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Post by warlord476 on Jul 28, 2017 19:26:44 GMT -5
3.11: Return to Fort Cullis The characters for this session
Fennec, L2 Wizard (Combat magic)
Cauleigh, L3 Warrior (Townsman)
Jotunn, L5 Warrior (Hunter, Tracking talent)
Crompton, L2 Rogue (Runebearer, Roguery talent)
Holing up
They have been running for half an hour. A spall of dust, kicked up by sun-waked dust-devils, begins to murk the light and cover their trail. [I kick the session off with a random 6d6 for number of torches remaining, then a big L5 LK SR for Jotunn to see how accurate his approach will be, and he rolls a fail. I have results for odd or even number fails jotted down so we go to those!]
Ahead, Jotunn glimpses the crowns of forest trees. Then his heels have the feeling of sagging back as the ground he's running over gives way and a sinkhole caves in!
Fennec has no time to react and falls with the rocks. Cauleigh’s quicker reaction saves him! And running last, Crompton cannot quite stop his momentum and he too falls. [Jotunn running first and Crompton at rearguard need L3 SPD. Cauleigh and Fennec in the middle need L5. Jotunn and Cauleigh make it, the other two fall. Now to the falling!]
Crompton’s pack is heavy and so is his armour. He falls heavily and loses consciousness. Fennec manages to tuck and roll and though winded, loses only his grip on his staff. In the gloom, he can’t see it, but he can see two points of yellow-greyish light! [Fennec misses his LK SR by 1 so fails forward to not have his staff; Crompton misses completely and takes heavy damage, losing consciousness.]
The two safe Dwarves move swiftly to rescue their comrades. A lit torch plunges down and luckily drops vertically, allowing Fennec to sweep up his staff. Something slithery withdraws into what appears to be a tunnel! He also locates Crompton: face down, smothering. Cauleigh ropes down, Jotunn lowering him rapidly [L5 STR SR] and he too sees what Fennec sees: there appear to be two passages.
“Smells bad…” Cauleigh mutters.
“And I think I can hear water running” Fennec adds quietly.Having attached rope to Crompton, Cauleigh ropes back up. As he confers with Jotunn – this may not be a bad place to hole up in – there’s a muffled WHAMM from below!
Two hideous tentacle-mouthed worms of great size, eyes gleaming palely, crawl toward Fennec and he unleashes a L2 TTYF! One writhes and dies! Then Cauleigh lands from high above [L4 STR jump] dead square on the second crawler: gouts of yellow ichor splash and drench them.
“There are actually four passages here, and I’ve worked out where that water is” Fennec notes.
About the time that Crompton regains consciousness, Jotunn joins them. Maps are pulled out and studied by the light of a torch. The idea of a river or stream seems something that needs investigating. As Crompton carefully clears grit from his arquebus they chat about options including a rest here and return to the dungeon.
Time to explore! Jotunn sheds his pack and bundles down the ‘water’ passage, finding a shallow stream that lines up, according to his sense of direction and taste [L2 IQ] with Whitespur Creek’s headwater. As he crosses the stream the passage widens and he’s attacked by more crawlers!
Jotunn’s battle experience allows him to keep his weapons in action. The combat is difficult for Cauleigh and Fennec to join. Fennec stays rearguard, Cauleigh shines as much light as possible. Jotunn gives ground – his armour taking some acid damage – and Cauleigh can join. Crompton smartly whips a torch off Cauleigh and the fight’s momentum shifts. Jotunn’s outer clothing and armour is looking worse for wear! Jotunn and Cauleigh roll past the crawlers into a cavern, Crompton ducks aside, Fennec blasts another TTYF in.To their surprise the small cavern hooks around, the stream reappears through the wall, and on the other side of it there’s a stone ledge with a casket on it. A casket seemingly of Dwarf construction.
[This is quite a find. I’ll skip over the general paranoia. Good treasure including a spell and two magic lockets.]
Despite the foul smell from the crawlers (a few more of which test the defences over the next day) the Dwarves rest, stand watch, heal up, and get to know the contents of the casket.
[I estimate that a very conservative PB policy allows 108 healing from Fennec with Crompton backing up.]
Foraging and a windfall
That being done they foray out and into the forest verge, in quest of more torches. In terms of damaged gear, every one of their outer garments and armour has some damage. It varies: Cauleigh has lost his aketon for example, Crompton merely has some heavy blood staining and cuts. It’s morning again - for they have taken a full 24 hours - but over the past day, the prairie fire of two days previous has extended into a forest off towards Perrol. By chance or good hunter’s instinct [best of four good SRs] Jotunn strikes a lightly-marked trail as the others quest about for mushrooms, beech nuts, acorns and pitchy faggots. On it, he finds the corpse of a man who seems to have fled the woods. It’s perhaps two days old, much pulled about by small scavengers and perhaps buzzards.
The others are summoned and cast about then head along the trail deeper into the woods – not without trepidation – to find a campsite and two more corpses. The marks of a fight are clear. Packs, sacks, bedrolls and weapons lie about a dead campfire. A small glass cube lies near the fire amongst the scattered weapons: it is strongly magical. They count four bedrolls. Many of the sacks appear to hold valuables. Crompton thoughtfully wrenches two fine throw-knives from the breast of one corpse, tests them for balance, wipes them clean and stows them away. Cauleigh loots a well-made steel dagger and locates the throw-knife sheaths. He calls dibs on the best-quality pack, which isn’t saying much. Crompton decides to keep his own pack but transfers a number of getting-out-of-town gear across including ropes and a grapnel.
But the most significant gear is in the sacks. A couple of detect magics later and after laying the loot out, it’s clear they have a major haul from a noble house named Halchos. A house moreover that has ready access to magic items including a wand and some scrolls. They retrace their steps after another pleasant rest. The loot is stashed back in their own personal sinkhole-cavern. The looted food and torches stay with them!
Ape-heads on guard!
And then to the Ape-head statues that mark Fort Cullis. But there is something very different about them. Even from 600 metres away it’s obvious that the eyes in those ape-head glow bright white!
They take extra time and climb partway up a cliff, along, then rope down to land on the entry behind the ‘angle of vision’ of either head. [85 AP each, since otherwise Fennec would have boldly marched forward to try magic]
The door is shut, as they suspected. After some discussion Fennec opens it with a KK. They take up order of march with Cauleigh at front and Jotunn second, and Cauleigh leads the way down steps west then south to the first chamber.
Unfamiliar tunnels, and what's with the statue?
After briefly checking that all is very much as expected – and that there are no alert guards – they test the east, to see where the first tunnel goes. It leads east and to a rubbish-filled chamber. Here, Cauleigh defends himself from some large rats. That large chamber in turn lets south to an east-west passage with a number of ape heads on pedestals. Here Cauleigh continues entertaining the troops [with a fail on SPD] when one of the heads flies up and attacks him! [CHR checks all round since this event triggers repressed memories of the Black Manse] He heaves it off before it can leech onto him, and Jotunn [L3 SPD allows 1 weapon, dice only] chops it. It was an evil-featured living head, not a stuffed ape-head.
That tunnel in turn lets south to two chambers: one a nasty-looking chamber with long whitish slug-like objects; the other a vestibule-like chamber which in turn lets onto another east-west tunnel. This one looks and is familiar, but they have not explored east here. East, the tunnel turns south, to a stone statue – of an ape holding an ear trumpet to each ear! [The search still feels a bit desultory, in that they skip at least one door at the entry area and test no doors west.]
They make nothing whatever of the statue, but before long make their way back to more familiar ground. Here the arch south leads through to the major tunnel east to the second large portcullis. They test it: it is well beyond their collective strength. Again, they can glimpse two guards beyond, perhaps 50’ back from it. West, the major tunnel narrows and wraps round a few chambers and ends south at the first small portcullis. They check, using a WoW. Three Dwarves later it is heaved up and Cauleigh whips hard right to take the slack up off the windlass.The large chamber beyond has a group of placid apes. The Dwarves check that things are as they were previously – they are – and turn their attention to the fatal second portcullis while the WoW is still up.
Resistance is futile!
Crompton makes sure he activates his Missile Dismissal arrow, and the three heave the portcullis up. [I’m looking for L12 aggregate STR on these small ones] Sure enough a well-flung axe hurtles down the tunnel but Crompton’s talisman knocks it down. Jotunn and Cauleigh whip across the T to what proves to be a tunnel with a flight of steps up. Fennec follows hard on their heels [L1 SPD] but Crompton, who has stayed to retrieve his axe from propping up the portcullis, is in danger!
A mighty Gnoll charges recklessly at Crompton! And as Cauleigh and Jotunn jump in to help, another Gnoll follows that one – and very soon after that Fennec realizes more Gnolls are loping towards him down the steps.
Fennec: WHADOOMMM! Deals a huge L4 TTYF that disintegrates the first Gnoll. As his two flankers hesitate he challenges them:
“There’s more where that come from!” [A feeble CHR SR]
They seem inclined to doubt him: WHADOOMMM! Fennec convinces the sole survivor by burning a Staff charge and repeating the L4. The surviving Gnoll flees. Fennec catches the sound of hissing, somewhere off to his right.
The other three: Crompton fires his unwieldy arquebus one-handed as the huge Gnoll closes to point-blank! [He gets L4 so I’m OK with it] Cauleigh and Jotunn help and that Gnoll dies – but more are piling in! Jotunn’s bladed chain strikes out at one and takes an ankle, Crompton hurls a knife and finishes it, Cauleigh trips one and the three have a big advantage as Crompton regains his ancestor axe and the other two hew in, tripping and leaping. Fennec follows the other three: he scurries back down the steps and east through an arch, then in a chase north through barracks and east again into a vast part-pillared chamber. It is vaguely lit.
The great chamber and strange phenomena
Had the Dwarves not accounted for so many Gnolls in their previous foray things would go ill here, but a mere few Gnolls still remain alive and rather than defend a broad ramparted dais they flee. As the Dwarves follow up, two guard Gnolls attack from the north, hurling axes. Crompton once again wears it – but his pack takes most of the damage! [33 damage after his pack is ruined, he is on 3 CON] Cauleigh hurls his nice new dagger, and himself into cover: Fennec hits them with an OGA and hides behind Jotunn, who must perforce act as meat-shield. [Jotunn tries a fake-out, scoring a fail] But thanks to the thrown blade and being flanked by Cauleigh and Crompton the Gnolls are easy prey.
Briefly scanning the huge chamber – one corner is well barricaded and there is at least one other door untried – they check the north. It takes some time but they work out the secret of an illusory mirror-wall. And locate the windlass for the big portcullis and jam it open with a couple of Gnoll axes. There is another door, untried, beyond the illusory mirror. They leave it for the time being and take up the trail of the fugitive Gnolls.
And into new territory
Now at least half an hour behind, they reform and follow what they guess is the escape route of the Gnolls. They find some larger chambers - a rubbish room - a puzzle room - and another ape statue – this one carved with a flute – and various trophies that may be worth looting. Cauleigh cuts himself a poncho out of Lizardman hide, but leaves it off for now. They find a pair of lizardman thralls doing kitchen duties – the hissing Fennec heard earlier – and so back through to the second small portcullis and so across to the ape refreshment chamber. And by taking the north-east door they move through to a T-junction they have not yet seen, and the session ends.
Props: The two outside events are from Off the Beaten Path: Forest Excursions by Thom Wilson, a Kickstarter from ThrowiGames. Treasure from Wizardawn's generator, slightly tweaked as usual.
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Post by warlord476 on Aug 4, 2017 17:31:35 GMT -5
3.12: Picking over the bones, pursuit and fell ambush!
The characters for this session
Fennec, L2 Wizard (Combat magic)
Cauleigh, L3 Warrior (Townsman)
Jotunn, L5 Warrior (Hunter, Tracking talent)
Crompton, L2 Rogue (Runebearer, Roguery talent)
Our four Dwarf heroes are bent on extinguishing the menace of hyena-man raider who kill wantonly and take young women back to their lair! In searching for the lair, an ancient ruin under Atharva Plateau, they learn that a human wizard known as Samuel of the Loam led a party largely composed of hirelings into it some three months prior. They also learn that a Devastation Seed may have been immured in its depths in ancient times.
After a series of slaughterous battles the Dwarves retreat for 36 hours, then return to find that as they hoped, the hyena-men are too few in number to take the initiative. They slay most remaining, though at least four survivors flee. And now read on...
Back they go through the Gnoll leaders' rooms
It’s been about an hour since the four saw Gnolls abandoning their posts and fleeing the great chamber. With Crompton still knocked about [he’s on 15 of 25 CON] they turn from the unexplored T-junction and Jotunn retraces his path back to the ‘exchange’ – the broad chamber with a portcullis north and east and storage access at two points. The north portcullis is still jammed up.
As a matter of routine Jotunn checks the storage access finding them just as expected. Now to check the great chamber area – they recall a few doors not opened as they fought their way across it! They lever the east portcullis up and jam it up with spars. Then head south up the steps and to less-explored rooms.
Some half hour of cheerful looting turns up a heavy but valuable pelt, a jar with a brain in it (either liquid or brain being magical), and a fancy abacus. With jar and abacus, Fennec’s pack is now crowded and he has no more room for other stuff, like the fancy metal-and-bead puzzle he finds.
“Why did I waste so much time carving that Lizardman skin into a poncho, I could have used this tarp,” Cauleigh mutters. The tarp used to wrap the pelt is big enough to cover all four Dwarves.
They spend some minutes prodding the flute-carrying ape statue, but other than triggering a voice:
“Egad, a dead face”
...it proves fruitless.
A second leader’s chamber and the weird room with slits and buttons later, the Dwarves are no richer and head into what used to be the archer-Gnoll barrack room. Here, bales of arrows, crates of food and kegs of drink are eventually pushed aside to reveal four ape-size indentations in the floor matching ape-size concavities in the ceiling. Ancient bloodstains can be detected in each.
Three ranseurs (war-forks) are stacked in a corner and seem to be the most useful thing in the room. They leave them for the nonce.
It’s about this time that Crompton prudently adds 5 CON healing to himself.
Through the great chamber finding a useful map
Then, into the great chamber. They pass down out of the defensive breastwork and walk its pillared length re-familiarising themselves with its corners and wings. On the south-east flank they try an unopened door, finding a chamber where perhaps four Gnolls - judging from worn patches on hide rugs - habitually sit playing at dice outside two small cell-like rooms.
[Cauleigh pops back for a ranseur, spotting apes wandering the tunnels, necessitating a second round trip to get the G-chord whistle]
The main chamber has a large parchment stuck to the wall. Studying it Fennec realizes that it includes notes in archaic Dwarven script and appears to give some guidance to distance from the dungeon to various points around the plateau. He pulls it down, bundles it into a packet and stows it in his now-full pack.
The cells seems to have been occupied until fairly recently by shackled prisoners: the shackles remain. Jotunn finds no scratched memoir or even a hand-print.
This has taken some time, Crompton begins counting down another hour and another healing.
A message a quest and a cool weapon
They head to the western side of the great chamber and check the fouled bloodied room they battled Gnolls through. Another barrack lies north, and off that a modest chamber where the goblin lived. Live hens cluck peacefully in a crude hutch.
“Live rations lads!” exclaims Fennec happily.
They also find, at last, the windlass for the small ‘eastern’ portcullis. They wind it up and jam it with yet another axe-haft.
A moment’s alarm as the spars propping up the portcullis bangs down, and a lizardman-chef pops out to see what the banging was, then they head north to the mysterious illusory mirror-wall.
Sure enough as they half-remembered there is a door beyond. It leads into a mid-size chamber in which an old dead campfire can be seen. A cairn stands against one wall, and Cauleigh spots a small parchment set next to it.
This parchment pleads for the party to abandon the dungeon, but if they do disturb the remains here to return them to the ‘Scions of Kolbrannus’.
Disturbed by the thought of a geas or curse Fennec leaves the room but stands at the door, watching. He can see another door opposite that the others have paid little heed to.
Cauleigh, not without a scare, disinters skeletal remains of a long-dead warrior. Costly rings adorn his fingers and a wondrous two-hander mace of unusual design rests with him. After some debate about who can best wield it Jotunn takes it and lashes it to his back.
[We agree it’s a heroic or great maul type mace of 7d6 base damage]
The remains are packed down for carrying out, and another backpack is now full. Only two sets of iron rations, delver gear and torches are now carried.
Fennec directs them through the untried door, and they find the ape-ear-trumpet statue – and that door seals behind them leaving no trace.
The ape statue suggests no further action to them. Crompton heals himself another 5 CON.
Remains and oddities in a locked room
Next on the ‘we ain’t checked that lot yet’ are the series of doors near the heavy west portcullis and around the ‘fort-up room’ featuring broken bedstead, bones and snakeskin. One door is magically locked [Crompton makes L2 IQ to judge this] and after checking the others – nothing of note there – Fennec powers up a KK [to L4 – his mana is fully restored] that does the job. Inside the chamber –among the usual bed frame – are signs of a fight, a variety of bundles and a rank rotting ape carcass clutching an ivory whistle. Cauleigh takes this latter item, wiping it clean-ish. It sounds a G-chord.
The bundles are adventurer type gear, the food spoiled. Crompton finds a pair of large bootees or moccasins, with a nicely-balanced dagger tucked in them. He tucks that away in his bandolier. Fennec rerolls some parchments sheets, shoves them back inside a tin scroll tube, and ties that onto his pack. Jotunn finishes inspecting female adornments and a mirror and piles them up for Fennec to throw a DetM over. All the other bits they have recently picked up are added.
A plague of insects and Fennec fires up
Finally, assuming they aren’t going to probe deeper into the long chamber where they saw long thin white sac-like or slug-like objects lying, there’s the door with an ape-head outline in relief around it. Cauleigh opens it and as torches are thrust to inspect the room beyond, a buzzing sounds and a weird humanoid shape forms out of a cloud of insects.
Cauleigh leaps back! The others draw back respectfully but as no-one slams the door closed, they find themselves in full combat.
Blamm! Boommm! Two arquebuses fire and the balls pass straight through without doing any perceptible damage.
In the combat, Fennec’s TTYF is useful – so he taps his WIZ out casting it again at L4 – Cauleigh’s shield is useful, edged weapons score half damage, and Jotunn ‘tunes’ his great mace Temerity, delivering an impressive amount of damage for 10 WIZ (it’s a whammied mace, triggered by command word, also doubles CHR).
[This is one of two combats where the lads are beat by exactly 100 in a round. Cauleigh (56 pts) and Jotunn (44 pts) deal with this between themselves.]
As the cloud of insects collapses the Dwarves are all bitten and resist whatever toxin they bore [L3 CON no problem to anyone – but the 11 spite shared round proves very important later!]
A concealed treasure on high
There is one more chamber beyond that one, and Fennec reads over the relief of the inside of a brain, noting the areas of emotion and intellect scribed there in antique characters. More interestingly as they gaze up around the reliefs Cauleigh [who made a point of saying he was inspecting ceilings last session] notices a subtle change in light around a point roughly at the middle. After moving torches back and forth they decide it’s the size of a small crate. An OTIS from Fennec reveals it’s a backpack. Crompton hooks it down with his grapnel and line, and they explore contents. Items reveal themselves as they are unpacked.
The buoyancy came from a lead-wrapped orb. An ornate tobacco pouch is the most valuable find other than that, and some ten unusual and possibly valuable coins. Nothing instantly useful, though a metal flask smelling of liquor could prove to be. Cauleigh transfers a tinder box to his own gear.
Congratulating themselves for finding real treasure, the four trail back to where new trails await.
Apes aside, there's not a lot else to find
The t-junction features a pedestal, about 4’ tall, at its juncture. Tubes project from around its top, and as apes shuffle about in the background a low warbling note comes from them. Worried that the note will make the apes – of which there still seem to be large numbers – do something dangerous, Cauleigh spends time fetching and stuffing expired rations into the tubes. [Fennec’s idea, after Cauleigh suggests cheese]
The west end of the junction leads to what seems to be an ape-storage facility. ‘Stasis fields’ Fennec pronounces mysteriously but confidently.
The north end of the junction leads through a chamber with ape-waiting-rooms off it, to a grand tunnel, fully 20’ wide, leading north again.
[It’s at this time the front doors open again and the pedestal sounds and the apes start ‘work’ – but I’ve dealt with that at the point I described it]
Ape tombs and a sudden intangible menace
Aside from occasional fears of apes who either inscrutably tend to duties, or head back to storage – depending on whether the Dwarves are using G-chord whistles at them or not – there proves to be a door in the left side of the grant tunnel. This leads to a maze of ape tombs, connecting rooms, and a small chamber with a very large pot or urn. And from it billows a dread creature of smoke which rises to begin choking Jotunn!
The battle is fierce and leaves the warriors bruised more than wounded. Fennec's unusually sensible choice of combat spell at the outset, a Glue-You, is decisive. Crompton remains back from the action, holding a torch so the warriors can see to fight. [This is the second 'beaten by exactly 100' combat]
An urge to pursue ends in darkness
From time to time Cauleigh breaks off from the fight to beg Fennec not to pointlessly throw in a TTYF. Fennec boosts him with a Little Feets which proves highly effective. At one of these moments, Cauleigh feels he glimpses the far door to the chamber closing gently.
The fight finished, Cauleigh sounds the alarm and races in pursuit. He outdistances light sources, and eventually has to give up and retrieve some. By that time he has run through more ape tombs, a sooty chamber with two stone troughs, and back out to the grand tunnel as whoever he was pursuing departs through massive double doors at its north end.
Mystery of snakes born of woman aside, let's get going!
He rejoins the party to find them studying two corpses, one a long-dead stuffed ape body tumbled off its shelf with some fang marks in it, and the other a dwarf-like, grey-skinned woman who appears to have died in agony as something burst its way out of her womb. Her open-mouthed agonised grimace reveals sharp teeth. Her body too bears fang-marks. Around the chamber lie shed snake-skins ranging in size from 10' to 4', some droppings, and little else.
[Cauleigh is still in extended LF so urges them on, on at each stage]
The four gather at those double doors at the north end of the grand tunnel. They are fashioned of a deeply-carven bas-relief of an ape head. Cauleigh hauls one valve open and the party gazes down broad descending steps.
[100 AP bonus for clearing level one. There may still be wandering monsters.]
Ambush! We all have to make sacrifices!
Perhaps five dozen steps down they reach a broad t-junction, the centre of which is marked by an identical stone pedestal with tubes as they saw above. Cauleigh blurs into action: races back up, along to the spoiled rations, grabs the last of them, races back down, and stuffs all of the tubes.
"If we find another one we're left with the cheese" Fennec warns.
Crompton snuffs the air as Fennec mentions that it seems to be moving slowly left. It smells faintly reptilian. Then he and Fennec see the two warriors struck with missiles and pitch over!
[Level 9 LK SR for both Cauleigh and Jotunn. Cauleigh gets L5 and Jotunn gets L3. Cauleigh has been targeted by the Gnoll archer's leader and cannot count shield as he is hit - but the LK allows some soak from equipment struck. He missed by only 4 levels so gets 4 back to CON on sacrifice of one 'precious' item. Jotunn has been hit by less-aimed hurled axes so there is more leeway. He gets 15 back on sacrifice of 3 precious items. That leaves Cauleigh on 3 CON and Jotunn on 2 CON.]
By freakish chance the well-directed arrow smashes through Cauleigh's caliver's matchlock on its way into his back. For his part Jotunn's coif and arquebus are ruined as hurled axes strike his pack and gear! The floating orb breaks free of its lead wrap and clanks on the distant ceiling.
As Cauleigh and Jotunn scramble up and behind the pedestal, Fennec and Crompton see four powerful Gnolls racing to close with axes ready, a slighter 'archer' Gnoll readying another throw-axe and - to Crompton's horror - a powerful grey-muzzled Gnoll readying another arrow to an enormous longbow far back behind that one! [IQ and LK respectively]
Fennec, who has missed that last element, hurls a GY at the throwing Gnoll while Crompton uses his tempus fugit to unlimber his monopod, aim and fire! As the leader is standing with a bow it's a slightly easier shot than such a long, in-the-dark short would normally be and it finds its mark - enough to put the Leader's bowshot off and let Crompton live, sore-wounded!
[It seems fair to allow the damage from the bullet to offset damage from the bow. Crompton takes 35 on armour and drops to 1 CON.]
Cauleigh uses his mace of stunting to trip two Gnolls [L6 SPD SR] but Jotunn fails to disable either of the others. [Disarming one of a flail doesn't stop it from fighting in any way] The two close and barely manage to survive - luckily Fennec and Crompton also help defend them! [Fighting is now general as neither wizard nor rogue declared a retreat and the Gnolls have overrun the warrior position. It's also a way of keeping the warriors alive since Fennec can take spite damage!]
The previously-tripped pair of Gnolls leap back up; Fennec spots the leader and sends a huge TTYF in - burning his 3rd-last charge - as it shoots at Cauleigh as he is kicked clear [loses STR contest by 4 levels] by a Gnoll; the shot strikes stone instead of Dwarf as the leader disintegrates; Crompton flings a zapped dagger to wound the axe-thrower; Jotunn tangles a Gnoll ankle and has his bladed chain kicked away [rolls a fail on STR contest]; Jotunn and Crompton (and Fennec) win a very tough round against three Gnolls! [Again Fennec bears the brunt of spite damage.]
Using his still-enhanced speed Crompton sweeps up his arquebus, levels it along a knee and shoots the axe-thrower, dropping it. Cauleigh, coughing blood [Cauleigh trades in a just-acquired boon as he fails a L1 CON check] races back and smashes a Gnoll behind its knee, felling it. Two remaining Gnolls get around the pedestal, Jotunn and Crompton use their axes to win that round, and Fennec shrewdly strikes with his staff to really gain advantage. One Gnoll remains and the warriors close in and finish it. [Fennec takes 3 more spite]
And as Crompton uses his last couple of mana to heal himself to 2 CON and they discuss falling back hastily behind a distant portcullis, the session ends.
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Post by warlord476 on Aug 11, 2017 18:34:18 GMT -5
3.13: Retreat reinforcement and (partial) recovery
Retreating isn't as simple as you might think
“Well I’m all right, but I think it’s time we got out of here” Fennec rasps, and suits action to words as he moves back to the stair, torch flaring slightly in the gentle breeze.
Cauleigh sweeps up a dropped torch, grabs his pack and the unseated caliver serpentine, and stares up at the roof, picking out the ‘floating orb’ hard up against it. Jotunn scrambles wearily to his kicked-away bladed chain, then realises he is shedding gear out of his ruined pack. Between them he and Cauleigh turn it into a carry-bag. By this time Crompton has recovered his zapped dagger and the trio limp and stagger up the five dozen steps, wheezing, dripping blood, and using hafted weapons as staffs.
“We may think we cleared all of level one but there’s no guarantee,” Fennec warns as they approach to find him crouching behind one open valve at the top. Indeed the nearest complex of rooms they searched but lightly, after the deadly ghost-smoke fight and pursuit.
Crompton sets off due south confidently and gets as far as the T-junction before his recall deserts him. But after one false turn they find their way back to the ‘ape diner’ marked by the large bas-relief of a maternal ape and drinking fountain.
The apes seem strangely purposeful, but as usual the G chord whistle sends them on their business. That business seems to include raising the northern main portcullis.
From the diner, it’s not a difficult path back to their chosen lay-up point, the gnoll barrack room controlling the eastern small portcullis. An open arch lets to the east-west tunnel to that portcullis, and a sturdy door lets onto another barracks, now with smelly dead Gnoll carcasses. Small scavengers – rats and centipedes – have already been about the dead.
[Perhaps unfairly I push the players to recall layout. Cauleigh makes a fair fist of the layout around the great chamber, but the path from grand tunnel to L2 back to the ‘exchange’ takes SRs and exploration. It takes quite a while, nearly half an hour of real time, and since I narrated them through parts of the return I count 40 minutes or 4 mana recovery. Fennec and Crompton spend a few PB points.]
Jamming a torch into the portcullis windlass once they have it down, they agree on two-up two-down watch and Fennec and Crompton take the first shift.
An uneasy watch on an escalating threat
At first the watch goes well, but after a half-hour or so noises begin to disturb them. Apes screeching… a voice muttering archaic Dwarven in an undertone… a clear Elven-accented voice bidding them join forces… and then finally the noise that wakes the sleeping warriors, hounds baying loudly!
“We’re pretty sure there’s a snake-thing beyond the portcullis” Crompton prompts as they ready weapons.
The hound proves to be a magical shadow-travelling ghost hound with acid bite! In the attack Crompton decides not to risk shooting Fennec - Fennec’s pack is ripped away and his robe ruined - Jotunn’s mighty mace Temerity and Cauleigh’s lethal kukri deal fell ruin to the shadow beast - there is a breathing space - an OTIS from Fennec confirms there are no more invisible beings in the chamber - and more baying is heard circling around their chamber!
Crompton bravely [CHR SR] throws a Cateyes on himself and sights his longarm down the tunnel: panic-stricken lizardman thralls are heading in!
[The lads have seen plenty of Lizardmen running away, but none running at them in terror! I am unable to tempt Fennec to expend mana, mainly because he has next to none at this point.]
Crompton lets them pass in through the arch and keeps his sights level. The magical arquebus speaks and in the gout of flame and smoke the others glimpse a huge ghostly hound fading off into wisps.
“If we’re moving it’s time to move now!” Fennec growls, glancing back at the cowering Lizardmen.
“Right, time to retreat north!”
A second retreat and a more secure rest
Hustling from barracks to barracks to great chamber they swiftly move to the refectory. There seems no immediate pursuit and they raid the food stores.
[L2 LK SR. Fennec has left his pack behind. That’s going to hurt once he tallies the three useful/valuable things in it – the weird magic cube, the fancy abacus, and the folded up map parchment.]
With only two intact packs, Cauleigh urges them to linger long enough for some foraging in the ‘adventurer last stand’ chamber not far west – the room he got the spoilt rations from. He retrieves two mildew-stained packs and a pair of inadequate torches as bonus, and as hasty re-packing proceeds they now have to make a decision about leaving altogether.
As though to remind them of the dangers servitor apes pass them, arrest a feral ape and drag it back past them and way to the depths of the level. Its family screeches in fear.
“Don’t forget those ape-head guardians” Crompton wisely reminds the others, “we might have to do some more mountain-climbing.”
“I haven’t forgotten” Jotunn returns testily.
“Daytime is another problem,” Cauleigh adds, “apes on the plain…”
We march by night! Across the plains to Perrol
Some six hours later the four emerge from behind the illusory wall-mirror. The warriors are a lot fitter and as they emerge from the now-open doors it is full night outside. No apes hinder them as – after brief debate as to the trove in the sinkhole – Jotunn sets a beeline course for Whitespur Creek’s headwater.
Some four hours brings them to a few scattered and clean-picked bones, all that remains of their battle with the Lizardmen. More significantly, as Jotunn casts about, he sees that no weapons remain, and he sees paw-prints of wolf-kind and tracks of both Lizardmen and some type of tallish goblinkind who have ridden the wolves.
“That reminds me… I’ve got a lot of gear to juggle,” Jotunn offers, gesturing with Temerity. Maybe one of you two would be better with this dagger-on-a-chain… well, give it some thought,” he concludes as both Crompton and Cauleigh go over the pros and cons.
[Eventually Crompton elects to use the bladed chain. Reminder: +5 to DEX when stunting the blade at a specific target, +5 total adds for quality.]
Welcome back to Perrol! Time to spend!
"Howdy Dwarves! Welcome back to Perrol on the Mount! Say, so much fer takin bets on y’all comin back! Warn’t me mind! C'mon in!
"…Say fellas! Them Dwarves are back! Them Dwarves are back!”
And so greeted, the Dwarves make their way up Perrol in the early morning, check the noticeboard, stow their weapons at the Marshal’s office, greet Marshal Palweiss and pretty Molly, head back to the adventurer-approved Barley Sheaf drinking saloon, and break their fast.
As they regale the loiterers and drinkers with their many experiences they have a chance to take stock of their own luck and learn from it.
Re-equipment is as good as can be expected
By good fortune Cauleigh and Jotunn find that the town’s locksmith can manage the intricacies of firing mechanisms and the caliver and arquebus are put to rights. Though the town gunsmith reworks its seating, Jotunn’s elite arquebus is left with a notch in its stock to remind him how close he came to death. His coif can’t be fully restored but new links are fashioned to repair it.
People are thankful that hyena-men are no longer raiding – and the Dwarves are given full credit for that – but are beginning to say things like: “Dang! If only them durn Lizardmen ain’t gittin’ so uppity we’d be re-founding our homestead an a’gittin ploughing done.” - though what they think about the ongoing illkin raids is unsaid, at least in Dwarf hearing.
Marshal Palweiss is sorry to hear that Samuel of the Loam’s expedition seems to have come to grief. He says he’ll write the local man’s next of kin.
Reinforcements are unexpected and thus twice welcome
On day three, following a day when a drenching rainstorm sweeps down the Badlands, through the forest and clears the sky of smoke haze, the Herbal Teas straggle in looking the worse for wear. Cauleigh hears the word passed up, guesses who they are, and hustles down to greet them. The Herbals are amazed to see Dwarfs alive. Much joy of reunion! Hugs all round (except Wolfbane).
A quick reminder of the Herbal Teas: Level 2 adventurers
Once they too have read the town rules they too seat themselves in the Barley Sheaf and explain that tales of disaster at Jacob’s Spur prompted them to seek for the Dwarves and then on up the tributary, and so over Whitespur. Where, according to Sage but not unanimously asseverated, they fought their way through Lizardmen.
They exchange stories and warm to one another’s company over free-flowing drinks, then discuss which way to go. Crompton draws the line at returning to Ironbridge, because Trefoil mentions mercenaries staking out the Dwarves’ ponies and a large older Uruk asking where he is. The two maps they have are not entirely helpful as to safe-havens upriver of Ironbridge. Dolem’s Spire is one possible place, a fort marked something like Eathan’s Fort is another.
To cut a long story short, hiring on with the Dwarves to escort (most of) them back to Ironbridge looks a much better option to the Herbals than staying around and hunting illkin. Fennec promises either one of Glue You or Little Feets for Sage, and the Herbals sign on for 250gp on successful arrival.
Across the plains by night again
Night march brings its own difficulties: Trefoil, marching alongside Cauleigh, suffers from the peculiar human difficulty of not being able to see well in moonlight. Luckily his long legs compensate for stumbling and he does not slow the party down.
Party order: Jotunn point, Wolfie free-ranging as sweeper, then Cauleigh and Trefoil, then the two wizards, then Crompton and Heartsease rearguard.
In any difficulty, Hidey Hole seems a good call. Sage and Fennec agree which is going to head forward and which drop back, should it come to pass.
Trouble is scented
However when trouble comes it comes with insufficient detail. After they hit Whitespur’s headwater and bear for the sinkhole, Jotunn sees tracks (other than random wilderness wildlife) overlaying one another: their own, lizardmen, and wolf-kind. Wolfie lopes in fast, grumbling “some sort of goblin-kind” and gesturing forest-ward. It later turns out that’s what he scented. Setting the sinking moon to his right shoulder Jotunn wheels and bravely [L2 CHR SR – he actually said ‘if they get too close’ but I interpret this as ‘I believe they are getting close’] walks forward alone, hollering out a challenge!
Not a goblin, but a powerfully-built Uruk emerges from the dark backdrop of the forest. More are behind him, perhaps smaller slighter shapes.
Jotunn the instigator
This session climax is pretty random. I originally thought this would be an interesting ‘passing mercenary Dwarves turn down the offer of employment with the illkin’ but it was much more fun than that.
Jotunn challenges them [L1 CHR SR] and they check.
“Not a lizard-man. Who speaks from grass height – show yourself!” the Uruk unfairly growls.
Staunch and proud Jotunn [L9 CON SR] (a full head higher than prairie grass height) faces the Uruks down.
“Whose faction are you? Who do you serve?”
“I serve myself”
“Who is your warband leader?”
“Mighty Cauleigh”
“What is his style?”
“Who are you?”
“True. Challenger should name himself. Know then worthless Dwarf I am ‘Black Gorgun, killer of widows, killer of orphans, mangler of Ogres’. Go back to your warlord and tell him: so be it! I will report to my warlord and we will see you at the boundary marker, the scarecrow.”
It is agreed: the two sides will meet at the scarecrow! …now, where was that?
Like a prairie fire leaping across grass Cauleigh grasps what Jotunn is hinting at as he reports. Heartsease can see ridden wolves in the background and besides, it’s likely the enemy will chase them down if they flee. So it's a single combat then is it? Righto, thanks Jotunn. [At least he didn't promise fire and fury the likes of which you've never seen...]
Heartsease directs them towards a ‘sticky-uppy-thing with a patch of white on it’ which sure enough turns out to be a dried-corpse-impaled, the boundary marker or scarecrow.
Cauleigh the duellist
With a surreptitious Little Feets delivered Cauleigh strides boldly towards a clearer, flatter area below shallow escarpments. He has lightened his load, has shield on back, and holds Temerity.
[LK SR for Cauleigh, poor roll. Introductions take longer than 20 minutes, including the walk from conferring with Fennec to the arena itself. The LF is finished by the time combat actually begins. I also ask Crompton for a LK SR at this point, for a secret, and he scores L3.]
Meet Gariag
It’s not until they realise the large creature sitting on a shallow escarpment is a fullsize Giant that they scale the assembled illkin. Standing near the Giant are three Ogres, there’s a scattering of goblins and lankier wolf-riders – uncomfortable in the growing light – and a guard of Uruks. At ease waiting for single combat or profound grovelling is “Gariag, striker down of mountains, driver of trolls ogres and giants, first lieutenant to the White Uruk.”
His most distinct armour is one massive plate shoulder pauldron, spiked and chained. He bears a huge double-bitted axe. As Cauleigh’s style is translated the Uruks listen respectfully:
“Cauleigh, restorer of temple and town, defender of widows and orphans”
How Cauleigh survived
Gariag is sufficiently impressed [by Cauleigh and Jotunn’s CHR SRs] that he decides to let Cauleigh take the initiative, and stay on the defensive until he takes his measure. It gives Cauleigh a chance for a giant wrong-foot feint. He darts forward yelling ‘Temerity’, steps big off his right foot [L7 SPD] and leaps around Gariag’s right flank, driving Temerity into Gariag’s right leg [DEX SR, only clears L4] and though Gariag reacts extremely quickly the blow disables the giant Uruk’s leg as his own back-swing nearly kills Cauleigh outright! But Cauleigh's speed has allowed him to block the axe-head with Temerity – there’s a flash as they meet [L5 CON] and the axe-blade chips – Cauleigh’s helm stops much of the force – and as Gariag draws back, clearly unable to go on, Cauleigh [CHR, doubled by Temerity, SR, makes L8] stands rigid, waiting.
“I did not think – powerful blow be struck – other than Ogre. We go for now – you stay behind boundary”
The Uruk and his warband pull back treeward, or perhaps to the gap left of the woods, as Jotunn hastens to Cauleigh’s side and grabs his shoulder. Cauleigh is out on his feet! [zero CON!]
Finding an empty hole - on to greener pastures!
With a quick PB Cauleigh comes to. The deal offered seems a good one, and so the Dwarves move back and down to the sinkhole.
Which has been looted some days ago.
“Oh that’s what that Giant was carrying,” Crompton avers. “Kind of a sling-bag thing on its back – had a chest and bags in it.”
They take a bearing on the plateau and Jotunn guides them towards it, intending to keep close to it, and as the sun draws dust devils up off the plain and haze makes distance treacherous the session ends.
The characters for this session
Fennec, L3 Wizard (Combat magic)
Cauleigh, L3 Warrior (Novice Townsman)
Jotunn, L5 Warrior (Apprentice Hunter, Tracking talent)
Crompton, L3 Rogue (Novice Runebearer, Novice Roguery)
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Post by warlord476 on Aug 18, 2017 19:44:37 GMT -5
3.14: West of AtharvaThe characters for this session:
Fennec, L3 Dwarf combat wizard
Cauleigh, L3 Dwarf warrior (novice townsman)
Jotunn, L5 Dwarf warrior (apprentice hunter with tracking talent)
Crompton, L3 Dwarf rogue
Accompanied by their allies and hirelings, the Herbal Teas:
Sage the Gnome wizard
Trefoil the Human warrior
Heartsease the Elf warrior
Wolfbane (known as Wolfie) the Wulfan
Wild goat, faint mage
Their chosen path is a happy median between the ape foraging range and the shallow escarpment that marks Uruk territory. Jotunn sets the pace into the day's rising heat. In the middle of the gang, Fennec adjusts his bug-out plan with Sage.
"When we throw Hidey-Hole each throws it over their own crew, and then we get close to each other so as not to lose sight of one another"
Sage nods respectfully. Ahead, Jotunn's course appears to be edging them close to another belt of forest.
Another hour passes, the second since they reached the sinkhole. Jotunn kneels and appears to be studying something. Tiredly the Herbals straggle to a halt. The other Dwarves, much more alertly. Jotunn holds up a palm-sized round black object.
Arquebus ball? Turd? Yes, a turd as from a deer or goat. But a really big one.
At that point Sage seems to wheel around and look slightly up. Cauleigh hurries to him. The Gnome's face is white.
"Sleepy Karma" Sage slurs and collapses in a faint.
[It seems time to check how Sage is doing with a night's march followed by a tense encounter followed by more march. I roll a fail.]
Though most are distracted Crompton [LK SR] catches movement beyond Jotunn as a mighty ram romps up into sight and charges. Crompton levels the arquebus, yells "Bic Flick" and fires. [A fine DEX SR to hit overcomes the penalty for snap-shooting the long gun] The ram cartwheels head over heels and lies dead.
Wolfie is instantly ready with his bladed chain; it doubles as a flensing knife. No-one else wants to tackle the rank meat so he gorges happily.
Cauleigh carries Sage pick-a-back while their packs are distributed and the journey resumes.
Forest fringe, old horse
Is the ground rising slightly? It is. What is it we see off to half-right? Some form of depression or declination in the plain. Best keep away? The trees look cool and the Herbals are very tired. Anxious lest they are trespassing on Uruk range, they stumble up the last shallow ledges. They are perhaps a five-minute all-out run to shade.
Tossing manes off left: a horse herd departs. Cauleigh wonders if they are shod. No, but one is shod. Memories of T-bone (left back in Perrol) prompt thoughts of tempting it to join them.
Once they get to a modicum of shade - and an area the herd seems to frequent - Crompton begins whistling and holding out grass clumps. The others relax for a short rest.
"Tough trek for you?" Cauleigh asks Trefoil, sympathetically.
"Aye, a long march," the handsome warrior agrees, rubbing his calves. "But 'twas more the nervous tension of the fight. I do need to sleep."
An hour passes and Crompton rubs his BLTG bracer and his new friend, Lucky, is persuaded to eat the grass and have his nose rubbed. Lucky seems a manky beast but then, has not been curried in a long while.
Fennec and Crompton watch while the others doze. The heat of the day rises, and the trees sigh as a gentle breeze carries through them to the plateau. Jotunn stretches, wanders off down a game trail and comes back in a few minutes.
"I've found the stream where the horses water. Canteens, all."
Crompton tethers Lucky to a tree and settles down for his turn of rest, Fennec heals Cauleigh more and he too settles, and Cauleigh helps Jotunn look at the maps. They are not particularly helpful.
"I could speak to a tree," Heartsease offers.
"Can you do that?"
"No."
"That was a joke between us when we first got together," Trefoil explains.
Bounty hunters out of the Spire
The second spell of rest is interrupted by a faint chink of metal, far away towards the plateau. Lucky pricks its ears.
[I wait, no-one muffles Lucky's muzzle]
Lucky neighs. Muttering a curse Cauleigh hurries to the plateau-facing edge of the forest and seeks a good climbable tree. He finds Wolfie there before him. [It's not far away - they rested at the edge, this is slightly further round] The Wulfan mutters something unintelligible and looks up.
"Yes, I need to climb the tree," guesses Cauleigh.
Wolfie leaps up. He's gained condition since they first saw him in Ironbridge and while not as impressive as the Wulfans they fought near Hopespyre his leap scales the first dozen feet. He scrambles higher.
Meanwhile Jotunn is rallying the other five and weapons are readied. [L2 SR on IQ for Jotunn] They elect to ready non-firearms. The breeze is carrying their scent towards whatever it is that Wolfie is looking at.
"'orsh, 'an," Wolfie calls quietly and scrambles back down. By this time the others are ready to depart. They follow Jotunn across the small stream and deeper into the forest.
Wolfie joins Jotunn at the van and repeats his warning. At rear, Cauleigh catches up to Heartsease who is trailing her demilune in reverse to avoid snagging it. The others are in file, following Jotunn, who spots spoor of a sun-loving rock hyrax and veers left on that path. Here, deeper in, the trees are fairly dense and massive.
"Ho! Ho! We know you're there! Ho!" rough voices call but are ignored until it seems certain they will catch the party. Cauleigh calls:
"Let us hold here, and see what is to do"
And the party sets itself, save for Wolfie who lopes off out of sight. Fennec listens hard for the newcomers' accents, in case it's a Perrol party. They can all hear horses blowing in protest at being held off from water.
"Is this a Hidey-Hole time?" Sage asks urgently but being a combat mage, Fennec would rather blow nuts up. Cauleigh signals the others that he will head to speak, donning his cape of plausibility and Crompton passes his Missile Dismissal talisman over and mutters how to operate it.
He chooses a point where the bulge of roots offers good cover and challenges. A rough, rasping voice responds:
"I thought there was someone there! Who are you?"
Cauleigh laughs. "I need to know who I'm outnumbered by before I advance to speak. Who are you?"
"We have the law on our side."
"Whose law?"
"The law of the Prince..." "The Prince of the Spire" calls a second.
"Ah, the Spire," Cauleigh acknowledges. "We have come a long step."
"I call you under law, stranger, to declare yourself."
Cauleigh rises cautiously and at a glance [L2 IQ SR, makes only L1] sees firearms and polearms, at least half a dozen riders, perhaps eight. He introduces himself only and tells them briefly that he has come by way of Perrol. He agrees:
"I hail from Esgaroth. We [tacitly aknowledging there are numbers with him] seek to travel back. We're trying to stay shy of Uruk territory."
Here skepticism as to a 'warband' of Uruks that includes 'Trolls and Giants' bids to escalate the challenge into a fight but Cauleigh does not make things worse, and the incident passes. It seems these are bounty killers hunting four thieves out of the Spire, serving a warrant at the behest of 'one mighty scary dude'. Cauleigh tells them of the three corpses and spoils last seen on the back of a giant. Again, skepticism.
"I don't s'pose ya'll care to have ya pack examined"
They are startled by Cauleigh slinging his pack over to them, but despoil it of its contents and are disappointed by lack of riches. Reluctantly they shove its contents back in, any old how. Then [L2 LK ] the wind shifts, the horses become skittish, and Cauleigh retrieves his pack safely despite a cheap matchlock being readied.
Having warned them again Cauleigh moves back to his party. Heartsease whistles Wolfie in, and Jotunn sets a new course, wind at his left ear, through the woods. Heartsease Wolfie and Cauleigh act as rearguard, just in case the horsemen change their mind. Trefoil lingers to get a closer description of what transpired and check if there is any direction to the Spire, then hurries to head up the march with Jotunn.
Snakebite
The deeper woods do have some menace, as Fennec finds. A huge poison snake bites him [fails L8 LK, makes only L3 CON on L6 needed] and he feels his senses reeling! Crompton is in mid-party with him and once again makes a superb snapshot, and the arquebus separates the snake's head from its body.
Jotunn cuts across the fang marks and sucks blood out. [A CON SR from Jotunn to represent his doctoring intuition, he hits L8. Based on partial CON success and Jotunn's work, I deduct 25 from the snake's damage, leaving 27 off Fennec's CON.] Fennec has passed out by this time and after checking no-one has an anti-toxin, Sage and Crompton pump simple healing mana into the victim. [To be consistent with earlier events I have to rule Fennec is on zero mana and cannot heal himself]
Wolfie skins the snake out and chops it into huge steaks, offering them around. A few are wrapped and tucked away, and Wolfie gorges again.
Out of the woods
Fennec is mobile, but limps along in pain. From this point on Jotunn keeps an eye out for useful poulticing herbs. Wildlife in earshot of the arquebus have made themselves scarce and an uneventful stretch of walking follows.
At length, Jotunn feels the ground is dropping lower, and a decision might be called for regarding night camp. Imagining the river to "west" makes the plateau "north" so he elects to head "north-west". By this time two packs are borne by Lucky, allowing the wizards to stumble along unencumbered. A deepening of the light above the canopy finds them determined to climb a tree and get a bearing. Cauleigh elects to and after some difficult scrambling [Good STR and L3 DEX] gets high enough to see the last of the sun's glimmer, at the point they had been imagining as "south" and the last of its light reflected "north" on the highest cliffs of the plateau. He drops an arquebus ball true north, and with certain bearings [Jotunn makes a great LK SR] the party decides to follow that bearing.
"I'm pretty sure I have a compass somewhere," Crompton laughs as Cauleigh regains the ground.
"No, we didn't have any in the new kit," Cauleigh retorts and so it is. No-one has one.
Fennec is in a lot of pain but toughs out the rest of the march. It is night by the time they clear the woods and look down at the moonlit Golden River, loud to their ears. Jotunn has kept an old log-race gully (downhill from a coffer dam) on his left, and they have been passing old felling areas and charcoal-burning mounds. A stove-in hut, perhaps left from a hyena-man raid, may have been deserted for a year.
Heartsease and the Dwarves agree they can see a sandbank in the river near to shore. A canteen party gathers water and they pull back a respectful distance and make cold camp. Fennec has Cauleigh drag his boot off, and settles to sleep as best he can.
"Does Wolfie always turn round and round three times before he settles?" Cauleigh jokes.
"That is also one of the things we joked about when we got together," Sage responds light-heartedly, "but we don't do that any more."
Night watch and dawn
Watches: Cauleigh, then Jotunn, then Crompton.
Crompton has dawn watch. Fog gathers far beyond the river, which the last of the moonlight makes into a silver road to Ironbridge. The other two have been uneasily aware of a tangle, perhaps of wood or weed, back up the gully. A chittering sound from it prompts him to throw Cateyes up, spotting a small creature's eyes looking back at him.
He hears a faint chanting, carried who knows how far on the still air. Fennec [teleporting into the scene so I declare him waking in pain] throws himself to an upright sitting posture:
"Hhhuu! What have I stepped in? Oh... poison leg."
He too listens but makes nothing more of the faint faint sound than Crompton did.
Jotunn rouses himself and in the fresh dawn locates a weed, the bulbs of which are suitable for a poultice. That applied, Fennec splits his boot up the side and lashes it on. They warm hands at Crompton's little fire and finish the gruel Crompton has boiled. Far, far to the left upriver they can see the outline of a fort or ruin.
At Epherin's Fort, a looney capers and a barge arrives
A short walk, staying closer to the river, tells those with good vision that a few piles stand in the river beside it. Seeing the Herbals walking at ease, party order is reimposed. At one point a ground-cover vine reacts, trying to rope them in, but is easily evaded. [L3 DEX from both Jotunn and Heartsease, since they are avoiding being snared not dodging based on SPD. Could have been either really.] Jotunn decides to move away from the river into the forest and bears around the partially-ruined. The pace of the party is necessarily slow. Having moved perhaps 130 degrees around, they stand within perhaps 100 yards of the ruin. Ending perhaps 50 yards away from the keep, rough palings mark a camp. There's a very small dot visible, far away, upriver.
Having watched for a time, and with Wolfie unwilling to trot out and scout, Cauleigh elects to approach the camp. He glimpses low-lying dark objects, perhaps logs, within it. He hails the camp. But it's from the keep that a reply comes:
"Who goes? Who goes?"
"I am Cauleigh... heading for Ironbridge!"
A wild laugh and clatter of boots descending.
"Gnehhahah! Heehee!"
Springing out half-naked over a once-sturdy pediment a shaggy-haired man capers, waving a sickle.
"Have ye come to bury them again?"
"Bury them?"
"I've buried them as best I can?"
"Buried who?"
"I think it was... all of them!"
"Do they come back?"
"Well... only at night!"
"Poor fellow! Why not abandon this post and make for civilisation?"
"But...! If the keep falls... we all die!"
At this point the man, clearly deranged, battles imaginary foes, waving his sickle to and fro.
"Do barges stop here?"
"The barges! The barges! The barges! The barges!"
And with an athletic leap he vaults back over the pediment and into his keep.
From upriver comes a hail:
"Hoooo!"
The tiny dot has by now enlarged to be identifiable as a barge. The others join Cauleigh as he hails the barge. The bargees are not about to stop, but line their gunwale and a swift to-and-fro sees them agree to heave to at the piles beyond the keep.
The party circles the keep, to the occasional cry of "Who goes? the barge!" and present themselves to the barge, now roped to a pile. Suspicions overcome by the party being willing to rope their packs across first - not to mention an inoffensive Gnome and a pretty Elf - they board and for 30 gold take passage down to Ironbridge. Crompton waves Lucky goodbye. Lucky seems not to care.
As they approach the plateau Jotunn makes out a number of dry gulches that must lead back up to the declination he spotted near the forest. That's potentially a good route, by night.
The plan for Ironbridge and after - let's stay hirelings!
Crompton at first asks to be dropped off before town then - since that seems a poor choice - negotiates a hidden compartment in a large crate (marked 'Edoras') for the duration of the berth. That costs another chunk of 30 gold. His arquebus axe and bladed chain are to stay with the others.
Cauleigh asks about the ruined fort/haunted isle midway between Ironbridge and Jacob's Spur. There is no one tale known to be true, but safety procedure is to hove to port and barge during daylight hours.
Sage asks for a briefing, and reminds Fennec about the spell training. The plan
- Crompton stays in the crate the whole time
- The party withdraws cash and books more stabling
- A rest-up and clean-up, and new boots for Fennec
- The party returns to attack the dungeon once more
This naturally leads to a negotiation for the alliance to continue. The Herbals sign on for 45 gold per day plus another L3 spell from Fennec plus 10% treasure. "We nearly got killed fighting kobolds but we've come a long way since then," as Sage lightly comments.
Oil flasks are put on the shopping list.
Accommodation in Ironbridge
Crompton is tamped in, chokes down his panic [CHR SR] and the barge passes under the bridge - to a friendly greeting from the guard - and moors at the barge docks.
The party exit to considerable excitement - after all the rumour was that the Dwarves were dead - and as they are virtually on the Trader Guild doorstep, make that their first stop. Trefoil remains with them, the other three Herbals head straight for the Rusty Rapier. It is not busy - two town gentlemen are in discussion over by the waiting bench - and the clerk deals calmly with them. His offer of long-term lease is declined. Cauleigh withdraws cash and stores Crompton's heavy valuables.
As Cauleigh emerges a tiny attractive maid presents him with a card. Apparently at the Easy Hostess Parlour, laundry is extra.
"I want to see about this leg," Fennec muses, "but I want to visit lady Ezra."
En route to the stables, a young guard, hilarious with drink, hails them and laughs about the Matrona looking for them. Cauleigh explains that Crompton didn't make it. He passes a silver over for a drink in Crompton's memory. The story will be told.
Cauleigh Fennec and Jotunn say hello to the ponies and find them fat and out of condition. Fennec books a month's stabling with extra to be exercised properly. So to the Rusty Rapier.
Sage and Heartsease are there waiting. The bar welcomes them broadly. Except the barkeep, but when Cauleigh sets his chest to the bar the man slides the same ale across as he had last time here.
"What do you know of healing places?"
"You should ask your friend over there"
Cauleigh heads back to Heartsease. She identifies the Green Shrine - a little out of town - that would be likely, if Fennec doesn't mind trees.
Fennec sets up a time to catch up with Tadiko of the rogue's guild and teach her the second run of the spell; then overnights at the Green Shrine, on a piece of tree that looks vaguely comfortable.
Over the remainder of the day the others see to their needs, retail their adventures, and rest. They pick up some useful Spire-related information: Halchos, the name/monogram on the stolen gear, is the arch-mage to the Prince. He would probably fund an expedition to regain the loot or take bounties.
Orctooth Manor, Sir Tytus Lytera
The following morning, a messenger bearing the Orctooth crest as a cloak-pin summons them to the manor, where Sir Titus Lytera wishes to see them.
"Now would be best."
Cauleigh - donning the cape of plausibility - Jotunn, Sage and Trefoil are available immediately, and walk along with the messenger to the manor, at the upriver edge of town. He leads them no further than the gatehouse.
"Come in lads!" Lytera calls. Glancing in they see him seated at ease, some five goblets at table. "Make yourselves at ease. I understand you have had many adventures, and have circled the entire plateau."
They file in as he continues:
"Drink with me. Tell me all about it," he says with a piercing look, "I'd be very glad to hear more..."
Thare's a clang outside as the gate shuts with finality.
"And so would someone else."
Props
The area travelled in the session is all found in the Atharva Plateau map from Dyson Logos' Dodecahedron 2014, slightly edited in that the forest west of Atharva is slightly larger.
Further west and south-west the Golden River flows to Dolem's Spire. Beyond all of that lie the badlands (sourced from Dodecahedron 2015) where Fennec's original goal, the tomb of Colairion, is located.
Ironbridge itself is an enlarged version of Summerford, from the Village Backdrop series by Raging Swan Press.
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Post by warlord476 on Aug 31, 2017 20:42:19 GMT -5
3.16: Saltlick Gulch / Tales of the Gann The characters for this session
Fennec, L3 wizard
Cauleigh, L3 warrior
Jotunn, L5 warrior
Crompton, L3 rogue
ably assisted by the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard
Trefoil, L2 warrior
Heartsease, L2 warrior
Wolfie, L2 wulfan
Making plans and laying in supplies
Last session, fleeing conscription by the Holy Father Templars, the eight-strong party decamped from the Rusty Rapier in Ironbridge and found sanctuary in Olfoot Manor, the home of lady Ezra.
When all have supped lightly Cauleigh addresses five of the eight (and unknowingly, lady Ezra, who can hear them) thus:
"Right, there are two choices - or that's my count - some of you may be able to think of more.
"ONE: we get going now on the supplies we have and forage as best we can. That gets us right away from Wonnram and his lot and means we won't call trouble down on lady Ezra.
"TWO: we sneak back for supplies, wait up, and use the darkness to travel more comfortably. That gives us the option of marching on when foraging isn't an option.
"It's a pity we didn't quite get everything organised... but my blood is boiling even now when I think of Wonnram and that young Neghed and his 'diplomacy' so we'll just have to improvise around oil."
Sage volunteers to have a look around for combustibles, and heads to the cellar with lady Ezra. Her maid and man take her letter (of protest at the incident) to Lord Orctooth and a shopping-list from the group and drive to town.
In terms of roleplaying the NPCs I speak for them, but rotate SRs around. It gives all players some buy-in to how the Herbals do.
Fennec has - perhaps paranoically, perhaps wisely - been on watch this whole time, outside the walls. There's been no pursuit or alarums.
The party uses the downtime to gentle the ponies to Wolfie's presence, and discuss issues of march and dungeon-discipline. Or at least, Cauleigh and Trefoil do. Heartsease seems to be more of a go-with-the-flow kind of girl and the others are re-packing or relaxing.
The Dwarves' ponies: Fanshaw, Barnsley, Kip, Dice, and pack pony Toto.
The Herbals' ponies: Rorie, Mattie.
The wagon arrives back safely. Lady Ezra's maid has bought plenty of rations: a little bulkier than adventurers would normally choose. There's extra fodder for ponies and a simple pillion saddle for Sage. Packing proceeds apace! And by this time, Sage has emerged triumphant, with two small casks.
"One's oil, one's my secret ingredient to add to it when we're ready."
A dust-storm: nighting below the plateau
Although it's still hot day, there's an uneasy feeling among the group that their good luck can't last. The last thing they want is to be besieged by vengeful Templars, so after a crescendo of packing - Sage's casks are packed in separate panniers - they set forth upstream. Sage rides perched on the pillion in front of Cauleigh.
Jotunn, naturally, leads off. A Jay dances and chatters in the woods as they pass: then the party draws away and onto a barren stretch of land indeed. Dust devils rising off scree, and the sun's glare off the trail, make for poor visibility.
Within the first three hours, Heartsease gives up riding. Not a proficient horsewoman: and although she doesn't seem to have any vanity, perhaps she feels out of place on a pony. Her walking pace is quick, and there's little difference in the pace.
Neither on nor over the other side of the river is any sign of pursuit. Could it be that the Templars assume the Dwarves are doing their bidding? As for the Herbals' mission, as Sage explains it, they are more likely to attract pursuit. There was some type of fore-mission upriver at a place named Dunn, then an organised exploration of the dungeon, with Templars.
Jotunn's call interrupts these musings.
"The wind is picking up! It's a dust-storm! I'm going to try this ledge..."
Soon, Jotunn affirms his choice and the ponies are led up ledges formed by fractures on the plateau cliff, to a broader ledge offering some shelter for the night. Rock-paintings formed from sprayed-clay show this ledge has given shelter for an age and an age.
It's going to be a full moon, and Jotunn predicts, a blood moon, thanks to the dust. Yes, a full moon could be a problem with Wolfie. The Herbals usually just let him run free away from towns, so that's what happens.
Two wizards, two different spell approaches
For the short night, three watches are set. The ponies need reassuring at all times. Cauleigh teams up with Sage, Jotunn with Heartsease, and Crompton with Trefoil. Fennec, who is senior wizard, gets nap time. Before that, Sage draws Fennec away back down the ledge.
"I just want to make it clear, at this stage before you teach me the second spell, how very useful having me alongside you will be.
"One of the basic things my master taught me was 'Massa-Mana' as he called it. It allowed me to feed him mana. So you can use me as a battery, as it were." [It's CdlK, for those nerdy enough to look at L1 spells]
Fennec reinforces Sage's knowledge of Glue-You. The Gnome says he has the spell under control, and looks forward to his next.
"What d'you mean, next" Fennec responds coldly.
"Ah. Then, we may have to re-visit our agreement with you."
[We break off to remind Fennec he now owes Sage a second spell.]
"What you're saying is, you're not quite ready to teach me a second spell," Sage concludes, and the two return.
The night is uneventful, other than silently hunting owls and a pre-dawn bat-midge battle down on the river. The moon is noticeably red. This is as Jotunn predicted - a side-effect of the dust-storm.
Two different warriors, two different training approaches
"We need to get back on the trail before the day heats up," Cauleigh presses.
Heartsease is practicing her demi-lune. Trefoil joins her, but half-heartedly. He looks like he's handled his footman's spear for many years. Heartsease, perhaps as though she has just gained enough strength to handle it well. She really whips it around - the head screeches and whines as she spins it.
Wolfie comes loping in, up to Heartsease, gets a scratch behind the ears, and it's time to go.
The trek begins anew, Jotunn confident that the day will be just as hot as yesterday. His immediate goal is the gullies he spotted from the barge.
"Let's push, while we have the shade!"
Across the river a view of another dungeon
Cauleigh and Crompton chat about the bats - Crompton angles up to ride alongside - then uses the chance to negotiate spell-teaching with Sage. A kind of spell-for-spell trade is agreed on.
"You won't have enormous stocks of Level One - I do - I'm a wizard" Sage proposes, then asks Cauleigh to keep this in confidence. Apparently the Wizard's Guild has a dim view of teaching rogues.
Far beyond the river, at the limit of his vision, lit by the morning sun, Cauleigh spots an elevation in the plain. He mentions it.
"Ooh! - we were going to do that. That would be Ravenson," Sage confidently recalls. "It's said that the ancient people of Ravenscrag extended thus far and set up an outpost there. It's said that relics of those times are still to be found there. And of course since then other warlords have set up strongholds over it. So yes, we were going to pick it over, on our way back to Sarnas."
"So that way lies Sarnas," Cauleigh broods.
"Yes, should the party decision be to go that way we'd be happy to show you the way, if we are able. And travel with you, for safety."
"We have to head south, but after that, Sarnas. And standing still seems to mean people finding reasons to do things for them."
The two discuss the Templars and the offers: Sage reiterates that the Herbals are satisfied with the contract.
A dogfight! Is this serious?
Ahead of Jotunn, Wolfie, who's been scaling the rocks above, stiffens then springs! Then rolling down the slope, he and a similarly-shaggy creature come, snarling and growling. It sounds like two wolves murdering each other.
There's nothing much the others can do, until the pair roll off the trail and right into the river. There's a confusion of who-holds-my-reins. Adventurers to the rear attempt to jostle ponies through.
[Fennec in particular has a spell in mind, while Jotunn Cauleigh and Crompton are all inclined to intervene. Crompton generously agrees to stay back with ponies, since he is one of the pair that does handle ponies well. Sage remains on the pillion.]
"Sage, can you control the reins...?"
"Yes? Er, and yours? Fine..."
Jotunn pulls down Temerity as he scrambles up to where the creature had hidden, but slips in scree [rolls the first fail of the evening] and slides. Cauleigh runs nimbly to the water's edge and as he identifies which is Wolfie, leaps in smashing his silver-headed Mace of Stunting onto the other. Fennec is ready with his spell but there is no need: the fight is won. Wolfie unlocks the other's jaws from his left arm, and throws the corpse up on the bank. Dwarf and Wulfan splash and scramble out.
Up on the rocks above, Jotunn regains his footing and finds that the creature was alone.
It's a big, tall-shouldered lobo wolf, and Wolfie cuts deep into the carcass and drags out the heart and other choice giblets and begins wolfing them down. He's bleeding pretty freely from one arm but ignores it. Crompton encourages Heartsease to calm Wolfie down, so healing can be applied.
"Isn't that kind of... cannibalism?" Fennec asks Sage.
"He's... comfortable with it."
Crompton eases the ponies round and the party sets off. Crompton heals Wolfie in part, as he passes, and Heartsease whips a bandage around the wound and heads on.
Wolfie runs free, kind of
"Thank you for that, Cauleigh. I'm sure Wolfie would have handled it eventually, but best not to have one of the party torn to bits just on a one-off chance. He's very loyal. Especially to Heartsease, of course. She bought him his freedom originally."
"Was he a slave?"
"Yes, although technically he is still a slave. We have his papers and everything."
"Er. Can I ask..."
"It solves problems, in towns."
"I can't see the sense in a Wulfan slave."
"I think the idea was, those battle-pits they have along the river. But as I say, Heartsease bought him, he's a valued member of the team."
A spot of pathfinding
The plateau wall bends away left noticeably. Jotunn peers forward and waves those following to a halt.
"There are a couple of gullies here," he calls. "I want to see which is likely for taking ponies up."
Trefoil volunteers to help.
"Can Wolfie smell any other wolves around?" Jotunn wonders. At the end of the party Crompton passes this back to Heartsease.
Heartsease speaks lupine, apparently. "He only scented that one wolf," she concludes after a peculiar growfing, snuffling and gesturing kind of exchange with the Wulfan.
As Jotunn hoped, the party is able to walk the ponies down to where the gullies and gulches give onto the river. While most shelter in the first mouth, and two stand watch above it, he and Trefoil walk along the riverbank to decide on the most likely route into the interior.
His search proves a simple one. One gulch stands out.
"Horse tracks!" Trefoil exclaims, as Jotunn studies them. "What d'you make of them?"
The tracks are of at least a dozen horseback riders, about a week past, and lead up the gulch.
"This looks the way to go. Let's head back."
Salt-lick Gulch
The heat of the watch and curls of red or grey dust thrown down by dust-devils gives way to the baking heat of the gulch. It's wide enough for three riders at a push: Jotunn opts for two abreast.
Party order:
Jotunn and Trefoil;
Cauleigh/Sage and Fennec;
Heartsease and Crompton
(Wolfie running around free, mostly behind)
"We messed up: Crompton's riding with the hottie," Jotunn calls back to Cauleigh.
Crompton takes the chance to ask Heartsease more about Wolfie.
"It was after I left Sarnas... reasons aren't important... he was uh, in a cage belonging to beast-hunters, and I think... he was bound for those arenas. So I bought him. As far as I can tell his people wander. There's things he can't tell me or won't tell me about them... but I do know he's on the lookout for one in particular... family or such? 'Pack' is how he explains it."
Jotunn and Trefoil call a halt: there's the remains of a fire, and a few bones.
Cauleigh leap-frogs to point, Trefoil stands on guard, and Jotunn picks down through the layers and casts about for prints. Here, half the original horseback group camped. A few days later - in other words a few days ago - a single large creature camped and roasted mutton.
Meanwhile at the rear, Wolfie seems interested in eating something, possibly Dice, but is happy with the dried meat Heartsease tosses him. Crompton heals Wolfie the remainder of damage.
"'rompton good," Wolfie decides.
"There's a salt-lick here" Jotunn announces, "maybe let the ponies have a lick or three, then let's push on."
Cauleigh scales the gulch wall as the ponies are led forward, then retreats as a rattle sounds. He scales to the top a safe distance from the rattler. Visibility is poor owing to heat shimmer and dust, but he can see the outline of the woods, off west. Behind him east, it's obvious that trying to work along beside the plateau would have been hopeless: there are many slips and gullies.
Crompton sloshes water into his helmet and makes sure all the ponies get a mouthful.
A riderless horse foreshadows
Each hour, the heat seems to increase by half again. Their eyes seem to be broiling in their sockets. The sound of a shod horse approaching can be heard.
Whinnies are exchanged, and a riderless horse, stirrups and torn reins dangling, comes eagerly down the gulch. A deep score, dried, runs down its flank.
The Dwarves provide it some water and a small bite of fodder, but have no margin for adopting a new mount. Heartsease makes no move. It hangs about for half an hour as they push on, but seems to decide it has places to go and turns back to resume its original course.
The centaur
The gulch is now more of a wash - the banks can be scaled - and they can peer about to catch landmarks.
Jotunn dismounts to study a second fire. Almost certainly the other half of the original riders, perhaps eight men, probably a week ago.
Judging from the lack of visible forest, this is a good point to head due west and find that glade and stream in the woods, because the Herbals will be tiring. It's a two-to-three hour push, and Heartsease is very tired by the time they are wihin a dash of the woods.
There, shaking out its mane, is a mighty centaur, bearing a huge polearm. Opening its mouth wide to display massive sharp teeth, it booms menacingly.
Cauleigh shakes out his cloak of plausibility, dons it and walks forward, trying to project confidence. [CHR SR nets out to -5, he still makes L3]
"Our horses need water, and shade," Cauleigh calls. The great creature scents the air.
"Dwarves... Human! Elf! Wolf..."
Jotunn studies the centaur for signs of what it might need as Cauleigh gets close. Behind him, Cauleigh's pony disappears as Sage is left to mind it. The centaur nickers and Lucky, the mount they abandoned at the river, walks forward.
It seems Lucky (or Hrr'hreh to give her her right name) has loose shoes and prefers to keep them. Crompton is volunteered and does his best, including some healing to a split frog. It seems all women like shoes! And the centaur is well pleased, and allows them shade and water.
Tales of the Gann
Cauleigh uses the opportunity to ask the centaur - "call me Chiron" - about the dungeon, snake-like monster, and illkin.
The centaur has a story of the time that the 'rock prison' was formed. What he names 'a god-being' brought some 'terrible evil' there. It summons forth, so they say, other demons, such as the shadow-hounds. He mentions strange twisted little Dwarfs, out on the plain, seeking meat. In recent times dog-faces spilled forth to make war on the town-people of the plain.
His tales of the 'snake in the dungeon' mention three snakes, according to a prophecy of the demon Gann, who called forth three snakes with the power to bite and control minions. They also have the power to mingle [their seed] with warm-bloods, taking on the nature of that mother. "That may be why the human females were pulled from that hut," he muses. "I thought it was as a meal, but perhaps not."
As his herd does not approach the ape colony he has no further information on that score. Cauleigh turns the talk to the illkin that follow the White Urukin.
The centaur knows of him and his followers. As long as they live in the broken lands he cares nothing. Apparently the white urukin advises the uruk-chief, or troll-chief, and has risen to this position within the last year.
They eat and drink together and having downed all of their limited wine supplies and finished all of their dried meat, the centaur seems well pleased.
Finally Cauleigh takes advantage of this bonhomie and gets some landmark-style directions around the tomb-area that hides Colairion's treasure.
Survivors - a lesson learned
[LK or IQ for Trefoil and Jotunn as the riders set out in the same order. Jotunn DAROs 17 on dice with four rolls.]
Struggling towards them from their right come half a dozen men and horses. Or more precisely as they shake out and take precautions, five men, and four horses, and at least one of them is one of the bounty-hunters from the last time.
These men are desperate, but not loooking for a fight. [L1 IQ - made!] Other than the matchlock-bearer the others bear makeshift hunting bows, and unfletched arrows. Matchlock man trades a gem-decorated native-iron dagger for a small amount of food, and advice about the stream in the centaur's glade.
The men's story is that they were assailed in the night by weird dark-skinned Dwarves with pale eyes, then as the survivors of that fled up the escarpments, they were set upon by something else. The last they saw of their leader, he was being hammered onto a stake.
A cliff-bound fight in the dark!
They set out again, across the ape-colony, using the last few hours of light. Far away on the plateau wall they can see tiny dots moving slowly up - the apes are pulling back up to their nests.
As twilight deepens, the light of twin giant ape-head eyes can be seen. Fennec and Jotunn will need to scale the cliff and get down behind the heads. The remainder of the party wait at a respectable distance.
[Jotunn rolls a fail on L1 LK SR]
SCREEE!! SCREEE!!
Jotunn hauls out his axe desperately and clings onto the cliff with one hand, as a family of apes attempt to rid themselves *of this intruder! Below, Fennec is hard put to just stay holding on.
[Jotunn can't use his warrior bonus, as he has no background as a cliff-scaling barbarian, but gets normal adds otherwise. In round 2 the surviving apes go berserk, which helps them but not by enough.]
Pieces of hacked-apart ape shower down and eventually Jotunn announces the all-clear. They clamber through the slimy mess. [L1 DEX SR, both make it OK] Then down behind the guardian heads, for Fennec to cast his KK.
The eyes blank dark, and the others file forward.
Base camp! At least for now...
Toto proves somewhat confident on steps, so leads the other ponies down. Since the doors had been shut, there are no feral apes to challenge the incomers.
From the entry chamber it's time to re-explore the tunnels and rooms. Although it has been mere days they seem unfamiliar. But little by little the layout is recalled. The Dwarves lead the way through a rubbish-choked room and south through tunnels. Seven ponies make for noisy going.
An unexplored room with long, sac-like things strewn near the door is checked a little more carefully. The 'sacs' are snake-droppings. Each about four feet long!
They decide not to press further into that room and instead wind closer to the great chamber, finally unsaddling and setting up a crude manger in a connecting chamber, 20' square, with doors that open outward so ponies can't accidentally prevent their owners from entering.
The Herbals are all ready to sleep, especially Heartsease who has walked virtually the whole way. It's time for the Dwarves, still fit thanks to the glade-side rest, to scout further, but the session ends before they decide which way.
Props
A little bit of help from Wizardawn's generators with this one, but I took care (actually prepped!) to represent the microclimates they hex-crawled through.
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Post by warlord476 on Sept 8, 2017 20:03:32 GMT -5
3.17: Re-clearing Level One
The characters for this session
Fennec, L3 wizard
Cauleigh, L3 warrior
Jotunn, L5 warrior
Crompton, L3 rogue
ably assisted by the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard
Trefoil, L2 warrior
Heartsease, L2 warrior
Wolfie, L2 wulfan
Let go! Servitor apes have new instructions?
The Herbals are pretty much out for the count. The ponies suck up almost all the water, then feedbags are slipped over their muzzles. Trefoil wearily agrees to stand watch while the Dwarves set out for fresh water and a quick scout around. [Trefoil has sufficient CON to make L3 reliably]
Exactly what to carry takes more time to decide and by the time the four are ready to open the door, bearing what they consider a minimum of gear, Sage Heartsease and Wolfie are deeply asleep and even the ponies are at rest.
They plan to work deeper in, locate the great chamber, and check that its guard-rooms are still handy for standing watch. But their scouting stillborn: as they turn right out of the inner (southern) door the lead pair, Jotunn and Cauleigh, realise a group of apes is shuffling up the tunnel out of the southern arch.
As they pause, the apes too shuffle to an uncertain halt. Fennec blows his neutral G chord whistle, and that seems to decide the apes. A pair eye the Dwarves closely – which is quite unsettling, because their faces are quite blank of expression – then head purposefully past, as though to pass them by and move into the base camp. The Dwarves, as usual, let them be. One opens the door and the pair head in.
There’s an outraged cry from base camp! and in the tunnel outside it, where the Dwarves are, another pair of apes shuffle closer.
“Blow the whistle! Don’t attack them!” Crompton cries, and Cauleigh races back past the rogue and into the base camp.
Inside the base camp Trefoil is desperately fending the apes away from Sage, who, it seems, they want to pick up. “Put me down!” the Gnome shrills “I’m not one of your band!” The ponies are severe obstacles to anyone else helping, or Sage wriggling away. Cauleigh lends his strength to Trefoil and the pair keep the apes from grabbing Sage – for now!
Outside, Jotunn falls back, and joins Crompton where the rogue has his back against the door so no more apes can get in. Fennec stands back and to their left, away from apes. The next pair of apes head towards Jotunn!
Inside, Cauleigh tries speaking slowly and firmly, pointing to the outer door.
“For goodness sake! Doooo something!!” Sage shrills.
“Trying my best, Sage!” Trefoil protests, fumbling out the whistle and dropping it – then Heartsease makes a splendid diving catch and blows it!
[Trefoil has made three DAROs in a row to block the grappling ape. He rolls a fail on the L1 DEX to get the whistle out!]
Between Cauleigh and Trefoil one ape is physically lifted over Sage and to face the outer door. Wolfie scrambles the door open and one by one the pair of apes shamble out.
A moment’s silence falls and the base camp can hear the sounds of Fennec alternatively cursing and blowing an open G chord.
For in the meantime, Fennec has decided to investigate more closely: and the second ape trying to detach Jotunn from his post decides to collar Fennec!
Oh Go Away! Fennec yells then Oh f*&^! he shrieks as the ape immediately attacks!
Jotunn hurls himself over the ape he’s trying to fend off, while Crompton activates tempus fugit, whips the bladed chain around the leg of Fennec’s ape, and hauls on it. It’s a remarkably accurate cast and the ape is toppled away from Fennec before it can do more than a few scratches: then Jotunn flattens the ape, and Crompton jumps on as well, quickly whipping out some twine.
Cauleigh now steps out into the tunnel. An ape is almost directly in front of him: it eyes him up and down, then swings towards the struggle. Cauleigh clonks it on the back of the head with his silver-headed mace of stunting. It falls, stunned.
Crompton finishes tying the other ape’s hands. It shrugs its massive shoulders and the twine parts. Immediate re-tackle! Having had its head banged on the stone tunnel floor a number of times, the ape loses consciousness.
“Why are we being so careful not to kill them,” wants to know Fennec the Bloody, but he’s distracted from this philosophical dilemma as he spots more pairs of ape eyes visible in the now-dim torchlight.
“Let’s drag them away,” Cauleigh suggests and having checked east (tunnel turns south, there’s a big ape statue) returns, grabs a pair of ape ankles and starts dragging it west.
The others straggle after Cauleigh, Jotunn and Crompton easily managing the second ape between them, and they locate the refectory north. It looks as though the other apes – the ones Fennec spotted – have headed north through it. Dragging two apes with them, the Dwarves check north. Heartsease and Wolfie, obviously still exhausted, stumble around to intercept them. It seems all is clear – the other apes have headed towards the exit. From behind him, west, Jotunn catches the muffled rattle and booming noise of a portcullis dropping.
“Let’s leave them here,” Cauleigh decides: his ape is heavy. They do so and re-gather at base camp.
“Find a better base camp?” Sage hazards.
“We will, but for now, make sure you’re not obvious to apes” Fennec sternly replies.
With ponies now moved adjacent to each door the Dwarves set off once more.
Portcullis lifting is old stuff – but there are still dangers!
The next shift of scouting is much simpler. No ape blocks their path or even walks across it. The four follow the tunnels around to the small portcullis on the exchange’s north wall. A sand-creature sifts through it, but instead of attacking proceeds on past them. They lift the portcullis (with due precautions including a WoW through) and check the exchange. Crompton scents a rank smell east, like rotten vegetable matter.
Crompton persuades them to check store-rooms and get petrified spars to prop the portcullis up. Then a pause. There’s uncertainty about what the priority is, until dry throats prompt them to head along the west tunnel to the ape-feeder room. A pair of apes are eating, and once again as Fennec sounds his G chord decide the order of the day is ‘arrest that Dwarf wizard!’
[Jotunn has said the two tallest should do it, then Fennec has decided to follow the two tallest]
Cauleigh king-hits the nearest ape as it shuffles past him, and Crompton tangles the other’s leg. Jotunn, who has been peeping round the corner, dashes past Fennec and uses the flat of his axe on that one.
“I don’t understand why we are going easy on these f***ing apes!” Fennec growls, relaxing out of his TTYF stance.
“They could turn out to be people, turned into apes,” Crompton points out.
“So far we haven’t needed to fight apes the whole way and not having an immediate ape riot on our hands is a good thing,” Cauleigh argues.
As the water canteens are filled, Fennec, who is standing guard, dives to one side! [Makes L2 of L6 LK but makes L4 WIZ] Smoky tendrils wind out of an unexplored archway and tower over them. He casts a Glue You on the magical creature and Jotunn – and thanks to his mace of stunting Cauleigh – drop gear and protect the wizard.
As Crompton flings a zapped dagger and Cauleigh and Jotunn use their magical weapons the thing breaks up and dissipates.
[Fennec also buffs Cauleigh with a Little Feets but it’s not needed]
They retrieve gear. “Thank you, Ponderblade,” Cauleigh mutters, kissing the mace.
Checking west confirms the path through north and towards Level Two, but since it leads more immediately to ape chambers, they retreat to the exchange, full canteens clonking heavily.
Now, all they have to do is head straight back to the Herbals and base camp!
A battle with black dwarves seeking to flee
“Let’s store the water in a store room… well not our own water… so we can finish checking around here” suggests Cauleigh. He inspects the north portcullis, propped up with struts, then glancing to its right, [L3 LK SR]*exclaims:
“Hang on – that door wasn’t open last time!”
Realising they should have closed it completely, a small phalanx of short-but-broad, dark-skinned, white-eyed creatures charges! They are intent on breaking through to the tunnel west.
Cauleigh and Jotunn block them while Crompton snares one’s ankle.
[Cauleigh and Jotunn both need to make a CHR SR to avoid some disadvantage. Both were near-killed by another formation of squat Morlocks. Jotunn misses by 1.]
Fennec drops to one side and hits the lead enemy with GY. The snared ‘black dwarf’ turns on Crompton with a short sword, curved at the tip: Cauleigh sweeps his other ankle with his mace of stunting. Jotunn attempts to activate Temerity as he deals with the remaining two:
“Metrity!”
Even so the two-hander mace is an awesome weapon. Jotunn is driven back, slightly injured, but as they were intent on fleeing the pair simply push past him and run.
Fennec calls “brace yourself!” and throws OGA at the pair – leaping to cover behind his warriors!
They come charging back into the light. Crompton casts VB and smashes his ancestor axe down on the sprawling black dwarf’s iron cap, shattering it and chopping into its skull. He wheels and attempts to use the chain on the incoming pair but he is hopelessly out of position to do that.
“Temerity!” yells Jotunn, getting back up and intercepting. Cauleigh agains uses his mace and trips [SPD] one – the other simply nips over it. With a satisfying explosion of iron fragments, skull and brain, Temerity shatters the incoming black dwarf’s head. The corpse flops down in front of Fennec.
Cauleigh and Crompton jump on the tripped one and finish him.
Then the GY’d black dwarf attacks Fennec!
The wizard fends off as best he can, as Jotunn spins and smashes Temerity at the berserk enemy.
Fennec is again merely scratched as Jotunn’s strength and his own staff keep the berserker at bay. The others help finish him… then the black dwarf Crompton thought he’d killed begins getting back up!
“Let’s take the heads off!” yells Fennec the Bloody.
The corpses (which render no loot) are dragged back and piled up in the ape-tomb and the door closed.
Reclaiming the great chamber and a joyful reunion
Breathing freely once again, they return to their chosen job of scouting east through the small portcullis. All of them pick up the smell Crompton mentioned. A WoW shows reassuringly familiar territory beyond. It’s heaved up and again propped up with spars.
The source of the rank smell proves to be a large pot, left outside the kitchen. It seems the Lizardman cooks did not return. Inside the kitchen, the cooking materials are as they were abandoned. Moving through and out the opposite door, they scout around the ‘circuit’ down to guard/store rooms and around to the great chamber’s dais. Stores do not seem to have been disturbed since the last Gnolls fled.
They walk, solemnly, through the great chamber, noting that bodies and dropped weapons are absent, and remind one another of the barricaded area in the north-west corner.
Checking the Gnoll barracks left, they discover there are no poultry left in the hutch, but hurrah! Fennec’s ruined pack is still lying where he left it. He quickly checks that map, abacus, brain-in-a-jar, and weird magic crystal cube are there and not broken, then slings the pack on one shoulder. The only real casualty is a sack, which is now more of a burlap rag.
Cauleigh draws the attention of the others back to himself. He gestures to the two connecting barracks. “Is everyone agreed – we can bring the others back here?”
The others nod – it seems sensible. Then back to the great chamber, through the double-doors north and to the windlass room. By great good fortune a Gnoll axe is still lying there. They check briefly behind the false mirror-wall (it’s just as they left it) then retrace their steps back through the great chamber, let the east portcullis down, walk back north again, winch the portcullis up and jam it, loop up round to the base camp and wake the ponies and – let’s be honest – Trefoil, who has nodded off.
“We’ve got our base camp sorted out – all’s well!” Cauleigh says cheerily.
“That’s good…” Trefoil replies, unconvincingly.
As ponies are readied the other Herbals wake and groggily assemble, then follow around and under the open great portcullis. Jotunn steps into the windlass room and drops the portcullis. It settles with an important-sounding Booom.
The Herbals are mightily impressed with the great chamber, and – other than Trefoil – are stretching and looking more alert. Sage reminds Fennec of the matter of useful treasure.
“That reminds me,” Fennec frowns, “do you have Omni Eye?”
“Yes…?”
“Then it may be worthwhile evaluating a few,” Fennec muses, just as though Sage were his personal magical valet.
Sage rubs his hands and looks pleased.
“We’ll be pulling some sleep,” Cauleigh says wearily. And strangely enough the Herbals seem keen on that idea too. Cauleigh looks around and senses he’s on watch. He lulls the others to sleep with a ‘Cauleigh special sauce’ theory of where the black dwarves came from. “They were part of the plan,” he reiterates, without elucidating which plan.
Jotunn on watch – weirdness on the portcullis
Jotunn is woken a couple of hours later, and Cauleigh hands over a square of tarp with a charcoal map on it. “Pretty much done,” he brags. “I’ve even noted that other big portcullis we got through from the other side.”
[It’s nearly open-map, except for the unscouted corner leading to level two]
Jotunn sits quietly through his watch until near its end, he hears what he at first takes to be Dwarven. But if Dwarven, it’s in a dialect he finds hard to follow. There’s a faint noise of a door, then a soft curse-sound, some quiet struggling then a terrible choking cry.
The others wake groggily. Wolfie is quickly ready, slipping his chain-blade-claws on. But no-one advances, and the sound of retreat comes fairly distinct. Fennec floats a WoW down.
[L5 LK]
As Jotunn and Cauleigh gaze out along the dark tunnel, they note, in the candle-light, a soft yellow glitter associating itself with the portcullis, as though a yellow foggy cloud had been stopped by it.
Wolfie does not scent any fresh blood. Swapping jokes, they nerve themselves up and investigate with more light.
The portcullis is part-smothered in the same yellow mould Cauleigh once noted on the ape bodies in the larger tomb chamber nearby. Just visible from their angle and through the bars, the body of a black dwarf can be seen in the tomb doorway.
Fennec gargles yellow mould
“Those fuckers! They smeared the portcullis with yellow mould!” exclaims Cauleigh, randomly guessing.
“And one fumble-fingered himself and died!” Fennec co-guesses.
“We’ll find something to clean it off,” Jotunn says confidently.
They pour boiling water – as much as the kitchen holds – over the portcullis and brush it into crevices. Some spores roil up and Fennec breathes in at the wrong moment. [Rolls a fail on CON]
Cauleigh leaps to position behind him, grabs him by the head and pours boiling water down his throat.
“AAEEIIGHRGFHRGRRF!!” gargles Fennec. Once he’s finished crying in agony Crompton PBs him.
The portcullis (and Fennec) is clear of mould but more lies on the floor between the portcullis and the tomb-chamber.
“Can we just leave that for now? Our water supply is back down to what we’ve got left in the canteens” Jotunn suggests.
They settle down, resting again. Ponies nudging at feedbags tells Crompton his watch, the last, is over. Rations are chewed. Wolfie still has some dried meat. The Herbals are well-rested – in fact only Cauleigh has missed out on adequate sleep.
We can clean this, but don’t boil vinegar
They do a detailed stocktake of kegs and casks and find a good-size keg of pickled onions. And sour beer. And three small jars of brains, which may or may not also contain vinegar.
“Don’t boil the vinegar” warns Crompton. “The bad humours boil off first and kill you.”
“So you’re saying that can be made into a weapon?” Sage says, sounding immensely interested.
“Have you considered a career as a combat specialist?” asks Fennec.
“I trained as an artillerist” explains the Gnome.
The vinegar does a good job on the mould after they wind up the portcullis and splash it on a section at a time. There’s a very unpleasant mould-infested corpse in the tomb doorway. Another ranseur is fetched and used to push it fully inside and the door is shut.
They say exercise is good for you – now shift that barricade back
They shake out, fully equipped, into the great chamber and head to the barricaded corner. The barricade is built up of crates. Very heavy crates. Cauleigh and Jotunn heave a top crate off and shift it to one side. Then, with more heaving, they pull the bottom crate away. Now they have a sturdy-dwarf-width of clearance.
But the shifting of crates has caused something inside the room beyond to begin scratching at the door. It could be a rat.
“Dead” decides Wolfie.
“Sounds like a good reason to push this back again,” Sage suggests nervously, pushing with his full Gnome might at one of the removed crates. They don’t move.
Fennec uses a DetM powered up but nothing lights up, so they laboriously rebuild the barricade.
A break for Sage to do his stuff with Omni Eye
That just leaves the off-shape chamber (the one with the snake poo in its outer area) that has never been fully explored.
First though, Sage is curious about those magic items Fennec referred to. They vote for yes, that is important, and head back to the comfort and security of the barracks.
“This is going to take some time,” Sage warns, rubbing his hands and looking at the cube, brain-in-a-jar, and two lockets.
Soulcube: has the power to encube a being. There’s someone in it. It could be that it’s a swapsie deal: swapping out whatever is inside, for whatever is inside. Sage is keen to experiment on something small but evil.
ESP potion: the brain’s suspension liquid allows a one-shot ESP potion.
Nekasm's locket: Eyes of the bat paste: rubbing the dark paste on your eyes blinds you but you ‘see’ perfectly in dark, like a bat.
Decyvedu's Fire: swallowing a glassine bolus, and pronouncing the name 'Decyvedu' etched on the locket’s inside lid, allows fire breath: per L3 Blasting Power spell.
Hurrah! Most of Level One is clear!
“Lets do the poo-room,” decides Cauleigh romantically and they set forth once again!
The denizen of the room is large and serpentine. Cauleigh dodges away from its strike, and as it slashes past him he sees that the creature is blind. With a fine arquebus shot and a L3TTYF the thing topples into death throes. Its scales are deep grey and eyes white-blind.
A short verse in archaic script on the back wall of its chamber is copied down.
[INDENT]Disregard the body – its many forms deceive
Follow the eyes – they unerringly shepherd the mind [/INDENT] And that is all. Wolfie dislikes the smell of the corpse and won’t eat it. But Trefoil, using his footman’s spear as a lever, snaps out a long fang, and he and Sage consult as to withdrawing the poison sac.
“Level one is clear enough!” Cauleigh cries, rallying them from their detail work. “Next – level two!”
And as the eight-strong party sips water, arranges light sources, and heads for the deeper corners of the dungeon, the session ends.
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Post by warlord476 on Sept 22, 2017 21:34:21 GMT -5
3.18: A toehold on Level Two! And loot!The characters for this session:
Fennec, L3 wizard, combat specialist
Cauleigh, L3 warrior, novice townsman
Jotunn, L5 warrior, apprentice hunter, tracking talent
Crompton, L3 rogue, novice rune bearer, rogue talent
ably assisted by the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard - wears 3pts armour under his robe
Trefoil, L2 warrior - 20 base points armour
Heartsease, L2 warrior - 12 base points armour
Wolfie, L2 wulfan - armour?
Stanza One: That final corner of Level One is a Doozy – Again!
Confident in his team's own abilities, Cauleigh orders the Herbals back to base camp. "We just have a few rooms to clear then we'll begin on Level Two," he explains. Sage looks to Fennec to confirm this, and the wizard confirms.
About an hour later, the Herbals are alerted by the pass-phrase being called with cries of "raise the door!" A minute later Crompton and Jotunn drag Cauleigh in, Fennec following as rearguard. Cauleigh is conscious and grimly clutching his shield and kukri, but seems in a bad way.
"There was a smoke demon..."
Sage gets the Dwarves to spell it all out, so that those of his team that pay attention – Trefoil – can draw some lessons. Apparently, sandmen are likely to move on by if not disturbed in their own territory; servitor apes are likely to "arrest" shorties – one nearly grabbed Crompton but he slipped his torch into its hand and dodged out – and smoke-demons live in big urns and don't like their sand-bed to be poked. Cauleigh was nearly pulled inside out, but all's well. With lots of Poor Baby.
For their part the Herbals have upgraded the barracks/stables arrangement to include a partitioned area for privies, using halves of the pickle cask and other empty vessels, and tarps.
As Cauleigh rests, Sage and Crompton find time for a spell-trade. Crompton begins learning Knock-Knock, Sage easily picks up Alakascram.
Waving a confident farewell the Dwarves exit once more and the portcullis is lowered behind them.
This time, they choose not to fiddle with urns – Cauleigh's rule is now 'close the door again immediately' – but do spot evidences of their first exploration from a week or so previous. Cauleigh remembers there is a secret door, they locate it and open it, then traverse a charcoal-daubed chamber. The crude daubs suggest a snake-creature. And – after trying a couple of doors – locate the very subject of the daub when something blows their torches out!
In the light of a WoW and Bic Flic two glowing yellow eyes are revealed. A tremendous battle of wits ensues: firearms are readied: the snake-creature uses a human puppet, then an urn, to draw fire, then attempts to flee while invisible! Cauleigh has rather a bad time missing the tricky OTIS-lit target but Crompton and Jotunn get good shots in with their weapons. Fennec, expecting some such thing, slaps a Glue-You on it as it flees. [Actually spends his precious boon, saved from 4 sessions ago!] With a cry of "yoiks!" Jotunn nimbly hurdles Cauleigh – as he stumbles on its tail – and yells "Temerity" smashing the mighty mace down! Crompton sinks his zapped blades in, Cauleigh leaps back to his feet and pursues, and the snake-creature dies!
With the aid of torchlight they study it with some curiosity. Though not dark grey and not blind, it seems similar to the blind, grey snake-creature they slew on Level One. The thing's long fangs drip venom.
Finally, having either looked in every chamber, they return to the grand tunnel leading direct to the double doors, featuring an ape-head in relief, leading to the stair to Level Two!
Stanza Two: Level Two is a whole new confusing! And GAAAH! Trapped Loot!
They descend the broad steps without incident and note the lone desperate piece of cover used in the ambush – the pedestal with pipes that may warble – and in the light of three torches assess the great t-junction formed by steps and chamber. There's no sign of the levitating orb on the ceiling. Jotunn can see faint traffic marks west, nothing east. Fennec spots the first part of a mosaic, off to the west.
Choosing to go where no man has gone before they head away from traffic and try a door north. A series of chambers is found and while not finishing the task of mapping all tunnels, they eventually work their way back through what might be a tannery to the main chamber again, this time on the west wing of it.
The wing forms a broad 'lazy-T', the head west and the leg back to the stairs. The north end of the head has three doors in it including the one they emerged from; the mosaic runs along the head on the west wall: and that has at least one pair of peep holes in it. And Crompton catches a faint sound right!
It's an attack! But these groping, gibbering, clawing manlike creatures are mere undead, and only four in number... it is but the work of a moment for these veteran delvers to remove or smash heads, unscathed.
Whatever it was that opened the door quietly, has not held it open. They move to that door. In the well-lit dust of the chamber floor, Jotunn recognises drag-marks from it, running to the middle door of the trio.
Beyond the left-hand door, a broad chamber opens out left and ahead. As they fan out Jotunn stoops and sifts through tiny scraps: hyena-man hairs, the odd blood-spot, and fragments of crates.
"The hyena-men probably fell back this far... then their gear has been removed at some point."
Looking back into the lazy-T, Fennec notices a lone servitor ape. It clutches the burned-out stub of a torch. But it is not looking his way, and he leaves it be.
The chamber extends back south more than west, and following that, they at length locate a disused and decayed dining hall – once gracious, now termite-ridden – and the secret cubby behind the peep-holes.
Finally they locate another broad lazy-T chamber, featuring tasteful furniture and torture devices, a desk with rich-looking clutter and fitted drawers, and screens south. Spotting a gold turnip-shaped object Cauleigh sweeps it up. It has a word inscribed in its base, and he reads it out...
In the ensuing attack the air elementals smash the Dwarves around but can't prevent them fleeing!
Stanza Three: Herbals to Level Two! Loot the place!
A rapid retreat – which the torch-stub ape does not prevent – and a new day. Crompton has pretty much locked in KK and Sage has pretty much locked in Little Feets. Trefoil runs over the plan with Cauleigh as all eight march down the stairs.
"So we're the front line then! Excellent! Time to earn our pay! So long as the titch gives me a bit of magic juice, I'm right behind you! I'll brace, you strike."
"Shall I start with the big thing, wind it up, out front?" Jotunn gestures with Temerity. Heartsease raises her hand:
"I've always wanted to work with a man with a big thing," she giggles. She readies her demilune to be braced to project over Jotunn. Sage and Fennec will sit back behind the warriors, Fennec having first shot, and Wolfie will stay rearguard.
The plan makes no difference to Cauleigh's actual combat. As Fennec's L4 TTYF slams into an elemental he leaps forward, leaving Trefoil to defend both Fennec and Sage, while Jotunn and Heartsease stick to their part of the plan and brace against the inrushing pair of semi-transparent elementals. Crompton's shot finishes off the wounded elemental. Fennec feels the inrush of available mana as Sage backs him up. "Temerity!" Jotunn yells and as an elemental impales itself on the demilune, smashing his mace into the creature. Cauleigh dodges in, flicks his kukri lethally across, and dodges away again. That second elemental collapses in on itself!
The third elemental is untouched: Trefoil is smashed back as it punches into the wizards. Uttering a dreadful howl Wolfie jumps atop it, to no effect – he is flicked away like a puppy. The others rush to save the wizards and while everyone is hurt, no-one is seriously injured.
Fennec yells "f**k this!" A brilliant crimson flash near-blinds everyone and the huge concussion of a L5 TTYF slightly deafens them, and as Cauleigh leaps in ready for the next strike, he finds the elemental has evaporated.
Accompanied by Jotunn's grumbles about 15 minute working day wizards, they search the furnished chamber in detail, assemble everything valuable-looking, and retreat to base camp to investigate it all!
Stanza Four: Loot! Loot! Loot!
Sage spends some time on the various items with Cauleigh assessing the street value of other goods:
- Non-magical plate etc worth up to 1000gp if sold carefully. This includes the thurible that used to hold 3 elementals. 'Death mask motif' cutlery could be collector-item stuff but porcelain crockery is normally costly. Handle with care!
- The orb of levitation: levitates constantly. Currently locked in a chest carrying other valuables.
- Wooden cube of torchlight: one face beams a high-level WoW. Quite a small cube, so easy to clasp in a gauntlet hand.
- Three incense sticks that will aid higher-level ritual magic preparation. They do not act as batteries but as enhancers for higher level spells. Level 6 and above effects, such as hollow vision, wind whistle, ghostly going and blow-me-to are appropriate for these.
- Archaic temple scroll: After time in a suitable library or guild spent studying the archaic script, a wizard can learn Poor Baby, Magic Fangs, Curses Foiled, OTIS, and something higher-level Fennec does not immediately recognise.
- A sealed ceramic flask of Fly Me potion
- A sealed ceramic flask of small eyeballs that when swallowed gives Second Sight
- Two sealed ceramic flasks of cursed water that could, as Crompton suggests, be used as magical grenades. Most likely curses on intellect.
- A spellbook that has an ominous design on its binding and possibly a curse to go with it.
[/ul] "This robe is a pile of crap," Cauleigh decides, tossing aside a costly-looking blue garment shot with gold thread. "It went out of fashion in Esgaroth years ago!" "It would be ironic if it originally belonged to Alintar," Fennec suggests randomly. It is about the size of the paladin. "Here you go Trefoil," suggests Crompton, flicking it up to the big man. "Pah! I'm not that off-trend!" Trefoil scoffs, tossing the bundle to one side. The gold thread glitters. And as the wizards discuss how to tackle the spell-book and where more spell-learning comes and some of the others exercise the ponies, the session ends. [/font][/font]
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Post by warlord476 on Sept 23, 2017 1:53:33 GMT -5
3.19: The pace picks up on Level Two The characters for this session:
Fennec, L3 wizard, carrying a couple of weird potions (brains! eyes!)
Cauleigh, L3 warrior, with the wooden block of light-beam and locket with fire-breathing pills
Jotunn, L5 warrior, toting the Soulcube
Crompton, L3 rogue, with the locket with see-in-complete-darkness paste
ably assisted by the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard - wears 3pts armour under his robe
Trefoil, L2 warrior - 20 base points armour, reach weapon
Heartsease, L2 warrior - 12 base points armour, long reach weapon
Wolfie, L2 wulfan - armour?
Let’s check around – so many choices!
There’s a minor fray as the four Restorers reach the great double doors to the steps down. From behind and to the left charge black Dwarves!
Our heroes react with speed and nimbleness and slay them. The crushed and broken bodies are the same as before – dark grey skin, sharp teeth, opaque white eyes, beaten-iron swords and simple iron-reinforced armour. And a few gold coins on each.
“Beer money!”
Reaching the great entry foyer to Level Two they fall into discussion as to which way to check. Cauleigh, recalling they had not finished probing a tunnel beyond the ‘tannery’ chamber, wants to do that first. But first first, check east to see what was down there.
Crompton is easy with whatever. Fennec has a side-track of thought. Jotunn has various thoughts. But eventually they do go with Cauleigh’s idea, and find the grand passage east ends at a drop into water some 20 or so feet below.
A casual menace is met and killed
Jotunn explores for hand-holds, Cauleigh experiments with depth and finds it is only a few inches, then Crompton hears a casual gravelly voice behind them:
“Oi, chummy.”
He swings his arquebus around and hears,
“Yer don’t wanta do that, yer wanta shoot that wizard.”
“Enemy spellcaster thataway!” Fennec cries, gesturing with his torch. The arquebus swings his way…
Cauleigh drops his plumb-line and focuses the ‘light cube’ using two hands, picking out a very squat, red-brown chap, massive-jawed, barely-clad. Fennec throws Dispel as Jotunn charges, drawing his axe, and strikes the newcomer in one leg, knocking it – not fully off its feet – well off-stance. Crompton shakes off whatever was suggesting itself to his mind, scuttles sideways out of Fennec’s line, and waits for a shot. Cauleigh hurries closer, as best he can while holding the beam of light steady.
“Give’s a break, throw it away mate,” the shortie suggests to Jotunn, its wound beginning to close.
Jotunn throws his axe away. But he prepares to tackle this creature. Then a huge crimson flash lances past him and the blast of L3 TTYF echoes from the walls. Cauleigh and Jotunn leap atop their foe as it topples – Cauleigh muffling its mouth – and find themselves wrestling with a roughly humanoid-shaped pile of rock.
Jotunn retrieves his axe on the way to dragging and pushing the body to the pit edge, and they push it over. It lands with a mighty splash of shallow water.
Nothing else happens.
Secret door checking is worthwhile
Returning to Cauleigh’s original idea, they next explore north past the 'tannery' room, to find that the passage leads north to a simple finish, with a door west.
The small chamber beyond gives Jotunn a start – it almost looks like another smoke-demon jar – but contains merely a single vat, empty this time.
Checking for secret entrances with Fennec keeping guard outside takes another ten or so minutes and ends when Crompton tries the bottom of the vat. With a quiet click a secret door is revealed, west wall.
The small chamber beyond contains treasure, of a kind. A single glass case or coffer sits on the floor in the middle of the chamber.
Much testing and checking for traps later, the Dwarves gleefully carry the case back up to Level One and holler for the portcullis to be opened. Aside from some magic inside, it is valuable in itself.
Sage rubs his hands at the prospect of more ‘interesting’ things. After more checking two whistles (middle C and low-pitched warbling) are set aside and the smoking-pipe unscrewed to reveal another, very small, whistle. This is magic, of the communications branch. Wolfie reacts to the unheard sound (and Heartsease claims she hears something too). Sage’s Omni-Eye reading on it suggests it is a demon-soothing whistle.
Mapping the differences – what’s with the weird doors?
Back to Level Two, and though Fennec has earlier heard stealthy movement and an ambush is expected: without incident.
Now begins an intriguing piece of mapping. The Dwarves learn a lot more about doors that seal off after closing, leaving only wall. The net result is a good sketch map showing a route back from the various passages, to the grand foyer of Level Two. And a possible path east, mainly picked out by Jotunn, following drag marks.
These are marks they spotted some time ago, seeming to have something to do with the Gnolls’ brief retreat.
As they follow the faint marks, Jotunn picks up enough evidence to suggest that a crate caused them, being dragged along the floor.
[Minis! I’m mapping in full 5’ square scale and I hand out a mini for each character. The players put their minis where they think they are.]
Taking the very best of care, the Dwarves move from door to door to door through a number of winding paths and at last find a stone panel which can be opened using a sliding latch on their side. Crompton snuffles around the door: he can smell something reptilian. Maybe snakey.
Black Dwarves guard the inner passages
Once all are ready Crompton opens the panel and swings it smoothly all the way back, keeping it open with one foot. Their light splashes over a deep dark chamber and two pair of opaque white eyes that are seeking the source of the light.
There’s an uneasy pause, perhaps just a second, then some muttering in archaic Dwarven tongue and a pair of feet moving urgently. Then two more pair of eyes join the first pair. Iron-reinforced bucklers lock down.
Crompton senses there could be something above the doorway and gestures to the others. Cauleigh attempts to blind the ‘Morlocks’ with his direct light: they don’t react.
There’s a mild (for Fennec) crimson flash and blast and a low-level TTYF rattles one of the black Dwarves back.
“Give fire!”
All three pieces bark and two black Dwarves fall.
[For the record the damages are 72 for TTYF, 103 from Crompton, 113 from Jotunn and 130 from Cauleigh]
The remaining pair run and are gone left (further east) faster than the Dwarves can bring any light to bear.
As Cauleigh and Jotunn advance the roof-hugging giant lizard attacks! Cauleigh’s speed is so good [L9] that he rolls back up with his light aimed directly at the right spot. Fennec throws Glue-You and though the lizard does rend and bite it’s an easy fight from there. [The three non-wizards share 20 damage] Crompton wastes an Alakascram as Fennec puts the kill in with another low-level TTYF.
Fennec, who has prudently stayed back out of the range of angry lizard, scuttles in before the secret door swings shut.
“I wonder if lizard tastes good,” wonders hungry Jotunn. Trail rations aren’t really what his girth demands.
A brief search of this large chamber determines:
- Black Dwarves were at guard in niches either side of the grand passage’s water-pit.
- There’s a door north.
- The black Dwarves fled east down another fair passage, which turns north a short way down.
- Almost all track marks go that way, and the dragged wooden object Jotunn has tracked went that way too.
Onward! Let’s go for broke!
“Do we get the f**k out or do we charge in?” Cauleigh demands as alarms drum in the deep.
Crompton and Jotunn are confident.
“Right we’re going with crazy. But some choices will change – we can’t take too much time on any one thing”
“No need to move fast – my guess is they’re moving fast towards us,” Fennec doomsays.
“That’s why we have to move fast!”
A quick move up the passage: a chamber opens right. It is empty – some sort of guard-room – and they cluster into cover there. Pausing to listen, they catch a deep commanding voice speaking in archaic Dwarven. At random odds, Cauleigh plays the beam down the passage and Crompton places his arquebus on its monopod and tries a shot:
Boom!
“Pretty sure I got him,” Crompton announces, reloading. Fennec tries a long-reach OTIS but nothing lights up. Whatever the voice was roaring, he’s now saving his breath. There’s a heavy slam, as of a door.
Two doors, one either side of the passage, lie between the four and that retreating foe. Both doors open into the passage, and Jotunn indicates the right-hand one shows signs of traffic. Both are jammed using knife blades.
“Since it’s a trivial amount, I’m going to make sure of this,” Fennec says, throwing a Lock-Tight on each.
[With a L2 tracking roll Jotunn can’t be too definite about what went where]
Missing the leader – time to flee!
Fennec protesting at the speed of advance, they push on to the end of the passage and a door. It appears to open away from them. Jotunn pushes it open:
A large group!
[L11 IQ check to gauge what’s happening, when Fennec asks for the IQ roll. He gets level 6 and spots the ‘important’ one with a two-hander sword, and womenfolk, among the general group of black Dwarves.]
Fennec tries a L3 TTYF but as it happens a regular black Dwarf steps in front at that moment, and dies.
Crompton shoots: one staggers.
Jotunn hauls the door closed again and yells:
“Retreat!”
Fennec attempts to Lock-Tight it but isn’t quick enough: Jotunn grabs him up as black Dwarves boil out! Cauleigh is far ahead by this time. Jotunn, Fennec more or less carried, runs past Crompton and into the side-chamber. Two fleet-foot black Dwarves catch Crompton.
Cauleigh swings back, wrenching Crompton free and dragging him away from the pursuers. Crompton's pack straps tear.
“Pull back on me – Hidey Hole!” Fennec calls, dropping the Hidey-Hole over all of them as the two black Dwarves rip away Crompton’s pack and stumble back.
As the black Dwarves follow up, torches are hastily doused, leaving the black Dwarves with the smell of extinguished torches! They rush past, and hard on their heels go the bulk of the other black Dwarves. Jotunn presses his ear to the ground and guesses about ten.
Herbals armour up! Let’s get back down there!
A game of blind man’s bluff commences as the Dwarves feel their way to the secret door and the black Dwarves try to distinguish them from any other black Dwarf.
At length they gain Level One. They’ve killed one guard further back, hauling him into the HH and slitting his throat. And they’ve decided not to tackle the leader as he’s surrounded by others.
“Let’s rest up, bring the Herbals, and at least take out a half dozen or so more,” Cauleigh suggests confidently. “I think we should hit them now, not later,” he continues.
“I’ll be low in mana,” Fennec warns
“But you’ll have Sage’s store, or whatever,” Cauleigh prompts.
The Herbals are keen for action! A day of exercising ponies or standing guard will do that. They seem fairly confident that they know what to expect in combat now.
Luck stands with the eight-strong party: they catch another patrol of four, isolated at the pedestal. Firearms are levelled and two fall. Before the other two can run, Fennec cracks an OGA over them. One, wounded, charges dying on his feet straight onto Heartsease’ Demilune, and Cauleigh trips the other and he is done to death immediately.
“Reload,” Jotunn reminds them all.
Ambush – let’s turn the tables!
They push through the weaving course of passage-chamber-passage and are ambushed in a chamber with three doors: or more precisely two doors and a disappearing door.
Cauleigh jumps for a barely-glimpsed group, finding it is but a single foe, and sweeps his feet out; Sage calls his warriors to cover the rear and he and Fennec follow Cauleigh. Jotunn, with a good surge of strength, overbalances a group coming at them from the side, allowing the Herbals to get clear. But he drops his torch, and Crompton decides not to shoot into that pile-up. He swings the barrel to cover the Herbals’ warriors, seeing only their backs. He swings again, seeing a flurry of bodies at an open door. “We’re falling back!” cries Sage. Crompton changes grip and checks the black Dwarves pressing the Herbals with an Alakascram! Trefoil and Heartsease back up, Crompton and Jotunn leading.
Cauleigh's opponent is still full of fight and both he and Fennec are slightly wounded by the time Cauleigh wrestles him over the door threshold. Wolfie leaps past or over them into the grand passage, scanning for enemies: it’s clear!
Fennec and Sage stop mid-retreat for a chat about possibilities to shape the dungeon stone.
“No hurry Sage, we’re only fighting for our lives!” Trefoil bellows. They are taking some damage despite having the best of the fighting withdrawal.
Cauleigh, under a Little Feets, leaps back into the chamber to help the others retreat. With another sweep, four enemies pile up. Hopelessly enmeshed, the black Dwarves begin fighting one another: the warriors laugh and slay them!
They realise victory is at hand and pursuit speeds them after the remaining pair of black Dwarves. Wolfie and Cauleigh prevent their flight and they too are slain.
Rifling the seven corpses turns up about 100 gold coins. The path lies clear back through the guard chambers and to the black Dwarves’ inner chambers! And as they pause to decide their next move the session ends.
Props
Dominoes! (Those Disney-themed plastic things your kid drove you nuts about a year or so back.) Lucky accident really. I pasted paper Grimlock pix on the dominoes, leaving the dotted side visible on the flip side. One domino covers about two inch squares on the battlemap. Then I thought, 'why don't I use the dots to create uncertainty as to how many are in each group?' It worked really well, and partly prevented that 'we can see everything' issue that you get using a battlemap and minis. Neither I nor players knew exactly how many would be in any group, until the domino was flipped. In one excellent moment, Cauleigh's player correctly guessed which domino to go for - the number was one. It really felt like that 'I can see something moving - or is that several somethings?'
Chessex Battlemaps! We've got three between us and at 1"=5' all three are now in use. Make sure you use water-soluble markers, not dry-erase.
Minis! I'll try to take a picture next time. Two - Crompton and Fennec - from Reaper Bones, Cauleigh from Gamezone, and Jotunn from Darcy Perry's (who is a long-time T&T fan) Star Hat Miniatures. The Herbals, as befits "also starring" are much more generic and makeshift.
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Post by warlord476 on Sept 29, 2017 19:10:06 GMT -5
3.20: A game of two halves The characters for this session:
Fennec, L3 wizard, carrying a couple of weird potions (brains! eyes!)
Cauleigh, L3 warrior, with the wooden block of light-beam and locket with fire-breathing pills
Jotunn, L5 warrior, toting the Soulcube
Crompton, L3 rogue, with the locket with see-in-complete-darkness paste
ably assisted by the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard - wears 3pts armour under his robe
Trefoil, L2 warrior - 20 base points armour, reach weapon
Heartsease, L2 warrior - 12 base points armour, long reach weapon
Wolfie, L2 wulfan - armour?
From hot pursuit to cold return, and back
At first inclined to push their luck and press forward, Cauleigh sets out across the guard-room at the hostile end of the water-pit. Then he pauses. "We haven't checked that door left," he mutters.
"And we could have missed at least a few Morlocks in the tunnels" Crompton points out.
"And there could easily be a secret or one-way door we haven't mapped," Fennec adds.
Jotunn is reluctant. In his mind's eye he runs back over the scene: he pulls the door open, torchlight reveals womenfolk among the enemy... womenfolk. Definitely human women. And the mission they've just agreed on is rescue, right? But, he sticks with the current plan.
A fruitless search back on their tracks commences, and a brief foray back to base camp to tend the ponies takes more time. But the Herbals are still keen and loot remains to be looted so down they go again, back to where they last ended the pursuit.
A cunning trap delays Crompton
Cauleigh feels his way along the wall, creeps forward out of the torchlight. Some minutes later he reappears: his thumb goes up. [L5 DEX to move quietly, and he's not as heavily equipped as he could be]
Crompton checks the door north out of the guard-room cautiously. Then stiffens! Forty minutes later he signals the all-clear. The others need never know that the 'trap' was a cobweb. [rolls a fail on IQ]
Detected! And with a roar the black Dwarves attack!
The passage stretches north. A quick flick of the light beam tells them there's a 4-way intersection ahead.
However as the party moves quietly up both wizards sense they have been detected in some way. Perhaps as simple as a 'Ding' placed around the intersection. Fennec taps Cauleigh on the shoulder. The warrior glances back and sees not only Fennec looking worried, but Sage looking antsy as well.
The light beam picks out a door not far right, and fairly open passage both other ways. But now, a roar fills the air, and black Dwarves beat their shields and shout:
Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat! Meat!
Gaah! Giant lizard above the rear!
Cauleigh's light beam reaches out north again and finds a squad rushing them. The broad-shouldered leader wields a two-hander sword.
Sage Lock-Tights the door they came from while Fennec Lock-Tights the door right. The Herbals' warriors take their stand behind Jotunn and Cauleigh while Crompton stands behind them.
Fennec throws Glue-You at the leader and Sage, O-There-It-iS on the general area. Crompton uses Bic Flic to light his arquebus and shoots at the oncoming ranks. [Does not nominate, so the effect simply counts into melee]
As the front ranks are focusing on the onrushing foe they fail to spot a huge lizard walking upside down above their heads – until there's a scream from behind them!
Cauleigh forces the ranks to break up a little and the first two black Dwarves, unsupported by their fellows, are butchered with scant harm to the defenders.
Now they notice the lizard and attempt to fend off its attacks to prevent their rear four from behind killed outright!
[Play slows down significantly as each of the back four makes a LK SR which provides me with how much damage they are allowed to defer. For example a L4 allows all of the 32 to be pushed onto a fellow defender. Neither Sage nor Wolfie makes great rolls and are left on low single digit CON. I forget to include Sage's mighty 3-point armour!]
A desperate struggle
"We're bugging out! Hidey-Hole!" Sage cries, throws a Hidey-Hole as first choice of not-being-killed, and then finds the door is still Lock-Tighted!
Jotunn swings his arquebus off his back, lights it off his torch, drops everything not a gunne, and shoots the lizard. Heartsease uses the excellent reach of her Demilune to good effect. "Be ready to fend it off the others!" Jotunn warns her. He is ready to brace against the lizard himself. But it does not fall! But, its attack is less effective and those below are better armoured – no-one falls.
"Back me up Trefoil!" Cauleigh yells, occupying the leader as best he can and attempting to isolate him. Crompton calls tempus fugit and agilely weaves through to join him. [He decides not to rely on enhanced speed so has double combat effect now] Over the shoulders of the Dwarves, Trefoil wields his footman's spear to good effect as well. The living stamp on the fallen as they struggle beard to beard.
Fennec, aware he's in a Hidey-Hole, struggles to focus on a useful attack spell. Then lizard-drool slops down the back of his neck! [He fails on IQ to pick what the front is doing and fails on CHR to focus on casting LF on Jotunn] Sage removes his Lock-Tight and he and Wolfie exit out of reach. Sage heals Wolfie so that the Wulfan can either get back in or flee carrying the Gnome.
An Elven pistolier threatens, and an enemy spellcaster is at work
Cauleigh weighs up the odds. He can now work out numbers in front of him. The leader and two of the half-dozen lesser black Dwarves are wounded, and Crompton is still moving with enhanced speed. Then, a new enemy changes the balance of play! He sees the flash of fire in a flash-pan from far down the passage as an unnaturally tall Elf levels a pistol at him. BAM! For a split second Cauleigh stares right down the barrel – then he swings up his magical buckler and the shot ricochets off, throwing him back. [While Cauleigh is uninjured there's a shock effect from the bullet strike, lowering his own effectiveness]
Crompton feels the combat speed up to normal time as his tempus fugit effect is countered with GY. The black Dwarves surge forward! The front three are sore-beset! [Armour takes the full damage]
Lizard down! Now the fight can be taken to the enemy!
Fennec finally gets a Little Feets onto Jotunn.
"Temerity!"
Wolfie leaps high and Fennec uses his staff. They add their efforts to those of Heartsease and Jotunn. The lizard barely harms them. [A few points of spite shared round]
Cauleigh, Crompton and Trefoil are fighting the leader and other black Dwarves including wounded. Two wounded fall.
Behind them there's a "watch out below!" - and whitish-blue flash as a TTYF from Sage takes the lizard's life. Fennec dives away past Sage clear of the danger and Heartsease Wolfie and Jotunn manage to avoid being squashed. The corpse completely fills the passage near the door – luckily not preventing it being shut.
With their overhead foe out of the way they can join Cauleigh and Crompton. Jotunn drops Temerity and scoops his other pair of melee weapons up! Wolfie bounds forward! Fennec peers forward and realizes what Cauleigh is going to do, and waits ready for a spell.
Cauleigh kicks for the win, Fennec makes a late play for the bonus
Cauleigh – instead of sweeping – leaps and delivers a massive snap-kick to a black Dwarf's face and lands with momentum as the Dwarf drops limply behind him. Over his shoulder there's a huge crimson flash and WHAMM and the black Dwarf leader disintegrates. Small iron plates from the armour and the sword itself clatter to the stone floor.
Heartsease and Trefoil bound forward, following Cauleigh. Jotunn races in too at high speed. But the front line of the black Dwarves has re-formed and the fight is stiff. The rush forward stops on a wall of buckler and blade.
Looking to unpick the defence with an Oh-Go-Away Fennec clambers atop the lizard corpse. Out behind him Sage heals himself. Cauleigh feints and sweeps and breaks the rank up a little. The Oh-Go-Away delivers a pair of black Dwarves onto the polearms: the Herbals are ready and as the black Dwarves are impaled Jotunn and Cauleigh kill them. Wolfie leaps over his comrades and joins Jotunn in the pursuit of the final pair: they too are felled.
Scavenging the two-hander (finely crafted but not magical) and almost 30gp from the eight bodies, the delvers retreat safely to their base camp.
Base camp and a welcome chance to recuperate
The remainder of the day is spent quietly as the three spellcasters finish learning new spells swapped around, exercise ponies, and rig up more comforts. Cauleigh chances upon Sage who is in the 'junk room' working on polishing tin plates to help throw light. He points out a curious long cross-piece iron tube the Dwarves noticed before. Now they have more leisure to explore it's not long before Cauleigh fits the long iron tube into the matching socket just inside the outer doors. It operates the doors and guardian heads! Now, the Dwarves can keep the servitor apes quiet and feral apes out.
[AP is spent. Fennec's SPD leaps up, Jotunn and Cauleigh inch closer to the next level. Crompton and Fennec each manage learning a spell off two different teachers. ]
At an impasse in the bypass
Well-rested, re-armed and ready for trouble, the eight return to Level Two. But noise discipline is nowhere near as good as the last foray. Perhaps the thought that they may be magically detected makes them casual.
They reopen the door to the passage north and find that strewn bodies and equipment are all gone. Even the giant lizard has been butchered up and taken away, barring a few unwieldy bones and chunks of sloppy goo. Fennec lobs a Detect Magic to the intersection. Sure enough it's a Ding setup or similar.
"Do you want to do the honours Sage or will I?"
"You think I have Dis-Spell?"
"That's another for you to learn. Stand by..."
There's a pause, long enough for Detect Magic re-cast, then the Ding effect is found to still be there. Fennec exclaims in disappointment.
Poor noise discipline brings the very thing they seek to avoid
Uncertain now, they pull back to think and check Cauleigh's sketch-map. Just to be safe Fennec Lock-Tights the door. Cauleigh creeps east to listen, while Jotunn continues the discussion (at normal volume) about choices. He wanders over to join Cauleigh, then the two head back to the north door. They load and prime their firearms. Wolfie joins them. The others stand in a defensive circle, exposed to fire from the east.
"Keep noise discipline," Fennec reminds everyone sternly (and loudly).
Wolfie listens hard.
"Coming" says Wolfie, and Sage drops a Hidey-Hole over the central group.
[No-one tells Sage that torches etc will still mark their presence. The Gnome and Fennec have lit torches and Crompton's slowmatch is burning.]
War on two fronts!
Expecting a group to burst through the door two at a time, the two warriors flank it. Crompton makes an estimation of range of the Hidey-Hole and moves to cover the pitch-black passage east. He knows there's a left turn north down there. Regardless of Hidey-Hole, he makes a target with slow-match burning and two lit torches right behind him.
Sage (politely reminded) throws massa-mana up and Fennec gains a mana buffer. [LK SR for Fennec as this makes him a possible target as well]
The glow of a Healthy Glow orb illuminates a floating giant snake, the upper part of which is a mature wizard, staff in hand. He has just floated around the left turn north of the east passage.
BOOM!! Crompton is ready and tries the shot. It's good: the Healthy Glow shoots the bullet down.
Dis-Spell! Fennec de-buffs - or hopes he does. The wizard-snake pulls back around the corner.
Suddenly things and delvers go south
The north door opens: Cauleigh snap-shoots:
BAMM! And a cry of pain, and - instead of lashing Crompton - a sheet of ice sticks the door open. Crompton is slightly injured.
Jotunn shoulder-barges the door [L5 STR] and Cauleigh leaps through, finding himself toe-to-toe with another broad-shouldered black Dwarf, with another two-hander sword, this one clearly a frostbrand. The freezing death of the sword does smart but Cauleigh drives him back, and leaps back out. He and Jotunn set backs-to-wall and ready for the supposed charge through of the enemy.
Crompton has a breathing space but chooses not to get to cover as he reloads. And the pistolier-Elf nips round the corner: BAM! Crompton is down. [Crompton makes L4 LK to avoid the direct shot] And nips back.
Fennec ceases trying to get a bead through the door and flings his torch forward. Now only Sage's torch is marking the invisible delvers.
There's a pregnant pause at the north door. Neither Dwarf feels like sticking their head around...
And the floating wizard-snake floats back round the corner. The Glow marks him well:
Take That You Fiend!
A huge blast echoes around the entire level: a massive crimson arc lances from Fennec's staff to the enemy - and stops short. He's near out, and the enemy wizard just floated and watched. Uh-oh.
[LK SR from Fennec and the two much taller targets, Heartsease and Trefoil. Neatly backlit by Sage.]
BAM! The sharp cough of a pistol sounds again and Trefoil is out.
Snatching gear and dragging bodies the Dwarves and Herbals retreat!
And as they detect a pulse in both Crompton (1 CON) and Trefoil (pistol ball in shoulder but on positive CON) the session ends.
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Post by warlord476 on Oct 8, 2017 20:09:02 GMT -5
3.21: No plan survives the first shot The characters for this session:
Fennec, L3 wizard, combat specialist: "I have three cunning plans all at once. Which one, you ask? Ahahh..."
Cauleigh, L3 warrior: "My cunning plan is to sweep the leg. Again. And be ready to run away."
Jotunn, L5 warrior: "My cunning plan is to claim whatever works was my plan."
Crompton, L3 rogue: "My cunning plan... and this is the cunning bit... is to stand still, then shoot."
ably assisted by the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard: "My cunning plan is to be the worst target in the room."
Trefoil, L2 warrior: "My cunning plan is to stand right behind the tank."
Heartsease, L2 warrior: "My cunning plan is to stand right behind the two tanks."
Wolfie, L2 wulfan: "Plan?"
Dwarves with a plan! But first, probe the spell-trap!
Once more on Level 2! And this time, with a plan for taking down the snakey-Samuel and a semi-plan for the Elf pistolier.
Keeping light limited to two WoW they steal across the grand passage and to the nearest door north. It’s not the fastest but it will ensure they are not to be surprised by any stray black Dwarves.
Unexpected pistolier! Change of plan!
About twenty minutes of cautious door-opening later they reach ‘that room we got ambushed in’ and Crompton, just as he’s opening the door, sees a light beyond. He closes it swiftly…
But not so swiftly that the pistolier fails to react! The door is immediately forced open and Cauleigh is once more just quick enough to throw up his buckler: BAM! The shot ricochets off.
“Lock Tight” squeaks Sage. Fennec is alert enough to throw LF on Cauleigh.
“Let’s get after him!”
Fennec feels the surge of a mana pool, as Sage works up through the crowd and undoes his locking spell.
“It’s open,” the Gnome murmurs.
Ambush - again!
Cauleigh yells fiercely, leaping into the room - and finding that once more, there are black Dwarves on all sides! Too many to be sure of in the terrible light, but he notices that the Elf pistolier, trailing his large snake tail, is disappearing out of the one-way door south onto the grand passage. He leaps back out:
“Ambush!”
Fennec throws up a HH and WoW are pushed forward.
“They’re all there! We found them!”
Ambush and the pistolier thwarted and a pile o' dead
Lights floating in ahead, the warriors charge back in, to find the black Dwarves have arrayed in two flanks. Jotunn leads his shield-wedge forward and Cauleigh decides to sweep the leg on the left-most of that group, while Crompton decides to tangle the leg on the right-most. Of course that leaves nearly half the defenders able to simply charge the rear, catching Wolfie trying to defend the wizards. A potential disaster – averted only by Cauleigh still having LF up and being quick on his feet. Meanwhile Jotunn and the two Herbals warriors wreak terrible damage to the four caught to their front. Two remain standing, more or less cramped with backs to the door.
As the fighting continues, the door to the left is pushed open – and Sage again LTs it before the pistolier can get a good bead.
Shorn of their deadly support and spoiled by OGA the seven black Dwarves are slain to a man. The party forays ahead when ready, finding that there are no immediate enemy, then pulls back to recover from fatigue and re-strategise. About 30gp worth of coin is garnished from the corpses.
Let's plan again, like we did that time before
The mood is upbeat, in base camp, for the OI cast on the cross-passage Ding says the caster is Level 7. That means when throwing eight daggers or axes at once, the last will get past the Healthy Glow, and Crompton will have his arquebus ready for the finishing shot. And wizards are notoriously glass-jawed, right?
"Yes, except that glass jaw's right behind his enormous snake body" Cauleigh reminds Trefoil.
A key decision – how long to rest – being made, they set out after barely enough time for Fennec to recoup his mana. Sage reserves his spells so his mana will recoup as he walks [off a low base he healed Trefoil, so starts 12 down]. That means the party walks in very low light. And Crompton no longer has the tempus fugit option for the day.
Bloody corpses have not been tidied, quite
On this foray the party feels bolder and strikes through the more direct passage around to the ambush chamber. All goes well. But on opening the door to that so-named chamber, Jotunn finds that there is an interesting state of change. Bodies have been dragged away north-east, leaving huge blood smears, but two corpses remain, and not all equipment has yet been gathered.
He grunts "keep close on me" and steps along the trail to the door north-east. Crompton checks it briefly and the trio push through, light floating high, finding that the blood smear runs in the expected tight arc south to the secret panel. This panel, they know well, leads to the guard hall, on the enemy side of the water-pit. Fennec casts HH and throws his WoW up to the roof.
Jotunn motions Crompton to check again, but then Wolfie growls:
"Coming"
In the heat of conflict innocents die unmourned
The two Herbals warriors look silently and expectantly at Jotunn. Seizing the initiative – and fearing he will be locked out – Jotunn flings the door wide and the trio see faces, surprised, in front of them.
Jotunn shouts his challenge and in a blur of speed smashes one down - with an echoing scream Heartsease lunges her Demilune blade through the other woman's throat - "Are we doing this then?" Trefoil screams and the footman's spear ends any chance of survival.
Jotunn realises too late: these were two pregnant human women, and now he has to deal with the rest of the work gang, female black Dwarves, armoured in ill-fitting corselets and with shortswords belted on. They grunt in shock and horror but draw weapons and prepare to sell their lives dearly.
Black Dwarf women defend in vain
However, they make little impact on the ready-for-battle party. With Cauleigh and Crompton tripping, Wolfie cutting them off from retreat and the "shield wall" of the other trio barging forward the last of them fall in a great pile in the mouth of the passage east out of the guard hall. Cauleigh and Wolfie are to the east, in very limited light, near the passage's north-turning elbow.
The mortal cries of their womenfolk are not ignored by the last heroes of the black Dwarf folk! Their hasty approach is heard by Cauleigh and Wolfie. Cauleigh sounds the alarm. Sage briefs his fighters:
"They're coming! The heavies are coming! No no! To your side!"
While the warriors attempt to re-form on Cauleigh, Sage and Fennec find themselves somewhat isolated. Fennec calls Sage into the guard hall (out from the secret panel) and they take cover in Fennec's HH.
Reinforcements! The Black Dwarf Heroes!
While he can still see him and is in range, Fennec powers LF onto Jotunn. Jotunn makes a prodigious leap over the mound of dead and joins the new front line. Crompton slips along the wall. The other two warriors grimly wade, using polearm as staff. Cauleigh readies his caliver, and it makes a tremendous difference! As the massive-shouldered wielder of the Frostbrand races to the kill he takes another bullet, and again the icy death merely sweeps over Jotunn's shield. Though their armour chills and they feel the bite, they are fine. [1 spite each!]
[This ends the black Dwarf Champion, Cskurr]
Fennec moves to line of sight, the WoW following on high, and LFs Cauleigh.
Cursing, two black Dwarf heroes - one with a blood-stained shoulder - leap the falling Frostbrand-hero and call on their comrades to join them. A distant answering cry, from the north!
And in the guardian hall, Fennec and Sage sense something...
The heroes are thrown back or slain
"Aiiee! Hidey Hole!" Sage squeals. Wolfie collects his scattered wits and leaps back past Fennec, and bounds across to join invisible Sage in the corner well out of the line of fire down the passage. The Herbals warriors join Jotunn and Cauleigh and Crompton. The latter - who lucked his way along the bloody passage - uses his bladed chain to tangle the two-hander of the wounded black Dwarf leaving him an easy kill for the warriors.
[This ends black Dwarf leader Saa-Firn-Uuw]
Fennec, feeling isolated, also makes the bloody scramble over the mound, and reaches the space near Crompton. [Makes a sweated-on L3 DEX SR!] The light in the north passage is still inconsiderable. Fennec calls back his progress to Sage and Wolfie.
Cauleigh sweeps and dodges, but fighting defensively the last unwounded hero, also armed with a two-hander, trades space, calling in archaic Dwarven. [It's a draw and each share some spite] Fennec makes out:
"My king! Save me!"
Fennec casts Shrug. Crompton disengages.
Cauleigh decides not to follow up into the pitch dark. He turns to help the others. He, Jotunn and the Herbals warriors demolish the last two wounded black Dwarves.
By the pricking of Fennec's thumbs...
Crompton finds himself beside Fennec in his HH, and begins readying his arquebus. Then a thought strikes him:
"How come I can see you?"
"You're inside my Hidey Hole!"
Then Fennec realises he's glowing. And from his position he can also see Wolfie, at least in outline, glowing too. Fennec moves east up closer to the warriors!
Jotunn looks north, fronting up with his shield. There's no light up there. Then he's joined by the lightly glowing figure of his wizard:
"Enemy caster coming up behind us. Prepare the shield wall."
Jotunn reverses his position, now facing his mantlet south and west. The other warriors check their throwing items. They'll need to make ground west, to the edge of the mound o' bodies, to get better throwing distance.
A bunch of evil this way comes
From over the pit floats a great snake-wizard, easily visible thanks to Healthy Glow floating over his head.
Then the supposedly-locked north door abruptly opens and the pistolier-snake slithers through! [Only Crompton can see this]
[LK SR from Sage]
From the north, accompanied by a mass of armed womenfolk, come two powerful black Dwarves! One's brow is girt with a simple iron crown.
Crompton flees! Heartsease throws like a girl?
With a cry of terror Crompton flees north - though [LK SR] he maintains enough self-control to keep hold of his gunne and run across the side-guardroom, not due north.
Jotunn sweeps the mantlet forward and begins casting. Over his shoulders the Herbals hurl daggers - but Heartsease's is a poor throw and the Glow does not react to it. Cauleigh hurls four well-thrown daggers, all shot down. Fennec throws in his probing/Shrug-cancelling TTYF. He's not at all surprised when it has no effect.
"One more shot!!" Jotunn roars. [L1 CHR SR]
There's a thump as Sage - oh, so reluctantly - shoots Samuel with his light crossbow. The bolt strikes home!
Having committed himself, Sage screams:
"Get him Wolfie!"
and the session ends.
Glossary
As there are a few slightly higher-level spells creeping in, here's a catch-up glossary:
Healthy Glow: A sphere of glowing energy hangs above the caster shooting down (and destroying) incoming missiles: caster level missiles per round
Shrug it off: The next hostile spell attack fails
Upsidaisy: Levitation spell
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Post by warlord476 on Oct 13, 2017 18:05:33 GMT -5
3.22: Decisive SecondsWizard and warrior down!
Cauleigh Jotunn and the two Herbals warriors see the Wulfan appear from off right of the passage, leap high, and near the top of his arc cast his blade unerringly into the wizard! Samuel gives a great cry and his staff drops to the ground below.
The warriors of course have not halted to see the outcome! Jotunn and Cauleigh keep their momentum and clear the grisly pile of corpses near the passage mouth. But nor have the black Dwarves halted their momentum! Fennec sees the pair that Jotunn and Cauleigh had been fighting off, looming out of the pitch dark and rushing him! Bellowing a warning he flees and leaps and lands clumsily thigh-deep in bloody corpses, on the 'safe' side of Heartsease and Trefoil: those two swing their polearms back ready to defend him. There's a tremendous flash [L7 CON for all out to Cauleigh and Jotunn; L5 will be adequate; secondary check of L3 for Crompton] – Trefoil and Fennec cry in pain and fear – grunting and clashing as polearms and swords are wielded and screams of pain – then Heartsease is yelling:
"Trefoil's down! Sage! Where the hell are you!"
An unexpected reversal and fire-breath
Where indeed? Sage has instinctively re-hidden and is cowering in a different corner lest the pistolier swing his way.
Meanwhile Cauleigh hands Jotunn a bolus from his locket, takes one himself and – despite throats being dry – they swallow. And look to where the pistolier was.
But the pistolier has decided retreat is the best option. Giving up his chance for a shot he gets back out of the door and is lost to sight. At the same time with a <PHOO> sound Samuel's body is vomited out and a vast serpent barrels at Jotunn and Cauleigh!
"Decyvedu!"
Flame erupts from their throats and bathes the mighty form as it crashes through the warriors and along the passage, knocking all aside including the black Dwarves, and away north into blackness.
[The pair chooses to protect the less-armoured characters and share some spite, their excellent armour takes the rest]
Fennec secures the scene
Fennec picks himself up, finishes clambering over the bodies, as the warriors reverse course again and leap past him to pursue the huge snake. He rushes to where Wolfie is ravening into the wizard's body: kicks the staff well clear: keeps his foot on it as he commands:
"Wolfie! Stop!"
The Wulfan looks up, startled. Shreds of fabric armour cling to his tiger-claw and a large chunk of the wizard's throat drips blood down his muzzle.
"WUH?"
Sensing that Samuel won't need to be subdued, Fennec kicks the staff out of harm's way and hastens back to the passage. By this time Sage has managed to tiptoe his way through he blood and slime and is working on Trefoil, Heartsease distractedly leaning over the pair. Fennec pats the Gnome's shoulder:
"He's gone lad, leave him be."
But with no leisure to see the outcome he gets to the corner in time to see:
The fight in the east passage
A furious fight ensues as the black Dwarves collect themselves after being barged through, the black Dwarf women north of them attempt to deal with Crompton, and Jotunn and Cauleigh arrive on the scene.
At first the black Dwarves believe themselves to have the better position. Crompton spoils this for them! Alone in the dark, he's smeared Blindsight paste on his eyelids and has hunted into the black Dwarf women. They are relatively ill-armed but in such numbers that soon, Crompton is in danger! But they do not lend their numbers to their king and war-leader and Jotunn – using his strength – and Cauleigh drive that pair back into their womenfolk. The fighting becomes general along the passage around the eastern guardroom. Wolfie – though not Heartsease – joins at the tail of the melee and uses his bladed chain as a missile.
[The players choose to use their slight advantage to keep the group penned up rather than letting them retreat. It does have the effect of isolating Crompton to some extent, he survives but gets in trouble as he tries to skirt the fight.]
The Dwarves are not fooled a second time by the king's blinding radiance gadget, and the king and his henchman are not fooled by Cauleigh's dodging and sweeping. The latter has his mace kicked away, and sweeps up the frostbrand sword. Now on the scene and bringing his Will-o-Wisp to enable him to see, Fennec, staying tucked in cover back at the corner, throws in a Glue-You: it's aimed at the king but he's already shifted, and his henchman suffers its effect. Jotunn with axe and knife and Cauleigh, now two-handed, turn on the king. They see, like a dark shadow, Crompton driving south around the melee - then there's a clong and he falls. Unable to help, they hammer at the king's weird blank-faced helmet until with a cry he stumbles and nearly falls. His women drag him further north, back over the bodies of two of their number that Crompton felled in his first attack. Cauleigh sees an opening and yells:
"Bound Wolfie!"
Wolfie bounds away, joins the other Herbals and the trio drag and carry Trefoil towards the secret panel. With a sigh Cauleigh draws his light-cube and follows up north.
The Dwarf warriors – though not Fennec who is well back – realise the black Dwarf women are carrying Crompton's body away. Jotunn risks a cut sideways at the king as he surges forward against the henchman, while Cauleigh continues to hammer at the king. His shiny helm is smashed off and, guard beaten down, he takes a mortal wound. Jotunn powers into the henchman and he too falls!
Is Crompton alive? Let's loot!
Jotunn and Cauleigh recover Crompton's body there, much further north than they last saw him. He's been carried, then dropped. He sits up and rubs the back of his head. There's a nice goose-egg lump there. [9 off CON and a weird semi-dream scene where he understands what the black Dwarf women are saying]
Fennec looks back at where the Herbals are retreating. He notices a long fang lying where Sage Heartsease and Trefoil were clustered. He's down to his last drop of mana, but sees the perfect chance for spending it:
"Keep that fancy light on Cauleigh, I'm casting Detect Magic!"
Looting anything magical and the obvious retail-value stuff, and bringing Trefoil's spear, the party returns safely to base camp.
A drastic remedy calls for diplomacy
"It was all I could think of – the poison is paralytic – I thought that, if it preserves the body, that's Trefoil's best chance!"
So explains Sage. He injected Trefoil with the fang. Thinking "by the Lady - that's completely bonkers" Fennec strokes his beard and chooses diplomatic silence. The corpse is rigid and pale. No heartbeat can be detected.
The Dwarves have now worked out at least part of the riddle of the snake-bodied. It seems that the huge serpent swallows a man to the waist, punctures the small of the back with their fangs, then uses the man as a thrall. As Crompton points out they had clues quite a long time back and even defeated a thrall-warrior and snake.
As the party winds down, remembers Trefoil's bravery and good nature and the good times and hard times shared, AP is spent.
Cauleigh is level four!
Loot taken:
Heartsease is given the superior steel Ravenclaw heroic dagger.(Ravenclaw is a Sarn-mark slang term, in the same sense as 'Arkansas toothpick'.)
Cauleigh keeps the frostbrand sword (Freeze Please as per spell) but hasn't attuned it yet.
Two non-magic two-hander swords are of good quality and superior quality respectively.
Two beaten-iron daggers are of sufficient balance and quality to replace two of Crompton's and go to him.
The sword-length, needle shaped gadget that generated light needs some Omni-Eye studying. It comes with a scabbard and baldric.
The faceless helm has a low-level protective charm*but cannot be used by the Dwarves.
The wizard's corpse rendered:
- the staff (not deluxe, 3d6 in combat)
- a jade ring that is a battery and
- a gold ring that appears to hold 'charges' - possibly spells - but will need proper Omni-Eye work.
Jotunn will need to get his magic coif to a magic-shaping smith, its power is gone.
Strategy session and a good face-wash for blind Crompton
After a rest of perhaps a day Trefoil's corpse is shifted away north of the great chamber behind the mirror-wall, and Cauleigh inspires the team to keep moving forward. Plans and tactics are discussed. Mass Little Feets seems a good safe option. The "fire breath pills" are shared out and the activation word learned. Painfully for some. Fennec makes sure Heartsease is given one.
There's discussion of the Blindsight paste now that Crompton can report on its usefulness. Because of its short range effect versus great use of missile and long-range spells, it's a last resort. But until he uses water and a cloth to wash his eyelids the paste does not come off – it is durable.
Strategy is over - let's get down there!
Heartsease close behind them, Jotunn and Cauleigh lead the way to Level Two. Crompton with arquebus and Fennec with staff at the ready are next, and Sage and Wolfie are rearguard.
There's a hitch in the general strategy of "same route, known path" when the 'ambush room' proves to have two scavenging fire beetles in it.
It's time to navigate the pit! Rope is fetched in a quick return to Level One, and Wolfie uses Jotunn's stirrup-assist to leap up from the shallow water and out into the guardian chamber. From there it's easy.
Jotunn finds a trail
This time, bodies lie where they fell though insects have already been at work. The chambers north of the east passage have been evacuated in haste. Here and there rocks or knives have been used to slow pursuit.
It's in the second or third stage of checking for sign that Jotunn holds up a fragment of wood.
"Crate fragment. And a fresh chip, at that. Haven't seen sign of the hyena-man gear again, till now."
Stuffing crude electrum bars into their packs – the only thing of any real value other than some throw-axes and a longbow and arrows - they begin choosing whether to keep pushing north or explore east.
Another ambush survived
As Cauleigh and Jotunn look north to a T-passage the pistolier tries a shot! Crompton falls!
Only to get up again rubbing his chest ruefully: his locket is ruined. [The Blindsight paste can be used this dungeon only.]
[The pistolier is not specifically targeting Crompton, he just gets the lowest LK SR. 3 off CON based on spite damage]
Jotunn reloads his arquebus: he's tried a return shot but it was stopped by the pistolier's heavy back-mounted shield. Fennec frowns angrily: he was sure that Oh-Go-Away would work. Crompton picks up his torch again: it hasn't even gone out.
Fennec rips one off
As far as Jotunn could see, the pistolier-snake went west, so with all firearms are primed and matches lit they follow up that way. The west arm of the passage leads to a door.
And in the rear the 'Samuel' giant snake attacks!
"Fall back!!" Fennec bellows, stepping smartly out of the line of charge into safety south. He readies his staff... Crompton, who is next the door, Lock-Tights it to prevent that sneaky 'double back and snap-shoot' the pistolier loves... Cauleigh and Jotunn fire their matchlocks accurately past Heartsease who despairingly braces her Demilune:
There's a huge crimson CONCUSSION that near-stuns everyone. The fanged skull and vertebra of a gigantic snake clatter to the floor at Heartsease' feet; wisps of snakeskin and vaporised snake-flesh drift away.
Just south of the T, Fennec looks grimly smug. He's used the second-last charge on his staff and delivered a L5 TTYF!
The party checks the east passage the great monster came from. It looks as though the broad T-shaped chamber that way is a throne-room, but there's no opposition and they sense they have the momentum and follow up through the west door.
Chase that pistolier! Watch out above!
A much broader gallery runs north-south. This door appears to pierce it perhaps halfway along. Cauleigh ducks and rolls across it ending back-to-wall facing the others. To his right, a great ape-shape rises. Opposite it, another very similar yes – statue – stands. Beyond them to the south, double doors.
As Jotunn paces carefully across the broad stone floor looking for tracks he's nearly taken unawares – but his feeling more than any coherent knowledge that the double doors are not fully closed allows he and Fennec to throw themselves to cover. BAM! The pistol ball is wide of its mark.
In the next moment the silent swoop of an enormous winged humanoid catches them off-guard. It strikes at Cauleigh who dive-rolls clear! From the door, Crompton levels his arquebus and lets drive, accurately. Leaping back to his feet Cauleigh fends it off: it flaps back up to clutch a stone lintel. As Jotunn weighs up his options he again senses a winged approach: he seizes Fennec, pitches him through the door into Crompton and dives after him! Coming to his feet he defends the doorway against another equally huge gargoyle-like creature. In the background he can hear Sage protecting the tail with Hidey Hole. Fennec pitches in a Little Feets and Jotunn readies his two-hand mace:
"Temerity!"
Cauleigh senses movement from the double doors again. He dives across the chamber behind the creature battling Jotunn and jumps up, grabbing a wing. Crompton activates tempus fugit and Fennec LFs Cauleigh.
Everything slows down when you are this fast
With such vastly enhanced fighting power the two super-gargoyles are shattered and the double doors gained. As the warriors check in their victory, Fennec follows up and semi-adequate light returns to the broad chamber. Wolfie bounds to the fore with a growl and scrabbles at the double doors. Sage and Heartsease are still unseen somewhere in the rear.
One of the double doors eases open enough for a pistol-shot: Cauleigh speeds forward and pitches his kukri: it whirls through – there's a hideous scream - and a forearm and hand, still clutching the pistol, drops to the ground. Wolfie is on it! Cauleigh dives, sweeps up the pistol, and snap-shoots! Jotunn is hard on Cauleigh's heels and wrenching open the door dives through and tackles the snake behind the Elf! Fennec and Crompton are both trying to see a target but the space beyond the doors is in darkness. Crompton tries a shot and his bullet glances off Jotunn's breastplate.
<PHOO!> A dead Elf hits the floor and in a whirl of Dwarf and giant snake the battle writhes away into pitch darkness. Cauleigh mashes with his mace, Jotunn stabs one-handed and the snake writhes in its death throes!
The survivors for the session:
Fennec, L3 wizard
Cauleigh, L4 warrior
Jotunn, L5 warrior
Crompton, L3 rogue
doubtfully assisted by the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard
Heartsease, L2 warrior
Wolfie, L2 wulfan
Props: The set-piece dungeon for the season is named Many Gates of the Gann, by Chaotic Henchman Productions. It got a Bryce Lynch commendation and seemed to fit what I wanted out of the season - a dungeon, weird stuff going on, women being stolen and no-one willing to go after the hostiles. I wanted to see how the Restorers would go without same-or-better allies around them.
The dungeon (as it turns out) is well suited to players that have no special time limit. It is ingenious and fit my sense of why things work they way they work. It offers factions for groups that are alert to them and morally elastic enough to use them. There are some very dangerous things to encounter, which I progressively scaled back as more of each level was 'conquered'. There are a couple of weaknesses, such as the complexity of the lights-and-whistles gadgets and the progression of events after the evil guys know intruders are making inroads on their minions or level. For example while the 'army' factions are set up to defend vigorously, anyone familiar with siegecraft knows that you have to take the battle to the besiegers, or you have lost. I left a lot of that to the d10.
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Post by warlord476 on Oct 24, 2017 0:38:17 GMT -5
3.23: Redeemers of Fort Cullis!
The characters for this session:
Fennec, L3 wizard
Cauleigh, L4 warrior
Jotunn, L5 warrior
Crompton, L3 rogue
with their surviving allies the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard
Heartsease, L2 warrior
Wolfie, L2 wulfan
On the trail of loot
Our heroes – and Wolfie, quickest-reacting member of the Herbal Teas – have just defeated the third great serpent and its Elf-pistolier thrall. Now, light is retrieved and further torches lit and the Elf corpse in particular is stripped for loot. Jotunn maneuvers the heavy tower shield the Elf bore on his back: the 'orb of floating' has been caged to it with a couple of electrum rods, making it a mere 40lb. Cauleigh retrieves pistols, cartouche and bandolier. Leather armour and rapier, both magical, are carried.
The chamber beyond is long and echoes hollowly. Jotunn finds traces of a single goblin among serpent-tracks. Fennec finds an old and disused chimney-flue, possibly once a small forge.
Explore? The feeling is that there is a throne room waiting to be looted and loot gathered should be lugged back up to base camp. Then, questions of what to do next can be properly addressed. So with some effort the great double-doors, embossed with a deep-relief ape head on both sides, are pulled open; the serpent body dragged back through; then arranged across the closed doors as a gigantic draft-stopper-cum-door-wedge.
The throne room does contain loot, just as they thought at a quick previous glance. KK is used to remove a padlocked chain from a wooden tub, then tub, fine ebony box and huge Gnoll loot-crate are loaded up onto the heavy shield and the loot, perhaps 500lb in all, is ported back up without incident. En route, Fennec notes that at least one ape is still roaming: the ape-diner has been used.
Loot glorious loot
Healing is begun, magical/non-magical loot laid out, ponies watered and exercised, and much discussion both private and public takes place.
Each Dwarf save Crompton has a new novice-level skill, Dungeon Delver (+3 in certain circumstances in well-made dungeons). Crompton moves to apprentice-level in his Runebearer background skill.
The most welcome part of the non-magical loot are some dozen gems, a couple truly valuable. Silver ore, on the other hand, is less likely to be packed for departure.
As Omni-Eyes are completed:
Cauleigh attunes frostbrand, or 'Regdar' to give it its true name. The sword seems to have the soul of a northern Ice-barbarian in it. While Cauleigh can control it [made his L3 CHR SR this time] Regdar has its own opinion. For example it immediately rules out Cauleigh's mace of stunting as a backup weapon!
Jotunn inspects the pistols but lacking a full manual will need time and proper daylight to familiarise himself with their use. Or a visit to a gunsmith. One pistol remains unfired.
Heartsease cleans the dead Elf's leather armour up and tries it on. Not a bad fit, and it will protect her to much the same degree as her heavier non-magical gear.
Crompton experiments with the rapier, but it is too long for him. Heartsease is dubious about using it [it grants DEX stunts a bonus] but straps it on for the time being. Crompton tries Cauleigh's mace of stunting but it is not made for his grip and would be just a silver-headed mace, less use than a standard mace.
Wolfie lazes contentedly, tummy still bulging with snake fillet.
Sage privately to Crompton: We are very interested in recruiting you! We need a good rogue.
A goblin thrall makes finding prisoners simple
The time has come for thoughts about the next foray. Cauleigh and Crompton put the case for exploring further west on level two; Jotunn strongly puts the case for exploring north. Fennec keeps his powder dry. No final decision need be made until the party – in full – returns to the last chamber explored, where the ape statues are. Fennec for one would like to examine them more closely to see if they are master controls.
But no: after various words are tried, the ape statues remain magical but unresponsive.
In the meantime Cauleigh and Jotunn become suspicious of the chamber: it seems as though something with very little strength has tried both the the door west and the double-ape-doors.
A pleading voice sounds from the latter. A goblin, speaking fairly fluent common. He begs not to be killed. He offers a pointer to the serpents' lair, and prisoners.
Fennec hoists his jar o' brain out of his pack and slugs back the liquid [L1 CON check OK] - Sixth sense! Yes, this goblin is sincere.
Peck, as his name is, was traded down here from hyena-men to black Dwarves and was gifted as useful to his serpent master for his small hands. He tended moss and weird plants.
Their new goblin ally knows only the most general things about the lair, but they do now have a direction. They head north, survive an attack by a third huge gargoyle-like ambusher (in which, Cauleigh learns that Regdar tends to declaim saga-lines), then east to a prison. In passing they find a huge sinkhole with ropes dangling down it: this is where the women and children of the black Dwarves have fled. Cauleigh pulls the ropes up.
In the wretched cells, four men and two women lie in a state of extreme dehydration and some degree of starvation. One man is beyond help, but an aged Hobb 'pothecary named Snifter, a crippled Urukin dockworker named Kowlee (who turns out to be female, just playing along with the assumption she's male) and a beefy eunuch scribe named Selano-Selano are brought back from the brink by careful water-dosing. They are survivors of Sanuel's party, and they identify the hefty thrall slain on level one as 'No-luck' Ostarin, expert guide out of Perrol.
"When Sam'l hired 'im, he was 'Newluck' Ostarin, oncet we got us caught, he d'clared it was 'No-luck' and we all agreed on that."
The two women are bitten but not pregnant: they are Diamanda, a huntress, bereaved mother and widow out of the Jacob's Spur region and Arianna, a settler's bereaved widow and bakester out of the two-bridge area below Perrol.
Their information is that two pregnant women were still slave to the black Dwarves (sorry, they died) and two heavily-pregnant women, Rianna and Nanya, are in the snake-lair itself.
Given the health of the rescuees the Dwarves decide to evacuate them first, and let them rest at base camp, then mount a detailed search for the other two. Again, they manage the retreat without incident.
Crompton privately to Sage: No thanks; but Snifter with potion expertise, Peck with sneakiness, or even Selano-Selano with muscle would make good recruits.
The ledge of the serpents - final survivors, final pillage
Although Peck knows his master approached the lair in two different ways, they (wisely) stick to the way they know, and cross between the first great cavern and a similarly-huge one through another well-fashioned passage. There is a door on the right, but it shows no signs of being used, so they leave it be.
Their own instincts and Peck's sense of direction locate an exotic fungus-hall running left off this second cavern – they leave it be – and they explore further, finding another vast sinkhole and on the far west face, a high-up and deep ledge.
Cauleigh and Jotunn take rope (which they now have in abundance) and chimney-climb up, then others are raised as need be.
Here is the lair of the serpents, the last two women, and all the useful and valuable junk the serpents accumulated off their captives and vassals.
Bundling women down in rope slings and valuables down in cloaks, they descend and retreat for the final time.
A desperate remedy succeeds
Rianna (bereaved settler's widow from an inlet east of Joseph's Inlet) and Nanya (bereaved widow of a sexton from over Briar Keep way) are half-term and near-full-term respectively. All the women are aware that 'giving birth' means death for the host. Desperate measures are discussed and various options canvassed.
Here, one of the new treasures comes into play. A pair of rough-finished leather bracers may grant Fennec the ability to cast Healing Feeling and Curses Foiled. [IQ SR, makes L5 where L7 would be ideal]
Having roughed out the plan with Snifter, Sage, and Fennec Cauleigh and Crompton convince the two women. [L4 CHR each, Crompton gives the assist]
Sage 'loads' the serpent fang with more poison and Snifter aborts both pregnancies while Diamanda kneels ready with knife and hot water. Fennec casts HF on both [is able to cast twice through the bracers without learning the spell] and the dead serpent fetuses and afterbirth are safely expelled!
[100 AP all round. A moral quandary taken seriously and well worked through]
Cauleigh finds the last farewell to Fort Cullis is painful
It's time to go! Plans are now worked through for passengers, carrying out Trefoil's body, retrieving the bones of the ancient paladin, surviving the death-eyes of the guardian statues, and sealing the caverns. With the footnote that the loot has by no means been shared, Peck is awarded one hyena-man axe (a two-hand axe for him) and a swag-sack of silver ore. Cauleigh and Crompton will escort him to the Whitespur headwater, from where he can head watershed-ways into goblin territory.
The master plan for sealing the dungeon is improvised more or less on the spot as they clear the ape-head 'kill zone' in the cricket-shrilling deep of a late summer night, and someone mentions working off the cliff face to fall.
Sage explains use of his fiendish two-part liquid, the better climbers clamber up and plant it, then things go more or less OK. There is a mighty flame, rocks crumble, sleeping apes are thrown down to their deaths, Dwarves throw themselves clear. Cauleigh levers himself painfully out from under rocks and limps over to Fennec for healing.
Bones gathered, farewell Peck - let's away ere break of day!
While the main party guided by Jotunn rides and walks west Cauleigh Crompton and Peck walk south and locate the approximate area of the Gnoll pursuit and fight. By torchlight and keen goblin eyesight, a convincing number of probably-human bones are assembled. Then they push on until Peck can smell water; then bid farewell to their short-term ally. He swaggers off west into goblin legend – level two!
By dawn Cauleigh and Crompton catch up to Jotunn and the others, resting at ease in the trees by the brook. The prisoners are all on the way to recovery, and as the party falls to discussing when to strike out on the next leg the session ends.
Loot
Aggregated from Gnoll, Black Dwarf and Samuel of the Loam's loot (and before possible redistribution to prisoners)
I include a price range, in gold pieces, to help with shares. Some are distinctly collector items.
Magic
Jade ring – battery [20000 - 45000] Ring of storing something spell-like (needs more info) [1000 - 3000] Ring of fire resistance [2000 - 26000] Staff of illumination (sword-length needle) [5000 - 45000] Temerity [10000 - 15000] Frostbrand [10000 - 30000] Leather armour, perma-tuffed [5000 - 15000] Proculo's bracers for free HF/CF 1/day [4000 - 6000] Cube of permanent light-beam [2000 - 4000] Smoker's pipe with concealed whistle of befriending demonkind [300 - 10000]
Semi-magic and one-use magic
Complete-case polished iron helm [12 - 1000] Pegasus boots [33 - 100] Cursed book of kinky stuff (from the torturer's luxury pad) [100 - 7000] Porcelain scroll-tube with scroll of archaic spells that can be studied (in the right environment) to produce up to date spell knowledge [250 - 15200] Scroll to protect vs medusa/mutandorum spells - seems to be able to cover up to eight targets [1600 - 4800] Scroll of enhanced wink-wing - 400', cannot be cast lower level [500 - 1000] Scroll of enhanced portmanteau Ding-a-ling/Oh-go-away combo (three write-ups so three uses) [3000 - 12000] Flask of eyes (clairvoyance) potion [500 - 2500] Flask of fly-me potion [200 - 900] Tower shield with 'orb of levitation' on it to make it lighter [4000-16000] Good quality wizard's staff (3d6+1) [100 - 160] Pair of top-quality enhanced-breech pistols with 24 magic-scribed ball - studying the scrimshaw with the right tutor may allow the student to apply the same Level 1 'spite hit' to blunt weapons/musket ball as the L1 sure-blade spell [2500 - 13000] Finesse Rapier – best-quality steel (3+5) - DEX+5 when stunting [3500 - 12000] Gem-set ceremonial knife – with study an incantation may be applicable that would make it equivalent to magical [550 - 4900] Sticks of incense to aid in ritual casting [200 - 7000] Palm-size silver pentagram charm with gem - +5 on SRs against magic contests and will wreck 'work or jinx' spells like Dum-Dum [200 - 7000] Gold pear-shaped container for air elementals with 'Tempestulu' inscribed on bottom [55 - 490]
Non-magic
Some gold coin [450] White-gold [electrum] bar [100 - 280] A crap-ton of silver coin [9200 - 11800] Some copper coin [30 - 40] Three thin-beaten sheets of copper with archaic incised script [3 - 1100] Giant otter pelt [800 - 4800] Fox pelts [200 - 300] Quite a number of gemstones ranging from cheap quartz and polished hematite up to three egg-size tourmalines worth several hundred gp apiece [1000 - 1500] Pearl-set axe-head [1500 - 9300] Unique glass or crystal box with inner compartments [1100 - 13000] Ebony and gold box [310 - 850] Torturer's fancy ebony box with fancy dinner-set and cutlery [700 - 4200] Peculiarly specific surgical tools [900 - 17000] Steel tankard set with gems, the outline of a woman delicately inscribed on the side [23 - 138] Two different fancy scroll-tubes, both gem-set and gold-silver-inlaid [450 - 6000] A more businesslike scroll case bound in silver [35 - 105] Some really nice robes/long shirts that were inconvenient for fangs or used to pack around breakables [50 - 3500] Six glazed tiles with devil motif [14 - 126] Bronze false hand (with the same lock-in mechanism the tower shield has) - each 'fingernail' is a cheap gem [40 - 50] Really fine two-hand sword – unornamented but otherwise of top quality [800 - 1200] Fine quality two-hand sword [400 - 800] Well-fashioned beaten-iron broadsword blades [20 - 120] Longbow and case of arrows [120 - 150] A book with rare binding titled 'The lich in the glass' [100 - 2800] Four ape-skull upper hemispheres [0 - 200] Mummified shrunken black-Dwarf head [10 - 1000] Lantern and three flasks of oil for it [10 - 100] Steel abacus with petrified wood beads [15 - 500] Silver or bone single-note whistles [3 - 100] White-gold single-note whistle [60 - 130] Two different musical instruments, a tambourine and a flute, both gold-decorated [50 - 500] Two different parchment maps – one large scale archaic area map, the other of a different region [25 - 300] A long serpent-fang that Sage has rigged up to use with the original poison-sac [20 - 100]
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Post by warlord476 on Oct 27, 2017 17:01:17 GMT -5
3.24: Settling up in Ironbridge
The characters for this session:
Fennec, L3 wizard
Cauleigh, L4 warrior
Crompton, L3 rogue
with their allies the Herbal Teas:
Sage, L3 wizard
Heartsease, L2 warrior
Wolfie, L2 wulfan
Loot shares
During the whole of the day, the enlarged party – four Restorers, three Herbals, three ex-prisoners and four ex-breeding captives – do little other than rest, eat and drink, and plan for the next leg and what will happen when they reach Ironbridge.
And discuss loot shares.
Jotunn's iron constitution means he stands watch almost the whole day so he will have to be consulted on shares later.
Loot is divided by value, with three separate piles: fully-magic, one-shot or limited magic, and plain riches.
- The restorers are more than generous to the Herbals, almost pressing them to take the treasures Sage puts up as possibles. The Herbals will collect a few thousand to fund their next adventures or recruiting, once cash-outs are accomplished in Ironbridge.
- The seven restored are each given 700gp. Snifter the 'pothecary takes 500 of it in potion (the one with eyes in it). The women are assured they won't be just dumped at Ironbridge – lady Ezra will very probably look after them until they find proper places.
- Part of the Herbals' share goes to setting up Kowlee with the tower shield and bronze hand; they recruit her as a fighting hand.
- The question of how much effort to put into selling choice items and researching others is left open until they reach lady Ezra's Olfoot Manor and come abreast of events in Ironbridge.
Through Saltlick Gulch to the river by night
"Load up, let's move out... quietly."
"And once we get to lower ground we'll light the lantern and more torches."
"Give me a hand with this silver will you, it weighs a ton."
"Once you've done that help me load Trefoil, I don't quite have the height to adjust him."
And with many another order, suggestion and counter-suggestion the dusk passes into night and the caravan of seven ponies, seven adventurers and seven restored (and what seems like 7,000lb of deadweight) passes down north into lower ground and thence into Saltlick Gulch.
The women shiver in the cool of the night. In the time they have been in the Gann (Samuel's survivors know the correct name) the season of Ysel has passed and Moebhant has come upon the vale. Cauleigh provides them with handsome robes and shirts to layer over. "On loan only," he stresses.
The torches – five are being carried – and lantern draw moths but nothing larger.
"For larger, there's TTYF" - Fennec
Taking the precaution of scrambling up from time to time Cauleigh finds that once away from the lip of the gulch the light dims drastically. A hostile, such as a Uruk, would need to be right on the gulch, or very high above it, to notice it.
The forced march continues through the day
After a short night's push, as the sky lightens to pale indigo, the Restorers find that subtler sounds are masked by the presence of the river. The pace slows and Jotunn probes ahead. He is satisfied that all is as it should be and returns:
"Let's discuss what our next step is."
"What are our options?"
"One: be happy we got this far with Snifter Kowlee and Selano-Selano walking and no mishaps, head up onto the shoulder up there, camp for the day, endure the heat."
"Two: head alongside the river to where we camped under the overhang and rest up for the day in the heat."
"The ponies can stand one day's abuse. So Three: push on! – load those three up so all seven are mounted, push through the day, get to lady Ezra's."
This last from Jotunn and his judgement of ponies is decisive. Snifter rides double with Diamanda the hunter, Kowlee and Selano-Selano each get a mount, and all seven ponies are heavily loaded with rider (or corpse) and baggage.
Even for the Restorers this is a long night-day march. Sage clings onto baggage-straps grimly and walks most of the time, but he's hurting. It may not be midsummer but the searing heat of the Atharva plateau in daytime still bakes them and the day-wind up its face still dries them out. Water is constantly brought up from wherever it can be scooped riverside and ponies and passengers kept hydrated.
At last, playful mirages tease them with a wobbly dark blob which becomes a wobbly stand of woods, then finally a plain woodland copse. Beyond it are Olfoot manor and Boot Hill, destinations for most of the caravan.
"And I might be planting my friend here too," Cauleigh notes, patting the bag'o'bones that is (most of) the mortal remains of Temerity's original owner.
To reach a place of rest and comfort
It's as though lady Ezra has been expecting them. The gate is open and the not quite young but trim little maid and the gatekeeper are both waiting.
Fennec douses his face briskly, dusts off his clothes, washes his hands as best he can and strides in to explain things to lady Ezra... you know, about how she would be sure to offer hospitality to seven strangers.
She is more than gracious. And Fennec makes her squee! - when he presents her with the volume titled the Lich in the glass.
Lady Ezra has provided for her guests, and to be sure the refined tea is delicious, but in time a real meal is prepared. As they eat heartily of roasted red meat, the adventurers make their plans and write notes for the gatekeeper to see to.
Reintroducing Ironbridge
From dawn an ever-increasing level of activity can be detected around Olfoot manor. First the town sexton and crew with picks spades and death-swaddling, then a Priest of Branisa in a little pony-and-trap, then a little gathering on Boot Hill about a hole and the mortal remains of Trefoil. The priest makes a comforting eulogy and those that actually knew Trefoil remember him fondly.
Then to town! And the Restorers and Herbals discover that the usual charges on the bridge have been reversed. Now they have to pay a fee on their cargo and mounts. Unsure whether the guard is simply robbing them or if it is a real rule, Cauleigh forks over 30 gold and they progress to Dockside.
Already a few of the mine workers have greeted them casually; now an urchin makes a great show of noticing them, giving the thumbs-up, and scarpers off to tell his guvnor. Mid-morning drinkers from the barge crews spare an idle glance as the caravan plods along as far as the Trader Guild.
"I'll mind the ponies," Jotunn announces.
"Wolfie's not going to be allowed in there, he too can stand guard," Sage agrees. He, Heartsease and Crompton have agreed that they will help one another out around their missions in town.
All-day banking
The conference with a surprised head clerk of the guild extends across the day. Jotunn unloads the ponies progressively as more and more gear is catalogued, then takes the ponies off to the stables and then heads off on his own. The Herbals have far less business to transact so at the end of the period, the other three Restorers are alone.
They have skipped a midday meal and feel the not-cheap-but-good cooking of the Rusty Rapier best meets the hole behind the belt. Inside, Fennec looks around hopefully, but sees no familiar face. [Tadiko, I think.] The barkeep remembers Cauleigh and what he drinks; Fennec says he'll have the same, Crompton (thinking of Jorgagu and her father Adrok) takes a bracing wine. Cauleigh regales the barge skippers and idlers with the yarn. The Restorers get a first hint the Rogues Guild is a thing of the past.
That's a thought
As they head back to Olfoot manor:
"I wonder where Jotunn's got to" - Crompton
"Not worry – if ever there is a Dwarf as can look after himself it's him. Whether it's out in the wild or off in the brothel..." - Crompton
"Wait, there's a brothel?" - Fennec, picking up 10AP for the long-delayed punchline. (He went to the Easy Hostess and Laundry... and just got his laundry done)
Swansongs and sob-sisters
Cauleigh repeats his yarn, from a more warriorly perspective, to the Warriors' Guild. He sells off his Axe of the Renegade to Jorgagu of all people.
Then Cauleigh sees to buying a simple case to act as ossuary for the ancient bones. Lady Ezra's books tell her that the Scions of Kolbrannus are most linked to ancient Ravenscrag, much farther up the Vale.
Fennec, now wearing his good robes, heads to the Wizards Guild and exchanges brotherly greetings with Solar and spends much of the day gaining advice on the ring of spell store. It's a very specific thing.
Crompton and Sage visit master Erklen, strapping Gnome foundry owner and knower of obscure stuff about historic weapons, and Crompton learns about the anti-magic nature of the old Runebearer axhead he claimed.
Sage has a few questions about his own treasures to raise with master Erklen so Crompton heads back and brings Heartsease to the Rogues Guild to see if there's a recruit. As they heard hear and there, the guild has come upon hard times: Vern is a street-beggar and sot, and Calla skivvies for the guards who live there now. Of the two Heartsease decides Calla has the more promise. But Vern gets a free drink, which is all he cares about.
As Crompton and Heartsease and Calla head away from the guildhouse, who should fill the alley but Adrok? But he seems oddly distracted, almost as though he is standing right next to a hot Elf. He listens with but half an ear to Crompton:
"Ah... not tying the knot? Huh... never thought it work out... say, I'm off duty in about two hours..."
So all's well that ends well and all that time in the crate is something to look back on and laugh.
As they say, an adventure is just terror and misery remembered in later comfort. And this has been their adventure.
L - R: Fennec, Cauleigh, Jotunn, Crompton
By the look of it...
Fennec will be here a while, learning from the friendly healer of the Grove how to be a friendly healer.
So the loot need not be sold off at the cheapest rate.
Cauleigh can research Ikkutas over in lady Ezra's library.
Crompton can get his axe hafted.
And new boots, because those Pegasus boots sure weren't built for forced-marches.
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Post by warlord476 on May 25, 2018 20:41:00 GMT -5
4.01: Sarnas at first glanceThe characters for this session:
Jotunn, L6 warrior: STR37 IQ18 LK30 CON60 DEX30 CHR17 SPD28 WIZ14.
Fennec, L3 wizard: STR24 IQ33 LK23 CON26 DEX24 CHR23 SPD23 WIZ32.
Cauleigh, L4 warrior: STR38 IQ18 LK38 CON34 DEX38 CHR26 SPD40(+9) WIZ17.
Crompton, L3 rogue: STR26 IQ20 LK32 CON32 DEX32 CHR19 SPD25 WIZ20.
Part one: Pre-game information
Downtime in Ironbridge
Fennec's unorthodox training in the sacred grove, under the instruction of Ormen, plus a few other matters, takes four weeks and a day. The year wanes and autumn equinox is near when the business of all four concludes, and they bid farewell to Ironbridge. Let's take a quick scan of what they've been doing!
In alphabetical order:
Cauleigh 1. Main project demanding much attention: Researches Ikkutas in Lady Ezra's library.
2. Lesser project requiring only a few days face-time: Funds, with a barge-captain named Will Stavenger, a series of abortive expeditions to settle the restless sprite downstream. Eventually the body-count rises to the point that Lytera orders a cease and desist.
3. Minor details, less than one day: Assists Crompton with his ax-hafting
4. Minor details, less than one day: Purchases various leatherwork items such as a mount for the light cube, saddlery/furbishings.
Crompton 1. Main project demanding much attention: Sponsors the foundation of a new Rogues guild. This entails bribery, purchasing a small warehouse, tricking it out with some nasty traps, and some negotiation with Dolem's Spire Rogues guild. Becomes founding director.
2. Lesser project requiring only a few days face-time: Researches scrimshaw-marked bullets that seemed to ignore defenses. Works out that this type of specialist inscription requires two or more expertise levels in enchanting.
3. Minor details, less than one day: Pays a good smith, through Cauleigh's good offices, to fashion a steel haft for his ax.
4. Minor details, less than one day: Pays the Warrior guild smith, through Cauleigh's good offices, to produce silver and normal throw-weighted daggers.
NB: Although Crompton and Sage have a secret agreement to swap spells, neither can afford any major new spells, and in the event no further swaps are made.
Fennec 1. Main project demanding much attention: Detailed and difficult study of healing specializing, ie Curative school. This requires him to balance the forces of combat magic and healing magic. There is no certain outcome until he reaches Level Six.
2. Secondary project requiring virtually all remaining time: Courteous love-making to Lady Ezra. She is inexperienced and guarded by her maid. Fennec wins half her heart but being a wanderer prevents him winning her all.
3. Minor details, less than one day: Keeping Wizards guild membership.
Jotunn 1. Main project demanding much attention: Travelling to Dolem's Spire to have his coif repaired. More news: The Prince throws down the Danforth plot and offers employ for mercenary captains.
2. Secondary project requiring virtually all remaining time: Keeping an ear to the ground. News comes from as far afield as Joetown and Jacob's Mill. Refugees from the Uruk invasion flee to Dolem's Spire and even Ironbridge.
3. Minor details, less than one day: Checks on the gnome wench Abbie, while in Dolem's Spire.
Other updates:
The Herbal Teas: Sage Heartsease and Calla hold a big farewell party for the whole market. Wolfie and Kowlee have a lower-profile shindig. They head for Ravenson hill.
Rogues: Tadiko does drift in. She is as respectful to Fennec as before but there's a mean look in her eye that wasn't there before. She buys one more spell, asks Jotunn to make sure a certain gnome wench is OK when he gets to Dolem's Spire, and drifts on.
Weeks later news collected by Jotunn is that three other rogues survived the Broken Lands and reached safety, probably in Dolem's Spire.
Erklen: The gnome master sells his iron ore mill to a consortium of barge captains and Lord Orctooth, and moves out. It's said he also advertised for an expedition back to Gray Dagon Hill.
Part two: Sarnas
The hand
The four Restorers, riding their ponies Kip, Fanshaw, Barnsley and Dice, with pack-pony Toto jogging behind, make their final push in to Sarnas in gathering dusk. It's about a week past the autumn equinox and the westering sun, on their left, picks out the upraised digits of a monumental hand. This last leg takes them through well-husbanded homesteading, so even from pony-back the base of the thing is obscured... it's perhaps a mile away.
Eager Elisha
Traffic at Sarnas' great south gate is at a crawl, what with travelers heading in and produce-vendors heading back out. As they ease their ponies along, taking stock of the gate guards: efficient, low-key: Jotunn lets out a groan.
Elisha Bradon, girl-reporter for the Tribune, has already zeroed in on him! He met her in Dolem's Spire, and let drop more than he planned to! Curly brown hair, smooth olive-skin, plump and eager face.
She seems intent on learning what the Restorers are in Sarnas for! Jotunn temporises, she slips him an address in the Warehouse district, and they agree to meet up later this very night.
Initial dispositions
A bored guard gives them conventional-sounding instruction to tie their heavy arms to their mounts, as they dismount and pay a nominal tax. Fennec is puzzled by what looks like opposing tax collectors... beyond the gate lies a city garrison and market-cum-parade area... Cauleigh spots a rogue and gets a reference to the top dog...
The Restorers first goal is simply accommodation and security. A friendly pot-man, Paul, accepts a gold coin to lead them to the best place... they are led through fairly crowded streets to a riverside area he calls the Upper Harbour, where stands the Strong-Ale Brewery, and where they find accommodation in a stabled wing commonly called the Porters.
The tariff for stabling and room includes a share of the hearty meat-based meal going in the tavern part of the Porters. Paul advocates that they stay on, and listen to the senator, a guest speaker tonight, who's sure to give a wing-dinger of a speech. But they choose not to... and having put something behind their ribs the four check their heavier armour and head to the bridge.
Elisha by warehouselight
Though light spills from late-evening workshops and stalls, the streets themselves are not lamp-lit. Out on the water, what seems to be a fishing-boat, or more than one, shows its lamps.
Their course takes them around the cathedral grounds. Paul has also called it the Abbey, which is a little confusing. A pale shape, hard to distinguish, lurches around a corner, perhaps in the grounds.
There appears to be any number of bridges, all clustered together, over the river. They take the nearer, upper-harbour path and walk north past many open shops and workshops, and swing west to the warehousing district. A theatre-going crowd is suggested by orchestral sounds and bright-dressed types, off in the gloom east.
Elisha intercepts them again and in her chosen warehouse, they meet cub reporter Girol, and suspect the pair are accompanied by someone of heftier build, off behind the stacks. In the conversation that follows, the dwarves get a few introductory names and ideas to follow up. Elisha takes many a note and they leave with information about their goals but also with the uneasy feeling she has a lead banner for the morning edition, featuring their search.
The old river god
Before they head back, Jotunn invites them east. They walk past the theatre and mingling footmen and chairmen and vendors, waiting for the theatre-goers to come out. The areas east and upslope do seem to a swankier part of town. Though, not far away at the riverside, there's an unpleasant, corpse-smell that Fennec thinks might need investigating.
They keep to that side, and a broad way that must once have been a bridge, leads them past a traditional-built temple of the river god. In Esgaroth he'd be Brant Balduin; here in the western heart of Nandil lands he's Brandualadin. His temple has a repurposed look.
Once again, this time on the other side of the abbey, that pale form is glimpsed. The four walk on past a lone watchman and quickly make plans to find out more... but the shape doesn't follow them.
The man of the people
The docks district on this quarter seems familiar to those of the four that hail from Esgaroth. Plenty of light spills from doorways, but no lights for public ways. Raft brothers, sawyers and perhaps even adventurers carouse.
At the Porters, Senator Isilmore Baroque is still pressing the flesh and making sure folks know to vote. Since they aren't planning to vote, the dwarves file to the back, and find out a little more by watching and asking the barkeep. Cauleigh tries a Gnome stonebrew ale. Randomly, he then asks about elves.
"Ya c'd try th' park - theys gotta be some tree-huggers amongst 'em - I heer theys one er two in th' senate... what kinda elf ya lookin' fer?"
"One with money and means"
"Oh! Well, th' senate then."
Cauleigh notes the half-recalled names he's given (Rennie Fairious and Quesquetoon) and they all finish their stonebrew. Then the senator finishes the room and gets to them.
Isilmore, thin, mustached, dark hair slicked back and well dressed. He welcomes the four noble visitors and explains the democracy of Sarnas in glowing terms. Fennec asks about Sarnas dwarves, and since Isilmore's memory goes back a few terms, he does recall an ex-senator, Hodstipper, out of the north, in fact the family is out of the old city. (Here a quick history lesson on Sarn Athrad of old and its move south to the current metropolis). Isilmore's cause is the poor and downtrodden, especially in outwall slums. He manages to convince Cauleigh to donate 10 gold.
Contemplating where they are
The weary dwarves find their rest, and count over the tasks they have set themselves.
Major threads:
- Research Ikkutas lore in the library
- Find a competent enchanter
[/ol][/ul] Minor threads: - Store valuables in a lock-up or similar
- Sell the elf-killing falchion once owned by the white urukin
- Register with the Wizards guild, buy a spell
- Register with the Rogues guild
[/ol][/ul][/font] New dawn, more leadsThe following morning, they pack their valuables, including metal armour, in Dalton's lockup, meeting slip-of-a-daughter Susie and even-smaller-slip-of-a-son Sol. Dalton keeps gentleman's hours. They hire the minimum charge, 50 gold, and receive a magical rod that unlatches the lockup. They choose the code-word 'Tigley' for the rod. Jotunn is entrusted with the rod. Don't lose it! The unsealing fee will be thousands.Fennec makes a note to obtain a reference to the enchanter off Dalton.Girol, cub reporter, follows them incompetently and when beckoned over, convinces them that the place for breakfast is the Cinnamon Roll, counter-clockwise from here in a more upmarket area. Here, the dwarves are introduced to the wicked new drink out of a place that sounds like 'Pomfrahk' - chocolate - and Girol points out a few notables of the upper and lower crust. The bacon rolls are delicious. Girol knows not a lot about non-humans in the city. He does know the name of the librarian, Reena Spidros. He scratches his head about elves that are at once important, in the senate, and representing the people, but does recall the right name - or a different name - for the senators Renee Finaire and Kalashtriel. In return they describe their journey from Ironbridge. Girol incautiously lets slip a very valuable piece of intelligence about a mercenary arrangement the senate is considering, with the Guild. A mysterious name, but one that Cauleigh does recall.Tipping a good sum of gold down to cover the chocolate they depart further counter-clockwise, to Central Perk, charming sweep of place, has a view of the park.The park is a woodland reserve. Fennec gets a feeling from it... the teachings of his master, Ormen, come back to him. He heads over there. This is not a good place for Curative magic. The soul of the earth is not friendly to his new school.Crompton turns to the young Elisha, who has indeed been expecting them. "What have you heard about Esgaroth?" She talks colourfully and at some length about the glories of the Tribune, versus Esgaroth's papers. In return Crompton finds himself describing a little more about his own background than he intended.Jotunn slips across the wall and into the park. He spots an elf, kneeling."It's our time for intercession," spindly, tall, androgynous Shawndel explains later. Apparently there's a roster to keep the cursed princess Janorra of the Glade. It can take until midday, depending. She/he does warn Cauleigh never, ever, ever, to sell the falchion to Maeglos the smith. She agrees to find out and pass information to the next elf on the roster, who will be same place same time tomorrow.Cauleigh meets burly centaur Cettros who bosses Central Perk and can make a coffee liqueur for him. "This is the thing. You've been waiting your whole life for this." It costs ten gold.Threads to progress:
- Smith street - but it's said they are tied up with defence contracts
- Dalton - artificer-level enchanter
- Wizard's guild for research
- Tribune's editor as a means of accessing the library
[/ol] [/ul][/font] [/font]
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Post by warlord476 on Jun 1, 2018 18:51:05 GMT -5
4.02: A second look at SarnasThe characters for this session:
Fennec, L3 wizard, combat and curative schools
Crompton, L3 rogue, roguery and Runebearer background
Jotunn, L6 warrior, hunter background and tracking talent
Cauleigh, L4 warrior, literate townsman background
That feeling you missed something
It's already after the time that Dalton, owner of the lock-ups, is wont to rise. The four restorers leave Central Perk, and begin threading around busy daylit streets. As they walk, Cauleigh recollects (wrongly, but not too bad) the dealings of the Guild and the Brotherhood, back at Rothway. And what they may have to do with the uruk army to the south. Jotunn speculates about tracking magic, in relation to the urukin's scimitar.
Their easy walk has taken them along the main streets, and to the Cathedral processional. A colourful procession is even now clogging the area. So they swing west. The delicious smell of baking fills Jotunn's nostrils, but he also sees a long queue, right down a block.
Their new course has led them into narrower streets. They pat pouches and rearrange some, away from light fingers. But, having patted his pouches and pockets more and more urgently, Jotunn curses and swings back:
"Left the d**n' lock-rod behind!"
Beatrix or Betty, tiny and cute
They all hustle back to Central Perk! There, balancing herself on a stool and balancing the rod on her petite nose, is a very cute, very short waitress.
This is Betty or Beatrix, possibly half-Hobb. She hands the rod over with a final juggling flourish. Jotunn looks closely at the rod. Fennec tries a DetM and gets the same unique flavour of enchantment.
"Probably the same..."
It's now midday. Jotunn looks mournfully back at the queue as he wades through the delicious scents, that being their most direct way to the lock-ups.
A reference from Dalton
The river area is bustling and loud with daytime crowds: a much more industrial noise and smell than night-time. At the lock-ups – relatively busy with both Susie and Sol hustling about – a most important-looking gentleman with flourishing moustaches is seated, on a solid stool, below the tariff schedule. Clearly, this is the proprietor.
Fennec deals with Dalton, while the others head to their lock-up to test the rod. It works!
They return to find Fennec puffing (unfamiliarly) on a cheroot, and thanking Dalton for the information. He's been provided with a very small square of parchment, on which is the address of Maeglos, an artificer-enchanter. And the one they've been warned never to reveal the elf-killing scimitar to. Fennec has also got a possible lead to a discount smith, using Boss Hooper (out of the same store the Porters Arms and Strong-Ale are part of) as a contact. In closing Dalton warns Fennec, being a wizard, to be careful around some of the city's knife-merchants (as he calls them).
A premature walk north, and back
It's now most definitely eating time. They manage to curb appetite until, towards the north end of upper bridge, they find a stall that sells real pies. These are washed down with street-porter ale. But, having gotten that far north, they decide to dress nicely and also, come to think of it, collect magical or potential magical gear they want Maeglos to enchant.
All of this requires another stop at the Porters Arms. Where Cauleigh asks about clothing merchants. Not slop-stores! It seems that if you want to look as good as the senator, you try the north.
You are the lead story!
The four look more like the adventurers they are as they once more head for upper bridge. Elisha cuts them off at the pass:
"Say! I thought ya'd be here!"
"Yes..."
"Seen today's banner?"
The Tribune now leads with:
ON THE HUNT
It seems that the restorers are on a quest for long-lost secrets... though it's hard to pick the exact context and story from among the slangy expressions and implications.
"So, I'll guess there'll be plenty of folks ready to press the flesh an' get in line to help you guys out..."
"But we'll be getting hustled by every charlatan in this town!"
"Don't knock the power of the press my friend."
The first murder... that we know of
Elisha shows no signs of leaving, walking alongside Jotunn and leaning close to add that her editor has told her to stick close, there's a big story in here.
This is not convenient! Jotunn plays her along with talk of the library. For which, meeting her editor is needed. And Elisha already has them pencilled in for the Tribune's corporate box in the theatre tonight. As to better rags, no need to be too hasty, but maybe better shoes?
They head along upper bridge, talking about cobblers. Elisha mentioned that Girol told her about a fracas at the park. Possibly an elf was slain? Blood on the trees? They agree to head along to the morgue with her later... but at the moment she's with them!
Making nods and winks the dwarves attempt to separate so that Fennec and Crompton can get away to Maeglos. [Crompton fails CHR] Elisha is unconvinced and they all agree to go look at the body.
The morgue: Fran Limnsman
Elisha navigates the shoals and reefs of the law in Sarnas, making an appearance at a "bullpen" asking after a sheriff and who's on morgue duty.
Around to a secluded side they go, to a private wagon entry. She nods her way past a bored-looking gatekeeper and pushes through a heavy door. Here, the walls inside are whitewashed and glaring, and the smell is of days-old bodies. The walls are lined with corpses, some seemingly on display. At the main work table a man works over a naked body, wielding a very sharp knife.
Fennec eases closer. The man appears quite scruffy; but of the body he can see very little. Elisha, familiar with the layout, skirts the table and hikes a little up a step-stool. Cauleigh squeezes up beside her as she hails the doctor:
"Fran! Visitors!"
This is Fran Limnsman, cracked-voiced but relatively young, tetchy but capable. He identifies the murder "weapon" as a thin-fingered hand, probably sharp-clawed, a quick violent drive to the chest that rammed a digit into the heart.
The dead man is young and fit, probably a fencer or swordsman, possible defensive wounds on the forearms. Crompton (and Elisha) investigate the pile of gear stripped from the corpse and find light sword-and-buckler armour.
Other than that the information Girol passed on seems to be wrong. Not an elf, not killed at the park, but closer to the Abbey.
Fennec uses the distraction to slip out, unseen by Elisha. What looks like a labourer, afflicted by a half-face twitch, passes him heading in.
Dr. Silas, freak on show
This common-dressed man is Dr. Silas, necromancer. He is by far the creepiest person the dwarves have met here. Elisha seems a little skeptical of his powers. He lays out paraphernalia and begins a ritual.
Doctor Silas looks like he's enjoying communing with the dead waaay too much! A pale, almost fish-like face is briefly glimpsed.
"What was that?"
"It's the last thing the dead man saw... heh... perhaps one of the undead... we've had reports of graves disturbed... people say it's me... not this time... heh..."
Cauleigh's new best friend and a third strange stange man
Fran kicks Silas out at this point. Cauleigh goes with him and soon regrets it, because he's really creepy, and wants to show Cauleigh his apartment... But one other thing does come out of treating the doctor to a drink or two: Cauleigh does discover that there is a Sword Brotherhood that use that light fencing armour.
Crompton, Jotunn and Elisha witness another weird worker with the dead. A surreptitious visitor, shabby and with a wild thatch of beard and hair, pays Fran for unpleasant bits of an unclaimed corpse. This is Osusk, an alchemist.
Maeglos
Meanwhile Fennec collects himself safely over to the north and gains directions that leave him in front of a uncertainly-built three-story affair with a very fancy lantern still burning at its gate.
Detect Magic
A rippling wave of fire erupts in front of him! And [L3 IQ SR] he spins to confront a lizardy-looking man who grasps Fennec's staff firmly. Pressing his own head at two points the man keeps his grasp with a spare clawed hand, the says
"The boss wants to know what you want"
Fennec explains and the lizardy-man communes again, then invites him in and disappears. Once past the lantern, the appearance of the building changes completely! It is a powerful, stone tower, reminiscent of some of the Esgaroth towers. There is no visible entrance, but at the obvious bay where such ought to be Fennec uses an OTIS then KK. An elaborate elf-script-engraved door swings open...
Fennec's interview with the enchanter Maeglos ends unsatisfactorily. The egoist, raven-haired, dark-eyed elf wants 50,000 to work on the staff, though signals that he could enchant a very small amount for a very small number of thousands. This is the wrong ballpark for Fennec's humble funds. He bids Maeglos farewell and heads back south.
The check-in: we ain't got jack
The four meet up as Fran finishes up his report and Elisha – finally – heads away to file. Though not before she catches wind of Fennec having met someone significant. They shop for a cobbler that can make up cork-heel shoes, and pay a hefty deposit for the work. It's now mid-afternoon or a little later.
Fennec finishes imparting the detail and confirms he has nothing like the funds needed. A slight top-up is the best he can hope for from that source! For his part, Cauleigh explains that Silas was talking about things under the city. But he chooses not to improve that acquaintance.
In terms of looking for work, Cauleigh points out that the "old city" that predates Sarnas is just north, and there must be ruins to explore there. Maybe a conversation with the "Podsteppers" would help?
Bernhart the Benificent and the show of force
Their chat is interrupted by a smart squad of arquebusiers, jogging north. These are the heaviest-armed and armoured types they've seen, so on a whim, they follow. As do some children and some dogs. The column of some two dozen arquebusiers jogs smartly right across the lower, temple bridge, out to the theatre square and right around the theatre, looping back to form up in ranks, facing the theatre itself. These maneuvers have been flagged by a column-leader using a simple flag. But now the ranks are joined by an imposing, strong-built man riding a fine horse. Many more children, dogs and gawpers witness the arquebusiers level their pieces and give fire: a crisp volley thunders over the theatre!
Senator Bernhart, a noble, speaks with stirring phrases and strong gestures. It seems the need to hire these fine mercenaries is pressing! He rejoins his carriage, where a very sturdy competent looking coat-holder awaits him. The arquebusiers form back to files and march crisply north, towards the north gate.
And at this same time the dwaves fend off an impromptu interview by ever-thirsty, eyeglass-wearing Clarrie Grimes from the Clarion, Voice of the People, whose clarion call is the voice of the most knowing, most discriminating people of Sarnas. "I'll see you in the funny pages" Clarrie says as they persist in not telling him anything, and heads away.
Sedge, Rogues Guild, and Wiseman
Since they are now right in front of the theatre, and the theatre is where Elisha has said they can meet her editor, they begin drifting that way... except for Crompton, who has been signaled by Sedge, an ordinary-looking youngish woman. She checks what he's been told about the Rogues guild, then leads him away upriver, to the warehouse district.
Through an ordinary warehouse door (but opened to a secret knock, by a particularly strapping troll) and after taking off all 19 weapons he's carrying, and both magic charms, from there through a secret passage built into a normal crate, and from there down stone steps (but the lights are noise-activated) and finally into an underground cellar (but with supplies of fresh air).
The meeting with bald lanky half-elf Rogues guild leader Wiseman (that is a title) is low key, to the point where it seems to be striving to be that way. Sedge mulls some wine – a moment of comedy when Wiseman pretends to have been poisoned – and invites Crompton to join if he wants to and take a job involving elves if he wants to. Crompton doesn't want to – at least for now – and having paid his respects – and no coin – heads back out with Sedge.
Some reading skills required
Jotunn purchases a programme for the theatre, learning that the main entertainment is the Death of Adder (or Ada, spelling varies across the programme). Cauleigh purchases a copy each of the Tribune and the Clarion, and looks for the funny pages. He finds them, but they aren't all that funny. The three read both papers. The Clarion has worse spelling but is higher-minded. Both cover doings of senators, street crime, and the scandal that connects the two. On the whole the Clarion favours Bernhart's noble "frill-neck" faction and the Tribune favours Isilmore's popular "collar-neck" faction.
Elisha's crime beat pages feature what seems to be a continuation of an open-grave crime or mystery. Fennec [L3 IQ SR] deduces that an expert has been consulted at some prior date.
Entree to the senate?
The pre-theatre crowd is thickening, and there are plenty of choices of street food and drink, so the trio await Crompton there, eating and drinking, until he catches up with them and sups too. A not-very-interested patrol of two passes through, one of the pair takes some stall food on the arm.
Cauleigh works his way into the ticket-booth and discovers that if they are box guests they won't need tickets. And that it's the best place to see senators, outside of debating chambers. The booth woman also has a cousin, Elias, a porter in the senate who can show them the action there, for a price.
The second murder
It is not yet the time when fashionable people turn up; an eddy of people coming from the bridge crying things like "another murder!"
The four work back down one of the middle bridges, ill-lit and with more verminous crowds. The strong smell of dog and possibly larger beasts comes to their nostrils. And at length they arrive, facing the Abbey, where a crowd of people block them from something on the ground.
Using their determined muscle they get to where Elisha is leaning over a dead body, splodge of blood on its chest.
"Say, don't you guys just turn up like the proverbial!"
Testing with her stylus Elisha guesses it's the same kind of depth and width as the other one on the mortuary slab.
Cauleigh checks gargoyles on the Cathedral (yes there are some) and Fennec catches a glimpse of a pallid shape slinking away around the Cathedral corner. The homicide police arrive and Elisha, known to them, hangs around chatting, probably explaining the clues. At length the dwarves excuse themselves.
The Tribune's editor, Rimana, and factions on show
By the time they arrive back at the theatre, the up-market crowd is indeed fashionably arriving and entering. Vendors are doing a roaring trade. A concierge brings them to the Tribune's box.
The editor, seated in a position from where he can see almost none of the performance but most of the crowd, is a man smoking a cheroot and wearing a twin aura of indifference and insouciance.
Hardly has he gestured them to a seat than an extremely attractive dark-haired pallid young woman enters. Her dress is dark and revealing.
"I'll take your orders" she says in a honeyed tone
"Chocolate"
"Hot?"
"Uhh yeah, yeah hot, that sounds just the ticket..."
Stout Beer and Port wine are ordered as well and she leaves.
Girol appears, and unlike the editor is voluble. He begs for a scoop. Unluckily Elisha has been with them both exciting moments. He heads over to the editor, and Cauleigh strains to understand what the mumble means. Without any success.
Girol helps pick out key politicians. Bernhart is there, still with his powerful coat-holder, who Girol tells them is a "cuttin' gent." Isilmore turns up fashionably late with a dazzlingly beautiful elf on his arm. Who apparently is Kalashtriel, also a senator, but also a killer. The two men exchange nods and don't seem hostile.
Another lead and a good time
Girol is already sleepy before the play's first act ends. He has little more to say, even when Cauleigh tries to explain the Guild and Brotherhood situation in Rothway. The editor pushes a slip of paper over: it's an address in the north.
Crompton gets a surprise: Sedge is there, on the arm of a nobleman; she looks like an upmarket courtesan.
Cauleigh in turn tries to catch sight of Betty and does so: she's down among the cheap seats. He excuses himself and walks down, in the intermission, and buys her a drink. She explains a little more about the cursed princess, Janorra of the Glade, and the elves taking on intercession prayers for her. He makes a date with her for after the show.
(But to be clear it is just a fun night with young quasi-entertainment-industry hipsters, and a handshake.)
Back up in the box the other three learn from Girol that the devastating brunette is Rimana, a particular friend of the editor.
[Cauleigh raises IQ to 19]
At the empty gate
The morning finds all four dwarves waking very early and heading out to find street food and the smiths' street. The great south gate is weirdly empty, perhaps due to the cold rain just eased off. From the driest patch they make their way to a smithy and nod to journeymen, who are waiting for the 'prentices to get things going.
Jotunn pays a hiltmaker to quickly strap leather around the rod-key so that it looks vaguely like a dagger. He also finds Boss Hooper's smith and asks about "special" smiths. This is quite a mundane area, Jotunn manages to get a reference to Castan-something, towards the north gate.
At the palace
Fennec peels off to head for the palace, since that's where the Wizards guild is. He works through pleasant terraces crowded with complaining housewives, burdened servants, and skiving children (and dogs). After that the hill steepens and opens to the palace walls.
Fennec works his way round the wall to a security gate, asks for the Wizards guild, is directed to third circle left.
As he passes the gate the old castle beyond changes completely. Now, he sees its true form is a mighty modern tower defence, geared for dragon fighting as much as anything. The third circle is marked by huge sigil-marked columns: he turns and walks down it.
You are still the lead story!
With the sky clear of rain, the south gate is crowded once more with vendors heading in. Elisha is amongst them, waving frantically!
"You were right – or I was – it's the same culprit!" Elisha explains. She shows them today's banner: the four restorers are intent on hunting down the killer.
Sighing, Cauleigh checks where the original murder actually occurred. Like the second, that too was near an opened or disturbed grave, west of the Abbey. The four run through the suspects, who at first glance can be listed as Dr. Silas, Osusk, and Fran himself.
"I'll be right behind you!" Elisha assures them.
Props It's time to acknowledge some of the material I'm using in this low-prep arc.
Many of the NPCs are my own but I'm also using a frequently-used source for NPCs: Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any Roleplaying Game Engine Publishing - enginepublishing.com Gnome Stew - gnomestew.com
I've reactivated the Guild/Brotherhood deal from season two, though since Cauleigh (whose player is the only one to bother going back to read the blog) has confused which of the two controls the mercs, I'm changing it up. The two NPCs involved, one of whom is also in the backstory of the elf-killing scimitar, come from: Encounters-Plots-Places: Creatures, NPCs, Items, Places and Adventure Hooks for any fantasy system Created and Written by: Benjamin Gerber. Available from drivethrurpg.com
I should also throw props to an old gaming buddy from the dawn ages of T&T gaming, in fact the person most responsible for getting me into RPGs, Andrew Simmonds, who created Maeglos as a PC, the son of his favourite PC (so as to keep his grudges and treasure active, I guess). I'm really just using the character whimsically, as a survivor of the Wizard Wars. I don't think the present Maeglos is anything like the original and may even turn out to be using his son's name...
Finally I have also used an emulator to generate some flavour and direction: The Location Crafter Written by: Tana Pigeon Word Mill Available from drivethrurpg.com
Vale history While Sarnas, or Sarn Athrad, has been around in my Vale forever, this new-look Sarnas needed a map and I found River City from terrymiranda.com to work for me. In the current age I conjecture that the original Sarnas, which took the brunt of northerners' attacks back in the Wizard Wars, is now a remnant up on the River Way to the north while what was at that time a river crossing fortress and temple become the hub of the new Sarnas. The Great War also hammered Sarnas, and one of the things the dwarves noticed as they rode in (off-screen, I did not include it last session) was that the landscape is still pocked with craters left by shattered flying fortresses. The colossal hand to the south of the city is a full-intact fragment from that time.
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