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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 2: Pit of All Flesh p1
Active Party:
Alaric, level 10 dhampir Death Domain Cleric/Bard
Bahn, level 10 kobold Bard College of Whispers
Millie, level 10 human Way of the Kensei Monk
Ry, level 10 shadow fey Black Powder Sorcerer
Zaberi, level 10 human Battle Master Fighter/Wizard
After bidding farewell to Varja, the party is closing in on the ghoul outpost when another traveler approaches them.
The older woman introduces herself as Millie, a member of a group of traveling performers and entertainers. Her group was attacked by raiders. Everyone but her was captured and dragged into the Underworld. She’s tracked them to the Pit of All Flesh outpost, and isn’t shy about approaching the darakhul-looking party.
She also sees through their illusory disguise, and practically demands they help her.
The party is taken aback by the brazen introduction, but grudgingly decide they need all the help they can get.
Millie isn’t a big fan of joining on in the darakhul-masking book ritual, however. She agrees to act like one of the drugged prisoners whom the party acquired from the darakhul slaver earlier that day.
Arriving at the outpost, they deal with a pair of bored Imperial Ghouls. Bahn launches into his deceptive ploy of being a noble and talks them down from a bribe, but the guards insist they need traveling papers, and point them toward the administration building.
The outpost is built into a large cavern, dominated by the titular pit, a large arena. The outpost is popular among religious pilgrims and sects as well as those seeking good old fashioned entertainment.
Several buildings surround a plaza before the arena. A fountain pumps blood and guts, much to the delight of nearby beggar ghouls and ghoulsteeds, while a tavern is named “Noshings.”
Bahn pays a guard to watch the prisoners (but take Millie with them).
As they cross toward the admin building, the spot a pair of skeletons dragging a dead body from a street toward the tavern. Millie realizes it’s one of her former friends, and instantly follows them, leaving the party to scramble. Zaberi and Ry follow her, while Alaric and Bahn continue to the admin building.
At the admin building, the guards let them inside, while at attendant ushers them into a nice lounge waiting room with comfortable chairs made of skin and bone. They’re told to wait, and Bahn is absolutely loving this bureaucracy.
Meanwhile Millie rushes into the tavern with Ry and Zaberi stumbling after her, trying to keep up the ruse that she’s still their prisoner.
Noshings caters to mostly undead patrons, including ghouls and vampires, and reeks of flesh and blood. A human server sets down a plate of human fingers in front of a pair of ghouls, who chat about goings-on in the outpost and the Imperium.
But Millie is sharply focused. She sees a fresh blood trail leading to a side door, which appears to be a kitchen. She calls back to her companions to cover for her, and quietly slips inside.
The scene is something out of a horror movie, as a kobold chef butchers the body of her companion like a dead pig, slicing up chunks of meat for preparation, while the delivery skeletons look on.
Instead of exploding in anger, however, Millie takes a quieter approach, and talks to the chef. The annoyed kobold is Kalo Duskscale, and she quickly realizes that he’s no loyalist to the Imperium.
She launches a lightning-fast volley of attacks at the two skeletons, dropping them almost instantly, while the chef drops his cleaver and quickly surrenders!
Outside the tavern, Ry and Zaberi nonchalantly move to cover the door to the kitchen, and keep a serving girl from screaming when she approaches and sees the bony carnage.
Back at the admin building, Bahn’s name is called (“Rotooth Grimbone!”) and he ducks into a small office. The darakhul is every bit a sassy secretary as she begins grilling the kobold with questions, which he absolutely loves. He also convinces her that everyone else is with him, and they only need question him to fulfil their paperwork.
Bahn and the secretary really hit it off together, he’s finally in his element as they talk about infrastructure, paperwork, and administration of the outpost. She approves the paperwork and even waives the fee, as Bahn has arrived with over half a dozen prisoners to deliver to the arena.
Before leaving, she warns that the arena itself is guarded by the Imperial military, who are a bit unfriendlier, and suffer no fools.
In the kitchen, Millie has also made a surprising ally in Chef Duskscale, who maintains a pragmatic if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them attitude. He’s an amateur alchemist, and working on a special poison that works only on the ghouls.
Millie takes several vials of the poison, and agrees not to kill he or the human servants when the revolution comes. The kobold is a bit nervous, but happy not to be murdered.
In the tavern floor, the party’s shenanigans draw the gaze of a seductive vampire drinking alone. She calls over to Ry, and invites him to sit with her.
Ry is adorably nervous and bumbles his way through the conversation. He learns of a derro warrior that was caught and sent to the Pit just earlier today, giving the party their first big lead since they arrived. Their goal has been to find clues leading to Narosain, a deposed ghoul king supposedly living in exile, including a derro cult that worshipped him known as the Withered Hand.
With this information, the party realizes they have to explore the arena itself.
Zaberi quickly stops Alaric and Bahn from entering the tavern, knowing the dhampir’s Blade-like hatred of vampires. Ry politely declines the invitation to be the vampire’s +1 at the arena, and rejoins his companions.
The fully reunited party exchanges information, grabs their parked prisoners, and make their way to the southeast toward the arena, passing by a guarded barracks.
A pair of surly Iron Ghouls guard the large, open doors to the arena, but Bahn is still riding high from his meeting, and confidently persuades them to let them pass, and shows them the paperwork. The ghouls agree, directing them to drop off the prisoners with the guards inside.
How far is the party willing to go with their human prisoners? What shenanigans will they get up to in the Pit of All Flesh?
We’ll find out next time!
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RogueWatson 