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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 5: Into the Fuligin Realm
Episode 1: Pillars of the Underworld
Active Party:
Alaric, level 10 dhampir Death Domain Cleric/Bard
Bahn, level 10 kobold Bard College of Whispers
I/O, level 10 gearforged Circle of the Moon Druid
Ry, level 10 shadow fey Black Powder Sorcerer
Snips, level 10 catfolk Swashbuckler Rogue/Fighter
With their mission completed and the necropolis restored to its rightful balance, the party bids farewell to the city of Siwal in the Southlands.
With the help of Farra and Ahmose, they enter a portal directly into the Underworld, armed with the Book of the Hungering Dead, which allows them to appear as Darakhul versions of themselves.
Their mission is to rescue Archduke Avgost from the clutches of the Imperium, and find out why the Krakovan noble has been such a hunted target.
Before they depart, Ahmose hands them a magic stone. If broken, the stone opens a temporary portal back to Zobeck — a one-way ticket out of the Underworld, once their mission is completed. Hopefully!
The portal to the Underworld transports them to a crossroads known as the Pillars of the Underworld. Large building-size stalactites drop from the ceiling to the floor, while a river rages around them.
The party is forced to carefully navigate the natural steps that have been carved into the precarious stalactites as they wind around toward different tunnels.
Alaric and IO miss a step and fall off, plunging 40 feet into the icy, heaving waters below.
Bahn doesn’t hesitate, casting his new Bigby’s hand spell to scoop them up and drop them on the shore (then come back for the rest of the party).
Shuffling along the outer rim is a strangely robed kobold who appears to be shrieking and fluttering.
They soon discover that Varja is a kobold bat keeper from the Underworld kobold city of Lillefor, with a dozen bats crawling, sleeping, and nesting around her, including a much larger (but still juvenile) shriekbat draped across her back.
Varja is intimated by this new group of darakhul, but she quickly warms up to them, and senses I/O as a fellow nature spirit.
The party had been given only a single lead in the Underworld: Narosain, a deposed ghoul lord known as the Last King, and an important leader before the Imperium was established a hundred years ago.
Narosain would hate the Imperium as much as anyone, and would know everything about the darakhul, giving the party some much-needed information, if they can find him.
Varja believes Narosain is more of an urban legend; no one is sure if he’s still alive or not. If anyone knows the truth, it’s his derro loyalists, a cult known as The Withered Hand.
But she warns that derro are all insane, some violently so.
She wagers the party should learn more information at the nearby ghoul outpost, known as the Pit of All Flesh. It sits on the edge of the Imperium and is one of the larger outposts around. Many undead (and some living creatures) make religious pilgrimages, or simply visit for entertainment.
Varja is actually on her way nearby. Her shriekbat has grown too large, and she aims to release it back into the wild and select a new hatchling, a relationship that the bats are content with.
Towards the end of the conversation, a barefoot derro arrives in the opposite tunnel, screaming about tracking Varja’s bat-scent, and launches into an attack by summoning a trio of ghasts.
The party is taken aback, but they launch into attack mode to protect their friendly NPC. They take out all the ghasts, only for the derro speaker to summon three more!
They switch their focus to firing on the derro, including I/O’s useful lightning volley spell to incapacitate him, and he finally goes down.
Varja thanks the party, and the group heads northeast toward the outpost.
After a day of travel they come upon a train of shackled prisoners, mostly human, chained to a darkahul riding a large carrion beetle.
Bahn attempts to parley with the darakhul. The amused undead is willing to sell the prisoners for 100gp a head.
The party ain’t buying, and they launch into a surprise attack. Bahn tries to stab him and misses, while I/O backs him up by transforming into a hulking earth elemental.
Alaric yanks the darkahul with his inexorable summons, plopping the darakhul in front, where Snips gleefully stabs at him.
The darakhul gives a command, and the beetle spits a nasty stream of acid at half the party, nearly downing Bahn.
With both sides taking a beating, the injured darakhul suggests a parley. He’s willing to trade them the prisoners in exchange for his life.
Alaric isn’t happy to let a darakhul survive, but cooler heads prevail, and they accept. The darakhul retreats with his beetle and ghouls and derro prisoners, leaving the humans with the party.
The party discovers the prisoners have been drugged, and Varja informs them of deadmind powder, a common drug used to pacify prisoners (mostly slaves and food) in the Imperium.
They briefly contemplate returning in the opposite direction to go to Lillefor, but decide to continue on to the outpost. If anything the prisoners will help bolster their cover story!
At this point Varja finally figures out the party are not actual darakhul, as she was beginning to suspect.
On the second day, just before reaching the outpost, Varja takes the party down a narrow set of side tunnels, into a huge vertical chamber filled with bats, including a massive, dragon-size bat that causes her juvenile shriekbat to stir, then take off.
After she says her goodbyes, she asks the party to fetch a new hatchling, high up on a ledge.
Snips agrees, easily scampering up the rocks, gingerly snatching the young bat, and swiftly returning without agitating anything large and thunderous.
Varja rewards him with a jar of holy verdant bat droppings, which can cure paralyzation and provide tons of healing. Holy crap!
With her new bat, Varja is ready to return to Lillefor. She bids the party goodbye and good luck on their Underworld adventures.
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RogueWatson 