Kal-Arath Actual Play Part 4

Kharn meets a fellow follower of Malakai.

Weeks Later, Kharn finds himself walking into a village. He notices bone totems placed around the small buildings. They serve a demon here and keep pacts of destruction with it, if he is not mistaken. Villagers notice him but are used to travelers coming to trade. Kharn finds a vendor. The Vakalsh plants are trading high here for 150 sp total. The boots get him another 10 as they are trading low. Kharn buys 10 rations, 5 doses of Zhar’um and 4 doses of Gruul. Leaving him with 10 sp.

He learns that a former pit fighter rules this village. The people are prideful and feel safe here. There are many armed fighters in and around the village.

The village has a small pit fighter arena that draws Kharn’s attention. He surveys the fighters and notices a mystic with a horned fetish of Malakai around his neck. He learns the mystic is named Paimon who indeed has made a blood pact with Malakai. He is going to fight to the death for offending a high ranking fighter in the village. Paimon did not show proper deference when passing their Demon lord’s shrine. Kharn is allowed audience with the pit fighter handlers and will be allowed to join the battle with the priest in the pit against 4 other fighters. If they survive and put on a good show, they might be allowed to leave unscathed. Kharn brews some Gruul the morning of the fight. He intends to show glory in Malakai’s name.

Paimon thanks Kharn for his bravery. “You do realize this is to the death, yes?”

Kharn: “How else can we truly know life if we do not face death?”

Warriors (10) HP, (12) HP, (5) 0 HP, (7) HP; 3 fighters have Light Armour and Shield 2; Spear d6, One fighter has Light armour and 2 handed sword.

As they are sent into the pit, Paimon takes out two small pieces of plant husks. He spent the night painstakingly carving intricate runes into the wood and using his own blood to activate the spells for him to use.

The crowd cheers for the other fours fighters as they enter the pit. Paimon paces as his thumbs trace the etched runes on the tiny pieces of bark before tucking them away. Kharn’s blood boils as the rage takes him over.

Initiative: Kharn and Paimon. Kharn Rage counter 1 round. Use fate to re-roll and get (2) rounds. First hit critical strike. 

Kharn charges directly at the fighter with the two handed sword. Kharn’s swing makes a critical hit caving in his skull. Paimon lunges at one of the other fighters as he mumbles the words of Crimson Palm Scripture. Paimon’s grasps the fighter’s arm and watches the life fade from his eyes as he drops to the ground his face slightly withered. Paimon is invigorated.

Crimson Palm Scripture steals 5 hp Killing the weaker fighter and giving him 5 temporary HP. Eternal River of Blessed Strength cast fail. Use fate point to pass on re-roll. The spell minuses 4 HP but increases STR and AGI by 2 for 1 hour. 

Paimon takes a hit from a spear as Kharn dodges his opponent. Paimon casts Eternal River of Blessed Strength and feels confident, his fighting prowess invigorated. Kharn is bloodied from a spear as Paimon avoids damage. They trade a few more blows before finishing of the remaining 2 fighters. Winded and bloodied they wait for the high ranking fighter to pass judgement.

Oracle: Does the spurned high ranking fighter acquiesce? No, but.. The village warlord intervenes.  

The village warlord says the high ranking fighter must duel Paimon, one on one, to settle the dispute once and for all. Paimon, still invigorated from his blood magic, agrees.

High Ranking Fighter 3d6 HP (12), Flail d6 and Shield. 2 def. 

Paimon, wanting to end this, lunges first, muttering Crimson Palm Scripture.

Crimson Palm steals 2 HP. 

Paimon doges the flail and counters with a hard hit from his mace. The fighters strike and dodge, circling each other looking for openings. Kharn watches intently from the sidelines. Paimon fails to cast Crimson Palm Scripture again, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. He backpedles, regains his footing to end the fight with a well placed blow to the fighters side. The dust settles and Paimon stumbles from the pit with the help of Kharn. They leave the village to make camp well outside it’s border.

1 XP each.

Notes:

I used the Kal-Arath settlement tables to quickly give some details to the village. The Kal-Arath supplement, the Valley of the Black Ziggurat has handy trading rules to add some depth to re-supplying.

There is a whole other supplement called Lords of the Pit. I did not get into the mechanics for the pit fighting this post shows, but will get into that in the future. I am not expecting Kharn to live that long even though he has been surviving well so far. His rage skill makes him hit really hard.

I wanted to try out the magic system and rolled up a mystic to accompany Kharn if they survived the pit fight in the village.

Paimon Blood Pact Mystic stats: Started at Level 2. HP (10) Str 0 Agi 1 Tou 0 Int 2 Pre 1 Armour: 0; Weapons: Spiked Mace d6, crit stuns instead of extra damage. Skills: Blood Pact with Demon Lord Malakai. Doom: The caster must create all their spells on scrolls written in blood that cost 1 HP permanently to keep that spell “active” and ready to cast. Destroying a scroll gives the lost HP back, but then he cannot use that particular spell until he makes another scroll (1 full night of work). I take this to mean that the caster can repeatedly use the spells if they are in their possession.

Mystics randomly take one doom. A failed spell costs one damage and spells cannot be cast until well rested. A critical fail has dire consequences.

Kal-Arath Link