Three Men (and an Elf and a Girl and Two Other Men) in a Boat.

This session saw the party leave Altdorf and travel along the Weissbruck canal. As this section of the campaign takes a few days without any major occurances I thought it was just the right moment to drop in one of the scenarios from last year’s competition. As Masquerade of Horrors is set on a waterway, and as I felt the party could do with some comic relief added to their grim peril, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to drop it in.

Now that the party have bumped into Alexa’s old contact in Altdorf they retire to an inn to catch up, but their discussion is rudely interrupted…

Alexa: “How about asking them if they wanna join in a quick game of Cripple My Pig?”

Unused to the ways of human cities, Alcar bridles about his encounter with the flower of Imperial nobility…

Alexa: “Look at it this way, at least its posh sick.”

Some fast talking puts the rakes in their place…

Kurt: “We are here on the business of the Grand Theogonist, do you have any idea of the trouble you’re in?”

Acute senses and appalling humour come into play when the party discover they are being followed…

Alcar: “I check behind us using my Night Vision.”
Mal: “But it isn’t a Knight!”

Wanted by the law the party decide to lay low…

Kurt: “We’ll stay on the barge for now, but once we get to Bogenhafen we’ll drink liquid gold from diamond cups, which we’ll then smash!”

Punishment for stinginess during character creation is meted out…

Gideon: “I’m going to make a quick sketch of the mask!”
GM: “OK, make a read/write test.”
Gideon: “I failed.”
GM: “You ruin one of your pieces of parchment with your smudgy poor quality ink!”
Gideon: “I wasn’t using my parchment! I was using… using…” He wafts about the bill poster for the Shaffenfest. “I was using the back of this handout!”

A pretty visitor enters the inn…

Alcar: “I talk to the lady in the green dress.”
Mal: “You’ll impress her stinking of Loren de Vom.”

Fresh from his chat Alcar decides to help himself to some other patron’s possessions, but is caught by a scullery maid, some fast talking has to ensue…

Kurt: “Can I help you?”
Outraged Inhabitant of Room Twelve: “Are you a friend of that elf?”
Kurt: “One of his helpers, yes.”
Outraged Inhabitant of Room Twelve: “Helpers? What does he need helpers for?”
Kurt: “Well you know how elves are famed for their night vision?”
Outraged Inhabitant of Room Twelve: “Course!”
Kurt: “During the day their as blind as bats – not that he likes us to tell folks that.”

After bribing the inhabitans of Room Twelve the PCs are offered the opportunity to indulge in some culture…

Alexa: “It’s not blasphemous is it?”
Von Barbe: “Oh no, no, no, no, no!”

Everything goes horribly wrong…

Alcar: “I attack the wizard with the greasy article.” (The wizard in question was trying to cast "Drop").
Mal: “Kill him and take his ink!”
Ed: “We have strange wants and needs!”
The Others: “Yes, a dress and some ink!”

Masquerade of Horrors proved a fantastic addition to the session, and Sean and Colin’s script for the play in particular got a few good laughs out of the group. Now Mistaken Identity draws to a close and Bogenhafen, the Shaffenfest and untold riches await!

- Dave Allen