Down in the Dumps
| Down in the Dumps | |
|---|---|
| Date | 8/8/26 |
| Storyteller | Evan |
| Tier | Trainee |
| Player Characters | Ken, Arkes, Moz Fratelli, Lacie |
| Rewards | 200 gp, 250 xp |
| Result | Success |
| Author | Laciena Anastasie Clarisa de la Fuente (frosty) |
| Downtime | 3 |
Associates go dumpster diving.
Log
Our story begins at the edge of Onadbyr. We met up at such a place in preparation for our short jaunt to the dumps. It is here that I will mention I have no idea why I signed up on this expedition. One must make money somehow, I suppose.
Regardless, no introductions were necessary, as all of our group had worked together prior dealing with a certain crustacean situation.
Once we arrived at the Onadbyr dump, which is more of a pit in the ground than anything else, we scanned our surroundings. At the entrance to the dump stood two guards and a disheveled, nervous-looking man pacing back and forth.
Introducing ourselves to him, we found out that he is indeed Marcus, our commissioner. He explains the situation to us in full—he somehow managed to accidentally throw away his wedding rings the day before his wedding, and if his wife-to-be were to find out, he would… how do I put this? Rip him a new one.
So it was up to us to find them. However, because nothing is ever easy, the guards told us that there was something living down in the dump. After inquiring about what could possibly ever choose to live down there, we came to the conclusion that they were likely a group of Xulgath, fish-lizard-like humanoids from the Darklands that smell worse than terrible. They must’ve been attracted to the stench of the dump, and chose to make it their new living space. One must feel like they belong in their home, I suppose, and what better place than one that smells just like you? Another thing that Arkes knew about these creatures—they were very, very hostile towards anyone other than their own. Because nothing can ever be easy.
After preparing ourselves, we took the lift down into the dump, Marcus following with us. As we were lowered into the pit, we caught a glimpse of the Xulgath from afar. Once we’d reached the floor of the place, we decided it safer to go and deal with them before we began our search, to avoid running into them while distracted.
Cursory glances while making our way over to the group of Xulgath yielded no results. Stealthily approaching the group, however, worked, as they did not notice us. That is, until Moz and Alfredo decided to try to reason with them. Personally, while I commend their bravery… something that smelly should not be allowed to perpetuate its existence. We were doing them a mercy, really, when negotiations went awry and we entered combat with them. Putting them down was no easy feat, and a sickeningly stench-filled one at that, but it was done nonetheless.
After dispatching the Xulgath, Marcus sifted through their corpses in search of the rings to no avail. He must truly fear his fiancée if losing these rings has pushed him to such measures. I would not touch those things with a thirty-foot pole, personally, though I suppose I ended up much closer than that with my rapier.
We made our way around the dump, finding an increasingly disgusting manner of all things grotesque, but no wedding rings. Eventually, as Marcus grew more and more frantic, we rounded the corner and came across the deepest—and smelliest—part of the dump, which reeked of rotten flesh and other unspeakable horrors. Arkes, the brave lady that she is, decided to step into the area, despite the visible haze that made visibility difficult. It was quite fortunate, then, that she managed to avoid the tentacle that tried to grab her from the smog.
Alerted that there was yet another creature here in the dump, we engaged it, though it was hidden in the haze. Ken, using some sort of fire bomb, set the gaseous area alight, which, while clearing the smoke, also damaged some of our party members in the process. However, such things mattered little, for we swiftly put the creature to rest.
Searching the area that the creature had been guarding, we… still did not find the rings. Our outlook was looking rather grim, when, Marcus, in his now-second attempt at looting bodies, standing amongst the viscera of the creature, retrieved the rings. They were still safe and in good condition, all things considered.
Hastily making our way out of the dump, we collected our payment and said our goodbyes to Marcus, before heading off to soak in a bathhouse to rid ourselves of the awful stench the dump has caused to cling to our very beings. It’s a good thing I have more than this finery to wear, for this dress has been utterly ruined. Because nothing can ever be easy.