Freedom – Session 6

The God Island: Erupting upwards from a warped, anomalous Deep, Shorrog is a vast network of mycelium that’s evolved into a sentient fungal colony potent enough to manipulate the ambient magical energy of the region. Its highest protrusion has formed a large island chain approximately five hundred miles west of Sardis, and communities living on its surface worship it, whilst it supplies all they need. Housing, food, raw materials for tools, clothing, and weaponry all come from processed fungi. “Shorrog provides,” as the islanders say.

The people are inextricably linked to their god, and they see tangible evidence of its influence and power every day. They don’t understand the relationships the mainlanders have with their more traditional, distant gods. A deity that stands apart from its worshipers is pointless.

Fungal growths colonise the bodies of all who live on the island, creating multicoloured, iridescent patterns across their skin. The clergy of Shorrog are community leaders that have been so entirely colonised by these filaments that they are mentally connected to the island and can hear the resonant, numinous whispers of their god.

Lana scouts the western corridor whilst the other characters wait near the entrance to the workshop. She peers around the northerly turn, noting another passage leading off into the gloom, and a south facing door she thinks will connect through to the stairwell. The thief returns to the others and informs them of what she has found.

Moving quietly, the group decide to try the door nearest to the workshop before heading west. Mira leads, entering a long, thin room lined with cells. A small table and three stools have been placed close to the entrance.

Q – Are there prisoners in the cells?

A – Yes. (7)

Q – Are there guards here?

A – No.

The table shows signs of a meal, crumbs and leftovers spread across the rough wooden surface. Dragos picks up a stale pie crust and devours it.

Subira goes from cell to cell, explaining the situation to the prisoners. Lana follows her, opening the doors with stolen keys. The freed captives file out and listen intently to the escape plan. One prisoner, however, bolts out of the west door as soon as he is released, shouting and calling for guards.

Noisy Captive: AC 9. HP 5.

Rounds 1 & 2

Bordan and Mira charge after the escaping prisoner as he bellows for his captors. Lana and Dragos run out of the north door and attempt to circle west, cutting him off at the stairwell.

The barbarian accelerates away from Mira and manages to hurl a dagger at the captive before he disappears around a corner. The blade embeds itself in the man’s shoulder and he screams in pain, stumbling but righting himself before Bordan catches up. The barbarian swears at the fleeing man, large hands lunging forward but grasping empty air.

The chase continues along the passageway, the characters desperately trying to stop the loudmouth before he reaches the exit.

Round 3

The captive nears the bottom of the stairs as Lana bursts into the corridor from a door on the right. She leaps forward, dagger outstretched, and cuts deep into his neck as he runs past.

With a loud thud the prisoner crumples to the floor, momentum carrying him forward a few feet before coming to rest against the stairwell archway.

Q – Did anyone hear the commotion?

A – Yes. (Guards will appear in 10 rounds to investigate)

Dragos listens at the foot of the stairs and after a few seconds hears the distant sound of shouting from above. He turns to the others, a look of fear on his face. “We must move. Now.”

Mira and Bordan run into the room to the south, alerting the seven prisoners hiding there. They follow the barbarian out of the musty, wet room and into the corridor, heading speedily towards the cistern. Dragos and Mira are close behind, with Lana bringing up the rear.

Meanwhile, Ostrik and Subira have freed those incarcerated in the cells, shepherding them to the underground reservoir.

Lana rounds a corner and stops to look back at the stairwell. After a few moments a group of Iron Brotherhood guards, three humans and two hyene, come running down into the passage. Two of them are accompanied by hunting dogs, the large beasts straining against their leashes.

They immediately spot the dead prisoner and sound the alarm. The thief moves away, sprinting down the corridor to join her comrades. She closes the door and crouches, peering through the rusted keyhole.

The other characters make their way down into the cistern and swim towards the drainage overflow. Bordan begins to flounder, but Mira grabs the big man and keeps his head above the water until they reach the far wall.

The dogs catch the thief’s scent and drag the heavy-set guards towards her hiding place. Without pause, she turns and dives over the edge of the balcony, swimming to the overflow. The door bursts open, the sound of snarling dogs echoing loudly around the room, and without a second glance the characters pull themselves into the shaft and make their escape.

Featured Image by Jeff Brown.