schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Nov 1, 2023 13:47:37 GMT -5
DELVE 117.
DEEP ONES, PIRATES, SHARKS
Sunday 25th September.
Campaign year: Early winter 510.
Durham; from ca. 2.00 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: GEOFFREY (Glyn) 5th level rogue; PICKWICK (Scally) 3rd level wizard; CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer.
Locations: Marlock City; Ringhorn; Sea of Weeds; Dweomer.
Returning to Marlock City, the delvers fought four deep ones that were attacking their ship in harbour; they almost died!
Commentary: It's unusual for the deep ones to come so close to a harbour city.
They defeated some pirates while sailing to Ringhorn, then departed Ringhorn through the Sea of Weeds to Dweomer, the Sorcerers’ Isle. They dodged a few storms on the way and caught a shark that had a bag of pearls in its gut.
Commentary: The Sea of Weeds (also known as the Sea of Reeds) is a tricky spot in the middle of the Violet Ocean where ships can get dangerously tangled. Sometimes, seafarers encounter the sea-gypsies, who drift about on the floating reed-beds, and may trade or help ships in distress (for a fee, or course).
Delve #117 was another in-person "real-life" delve at Pippy's house in Durham, which kicked off with a tough fight and reminded our delvers why they're often frightened to head out to sea.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Nov 4, 2023 4:42:27 GMT -5
DELVE 118.
TØDGER'S VAULT
Thursday 29th September 2022.
Campaign year: Midwinter 511.
Online, from ca. 8.15 pm.
GM: Pippy.
Delvers: SHOTO (Ed) 3rd level healer; HEIDI (Jo) 3rd level healer; GEOFFREY (Glyn) 5th level rogue; BARTON (Savage) 4th level warrior; GIOVANNI (Schmee) 2nd level healer.
Locations: Marlock City; Haunted Hills; Tødger’s Vault.
Once more the delvers gathered in Marlock City. They convalesced for a time, meeting new group member SHOTO on the way. In the tavern there was talk of a lucrative dungeon in the shadow of the Haunted Hills of Golnir, built by a greedy Dwarf who lost his mind (Tødger).
Commentary: The party was joined by Glyn's brother Ed for a few delves. Pippy tells us that Tødger is pronounced "Terd-ger", with a hard "g".
The delvers travelled by sailboat to the Vault, which was being administered as a theme park for delvers. They signed a waiver, paid their entry fee and visited the gift shop, all before descending into the dungeon itself.
After some initial uneventful reconnaissance (including sniffing the stonework!?) the tension was broken with an almighty battle against an enormous mechanical golem fashioned from molten rock, the Igneomaton. The delvers prevailed after a perilous and tiring exchange.
The healers bandaged the injured. GIOVANNI also got splashed with hot oil on the way in (ouch!)
Pippy took over as GM for delve #118, and sent us down an old-school dungeon of his own devising. This meant I was able to dust off my old delver GIOVANNI, last seen in delve #106.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Nov 14, 2023 4:58:51 GMT -5
DELVE 119.
VAULT OF HORROR
Sunday 9th October 2022.
Campaign year: Late winter 511.
GM: Pippy.
Online, from ca. 7.45 pm.
Delvers: GIOVANNI (Schmee) 2nd level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 3rd level wizard; BARTON (Savage) 4th level warrior; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior.
Locations: Tødger’s Vault.
GUS (last seen in the depths of the ocean) showed up in the subterranean realm via a geological abnormality (sea-sprite ally Quelpo a distant memory). Heidi and Shoto were still applying first-aid to Geoffrey, who was suffering from “bad fumes of the lower thorax” and a treatable case of nervous exhaust.
The remaining delvers GIOVANNI, BARTON, PICKWICK and GUS made significant headway exploring the Vault, encountering:
• The dungeon Athenaeum and Reading Room. Much study occurred. Barton was enlightened.
• A dwarven temple inhabited by a terror louse, which nearly finished them off due to a pair of bad DEX rolls (missile fail). They eventually prevailed thanks to Alan the chomp-dog who was used as a canine shield: R.I.P. In the room they found a “cursed ring”, PICKWICK put it on and was duly cursed. (PICKWICK is now pleasantly demented.)
• An undead drake which terrified GUS. They were right to fear a T.P.K. against this awesome beast, and the party fled to safety after a series of distractions
• Dungeon Quiz Mistress “Esperanza Wheeze” who presided over a series of word games. The delvers had significant success. Some of the fabled quiz compilers have been enslaved due to some typographical errors. The delvers were rewarded with gems and a.p.
Much fun in the Vault this time, with lots of varied and interesting dungeon encounters. Apologies for the delay with posting delve #119 - I've been concentrating on prepping and updating the delve for participation at a gaming event - the legendary Grogmeet in Manchester.
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scally
1st Level Troll
Posts: 42
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Post by scally on Nov 15, 2023 14:44:41 GMT -5
Hope you had a great time at Grogmeet!! Is sad that I couldn’t get a ticket; it’s always a bummer to miss an IRL delve! Next year!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Nov 16, 2023 3:13:05 GMT -5
DELVE 120.
MEGA-VAULT
Sunday 16th October 2022.
Campaign year: Early spring 511.
GM: Pippy.
Online, from ca. 8.15 pm.
Delvers: GIOVANNI (Schmee) 3rd level healer; HEIDI (Jo) 3rd level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 3rd level wizard; GEOFFREY (Glyn) 5th level rogue; BARTON (Savage) 4th level warrior; SHOTO (Ed) 3rd level healer.
Locations: Tødger’s Vault.
Our heroic delvers continued their exploration of the Vault and found an underground ice house and took some ice to melt. They biffed some goblins who were eating a dungeon supper of mouldy cheese. GIOVANNI held a holistic therapy session to enhance his healing capabilities.
They found stairs down to level two of Tødger’s Vault and located a reliquary of artefacts, making off with a picture book about Old Jon Blood the dreamworld spirit dwarf and one time business associate of Tødger. The other relics disappeared into thin air along with their ghostly guard.
They found another stairway on level two. However before delving deeper they found time to battle a Silurian kaiju. With the delver's blades dipped with lethal poison, the kaiju was slain. They also found a magical loin cloth +7.
Yet more adventures in the Vault for delve #120!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Nov 16, 2023 3:14:12 GMT -5
Hope you had a great time at Grogmeet!! Is sad that I couldn’t get a ticket; it’s always a bummer to miss an IRL delve! Next year! Yes - tickets are quite hard to get hold of! We had a fun time though - this will eventually be written up when we get to delve #170.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Nov 25, 2023 4:44:24 GMT -5
DELVE 121.
THE NEMACHODE
Sunday 18th October 2022.
Campaign year: Early spring 511.
GM: Pippy.
Online, from ca. 7.45 pm.
Delvers: GIOVANNI (Schmee) 3rd level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 3rd level wizard; GEOFFREY (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior.
Locations: Tødger’s Vault.
PICKWICK, GUS, GIOVANNI & GEOFFREY rested briefly in an abandoned camp. They had a huge fight with a nemachode. They were close to death, but prevailed due to Giovanni’s incredible bravery: he leapt into its mouth and hacked at its throat. GIOVANNI then tried to turn the carcass into an anti-inflammatory remedy, but botched it. Severely CON-down, they were waiting to be rescued / to flee the dungeon.
The adventures in Pippy's vault continue in delve #121! How will it end?!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Nov 26, 2023 14:17:46 GMT -5
DELVE 122.
BACK IN THE REALMS
Thursday 3rd November 2022.
Campaign year: Early summer 511.
Online, from ca. 7.15 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: PICKWICK (Scally) 3rd level wizard; GEOFFREY (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior; SHOTO (Ed).
Locations: Tødger’s Vault; Gemstone Hills; Velis Corin; Caran Baru.
The delvers were still in the dwarven vaults, but every door they opened seemed to have been bricked up, apart from one, leading to a long flight of stairs leading upwards. They climbed the stairs in many thousand unbroken steps, pursued by strange underground spirits. GEOFFREY cast a smoke bomb at them and GUS forced open a stone door to escape out onto the surface among the Gemstone Hills.
They took hospitality at the citadel of Velis Corin, and journeyed south by road to the garrison town of Caran Baru, where they went ‘Black Friday’ on the market and chatted to the priest of Fortune and the priestess of Lacuna.
They checked into the Blue Griffon inn (for a month and a half) and heard rumours of the terrible Gale-horn that had been lost in the mountains. They got a quest from the priests of Tyrnai to return the stolen golden mail of their god, spirited away to Ringhorn in neighbouring Golnir
Commentary: You may remember that back in delve #50 our party was responsible for the original theft of the holy coat of mail.
They learned of a strange community making home amongst the abandoned Farmlands, the Delvers. “They don’t have any lords!” exclaimed an incredulous knight.
Commentary: The Delvers are a new group of people in the Fabled Lands, living in non-heirarchical agrarian communities and holding all produce in common.
Normal service was resumed for delve #122, as I took back over as GM and the delvers explored the re-stocked Fantastical Realms.
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scally
1st Level Troll
Posts: 42
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Post by scally on Nov 27, 2023 4:39:43 GMT -5
This was the first session in restocked Sokara, yes? Exciting, I’m looking forward to reliving some of the larger quest lines that you added in the restock (no spoilers). It’s going to be fun to see how my memory aligns with the delving records!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Dec 1, 2023 5:32:58 GMT -5
DELVE 123.
TROLLS ON TOUR
Saturday 12th November 2022.
Campaign year: Midsummer 511.
Fan Boy Three, Manchester (Grogmeet); from 10.00 am – 1.00 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: PICKWICK (Scally) 3rd level wizard; GEOFFREY (Glyn) 5th level rogue; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior; LEONARD (Jim) 3rd level rogue; GERI (James) 2nd level wizard; NONA (Doerte) 1st level warrior.
Locations: Caran Baru; Fort Mereth; Disaster Bay; Yarimura; Great Steppes.
PICKWICK and GEOFFREY were in Caran Baru. The town guard was down-sizing now that the war with General Beledai was over. They met with newly-sacked city guard members LEONARD, NONA and the Lady GERI. BARTON emerged from a nearby drain cover (he'd finally escaped from Tødger's Vault).
They went to the mountains via Fort Mereth, where a noble lady gifted them some rings, and then found the the cave of Davo the Hermit, which could only entered by a precarious rocky ridge. They then had a philosophical debate about the nature of reality.
Commentary: Davo asked them all sorts of hard questions: "Which is greatest - the land or the sea?" "Who are greatest in number - the living or the dead?" etc. Fortunately for the delvers there were no wrong answers as long as they showed their working-out.
They then shipped to Yarimura via Disaster Bay where they patronised the Severed Hand tavern and robbed a merchant’s villa.
Commentary: The villa was that of unlucky merchant Avar Hordeth (this was was second time his home had been burgled by delvers).
They then headed out into the Steppes looking for a stolen mirror and fought a storm demon.
Commentary: The fight with the demon out on the plains was tough, but the delve ran out of time shortly afterwards (see below).
Delve #123 was a exciting event as we took the delve on the road in the UK. We attended the 2022 Grogmeet event in Manchester and met new friends James, Jim & Doerte who joined our delve for the day. We also visited a bar that was one of a handful in the UK permitted to serve rare Belgian lambic beers, served in a wicker basket (<< non-delving anecdote). I think everyone had a lot of fun, and we resolved to come back the following year (this came to pass, as will be related in delve #170).
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scally
1st Level Troll
Posts: 42
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Post by scally on Dec 2, 2023 4:16:55 GMT -5
I really enjoyed the Grogmeet delve! Schmee did such a good job of welcoming the newcomers and we all helped them with the plethora of ‘in jokes’ and hopefully made them feel welcome.
For us seasoned delvers it was an AP bonanza! Loads of ‘easy’ saving throws and fun roleplaying opportunities. I especially enjoyed meeting Davo’ (for the second time, first was with Kandi though).
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Dec 5, 2023 15:46:00 GMT -5
DELVE 124.
THE LAYS OF HARKUN
Thursday 17th November 2022.
Campaign year: Midsummer 511.
Online, from ca. 7.30 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: GEOFFREY (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior; CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer.
Locations: Braelak; the Bluewood; Dweomer.
By strange roads the delvers found themselves on the shores of Braelak Isle – the Island of the Sorcerers.
Commentary: As all three delvers were in disparate locations, the GM decided that a magical cloud scooped them up in turn and deposited them on Braelak.
They braved the horrors of the Bluewood, incorporating Level 6 Saving Rolls and severe stat loss across the board. (They did not respect the wood; net attribute loss = 45.) However, they made it to Dweomer. They signed up at the wizards’ colleges (and CRENELL learned the spells RES and PAX in exchange for his magic shield). GUS refused to enrol.
Commentary: The deadly Bluewood is full of life-draining spirits - delvers never go there unless they have to! This time they were forced to approach Dweomer by the hard way as the heads of the colleges had thrown a globe of force around the city harbour (to keep plague-carriers out). The spell PAX radiates a zone of peace to calm down belligerents; RES (in the hands of a skilled practitioner) is said to raise the dead. Delver GUS is a native of Dweomer, but has held a lifelong grudge against the wizards (gown versus town).
In the college library they read the Lays of Harkun, an ancient tome, that told how to break the wizard plague by destroying the Heart of Harkun (a certain ancient jewel; refer back to delve #20), but the final details had been removed from another tome that they researched; the Book of Seven Sages. Former delver Franklin the Insane was implicated in this (he had been spotted lurking in the library with a portable guillotine).
In pursuit of the missing pages, the delvers accepted a teleport curse from the wizard librarian, casting them at random across the fantastical realms.
Delve #124 saw the party make some headway with the quest of the wizard plague. Where will the random teleport send them for the next delve?
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Dec 9, 2023 16:16:53 GMT -5
DELVE 125.
THE DAIMYO'S TOWER
Thursday 24th November 2022.
Campaign year: Late summer 511.
Online, from ca. 7.30 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: PICKWICK (Scally) 3rd level wizard; GEOFFREY (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (Jeeves) 3rd level warrior; CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer.
Locations: Great Steppes; Yarimura.
GEOFFREY, CRENELL & GUS were teleported along a rainbow bridge into the Great Steppes where they met up with PICKWICK (who’d been lost in a storm since the end of delve #123). They went back to Yarimura and visited the market, healing up their attribute losses. They visited the Shaman of the temple to Tambu and got some wisdom of the steppes.
Commentary: Many of the delvers were down on their attributes following a trip through the Bluewood in the last delve. Tambu is the god of the steppe nomads, aka riders or horselords.
They then visited the thieves’ guild and took on a quest to join their brotherhood. This entailed sneaking into the bedchamber of the daimyo (the city overlord) but stealing nothing.
PICKWICK reconned the palace on the wing and identified the correct tower (but was shot at by guards and flew away). GEOFFREY scaled the tower with climbing claws, high above the glittering city lights
Commentary: PICKWICK is a bird-man, don't forget!
In the bedchamber he was tempted by an open box containing a 5,000 gp jewel-hoard. Stealing this, he raised the alarm and was brutally slain by samurai guards and tossed from the window.
Commentary: GEOFFREY failed the test - he was told by the guildmaster of thieves NOT to steal anything from the daimyo's tower, but either forgot or could not resist the pile of gems.
The surviving delvers fled into to the night, but not before poaching some choice items off GEOFFREY’s still-twitching corpse.
A sad end to delve #125, and a (perhaps unsurprising) lack of respect shown to the mortal remains of their former colleague. Next time we have a surprise replacement for GEOFFREY and some more adventures at sea.
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Post by therealcrenell on Dec 9, 2023 16:50:49 GMT -5
... he was told by the guildmaster of thieves NOT to steal anything from the daimyo's tower, but either forgot or could not resist the pile of gems Crenell convinced him it was the roguish thing to do Crenell had earlier been fetching a beer from the fridge when the guildmaster gave his warning The rest is history. Glyn was quite upset that night I still think it was the roguish thing to do
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Post by nialldubh on Dec 10, 2023 7:40:44 GMT -5
Gee Geoffrey, which part of "DO NOT STEAL ANYTHING!" was not comprehensible?
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