CHRONICLE VAULT 20080824, FROM THE LIBRARY OF RHAVUS THE FIEND-SAGE ...
Coldeven 18, 595 CY
Other interests have pulled my attention away from the Kings of the Road for a time, other interests that will soon become their interests. For all things come to pass in the end, and the end starts with the Age of Worms.
The heroes, having met Lashonna at the palace of Prince Zeech of Alhaster during a feast and games commemorating his 20th anniversary as ruler, arranged a meeting at her palatial home at midnight on Coldeven 12. The companions arrived early and were greeted by Lashonna's house servant, who brought them to her spacious and impressive library. Duke was especially interested in the volumes of lore, most of which seemed to center on the history, flora, and fauna of the Bandit Kingdoms region.
After a short wait Lashonna arrived in a gossamer nightgown that accentuated her graceful elven figure. She apologized for the lateness of the hour, and gave them the remnants of Grimoire Barackus' journal. The elven noble admitted a certain obsession with Grimoire's work, and remember fondly his visit to her almost twenty years ago.
From what the heroes could read from the tattered remains of Grimoire's journal gave them a newfound respect for the missing wizard. Grimoire identified the dracolich Dragotha as the herald of Kyuss, and it was him that the companions saw in the visions they experienced in the ruins of Kuluth-Mar far to the south carrying away the physical remains of the Wormgod. The ancient dracolich laired somewhere in the Rift Canyon to the north, but Dragotha's phylactery was taken by a group of druids called the Order of the Storm and hidden away from the world. Lashonna told the heroes that Grimoire had gone north to the Wormcrawl Fissure in the Rift Canyon to confront Dragotha against her guidance.
In the time since Grimore disappeared, Lashonna had been researching and discovered that the Order of the Storm secreted away Dragotha's phylactery in a hidden place called Last Resort. The only way into Last Resort was through the island of Tilagos, ancient stronghold of the druids somewhere in the Nyr Dyv. Tilagos appears on no maps, however, and is kept hidden from the world by powerful storms that destroy passing ships.
Lashonna was very frank with the heroes. The Age of Worms is upon them all, and if they have a hope of stopping this terrible event they must destroy the herald of Kyuss. But to defeat a dracolich one must first destroy its phylactery, and in Dragotha's case you have to first find it. The elf noble admitted at this point that she had made many enemies, and one of them planted a spy in her household. A month ago most of her research notes on the existence of Last Resort and the Order of the Storm was stolen by a trusted associated of hers, so it is likely someone else is seeking the knowledge of the druids.
And there was one more catch. In order to access Last Resort one must possess the blood of one of the Order's members. The druid line had been diluted greatly in the last 1500 years, but Lashonna was able to trace the lineage down to one person - Christine, wife of King Toka Deasseana of Bloodstone. The companions needed to get a vial of blood from King Toka's wife before setting out for Tilagos.
In this they were partially lucky. King Toka and his wife were both in Alhaster for Prince Zeech's banquet. The heroes were in agreement - they could not turn back now, not after all they had done. The elf rogue Fin, whom the companions met at the banquet, explained that his liege - Lord Dextarian Nightshade of the Homogeny - had sent him on this quest as the strange worm-ridden undead had begun to appear in his lands as well.
And so, at 2 am, Duke, Argo, Fin, Drake, and Kong set out to find King Toka wherever he was staying in Alhaster. They found the inn and managed to bribe the keeper to get Toka's room number. After several minutes of pounding on his door they were confronted with a very upset man who held a hammer that could kill a giant in a single blow. But the heroes were not deterred and explained in a rush what was going on.
Toka invited them in and listened to their tale, adding that he had been warned by Malakara that they might be showing up. At first he refused to give up and his wife's blood for the reason that she was with child. But given the circumstances surrounding the situation and the dire threat the dracolich posed to everyone in the Bandit Kingdoms he relented. He took a vial into the bedroom and returned a few minutes later with it filled with blood. Toka gave them the vial, and told them that the should return to Bloodstone if and when they came back from Tilagos Island.
The heroes returned to their inn for one more night in Alhaster and went out early the next day. Captain Shadowstalker and the Sunshadow were two days outside of Alhaster, and upon arriving it didn't take much convincing to get the shadow elf captain to sail into the elemental storm that surrounded the island. The crew prepped the ship quickly and within an hour the Sunshadow set off into the Nyr Dyv, traveling at rapid speed across the lake's choppy waters.
It was still a two day trip into the heart of the Nyr Dyv even at the accelerated speeds of the Sunshadow. On the afternoon of the second day they entered the path of a powerful storm, which Captain Shadowstalker identified as the storm that concealed the island of Tilagos. The winds whipped about and the ship heaved back and forth, but the companions held firm to their ground (impressing even the crew of the Sunshadow!).
After three hours of being buffetted around by the torrential rain and winds one of the crew shouted "land!" and out of the center of the storm an island came into view. It was mostly obscurred by the powerful downpour, but from what could be seen was a barren rocky terrain dotted with what appeared to be stone ruins. Captain Shadowstalker sent the heroes ashore on a dinghe as the water was too shallow for the Sunshadow to approach close enough.
As the companions plowed through the choppy waters they could see that the beach was littered with the remains of ships that had been dashed to pieces on the rocks. One wreck seemed recent - The Secret Hand, a large schooner, lay broken in half on the rocks. Kong pulled the small boat to shore and everyone kept an eye out for trouble.
Which was a good thing since trouble appeared behind the rocks of the beach. Argo spotted them first, then Fin pointed out a few more - orc pirates, moving stealthily amongst the debris. There were about eight of them it seemed moving in on their position. Fin ducked down into the boat and disappeared while the rest of the heroes loosened weapons and steeled their nerves.
The orcs made the first move - big mistake. They leapt up with a ferocious yell that could be heard over the roar of the wind, and then one found two daggers lodged in his skull from Argo's masterful throws. Drake charged a pair, the orcs rushed forward and melee was engaged. With an acrobatic leap Fin revealed himself and stabbed one of the pirates with his rapier. Duke's image seemed to waver for a moment but then he literally scared one of the pirates to death.
Drake was confronted by the leader of the pirates, a nasty orc with a scar running the length of his face. He was a patient and skilled fighter and matched Drake blow for blow in a titanic match of ringing steel and spraying blood. Things did not look good for the human warrior but then Kong- foam frothing at his mouth - charged forward and used his barbarian strength to drop the orc captain.
The captain pleaded for his life, and explained that he was the captain of the Secret Hand. Him and his crew were hired by a Vecnan priest named Darl Quethos to find the island of Tilagos. Several of the crew had been killed by the vicious priest using the Hand of Vecna. They arrived on the shores of the island two days ago whereupon Darl and his retinue went into the interior of the island.
The companions decided to spare the orc his life. They looked upon the wind-beaten interior of the island and knew that not only were they searching for the secret of Dragotha's phylactery they were racing against a powerful priest of Vecna who possessed his god's legendary hand. Not great prospects.
Session Updates
'Bout time! Good to get the campaign back up and rolling, but there are some not so good things about it too. Harris has moved down to Mankato, though it seems he's coming up to the cities every weekend. We've moved the campaign from Thursdays to Sundays. And it sounds like Travis will be joining us as a regular character. What PC he makes is still up in the air, along with Jesse making a new character.
XP Recap
Err ... I don't have the numbers here. I'll update it later.
Until next, Game On!
"Weird" Dave Olson
weird.dave.dfga@gmail.com
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Age of Worms Startup!
Age of Worms on Sunday, August 24th. Who's up? Startup a little earlier than normal (say around 1 pm or 2 pm) and get this campaign back off the ground. Any plans to stop this? Anyone got anything going on?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Trail of Cthulhu Thursday
Trail of Cthulhu
Miskatonic University Expeditions
Trail of Cthulhu (which uses the Gumshoe engine) takes a lot of interesting ideas to the investigatory horror genre of gaming; I really like its take on clues, for instance. Whereas in Call of Cthulhu, one failed Spot Hidden check will make things much more difficult for both players and Keeper, in ToC the clue will be found, only the results will be left unknown. Like in CSI, the test results always come back (instead of rolling a forensics check) but conclusions must still be drawn. It also cuts down on useless or confusing scores such as Appearance and Size as well as adding more power to the character’s backgrounds. While I really like Call of Cthulhu, I want to see if I like Trail of Cthulhu better and if it suits the gaming style of our group better. I'd like to start on Thursday.
The campaign will start in Arkham in the summer of 1928. Here is the scene- the Arkham Advertiser has published an interesting story on the front page.
MU Prepares for Arctic Expedition
In Greenland, the glaciers move across the land slowly, their progress measured in centuries. One such slow moving glacier has recently revealed a great wall of stone, covered in ancient hieroglyphs that are thought to be thousands of years old. Details are still sketchy, but reports say that the massive slab of stone, which apparently protrudes from a glacier features a massive bas-relief of an ancient Eskimo god. Odd hieroglyphs surround the figure, and it is hoped that they may reveal the secrets of a civilization thousands of years old.
Professor Curtis Mathieson of Miskatonic University has recently secured permission from the Danish government to head an expedition to conduct research in the area. He has already begun to select his team, and has recalled the Darlena, a research vessel leased by the University, to carry the expedition to Greenland. Mathieson expects to have the expedition under way in mere weeks.
When asked to speculate about the origins of the wall, Mathieson said, “I am not prepared to do so at this time, although I will be happy to make a full statement when accurate research of this phenomenon has been accomplished. Suffice to say, the wall seems to be extremely ancient, and the sketches I have seen of the hieroglyphs seem to indicate that they belong to no known linguistic family.”
Mathieson is still looking to fill out Greenland research team. Individuals already selected including Doctor Henry Ethelrod, a staff member of the British Museum; Charles Granger, a graduate student at Miskatonic University; Terrence Bhule, a young though renowned anthropologist, and a team of French mountaineers under the leadership of the esteemed climber Phillippe Luvois. Currently, Professor Mathieson is interested in expanding the participants of the expedition, and urges anyone who is interested in helping (particularly Miskatonic students) to contact him at the Department of Archeology at Miskatonic University.
Trail of Cthulhu character creation is fairly simple, it should only take a few minutes, but it will be useful to have a concept ready. If you want, you could remake old characters (even those who might have died in CoC) to provide interesting characters in the Trail of Cthulhu universe. Here is the basic rundown of investigator creation.
Choose Occupation: Full List- Alienist, Antiquarian, Archaeologist*, Artist*, Author*, Clergy, Criminal, Dilettante*, Doctor*, Hobo, Journalist*, Military, Nurse*, Parapsychologist, Pilot, Police Detective, Private Investigator, Professor*, Scientist* (asterisks indicate occupations better suited to the adventure)
The occupation will determine skills, special abilities, and credit rating.
Choose Drive: Adventure, Antiquarianism, Arrogance, Artistic Sensitivity, Bad Luck, Curiosity, Duty, Ennui, Follower, In the Blood, Revenge, Scholarship, Sudden Shock, Thirst for Knowledge.
This will provide a concrete reason why your character would be interested in pursing investigation of the Mythos and is based on your investigator’s backstory and occupation. You can be as specific as you like. Failing to pursue your drive may result in Stability loss (explained later).
Next, you spend build points on abilities, making sure the party has a wide variety of skills.
Finally you choose your Pillar(s) of Sanity (an abstract principle your investigator implicitly believes in, such as a religion, family values, scientific progress, or whatever) and your Source(s) of Stability (a person or people who keeps you sane when things get bad). Last, you can choose to write about any other contacts your investigator might have.
Here are some character ideas for the campaign.
Archeologist- another archeologist would be welcomed on the expedition.
Artist- a painter, sculptor, or photographer would be needed on the trip to keep visual records of the sights, and a student artist might need the school credits or excuse to see such beautiful and exotic sights as the arctic.
Author- like an artist, may be a student or simply a interested party who might accompany the expedition to keep records or simply find inspiration.
Dilettante- a great way for a wealthy student to escape parental control during the summer, and to brag to the guys/gals in the club, as aiding an archeological expedition could be quite an adventure.
Doctor/Nurse- a doctor or nurse, or even a medical student would be very useful on an expedition in case of injury or disease, and one would be encouraged to join. Credits in a social science may also be useful to a pre-med or nursing student as well.
Journalist- either a journalism student working for the school paper or a professional from one of Arkham’s major newspapers (or other city) deciding to accompany the expedition for the inside scoop into its discoveries, a journalist would find themselves put to work as well by the scientists.
Professor- another professor or academic grad student could also be invited to accompany, either for their erudite knowledge on a subject or simply as brute labor in the more dirty aspects of archeology.
Scientist- a person with knowledge of a hard science, such as a geologist or biologist might also enjoy the expedition, and even an engineer might wish to test out new arctic designed motors or other technology. Students in the sciences may need humanity credits available from participating in the expedition.
Miskatonic University Expeditions
Trail of Cthulhu (which uses the Gumshoe engine) takes a lot of interesting ideas to the investigatory horror genre of gaming; I really like its take on clues, for instance. Whereas in Call of Cthulhu, one failed Spot Hidden check will make things much more difficult for both players and Keeper, in ToC the clue will be found, only the results will be left unknown. Like in CSI, the test results always come back (instead of rolling a forensics check) but conclusions must still be drawn. It also cuts down on useless or confusing scores such as Appearance and Size as well as adding more power to the character’s backgrounds. While I really like Call of Cthulhu, I want to see if I like Trail of Cthulhu better and if it suits the gaming style of our group better. I'd like to start on Thursday.
The campaign will start in Arkham in the summer of 1928. Here is the scene- the Arkham Advertiser has published an interesting story on the front page.
MU Prepares for Arctic Expedition
In Greenland, the glaciers move across the land slowly, their progress measured in centuries. One such slow moving glacier has recently revealed a great wall of stone, covered in ancient hieroglyphs that are thought to be thousands of years old. Details are still sketchy, but reports say that the massive slab of stone, which apparently protrudes from a glacier features a massive bas-relief of an ancient Eskimo god. Odd hieroglyphs surround the figure, and it is hoped that they may reveal the secrets of a civilization thousands of years old.
Professor Curtis Mathieson of Miskatonic University has recently secured permission from the Danish government to head an expedition to conduct research in the area. He has already begun to select his team, and has recalled the Darlena, a research vessel leased by the University, to carry the expedition to Greenland. Mathieson expects to have the expedition under way in mere weeks.
When asked to speculate about the origins of the wall, Mathieson said, “I am not prepared to do so at this time, although I will be happy to make a full statement when accurate research of this phenomenon has been accomplished. Suffice to say, the wall seems to be extremely ancient, and the sketches I have seen of the hieroglyphs seem to indicate that they belong to no known linguistic family.”
Mathieson is still looking to fill out Greenland research team. Individuals already selected including Doctor Henry Ethelrod, a staff member of the British Museum; Charles Granger, a graduate student at Miskatonic University; Terrence Bhule, a young though renowned anthropologist, and a team of French mountaineers under the leadership of the esteemed climber Phillippe Luvois. Currently, Professor Mathieson is interested in expanding the participants of the expedition, and urges anyone who is interested in helping (particularly Miskatonic students) to contact him at the Department of Archeology at Miskatonic University.
Trail of Cthulhu character creation is fairly simple, it should only take a few minutes, but it will be useful to have a concept ready. If you want, you could remake old characters (even those who might have died in CoC) to provide interesting characters in the Trail of Cthulhu universe. Here is the basic rundown of investigator creation.
Choose Occupation: Full List- Alienist, Antiquarian, Archaeologist*, Artist*, Author*, Clergy, Criminal, Dilettante*, Doctor*, Hobo, Journalist*, Military, Nurse*, Parapsychologist, Pilot, Police Detective, Private Investigator, Professor*, Scientist* (asterisks indicate occupations better suited to the adventure)
The occupation will determine skills, special abilities, and credit rating.
Choose Drive: Adventure, Antiquarianism, Arrogance, Artistic Sensitivity, Bad Luck, Curiosity, Duty, Ennui, Follower, In the Blood, Revenge, Scholarship, Sudden Shock, Thirst for Knowledge.
This will provide a concrete reason why your character would be interested in pursing investigation of the Mythos and is based on your investigator’s backstory and occupation. You can be as specific as you like. Failing to pursue your drive may result in Stability loss (explained later).
Next, you spend build points on abilities, making sure the party has a wide variety of skills.
Finally you choose your Pillar(s) of Sanity (an abstract principle your investigator implicitly believes in, such as a religion, family values, scientific progress, or whatever) and your Source(s) of Stability (a person or people who keeps you sane when things get bad). Last, you can choose to write about any other contacts your investigator might have.
Here are some character ideas for the campaign.
Archeologist- another archeologist would be welcomed on the expedition.
Artist- a painter, sculptor, or photographer would be needed on the trip to keep visual records of the sights, and a student artist might need the school credits or excuse to see such beautiful and exotic sights as the arctic.
Author- like an artist, may be a student or simply a interested party who might accompany the expedition to keep records or simply find inspiration.
Dilettante- a great way for a wealthy student to escape parental control during the summer, and to brag to the guys/gals in the club, as aiding an archeological expedition could be quite an adventure.
Doctor/Nurse- a doctor or nurse, or even a medical student would be very useful on an expedition in case of injury or disease, and one would be encouraged to join. Credits in a social science may also be useful to a pre-med or nursing student as well.
Journalist- either a journalism student working for the school paper or a professional from one of Arkham’s major newspapers (or other city) deciding to accompany the expedition for the inside scoop into its discoveries, a journalist would find themselves put to work as well by the scientists.
Professor- another professor or academic grad student could also be invited to accompany, either for their erudite knowledge on a subject or simply as brute labor in the more dirty aspects of archeology.
Scientist- a person with knowledge of a hard science, such as a geologist or biologist might also enjoy the expedition, and even an engineer might wish to test out new arctic designed motors or other technology. Students in the sciences may need humanity credits available from participating in the expedition.
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Ravaged Earth!
Action! Adventure! Heroism! Death rays! Rocket packs! The depths of the unknown and the heights of excitement!
These and more await you in the Ravaged Earth. This is a Savage Worlds community setting available for all to see at the following link: http://www.ravagedearthsociety.com/TRES/tiki-index.php.
It takes a look at the world of 1935 had the Martians invaded in 1898 (I think that's the date). Check out the character creation guidelines and if you're interested get thinking about a character. I'd like to get this off the ground pretty soon. I love pulp.
These and more await you in the Ravaged Earth. This is a Savage Worlds community setting available for all to see at the following link: http://www.ravagedearthsociety.com/TRES/tiki-index.php.
It takes a look at the world of 1935 had the Martians invaded in 1898 (I think that's the date). Check out the character creation guidelines and if you're interested get thinking about a character. I'd like to get this off the ground pretty soon. I love pulp.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
More House Delays?!?!!
Grrr. I heard back from my realtor today saying that the paperwork was all done on THIS end but the bank that owns the house currently is dragging their feet. AGAIN. I've got all the necessary paperwork signed on the dotted lines (as far as pre-closing date is concerned) now all I have to do is wait for the bank to get off their lazy @#&%ing rear ends and get the paperwork back to the underwriters.
Last word is that it could take up to 10 days. The only bit of encouraging news is that the bank's paperwork said that closing woud be on or before 30 days after the acceptance date. Well, the acceptance date was 6/16 - meaning 7/16 for an outside date. Two weeks away, but still within reach. Of course, can they adjust the acceptance date ... ?
Grrr. Aaarrrgh.
Last word is that it could take up to 10 days. The only bit of encouraging news is that the bank's paperwork said that closing woud be on or before 30 days after the acceptance date. Well, the acceptance date was 6/16 - meaning 7/16 for an outside date. Two weeks away, but still within reach. Of course, can they adjust the acceptance date ... ?
Grrr. Aaarrrgh.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Age of Worms Campaign Update 4/10/2008
CHRONICLE VAULT 20080403, FROM THE LIBRARY OF RHAVUS THE FIEND-SAGE ...
Coldeven 22, 595 CY
Five of the companions - Argo, Drake, Kong, Duke, and Kaspar - were caught surprised by their nemesis Loris Raknian, who jumped out of the crowded marketplace with murder on his mind! His assassin friend, Captain Okoral, joined in the fray, and soon a deadly melee was engaged between the two sides. Loris fought with tenacity and recklessness, a trait which served him well in the gladiator arena.
But he had not faced such an opponent as the Kings of the Road, and even with Okoral's help the two were not doing well. Kong was struck by the assassin's blade and felt poison course this body, but after a pitched and fierce battle the two were killed. Just to be sure, Drake cut their heads off for good measure.
The violence attracted the attention of the Blessed Angels - erinyes devils dressed in black that patrolled the skies of Alhaster. As the heroes looted the fallen bodies something terrible happened.
A dragon appeared out of invisibility and stomped on Kong and Argo! This was a massive black dragon, old and powerful, and announced the death of the heroes in a high-pitched female voice. With a start the companions realized they were facing off against the Black Mother, whose brood they had destroyed in the Mistmarsh months before!
Ilthane, the Black Mother, was a terrible foe, and the party - already weakened from their battle with Loris Raknian and Okoral - found victory slipping further and further away. The dragon was a master tactician, keeping the barbarian and halfling under foot while engaging the remaining opponents. Drake caught the full force of her acidic breath weapon and did not get back up.
Drake the Slayer died when the Black Mother breathed a line of acid in his face.
Duke cast spell after spell as Kaspar tried to keep the dragon busy, the victory came from the least likely of places. Under foot, Argo had given up trying to wriggle free and simply tried to stab the dragon repeatedly. One of his blows struck a major vein in Ilthane's leg, and she let out a shriek. It would be her last shriek, as the life and blood fled from her body, she collapsed in a heap.
The Black Mother was finally defeated after months of searching for her. The Blessed Angels told the surviving heroes that they had to clean up the mess, and they suggested a halfling taxidermist who worked with exotic animals. Duke took the fallen body of Drake and they decided to use a reincarnate spell to bring him back to life - it was the only option they had available to them. While the dwarf wizard prepared the spell the rest of the companions sought out the taxidermist.
Finding the Curious Owlbear was not a problem, and proprietor - a portly halfling named Chosk Underpate - was more than happy to mount and stuff many parts of the fallen dragon. He needed at least two weeks to complete the work, however, and demanded payment up front. The heroes gladly paid, but one thing gnawed at them - where was Ilthane's lair?
Asking around yielded some promising information which pointed them towards the Traitor's Graveyard where traitors were hung. They decided to wait for Duke to reincarnate Drake, which he did - returning his soul to life in the body of an orc. Drake the Slayer was now Drake the Orc, a fact which did not please him. He was fairly depressed after that.
Searching the graveyard for the lair of Ilthane cheered him up some, and eventually all of the companions (including Klaus) uncovered the Black Mother's lair. Inside was a treasure cache, smaller than expected, but which would prove to be both great and troublesome at the same time. The first thing they found were six elixirs, which had the draconic symbols of strength, health, speed, wit, wisdom, and charisma. These increased corresponding physical traist of the imbiber, and were divied out accordingly.
The only other treasure worth finding was a strange object - the Deck of Many Things. This was a terribly powerful artifact, whimsical with its boons and dangerous to boot. Right there the heroes decided to draw from the deck and test their fate.
Kong stepped forward first and pulled the Sun, a powerful card which increased his experience by leaps and bounds. Duke drew next and got the Key, gaining possession of a magical greatsword where the blade was made of crackling energy. The dwarf wizard gave this to Kong.
Drake pulled next, and got the Moon - granting him a series of magical wishes. He immediately wished to be human again, and he reverted to his original form. He also drew the Vizier, and had an answer to a dilemma up his sleeve.
Argo drew the Jester and also gained in experience knowledge. When it came time for Klaus to take his turn, however, a sense of dread came over him as he pulled out the feared Donjon card - Klaus disappeared in the blink of the eye. Kaspar decided to try his luck, and he pulled the Void - his eyes went blank as his soul left his body.
Klaus Kopperthumbs is imprisoned somewhere from pulling the Donjon out of the Deck of Many Things.
Kaspar Nailo's soul is trapped somewhere but his body functions from pulling the Void out of the Deck of Many Things.
The six companions were reduced to four after nothing more than an artifact. They had defeated gladiators, dragons, demons, undead - and only now did they truly feel loss.
Session Updates
Decks of Many Things, huh? Hilarious!
'Till next, Game On!
"Weird" Dave Olson
Coldeven 22, 595 CY
Five of the companions - Argo, Drake, Kong, Duke, and Kaspar - were caught surprised by their nemesis Loris Raknian, who jumped out of the crowded marketplace with murder on his mind! His assassin friend, Captain Okoral, joined in the fray, and soon a deadly melee was engaged between the two sides. Loris fought with tenacity and recklessness, a trait which served him well in the gladiator arena.
But he had not faced such an opponent as the Kings of the Road, and even with Okoral's help the two were not doing well. Kong was struck by the assassin's blade and felt poison course this body, but after a pitched and fierce battle the two were killed. Just to be sure, Drake cut their heads off for good measure.
The violence attracted the attention of the Blessed Angels - erinyes devils dressed in black that patrolled the skies of Alhaster. As the heroes looted the fallen bodies something terrible happened.
A dragon appeared out of invisibility and stomped on Kong and Argo! This was a massive black dragon, old and powerful, and announced the death of the heroes in a high-pitched female voice. With a start the companions realized they were facing off against the Black Mother, whose brood they had destroyed in the Mistmarsh months before!
Ilthane, the Black Mother, was a terrible foe, and the party - already weakened from their battle with Loris Raknian and Okoral - found victory slipping further and further away. The dragon was a master tactician, keeping the barbarian and halfling under foot while engaging the remaining opponents. Drake caught the full force of her acidic breath weapon and did not get back up.
Drake the Slayer died when the Black Mother breathed a line of acid in his face.
Duke cast spell after spell as Kaspar tried to keep the dragon busy, the victory came from the least likely of places. Under foot, Argo had given up trying to wriggle free and simply tried to stab the dragon repeatedly. One of his blows struck a major vein in Ilthane's leg, and she let out a shriek. It would be her last shriek, as the life and blood fled from her body, she collapsed in a heap.
The Black Mother was finally defeated after months of searching for her. The Blessed Angels told the surviving heroes that they had to clean up the mess, and they suggested a halfling taxidermist who worked with exotic animals. Duke took the fallen body of Drake and they decided to use a reincarnate spell to bring him back to life - it was the only option they had available to them. While the dwarf wizard prepared the spell the rest of the companions sought out the taxidermist.
Finding the Curious Owlbear was not a problem, and proprietor - a portly halfling named Chosk Underpate - was more than happy to mount and stuff many parts of the fallen dragon. He needed at least two weeks to complete the work, however, and demanded payment up front. The heroes gladly paid, but one thing gnawed at them - where was Ilthane's lair?
Asking around yielded some promising information which pointed them towards the Traitor's Graveyard where traitors were hung. They decided to wait for Duke to reincarnate Drake, which he did - returning his soul to life in the body of an orc. Drake the Slayer was now Drake the Orc, a fact which did not please him. He was fairly depressed after that.
Searching the graveyard for the lair of Ilthane cheered him up some, and eventually all of the companions (including Klaus) uncovered the Black Mother's lair. Inside was a treasure cache, smaller than expected, but which would prove to be both great and troublesome at the same time. The first thing they found were six elixirs, which had the draconic symbols of strength, health, speed, wit, wisdom, and charisma. These increased corresponding physical traist of the imbiber, and were divied out accordingly.
The only other treasure worth finding was a strange object - the Deck of Many Things. This was a terribly powerful artifact, whimsical with its boons and dangerous to boot. Right there the heroes decided to draw from the deck and test their fate.
Kong stepped forward first and pulled the Sun, a powerful card which increased his experience by leaps and bounds. Duke drew next and got the Key, gaining possession of a magical greatsword where the blade was made of crackling energy. The dwarf wizard gave this to Kong.
Drake pulled next, and got the Moon - granting him a series of magical wishes. He immediately wished to be human again, and he reverted to his original form. He also drew the Vizier, and had an answer to a dilemma up his sleeve.
Argo drew the Jester and also gained in experience knowledge. When it came time for Klaus to take his turn, however, a sense of dread came over him as he pulled out the feared Donjon card - Klaus disappeared in the blink of the eye. Kaspar decided to try his luck, and he pulled the Void - his eyes went blank as his soul left his body.
Klaus Kopperthumbs is imprisoned somewhere from pulling the Donjon out of the Deck of Many Things.
Kaspar Nailo's soul is trapped somewhere but his body functions from pulling the Void out of the Deck of Many Things.
The six companions were reduced to four after nothing more than an artifact. They had defeated gladiators, dragons, demons, undead - and only now did they truly feel loss.
Session Updates
Decks of Many Things, huh? Hilarious!
'Till next, Game On!
"Weird" Dave Olson
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Age of Worms Campaign Update 4/3/2008
CHRONICLE VAULT 20080403, FROM THE LIBRARY OF RHAVUS THE FIEND-SAGE ...
Coldeven 20, 595 CY
With the knowledge of the impending events leading up to the apocalyptic Age of Worms weighing heavily on their minds, the six companions boarded the skyship Sunshadow in the depths of the Amedio Jungle. They requested that the shadow elf Captain Shadowstalker take them to the crystal tower of Malakara the Mad Mage so that they could figure out their next move. The mysterious captain obliged, making all haste to return to Point Harrow.
The journey was largely uneventful and they arrived in only five short days. Malakara welcomed them back with a gruff "hey" and invited them inside. He asked what they had learned and was keenly interested in the prophecies leading up to the Age of Worms. The last two he knew about, and offered some insight of his own.
After the companions had left bound for the Spire of Long Shadows, Malakara did some research of his own regarding the location of Grimoire Barackus. He found that the wizard had looked into a cult called the Ebon Triad, which believed in the unification of Vecna, Hextor, and Erythnul - a thoroughly ridiculous concept. It seemed that Grimoire Barackus believed that the cult was a front for something far more sinister, and the wizard had underlined a reference to Alhaster and made connections pointing many members of the Ebon Triad cult leaders to this town in the Bandit Kingdoms nation of Redhand.
Malakara found a copy of the book "A History of Alhaster", an outdated tome on the city's history written by a cleric of St. Cuthbert named Rhorsk only a few montsh before a despotic ruler named Prince Zeech seceeded from the Shield Lands. One section of the book recounts the emergence of a cabal of Hextorian heretics attempting to establish an underground cult somewhere in the city. The cult made particular use of what they called the "Writhing Dead." The cult was defeated by an elven noble of the city named Lashonna.
Malakara gave the heroes Grimoire's notes on the subjects, which ran as follow:
Alhaster is the key. Missing heretics never captured ... Possible site of Ebon Triad foundation? Did they turn to the cult of Erythnul for aid, and then more recently to Vecna? Are new Triad leaders trained somewhere in Alhaster, and then sent out to start their onw cult cells in other cities?
To Do: * Lashonna (helped defeat heretics, may know more about them that wasn't printed) * Rhorsk (research indicates he did not flee Alhaster after it fell - he's probably dead but may have left some sort of legacy) * Ebon Triad (are they still active in town? Find out if their original hideout/shrine still exists)
It seemed Grimoire's trail led to Alhaster, and this is where Malakara suggested the heroes travel to next. It was decided that they should go to Alhaster, but first they needed to stop by Greyhawk City to resupply and more research. Aboard the Sunshadow the trip took one day and the heroes arrived in the Gem of the Flanaess.
In the city Duke sold most of the magical equipment they had retrieved from the Spire of Long Shadows while everyone stopped by the Temple of Pelor to stock up on potions of healing. Kaspar went to visit the Temple of St. Cuthbert and spoke with the blind High Inquisitor Dorian McKnight about the artifact. Dorian was in posession of three of the fragments, and upon speaking with him Kaspar decided to give him their seventh piece. It seemed only natural to give the blind priest a fragment of this potentially powerful artifact.
Klaus continued his search of the elusive Thieves' Guild, but this time his efforts bore unexpected fruit. After working contacts in the underworld of the city, the dwarven rogue finally met the guildmaster - a dangerous and sly halfling named Kelkep. Kelkep wore about his shoulders a cloak made of living shadows that masked his very presence. For a price to be named later, the halfling guildmaster told Klaus that their old foe Loris Raknian was spotted recently in the city of Alhaster. It seemed he had some friends in that city on the northern shore of the Nyr Dyv.
Armed with this information, the heroes boarded the Sunshadow and made their way north. Captain Shadowstalker told the companions that he would not bring his skyship within twenty miles of Alhaster - the airspace was hostile. He would not explain further, and the heroes had little choice but to accept matters. After three days of flight the Sunshadow set down on the shore and Duke, Kong, Drake, Kaspar, Argo, and Klaus dismounted and headed up shore to Alhaster.
The trip was uneventful if cold, as it was still late winter. The six companions arrived at the gate leading to the city of Alhaster and were confronted by hobgoblin guards. The guards demanded a tribute of 100 gp each, but when Kong flexed his muscles and told them to move along, they listened. It seemed the residents of Alhaster respected might over right.
Alhaster itself was known as the City of Scoundrels, and it earned its name. Everywhere they looked the city was a mix of the depressing and bright. According to the banners, the ruler of the city - the despotic Prince Zeech - was holding a celebration to honor the 20th year of his reign. The people, a mix of the downtrodden and downright evil, seemed to be in good spirits at first glance, but upon further notice their cheers were lackluster, their mirth forced.
Asking around for Lashonna the heroes were directed to the far northwestern portion of the city, which was clearly the "better" part of town. It was, at Mistwall Manor, that Lashonna lived, but according to the guards at the gates she was not in town. If they wanted to see her, the guards directed them to Zeech's Anniversary Banquet - but good luck getting tickets to that, they laughed!
Argo and Duke decided to investigate getting access to this banquet, which was to be held in three days. Kong, Klaus, and Kaspar starting asking around, looking for anyone who had seen Loris Raknian. They were directed to the city's market, where they wandered around looking for the gladiator. Drake hit the bar and started drinking.
In their pursuits, the halfling and dwarf were pointed to the Deluxury, one of the more luxurious inns of Alhaster, and a man named Armhin Loration. They found this weasel-faced man sitting at the inn's bar, and Argo slyly asked how one might obtain invitations to Prince Zeech's upcoming banquet. The man wouldn't give the halfling the time of day, but when Duke mentioned that they were in fact the Kings of the Road, winners of this year's Champions' Games in the Free City of Greyhawk. This caught Armhin's attention, who asks that Argo and Duke bring whomever else they want to the Deluxury in two hours and he'll begin the interview process.
Argo runs out and collects the rest of the group, and they meet with Armhin one at a time. He asks them each to explain their exploits, and seems most impressed by everyone's description of the Champions' Games. Except for Drake, who was mostly drunk at the time. At the end of the interviews Armhin gives each of the companions an invitation - but takes Kong aside and tells him to watch Drake closely during the banquet.
With three days to wait until the banquet, the heroes set out once again to find what they can find. They decided to get rooms at the Deluxury, and the next day they head out into the city. They all meet up in the marketplace of Alhaster, looking at the various things for sale. A large crowd had gathered at the western end of the marketplace, with angry shouting welling up from the mod. Their hatred was directed at a trio of figures who stand on a gallows, nooses limp around their covered faces. Standing nearby is a tall man, a symbol of a gauntleted hand clutching six downward-pointing arrows emblazoned on the front of his black robes. He holds up his hand and speaks before the hushed crowd.
"By the Grace of his Most Beautiful Majesty Prince Zeech, I condemn these wicked heathens to their fate - they are fortunate that Prince Zeech is merciful, for had I the power, their deaths would last a fortnight. And so by His Decree, let these heretics go their maker!"
Shouts of "death to the Ebon Triad" well up from the cowd as the robed figure pulls a lever, opening a trap door in the gallows floor. The three hooded figures drop, kicking for a few moments, and then hang still. The crowd disperse slowly after this.
Klaus take this as a sign to stay off the streets and they return to the Deluxury to wait. Kaspar asks around about the Temple of St. Cuthbert, and discovers that the temple was burnt to the ground almost 20 years ago. With little else to go on, Kaspar, Duke, and Argo decide to check out the remains to help to see if they can find any remnants of the priest Rhorsk. Kong and Drake continue to ask around about Loris Raknian.
At the site of the former St. Cuthbert temple the three heroes find only a burnt shell of a building with barricaded doors. Argo pries the barricades off carefully and they sneak inside, searching around. The sharp eyes of Kaspar discovers a hidden doorway buried under rubble, and beyond is a steep stairway leading into darkness. The three of them make their way down, and eventually they start hearing soft moaning. Lighting a torch, they finally reach the bottom and see a gray, gaunt figure rocking slowly back and forth in a huddled position. As the light shines on him he turns and gasps, revealing himself to be a ghoul. Argo and Kaspar prepare to defeat the undead menace, but Duke stops them.
The dwarf wizard calls out "Rhorsk," to which the ghoul stops. Duke points silently to the symbol of St. Cuthbert on the undead man's chest as explanation to his companions. Duke asks about the book Rhorsk wrote, and the ghoul seems to get almost wistful. He explains that almost all of the Hextor heretics were caught, but they were fed information by a person called Mother Maggot. This mysterious figure was responsible for giving the cultists the worm-eaten undead. Rhorsk never found out who Mother Maggot was or her true goals, but he did discover that the cultists met with her in a subterranean room under a house in the southeast section of the city.
Kaspar asks that Rhorsk lead them to the house, and the ghoul happily obliges. He leads the three through the sewers and tunnels below Alhaster, arriving finally at a point just below a sewer grate. He points upwards and tells them the house on the corner is where Mother Maggot met with the cultists, but he was never able to find anything at the house. Wishing the heroes luck, Rhorsk disappears back into the darkness of the sewers.
Duke, Argo, and Kaspar climb back to the surface of Alhaster and find themselves standing in front of Sinner's Sanctum, or so claimed the sign. Inside held the stench of death, and it seemed it was a house where people went to die. A dozen people of various races were kept by Furpotia, an insane woman who "healed" the dying. After sneaking inside Argo and Kaspar did not find any secret trap doors of any kind.
The next day all of the companions (except for Klaus) return to the marketplace, looking around, when a burly shout stops them in their tracks. The crowds part and make way for a retinue of seven hobgoblins led by a particularly well-groomed hobgoblin. He calls hims B'kruss, leader of the Knights of Redhand, and demands to know what the companions did that was so great to get into the banquet.
Kong steps up and tells the obnoxious hobgoblin that they were the Kings of the Road, winners of the Champions' Games! B'kruss snorts and demands that they have a little contest to see who's the better hero. Kong accepts the challenge, and the hobgoblin knight says the first contest is going to be a race. B'kruss grabs his mount, a dire boar named Gristlegape, and challenges Kong to a race around Alhaster - first one back is the winner. The northern barbarian brings out his yak and accepts the challenge.
The race was close, but after a few problems Kong and his yak win by a hair's breadth. B'kruss, not to be outdone, says the next challenge is a rooftop leap over an alley thirty feet wide. The hobgoblins lead everyone this time to the roofs of a nearby building, and demonstrate what needs to be done by leaping gracefully over the length. Kong gives a good running start and clears the gap, but Drake is not so lucky - he falls in the alley. Argo makes the jump, impressing the hell out of the hobgoblin knight.
The third challenge, B'kruss explains, is the Mindless Courage of the Dreadful Mauling! The knight's mount, Gristlegape, needs to be grappled and pinned before the dire boar mauls the contendor. B'kruss demonstrates, wrestling his mount to the ground in a matter of moments. Kong, experienced with the ways of animals, leaps onto the Gristlegape when it's his turn and pins the beast - beating B'kruss' time by seconds.
The infuriated hobgoblin stalks away with the rest of the Knights of Redhand, but promises that this won't be the last they see of him. As the five heroes revel in their victory over the hobgoblin showboats, a familiar voice shouts out from behind.
"Remember me, champions?"
Turning around they find Loris Raknian charging forward!
Session Updates
Yeah, not much to update anymore. I don't have an XP recap for this session in my notes, but I don't think that matters too much.
'Till next, Game On!
"Weird" Dave Olson
Coldeven 20, 595 CY
With the knowledge of the impending events leading up to the apocalyptic Age of Worms weighing heavily on their minds, the six companions boarded the skyship Sunshadow in the depths of the Amedio Jungle. They requested that the shadow elf Captain Shadowstalker take them to the crystal tower of Malakara the Mad Mage so that they could figure out their next move. The mysterious captain obliged, making all haste to return to Point Harrow.
The journey was largely uneventful and they arrived in only five short days. Malakara welcomed them back with a gruff "hey" and invited them inside. He asked what they had learned and was keenly interested in the prophecies leading up to the Age of Worms. The last two he knew about, and offered some insight of his own.
After the companions had left bound for the Spire of Long Shadows, Malakara did some research of his own regarding the location of Grimoire Barackus. He found that the wizard had looked into a cult called the Ebon Triad, which believed in the unification of Vecna, Hextor, and Erythnul - a thoroughly ridiculous concept. It seemed that Grimoire Barackus believed that the cult was a front for something far more sinister, and the wizard had underlined a reference to Alhaster and made connections pointing many members of the Ebon Triad cult leaders to this town in the Bandit Kingdoms nation of Redhand.
Malakara found a copy of the book "A History of Alhaster", an outdated tome on the city's history written by a cleric of St. Cuthbert named Rhorsk only a few montsh before a despotic ruler named Prince Zeech seceeded from the Shield Lands. One section of the book recounts the emergence of a cabal of Hextorian heretics attempting to establish an underground cult somewhere in the city. The cult made particular use of what they called the "Writhing Dead." The cult was defeated by an elven noble of the city named Lashonna.
Malakara gave the heroes Grimoire's notes on the subjects, which ran as follow:
Alhaster is the key. Missing heretics never captured ... Possible site of Ebon Triad foundation? Did they turn to the cult of Erythnul for aid, and then more recently to Vecna? Are new Triad leaders trained somewhere in Alhaster, and then sent out to start their onw cult cells in other cities?
To Do: * Lashonna (helped defeat heretics, may know more about them that wasn't printed) * Rhorsk (research indicates he did not flee Alhaster after it fell - he's probably dead but may have left some sort of legacy) * Ebon Triad (are they still active in town? Find out if their original hideout/shrine still exists)
It seemed Grimoire's trail led to Alhaster, and this is where Malakara suggested the heroes travel to next. It was decided that they should go to Alhaster, but first they needed to stop by Greyhawk City to resupply and more research. Aboard the Sunshadow the trip took one day and the heroes arrived in the Gem of the Flanaess.
In the city Duke sold most of the magical equipment they had retrieved from the Spire of Long Shadows while everyone stopped by the Temple of Pelor to stock up on potions of healing. Kaspar went to visit the Temple of St. Cuthbert and spoke with the blind High Inquisitor Dorian McKnight about the artifact. Dorian was in posession of three of the fragments, and upon speaking with him Kaspar decided to give him their seventh piece. It seemed only natural to give the blind priest a fragment of this potentially powerful artifact.
Klaus continued his search of the elusive Thieves' Guild, but this time his efforts bore unexpected fruit. After working contacts in the underworld of the city, the dwarven rogue finally met the guildmaster - a dangerous and sly halfling named Kelkep. Kelkep wore about his shoulders a cloak made of living shadows that masked his very presence. For a price to be named later, the halfling guildmaster told Klaus that their old foe Loris Raknian was spotted recently in the city of Alhaster. It seemed he had some friends in that city on the northern shore of the Nyr Dyv.
Armed with this information, the heroes boarded the Sunshadow and made their way north. Captain Shadowstalker told the companions that he would not bring his skyship within twenty miles of Alhaster - the airspace was hostile. He would not explain further, and the heroes had little choice but to accept matters. After three days of flight the Sunshadow set down on the shore and Duke, Kong, Drake, Kaspar, Argo, and Klaus dismounted and headed up shore to Alhaster.
The trip was uneventful if cold, as it was still late winter. The six companions arrived at the gate leading to the city of Alhaster and were confronted by hobgoblin guards. The guards demanded a tribute of 100 gp each, but when Kong flexed his muscles and told them to move along, they listened. It seemed the residents of Alhaster respected might over right.
Alhaster itself was known as the City of Scoundrels, and it earned its name. Everywhere they looked the city was a mix of the depressing and bright. According to the banners, the ruler of the city - the despotic Prince Zeech - was holding a celebration to honor the 20th year of his reign. The people, a mix of the downtrodden and downright evil, seemed to be in good spirits at first glance, but upon further notice their cheers were lackluster, their mirth forced.
Asking around for Lashonna the heroes were directed to the far northwestern portion of the city, which was clearly the "better" part of town. It was, at Mistwall Manor, that Lashonna lived, but according to the guards at the gates she was not in town. If they wanted to see her, the guards directed them to Zeech's Anniversary Banquet - but good luck getting tickets to that, they laughed!
Argo and Duke decided to investigate getting access to this banquet, which was to be held in three days. Kong, Klaus, and Kaspar starting asking around, looking for anyone who had seen Loris Raknian. They were directed to the city's market, where they wandered around looking for the gladiator. Drake hit the bar and started drinking.
In their pursuits, the halfling and dwarf were pointed to the Deluxury, one of the more luxurious inns of Alhaster, and a man named Armhin Loration. They found this weasel-faced man sitting at the inn's bar, and Argo slyly asked how one might obtain invitations to Prince Zeech's upcoming banquet. The man wouldn't give the halfling the time of day, but when Duke mentioned that they were in fact the Kings of the Road, winners of this year's Champions' Games in the Free City of Greyhawk. This caught Armhin's attention, who asks that Argo and Duke bring whomever else they want to the Deluxury in two hours and he'll begin the interview process.
Argo runs out and collects the rest of the group, and they meet with Armhin one at a time. He asks them each to explain their exploits, and seems most impressed by everyone's description of the Champions' Games. Except for Drake, who was mostly drunk at the time. At the end of the interviews Armhin gives each of the companions an invitation - but takes Kong aside and tells him to watch Drake closely during the banquet.
With three days to wait until the banquet, the heroes set out once again to find what they can find. They decided to get rooms at the Deluxury, and the next day they head out into the city. They all meet up in the marketplace of Alhaster, looking at the various things for sale. A large crowd had gathered at the western end of the marketplace, with angry shouting welling up from the mod. Their hatred was directed at a trio of figures who stand on a gallows, nooses limp around their covered faces. Standing nearby is a tall man, a symbol of a gauntleted hand clutching six downward-pointing arrows emblazoned on the front of his black robes. He holds up his hand and speaks before the hushed crowd.
"By the Grace of his Most Beautiful Majesty Prince Zeech, I condemn these wicked heathens to their fate - they are fortunate that Prince Zeech is merciful, for had I the power, their deaths would last a fortnight. And so by His Decree, let these heretics go their maker!"
Shouts of "death to the Ebon Triad" well up from the cowd as the robed figure pulls a lever, opening a trap door in the gallows floor. The three hooded figures drop, kicking for a few moments, and then hang still. The crowd disperse slowly after this.
Klaus take this as a sign to stay off the streets and they return to the Deluxury to wait. Kaspar asks around about the Temple of St. Cuthbert, and discovers that the temple was burnt to the ground almost 20 years ago. With little else to go on, Kaspar, Duke, and Argo decide to check out the remains to help to see if they can find any remnants of the priest Rhorsk. Kong and Drake continue to ask around about Loris Raknian.
At the site of the former St. Cuthbert temple the three heroes find only a burnt shell of a building with barricaded doors. Argo pries the barricades off carefully and they sneak inside, searching around. The sharp eyes of Kaspar discovers a hidden doorway buried under rubble, and beyond is a steep stairway leading into darkness. The three of them make their way down, and eventually they start hearing soft moaning. Lighting a torch, they finally reach the bottom and see a gray, gaunt figure rocking slowly back and forth in a huddled position. As the light shines on him he turns and gasps, revealing himself to be a ghoul. Argo and Kaspar prepare to defeat the undead menace, but Duke stops them.
The dwarf wizard calls out "Rhorsk," to which the ghoul stops. Duke points silently to the symbol of St. Cuthbert on the undead man's chest as explanation to his companions. Duke asks about the book Rhorsk wrote, and the ghoul seems to get almost wistful. He explains that almost all of the Hextor heretics were caught, but they were fed information by a person called Mother Maggot. This mysterious figure was responsible for giving the cultists the worm-eaten undead. Rhorsk never found out who Mother Maggot was or her true goals, but he did discover that the cultists met with her in a subterranean room under a house in the southeast section of the city.
Kaspar asks that Rhorsk lead them to the house, and the ghoul happily obliges. He leads the three through the sewers and tunnels below Alhaster, arriving finally at a point just below a sewer grate. He points upwards and tells them the house on the corner is where Mother Maggot met with the cultists, but he was never able to find anything at the house. Wishing the heroes luck, Rhorsk disappears back into the darkness of the sewers.
Duke, Argo, and Kaspar climb back to the surface of Alhaster and find themselves standing in front of Sinner's Sanctum, or so claimed the sign. Inside held the stench of death, and it seemed it was a house where people went to die. A dozen people of various races were kept by Furpotia, an insane woman who "healed" the dying. After sneaking inside Argo and Kaspar did not find any secret trap doors of any kind.
The next day all of the companions (except for Klaus) return to the marketplace, looking around, when a burly shout stops them in their tracks. The crowds part and make way for a retinue of seven hobgoblins led by a particularly well-groomed hobgoblin. He calls hims B'kruss, leader of the Knights of Redhand, and demands to know what the companions did that was so great to get into the banquet.
Kong steps up and tells the obnoxious hobgoblin that they were the Kings of the Road, winners of the Champions' Games! B'kruss snorts and demands that they have a little contest to see who's the better hero. Kong accepts the challenge, and the hobgoblin knight says the first contest is going to be a race. B'kruss grabs his mount, a dire boar named Gristlegape, and challenges Kong to a race around Alhaster - first one back is the winner. The northern barbarian brings out his yak and accepts the challenge.
The race was close, but after a few problems Kong and his yak win by a hair's breadth. B'kruss, not to be outdone, says the next challenge is a rooftop leap over an alley thirty feet wide. The hobgoblins lead everyone this time to the roofs of a nearby building, and demonstrate what needs to be done by leaping gracefully over the length. Kong gives a good running start and clears the gap, but Drake is not so lucky - he falls in the alley. Argo makes the jump, impressing the hell out of the hobgoblin knight.
The third challenge, B'kruss explains, is the Mindless Courage of the Dreadful Mauling! The knight's mount, Gristlegape, needs to be grappled and pinned before the dire boar mauls the contendor. B'kruss demonstrates, wrestling his mount to the ground in a matter of moments. Kong, experienced with the ways of animals, leaps onto the Gristlegape when it's his turn and pins the beast - beating B'kruss' time by seconds.
The infuriated hobgoblin stalks away with the rest of the Knights of Redhand, but promises that this won't be the last they see of him. As the five heroes revel in their victory over the hobgoblin showboats, a familiar voice shouts out from behind.
"Remember me, champions?"
Turning around they find Loris Raknian charging forward!
Session Updates
Yeah, not much to update anymore. I don't have an XP recap for this session in my notes, but I don't think that matters too much.
'Till next, Game On!
"Weird" Dave Olson
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