ordering A Red & Pleasant Land I thought: 'screw it, Isle of the Unknown is not that expensive, and it will probably save a bit on shipping getting two books instead of one'. With that disclaimer out of the way, and with my own prejudices made transparent, let us commence.

The Good
The artwork, like the other Lamentations of the Flame Princess products, is overall commendable. The cover image is colourful, vibrant and lush, with high saturation and warmth. The cover was what actually piqued my interest initially, before I bought it, due to its vivid presentation. The binding and pages are of good quality. The internal artwork and layout is aesthetically pleasing, and the inside maps are reasonable (though nowhere near the calibre of some of Wizards of the Coast's 5th edition maps). In fact, my own amateur mapping skills parallel the quality in my opinion. 

Map photograph is upside down, sorry!

The contents of this book, are presented somewhat as a hex-crawl. Each of the 330 land hexes contain a point of interest - such as a town, a monster, a statue, or a magic-user. I really like the full-page colour illustrations included for the NPCs of note. 

Some of the monsters are quite inventive, and all are presented as being unique or never 'taken from any previously published role-playing game product'. I believe this, but it doesn't really impress me for reasons I'll talk about later. The notable magic-users and clerics often have some interesting background details, as do some of the towns. The statues are generally reasonable too. This book provides some genuinely interesting adventure ideas. 

I would be inclined to do as the author suggests with this work: 'cherry pick'. I believe that's what the author himself does, and this makes sense, especially due to the varying quality of the monsters presented herein. Which leads me to...

The Bad
Although I applaud McKinney in his attempt to 'ensure freshness and a sense of wonder and newness as your players explore a realm that is truly unknown', I feel this work is lacking in several fundamental areas. Firstly, I cannot help but compare it to his other work: Carcosa. Though I intend to review Carcosa at some stage, I will with brevity, say right here that the latter feels like a more comprehensive product; that is, Carcosa is more entirely useable. Isle of the Unknown by contrast, often feels piecemeal - slapped together to fulfil the full quota of 330 land hexes. The construction and presentation of the monsters feel a bit like a mad haberdasher sewing bits of animals or monsters to each other, creating a kind of Frankensteinian freak of nature. Like this guy:

I mean, a weasel with four vipers growing out of it? No wonder he looks so sad and confused. I like weird, and I like off-beat, but the execution of this reminded me of someone trying to be different for the sake of different, without any real sense of inspiration or muse. There is no solidifying theme across this work, besides the vague historical references, and the idea that everything in the book has to be somehow 'unique'. Honestly, this work would have benefitted from some screening and revision. Had a bit more time been taken to refine this, I believe an entirely different product could have been released. One with exceedingly more practical application.

Final Thoughts
Overall it may sound like I don't like Isle of the Unknown. I wouldn't distinctly say that's true, but I also don't know whether this book will retain a long-term place on my gaming shelf. I intend to pick bits and pieces from it, or use it for quick inspiration, particularly if I'm feeling a bit dry creatively. Segments of this work have a certain charm about them, and although I feel it lacks overall cohesiveness there are some discretely creative aspects I do like. I doubt I'd use many of the monsters, but I may be surprised.

Would I recommend someone purchase this? If I only had $22 to spend on a gaming product, I wouldn't. Buy Savage Worlds, Slumbering Ursine Dunes or Yoon-Suin: The Purple Land instead. But if you have a bit of extra cash and curiosity I doubt you'll be too disappointed with Isle of the Unknown, especially if you're already aware of these critiques. I wasn't disappointed, because I knew what to expect. It's a book I wanted to love, and despite its flaws and cumbersome wackiness it still retains some of its charm. I'll try it at the table, and if it plays differently than it reads, I'll be sure to let you know!



* It seems the 'community' is somewhat undecided on how to digest these products: they're kind of a 'fuck you' product, and it seems that certain people are a little sensitive about that. To be fair, some of the themes and content of certain LotFP products do tackle rather unsavoury topics, but I personally do not care how people game in their spare time, nor do I feel any particular censorship on gaming products is required.