'Sirap Hilltown's Inn' used to be soldier's barracks. It is owned by a halfling named Sirap Hilltown but is managed by his son-in-law Larjen Widebottom. Widebottom shows you to your rooms and then points you the way to 'The Old Mess Hall' which is right next door.
'The Old Mess Hall' is a surprisingly nice restaurant for a keep in the middle of nowhere. Obviously, it used to be a mess hall for the soldiers when the keep had more soldiers in it. It has been cleaned, decorated with ... and serves a healthy menu but without many choices. Your choices today consist of 'duck soup' or 'roast duck and grains'.
Longfellow, who seems to be in a very good mood, buys dinner for all of you. One of the other caravan guards lets slip that he got a very good price for the gecko hide.
Many of the merchants, travellers, and soldiers eating there are talking about the latest bandit attack. There is a mix of Chelaxian, Varisian, and Shoanti guests in the restaurant.
I will pause until tonight in case you have any comments, questions, or things you want to do. Tonight (or tomorrow in the game world) Falcon Warchild will send you on a mission.
I will run a playtest-by-post of the alpha rules of P-RPG.
The homebase for the adventure will be 'Kerrigan's Keep'--also the homebase of my 'Keep in the Cinderlands' campaign for young players and parents--a small keep on the Yondabakari River northwest of Kaer Maga, near where the river emerges from the dangerous Mindspin Mountains. The keep is owned by Lord Kerrigan, a soldier who fought for Korvosa against the Shoanti but retired and purchased a small keep outside of Korvosan territory.
The adventure will be based upon Goodman Game's 'Dungeon Crawl Classics #28: Into the Wilds'
P-RPG Alpha wizard, fighter, cleric, rogue;
4 or 5 players;
32 point buy;
1st level;
Racial HP (P-PRG page ..);
Maximum starting gold;
Each player may select one bonus feat from the Rise of the Runelord Player's Guide;
Try to post once a day.
Longfellow looks very pleased with himself and calls to the other caravan guards. "Careful with him. Set him on the middle cart. DON'T LET HIM BLEED ON ANYTHING!!"
He asks for the gecko's body to be loaded onto another cart and says "We can skin it later. Let's get out of here before whoever did this comes back for more."
The caravan moves quickly, but not so quickly as to jostle the wounded man. An hour later the caravan turns around a bend in the road and the towers of a keep appear into view at the top of a small rise. The keep seems out of place in this environment. It is the fine product of Korvosan military construction in an environment without decent roads.
As the caravan rolls up a winding dirt road to the keep, a horn bleats three times. Longfellow hops off the caravan and heads up to the gate where he has a few words with a guard and shows him some papers he has been keeping in a waterproof hide pouch for the entire trip.
The guard waves the caravan in and says "Welcome to Kerrigan's Keep gentlemen. I would normally take time to tell you the rules but we can do that later," he says. Calling to another guard he says "Arkhin! Show these men and the wounded to the Curate and then tell Captain Warchild that the bandits have left one alive for a change."
Longfellow asks the other two caravan guards to help him unload and says to Kornelius "I'll meet you at Sirap Hilltown's Inn later. We have a room."
To the two monks he says "You're here. Safe. Hope you find what you came for. I'll be heading south again in two weeks if you haven't, but you'll have to pay more for a trip back."
Within the large keep are several buildings, some as high as the outer walls. The guard Arkhin takes you around the corner of one and around another corner to a small chapel. Outside hang the holy symbols of many deities you recognize and some you don't.
Arkhin speaks quickly to an acolyte who summons the Curate (a priest). Arkhin then nods to you and disappears. The old Curate asks if anyone else is wounded and, hearing that you are all well, tends to the man praying in words you do not recognize but seem to understand in your heart. The man's wounds recede and he seems to breath more steadily.
"Hey Kornelius,nice hit!" says Uemala as he tries to help the bleeding man.attempts to stop the bleeding: heal check 1d20+2=(5+2)7 Uemala yells to Longfellow for help with the wounded man. He then turns to Lion and Kornelius "Should we skin the lizard?"
Longfellow stumbles upon the conversation just at that moment and gets a mischievious look in his eye.
"Oh! I suppose you would be wanting me to let this bleeding man ride to the keep on one of my carts! I've got valuable goods on those carts and he hasn't paid the fare. I can't be taking passengers for free, particularly those that might damaged the shipment I have in good faith promised to deliver. Oh no! That will not do ...," he says his hands on hips huffing and puffing as he complains loudly. "Then again, I suppose that ... If you were willing to recognize the financial risk I was taking by ... say ... giving me the relatively worthless hide of that gecko there I could be persuaded to allow this man to ride to the keep. It certainly isn't that far and he should live until we get there."
Even though the Kornelius began running towards the lizard first, the unarmoured Uemala overtakes him. The lizard continues towards the tree unconcerned by the fact there are now two meals instead of one. When the third meal -- Kornelius -- arrives behind the lizard, it begins to wonder if this is more food than it can handle. Turning to investigate this third -- still moving meal -- the monk is able to strike the lizard with his powerful fist. The surprised lizard turns back to the monk and is defenseless against Kornelius's sword.
Lion of Irori arrives on the scene too late to contribute to the battle but is the first to see what attracted the lizard's attention. Against the tree leans a leather-clad human. He seems to be unconscious and is bleeding from several wounds. What do you do Lion?
The three of you approach a twisted but still living tree. At the foot of the tree, in the shade of its branches, you can see the silhouette of what might be a human. The silhouette is leaning against the trunk, unmoving.
Approaching the the tree and the silhouette is a five foot long reptile with blue scales and a yellow stripe down the side -- a giant gecko! It is ignoring you and racing towards the figure under the tree.
As the creature is ignoring you, you get a surprise round. Make an attack roll if you are attacking in this round.
I jump off the caravan and look for any Bandits or Monsters.
Spot Check
1d20+1 ?¨ [14,1] = (15)
Spoiler for Kornelius:
Spoiler:
While Uemala examines the horse's body, Kornelius looks for trouble. He finds it. He sees a flash of blue moving low to the ground. It isn't heading towards you but to a tree about 100 feet up the road.
Uemala jumps down and looks at the dead horse."Hmmmmn"search ck:1d20+0=17 What do the arrows look like?
The arrows are marked and painted like those of some of the Sklar-Quah tribes but they are of unusually poor quality.
[ooc]Good question!
Uemala Neddam wrote:
is there any tracks leading away?
There are many tracks leading away. Most of them are caravan and horse's hooves. Some are human.
Uemala Neddam wrote:
Did it get killed recently?[/ooc]
In the hot, dry sun of the Cinderlands, dead bodies go bad quickly. Many people would think this horse had been here for quite some time. You can tell that it has only been here a few hours.
You can decide how much to tell the other players.
I apologize, for not seeing the game thread...I thought the PBP for...thread was the game thread. My son was bummed when he found out it started without him...good stuff though. We'll be posting tonight..I'm sure everyone's eager to go on! If you're only 3 + a cleric maybe my wife or I will join in with a PC. A mysterious (if bumbling) arcanist is always handy. Any idea on frequency of posts? I know the dudes will want to at any opportunity, but the we go by dM schedule (break em in right)
I was glad to see his post today. We don't have any way to message people on these boards or I would have buzzed you. At least the action didn't start without him.
Rev Rosey, you, and your wife would be welcome to join in. The caravan will probably arrive at the keep this weekend (our time) and the party may start meeting up with others there. New characters can appear at the keep at any point.
As for frequency of posts, unless we have weirdness with the boards again, I think I might move things along every 24 hours. Any slower and people will forget about it. Any faster and people will miss out.
For example, the players now have a chance to respond in some way to the dead horse they have found in their path. 24 hours from now Longfellow is going to order his driver to get moving. If people miss out, we will try to fit them back into the story (let them take missed rounds of combat, etc.).
You are only a few miles now from Kerrigan's Keep. Longfellow, the two monks, two of the caravan guards, and 'Ogre' the riding dog are all sitting on one of the larger wagons.
Kornelius Rowel II wrote:
Korny :-) approaches Longfellow and he says:
"So..Haflin' friend who is Lord Kerrigan? Is 'e a fighter? If not what is 'e? Why did he build his keep 'ere?" asks Kornelius.
"Lord Kerrigan? What are you interested in him for?" answers Longfellow "Kerrigan was the commander of a battalion of Korvosan soldiers that pressed north through Shoanti territory and established the keep. He built it there to guard against the orcs to the east and to attack the Shoanti in the north and west. He's a fighter alright. Or at least he was. These days, I hear he's more of a noble-type and a politician. He was the one Korvosan commander that the Shoanti trusted. When the Shoanti refused to make peace unless they were given the keep and the Korvosans refused to give it to them, Kerrigan bought it and opened it up to the Shoanti. They can trade with the Korvosans and Varisians there."
Lion of Irori wrote:
"Ok ... err, thank you?" Lion says trying to be polite."Now",he lets the slightest bit of menace in to his voice to suggest what will happen if he answers like that again,"what about the monk there who is supposed to be training me?"
Longfellow, hearing the menace in his voice, glances at his riding dog Ogre and says "It's okay boy; he's a friend." Ogre for his part appears to be sleeping.
"Falcon Warchild? Falcon Warchild is Kerrigan's adopted son. I don't know much about him. ... Just a second," Longfellow waves to one of the other caravan guards, an older man named Krikal. "Krikal, you fought with Kerrigan didn't you?"
"Not with him exactly. I was in another battalion at the Falcon River Massacre. Why?" answers Krikal a little defensively.
"These two are going to train with Falcon Warchild. They want to know about him," explains Longfellow.
"I don't know much except that he was orphaned at Falcon River and Lord Kerrigan adopted him. Guess you'll have to ask him the rest," answers Krikal abruptly.
Uemala Neddam wrote:
Turns to Kornelius and Lion "Well met, my friends!" regards Longfellow "What kind of monsters make there homes near Kerrigin's Keep?"
"Well ... The Mindspin Mountains have got a lot of nasty creatures ... and I hear there is a clan of Lizardfolk in the marshes. The monsters you have to worry about though ...," Longfellow squints his eyes and grows silent for a moment looking at the road ahead.
As the caravan pulls closer you can make out a shape on the road and eventually can see it is the body of a dead horse shot with arrows.
"The monsters you need to worry about," says Longfellow, "Are the ones that did that."
Longfellow's driver pulls the wagon to a stop a little bit back from the horse. Everyone is looking around nervously for any bandits that might be about.
What do you do? Remember to make search, spot, or listen checks if you do any of those things.
Lion approaches Longfellow and askes."So Longfellow, what do you know about Kerrikan's Keep".
"He talks!" says Longfellow sarcastically. "Well, quiet one, Kerrigan's Keep is a keep on the Mindspin Mountains. You know, the Mindspins are a mighty dangerous place and I don't know why anyone would want to live in the keep. It used to be a Korvosan army keep during the worst of the Shoanti wars but now Lord Kerrigan owns it."
Hi Lion. Ask more questions and/or roll a diplomacy check for more information. :-)
Although the caravan carrying three of the characters is rolling towards the Keep in the Cinderlands, we would still welcome another young player or two. We have two monks and a fighter so young rogues, wizards, clerics, or sorcerors would be especially welcome.
Tarren, do you want to put out a second call for young players to replace Luke's daughter? We haven't got Uemala's skills up yet but they're on paper so any time you want to commence. (I may input them at work myself because my son is having NCLB inflicted Mastery tests this week, and the studying is taking up alot of time.
I noticed alot of increased traffic on the site now that they've released the RPG, so it might be a good time to troll for a couple more players.
The caravan will be at the keep soon. I'm hoping that the characters will get to know each other. Check in at the game thread. It would be a good time for the characters to ask specific questions to get information about the keep.
Although Kornelius has introduced himself, the monks remain quiet. One says nothing; the other won't give his name. Kornelius appears suspicious.
The next two days are extremely busy. Longfellow does not feel safe in the dry, open 'Cinderlands'. He keeps the caravan moving almost constantly and no one has time to talk or rest. He only stops the caravan when it is too dark to see.
He keeps complaining "I never should have taken this job -- supplies and passengers to Kerrigan's Keep! Hardly enough gold for the danger, I say. Hardly enough gold!!"
If you have any questions about Kerrigan's Keep, you could ask Longfellow. To get Longfellow to be extra helpful, make a diplomacy check: Roll a d20 and add your diplomacy bonus (or just your charisma bonus if you don't have diplomacy).
Take some time to introduce yourself. I will move the story along tomorrow night around this time so you have a day to talk by the fire. Don't worry -- we'll have some action soon enough.
I've told you house rule #1. 'House Rule #1' is don't share personal information such as school, real name, email address, phone numbers, parents' credit card numbers etc. :-).
House Rule #2 is have fun.
House Rule #3 is no cheating on the dice rolls. You can roll your own dice at home instead of using 'invisible castle' but just be honest about it.
House Rule #4. To make it easy to be honest about the dice rolls, I'm going to give everyone some 'action points'. When you make a really bad roll at an important moment, you can 'spend one action point' to take a re-roll. Just tell me that you have spent your action point. Fair enough? To start off with, each of you will get 4 action points. When you gain a level, I'll give you some more.
It has been seven days since the caravan left Korvosa travelling North. For the last couple of days, you have travelled with the waters of the mighty Yondabakari just to the west of you. Small overloaded barges guided by crews of halfling merchants and oarsmen drift slowly southward on the river.
The captain of your caravan, a halfling with the unlikely name of 'Longfellow', often hops on 'Ogre', his riding dog, and rides over to talk to the halfling barge captains about their cargo, their families, and any possible dangers ahead of the caravan. Longfellow passes much of this information on to you but little of it is of any interest. Little of it has to do with anything north of the waterfalls ahead of you. None of it has anything to do with Kerrigan's Keep -- the Keep in the Cinderlands -- where you are going.
Uemala Neddam and Lion of Irori are heading to Kerrigan's Keep to meet up with a famous Shoanti monk by the name of 'Falcon Warchild'. Familiar with the fighting styles and discipline of both the priests of Irori and the Shoanti warriors, Warchild has invited you to study with him. He hopes to attract a number of young monks who wish to train in the martial arts, far from the distractions of the city.
Kornelius was hired by Longfellow to guard the caravan.
The most difficult part of your journey occurs when you arrive at the Storval Rise. At the base of the waterfalls, the entire caravan is unloaded. The cargo is piled onto an ingenious elevator driven by the power of the waterfall. the carts, horses, cargo, and passengers are carried up the cliffside in the swaying, dangerous elevator. A giant arm, upon which are hung two large buckets, is swung into the waterfall. When the buckets fill, they descend pulling the elevator containing the cargo up. When the buckets reach the bottom, the arm swings out and the buckets begin to drain, slowly lowering the elevator. It takes five exhausting trips to move the entire caravan up the cliff. By the time you are done, morning has turned into evening.
On most days, Longfellow expects the guards to eat with him and leaves the monks to eat by themselves. Today, however, Longfellow is exhausted from loading the cargo on the elevator and goes to sleep early. Kornelius Rowel and the two monks find themselves eating at the same fire and get a chance to talk, which they haven't had much time to do before.
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