Geheimnischat

**"Geheimnisnacht"** or **"Return of the Lichemaster: Intermission Part 2"** is Chapter 13 of *The Vagabond Chronicles* series. The episode begins with Merry crunching something hidden in his mouth and killing himself. Ziggy examined Merry's body and found a tattoo of a purple hand behind his ear.

## Summary

The party gets 100 experience points for last sessions fun. Rattigan takes +5 to weapon skill (43 now). Ziggy takes fellowship improvement (learning how to whistle) Teddy takes another wound (taking it to 6) Bondo takes another attack (he changed career to militiamen)

The party wakes up at the campsite. Some body parts are still strewn across it. Merry's face has actually been bitten of by the acid he consumed earlier. Dr Dasher has been left out in the woods with the war penguins, he was drunk when they last saw him but they should probably check up on him. Ziggy succeeds on an intelligence test about the purple hand, but the symbolism is not uncommon in the empire especially in secret societies. Secret societies aren't necessarily evil in nature. However, Ziggy knows this secret society is probably evil. Ziggy tries to bluff his way and says its from the Purple panda's. The party takes vandor to the grave and pours him out into the grave (making grave-y...*get it*?) But the dm wants to **get to the meat of the it,** so we continue.

When they arrive at the place where they parked the war penguins and Dr. dasher, the party sees neither of them. Instead there is a badly hammered sign that says 'Lhhadsssss, I woke up in a ssshtuphor, I've decided to take the penguims on to the Shhlaughter blam, a pub further up the valley. We'll meet you there...bring bhooozzze' The party sees the track marks moving away. It's early morning right now so the party will probably arrive late afternoon, maybe evening depending on how slow they move. It takes the party most of the day to move towards it. Ziggy, Bondo and Rattigan walk together and Ratti notices that the moons look really funny, they look like they're the wrong size. There are two moons here, one is called Mansleb and the other is called Morsleb. Mansleb is usually the larger one and fuller and Morsleb is always in shadow. Today however, the roles are reversed, which is weird. Ratti and Bondo succeed on an Intelligence test +10 , as they both are filled with a sudden sense of dread, realising that today may actually be an event referred to as 'a floating moon'. Twice yearly there's a day called 'Geheimnisnacht\* (the night of mystery). It happens once in autumn, the floating moon happens completely randomly. (This is not good but it's like Halloween). It's when demons & ghouls come out, Beastman charging into the towns (as it's sundered to the ground). Horrible things happen during 'the night of the floating moon'. Rattigan points this out to the group, as Bondo pats him on the back, saying they should probably get inside of the inn then. Ratti gets excited, cause this is like a theme park for him and fanboys about it. Bondo says he might be able to get another bathrobe for the collection to which Ratti freezes and says he this is the most special moment for him. Ziggy references a badass action (that no one saw) but shrugs it off. This night isn't all bad, Priests of Mor can be used to commune with dead relatives and ancestors of the community, looking for forgiveness. Teddy starts walking faster since he hasn't had his second breakfast yet! Ziggy is whistling an old marching tune (which sounds like the Star Wars imperial march a little ;) ).

The party spots the Inn, near the river. It's two stories tall and there's a large roof but it looks like a fortified Inn, the gates are open. The structure is about 8-9 feet tall. The party instantly smells an early dinner being prepared. Bondo is examining the perimeter and notices a badly maintained shrine to Sigma. He succeeds on an intelligence test and thinks the Inn looks very sturdy and well kept, once the gates close it would take quite a bit of monsters to break through them. He also spots guard towers where people could go up to shoot at intruders. He sees the stables but can't see the war penguins. Ziggy kicks through the saloon doors, but does it awkwardly so everyone stares. Rattigan starts mine sweeping the bar. In the corner of the bar there's a minstrel playing a lute by himself. It's lad's night tonight. The bartender is putting out some fruit and nuts onto the table. He says 'Hail and well met!' Rattigan asks for the innkeepers butter. Bondo asks for 'one of everything'. There are a lot of patrons in the bar. Apart from the normal people, the party suddenly feels watched and sees a large dwarf. Their hair is a crimson red crest of orange that sticks out of three places and straight up, apart from that he's got large muscles. In front of him is a giant hammer and a big mace. There are 5 tankards on his table and he's just staring at the party before asking the bartender for another round. Bondo says it's an Doomseeker(also known as a ducky dom), sworn to take sacrifice their lives. Teddy holds up one gold crown and says 'one of everything', the bartender laughs at this, since that won't cover the cost. Teddy tries to order 'half of everything', the bartender laughs it off awkwardly. The party orders some food (rattigan just wants little packets of innkeepers butter, as many as he can buy). Bondo succeeds an Initiative test and notices that the Inn is very short staffed for how big the Inn is and finds it odd. Bondo is confused about the war penguins and Dr. Dasher as they go off to ask the bartender if they have seen them around, they must've made an impression. They tell Bondo that someone like that came in and got an upstairs room, they looked a bit ill. Dr. Dasher is in room 3, trying to sleep off the hangover. Bondo asks the bartender about why they're short staffed tonight. The bartender explains that they are a family owned business and the reason they are short staffed is cause the majority has gone off to fetch supplies, out of town.

The bartender didn't realise that it's 'Geheimnisnacht' right now, as she goes out of the front doors to check this information. She confirms it and says that they need to prepare for it now. Rattigan asks the minstrel to sing for him. The minstrel performs one of Herr Dietrich Hasselhof's greatest songs, badly. Rattigan is going around the tables and has to roll an fellowship test -10. Rattigan fails it, smiling awkwardly at the patrons, encountering the Doomseeker, looking straight at him. A young guy enters the bar, talking with the staff in quick conversation, as he and the woman disappear, hearing the gates being locked up. The bartender makes the announcement that they will lock up the main gates and the stables because of 'the floating moon'. Teddy winds up his crossbow and puts his targeting monocle in. Bondo tries to hide behind the dwarf who says that's a bad plan, as Bondo grabs the spider sword. The huge dwarf goes outside with a large barrel of beer. Bondo and Ziggy take a late night guard watch, walking the perimeter. Teddy makes his own blanket fort in the bar, for safety. Teddy succeeds an dexterity check, making an awesome and defensible pillow fort and he has a near-infinite supply of food and alcohol. As Bondo and Ziggy take a walk around the perimeter, doing a full sweep. They notice a stable boy going into the stable, gasping and running back out (ashen white). Both of them peek into the stable and see the war penguins with bag hats on and horse(hoss) written onto the sacks. They seem happy and well fed. Bondo noticed some branches that have been glued to their feathers and extending their flippers, trying to make it look like legs, which somehow worked...initiative tests ensue for the both of them, both failing them. They carry on walking and go back into the pub. Someone else is closing the shutters and then going around the corner. Rattigan starts talking to his brain, asking why people started building forts, as he remembers that it's the 'floating moon night' . Wilma is getting out the Geheimnisnacht cake. Ziggy is going to try and find Dr Dasher as Bondo is going to the pillow fort to claim his meat and go into the pillow fort for a nap. Rattigan goes outside to search for a hedge(as he fails an intiative test. Ziggy knocks on room 3's door loudly, to which Dr dasher shouts at him to 'get out'. Ziggy explains the situation asking him to come down as he heard Dr. Dasher puking. Ziggy succeeds on an initiative test and sees that something is very wrong with Dr. Dasher, this isn't just a hangover, it looks more like alcohol poisoning and it does not make sense with him sleeping all day. Teddy and Bondo notice something in the room as all the patrons start clutching their throats and start spluttering, with green foam at their mouth. Wilma is just standing calmly behind the bar, observing it all. Bondo jumps out of the pillow fort and ruins the defense of it.

Rattigan walks outside and sees all the guards and people outside looking like they're taking a nap. The dwarf falls down from the guard tower and cracks his skull. Rattigan runs over to him and sees his head, it's on backwards and there's green foam coming out of his mouth, his eyes all white. He sees the stable boy clutching his throat and also dying. The other 2 guards are down and not moving. The party starts hearing loud noises from the distance. Ziggy tells dr dasher to go back inside his room and lock himself in, before running back to the common room, drawing his weapons. Teddy abandons his fort as more people fall over, clutching their throats. From outside the party hears the gates and the guard posts being rattled. Rattigan hears beasts climbing the outside walls, as he runs inside saying that they're in trouble. The minstrel asks for help to barricade the door, Bondo helps him. There are 4-5 shapes that look like men with long snouts, moving around the Inn. When they come closer they actually are big wolves that look ferocious and hungry. Wilma has locked herself in the kitchen. Everyone prepares for battle, apart from Ratti who steal innkeepers butter and Bondo who tries to open the kitchen door, hearing nothing. The floorboard creak above the party as they see Dr. Dasher at the top of the stairs, growling at the party as his eyes are glowing yellow. Underneath his shirt there is a very clear bite mark on his left shoulder but it's already scarred over. Dr. Dasher howls loudly into the Inn and *Cliffhanger*

## Trivia

* The intro is 35 minutes long
* This episode was recorded just after Halloween
* Community news: thanks to Engelschwert and the fan artists, show might be moved an hour earlier (8PmGMT)
* Sad neil will now eat fate points
* The proper translation for night of secrets is actually 'Nacht der Geheimnisse'
* The hand drawn art for this episode had proclaimed this chapter to be a Halloween Spectacular and had the title *The Bots Who Cried Zombie* written and crossed out.