Welcome to Patron DnD, where Platinum-level patrons and I get together to play Dungeons & Dragons via Discord and Roll20. Patrons also get exclusive access to private videos, custom 5e content, and participate in monthly DM Roundtables.
This Patron DnD Campaign will feature a rotating cast of players, depending on signups, availability, and earned Platinum Points.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Token art by Jimmy McClure.
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Ten years ago, the Ghoul Imperium of the Underworld and the vampires of Morgau marched into Krakova and conquered the kingdom entirely, establishing the Greater Duchy of Morgau and expanding the borders of the Blood Kingdom.
The undead occupation has been kept in check by resistance from the Court-in-Exile, as well as opportunistic reaver dwarves who sailed across the Nieder Straits.
But the hidden machinations of the ghouls swirl beneath the surface. Rumors abound of an even more sinister plot that threatens not just one kingdom, but the entire world of Midgard.
Empire of the Ghouls is designed by Richard Green, and published by Kobold Press. It takes place in Kobold Press’ fantasy world of Midgard.
Chapter 4: Catcombs of the Ghul King
Episode 5: The Ghul King’s Catacomb p1
Active Party:
Bahn, level 9 kobold Bard College of Whispers
I/O, level 9 gearforged Circle of the Moon Druid
Lucian, level 9 dhampir Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Ry, level 9 shadow fey Black Powder Sorcerer
and special guest Rackish, level 9 elfmarked Way of Mercy Monk — played by Chris!
The necropolis investigation leads the party into the old Elia family crypt, where a hidden lever reveals a hidden staircase.
After meeting the charmingly odd monk that stumbles into the tomb, the party descends the stairs, passing images of jackals until they reach a small underground chamber.
There are no exits, but surely the path doesn’t end here!
A wall displays images of jackals as hidden switches, and a simple analysis of the staircase reveals the correct order. Pushing the buttons opens a hidden wall, revealing a long path with a jackal-headed statue, the symbol of Anu-Akma, god of the dead.
I/O leads the party with her superior perception, noticing a raised pressure plate in the second hallway perpendicular to the first. She carefully leaps over it, and instructs the rest of the party to do the same.
Halfway through their careful navigation, a screaming swarm of elemental creatures come charging down the stairs!
Bahn quickly turns invisible while the fiery swarm charges at Rackish, whose flurry of blows is stymied by the fire dancers’ fiery aura. His knowledge of Anu-Akma gives him a theory, and he leaps across the pressure plate, thinking the swarm won’t follow beyond the god’s statue.
Bahn follows suit, but his poor Athletics roll triggers the trap! Giant blades come slicing out of the walls, wounding he and Rackish before they can escape to rejoin the others.
Thankfully the swarm reaches the statue and flees back the way it came.
Beyond the trapped hallway is an empty antechamber with a dead body, completely skeletal, surrounded by dried blood. The body has a few pieces of loot remaining, including a magic ring of protection. Whoever killed them wasn’t interested in treasure.
The antechamber opens into a much larger room lined with pillars and covered in sand. Another skeletal body lies crumpled in a corner, but his one looks far older.
Before the party can investigate, four humanoid creatures spawn from the sand beneath their feet, forming into jackal-headed creatures.
The Anubians are elemental guardians of tombs. They can create miniature sandstorms around themselves, confining their victims close by.
But our heroes have their own tricks. Bahn is adept at screaming dissonant whispers while blinded by sand to get the nearest creature away from him, while Ry uses wind lash to separate another.
But it’s Lucian that really shuts them down with confusion, effectively removing two of the Anubians for the entire rest of the encounter.
With the guardians down, the party notices some slightly hidden paths behind two of the pillars along the outer wall.
Before they get far, a ghostly figure manifests near the bone pile. At first it appears to be a monstrous wraith, chastising them for desecrating and looting the tomb. Then the monster softens into that of a human male, who introduces himself as Masudi Elia.
Masudi, along with his brother Makani, trapped a powerful evil creature within their tomb many years ago, binding the “lord of sand and death” into a magical urn. But they were betrayed by their companions. A battle broke out, and none were able to walk away alive.
Masudi awoke only recently. A group of tomb raiders delved into the crypt, and freed the trapped creature, who in turn began raising the dead around the tomb, rallying the undead in the area, and exerting an evil influence over them.
The ghost admits he killed one of the tomb raiders earlier, the body the party found in the antechamber, in a fit of misplaced rage.
The party explains they’re here to take care of the evil creature. Masudi agrees with this, warning that they need to fully destroy the Ghul King and the magic urn, if it’s still around.
He does not venture deeper into the complex for fear of the Ghul King’s influence, but warns the party about the outer edges of the crypt (full of undead) and to move quickly through the rug room ahead to reach the spiral staircase.
He also asks them to please search for his brother, no doubt another undead denizen of the crypt.
The party agrees and they head deeper into the crypt, past a mourning chamber, and carefully avoiding an obvious trapped treasure pile beyond an illusory wall.
They hurry through a small room filled with rugs, entering a run-down chapel, with busted-up pews covered in sand.
Near a spiral staircase a lone zombie wanders aimlessly.
Ry aims a shot, but I/O whispers to wait, as it could be Makani.
As it approaches, however, the zombie appears to be female, and only recently risen.
Suddenly, a great whirlwind appears in the middle of the room, whipping sand around everyone!
This party is never going to want to go anywhere sandy for the rest of their adventuring careers.
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RogueWatson 