The BackHalls (Campaign)/Quest Log

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

Main Quests

Quest: Learn more about The City (Both Teams)

Despite having learned it's in the low numbers, close to Room 1, and even adjacent to the Library shop (253), very little is known about what lurks inside The City. But now clues point to them being the faction behind a number of suspicious activities, including the security cameras. (Also adjacent to 153, where Eviscerator was slain.) The Pelorians say the City encompasses 3 or 4 dozen rooms in the early 1000s, 70s, 30s, early 250s, 240s etc. Metal walls that are not affected by a blackout seal their borders. The City maintains wards in the 560s and 570s that may have been reset with the latest blackout--was it keeping something in or out, and if the latter, did it escape? Also, the Pistoleros, a group of gunmen from the City, carried what seemed to be a comprehensive list of names of all those trapped in the Back Halls. WTF.

Team 2 learned that the City is rumored to have a way out of the Back Halls (according to a gnome), that the City was built to lock away the masters (according to an old City employee), and that the City is full of children rescued from the halls who won't grow up. Apparently the City "tests" everyone for entry, and failure puts your name on a list. Ipos claims that their "way out" is to provide permanent death or "release". Ipos says if you can get on their good list (and it is possible to get of the bad list), you can break down the City from the inside.

Quest: Learn more about The Kingdom (Team 2)

Similar deal: The Royal Court was said to have ruled the backhalls long before the City. Now they exist in a kingdom? And that kingdom is on the opposite corner? I guess that's where the team is headed! Team 2 has met their Queen. They are located in the high numbers in the SE part of the halls. This area is relatively safe but crowded. Team 2 did indeed enter the Kingdom--the brass golem allowed them passage after they handed over the City camera. A ward that caused damage also protected the kingdom, which seemed to reside beyond the expected square footprint of the Halls. Queen Krylov and her seeming jester Ipos—who may actually be an 11th master—were accommodating and shared a lot of information. The City is PACKED with people, many non-adventures, who don't carry weapons. They are waiting for the prophecy to be fulfilled. This prophecy states that at some point the Back Halls will collapse. Rather than repeatedly die in the Halls, those of the Kingdom choose to live in the comfort of the City and wait for this day.

Quest: Look more into "Imprisonment" (Team 1)

Thanks to little Timmy, the team's learned that it's possible this whole hellish experiment is the result of the Imprisonment Spell (level 9). Except Little Timmy says he cast it incorrectly (it required a jade gemstone). The books also said that every Imprisonment has a secret goal that breaks the spell. What is it about the BackHalls that keeps everyone bound here, and what is that secret word or action that needs to be taken?

Quest: Bring maps to the Glassbreaker HQ (Team 1)

They captured Elder Mephisto (room 535), and promised to return him and his wild-magic powers to the team IF the group would go on a mapping side-quest for the Glassbreakers. Having agreed, it's now just a matter of getting back to their HQ. (Under room 601).

Quest: Ahazu (Team 1)

It was a name that Vadim knew in life, and now it follows him even here? What was that?

Quest: Journey to Room 1 or 1000 (Both Teams)

It was originally thought maybe the team just needed to get to the highest or lowest numbered room to escape. Team 2 made it to The highest numbered room, which led to the Kingdom. There is no exit here--only a seemingly eternal wait for a prophecy to maybe fulfill itself. It has been confirmed that room 1 is within the City.

Quest: Reunite Quinn with Corra (Both Teams)

At the Gas Station (688), the decision was made to send Thetsu to a nearby spawn-point and stake out to see if Quinn would return to the halls. If he found Quinn, he said he would bring them back to the Gas Station to reunite with his mother.

Meanwhile, when asking members of the Kingdom watch about familiar names, Quinn discovers that "Corra" is a name that rings a bell. Is his Mom in the kingdom after all?

Quest: Discover (and absorb?) All 10 of the Masters (Both Teams)

1. The Allip (Team 1 has encountered several times). Amunkur Kepuchef. Rumors that killing the Allip offers release. A group of 10 halts its pursuit...at least until you attack it.
2. The Wyvern. Malfus Grants immense flight and invisibility (Team 1 defeated)
3. The Eviscerator - Grants Tenser's Transformation and the power to take damage for others. (Team 1 and Team 2 have defeated). Ipos spoke of the gnome that sits inside the Eviscerator, controlling it when the gnome is awake. The gnome is good and can be reasoned with, but when he is asleep, the Eviscerator blindly works its way toward the City.
4. The Ogre Warhulk (Team 1 has encountered several times) roams 300-600
5. The Frog.
6. The 3 Headed Dire Troll. Ipos claims it is the easiest to kill. The queen has killed it. It gains you troll sight and you can see through the wallys.
7. The Crab. Tika...apocalopas (The Glassbreakers have this ability, and used it to carve out their underground headquarters). Large chambers with holes might be where the Crab lives, but the roomo resets with the halls.
8. The Minotaur. (not to be confused with the Kingdom's brass minetaur golem)
9. The Goristro - a demon. But don't say its name or it'll be summoned.
10. The dragon Ashardalon.
11. The rumors of an 11th are apparently true -- it's Ipos! Ipos noted that every time they were defeated, they returned smaller and less powerful. Rather than continue to lose in this way, Ipos remains in the kingdom with the Queen awaiting the prophesied fall of the Back Halls.

Quest: Escape (Both Teams)

Every session takes us a little bit closer to the end, but how?

The City is rumored to have a way out. Wild magic is rumored to be a way to escape.

Quest: Learn the Halls' secrets/patterns/formulas (Both Teams)

• Every 42nd room is a shop. (Both teams)
• Rooms divisible by the sum of its digits have a battle (e.g. 18, 1+8=9. 18 is divisible by 9). (Team 2)
• To find a boss, multiply room number by 8 and add 1. If it's a perfect square, there's a boss. (e.g. room 9. 1x8+1=9, which is a perfect square). (Team 2)
• Every 13th room is a spawn point/cursed room. (Team 2)
• Rooms with prime numbers are lairs (Team 1, but they probably don't understand it)
• People are living in the walls (or floors?) out of sight. (Both teams)
• The City is in the NW part of the Halls. (Both teams)
• The Royal Court in the SE part of the map. (Team 2, Team 1 has heard the name)
• The highest numbers are safe but crowded. (Team 2)
• The lowest numbers are dangerous (Team 1)
• Few will answer questions about Room #1. (Team 1)
• "The Back Hall" is in the SW part of the map (Both teams) and blocked off (Team 2). Ipos said that they created it.

Side Quests

Quest: Visit Room 420 and see if Thetsu left anything there from a past life (Team 2)

A very smart monkey thought a very smart thought, and if the number 420 was important enough to this iteration, is it possible a past life encountered the same train of thought?

Quest: Make it to Room 627 (Team 2)

Some cat folk said 627 might lead to an exit.

Quest: Solve the puzzle in 904 (Team 2)

Five words with a common trait: rifle, evil, deal, rats, tale. Playing with the letters of each word, see if you can determine the trait. Hint: the same trait is shared by the words apt, tea, and tar.

Quest: Find "The Back Hall" (Team 2)

The SW corner of the Halls has a massive hallway. It has been claimed by unknown parties and is boarded off. Ipos said they created it, but was vague about why/what it's for.

Quest: Take the Kreaker to a shop (Team 2)

Apparently the kreaker gives a nice reward, and the shops love it. (Team 2 knows this fact, Team 1 has encountered it)

Quest: Go Back to Room 420 for more "Films" (Team 1)

Room 420 was the end goal for a while, and it provided incredibly useful, but the team ran out of money to buy more information. If we make it back there, there's no doubt more information on the rooms to be discovered.

Quest: Figure out how the Tablet Works (Team 1)

Thanks to the hobos, we have access to a mapping pad and also some cute virtual fires. But this device might be capable of more if we play with it enough.

Quest: Make it to Room 123 (Team 1)

Moses, Jerome, and Louis were certain that there was SOMETHING in room 123. They asked if the team would like to join them on their way there, but sadly didn't make it very far

Quest: Visit Floorless Room 490 (Team 1)

The Map Gabbers said that there was a special room with no floor (490), possibly leading to something more underneath the halls, but it was close to a spot where the Crab Master lurked (465).

Quest: Reunite with the MapGabbers (Team 1)

The Map Gabbers provided free useful information about all the rooms they'd seen when we encountered them on good terms. They were also cursed with the Glassbreaker curse last we saw them...But after we parted ways with them, there was always hope we'd cross paths again someday, and maybe learn something new.

Quest: HER ION OR IF TO (Team 1)

HER ION OR IF TO? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!?!?!? (Room 617)

Quest: What are the sphynx and hippo man guarding? (Team 1)

The Sphynx (376) didn't attack when the team failed its first riddle, but it wouldn't let them pass a certain direction. The team also heard tell of a hippo man in 310 guarding something else.

Quest: Get another Soundtrack (Team 1; Team 2 has Synthwave)

Two of the shops sell soundtracks, will others as well? Make sure you've saved up enough trinkets to buy it. It's been 5 trinkets each time.

Quest: Form a "Contubernium" (Both Teams)

A ten-sum, a decagon, whatever you call it, it's been proven that traveling in groups of 10 keeps you safe from at least the Allip. Though the noise and trouble that large groups draw make this a difficult size to keep up. Illusions seem to count in this number.

It's been completed.

We lost it.

We're 10 again.

Wait no not anymore.

Quest: Visit All 23 Shops (Both Teams)

1. The Movie Theater (420) - Maps and Music (Team 1 has shopped here, Team 2 knows of it)
2. The Gas Station (688) - Extra ability points to be stashed away (Team 1)
3. The Workshop (576) - Body parts and nefarious goodies (Team 1)
4. The Library (253) - Bigger Maps, scarier music, books on Pasta, and access to the City. (Team 1)
5. The Garage (840) - Upgrade your body parts! Just lop them off and the big dudes will upgrade. (Team 2)
6. Chalk Shop (924) - Portal chalk. But how does it work? (Team 2 has a piece, found on a dead body)
7. Cult of the Dragon (966) - Killed old shop and the new residents now sell ...info about the dragon Ashardalon--the master. (Team 2)
8. Wizards (882) - Wizards took over a former shop and feel compelled to reestablish it. Currently closed for business, as Team 2 bought their only item (a Minotaur) . (Team 2)
9. Duergar (??) - Store run by duergar rumored to sell people? They collect stone statues of the dead? (Team 2)
10. ??

Quest: Discover the Circus of the Lost (Both Teams)

A mysterious faction mentioned in passing by the Pelorians. Who are they?

Quest: Hunt down the surviving Camera Barbarians (Both Teams)

When the team fought these camera-toting, flash-blinding barbarians, there were one or two who managed to get away. But as we quickly learned, a camera could be incredibly useful down here in the halls. (643) Team 2 knows them as the "polaroid ragers".

Completed Quest

Quest: Stop Glassbreaker Curses

Succeeded! Parties now have access to "Remove Curse" as an anti-glassbreaker measure, as well as any other curses that might come along. Optionally, there's also apparently infinite mirrors in room 236 to use against any future Glassbreakers.

Make it to the Library

Succeeded! The Library was also the entry into the City, and housed so much information, that given enough time, one could make a completed map of the entire halls.

Make it to Room 420

Not only was the team able to rest, they were able to change the soundtrack AND purchase a few tips and tricks that discerned some of the hall's secrets.

Learn about The Vault/The Mint/The Bank

A suspicious group of Dwarves have been locking the team out of certain chambers and robbing everyone they cross (Lair 409, also encountered in 555). But thanks to info from the Pelorians, it was discovered that they simply hoard their wealth like dragons in vaults all over the halls, having discovered that because items respawn too---there's infinite wealth down here!

Quest: Find a Door and a Dead End

Sophia and her troops told the team early on that the best way to survive is to find a dead end, and barricade it off with a door.

Doors can be bought at 420, and there's a dead end nearby in 432! If we want to do the claim/barricade setup, we have a place.