Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Diviners of Ghul-Ghul, Part V

Ghul-Ghul Encounters

Roll 1d12 
1.  A disheveled, hipster-type accosts a random party member, accusing him of making 'antagonistic utterances' (saying bad word). Not that such an event is especially strange, apart for the fact that the hipster keeps chanting 'Ghul-Ghul' afterwards. Perhaps this is some type of Ghul-Gag?

2.  A long-term 'friend' of the party suddenly shows their true face. Not only does he or she refuse to talk to them, but the rascal even decries the party in the nearest public square! Little do they know that the apparent friend is dabbling with Ghul-Ghul and has experienced a Face-Tome demon test as a result.

3. Where is that song coming from? Up ahead a singer performs to an audience of 4d20. Unfortunately, there's a 10% chance each round of the platform on which she stands giving way and collapsing. Investigation will uncover that this was the doing of a Ghul-Ghul cultist wishing to placate Thou-Show.

4. A strange light leads to a shop that offers a surprisingly good supply of (roll 1d6): [1] torches, [2] rations, [3] ale, [4] caltrops, [5] sacks, or [6] per Referee. All are of good quality and at an excellent price. Those who partake will soonafter realize that such items are unavailable in the next 1d3 places where they should usually be. Maid-Buy will smile on such an occurrence, and happily send any so affected a Ghul-Ghul box to help it making it more commonplace yet.

5. Rumored in these parts is the Brave Lion, one who stands up to dread Ghul-Ghul. Whether some barely known god, totemic spirit, or simply a mortal group, the Lion will enable divination without torment, a truly rare thing amongst Interweb giants. In any case, such giants look to silence Brave Lion in the name of stopping 'false tidings'- a common thing amongst Interweb giants indeed.
 
6.  The party hears of a strange seeress who also acts a baker of foxes, cruelly alighting them on fire. She claims to stand against the tyrannies of Ghul-Ghul with her warped methods, but it is soon uncovered that her lizardine nature may even be a greater tyrant yet. The party may have to outfox her when she attempts to toss any non-corrupted diviners, their allies, or even those who have simply used their services off her devilish platforms into pits of doom.

7. Burly and with a strange look to his eyes, a lumberjack approaches who tells of many bizarre threats conspiring to destroy the goodly folk of the world- all done in order to usher in some Evil Order! If the party will let him, he will go on at length about (roll 1d6): [1] green-skinned rock-slitherers, [2] bad-smelling, corrupt aristocrats, [3] vampiric goblins with large bellies, [4] zealot dervishes intent on marketplace slaughter, [5-6] all 4. Such might seem to be the blatherings of a madman, that is, until he vanishes without a trace the next day. His name was Jalec Owens.

8. Local diviners complain of terrible monsters that not only interfere with their magics, but are nearly impossible to outwit. Treat them as trolls that can also scry on others' divinations that occur within 1 mile unless the diviner saves vs. spell (makes a Will save DC 15). Those who fail to save the first time must save a second, or won't be able to even access their results of their own divination. The wise might attempt to recruit such monsters in the fight against Ghul-Ghul, for they are Ruthenian Trolls.

9. 2d4 corpses are strewn about here. Their overly colorful garb and unholy symbols point to them being followers of Ghul-Ghul. Further investigation will uncover that it was a group of cultists loyal to either (roll 1d6): [1-2] Enak, [3-4] the Shield Ghul, or [5-6] both who slew them, angry over infringement of either their dark master's name and/or portfolio.

10. With howls of horrific outrage, a crowd is gathered here to sacrifice an aging man who has run quite afoul of nearly all the Interwebs Giants. Named Captain Salpinx, he still has a shock of blond hair, mouthy arrogance, and proudly wears a red helm that speaks of his realm's former glory. The crowd need only decide which one to placate first when its avatar arrives...

Interwebs Giant: Align: C, MV: 50’, AC: 2, HD: 11-16 (10+1d6), Atk: 1, Dmg: 3d6 + HD, SP: can cast 1 Ghul-Ghul spell of its choice each round at will; those slain by the giant must save vs. death (Will save DC 10) or rise again as a ghoul (a ghul-ghul), SV: F12, Mor:11

11. Doom impends upon this realm. Allying with another great evil (or evils!) the warped cultists of Ghul-Ghul's foul divinations have joined forces with at least one other demon lord to snuff out the goodly folk for... good. Roll 1d6: [1] Tiamat (see Volume III), [2] Orcus (see Volume II), [3] Uncle Steel Dwarf (link), [4] Louhi (in upcoming Volume IV), [5] Chernobog (the same), or [6] reroll twice.
  
12. A diviner. dwells here, seemingly innocent enough, except for the fact that he accesses the twisted powers of Ghul-Ghul. He or she is (roll 1d12): [1-8] a dabbler, [9-11] a devoted Ghul-Ghul cultist, [12] one actually turned into an actual ghoul (a ghul-ghul) due to an unpleasant encounter with an interwebs giant.
 

 
Next week: moneychangers of Geedeepee!