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Post by therealcrenell on Feb 21, 2024 5:00:37 GMT -5
This was one of mine (Pippy)
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Feb 23, 2024 10:16:55 GMT -5
DELVE 143.
THE SKY ROCK
Tuesday 14th March 2023.
Campaign year: Late autumn 512.
Online, ca. 8.30 pm to 11.45 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 5th level wizard; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue.
Locations: Yarimura; Fort Mereth; Fort Estgard; Nerech; Fort Estgard (again).
In Yarimura, GUS received a letter from his cousin stationed the northernmost fort on the Nerech wall, informing him of a ragged band of delvers taking refuge there.
He traded graft for passage on a boat and was only made to swim the final ¾ mile! Reunited once more, the delvers made many plans to advance but settled on aiming for Blessed Springs.
Those plans changed after walking the wall south-east as at the middle fort (Estgard) they were tasked with retrieving a mysterious sky rock (meteorite) that emitted an odd glow and made the beastmen of Nerech grow to 25’ tall!
Advancing into deepest Nerech, the delvers located the sky rock at the exact same time as a mercenary band from Yarimura. A fight erupted, spells were cast, dice tumbled and our heroes emerged victorious! They managed to get the rock inside a protective lead case, but not before some of them were irradiated, suffering nasty attribute damage (MR MILLER in fact lost a level).
Lugging the sky rock back to safety was much harder as the delvers realised they were being pursued by an army of beastmen. Four giant beastmen blocked the way forward and even though PICKWICK cast an almighty spell to trap one in an alternate dimension, the real stars were the consistently high-rolling of GUS, MR MILLER and CRENELL that managed to turn the tide of battle.
The sky rock was delivered to a priest at Estgard who promptly nicked off with it on horseback. Thankfully the delvers were rewarded with a.p., gold and the knowledge of a quest well completed!
An entertaining (and perilous) side-quest in delve #143. I wonder if we will hear from this priest and his sky-rock again? This write-up was done by Jeeves, I think, who plays Gus.
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Post by therealcrenell on Feb 26, 2024 5:22:59 GMT -5
The sky rock was delivered to a priest at Estgard who promptly nicked off with it on horseback... This wrongun is still at large, possibly somewhere north of the spine The delvers still trying to bring him to justice in summer 516 (/Feb 2024)
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Post by therealcrenell on Feb 26, 2024 5:23:22 GMT -5
Mild spolier sorry
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Feb 27, 2024 3:25:10 GMT -5
DELVE 144.
BACK IN THE ARMY
Sunday 19th March 2023.
Campaign year: Late autumn 512.
Online, ca. 8.00 pm to 11.30 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 5th level wizard; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior; MR MILLER (Glyn) 4th level rogue.
Locations: Fort Mereth; Fort Brilon; Blessed Springs; Venefax; Yellowport; Trefoille.
We open to find Private Sir Barton #7,422 in Fort Mereth, having re-enlisted in the Sokaran army, enjoying his service, his routine, the respect of earning an honest living and the stability of life away from delving. Having been asked by Captain Richard to courier a letter to Fort Estgard in a promotion drive, he encountered CRENELL, MR MILLER and PICKWICK outside the Fort, taking a well-earned break. The delvers, noting BARTON’s military garb, tried to convince BARTON to desert (again) but he was not convinced. BARTON delivered the message, only to be given a response to deliver back to Forth Mereth. The delvers nevertheless accompanied Barton back North-west, during which MR MILLER found a useful handaxe.
What followed was a comedy encounter with the two Daves (Big Dave and Little Dave) – sentries on the gate at Fort Mereth – and further requests for message delivery – which lead to BARTON going A.W.O.L., rejoining the delvers; BARTON is now a deserter for the second time.
Racing to stay ahead of the army’s search party, the delvers camped in a clearing close to Camp Brilon, when during the night, they found themselves sharing it with a party of carousing fairy-folk. They shared their sea shanties and cocktail recipes, and upon waking, many of the party were given the title of Elf-Friend. They were also provided with elf-provisions: a waybread and a bottle of fairy-mead each.
Then south to Blessed Springs, to find it Back Open For Business, following the delvers’ successful curing of the wizard plague. The delvers explored the newly opened resort town – the visit to the Springs, a bit of retail therapy at the Alchemist’s and finally a visit to one of the new taverns in town, the Stag (5/5, DelveAdvisor – “A restful night’s stay”). South again to Venefax, and a visit to the market.
Further travel leads the delvers to Yellowport – to find the place less odorous than normal. Disaster! It seems that the sulphur supply from the Stinking River has dried up, leading a number of merchants and businesses to shut up shop and leave town. Prices have doubled in town! But the remaining merchants, and the Provost, claim that it’s a natural cycle, and that the stinky yellow ore will be back in abundance soon enough. The delvers’ appeals to merchants to investigate the shortage fall on deaf ears – but it seems that something is afoot in the Lake of the Sea Dragon.
Finally, to Trefoille – the delvers find the place still in disrepair (despite over a decade of D.I.Y.). Oliphant has released himself of his self-imposed quarantine and is loving life again. For lifting the wizards plague and returning his freedom, Oliphant awarded the delvers with an a.p. boon, and the new password to the tomb in the Forest of Larun: “Astrolabe”. Oliphaunt had a new set of green (wizards’) keys cut, one of which he gave to the delvers; he also instructed CRENELL and some of the other delvers in the magical art.
An excellent and detailed write-up for delve #144 from Savage this time.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Mar 1, 2024 1:51:08 GMT -5
DELVE 145.
UNDER THE SEA (ONCE MORE)
Tuesday 21st March 2023.
Campaign year: Early winter 512.
Online, ca. 8.30 pm to 11.15 pm
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer; MR MILLER (Glyn) 4th level rogue.
Locations: Trefoille; Shadar Tor; undersea realms.
The delvers took the south road from Trefoille to the coast. At the Shadar Tor they deciphered the fabled ogham on the mighty obelisk and learned the water-breathing spell GIL. Stumbling upon an errant conch and placing it to his ear, MR MILLER could hear the voice of the water-sprite Quelpo, adamant he was beckoning him from beyond the reef.
Commentary: The last time the delvers explored under the sea they were on a quest for the aquatic postman and water-sprite known only as Quelpo.
A pair of incantations later, the daring delvers sprouted gills and dove beneath the waves toward the abyssal realm. They met the fencing master Cyrano the Swordfish (aka Sharko Polo) who bested Mr Miller in a friendly duel but trained him in the ways of combat.
Commentary: This encounter, with a swashbuckling fish, was derived from the Fighting Fantasy book "Demons of the Deep" by Steve Jackson (U.S.).
Wandering in watery groves they entered a witch’s cottage inside a bubble, took tea with their eldritch hostess (and her cat) and ate some of her restorative fruit. Later they located a great disintegrating shipwreck where CRENELL was banjaxed by a clamtrap.
With CRENELL trapped by the clam, they were immediately attacked by a terrifying giant spider crab! Remembering his colleague Giovanni’s advice on overcoming arachnid foes, CRENELL looked for a weak spot and aimed a precision strike. Instead, his spear pierced nothing more than salt water. The resulting situation was one of dire peril requiring the unorthodox use of a blessing of fortune. The three fortunes were in good humour as the reroll landed favourably. The delvers lived on.
Facing a formidable foe in its own habitat, the delvers gambled again, with neophyte spellster CRENELL casting OIL to blind and confuse the crab. Success! With this, the pair gained the initiative and quickly made tempura of the wretched beast, battered and skewered and served on deck!
Below decks they recovered a mystery tincture and a punnet of black pearls. The latter were given to the watery witch at her request. This pleased her greatly and the delvers were rewarded with a soggy boon and more fruit. There was considerable rejoicing as MR MILLER and CRENELL were eventually washed ashore, just as the GIL spell expired!
Commentary: I think the delvers also found a wax packet of old sea-maps depicting some previously unknown islands in the eastern oceans.
The delvers descended beneath the waves for a third time in delve #145, this time just to explore some of the places they missed last time. The curse of the two-player delve (nearly) struck again! Thanks to Pippy for the write-up.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Mar 17, 2024 6:44:42 GMT -5
DELVE 146.
MONSTER MASH
Friday 23rd March 2023.
Campaign year: Early winter 512.
Online, ca. 8.30 pm to 11.30 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 5th level wizard; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior; MR MILLER (Glyn) 4th level rogue.
Locations: Trefoille; Shadar Tor; Trefoille (again); Yellowport; Marlock City.
In Trefoille, we find PICKWICK pickwicking the wizard Oliphant’s brain for magic tips and tricks; meanwhile, having spotted a phalanx of Sokaran army ratings led by Captain Richard, BARTON made himself scarce by helping to install a damp-course in one of the many ruined buildings. The relative peace was ruined for the delvers, as Oliphant’s crystal ball warned that their comrades were to soon face mild to major peril near the Shadar Tor; PICKWICK and BARTON left immediately to the south.
Commentary: PICKWICK the bird-man is also a wizard on the side and BARTON is a recent deserter from the Sokaran army. Oliphaunt is a friendly wizard who lives in the ruined city of Trefoille, which is slowly being rebuilt by the Sokaran state.
Oliphant’s prognostications turned out to be accurate, as whilst sleeping at a camp, MR MILLER and CRENELL were ambushed by a motley crew of monsters – two mome-raths, an imp and a cruel! The delvers, unprepared for attack, threw lit torches at the mome-raths to distract them, but had to go toe to toe with the cruel and imp with minimal attack prowess; thankfully they survived with only minor cuts and bruises for that round at least, and readied themselves for battle.
Commentary: Readers may recall that Mome Raths come from Lewis Carroll's poem 'Jabberwocky', but the lesser-known Cruels were part of the White Witch's army in 'The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe'.
Rounding a hillock, BARTON and PICKWICK spotted the fracas in the distance – BARTON recognising the danger posed by the imp and mome-raths immediately, but completely failing to identify the cruel. Their peril realised, PICKWICK, cast a mighty ZAP on one of the mome-raths (PICKWICK hates mome-raths, it turns out), frying it to a crisp. BARTON closed the distance between him and the battle.
With one mome-rath out of the battle, CRENELL and MR MILLER went toe-to-toe with the remaining foes, with CRENELL using his knowledge of ancient Sokaran history & culture to severely insult the cruel, putting it off its stride. BARTON, now at medium range, attempted to fling his axe at the imp, but totally failed, the weapon landing short. Another ZAP from PICKWICK took out the final mome-rath. Using his rogueish wiles, MR MILLER then drew his opponents closer to the incoming delvers, and with a final ZAP and severe boule from the rest of the adventurers, the foes were vanquished. Much treasure was discovered on the foes, including dust from the Philosopher’s Stone (BARTON found 22 gp). CRENELL set about healing the minor wounds suffered by the party.
Commentary: This combat was filled with exciting gambits and stunts, following the examples set down by the legendary Trollszine article "Dare to D.A.R.O." Having said that, "Boule" is our term for a round of combat where the delves simply roll & sum their dice and adds, instead of any risky combat-capers.
Heading north, the reunited party settled down to camp again. At midnight, whilst on watch, PICKWICK alerts the party (Ka-KAAAWW!) to the approach of three hulking figures: Three mad axemen had come to harvest the heads of the party! Another battle occurred; and this time, although BARTON was unfamiliar with the foes, he could tell it was going to be serious...
...and it was – the first round leading to dangerous CON loss for the whole party: ribs were broken, limbs battered and bruised – but one of the axemen was also severely injured. BARTON downed his Strength Potion and with one of the axemen wounded, the next round was more in the delvers’ favour and the mad axemen were chopped down, one by one – but at a cost – the delvers are all at death’s door! But – there was another treasure boon ... with the discovery of another magic item – a bubbling bowl of Pea Soup (?) Replete with gems and gold, our delvers headed to Trefoille (where they found that Oliphaunt had departed) and thence to the market in Marlock City (via Yellowport, where they shunned the high prices due to the sulphur shortage, although MR MILLER managed to cure most of his radiation damage).
Commentary: You may remember that the Stinking River that feeds Yellowport with high-value sulphur had mysteriously ran clear, causing the bottom to fall out of the minerals market. MR MILLER had been irradiated whilst trying to recover a fallen star that had come to earth in the wild lands of Nerech.
Lots and lots of combat in delve #146 – a good test for the delvers, I thought, and good chance for them to try out their ingenuity when faced with tough opponents. An excellent write-up too – this time from Savage.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Mar 23, 2024 5:56:43 GMT -5
DELVE 147.
CLASSIC ADMIN-SESSION
Tuesday 28th March 2023.
Campaign year: Midwinter 513.
Online, ca. 8.30 pm to 11.00 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 5th level wizard; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior; GUS (Jeeves) 4th level warrior; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue.
Locations: Trefoille; Fort Mereth; Marlock City; Trefoille (again); Weary Pilgrim tavern.
The delvers met up in Marlock City (PICKWICK had trotted over from Trefoille, GUS had journeyed from the Wall in the company of the 4th [General Marlock’s Own] regt. of foot).
They bought a house on Whip-ma-Whop-ma Street, consulted with a sage regarding a number of magic items, visited the apothecary for some physical therapy and bought a range of delving gear.
They journeyed inland by road, passing through Trefoille where they met another band of delvers and swapped adventuring tales, then they checked in to the Weary Pilgrim roadside tavern and chatted with a bard.
Some rather low-key delving in #147, but some interesting roleplaying was done. Apologies for the slow pace of updates at the moment (I'm in the middle of moving house)!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Mar 27, 2024 13:21:49 GMT -5
DELVE 148.
THE PASSING OF PICKWICK
Thursday 6th April 2023.
Campaign year: Late winter 513.
Online, ca. 9.00 pm to 12.00 am.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer; PICKWICK (Scally) 5th level wizard; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue.
Locations: Weary Pilgrim; Lake of the Sea Dragon; Forest of Larun; Tomb of the Wizard-king.
Leaving behind the Weary Pilgrim tavern, the delvers journeyed on to the shores of the Lake of the Sea Dragon, where they spoke with the last fisherman remaining. Renting his boat (and buying from him a silver nugget) they sailed over the newly-fresh waters and located the sparse and craggy Isle of the Sea Dragon in their middle before abseiling down a treacherous sinkhole. The descent was extremely perilous, despite BARTON’s sturdy ropework. He and MR MILLER made safe progress into the abyss. PICKWICK spread his wings to glide downwards, but cracked a pinion on the rock wall and nearly plummeted to his doom. With a desperate dive, dropping his torch, BARTON somehow helped him onto a ledge. CRENELL followed. All four made it to the bottom.
Commentary: You may remember that the normally-sulphurous Lake had mysteriously ran clear (first spotted back in delve #144); the delvers were checking out this mystery and guessed it had something to with the Dragon that lives in an underwater cave beneath the Lake.
In the caves under the island, they found the sea dragon hibernating on its pile of treasure. They resisted the (great) temptation to help themselves to as much of the wealth as they could carry and resolved that they needed some kind of magic to wake the beast and restore the lake above to its regular polluted state (ensuring a ready cash-flow for the merchants of Yellowport).
Leaving the lake behind, they entered the primeval Forest of Larun and found the Tomb of the Wizard-king at its heart. Speaking the new password to the demon door, they descended into a spiral tunnel, where they passed the remains of a dozen traps, all of them sprung by a previous grave-robber. After a seemingly interminable trek they found a central chamber where their roguish predecessor had been fried by an exploding chest. PICKWICK used magic to place the chest in an extradimensional pocket, but this released a pressure-plate that reset all the traps in the rest of the tomb!
Commentary: This was the delvers' 2nd attempt on the Tomb of the Wizard King (the first was a long time before, in delve #40); they'd learned the new password from their wizard ally Oliphaunt in Trefoille (this was in delve #144).
The delvers managed to dodge or disarm most of these on their way out (several perilous Saving Rolls), but in one case BARTON was laid out by a gas trap (they placed his unconscious person in the same extradimensional space as the chest). However, they later foolishly sprang a pit trap, into which PICKWICK & CRENELL tumbled. In a desperate attempt to save his beaky brother, CRENELL grappled PICKWICK in mid air and wrapped him in a magic cloak. Despite this heroic effort, they were both horribly impaled on the spikes (the latter fatally; the former near-mortally). With his passing, PICKWICK’s magic was cancelled: BARTON and the treasure chest spilled back into three-dimensional space. The tomb-robbers’ expedition continued, but not before CRENELL extemporised a moving speech:
"How many delvers must die before these Fabled Lands are no longer troubled lands? Thus spake the erstwhile Lord Sir BARTON of Barton, friend of elves, foe of fiends.
"He watched through an iridescent pane from an eldritch plane, as a great flame was extinguished. He watched as a mighty sorcerer was impaled from cloaca to craw, white eyes writhing in his face, blood gargling from his riddled lungs, obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud.
"Hush, sweet PICKWICK. And what now for BARTON? Imprisoned in a dreamscape, in heady realms conjured by his fallen comrade? Will he ever taste the thrill of the delve again? Or damned eternal to wander strange plains in search of lost friends?"
An unusual ending for delve #148 – their escape from the Tomb will continue next time. We mark the passing of the heroic delver PICKWICK. (I'll do some final stat-cards for the delvers who have perished lately and post them up on here.) The dungeon with the sprung traps that re-set at the centre was taken from the D&D 3rd edition "Book of Challenges". The lament for Pickwick was composed by delver Pippy.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Apr 19, 2024 7:10:39 GMT -5
DELVE 149.
THE (BRIEF) RETURN OF PICKWICK
Wednesday 12th April 2023.
Campaign year: Early spring 513.
Online, ca. 8.30 pm to 11.15 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer; ADELIA (Scally) 4th level alchemist; BARTON (Savage) 5th level warrior; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (4th level warrior).
Locations: Weary Pilgrim; Blessed Springs; Tomb of the Wizard King; Forest of Larun.
After serving at the Weary Pilgrim tavern for a season, GUS was contracted to take a message to ADELIA’s Discount Potion Shoppe in Blessed Springs. Upon his arrival at the Shoppe a tremor in the magical energies (no doubt triggered by the passing of Pickwick last delve) caused an explosion in ADELIA’s workshop teleporting GUS and ADELIA to the spiked pit in the Tomb of the Wizard King, where Pickwick’s corpse lay alongside BARTON (who had popped back into existence).
Commentary: The above was a rather convoluted/torturous attempt by the GM to convene the party in the dungeon together, and to introduce new delver ADELIA.
PICKWICK was treated to a delver’s funeral (i.e. his former companions looted his corpse) and after introductions, the party made to escape the dungeon.
BARTON’s (faulty) memory was being used to guide everyone out of the dungeon. After much deliberation, CRENELL decided that necromancy was the solution to the trap-laden corridors and raised Pickwick’s corpse with ADELIA casting a controlling spell to send Pickwick into the next corridor.
With the trap sprung, the delvers stepped over the bisected remains of Pickwick and peered round the corner to see that the next corridor was blackened and charred.
A prolonged discussion was had between the delvers which resulted in CRENELL entering the room, fumbling the location of the trap and setting off a fireball severely singing himself, GUS and MR MILLER. ADELIA only managed a last second NIX (and a wipe-out of WIZ) in order to avoid an untimely death.
Commentary: NIX is a 'dispel magic' spell. As ADELIA was 'reflex-casting' we made her make a DEX Saving Roll as well as an IQ roll to produce the magic.
The final chamber before the exit was much more easily navigated by MR MILLER who crept into the room and unpicked the mechanism to stop a swinging axe trap.
Once outside, the wary delvers, suspecting that the chest they had dredged up from the dungeon was heavily trapped, tried to create some protection from the expected spell. A palisade was constructed with their chopping axes at the expense of the local vegetation but this was not enough to save them from the large explosion that came from the magically trapped chest. CRENELL quickly pulled the stopper on his bottle and a genie materialised in time to negate the explosion.
Commentary: CRENELL had been hanging on to his genie bottle for quite a while.
The party finished the dungeon severely enriched and heavily chastened by the experience.
The exit from the Tomb of the Wizard King took up the whole of delve #149 and was much more difficult than the entry. Two TPKs were averted by desperate roleplaying and decisive magic item usage. Always fun!
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Post by nialldubh on Apr 20, 2024 4:44:40 GMT -5
Presume this is Jeeves?
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Apr 20, 2024 7:15:03 GMT -5
Presume this is Jeeves? That's right! Apologies for the typo! 🙂
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Apr 21, 2024 3:13:25 GMT -5
DELVE 150.
THE TOWN FETE
Thursday 20th April 2023.
Campaign year: Mid-spring 513.
Online, ca. 9.30 pm to 11.00 pm.
GM: Pippy.
Delvers: ADELIA (Scally) 4th level alchemist; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (4th level warrior).
Locations: Forest of Larun; Caran Baru.
Recuperating from the large negated explosion of the chest, MR MILLER, GUS and ADELIA were met by a trapper (Susan) who told them of an approaching feast day in Caran Baru.
The delvers made it to the edge of the forest and back to town uneventfully with the aid of Susan with the preparations for the feast day well underway.
After checking themselves into a local tavern and freshening up, the party headed into town to find what was happening. The Feast day of Ulfhilda was in full swing with a game of Chase the Cob in progress outside the tavern, all three delvers were unceremoniously dumped onto the ground in pursuit of the Cob as the game moved off towards the main gate.
Commentary: A cob is another word for a round flattish loaf of bread, also known as a boule.
Dusting themselves off, the group made their way to the festival field where both MR MILLER (aka Miller the Great, Pigeon Fancier Extraordinaire) and ADELIA (accompanied by beautiful assistant Chebbie McGee – aka GUS) performed feats of magic in the talent show.
ADELIA’s performance making GUS disappear from the stage and reappearing at the back of the audience just carried the vote ahead of MILLER’s pigeon flying formation and choir.
Moving onto “Kicking the Cob” GUS spectacularly failed, kicking the loaf through the chapel window and injuring himself in the process. MR MILLER, however, was much more successful registering the first completed kick over the bell tower in 40 years of the feast.
All our heroes proved spectacularly incompetent when attempting to estimate the weight of a huge sourdough loaf sculpted in the image of Ulfhilda, which was won by a local woman.
After the festivities, the party went back to recuperate at the tavern ready to delve again.
I wasn't present for delve #150 (I was on holiday in Croatia), so Pippy took over and presented the fun and games of a town fete, which sounds like it was a lot of fun.
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Apr 23, 2024 8:46:34 GMT -5
DELVE 151.
THE KIDNAPPED PRINCESS
Tuesday 25th April 2023.
Campaign year: Mid-spring 513.
Online, ca. 8.15 pm to 11.30.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: ADELIA (Scally) 4th level alchemist; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (4th level warrior); CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer.
Locations: Forest of Larun; Caran Baru; Bronze Hills; River Grimm; Conflass.
CRENELL was reunited with ADELIA, GUS and MR MILLER in Caran Baru. (Throughout the recent Feast day of Ulfhilda, Crenell had taken a sabbatical in the Forest of Larun, practising tree climbing and taking commune with the woodland denizens.) In Caran Baru the delvers bought gear and obtained blessings. ADELIA attempted to identify their magic items using her spells.
After a long day they were relaxing in the local tavern when they were summoned to speak to Sir Bredubar’s grotty squire Tyrone. He reminded them of a prior quest engagement to kidnap Princess Nema of Sokara, Prince Nergan’s sister. Readers may remember that Nema had been forced to marry General Marlock, and their son is understood to be the heir to the throne of Sokara. As soon as the child was born, Nema was taken from her and sent to work down the pit.
The delvers pledged to fulfil the quest and the squire was duly shooed. After a short huddle the delver’s decided it would be more noble to subvert Sir Bredobar’s sordid scheme and instead intercept Nema and free her.
They went to the Bronze Hills (where Nema was believed to be held as a scullion) and signed up as miners. They tried to find Princess Nema from her brother’s likeness on an old gold piece. CRENELL was unsuccessful in his attempts to flirt with the dinner ladies. GUS attempted to use his aristocratic credentials to discern the mannerisms of the princess. MR MILLER disguised himself as a mop and found his way into the miners’ canteen; there he identified Nema washing the pots, gained her trust and told her of the dreadful plotting.
Just as the delvers were about to spirit her away the Sokaran cavalry appeared with General Marlock at the helm. The General began a tiresome oratory to an assembly of miners, but MR MILLER & CRENELL pulled down a pit-prop and GUS unleashed his magical bowl of Pea Soup releasing a cloud of obscuring fog. In the confusion Nema and the delvers made good their escape, over the hills and far away. To Conflass!
Delve #151 saw a return to a long-overdue quest from many delves back. Hopefully this will be resolved soon!
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schmee
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 214
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Post by schmee on Apr 26, 2024 15:59:52 GMT -5
DELVE 152.
FLEEING WITH THE PRINCESS
Tuesday 2nd May 2023.
Campaign year: Late spring 513.
Online, ca. 8.30 pm to 11.00 pm.
GM: Schmee.
Delvers: ADELIA (Scally) 4th level alchemist; MR MILLER (Glyn) 5th level rogue; GUS (4th level warrior); CRENELL (Pippy) 5th level healer.
Locations: Conflass; Whistling Heath; Castle Ravayne.
The delvers journeyed to Castle Ravayne across the Whistling Heath with Princess Nema. They encountered the wicked Sir Bredubar’s squire who was shooed away once more as they pressed on. With nous and stealth they identified the boy Grove Marlock at Castle Ravayne and reunited him with his mother. There was much emotion. A careful plan was hatched to spirit the youngster away overnight. More guile and distraction was required. They all made it out, plotting with haste another overland course towards Northern Sokara.
As they took camp beneath the stars in a cypress-lined field of wheat, the fugitives took their rest. They were sure they could hear Sir Bredubar and his henhmen sharpening their blades in the distance... perchance merely the farmhand readying his scythe for the morrow... they slept uneasily...
The quest moved on a bit more in delve #152 (the details of Prince Grove's escape were unfortunately not recorded), but is this the calm before the storm due in delve #153?
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