schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Jan 16, 2024 13:52:52 GMT -5
Presumably they did indeed steal the magic fruit then? Reprehensible, who would have thought Delvers were capable of such base behaviour, etc. I enjoyed this write up very much. It saddens me to say that they did raid the fruit bowl, and did not get a proper comeuppance for this crime 😞 (Not yet, anyway!) Glad you enjoyed the write-up! As Scally says, it always seems to be more exciting when there are only 2 delvers.
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Post by therealcrenell on Jan 18, 2024 0:31:13 GMT -5
Death or glory! Double delving is death delving of course Surprised we got away with it in delve 134 Schmee must've been in good humour that night Fondly remember Pickwick's tendency to fly off and leave his comrades in the lurch
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mosker
5th Level Troll
Posts: 541
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Post by mosker on Jan 18, 2024 16:57:39 GMT -5
As Scally says, it always seems to be more exciting when there are only 2 delvers. More exciting because fewer individuals=less opportunity to spread the blame when things go wrong.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Jan 19, 2024 5:28:10 GMT -5
More exciting because fewer individuals=less opportunity to spread the blame when things go wrong. I think might be because there are fewer "voices of sanity" offering caution vs. a delver's natural recklessness. 🤔
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Jan 20, 2024 4:29:32 GMT -5
DELVE 135.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GUS BRONZEMERE?
Saturday 28th January 2023.
Campaign year: Late spring 512.
Online, 8.45 pm – 11.15 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 4th level wizard; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior.
Locations: Marlock City; Ringhorn; Castle Ravayne; Delpton; Singing Forest.
As the sun was setting over the walls of the General’s Palace in Marlock City, GUS awoke in a flowerbed. He had fallen off the roof during the fight with gargoyles and miraculously escaped detection. He dusted himself off and bluffed his way past the gate-guards back into the city, where he made straight for a barber shop and requested a new haircut (number-1-all-over).
Commentary: You might remember that fellow delver GUS went missing in delve #133 whilst raiding the general's palace in Marlock City.
At the barber’s GUS received a message left by PICKWICK and CRENELL and, taking action on its contents, took passage on board a ship (owned by the barber’s brother-in-law) to join the other two delvers in Ringhorn. In that city they investigated the missing golden mail of Tyrnai and learned that it was kept in a place called the Vault of Sig (location unknown).
CRENELL visited the temple of Elnir to give up his faith (the priests were unimpressed but unsurprised), and the delvers stocked up on blessings (which were to prove crucial later). Taking a river boat to Castle Ravayne, they were accosted by a scruffy knave and taken to see Sir Bredubar, living in a stolen cottage. He reminded them of their quest for the Marshal of Yellowport (to kidnap the secret heir to the republic of Sokara). They boated on to Delpton, taking advantage of the on-board all-you-can-eat salad buffet; then crossed into Harkuna and explored the Singing Forest, getting some loot from a band of invisible goblins (a treasure-map, I think). PICKWICK spoke the Language of the Birds to the singing nightingales who warned them that a team of assassins were approaching. The delvers were embroiled in a fight with this deadly trio and only just survived!
Lots of events in Delve #135, and it was good to see the return of GUS. The delvers also found an important clue for one of their ongoing side-quests.
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Post by therealcrenell on Jan 22, 2024 11:36:09 GMT -5
Late on this
Nonetheless here's a short biography for Crenell who was first a delver in delve #111
Delver Biographies ==================
#1. "CRENELL"
Full name: Crenell Barquelayh
Born: Winter 479, Spelk Terrace, Blessed Springs, Sokara
Son of a bottle washer and a failed druid.
He has many siblings in Blessed Springs including Jeanelle, a street performer and Cornell, the town butcher.
He washed bottles for his father's struggling business until his late adolescence when he travelled south to study as a healer at Venefax Infirmary (now overrun by Scorpion Men).
His disappointed father had hoped he may graduate to the station of chief bottler or even potion salesman.
Chance led him to a delvers' life when he crossed paths with Gus, Geoffrey and Pickwick whilst on sabbatical in Golnir.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Jan 24, 2024 2:55:50 GMT -5
DELVE 136.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FEES
Sunday 29th January 2023.
Campaign year: Late spring 512.
Online, 7.30 pm – 22.45 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 4th level wizard; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue.
Locations: Wishport coast; Singing Forest; Castle Barton; Golnirean coast; Ringhorn; Castle Ravayne; Marmorek; northern Harkuna; Castle Barton (again); Singing Forest (again); Ringhorn (again).
PICKWICK and CRENELL were exploring the semi-tropical Singing Forest. They found the way out and headed south to Castle Barton to heal up, but they were instead struck with a 1,150 gp bill for repairs and maintenance. They paid all they had as a deposit and negotiated a week’s grace with the creditors.
Commentary: Castle Barton is the hold of fellow delver BARTON. Lucky for him he was absent when this lengthy invoice arrived in the post!
Meanwhile, MR MILLER made a perilous sea voyage from Wishport to Ringhorn meeting a ship of pirates and two separate storms, which he managed to navigate. At Ringhorn port he travelled inland to meet with his two friends near Castle Ravayne. Impecunious in the extreme, they blagged and bartered their way up the Rese River on a commercial barge, passing though Delpton and getting off at Marmorek.
Commentary: MR MILLER's fear of sea-travel is legendary a throughout the fantastical realms (odd for a former sailor), so this solo trip was quite stressful for him.
They searched northern Harkuna for the buried treasure (shown on the map they got from the goblins last delve), but got lost instead. They met various encounters including an unfriendly mercenary contingent, whom they managed to convince they were on a quest for a lord of Aku, avoiding enslavement and humiliation. Later they spotted a landmark from the map and dug up the goblin treasure in a fairy coffer. PICKWICK, using his wizard’s skills, realised that it held a fairy curse so they left it unopened. They returned to Delpton and sold their armour and other valuable items to raise funds.
Returning to the Castle, they paid the overdue fees and found that the castle orchard had returned to bloom (a gift of the druids’ favour, perhaps?) PICKWICK opened the fairy chest and was blasted with the curse of vulnerability (but it did contain a reasonable amount of treasure). With the Castle accounts back in the black, CRENELL made a short trip to forage for herbs in the Singing Forest, and then the delvers made the pleasant journey back over the Golnirean border and down to Ringhorn.
Commentary: I think PICKWICK's curse meant that his armour stopped taking hits in combat.
Delve #136 kept the delvers humble: a reminder of how things were at the very beginning of the delve, without money for provisions, travel and other essentials. They managed to turn the corner by digging up the fairy hoard, though, so things might get back to normal-ish next time.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Jan 28, 2024 16:52:48 GMT -5
DELVE 137.
NOT MUCH HAPPENED
Sunday 5th February 2023.
Campaign year: Early summer 512.
Online, 7.45 pm – 8.45 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: PICKWICK (Scally) 4th level wizard; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue.
Locations: Ringhorn.
The delvers were celebrating PICKWICK & Mr MILLER’s birthdays in the Old Bell tavern in Ringhorn. They got chatting to an old rogue, whom they plied with aged lambics; he revealed that there once a plot to burgle the Vault of Sig by the thieves’ guild in Yarimura, before passing out. Last orders had been called, so the delvers retired for the evening.
Delve #137 was one of the briefest on record – a couple of very late cancellations ("bails") meant that we started the delve, but drew it to a conclusion very shortly afterward.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Jan 29, 2024 7:15:16 GMT -5
DELVE 138.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Thursday 9th February 2023.
Campaign year: Early summer 512.
Online, 7.30 pm – 22.45 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 4th level wizard; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior.
Locations: Ringhorn; Violet Ocean; Ringhorn; Castle Ravayne; Castle Barton; Ringhorn (again).
Boarding their ship, the Kingfisher, the delvers sailed south out of Ringhorn planning to trade in the islands of the Violet Ocean. They came across an enchanted storm near Braelak Isle; PICKWICK cast a magic bubble around the ship to save it; then another (natural) storm blew some of the delvers’ equipment overboard.
Later, a flock of strange birds lit upon the ship; under their strange magic MR MILLER & CRENELL were turned into birds and joined the flock as the birds flew away. PICKWICK saved them by used the magic spell PUL to draw them back to the ship. MR MILLER & CRENELL used their mental powers to overcome the bird-mind and take back control of their senses, but they remained in bird shape. The crew made them a wire cage to live in and PICKWICK took over as acting captain.
Under PICKWICK’s direction, the ship sailed back to Ringhorn, where the delvers disembarked and took a boat upriver to Castle Ravayne, GUS and PICKWICK each carrying a bird-cage. At the Ravayne they crossed over the river into Harkuna and arrived at Castle Barton. Their castle was soon laid siege and captured by a bandit army. The castle was lost and the delvers fled to Ringhorn.
There they sold enough high-value items to fund a bunch of expensive herbs, which CRENELL used to cure his own bird-curse. They treated with a wandering pedlar who offered knock-down prices for their magical trinkets, but rebuffed him and used their saint’s relic (St. Bartholomew the Unnamed) to cure MR MILLER’s curse.
Delve #138: Two of our delvers were (briefy) transformed into birds, and they lost Castle Barton to some bandits!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Jan 31, 2024 9:39:14 GMT -5
DELVE 139.
MAGWORT MARSH MISADVENTURE
Saturday 11th February 2023.
Campaign year: Midsummer 512.
Online, 8.15 pm – 11.00 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior.
Locations: Magwort Fens; Ringhorn; Wishport.
BARTON was knee-deep in the Magwort Fens, a dangerous and water-logged part of Golnir. He tried to find his way out but got lost and was ambushed by a gang of two-dozen argumentative Rarfs, who he defeated in a slightly hairy combat. He then staggered on, coming across a carnivorous garden tended by a green mummy. He took out the mummy with a well-aimed stinkpot from his staff sling then set about pruning the deadly Screaming Pods. Later on in his rambling he was set upon by a White Witch and her Cynocephalus dogsbody.
Meanwhile, CRENELL had set out from Ringhorn towards the Fens on a herb-gathering expedition. On the way he spoke with both the Golnirean militia and some smugglers, who told him that Castle Barton had now been renamed “Castle Bandit” by its new owners. CRENELL marched into the swamp, just in time to help BARTON against the witch (he was having trouble dodging her petrification spells). The Witch was finally dispatched by a direct hit from BARTON’s last stinkpot. The witch’s charabang was full of treasures, including a boxes of Turkish Delight and a two unidentified magic items.
The two delvers soon made it back out of the Fens near Wishport where they took a break to collect some blessings and supplies.
Quite a lot of combat for Sir Barton in delve #139, but he was rescued just-in-time by the late arrival of Crenell. I can't remember what the magic items were - perhaps one of the delvers could chip in?
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Feb 9, 2024 1:40:59 GMT -5
DELVE 140.
GRAND TOUR OF THE FABLED LANDS
Saturday 18th February 2023. Campaign year: Late summer 512. Cambridge, 11.00 am – 6.00 pm (including lunch at the Castle Inn). GM: Schmee. Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 4th level wizard; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior. Locations: Wishport; Metriciens; Ringhorn; Violet Ocean; Marlock City; Smogmaw; Weeping Jungles; Dunpala; Smogaw (again); Brazen. BARTON AND CRENELL travelled from Wishport to Metriciens where they arranged for their new magic items to be evaluated by Nicholas the Sage (these turned out to be: an Ankonkonese cursing finger, a “Year-dot” anti-ageing device, and an anti-undead holy relic of St Bartholomew the Unnamed).
They met with PICKWICK in Ringhorn. BARTON visited the merchants’ guild to cash-in some shares, only to learn that his investment had been squandered on (another) ill-conceived badger farming project.
Together they decided to make the long sea voyage towards Disaster Bay carrying the Heart of Harkun. After refitting the ship, shopping for blessings and loading up on cargo (furs & grain) they set sail into the Violet Ocean.
Commentary: You may remember tbat the delvers have a quest to destroy the Heart by casting into a sea-cave in the far northern oceans.
Whilst sailing east across open seas they discovered a body on deck: Roger the cabin boy had been bludgeoned and strangled. The delvers conducted an investigation and an able seaman named Timon confessed to the murder. He was made to walk the plank and an appropriate ceremony was held for the cabin boy. They sailed on.
They then fled from pirates near Marlock City, and subsequently encountered a mischievous sea witch living on a rock who demanded from each of the delvers “that which they cannot live without”. PICKWICK gave all of the drinking water on board the ship, BARTON gave up his staff-sling and stinkpots, CRENELL gave up herbs and eventually his (self-proclaimed) immortality.
Commentary: I was rather unimpressed with BARTON & CRENELL's claim that these meagre items met the witch"s criterion, but they somehow managed to convince her.
Now running low on vital supplies (after PICKWICK gave up their water) they eventually docked at Marlock City to sell their cargo for a moderate profit. After the Marlock restock they set sail into the Violet Ocean once more, with even more pomp and circumstance than before. Blood-tinged Hugh (the ship’s shantyman) led a rendition of the ship’s song and Stu the Chef provided ship’s biscuits & gravy for all.
The mood soon turned foul when the whole crew other than first-mate Dempsey summarily carked it from the yellow plague. It took four blessings of immunity to keep the delvers alive. PICKWICK tried to control the ropes & sails singlehandedly using a mighty spell. Sadly he fumbled the magic and (lacking a wizard’s staff) capsized the ship, sinking it.
The delvers were washed aground at Smogmaw. They sought respite at Mamajambo’s nightclub, taking up the 2-for-1 cocktails deal. Still inebriated, BARTON tried to swim across the harbour to touch the statue of Alvir and Valmir (an act which grants the swimmer the blessing of those two gods) but was instead half eaten by a crocodile after about 30 seconds. The indomitable former Lord tried again and succeeded, but not before his pouch of 1,000 gp was lost to the Nozama riverbed.
Former delving colleague Sacha had a cousin (named Gnasha) has been looking after his old shack on Qaq Row. The delvers paid off Gnasha for his housesitting services and reclaimed the ca. 3,000 gp that Sacha had left stashed under the floorboards. They bought a new ship, a small barque with a rather poor crew, which they named the Wonkonkanú. (As any ship can fall victim to maritime perils, the delvers calculated that the extra investment of a better ship wasn’t worth it.)
Commentary: SACHA was last seen trapped on the other side of a fairy door on the Curstmoor.
BARTON then insisted on an eleventh hour bimble upcountry into the jungly interior of Ankon-konu. They tried (and failed to find the Macaw people who had allegedly robbed the temple to Glimbinki in Smogmaw. Instead the delvers found a strange monkey statue, which on inspection teleported them to the southern city of Dunpala.
Commentary: The delvers had received a quest from the priest of Glimbinki (the Pluméd One) to recover their stolen idol.
They bought a ticket on a riverboat back up the Nozama to Smogmaw and then sailed their new barque up to the mining port of Brazen on the Copper Isle. There, the cargo of spices that they’d bought in Smogmaw fetched 4,500 gp. There was much rejoicing. Then followed much discussion on the matter of how best to get the Heart of Harkun up to Yarimura, with no clear consensus.
A great deal of sea-travel and adventuresome events were packed into delve #140, which was another real-life delve hosted at my house in Cambridge. Thanks to Pip, Scal & Savage for making the trip!
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scally
1st Level Troll
Posts: 42
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Post by scally on Feb 9, 2024 7:33:03 GMT -5
Thank you, Schmee, for hosting. It was an excellent weekend of excess, as I remember! That was when we got punted on the Cam, yes?
I do love an IRL delve and crossing the Violet Ocean in a ‘One-Con-Canoe’ is excitement worthy of driving 200miles for!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Feb 10, 2024 3:51:28 GMT -5
Thanks Scal! The trip on the Cam was a different (non-delving) visit the previous summer – a blazing hot day. We wouldn't have gone punting in February!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Feb 19, 2024 11:35:28 GMT -5
DELVE 141.
DELVERS BACK TOGETHER
Thursday 2nd March 2023.
Campaign year: Early autumn 512.
Online, 8.30 pm – 10.45 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 4th level wizard; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue.
Locations: Brazen; Ringhorn; Yellowport; Trefoille; Caran Baru; Fort Mereth; Disaster Bay; Yarimura.
PICKWICK, BARTON and CRENELL were on Copper Isle. They visited some of the temples and then went to the mines, where they sold a stash of metals that they were gifted four-and-a-half years earlier by the merchants of Brazen, leaving them with 4,000 gp each. They left instructions with Dempsey, their first mate, to keep their ship in harbour until they returned. Descending deeper into the mines they used their wizards’ key to enter a magic portal leading to the ruined city of Trefoille in Sokara.
GUS and MR MILLER were in Ringhorn. Selling almost everything in their possession, they bought passage to Yellowport. Leaving the town they headed towards Trefoille, but on the way they met Yanryt the Son, who told them of the revived Black Knight of Dragon Castle, now returned as a Death Knight. At Trefoille they met up with their friends.
In Trefoille the delvers spoke with Oliphaunt (still isolating under his tower). He teleported them to Caran Baru, where they spent a lot of money on weapons, equipment and armour – in particular, Crenell spent 600 gp on a dagger(!) Leaving town, they journeyed to the wall on the border with Nerech and traded with a gem dealer at Fort Mereth. Heading north to the shore of Disaster Bay, the paid a fisherman to take them by boat to Yarimura.
At Yarimura, BARTON bought a house and MR MILLER bought a new ship (the Gobstopper), making ready to sail to the Mouth of Harkun – the last stage of their quest to end the wizard plague.
Apologies for the delay with delve #141 – I'd reached the end of the delves which were formally written-up and needed to work with our notes from the time. The delvers are now back together, and are proceeding on the next stage of their big quest!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 215
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Post by schmee on Feb 21, 2024 4:18:37 GMT -5
DELVE 142.
THE MOUTH OF HARKUN (AT LAST)
Saturday 4th March 2023.
Campaign year: Early autumn 512.
Online, 8.00 pm – 11.30 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 4th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 4th level wizard; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue.
Locations: Yarimura; Far Northern Waters; Mouth of Harkun; Nerech; Fort Mereth.
The delvers resumed activities in Yarimura. They gathered equipment and blessings. Once the redoubtable Gobstopper was sea-ready they gained passage through the harbour barrier, setting a course towards the Mouth of Harkun. They navigated choppy seas and twenty leagues north, the fabled orifice presented itself, all stony and ominous.
At this point they realised they had been tracked over sea by General Marlock’s men! Three large caravels with cannon at the ready came into view!! PICKWICK created a field of force to protect from the triple broadside whilst CRENELL made a lewd gesture and performed a bawdy madrigal. A great sea battle ensued and our heroes were triumphant.
Pressing on, Captain MR MILLER employed expert seamanship to steer the creaking boat towards the mouth, supported by CRENELL’s rousing speech to firm the loins of the wavering crew.
As salty winds howled, BARTON stood erect aboard the crumbling vessel, his trusty bodkin in hand, bow at the ready. He attached the fabled Heart of Harkun to his truest arrow and unleashed a mighty shot worthy of the gods. The Heart plunged into the mouth of Harkun. The wizard’s plague had been ended!
There was more rejoicing than ever before. Even the ship’s cat meowed with delight.
However... soon after, joy turned to despair as the Gobstopper was struck by a mighty wave that spewed out of the Mouth and sunk. The crew (and cat) were lost but the delvers survived.
Making a bedraggled landfall on Nerech with all equipment, weapons and armour gone, they journeyed across the stony wasteland, fought off (unarmed) a large band of beastmen and made it to Fort Mereth, MR MILLER extremely severely injured.
Delve #142 saw our party complete the quest of the Heart of Harkun and the Wizard Plague, which was a long time coming. The above write-up was composed by either Savage or Pippy (memory fails!) – would either of you like to claim it?
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