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— THE PARTY —

— THE GROUND —

12. Sootmurk’s Puddle

— THE NIGHT —

Gullian. Bow.

Brea Thornwick misses Captain Gullian

Brea’s arrow skips off Gullian’s spear shaft and vanishes into the black grease. The captain flinches, then swells with outrage. “Assault! Before Her Murkiness!” Five broad heads surface ten feet from the north doors, spears level. Farther back, five groomers spread through the pool around something vast and black. Anyone entering the grease moves at half speed. There is no running, charging, or fighting withdrawal in it. The grease will burn.

Captain Gullian misses Brea Thornwick

Gullian launches from the grease at Brea, spear first. She slips behind the iron door, and the point punches sparks from stone. He lands sprawling on the dry threshold, furious and exposed.

gloop guard 1 hits Brea Thornwick for 5

something takes 1 from Brea Thornwick.

The first guard springs over Gullian and drives its spear into Brea’s side. The hopping strike deals 6 damage, leaving her at 3 hit points. It lands beside the captain on the threshold.

A distant groomer dives beneath the grease. Its wake races toward the western tiers, circling for a clear line past the crowded doorway.

gloop guard 2 misses Ander Vale

A second guard vaults from the pool toward Ander. Its spear skids across his shield, and the creature tumbles into the crush at the doorway.

gloop guard 3 misses Mira Ashdown

With the threshold clogged, the next guard hurls its spear past the melee at Mira. The cast goes wide and clatters down the passage.

gloop guard 4 hits Mira Ashdown for 2

Another spear follows the first. This one slips through the doorway and cuts Mira for 2 damage, leaving her at 6 hit points.

gloop guard 5 hits Ander Vale for 4

The last guard of the front rank throws over its companions. The spear punches through Ander’s chain for 4 damage, leaving him at 8 hit points.

One of the remaining groomers cuts east through the grease, spreading away from the doorway and keeping the burning-oil carrier in sight.

Another groomer swims straight toward the north doors and stops ten feet short of the threshold, submerged to the eyes. It waits for the doorway crush to break.

gloop guard 8 misses Mira Ashdown

A groomer rises farther back and throws at Mira through the packed doorway. The spear grazes the stone beside her head and misses.

gloop guard 9 hits Mira Ashdown for 2

The final groomer throws from beside Sootmurk. Its spear threads the doorway and cuts Mira again for 2 damage. She has 4 hit points left.

The vast black shape in the pool lifts its head. Twelve legs flex beneath the grease, but Sootmurk does not join the fight. She watches Gullian crowd the doorway and says, slowly, “Do continue. He promised me prisoners, and I should hate to interrupt his performance.”

"Gullian." Ander steps onto the dry threshold and sets his feet in the gap — nothing gets past him to Brea and Mira without going through chainmail and shield first. He looks down at the sprawled captain, unhurried, the way he used to give directions to frightened travellers on the marsh road. "Twice I asked you for the King's Road folk. Twice you answered with spears. Not asking a third time." He raises the sword. "Right," he says — the whole speech — and brings it down on the captain where he lies on the stone.

Ander Vale misses Captain Gullian

Gullian jerks aside on the stone. Ander’s sword strikes the threshold hard enough to ring through the grotto, but the captain is untouched. Ander now holds the dry gap between the gloops and his wounded companions.

"On the stone." Brea nocks from behind Vale and looses at Gullian.

Brea Thornwick hits Captain Gullian for 5

Brea’s arrow passes under Ander’s raised sword and buries itself in Gullian’s flank. The captain takes 5 damage and recoils across the dry stone with 7 hit points left.

Captain Gullian misses Ander Vale

“Your Murkiness, observe how I punish—” Gullian thrusts at Ander while checking whether Sootmurk is watching. Ander turns the spear aside with his shield. Gullian repeats, louder, “Observe!”

gloop guard 1 hits Ander Vale for 6

The guard beside Gullian drives its spear over the captain’s shoulder. The point tears through Ander’s chain for 6 damage. Ander keeps the gap, barely, with 2 hit points left.

gloop guard 10 misses Ander Vale

The western swimmer bursts from the grease at Ander’s flank. He catches the hopping spear on his shield, and the tiny guard splashes back into the pool.

gloop guard 2 hits Ander Vale for 1

The guard trapped in the doorway crush jabs low. Its spear slips past Ander’s shield for 1 damage. Ander remains standing at 1 hit point.

gloop guard 3 hits Ander Vale for 6

The spearless guard draws its short sword and springs through the opening. The blade finds the gap under Ander’s arm. He falls on the threshold and does not rise.

gloop guard 4 hits Brea Thornwick for 4

The next guard vaults over Ander but turns its short sword in its fist. The pommel strikes Brea’s temple for 4 subdual damage. She crumples unconscious at 0 hit points, alive, and the guard hooks a claw into her armour to claim the prisoner.

gloop guard 5 misses Mira Ashdown

Another guard springs into the passage after Mira, swinging its sword pommel rather than the blade. She ducks the blow. It lands beside Brea’s captor, blocking the way back to Ander.

gloop guard 6 misses Oskar Fenn

From the eastern side of the doors, a guard throws past Mira at Oskar. The spear glances from his plate and spins away.

The guard waiting beneath the grease rises into the vacated threshold. It keeps its spear leveled past the knot of companions but does not follow them farther onto dry stone.

A spearless groomer draws its short sword and swims up behind the guard holding the threshold. It waits in the grease for room to spring.

The last distant groomer dives beneath the grease and races toward the western side of the doors, short sword drawn. The passage mouth is now ringed on both sides.

Brea stays down. The pommel-blow still has her, and the claw in her armour is all she knows of the doorway. She does not rise.

Captain Gullian misses Mira Ashdown

Gullian steps over Ander and swings the butt of his spear at Mira. She twists away, and it cracks against the passage wall. “Throw down the oil!” he shrieks. “I have already taken two of you!”

gloop guard 1 hits Mira Ashdown for 1

The guard beside Gullian reverses its spear and jabs Mira in the ribs. The blunt strike deals 1 subdual damage, leaving her at 3 hit points.

gloop guard 10 misses Oskar Fenn

The one-hit-point guard rises at the western edge and throws its spear past the doorway melee at Oskar. The point rings from his plate and drops harmlessly.

gloop guard 2 hits Mira Ashdown for 4

The guard in the doorway swings its spear shaft across Mira’s temple. The 4-point subdual blow drops her unconscious at 0 hit points, alive. It catches her before she strikes the floor and claws her wand away.

gloop guard 3 misses Oskar Fenn

The guard that killed Ander steps over Mira and strikes at Oskar with the pommel of its short sword. The blow glances from his raised shield.

Brea’s captor grips her leather armour with both claws and drags her back toward the iron doors. It keeps her on the dry stone, using her body as cover from Oskar.

gloop guard 5 misses Oskar Fenn

The guard beside fallen Mira joins the attack on Oskar, hammering at his helm with its sword pommel. Oskar knocks the blow wide with his shield.

gloop guard 6 hits Oskar Fenn for 6

something takes 1 from Oskar Fenn.

The eastern guard draws its short sword and springs through the doorway. Its pommel crashes into Oskar’s helm for 7 subdual damage, including the hopping strike’s extra point. Oskar staggers but remains upright at 7 hit points.

The threshold guard passes its spear back, takes Brea from her captor, and slides into the grease with her. It tows her away from the doors with her face held above the black surface.

The next guard reaches through the doorway, takes unconscious Mira from its companion, and pulls her into the grease. It begins towing her after Brea, keeping her mouth clear of the surface.

The western guard climbs onto the vacated threshold and braces there with its short sword. It guards the prisoner carriers’ retreat rather than crowding the three already surrounding Oskar.

Mira stays down. The spear-shaft blow still has her. Her captor tows her through the grease after Brea, her mouth held clear of the black surface, and her empty hand still curls around the shape of the wand that was clawed away. She does not rise.

Sootmurk’s head rises above the pool. “Enough.” The word rolls through the passage, and every gloop freezes. “Two breathing prisoners are a better tribute than three spoiled ones, Gullian.” She fixes one black eye on Oskar. “Armoured man: leave your dead and go. Bring me every magical object from the haunted chambers, and these two may yet walk back to you. Raise your hammer again, and Gullian may finish his performance.”

— WHAT THEY WROTE —

Mira Ashdown session cloud1: Sootmurk's Puddle, third attempt. The bargain for the road captives broke and it became spears. Ander is dead on the threshold. Brea and I were beaten down with pommels and reversed spears — they fight to take, not to kill. A guard clawed the hazel wand out of my hand as I fell, and I was towed into the grease face-up after Brea, toward Sootmurk. Oskar stands alone at 7 of 14, ringed at the doors. What I will remember: the enemy wanted prisoners, so eight hit points was not a wall to them, it was a price tag — they struck to subdue, and being small and unarmoured made me cheap to carry. The wand is gone. The wand did nothing, and I cannot cast without something in my hand — if I wake disarmed, the first thing I look for is anything I can hold. Gullian shrieked for us to throw down the oil, which means they still fear it. And I am lying in the weapon: the grease carries them and it burns. The shelf is still in there. Nobody has copied it yet.
DM Session 9fc1b219f5d6f09a7a7b90efd9783fb371805c67ce5e207ed244fa280818a490 ended in round 3 parley. Ander is dead. Brea and Mira are unconscious at 0 hp but alive, captured, and being towed through the grease. Oskar stands at 7/14 hp in the north passage. No gloops died; Gullian is 7/12 hp; Sootmurk is unharmed at 38/38 and spent no breath. Sootmurk ordered a halt and offered Brea and Mira alive in exchange for every magical object from the haunted chambers (area 9).
DM cloud1 / session 9fc1b219f5d6f09a7a7b90efd9783fb371805c67ce5e207ed244fa280818a490: Round 3 ended when Sootmurk halted the gloops and opened parley. Ander died at the north threshold. Brea and Mira were reduced to 0 by explicit subdual blows, remain alive, and were towed into the grease as prisoners; Mira’s wand was taken. Oskar remained in the north passage at 7/14 hp. No gloops died. Gullian survived at 7/12 hp. Sootmurk remained 38/38 and used no breath. Her standing price for releasing Brea and Mira alive is every magical object from area 9’s haunted chambers.
Brea Thornwick Vale fell on the threshold. A pommel put me at zero; they towed me and Mira into the grease, mouths clear. Sootmurk stopped Gullian. Magical things from the haunted chambers for two breathing prisoners. Big man still standing.
Ander Vale At Sootmurk's puddle, round 3, I held the threshold and died on it: Gullian lived through the breath after all — my last entry was wrong — and though he missed me, the guards' spears and a short sword did not; four swings at Gullian across three sessions and I never landed one. After me they fought with pommels, wanting breathing tribute and not corpses, and Brea and Mira were towed alive into the grease with their faces held clear, Mira's wand clawed away; Oskar alone was left at 7 of 14 with the doorway ringed, and a guard waits under the grease, so watch the threshold itself. Sootmurk's terms: leave the dead, bring her every magical object from the haunted chambers, and the two may walk back. I am the dead she means, and no one ever answered me about the King's Road captives.
Mira Ashdown session cloud1, end: Sootmurk said "Enough" and every gloop froze mid-swing. Ander is dead on the threshold — real steel for the man in mail who stood and fought, pommel and reversed spear for Brea and me. She called two breathing prisoners "a better tribute than three spoiled ones," so all three of us were meant for the pool alive; we were towed through the grease face-up, mouths held clear, the way a merchant keeps stock. Her terms to Oskar, alone at seven of fourteen and ringed at the doors: leave your dead and go, bring every magical object from the haunted chambers, and these two may yet walk back — raise the hammer again and Gullian finishes his performance. What I will remember: in every version of the bargain — road captives first, now Brea and me — the price has not changed: every magical object from the haunted chambers. That is what she wants; the prisoners were only ever the occasion. It means the trade can be paid, and it means those rooms hold magic worth a dragon's attention — if the gnomes' shelf sits among them, I may be bought back with my own library. I wake in the pool at 0 of 8 and disarmed: the hazel wand is gone, and the wand did nothing — the first thing I look for is anything I can hold, and what else they have taken I will learn from the lightness of my belt. Gullian shrieked for the oil before I fell, so they still fear it; the grease carries them and the grease burns, and I was towed through the weapon face-up. Ander got edges because he fought in armour; the small and unarmoured got taken. Eight hit points was never a wall here, only a price tag. The shelf is still in there, and now so am I.
Oskar Fenn session 4: Third fight at the doors. Nothing from the last pass carried over — Gullian on his feet again, all ten guards up, Sootmurk unburned. Treat each pass as its own count. The talking stopped and the blades came out. A guard's sword found the gap under Ander's arm and he fell on the threshold and did not rise. I could not reach him. Brea and Mira were beaten down with pommels and spear-butts, alive: they were taking us for tribute, not killing. Both towed into the grease with faces held clear. Gloop 2 has Mira's wand. Then Sootmurk stopped the fight herself — one word and every gloop froze. Her offer, third time: every magical thing from the haunted chambers, area 9, brought to the doors, and Brea and Mira walk back. Raise the hammer and Gullian finishes his performance. No word of the road captives; she holds ours now. I am at 7 of 14 — a pommel did that, and their springing blows land a point harder. Gullian is wounded and shrieked for the oil all through the fight, so it was still in hand when Mira was taken; it may be in the grease with her now. Correct the old note: the gloops came onto the dry stone this time, as far as the passage mouth. The threshold is not a wall. Paused on her word at my turn, round 3. If there is a next pass: take the errand, or light the pool from behind the passage wall. Do not stand in the doorway. She said leave the dead and go. I left Ander on the stone. Eleven weeks I walked the marsh edge for less.