We had a sausage pizza last night.

Next game is on Tuesday 4 November at 5PM at World's Best Comics, 9714 Warwick Blvd Newport News, Virginia 23601.

++++ START OF SESSION ++++

Referee's notes: Tonight was mostly aftermath and clean up of last week's final battle. There were still a few die rolls left unfinished while fighting the House's Heart and minions, Honda struck killed the Wight that reduced him one level and so did Brother Richard with the Wight confronting him. The remaining Players attacked the Heart directly with Honda striking the killing blow. However Arnold was killed by the last remaining tendrils emerging from the Heart itself.

Note not sent to eMail version: This was HackMaster module K1 by Kenzerco.

The "Heart" turned out to be the nexus a root complex of the once living house, and was now undead. Having been turned by Wights several decades ago.

Numrendir awoke but was possessed by the Haunt of the dead elf druid that inhabited this place. The Haunt being the only "friendly" of all monsters in this place. Its sole purpose was to protect the "seed" (found upstairs) and hand it over to any other Druids to be taken care of. The "seed" could then be nurtured and grown into a brand new house. It was the dead elf's life's work.

Ooops, Huang had destroyed the seed with a fireball blast when Kmaregh threatened it and tossed it into the air.

If word ever gets out, a Cabal of Druids will be coming after the party for destroying that rare item.

The Haunt's purpose was now only revenge and Numrendir under the Haunt's control, helplessly fired his blaster at the party centered on Huang. Uttering a few choice elven words for good measure. Whether they made saving throws or not, the majority of the Party was centered on the blast were technically "dead". Now the Players played cards they had been saving for just such a moment (reducing their damage) to survive and fired their blasters back centered on Numrendir, killing him, while the blast radius also killed Brother Richard and Tubbs.

After the fireball subsided, the image of the Haunt could be seen exiting Numrendir's body and going to it's final resting place.

The party fired again for good measure.

Coming under the realization that Numrendir had not been himself, the party had a difficult choice to make. Having only one Minor Raise Dead spell left, Elefus could either raise one person this day, Arnold, Tubbs, Brother Richard, or Numrendir.

Elefus chose Numrendir.

Of course anyone who has played old Dungeons & Dragons or any of its derivatives like HackMaster, when raising the dead a Player has to make a die roll for "Resurrection Survival" based on their Constitution score. Failure indicating that only intervention by the one of the Gawd's could change that or the HackMaster rule of purging their Honor.

Numrendir's needed to roll a 92 or less on percentile dice to survive getting raised from the dead.

He rolled a 98.

Next Elefus beseeched his Viking Gawd, Heimdall, with a base chance of 1%, +5% for first time beseechment, +12% for being 12th level, +3% for being a Cleric means he needed 21 or less on percentile dice.

He rolled a 28.

Now in order to survive (and not spend a 3 hour procedure of rolling up a new character), Numrendir purged 90% of his Honor to finally Raise from the Dead acquiring the Excessive Drooling and Jerk flaws, additionally becoming a follower of Heimdall in the process (or he owed Heimdall big time).

We also had a new Player concurrently rolling up his character, we all paused to deal with some Q&A.

Next step in the Party's situation, they all dragged themselves, their equipment, and their dead out of the house and into the courtyard to discuss their weight problem and perform proper funeral rites.

In dealing with the dead according to Elefus, a Viking Cleric of Heimdall and being landlocked, he lit a Viking funeral pyre and simply completed what was begun with the fireball for Brother Richard, and Tubbs. That was fine and dandy except for the fact that Brother Richard and Tubbs were votaries of the Thonian High Church (a.k.a. The Church of the Facts of Life) and Arnold was a devotee of the Greek Gawddess Tyche, the rites were inappropriate and Elefus will have to lose the appropriate amount of Honor and 2 alignment infractions.

Speaking of deaths, there were nine unnecessary deaths during the course of the whole adventure divided by the number of survivors. (Larry, Moe, Curly, Shemp, Kiki, Broken Tooth, Brother Richard, Tubbs, and Arnold) Thus everyone got (9/11) times the honor multiplier for their alignment. Typically -2*(9/11) = -1.63636 loss of Honor points.

Arnold was placed in the back of the wagon Elefus commandeered in a previous session. This is in case the Player returns next week as he wasn't present. If he doesn't return it will be presumed his body needs a proper burial next session. Same goes for Kiki, whose crispy remains are in Kmaregh's leather pouch. In addition the wagon was without horses as they mysteriously disappeared while they were left outside, including Kmaregh's pony that he inherited from a rich Uncle. Having no beasts of burden this left party members to pull the wagon by hand.

Regarding their weight problem and because of playing so many sessions, Players had a tendency to put acquired loot, treasure and magic items in their Magic Bags of Holding similarly as one owned by Felix the Cat. A typical mid-sized magic bag could hold 500 pounds of weight within 70 cubic feet. During the last fight a particular magic bag was busted, items within that didn't also break when released became heavy equipment that needed to be picked up and carried. Even with a hand-pulled wagon, future travel would be arduous.

At this point there was some relief, as Seamus MacScorch the Red Dragon, arrived just in the nick of time to tear apart and loot the house of any remaining valuables within. Kmaregh (being on speaking terms with him), asked if there were any loose Bags of Holding to be had. Grateful for his prior feeding the other day MacScorch found one while rummaging and let them have it. It ended up with Numrendir.

Elefus using his ability to teleport, went back to Blackmoor to find solutions as Numrendir and Huang handed him their credit cards. While there, Elefus reported to Fletcher William, Blackmoor's Spymaster and Chancellor of the University. Explaining that Brother Richard died (but did not not exactly explain how). He then asked if he could buy four Bags of Holding, one pair of Bracers of Defense, one pair of Gauntlets of Ogre Power, scroll of Restoration, and one Girdle of Stone Giant strength (the last item on consignment from Victoria's Secret.)

All for a mere 144,200 gold pieces, heavily discounted.

Elefus also picked up two additional personnel, a Dwarf Bounty Hunter named Krazzek, and a previously used Non-Player Character named Slim. Slim was Numrendirs' sidekick and assistant. The next day they were told to jump into one of Elefus' newly acquired bags and he teleported back. Upon arrival his purchased items were disbursed as follows: The Girdle and a Bag of Holding going to Kmaregh, the Bracers to Numrendir, Gauntlets and a Bag to Elefus, a Bag of Holding each for Huang & Honda, and finally the scroll to be used on Huang to restore him to eighth level.

Since they now had equipment to carry all their stuff, they cleaned up and abandoned the wagon. Whether they left Arnold's body there I'll have to ask next session. Moving down the road to their next goal, they arrived at the castle they were contracted to investigate.

++++ OUT OF CHEESE ERROR ++++

++++ CHARACTER ROSTER ++++

PLAYERS

Count Elefus, Human Male Deacon
Sir Weasel, Human Guild Soldier, Enchanter, & Myrmidon
Sir Kmaregh Dismal, Human Evoker
Sir Huang - Human Monk Sub-Master
Dame Honda - Human Samurai Bushi
Numrendir - Human Coercer
Arnold - Human Rutterkin (deceased).
Krazzek Thunderkeg - Dwarf Tracker (new).


NPCs:

Slim, an Elf Presdigitator/Apprentice.
Henchman Tubbs Human Veteran (deceased)
Brother Richard - Human Priest of the Thonian High Church (deceased)


MISSING CHARACTERS (captured)

Junkbot Jackson - Tracker/Adept
Gerry Castagere, Human Fingersmith, and ever loving devotee of Elefus
Fundisha - Half-Elf Swordsperson