"Are You Not Entertained" (Chapter 03 - Part 3)

Oggvurm

Having defeated Franca, the squad heads for the arena, with the Ebaraks with them, and confront Oggvurm and his team!

The crowd roars in anticipation as Oggvurm the Merciless and two iruxi companions step into the center of the arena. Oggvurm drags a massive battle axe behind him and has donned a crimson cloak over his thick rags. With a single swipe, he tears off his cloak and reveals a terrible contraption of tubes, gears, and a large glass cylinder filled with a churning purple liquid strapped to his back. The monstrous warrior addresses the shocked crowd, roaring, “People of Absalom! Your time of reckoning is at hand! Die in agony!” With that, a thick plume of celadon smoke pours from the device, enshrouding the ravenile and billowing toward the onlookers in the stands.

The Poison Cloud Device

The squad and their four Eberrak allies are at the north end of the arena. Oggvurm and his two iruxi companions are at the west entrance. A hill giant, named Brave Buckshuck, has been assigned to the arena combat as Oggvurm's opponent. 

Ogg heads into the crowd of spectators, surrounded by a concealing poison cloud. The squad take off across the sands, following Eberraks, who move quite swiftly. Mr Gone scoops up his master, and carries Jorin across the arena sands. The giant heads for Oggvurm.

Oggvurm makes it into the stands, and the poison cloud starts to affect and kill spectators who were not fast enough to escape it's baleful presence. Some of the Eberraks stand at the edge of the cloud and attack the iruxi comrades, Nishaku and  Sellock. Another Eberrak dashes into the poison cloud and dragges Ogg back out onto the arena sands. 

Pumpelio sings Inspire Courage.

Nishaku wrestles Oggvurm free from the Eberrak. Jorin casts Ray of Frost onto Oggvurm, and the cold makes the giant lizard sluggish and slow. Meanwhile Mr. Gone lands in the cloud to attack Oggvurm from behind.

Brave Buckshuck moves in to fight, but isi confused and attacks Mr. Gone.

Oggvurm tries to intimidate the Eberraks with s roar. but most of them stand firm. Oggvurm runs past Mr. Gone, who is tackled by Sellock. Simimel tackles Oggvurm. One of the Eberracks spits oil onto Oggvurm as another claws at Ogg through the cloud, and his claws ignite the oil.  Oggvurm screams in agony; he was a weakness for fire!

Valcos runs into the poisonous cloud and slices the device from Oggvurm's back while Mr. Gone pummels Oggvurm into the arena sand. 

Sellock tries to wrentle the device from Valcos, but Valcos maintains his hold on it. Sellock is stabbed my Simimel, whose demon mask fairs to incite fear!  Meanwhile, two of the Eberraks charge the giant, to stop him from interfering with rescue efforts.

Pumpelio sings a Green Chromatic Wall into existence, to hold back the already-deployed lethal fumes, saving many civilian lives.

Grimwald engages Brave Buckshuck, who finally gets a clue that there might be something going on that he doesn't understand. The idiot.

Nish tries to grab the device, fails.

Valcos heads outside the poison cloud, and drops the device in his Bag of Holding.

Mr. Gone flies Ogg's body out of the poison cloud.

Brave Buck finally gets a clue.

Nishaku pushes past Simimel to attempt to regain the device from Valcos. Valcos retains the device and retreats long enough to put the device inside the Bag of Holding they had cleared foro just this purpose. 

Grimwald fires arrows into Nishaku, who dies from the effects of the poison cloud. Selleck also dies, poisoned to death. 

Simimel heals their Eberracks with Lay on Hands while the squad helps stricken civilians to recover.

Lord Ganfen gives the squad a  silver sword pin, a badge of honor normally reserved for champions of the arena. 

Simimel petitions for and receives, freedom for the Eberracks, who chose to stay with the arena. Reginald Vancaskerkin publishes their story in the Eyes on Absalom.

"Are You Not Entertained" (Chapter 03 - Part 2)

Having won their arena battle, the squad chats with some of the backstage folks. Cressita the beast-master hired a new worker who met the description of Franca. She was working near the troll-hounds, but was not a good worker. There is a boarded up door with tracks indicating some had passed that way. Simi returned to the group and updated the squad.

Cressita the
Beast Master

The door shows signs of having been tampered with, and marked with the sigil of the Norberger cult.

The ancient tunnel here leads to a large columned chamber to the north and stretches off into darkness to the south. A set of rusted iron rings embedded in the lintel indicate that a curtain or something similar once hung in the passageway.

Most of the western portion of this broad hall has caved in; huge chunks of stone and mounds of dirt block that side of the room. Eastward, light-gray columns in remarkably good condition hold up the ceiling. Identical reinforced wooden doors, mostly rotted, mark the entrance to rooms to the north and south. Further east, a faint circular impression on top of a large rectangular dais made of fine stone shows where a statue must have once stood. All around, the walls are adorned with flaking frescoes of tranquil lakes and bubbling streams.

To the south the squad found what at one time been the frigidarium pool, now long since gone dry. They find a Ring of Swimming, which they give to Simi.

In the frigidarium we found a Ring of Swimming. In the chamber east of the Frigidarium, the squad discovered four Lizard Folk gladiators. The Lizard Folk run when the fight goes against them, and a running battle occurs, with the Lizard Folk eventually leading them to Franca.

While Grimbold. Mr. Gone, and Valcos defeat the Lizard Folk, Simi and Pumpelio double-team Franca; Simi casts Smite Evil, and Pumpelio sings Spell Wreck, resulting in Franca being repeatedly pummeled by force bubbles. Smi casts Sunblade. 

Franca Laurentz

Mr. Gone absorbs attack after attack from Franca and the Lizard Folk, while Jorin develops a drinking problem to mitigate Mr. Gone's wounds.

Almost exhausted, Franca says "Franca chuckles weakly. “Bomb? You fools. You are nothing more than stooges of the wealthy and powerful, protecting their precious status quo. It isn’t a bomb. It’s a shock to the system that will jolt all the mindless sheep in Absalom to realize that no one has their best interests in mind. They need to rise up and take what they’re owed.” She coughs, a bubble of blood coating her lips, then sighs. “Anyway, officers, the device isn’t here, as you can see. My accomplice Oggvurm has already taken it to the front rows of the stadium so the privileged can get a nice, close look.” She laughs once more

"You've made some extremely poor life choices", says Simi, rendering Franca unconscious.

The squad heads for the arena, Cressita and Ebaraks with them, and confront Oggvurm and his team!