Session 117: Down the Hatch
This session was played on August 1, 2025, and adventuring lasted until August 3rd, 2025.
Roster
- Chadwick Thornberry - Druid 1
- James Daniel - Fighter 1
- Michael Will Susan - Thief 1
- Regis Pillbin - Cleric 2
Session Report
Before the session began, a few rumors circulated around the area.
- One rumor claims that a cracked-out gnome wizard who lives in the swamps is trying to resurrect and stitch together the corpse of a once-legendary racehorse, 2-Wycked. His goal is to enter the upcoming Grand Gallop and win the prize.
- Another rumor tells of a masked vigilante who calls himself "Mr. America" and is trying to clean up the streets of Backwash. No one knows who he really is, though some whisper he might be a member of the Krozpont secret police.
- Patrolmen investigating a recent kidnapping site reported finding strange, smooth black artifacts.
- There are also many accounts of towering humanoid creatures—over seven feet tall, with a lion’s head and a human body—patrolling the lands west of Shrewsbury.
The party didn't come with a set plan so they spend a few minutes debating the above leads. The party would like to pursue the rumor about the cracked-out gnome wizard, but purchasing a map of the region (they paid a little more than the vellum it was written on, roughly a dozen gold) they determined that wasn't a good idea. This wizard's tower was many days travel away and the party wasn't sure what type of lodging or resources would be on the way so they wanted to stock pile before they went.
In fact, the party is so poor, so ill-equipped to take a long journey they start to look for loan sharks amongst the gamblers in a small town called Mellos. After a few turns of searching they find their loan sharks. They take out a loan of 15 gold with a 20% interest rate with a two week term.
They used this gold to buy rations.
They ask around the bar to see if they could get the drop on a place to get more quick cash. They learn of some ruins to the north, just off a service road that breaks away from the main road leading out of the town. They are warned the ruins are unnatural and other disturbing creatures have been seen in the area. The party is undeterred and heads out in the morning.
The road leaving the town is patrolled so there is a one-in-twelve chance the party has a random encounter on their routine daily checks. They don't encounter anything. The party reaches the service road branching off from the main road. The service road leads the party through some small foothills.
The party comes to a circular-iron covering that is built into the ground. The party investigates this for a bit and then assumes it has to be pried open.
They use their tools in various ways to gain some leverage and eventually force the hatch open. They are met with the repetitive blaring of an alarm system and the red flashing of emergency lights. The party descends between 80 and 120 feet before they reach the bottom of the ladder the hatch was covering.
The ladder ends in a small, circular room with one door. It led to a hallway that was tight, made of smooth metal, iron or steel, and still had the red flashing lights and alarms sounding in it. They followed the hallway into a more open room with an eating area, doors to a washroom, and three other submarine style doors.
After investigating the kitchen (and taking a toaster) the party investigated the other areas one by one. One was a tall room with a large cylinder in the middle of it, it had support arms holding in verticle while various tubes and wires came off of it. There were two ladders going down but the party were to come back to those.
Another one of the rooms had another device in the middle of it. The party determined this was some sort of engine, or forge. They figured it hadn't been used in many, many years.
The final room they came to was a barracks. They could tell from broken bunks, trunks, and lockers that filled the room. The party spent some time searching and found some old navy colored uniforms. The lockers were locked but Michael Will Susan was going to try to open them whether they were trapped or not.
There were eight lockers and he was able to break into about half of them. They were stocked with ancient military technology. They party didn't actually know what any of this was, or how to use it. If anything they were unnerved from Chadwick's constant assurance that all of these items were unnatural and would bring about curses. He refused to help carry any of it.
After looting the barracks the party wanted to return to Mellos, then Shrewsbury to off load their gems and scroll. They bagged up what they could, and headed back to climb the stairs up out of the hatch.
While climbing they heard terrified cries from the horse(s?) they left above ground.
Outside the bunker they found 11 morlocks molesting their horse(s?).
The party did what any normal, well-mannered man would do when he finds a gang of morlocks molesting his horse -- he gutted them without remorse.
The party looted their corpses for a few items, and headed back to town. There were no random encounters on their way back to town.
That is where our session ends.
Aftermath
Most of the party is exp locked and can't start earning experience again until they train to level up, so that is what they will try to do. Sadly, Regis Pillbin is too poor to train.
- James Daniel goes back to the loan sharks to pay off his loan, and then take out another.
- Chadwoth takes out a loan, and goes to speak with the Shrewsbury Drews to seek training.
- Michael Will Susan will attempt to find a local thief who will train him.
Slain
- 2x automations (lesser) - 70 xp
- 11x morlocks - 165 xp
Spoils
4x SIG Sauer P320 - 1,400 xp
4x Bulletproof vests - 4,000 xp
4x Night vision goggles - 6,000 xp
2x HK416 - 6,000 xp
2x Remington 870 - 2,000 xp
1x Toaster - Sold - Unsellable
2,000 electrum - 1,000 gold
3x gems - Sold - 150 gold / 300 xp (all but Michael Will Susan)
1x Dagger - 250 xp - (Michael Will Susan)
1x Scroll of Protection from Lycanthrope - Sold - 1,000 gold / 2,000 xp
Score
- Chadwick Thornberry - E
- James Daniel - E
- Michael Will Susan - E
- Regis Pillben - E
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