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Session 1: "Terminix Calling!", or "Smokin’ Roaches"
- The workday was coming to a close, and the people of Uthmere were readying themselves for a quiet dinner. The last vestiges of winter’s chill on an otherwise pleasant early spring evening set many in mind to enjoy some of the famous peach cobbler at the Cracked Crockpot, a well respected halfling restaurant and tavern. The Crockpot is owned and operated by Delroy Brimbleton. His wife, Maggie, cooks and runs the kitchen. Their daughters, Arlene and Dalia, serve customers and keep the place tidy.
- This night, the Crockpot had drawn a mixed and varied crowd. A Gnome nursed beer and ale with his half-ork companion. A young cleric of Tyr (Lori) dropped by for his usual mutton stew. (“I hope you got some better lamb in today. The last batch was off.” “Oh, no worries there, guv’ner. Only the best for the fine and upstanding members of the noble Church of Tyr,” Delroy replied, somewhat sarcastically.) Later, a fighter (Vance) and an elf (Matt) trickled in and claimed their own quiet corners of the hall. A halfling (Mike) entered and made his acquaintance to the gnome and half-ork – and Dalia, the more coy and bubbly of the Brimbleton girls. A bard stopped by to provide some entertainment and news from far off lands, but nothing of any interest to the crowd.
- As the evening passed, the customers grew restless. The peach cobbler that they’d all been waiting for was strangely delayed. “Don’t fret. I’m sure it will be ready soon,” Delroy reassured everyone. “Maggie! Where’s the bloomin’ cobbler?” Just then, a terrible crash was heard in the kitchen, and Maggie burst into the restaurant screaming hysterically. Following her out the door were some of the strangest and most disturbing creatures the crowd had ever seen. They looked like giant cockroaches, but were grotesquely mottled black and white. They gave off a fetid, reeking odor that made those nearby glad that they hadn’t had dessert. Crate, the half-ork grabbed his sword and dived at the roaches. The bugs jumped into the room attacking Crate and the hapless Maggie. The halfling adventurer readied his crossbow and began shooting at the vicious insects, as did the elf with his bow. Niclaus, the cleric, pulled the unconscious Maggie out of harm’s way and tended to her wounds. Clas, the human fighter, also waded into the fray and began killing the roaches. Once the way into the kitchen was cleared, a new horror awaited them. Dalia was cornered atop a pile of flour sacks by an even more gruesome insectoid. The bull roach was bigger than its companions and sported a vicious looking horn on what passed for its head. Fortunately, this beast was quickly dispatched, and the kitchen was cleared of the rest of the roaches.
- Dalia was unharmed, but Arlene was missing. A horde of roaches had carried her down a hole in the floor that lead to the sewers. After loaning Niclaus one of his swords, the elf led the party down into the hole to rescue the girl. The party trudged through the putrid muck, fending off rats and giant roaches, until they found a narrow passage that angled up towards the surface and ended in a cellar. After dispatching two more bull roaches, they opened the door into the house above. The halfling made a scouting run to check out the surroundings. His report was almost as strange as the giant roaches they’d been fighting. The house was completely infested with giant roaches, but they were totally complacent. They didn’t attack or take any notice of him.
- Niclaus recommended leaving as quickly as possible and alerting the city guards for help. He was out of magic for healing, and the party was still on the ragged side. The others agreed, but all recognized that speed was of the essence. Hoping that the insects’ torpid state would continue, the party carefully and quietly entered the house and made their way to the front door.
- Just as they were about to leave, the elf heard a small noise from one of the rooms off the main hallway. Peeking inside the room, he saw Arlene in the clutches of a monstrosity. The head and shoulders of a hideous and malformed woman topped an enormous, bloated cockroach body. From her mouth spewed thick webbing that she was using to cocoon the halfling girl. Several wriggling larvae crawled on the cocoon, trying to burrow into their future host. A bull roach and many minion roaches attended upon their queen. There was obviously no time to get help.
- A plan was hatched to burst into the room swinging and firing in hopes of surprising the bugs. Meanwhile, the hall outside would be set on fire to prevent the other roaches in the house from coming to their queen’s aid. Clas so liked this plan that he started pouring oil on the floor and walls even before the rest of the plan was finalized. Crate and the halfling attacked first, the halfling firing bolts at the queen, while the fighter started disposing of the roaches. Then Clas and the elf leaped in, focusing on taking out the queen as quickly as possible. Finally, Niclaus darted into the room, started the fire in the hall and closed the door to keep out the other enraged bugs converging on the room. Fierce and confined battle ensued. The queen soon died, but her hive wasn’t about to give up. Crate and Niclaus fell to roach bites, and the rest of the party was badly injured. In a desperate move, Clas grabbed the cleric and jumped out the window onto the street. The elf picked up Arlene and followed, falling into unconsciousness from the effort. The halfling wisely realized that there was no way that he could carry the half-ork or kill the remaining dozen giant roaches on his own. He too leaped out the window, landing on a pile of his companions.
- Fortunately, a troop of city guards had been alerted and was already demanding entrance to the house. Clas told them that Crate was still inside and needed help. The guards rescued Crate and several high-ranking clerics of Tyr performed a cleansing on the infested house. Arlene was taken to the church infirmary for healing and quarantine, and the rest of the party was aided by a healer at the site.
- Where did the roaches come from? Who alerted the city guard? Will the party ever get their peach cobbler? Join us in two weeks to find out.
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