DCC#25: The Dread Crypt of Srihoz

[JediOre]

Well done.

It lives up to the DCC name.

Srihoz is a very cruel master and a powerful foe.

I really like the dry humor used on the close-ups in the back.

This module would make a wonderful lead in to #12: The Blackguard's Revenge. Both take place in a cold remote region.

The shield, Dawnfast, could be an item the PCs would want to take to the paladin's monastry in DCC 12 for further identification. The symbol could be one well known to the "lore masters" in the party as one of a paladin held in high regard by that monastary.

[toper]

Greetings.

I am pleased you like it, I have been watching the boards to see how players have reacted to my first adventure. Wouldn't have been as good without all the help I got, of course.

-Jeremy Simmons

[JediOre]

I have a new fellow joining us today for C&C. The party is gearing up for Gary Gygax's Necropolis. After this module I plan on sending the PCs back to the frosty north where they adventured earlier in their career.

Here is the background information I gave the new player. He liked it and wants to play it "as is." I thought Mr. Simmons might enjoy reading this. Sorry for the length of it.


"Zach, I don’t normally get too heavy into “backstory” for a player character. Here is a down and dirty list of what I mean:


Rebecca & Trevor’s characters started at first level way back in 2000. The back story for them was, Rebecca’s two characters were cousins. Trevor’s two characters are twins. A past player Chris joined several weeks later. His halfling and elf joined the group with a simple “these two friends are out for adventure and hook up with you.”
When Terry got involved a year or so later the party where all 6th and 7th level. So more back story was needed for him to get a feel of the game. He and I worked out his ranger was from the far north region (think Viking) and was know by the people of the area as Rache of the Silver Arrows. He had slain a werewolf in a hit and run combat with him firing his silver arrows to take down the beast while staying away from melee attacks. We also had the good fortune of Terry and I playing through two short mini-adventures with just Rache. His gnome was introduced to the party prior to Rache as being a liaison for a merchant guild in the chilly northern regions the party was traveling to at the time. Kolo, the gnome, had watched Rache grow up since Rache’s father and Kolo had been fast friends.
Last year when Paul came on board he created two characters, a cleric and a monk – brother & sister. The back story for them is they lived most of their lives in a monastery until a prophecy was given to them to travel to the desert border town know in common (aka English) as The Desert Ends/The Mountains Begin to met a group of adventures who will unwittingly assist them in finding and cleansing a desecrated monastery that lies deep in Egypt.
Alex’s half-orc barbarian simply joined up being a mercenary from the mountainous region who was sick of guarding civilized merchants.
Still later when Jim asked to game with us he created a thief who knew of the party and the bounty they had on their head. He figured he could get rich by hanging with them or turning them in to the evil demon-worshiping villain who had been hunting the party and put a price on their head. Jim’s thief stayed with the party and has been a real help to them. His second character is a cleric and a noble man. He was traveling south to find if the rumors of Crane the Sorcerer were true and found the party going the same way.


I would like a completely different approach for your dude. Instead of you finding them, they find you. Here is a back story that I hope you like. It contains a plot hook for a module I’d like to take the party through in the future. If you don’t like it, that’s okay. This is your character and you can choose something else completely. Well, here it is:
Your character is a fourth or fifth son of a minor Celtic noble (Scot like you want). Your only inheritance is this magnificent two-handed blade I told you about, the “Eye of the Storm.” This blade was taken from a dead Norseman after your grandfather killed him. The Norsemen often raided the lands in your grandfather’s day. After many adventures of your own devising (like the dragon slaying) a horrible threat to your family and the clans about occurs. I’m going to quote from the module. The brackets are for my additions:

A [Saxon] nobleman, born Heironeous Uliran Theophal, stood as the scion of an ancient family with a long, noble lineage but a dwindling fortune. [It seems he traveled far away looking for ways to improve the family fortune. It also seems he was interested in the thing many of your clansmen found vile- magic.] For over thirty years his family had no news of him, fearing him dead.
Then, as fall died into another bleak winter, a massive horde erupted without warning from the northern [sea] – and leading the barbarian army was Heironeous. He was now possessed of a ferocious magic power of his own, and wielding a terrible sword with a black blade that had already carved out many dark legends in the north. Some said it once belonged to a cruel demigod who died eons ago in the last battle of the great wars between the gods. The sword was supposed to have disappeared, but now here it was, in the hands of another conqueror possessing power beyond that of mortals, wielding the black blade of destruction.
The barbarians swept through the north like a terrible scythe, laying low armies revered for their prowess in battle, and [small] kingdoms [and clans] proud were now scattered like leaves in the winter wind. Lord Theophal’s army seemed to be driven by a madness and fear that turned them into slavering beasts on the battlefield, and none could withstand them. When his thirst for battle and conquest had finally been slaked, Heironeous, now in his sixties yet still hale and young-looking, returned to his family estates. His reception was chilly, however, for the Lord had embarrassed the family when his barbarian army crushed kingdoms and principalities belonging to distant family members and friends. There was also the question of his seeming perpetual youth – it wasn’t right, it seemed “unholy.” It wasn’t natural. Whispers spoke of the living dead and nosferatu.
Soon Lord Theophal made a long-prepared retreat to his castle in the wastes to the north, where he openly revealed his status as a vampire of terrible power. He took the name of Srihoz, which had some nefarious meaning in the now forgotten guttural languages of his barbarian soldiers. He kept servants in great numbers, including a small army to protect his lands, in a dreary landscape of death and emptiness.

This, Zach, is where you PC comes in. He and a number of other young Scottish nobles planned an ambush to rid this world of such a monster. While he was on a hunting expedition (of a young Scottish maid!) with a group of his barbarian guards your group attacked. It was an impressive fight, but even though you made a good showing, one by one your clansmen fell beneath the black blade of Srihoz. He seemed to be invincible. None of the attacks reigned upon him seemed to bother him or draw blood. Often he would issue a command to one of your companions and, much to the shock of the rest of you, they would be obeyed. So even after the barbarian guards had died, you had to begin to fight your own friends that suddenly turned and obeyed the devil Srihoz. A few of the Scottish nobles fled, not so much in fear, but to take word to the clan of what happened here. Your PC however confronted Srihoz issuing him a challenge to fight. When he gazed at you, you understood the reason for your friends turning to follow him. In his eyes you found a powerful will that threatened to completely crush your own. By some unknown reserve you gripped your grandfathers blade all the harder and again shouted at him to fight. He paused for a moment in puzzlement. Srihoz then laughed, which may have been the scariest thing you had ever heard in your young life. He then said, “I have no need to fight you. I also have no need of your blood as I seek more tender meat in your kinswoman. However, I do need a reminder of just how pathetic mankind is and you, young one, shall be it.” He said a magic word which dumbfounded you, making you lose your momentum. As you stood erect and focused on your blade before you, trying to clear your head, Srihoz ensorcered yet another of his black magics upon you. And that is the last thing you remember."


Unknown to Zach, his character has been out of commission for several hundred years. He was turned to stone by Srihoz. He'll be found in Crane's Tower (from Necromancer Games Demons & Devils module). Rangnar1965's wizard, Kolo, knows about Srihoz since he is from the north. I gave Ragnar1965 a photocopy of the Background story.

[tacojohn4547]

Pardon the thread hijack.....

JediOre, how do you think this adventure would work under 1E AD&D?

From what I've read so far (admittedly not much), it looks like it might be a good candidate for a 1E conversion. I'd like to add it to my short but growing list of DCC's to convert to 1E AD&D.

Thoughts?

tacojohn4547

[JediOre]

I think it will work okay. I think the encounters as written when converted to AD&D would change the levels to 9-12 or 10-14. That's what I'm figuring for the PCs post Necropolis.