Swyvers – The Crypt of the Necromancer

Summary

After a couple of quiet weeks lying low, Maisie’s Miscreants reconnected with their informant, the rat-catcher Mr. Tweed. He revealed that a new villain, Pox the Hathead, had taken over Gorgonzola Grotto, and the vampire rat Crudella the Bloodied was scheming to take over her former lover’s rackets. Following up on a previous lead, the party visited the ailing scholar Peter Linsor, who had hired them to retrieve any written documents from his ancestor’s crypt, and provided them with a map and healing potions for their trouble.

Following the map to a cemetery, the party unearthed a false-bottomed grave and descended into a strange series of subterranean chambers, including a yard of legless horse skeletons and an abandoned watch house basement. After bribing some spectral watchmen, they navigated through a sunken church and a library, where Maisie found an occult book. Their journey led them to an elevator that descended into the true crypt, a place choked with gray ash. The descent was not without peril; falling debris and a swarm of bats afflicted Clementine with extreme diarrhea and gave several members of the party a case of ‘duck mouth,’ a painful swelling of the lips.

The Miscreants pressed on, defeating two undead Ash Dwellers guarding the way. In a chamber filled with deadly pressure plates, Lucky cleverly triggered a slab trap from a safe distance, allowing Maisie to retrieve a powerful spell scroll, ‘To Unweave the Threads.’ Their exploration next led them to a grotesque bone nursery, where they were ambushed by a skinless Crypt Rot. In a hard-fought battle, Maisie sliced the creature in two, and a search of its lair revealed a locked chest containing a magical bow.

Finally, they arrived at the main tomb. Inside a black sarcophagus lay the slumbering form of Lord Barthalus Lensor. Upon opening it, the necromancer awoke, sealed the exit, and immediately began casting a spell. Krusty cleverly snatched the scroll from his hands, but Barthalus simply produced another. He tore Maisie’s soul from her body, nearly killing her before Lucky could successfully cast his new dispel magic spell to return it. Barthalus then began a new incantation to raise an army of the dead. Lucky’s attempt to counter this spell backfired spectacularly, melting his bones and leaving him a sentient puddle. Faced with the necromancer and nine newly risen corpses, the party rallied for one final, desperate assault. They focused all their attacks on the necromancer, and with a final, mighty blow from Clementine, Lord Barthalus was felled, causing his undead minions to collapse into dust. The exhausted adventurers then collected their hard-won loot from his remains.

OUTLINE:

A New Commission

• The party met with Mr. Tweed, who updated them on the city’s underworld.
• They learned of a new leader, Pox the Hathead, and the vampire rat Crudella the Bloodied.
• They accepted a quest from Peter Linsor to retrieve documents from his ancestral crypt.
• Peter Linsor provided the party with a map and three healing potions.

Descent into the Crypt

• The party followed the map to a cemetery and found a hidden entrance.
• They explored a series of strange chambers: a knacker’s yard, a watch house basement, and a library.
• Maisie found an occult book in the library.
• An elevator took them down into the ash-filled crypt proper.
• A bat swarm attacked, inflicting Clementine with dysentery and others with ‘duck mouth’.

Battles in the Antechambers

• The party defeated two undead Ash Dwellers guarding a hallway.
• They bypassed a room filled with slab traps to acquire a ‘To Unweave the Threads’ spell scroll.
• In a gruesome ‘bone nursery’, they were ambushed by a skinless Crypt Rot.
• After a difficult fight, Maisie killed the creature, and the party found a Swank Magic Bow in its lair.

The Necromancer’s Awakening

• The party entered the final tomb and opened the sarcophagus of Lord Barthalus Lensor.
• The necromancer awoke, sealed the exit, and began casting a spell.
• Krusty successfully stole the spell scroll from Barthalus’s hand.
• Barthalus produced a second scroll and cast a spell that tore Maisie’s soul from her body.

The Final Confrontation

• Lucky successfully cast his new dispel magic spell to restore Maisie’s soul.
• Barthalus began a new spell to summon nine undead warriors.
• Lucky attempted to counter the spell again, but it failed critically, turning his bones to liquid.
• The party decided to ignore the minions and focus all attacks on Barthalus.
• Clementine dealt the final blow, killing the necromancer and causing the undead to collapse.
• The party looted Barthalus’s body, finding spells, valuable armor, and a gem.

NPCs:

• Charles: Lucky’s ward, who is growing at an inhumanly rapid rate.
• Crudella the Bloodied: A vampire rat-woman seeking to take over the criminal rackets of her former lover, Feta the Fowl.
• Lord Barthalus Lensor: The powerful necromancer and final boss of the crypt, an ancestor of Peter Linsor.
• Mr. Tweed: A rat-catcher informant with a wooden prosthetic ear who provides the party with underworld rumors.
• Peter Linsor: A pale, sickly scholar who hired the party to retrieve documents from his family crypt.
• Pox the Hathead: A new crime boss who has taken over Gorgonzola Grotto.

ITEMS:

• Feta’s Head: The severed head of the vampire rat king, Feta the Fowl, which the party still possesses.
• Healing Potions: Potions that restore 1d6 health, given to the party by Peter Linsor.
• Large Black Gem: A valuable gemstone worth four pounds, worn as a necklace by Lord Barthalus.
• Mint Mail Hauberk: Masterwork quality chain mail armor taken from the corpse of Lord Barthalus.
• Necroclaws: The natural claws of Lord Barthalus, cut from his hands after his defeat.
• Occult Book: A mysterious tome of dark knowledge discovered in a subterranean library.
• Swank Magic Bow: A well-made, magical bow that deals +1 damage, found in the Crypt Rot’s treasure chest.
• To Exchange Mortal Shells: A necromancy spell scroll looted from Lord Barthalus that can tear a soul from its body.
• To Make a Slave of the Dead: A necromancy spell scroll looted from Lord Barthalus that animates corpses.
• To Unweave the Threads: A spell scroll that negates magical effects. Found in a trapped chamber within the crypt.

LOCATIONS:

• Crypt of Lord Barthalus Lensor: A deep, ash-filled tomb complex located beneath a cemetery, guarded by traps and undead creatures.
• Feta’s Crypt: The former lair of Feta the Fowl, now occupied by Crudella the Bloodied.
• Gorgonzola Grotto: An area now controlled by the crime lord Pox the Hathead.
• Linsor Estate: The home of Peter Linsor, where the party accepted their quest.

FACTIONS:

• The Watchmen: The spectral guards of an ancient watch house basement who demanded a bribe from the party to pass.

QUESTS:

• Deal with Crudella the Bloodied: A potential task to confront the vampire rat Crudella, who is attempting to seize control of Feta’s old criminal empire.
• Investigate Pox the Hathead: A potential task to look into the new crime lord who has taken over Gorgonzola Grotto.
• Retrieve Documents for Peter Linsor: Enter the Linsor family crypt to find and recover any written documents for the scholar Peter Linsor.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

• Clementine: A tough ex-convict and friend to Maisie. Unfazed by grime or gore, he wields a heavy beating iron and serves as one of the group’s frontline fighters, though he is currently suffering from a rather explosive intestinal ailment.
• Jasper: Nabi’s subservient but immensely strong companion. While generally quiet and eager to please his master, Jasper’s physical power makes him an invaluable asset for overcoming obstacles and fighting alongside the Miscreants.
• Krusty: Maisie’s exceptionally clever and brave dog. More than a simple pet, Krusty is a key member of the Miscreants, often flanking enemies in battle and using his trained thieving skills to snatch important items from foes.
• Lucky Clover: A resourceful bootlegger who dabbles in the arcane. He recently acquired a powerful dispelling spell, though his attempts to wield it have proven chaotic and physically transformational.
• Maisie Faye: The group’s namesake, a mystic who consults with spirits through her crystal ball. She is accompanied by her loyal dog Krusty and her recently freed friend Clementine. She is learning to wield a newly acquired magical bow.
• Nabi: The self-proclaimed Baron of Rookery, who carries himself with an air of nobility and avoids manual labor. He is a formidable warrior with his halberd, accompanied by his loyal and surprisingly strong companion, Jasper.