Exile Log: Send in the Murder Hoboes

So Far:
The unnamed dungeon company started as some city poor although not all were human. After dealing with some gangs and a few youthful looting sprees, finaly they came to a kobold redbrick maze run by Chondaru the Mystic. A sorcerer who they have had run ins for years. His wickedest feat seems to be running away with treasure invisibly.

Now the party owns Chondaru's dungeon and have their own manour houses, towers, pubs, poor houses, boarding house for virtuous women. They know nobility and non human kings in their thrall. Many competent loyal henchmen and followers.

After the party tried to get Chondaru through his mom he came up with his own schemes. Party tracked him to Hobgoblin Halls where they discovered that the halls were a lost bastion of good Nahme wishes to restore. Party rejoined by Dark elf buddy and he told them wonders of the Underland. While lost down below for a few months clearing out a orc citadel, Chondaru proved in a court of law Acula was dead as no such man could be found (he was by now a orc). Then He married Aculas widow. Chondaru was exposed and fled back to hobgobin halls to his new masters lap. Meanwhile the party have eliminated the non human buffer truibes from the dungeon clearing out the Halls for good. But the sorcery tower of a new masked master goes beyond. Each floor a school of magicians with some humanoid flunkies and monsters.

Questioning the increasingly common fifth and eighth rank wizards from the tower advising the boss monsters, they told of a giant crystal skull artifact. It was a magical furnace that when fueled with sacrificed souls and spell levels in minds of casters and magic items would have power to call fire from sky to cleanse the land. The Master tried to bribe away party with Chondaru and stall for the time but Nahme strictly says you must leave now or die.
Starring:

Serren
The Tako octopus faerie with his trusty one eyed eelman bounty hunter, out to explore and experience the surface world

Nahme The Angle with her theif boy, bert the bugbear (She hopes he will turn good without coercion), priest assistant and younger brother, establishing a angelic bastion on earth as a mission from paradise

Skull Crusher The giant at a mere under 9 foot tall he is considering changing class as growing taller not so appealing (+1d12 inches /lv). Has a bandit gang, a bugbear, a stray dog pack and has recruited the goblin king a flunky


And Guest Starring:

Acula
The orc with his wife orc warrior olga. At home he has five kobold princess brides and his original wife who like him was once human. Acula started as a starving forest hunter. His dad was a poacher. Now he is rich and a bona fide secret policeman of the Barron of Shadelport and a servant of hell. Has

So the party started hobgoblin halls and have pretty much destroyed them. They came here to find their arch enemy Chondaru. Nahme wanted to reclaim the halls as a great temple. But the uppermost levels of wizards seem to be running a artifact to ruin the world so they can unite monster bosses to wipe out Shadelport.

Around the treasure mine er I mean dungeon a shanty town of a dozen murder hobo's, a tent running a sly grog shop and a portable shrine. The priest was a important upcoming priest of the eighth rank to the gods of Law and Good. Other riff raff like the pary kobold friends, Skullcrushers bandits and a few curious villagers came to see what all the fuss was.

Serren met a murder hobo with grey whiskers and tattered pis scented armour. He seemed keen and said couldn't wait to have his pleasure with monsters. "Seems keen" thought Serrin aloud.

Skullcrusher met a murder hobo who claimed to be a specialist in counter humanoid terror tactics and was pleased to help out and ket to do some killing.

The first was a sexual pervert, he second a race murderer who is wanted by law for instigating border wars with humanoids. The second espoused that party should trick men monsters out then kill and rape the old weak and womanly ones while distracted. Party said they had own plans. Men accepted 7gp a day merc rates claiming they would prove how valuable they were. Both Chaotic Evil third veteran rank warriors.

So Serren and eelman, Skullcruasher and bugbear, Nahme with her thief and bugbear delved into the hollow mountain, through the empty humanoid lairs and up to the bugbear level they last battled in days ago. Shrine priest came and dispelled the latest magic stone wall and let party enter. Most of bugbear halls were empty and abandoned. Theif boy returned from a room reporting room whith doorways favoured by enemies last few attacks on party for cross fire. Party used a fog spell and Serrin with the power of sonar gained from a magic pie eaten years ago fireballed a room including the female sorceress that attacked them and they did not have time to kill her unconscious body.

So party attacked the other room of bugbears with ogres killing them swiftly. One of depraved murder hoboes tried to molest the half burned sorceress but Nahme said she would kill him. Yet another fued between Serren and Nahme broke out about who we should kill or capture. The octopoid sorcerer claimed as a disciple of chaos he was a better lawful good role model than Nahme. Nahme was also not bothering with money as it was just trash to her. She also makes them attend church for healing spells and tries to save every monster to sell for slavery (for their own good). To be fair she regularly offers monsters a city house and job contract and cares for all kinds of city poor in her missions.

Anyway went to next level and had priest destroy one more stonewall so the could enter the ogre operated crystal furnace. There was a quick and deadly series of battle with fireballs, rooms split by stonewalls with arrow slits which party got good at crossing. Murder hobo's were pretty well behaved except the second one who skinned monster faces to pin on his shield. Bad wizards seemed surprised the master didnt aid them before Serren killed them. Was a brief fued over cost of letting monsters live and be reformed. Nahme planned to put her new followers to work on the task and recruit more. Killed the copper furred bugbear king whose body burned like magnesium on death. Then from inside the ash husk was a bugbear faced larva crying like a baby. Put the thing in a sack to trade with demons later.

Serren was revolted by all this mammalian compassion. Monsters are for killing not providing with infrastructure, education and fair wages.

Party called up kobolds and guards to consolidate gains in levels. Finally chased ogres into the crystal furnace room and killed them all. The king begged to be killed and Acula arrived and gave him a spare knife. He cut his throat and exploded with a frigid blast injuring Acula. All shrugged by Nahme displeased. Turns out the only way to stop fire is with a at least third rank cold wizard spell or something similar. Party all a bit frustrated but thousands in ogre gold. Found a magic holy bell that scares undead. A necklace that turns men to birds but cursed if wrong bloodline. Some other nick knacks. Coudnt stop furnace but had loot and ogre workers dead. So had to leave it.

Back outside dungeon to rest. One final battle with wizards to go! Chondaru and the Master were going to pay. The forces of lawful good would recover a might bastion again.

Wizards and sorcerers and the master seemed to not be very aggressive.....yet.

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Has been a very fun dungeon crawl game with three big dungeons of various sizes, politics, intrigue domestic drama and more. Mind you I prefer when they spend time in city and get into trouble. They really hate Chondaru. Higher levels = more dice and more better but more fatal save throws. Will look forward to them setting up domain choosing titles and such at name levels.

Crikey! Perhaps it will be time to go on a new high level mega dungeon and possibly some plane hopping. Party interested in going to explore by sea as Serren has a zombie warship.