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1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24 CHA check
Spectacular success! Your plan with the interjection by Jacques works very well and Garin spills the beans.
Mettara and Yurzag are the leaders of their clan, which are mostly refugees from the Bone March and the lands of Knurl that fell under humanoid sway. Many of the men in the group are wanted for petty crimes in various jurisdictions, or had no skill or money to make a living behind the protective walls of one of the nearby cities.
Garin suspects that Mettara and Yurzag and several other men in the group are werewolves. Mettara and Yurzag are not cruel and treat the clan members well, but they are despots and assert their will through force.
The hints about possibly curing the lycanthropy brings "significant looks" from the scavenging party.
Garin says that the clan members would love to stay on this land and become normal citizens again if given a chance. He is not sure about Mettara and Yurzag and their immediate followers, but he knows they don't want to fight unnecessarily.
Your checks of the mines, with Belric's knowledge, reveal that they will need significant work to get them productive again, many having collapsed in numerous places.
A survey of the land reveals much devastation, destroyed farmsteads, spoils of war. It will take a couple of years, maybe longer, to begin settling the land effectively again. The clan of 40-50 refugees you found would be a great boon to kick start that process.
At night, nothing unusual happens. Some wildlife sniffs about.
Leaving the camp behind, the party approaches the abandoned mines. Mining equipment and debris is scattered all around the entrances. As you check the exterior for signs of intruders, three men wearing studded leather armor, heavy crossbows, battleaxes and torches emerge from one of the mine shafts.
A brief discussion with them reveals that they are from the same camp and searching the mines for scavengable items.
One of them, Garin, seems a bit more approachable and reveals that the camp's leader's name is Yurzag and that many of them are reformed bandits and outlaws who sought a new life away from strife so their children might be able to grow up. He admits they've had mixed results.
Upon hearing that Belric is the new appointed lord of the land, Garin states that he and the others will talk to Yurzag and discuss the implications. Garin says that they figured this day was inevitable, especially after hearing of the defeat dealt to the Bone March forces in the siege of Knurl.
When Belric reveals himself, the guards ready their longbows (not drawing them yet) and call for someone named "Mettara!"
You note that two of the wolves disappear into the woods at the back of the camp, while another two take up flanking positions and seek cover near some of the huts.
The women hustle the kids into the huts, while several of them also position themselves near bows leaning against some of the huts.
"Mettara" arrives within a few seconds. He's a burly man wearing leather armor and carrying a massive club. He stands off about 50 feet and listens to Belric's claims of being their liege lord.
"I don't know what mushrooms you've been eating dwarf, but this is our land. The Count of Knurl hasn't been this way in many years and we've settled this land now. We hunt and fish and raise our children here. We want no trouble with anyone. We want to be left alone."
You track the wolves for a few hundred yards before the trail goes cold, but it leads in the general direction of the abandoned mines in the area. Moving with caution, the party approaches a clearing that has paths leading up to the mines leading from it. Crude wooden huts and tents dot the clearing. From about 100 yards away and concealed among the fern and trees, you can see that there are a couple of longbow armed humans on guard duty and there are children playing and women and older men working among the huts and tents. There are chickens, deer carcasses and a about a half dozen very large wolves scattered about. The wolves are releaxed but several of them sniff the air at times.
These folks are on your land.
The rest of the night is uneventful. Distant howling keeps you on edge, but you are not attacked further.
The wolfman's halberd is a +1 magical weapon, upon further evaluation.
A party post about how you all want to proceed is what's needed.
Don't make it too complex.
Agathon attacks the possible werewolf and his dancing sword and battleaxe hit. The creature gives forth an ungodly howl and drops to the ground, unmoving. Verlik misses. Jacques takes his action.
The remaining wolves flee the fight, bounding into darkness, yelping.
I made a mistake. Belric did not get hit. I was looking at the wrong PC sheet for his AC.
Agathon continues to move into the fight, making a lot of noise along the way. [ooc]Dex check 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19 to run at full speed in the dark. He arrives at the melee at the end of this round.
Verlik attacks wolf #2 with his heavy mace 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Edgar hangs back with Thaddeus, obviously very apprehensive about the whole concept of battle in the dark forests. He has a death grip on his staff.
Garsh continues to jog up in a battlefield strut, his heavy crossbow loaded and his battleaxe loose in its frog on his back.
Jacques stays ahead of Thaddeus. 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 for wisdom check to spot hidden threats. He spots nothing unusual
Wolf #1 attacks Belric 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 Belric takes 6 pts of damage
Wolf #2 attacks Belric 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Wolf #3 attacks Verlik 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
A previously unseen wolf creature, a bipedal thing with a wolf's head and lots of fur appears on Agathon's side and arc swings a massive halberd at him 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Thaddeus jogs on. At the end of the round he can hear Belric up ahead and casts message on Belric and Agathon.
Belric's attack hits wolf#1. The creature yelps in pain, as the attack slices open an impressive wound.
So, at the end of the round, Thaddeus, Jacques, Edgar and Garsh are still a round out, but can hear the battle through the trees up ahead, probably about 70 feet away.
Agathon is in melee with a wolf man wielding a halberd. Belric and Verlik are next to each other fighting three wolves, about 30 feet from Agathon. The terrain is rough mixed forest hills. There is plenty of available terrain and foliage cover.
Initiative order now: Agathon, Verlik, the henchmen (I roll all their initiatives at once to keep it less complex), Jacques, Wolves, Thaddeus and Belric.
Agathon moves through the forested hills at as much of a rapid pace as he can manage. He is is 04.07 at the end of this round.
Verlik attacks a wolf with his mace, missing. The rest of the henchmen are in square 03.06, moving up at a combat ready trot.
The three wolves
Thaddeus and Jacques move up as well. It's too dark and the terrain too rough to see Belric and Verlik.
Wolf #1 attacks Belric, missing. Wolf #2 attacks Verlik, missing.
Wolf #3 is obviously alerted to the presence of more incoming opponents and moves away to the northwest about 30 feet, sniffing and giving forth a series of rapid piercing yips.
Belric misses.
His gang is sizable, I've been told. I'm sure they have lots of magic. The palanquin that attacked you is part of a group of undead airborne pirates that prey on aerial shipping and shipping on the lake below. They don't mess with us, though. As far as your reward, it will be substantial...if you bring him to me, I will pay you all the equivalent of 75,000 gp of magical gear. I can give you a write as you desire. To return, just fly on up above the lake and we'll find you, or come to the edge of the lake to a town named Ezia and go to the "Storm Queen's Inn." We'll find you.
Panzadeya does detect evil on the queen.
Jughead's question is greeted with a sneer. "Let me worry about that."
Belric and Verlik throw their pebbles, striking nothing. Something stirs in the bushes, however. Beyond the rocks, something skitters and they hear the sound of a claw scratching on rocks.
Verlik is able to string an arrow when three wolves bust out of the thickets and are among Belric and Verlik in seconds.
Initiative order: Verlik, Wolves, Belric
Verlik is able to fire off an arrow at one of the wolves, missing. "Sh*t!" he drops the bow and unslings his heavy mace.
Wolf #1 attacks Agathon and misses. He is big, ferocious and has a gleam in his eyes that looks intelligent.
Wolf #2 attacks Verlik, missing also. Wolf #3 tries to bite Verlik's achilles heel area, missing again.
need to roll Belric's actions, rest of party hears the howling growling and the yelling of 'sh*t' by Verlik and can roll initiative and post their actions too.
The advisor whispers in the Queen's ear.
"I have no knowledge of your Silver Flame, but my advisor does. He says your ways are honorable, if misguided. I do not think there will be a conflict.
"My former husband, the Sky King Olivard, a storm giant, has assumed human form and taken up with a gang of human vagabonds in the town called Sharn. I want you to find him and bring him to me. He will fight. Kill him and bring him to me. I don't want him permanently dead. I will raise him from the dead and then we can have our 'divorce'." She smiles grimly.
"I will pay you with magic. I have magic from the surface. A lot of it. You can have 'some' of it if you succeed."
Moving across the cloud feels like walking on air. You feel resistance under your feet, but it is very subtle and your movement forward is jerky and awkward until you get used to it.
The sky queen's palace is a gawdy oversized castle, with multicolored furnishings, strangely mosaic tiles and animal skin wall hangings. Storm giants and cloud giants make up the warrior staff, with hairless ogre sized humanoids with luminiscent eyes serving as wait staff and servants.
You are led into an antechamber, where the queen sits on a huge oak carved table. Food and drink is laid out on it and your chairs are appropriately sized for you and your serving dishes and portions are also 'medium' sized. Various meats, fruits, cheeses and a fine wine are served.
"Welcome. You are an unexpected surprise. I almost never have visitors, even accidental ones, from Eberron. It is fortuitous, because I have need for the services of the wee folk."
Her advisor, an ogre mage with crazy unkempt hair, whispers in her ear.
"Ah, I'm sorry. You are not wee folk, of course. They are even smaller, if that's possible."
"Anyway, are you all mercenaries? Do you kill and carry out missions for money?
"Well, there may be more than just parcels. I'm glad you will speak with her."
"The queen won't hire an airship because none stop here. This storm was a coincidence. She will explain."
"The palanquin are forces of the queen's enemy, King Garant. He is her former husband."
Your attempts to gather more information fail. The giants don't appear very interested in talking to you.
The cloud castle is more like an island...a realm of fine grass, fields, huge cattle, trees, bees the size of birds on top of a huge cloud formation. The castle looks like a huge cloud mansion. Everyone gawks at the spectacle.
The ship makes port and settles on the cloud surface, sinking in slightly. The captain takes the parcels on to deliver to Sharn.
One of the giants that landed on the ship asks Panzadeya if she and her companions would like to meet the queen.
I'm sending a new map, area scale
Belric is in hex 04.08 (wooded hills)with Verlik.
The rest of the party is 02.06 (wooded hills).
Belric and Verlik detect the sound of movement, quite briefly, below their position in the same hex.
The rest of the party does not detect anything.
Agathon is able to move to hex 03.06 by the end of this 'frame' of action.
Agathon does not detect anything at this time.
The wolf explodes in gobbets of flesh. Belric detects no other targets at this time.
The rest of the party takes their actions as indicated. No one detects anything hostile or unusual. The sound lance echoes fade off the hilltops nearby.
Negotiations go well. The captain agrees to take his air ship to Sky Queen Idra's cloud castle in return for rescue from the storm. The giants state that she wishes him to carry parcels to Sharn for her.
"She may also have other requests for any members of your crew or passengers willing to take them on, but if you take the parcels your obligation for rescue has been fulfilled," one of the giants says.
After the negotiations conclude, both giants remove giant sized potion bottles from their satchels and uncork them. The air around and in the ship returns to normal and everyone can go back topside if they wish.
It will take about an hour to reach the castle.
Someone mentions the strange palanquin within earshot of the giants and they announce. "So, you have been threatened by them too?"
As Jughead appears, the two giants look at each other and ask him.
"So, is your kind the exclusive crew of this vessel? That can explain why you're up this high."
Down below:
The air elemental has kept the air breathable, but most people are very lethargic. The captain is able to move, however and he states:
"Yes, our helmsman is trying to regain control of the ship. We rose too high, but the storm persists. Inform the giants that we will not be taken prisoner and they will be compensated for their assistance. I cannot go topside; the elemental's air breathing effect won't reach there. Thank you, friend."
"We are warriors of the Sky Queen Idra. Your captain has lost control of his ship. The lack of breathing air must really be affecting your breathing friends down below. The sky queen is not a cruel queen, but reaching her realm is usually impossible by flight for those who must breathe air without the benefit of storm giant upbringing."
As if to accentuate his words, a lightning bolt strikes the ship near Helix. He automatically fails his reflex save, since he is tied up and takes 18 points of electrical damage.
"If your captain wants our help, he can ask for it," one of the giants says, unaffected by the lightning.
The wolf thoroughly sniffs out the campsite and then trots off towards the real camp site, its nose to the ground.
Belric loses sight of the wolf among the trees, but thought he saw one of the blankets in the fake campsite lift up briefly, but when he looks closer, there is nothing there.
"Illegal boarding of this ship? You are in our realm? We can seize this ship in the name of the queen, but that would bring every House Lyrandar airship within 500 miles here and we don't want that. Why are you here?"
The first night, while Verlik and Belric are watching over the fake campsite, they hear a growling yip from the fake campsite and see a huge wolf enter their vision, its teeth having just torn up one of the fake sleeping mounds.
See map in email
The giants advance, their weapons out and ready. Upon seeing Helix tied to the mast, one of them nudges the other one and they both smile. Their booming voices can be heard over the weather:
"Are you captive? Is there a prize for freeing you?"
Jughead doesn't hear them yet. No one else does either at this time.
The airship climbs higher and higher. The crew orders the passengers into the interior hold, where the ship's wizard has summoned a small air elemental to help people breathe.
Helix and Jughead are lashed to the masts as the airship is pummelled by the storm. The turbulence is heavy and the ship creaks and pops like a ship at sea.
Helix spots two creatures on the deck in front of him after passing through a particularly dark cloud. Two giants, purple skinned, silver hair, carrying silvery battleaxes stand on deck, looking around. Surefooted, their 20 foot tall frames move lithely with the deck.
That evening the skyship is lashed by a thunderstorm and encounters heavy turbulence. The captain climbs high to avoid the worst of the weather. Your ears pop and it gets devilishly cold in short order, yet the high thunderheads seem to go ever higher than the ship. The ship is lashed and tossed about terribly. The captain's evasive manuevers don't seem to help much and lightning flashes nearby. The captain orders everyone below. Most everyone complies because it is hard to breathe and very cold.
Are you all going to go below or try to ride the storm out on top?
Reaping 15 CY 577
You traveled two days with few events. You exchanged arrow fire with some distant humanoids who fled into the hills. Your first destination are the Darzog Mines, holding of Belric. The road to the mines is overgrown and has seen little use by wagon traffic over the last decade. Going is tough and by late afternoon you find yourself in an abandoned mining camp, thick with weeds and thickets. The hills are all around you and the signs of old paths to the mines are still easy to see and follow, although the fern and underbrush would need to be cut away.
Do you try to make camp in the abandoned mining camp or somewhere else? There are mine shafts within a few minutes of the camp and also natural sites for camps. Your tracking checks find that there has been foot traffic here in the last few weeks, but not large numbers and you spot no obvious signs of recent activity (no smoke plumes, no warm camp fire spots, etc).
Basically the area within 3-4 miles of this camp is the steading of Darzog. There is this abandoned mining camp, about a half dozen mines which might still have some silver, coal and gemstones in them. The terrain is low to medium hills, overgrown with trees, boulder fields, fern, grasses and thick underbrush.
Erlaskar is a major fishing town and trade port in the southern edge of the Eldeen Reaches. It is almost independent, but all the major houses have mansions there and the lighning rail terminus reaches it. The city is considered safe.
With Helix and Jughead's help, the ship repairs are completed quickly. The captain thanks you profusely and pays 1000gp.
"Now we don't have to put into Erlaskar! I don't know who our attacker was. Probably some dressed up brigand. We'll spend most of our night flight tonight over Lake Galifar, then we're stopping at Drum Keep to drop off passengers tomorrow afternoon.
We'll double our watch tonight just in case the attacker comes back. That enchantment on the ballista was quite handy. Can you do that again?"
The palanquin veers off, losing altitude. A flash of spell energy that Helix cannot identify and then the palanquin disappears. Damage to the ship you're on needs to be fixed, but it doesn't appear to be fatal.
The augmented ballista crew fires several bolts at the palanquin in rapid succession, scoring some hits, it appears.
It is gone.
"Really not sure what that was," the Captain states. "We are going to put in at Erlaskar south of Lake Galifar to make repairs. We'll be there in a couple of hours.
The crew busies itself with repairs and within a couple of hours Erlaskar pulls into view.
You can catch a light rail from here if you want to go to Sharn before the repairs are finished, otherwise it will be a 3-4 day wait.
Panzadeya's first arrow seems to hit the hooded creature, now revealed to be wearing a shimmering grey robe, a rope belt with a wand case and a scythe across his back.
The palanquin controller is having troubling controlling the three remaining flaming horses. He definitely has a wand in one hand and reins in the other. His path wavers slightly, buying you all one more round of time, it appears.
Two crewmembers react to Helix's command, running over to the now fixed ballista and starting to aim it towards the palanquin.
Vola's arrow shots finish off the horse. It seems it was either evil or undead.
Jughead misses.
Several missiles flare out from the Lyrandar airship at the palanquin, the horses and the hooded figure. Some might have been magical. Helix is certain he detected a flash of cold energy briefly enveloping the thing.
Initiative Order: Panzadeya, Palanquin, Helix, Vola, Jughead
Panzadeya heads off to the ship's helm.
The palanquin closes relentlessly. It will be upon you next round.
Helix and Jughead are able to fix the ballista.
Vola's spell hits the horse and driver. They are obviously distressed now and the palanquin falters.
You all set out for your holdings. Beyond the walls of Knurl, you find signs of refugees who were slaughtered before making it to the walls. You find obvious signs of butchering of humans and the incredibly slothful remnants of humanoid camps. Knurl soldiers are setting fire to the camps and burying what they can find of the bodies.
Idnae is a gnome woman with obvious experience in the wilds. She rides a wild looking pony bareback, with sacks slung over its neck to carry cargo. "You're pretty quiet for a hero, she tells Jacques. Glad to be on board. I'm tired of slitting orc throats on the west side of the river. I hear you guys are pretty good at doing it on the east side. I can cast some illusionary spells to create havoc, but I'm not gonna get involved in any front line fighting. My cousin would have to do that, ha!"
Edgar is trying hard to not seem afraid. Thaddeus knows he rarely left the study and probably never left the City. He does know how to ride, having learned it as a youth, but he has a death grip on his quarterstaff. Thaddeus knows he enjoys bird watching and Edgar told him quietly than he hopes to get some bird watching in when not needed to "smite evil" as he put it.
Verlik is a middle aged man. He leaves behind family and his teenage children, hoping to make enough money as a henchman to buy them a better future. Agathon knows he left behind virtually all of his money with his wife, in case he died on this trip. Verlik is experienced, streetwise and a bit fatalistic in his outlook. He appreciates that Agathon bought all of his old equipment, although he wonders about the shield, which he can't use with his heavy mace, a two handed weapon. "Never know, I guess." He sticks close to Agathon, eyeing any potential ambush site with professional gaze.
Garsh Hardstone the dwarven mercenary says nothing. He waved at Idnae and mentioned to Belric that he knows her and that she's 'alright.' He gives Edgar a dubious glance.
The first night, Reaping 13 CY 577, brings a heavy thunderstorm. It is that season. You found an old campsite you used before, where rocky overhangs offer some shelter from the downpour. Please set your watch list and make arrangements.
Agathon makes his donations and hires Verlik as a henchman. Verlik is a 3rd level fighter.
Base pay is 10gp/level under 3rd level + 10gp/level/month of spells able to cast --so a spellcaster that can cast 3 1st level an 1 2nd level spell gets an extra 50gp per month. NPC henchmen over 3rd level get 25gp/month/level base pay. Equipment costs are at book list prices.
The only local noble left other than Count Dunstan and Sir Gendar is Lady Yariana, whom you met at your honor ceremony. She's an older lady who owns an estate in the Blemu Hills. Speaking with her, she's a bit daft and keeps talking about the wonderful vineyards and loyal retainers on her lands, when in reality her estate is largely defunct and she's been living off her family's savings. The rest of the nobles are still out of town, having gone to check on their foreign investments during the crisis.
Ebbers arranges for Jaques to meet up Idnae, Ebbers' cousin, a female gnome 2nd level thief/2nd level illusionist (her base pay would be 130 gp per month, as she's effectively 4th level and can cast 3 1st level spells)
Idnae comes fully equipped already.
Belric was able to find a dwarven fighter. Garsh Hardstone is a mercenary from the Rakers. He speaks very little, but Sir Gendar knows him and says that he has a reputation for loyalty to his employers. Garsh is a 3rd level fighter and is currently not well equipped. He is specialized with a battleaxe and he does have one.
Edgar is a 3rd level wizard. Thaddeus has known him for years, as they were both apprentices under Cephali. His base pay would be 80 gp per month. Edgar is also not well equipped at this time.
The dinner with the Ratik emissary is brief, but friendly. He says Ratik is still independent and struggling against the Bone March and incursions from the barbarians in the North. He says that the party would be welcome in Ratik and could use the realm as a base of operations against the Bone March, but he warns the pass between Spinecastle and Ratikhill is very dangerous and heavily guarded by the Red Cloak orcs.
On Reaping 12 the party leaves for their holdings. Henchmen include Edgar, 3rd level wizard. Garsh, 3rd level fighter. Verlik, 3rd level fighter and Idnae 2nd level thief/2nd level illusionist.
Please post regarding your pay arrangements, equipment purchases, camp and guard procedures and any special things you wish to accomplish along the way.
There are few local craftsmen willing to move to the frontier at this time. The hills are still alive with humanoids. Count Dunstan and the other locals admit it will be years before the refugees that fled the city and area return. Until then, obtaining craftsmen and other help to work your land is going to be virtually impossible. The area would really have to stabilize for that to happen. The amount of money and protection to do that would be astronomical, most locals you speak with agree.
The only local nobles who stuck around to face the siege of the City were Count Dunstan, Sir Gendar and Lady Yariana, an older woman who owns estates in the Blemu Hills as well, but has lived in the City since the humaonids invaded.
The focus of most locals is helping ensure the City survives economically and wondering how the turmoil to the South will affect their trade.
Are you all going to travel to your estates? I know a lot of information was tossed around in email, but I need to know definitively what you're doing by you either doing a party post or individual posts. I know the post says you all travel, but some of you talked about bringing people along, etc...I need to know for sure who and what? Thanks
Campaign soon to restart.
Reaping 4, CY 577
The ceremony at the Count's castle is warm, friendly but not over the top. Everyone knows he still lacks funds. In his great hall, he knights all four party members.
"You have proven yourself heroes to all the people of Knurl, to all the displaced generation of Bone March citizens still yearning to return home."
Each party member now gets to call himself "Sir" and may submit a crest to the herald at Knurl for inclusion in the official registry of Knurl. One of the advantages of knighthood is that most allied or even neutral nations will allow knights of a recognized realm to carry arms and have some diplomatic protection.
"Many noble lines of the Bone March have been lost forever. Today, four new lines start to help recover, just as you have helped stave off the final devastation that may have come had the enemy not withdrawn. I grant each of you a steading of former nobles of the Bone March, roughly equal in size.
To Sir Belric, I grant the steading of Darzog.
To Sir Jaques, I grant the steading of Ferin
To Sir Thaddeus, I grant the steading of Dramsburg...I believe you've met some of the residents
To Sir Agathon, I grant the steading of Arazarm."
A steading is an area of about 25 square miles, a typical knight's manor hold.
There is great appreciative applause and then dinner and a reception afterwards. You are all congratulated again and treated with much respect and admiration. The only other noble of the Bone March who is present is Sir Gendar. The other 'nobles' fled when the City looked it would be overrun, but they are the minor descendants of their respective houses anyway and the Count's power is the only power that really held things together. Now that the City has held, they are sure to be crawling back.
Sir Gendar says "Well, you have your work cut out for you still. Darzog is an area of old mines that are still productive if they can be reactivated. Ferin is a mostly abandoned fishing village, but if you can bring it back to life, it would help the Count reassert his power up the Harp River. Arazarm...well, you know about the Fort, but the steading has old vineyards and plum orchards that could make a come back. Dramsburg is agricultural, but has the most people still living there. Not sure how they'll feel about their new lord, but I'm sure you will settle things well enough."
Cephali pulls Thaddeus aside and says "Edgar can come study with you and help you with your endeavours. He needs to get out from behind the walls anyway."
Shirana tells Jacques "I admire the discipline and steadfastness you displayed in the last few weeks. You should make time to come down to my people's settlement and speak to them about overcoming great odds. We have taken in many refugees fleeing the chaos of the city of Beetu and they could use encouragement."
A man who played the flute very well introduces himself as Darios Nessar, emissary of Ratik. He is an elderly man who still appears fit and wears fine clothing and a very well made broadsword at his hip.
"I am the emissary of Ratik. I would like to speak with you all about your time in Spinecastle, when convenient."
Ebbers is there and shakes your hand vigorously. He tells Jacques "your steading is close to the area my people control. We will be good allies, I hope."
Dria, Belric's sister, tells Belric that "your new place should make a good refuge for resistance fighters."
Verlik, Sgt of the guard, tells Agathon that he would like to hire on with him as a man at arms. He would like to get out of the City and make a difference. Stivol Lancing says he has no problem, although he would hate to lose Verlik.
See updated map Updated Blemu hills map
Information gathered from Szarthelion, veracity unverified:
*Part of the power of the amulet and key of Spinecastle is the power to raise an army of the dead
*The masked councilor was an agent of a religious cult that was actually a front for the demon that used to control the Overking
*The drow are infiltrating the bandits to the south to increase their power in the region
*The amulet of Spinecastle is held by the elves on the Spindrift Isles far to the south
Count Dunstan's city watch captain, Stivol Lancing, takes custody of Szarthelion. "We have a cell for spellcasters."
4th day of Reaping, CY 577
Back at their mansion in Knurl, the party enjoyed another great feast and party last night. Their drow prisoner, thoroughly interrogated (results posted later), has been turned over to the Count for internment and trial. A messenger from Count Dunstan arrives, inviting the party to his castle tonight for their land grants and titles.
continued... however, the battle gets the attention of Merogak, the Bloody Eye orc chieftain. He approaches the party and parlays with them. It turns out that Wynan Korch, the High Councilor, exerted influence over the Church of Gruumsh to force the orcs into the new, organized war with Knurl. Merogak doesn't want the war, but had to go along with it. He knows that the war might gain the tribe some initial spoils, but would weaken it and make it vulnerable to the competing tribes in the Bone March. Thus, he was in the unusual position of having to try to make peace in order to preserve the power of his tribe. He cannot move against the Councilor directly, but the party's fortuitious arrival gives him a chance. He advises them that if they remove the councilor from power, he will be able to pull his troops back and end the offensive against Knurl. This is not a permanent peace offer, but an end to the current threat to Knurl.
The party agrees and assaults the Councilor's home, defeating his minions, capturing Szarthelion, the drow sorceress and killing the Councilor. The party also frees Hobar the spy and Belric's sister, who was captured a few months before while leading resistance fighters in Spinecastle.
True to his word, Merogak allows the party safe passage out of the City the following day. They take Hobar, Belric's sister and the drow prisoner with them.
By Richfest, the summer festival, the party arrives back in Knurl to a heroes' reception. Count Dunstan personally opens the gates for them. In the past week, the last attacking warbands moved North. The party sent messages up ahead and also briefed some of Ebbers scouts they encountered and thus the Count learned of the arrangement that saved his City, at least until the next major war.
Wealsun 4 CY 577
Battle Lizardmen, toads and a young black dragon 20 miles west of Fort Arazarm
Wealsun 5 CY 577
Fight through goblin worg riders, hobgoblins and other forces to break through to Fort Arazarm, now mostly destroyed. Many casualties.
Enter Underdark to move north to help find the missing spy from Spinecastle. Ambushed by Manticores and fight spiders. Rescue Adrin, young ranger of the village of Dramsburg, who leads the party to his village to rescue it from an extraplanar stalker killing people at night.
Wealsun 5-8 CY 577
Solve the mystery of the Standing Stones and the stalking extraplanar hound threatening the village of Dramsburg.
Wealsun 9-14 CY 577
Travel overland through Bone March, looking for another Underdark entrance to finalize their journey in concealment. Track down a major troll tribe and loot their tunnels. Run into the gnome guarded illusionary hill home of Irina, famous ancient wizard, who reveals mysteries of some of Greyhawks' most ancient secrets, but then wipes the party's memories of the event. Trade for some better magic items.
Wealsun 15-19 CY 577
Enter Spinecastle. Brawl with bugbears and make contact with the orc tavern keeper who knows the spy master's home. Ambushed by a drow sorceress and her minions, who give the party a great deal of trouble. Rest in the Silent Sparrow Inn, spending a lot of funds. Assault Hobar's home, but don't do well in the battle.
The campaign moved to real life for Labor Day weekend, with over 22 hours of gaming to move the campaign forward in a significant way. With the recent adoption of Castles & Crusades rules, significant progress was made and at the end of the weekend, all the PCs had made 9th level. Here is a brief outline of major events. I will leave it to the players to fill in some of the colorful details
Jaques kills his toad. Thaddeus guides his flaming sphere towards the closest lizard man (see map in email). It will be th ere next round. Agathon charges towards a lizard m an but can't attack. Belric sticks with Thaddeus. See map
Sorry about the delayed post
Jaques steps up and whacks toad #3 for 10 points of damage. Thaddeus' spell misses. Agathon splatters and kills
toad #2.
The remaining toads flee the area as Belric swings his axe at one of them passing, angrily shouting at them.
Sounds of combat come from the camps to your south and northwest. In the shadowy light you see several lizard men
engaged in melee with company troopers. Some toads also hop among the figures outlined in camp fire light and
hastily lit torches and lanterns.
Jaques appears to injure the toad attacking him.
Thaddeus spell hits toad 3, who deftly jumps aside, but still takes some singe damage.
Agathon misses
Toad 1 flees, hurt badly. Toad #2 misses Agathon. Toad #3 attacks Thaddeus and also misses. Toad #4 attacks Agathon and hits for 2 points of damage.
You hear alarms being raised all around you and hear the sounds of battle and screaming. Thaddeus sees the distinctive flash of a fireball from the camp to your southwest.
Belric steps up and attacks toad #3 instead to protect Thaddeus, but misses.
Iniative order: Jaques, Thaddeus, Agathon, Toad, Belric
Jaques smacks the toad that attacked him as the toad's tongue tries, but fails to wrap around him to pull him in. Toad takes 8 points of damage, but is still up. Jaques shouts an alarm, as he sees more toads hopping through the grass towards you just yards away.
Thaddeus wakes up and fires at Toad #3, which is coming up behind him. His shot misses.
Agathon awakens and readies his weapons
Toad #1 misses Jaques. The tongue is like a small mace and sounds like a bola going by Jaques head.
Toad 2, 3 and 4 are in the positions as indicated on the map.
Sounds of alarm come from the camp about 20 yards to the northwest. In the shimmer of torchlight you can see more toads and some humanoid shapes that look like a couple of lizardmen.
Belric wakes up and is ready to fight.
Results of the role playing prior to sleep
None of the other spellcasters in the warband have any gems as Belric seeks.
"Oh, Ebbers told you that, hah! Well, yes, there is an agent in Spinecastle and his messages travel the subterranean road I discussed. They are encoded scrolls that go directly to the fort commander. They are usually in bone scroll tubes sealed with wax and written on very thin vellum, so they are small. Where the commander keeps them I don't know but I imagine in his office somewhere. I intend to look for them when the opportunity arises. Ebbers probably wanted you to know as a backup in case we get seperated or falter. Our hope is that the enemy's plans are revealed in his last message. The organizations of the Bone March humanoids is disconcerting. They may very well overwhelm us this season. We thought we had more time. Finding those messages are more important than the men or the Fort itself, actually. Please keep this confidential, obviously. The Count and Ebbers trusted you all, so I do as well."
The company spreads out in a fairly defensible area of low hills, scrub land and many trees. The illusionary troops
form the outer circle. Their campfires are real, making the illusions harder to spot. Inner circle consists of the
real troops and the party. The party camps on the edge of good sized pond, with some 7-10' tall rocky outcroppings
behind them, at the edge of a grassy shore.
Real sentries drift out and take up positions near the illusionary camps. The company's thirty or so wardogs know
their role--sniff out enemies. They find hidden spots near the sentries, their quiet discipline helped by an
occasional tap on the head by a sentry.
Gendar stops by and chats with the party. "We'll be near the fort in 3 days. We can make about 10 miles per day. I
really don't know what's going to happen when we get there. As you may have figured out, we are a diversion. If
the fort has fallen, I'm taking the company below ground. There is a hidden entrance to the Deep under the fort.
I'm telling you this because you have proven yourselves several times now. The entrance is buried beneath the
stables. We'll fight our way in and move underneath. There are hidden supplies there. We will then move through
the Deep as a guerilla force, popping up and tearing up the humanoids' supply lines. They would never expect
humans to go underground. The cavern system leads far into the March, close to Spinecastle itself. It is a route
that we have used to get messages to sources in and around Spinecastle that have allowed KNurl to survive all these
years. If I fall or if you get lost in these passages, seek out the deep gnomes.
But hopefully the fort still stands and we can relieve our comrades and evacuate them back to Knurl."
YOu exchange some questions with him, which I will answer in subsequent posts.
That night, as Jacques and Thaddeus pull guard duty, Jacques is surprised by the sudden strike of a large, long tongue that hits him for 1 point of damage. It is attached to a giant toad that managed to crawl up on him undetected.
Initiative! Remember it's 1d10 now. No dex bonus unless you have a special initiative bonus that carried over from
3.5
Awesome description of leveling up, Dave
3rd day of Wealsun, CY 577: Now almost 60 miles north of Knurl, the company crosses the Harp river at a known ford. Your flanking and scouting shows goblin and orcish scouts, some mounted on wargs, shadowing the contingent, but there is no serious contest of the crossing.
Fort Arazarm is 20 miles inland. The hills are gentle here, with many paths crossing between the low inclines, but heavy brush, fern and conifer trees make the trek difficult.
The contingent stays on the known path. Speed is of the essence. Occasionally someone snipes at the company with crossbow bolts and the occasional wyvern overhead reminds everyone that it may be a long day yet.
By nightfall, the company is about 3 miles inland. It takes about 2 hours for them to make camp, posting guards, traps and spells.
They expect attack tonight. Any special arrangements the party wants to make?
CY 577 1st day of Wealsun
You rejoin the army in the morning. They are moving out rapidly. Now that you know over half of the troops are illusions, it's easier to spot. Sir Gendar believes you will reach the ford to cross the river by tomorrow afternoon. He believes it will be contested.
"We are being watched all the time, from the air and from the ground. I fear the worst when we arrive."
Thaddeus' magic missiles hit the giant.
The critical hit from Belric staggers him.
The giant attacks Belric...both attacks hit! Total damage 36 hit points!
He whistles at the dire wolf and it bolts.
Belric goes down.
Agathons vicious hasted attack bites into the giant, drawing massive wounds.
Jaques fires another sling bullet, again hitting. The giant goes down, dead.
everyone LEVEL UP
The hill giant's satchel contains not much of interest. His bow is a giant sized +1 composite long bow, however. He also has 38 sp, 15 gp, 24 arrows.
Thaddeus hits the dire wolf.
Belric attacks it and connects as well.
The giant charges towards the party, reaching Belric, but he cannot attack. That's where Agathon meets him and hits him for heavy damage.
The dire wolf howls as he runs away out of reach, behind the ridge. His howls are answered by another and then another....about a mile away or further.
Jacques steps back out of the giant's reach and zings him with a sling bullet, hitting him as well.
Thaddeus' spell connects and the giant bellows in pain.
Belric finds cover and drinks his potion.
The giant moves towards the party with his axe out. He stops after 10 yards and zings a head sized rock at Thaddeus with his free hand, eliminating one of the mirror images, 2 images left.
The wolf is sniffing the air suspiciously and moves towards the dwarf. He leaps over several boulders and stands menacingly above Belric, ready to pounce next round.
Near the dwarf, Agathon and Jacques prepare to drop the invisibility when they attack. I'll let you keep that sling roll if that's what you still want to do next round, Dave
At the end of the round, the giant is 10 yards away from Belric and Jacques and Agathon, 30 yards from Thaddeus. The wolf is just 10 feet away.
I'll post a map next time, still getting situated around here
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