Rappan Athuk - Session One

Session 1 (October 3, 2013)

Due to sickness on my part, we could only start the campaign this week. Three players were present for the first session, during which they talked to dead guys, killed an undead knight, and looted some nifty items.

The party consisted of the following characters:

• Azureus (Magic-User 1), who fought with short bow and spear
• Otto von Doom (Magic-User 1), who died an untimely death
• Ozborn (Cleric of the Sun God 1), whose holy water proved to be rather helpful

Here are the most important events (without giving away too much information to players who are yet to set foot in Rappan Athuk) in bullet-point format:

• The party approached the main site (i.e. the graveyard on the top of the mountain), where they saw three mausoleums, a well, and a statue of a dwarf warrior.
• Examining the western mausoleum, they found a bunch of sarcophagi lying around. Opening one of them they spoke to its inhabitant, a bored-in-undeath and grouchy living corpse, who proved to be less than helpful. Opening another one, the party got some information about how to enter the main complex from a corpse named Rahim (drinking and bragging in the tavern, one of the survivors also happen to mention a valuable ring still on Rahim's rotting finger).
• In the eastern mausoleum they found three sarcophagi, two unmarked and one apparently containing the remains of "Thark, who could not outrun Destiny". Opening an unmarked sarcophagus, the party acquired a valuable piece of ruby, but such an act of desecration could not have been left without proper punishment: Thark, in the form of a monstrous knight, his armour organically attached to his festering body, and wielding a runic sword, emerged from his grave and attacked the party. They managed to destroy him, mostly due to luck on their side (and un-luck on the Referee's).
• The party returned with several silvered candelabra, golden censers, and the aforementioned gem and sword. They decided to go back, however, and risk another short delve.
• First, they examined the well, but the disturbing claw marks that suggested a huge beast is still trapped somewhere below frightened them away.
• The central mausoleum had half a dozen gargoyles sitting on top of it. They decided to take them out from afar: a boulder they found was tossed at the leering creatures, crushing half of them and severely damaging the rest. In the battle ensuing, unfortunately, Otto von Doom fell prey to the last remaining monster. The party emerged victorious, nevertheless, but they decided to call it a day and returned to civilisation.

It was a fun little game (we played for approximately 3.5 hours). Although re-writing the room descriptions to a more usable format took some time, it was ultimately worth it (compared to Barrowmaze, which I refereed last year, the texts in Rappan Athuk are quite lengthy at times), plus I could add some additional treasure and detail.

(Next session)