outer reaches: lost and found

Though it's been a year, we picked up the tabletop campaign where we left off.  There were a few minor retcons to adjust the story for my campaign plans--most notably that the Master of Songbirds was being held somewhere against his will within the Spiderwood, as opposed to somewhere ambiguous outside of town.


There was one major change, however, and one generally contrary to the spirit of the blog--for this session, as a test, characters were converted to the DragonAge system by Green Ronin, which is most definitely NOT old-school in mechanics.  It is rather rules-light however, and is a system that provides some narrative possibilities for the players with the "stunt" system.  I think that much, at least, was appreciated by the players.


I also adopted a new approach, one I've never really embraced--instead of providing all of the details, such as the final powers of the artifact, once it was found, I asked the players to tell me what it did.  I intend on using this method going forward, so that the players have more influence in crafting the setting.


With the scholarly (and only slightly alcoholic) venerable dwarf Olin in tow, the group--consisting of Granny, Daisy and Kanaen--heads back to the Spiderwood to investigate the mystery of the glowing webs, revealed by moonlight, and the ancient tomb they discovered.  Olin, having studied the region's archeological record extensively, and having been disappointed by the lack of any evidence of dwarven civilizations in the region (above or underground), has nevertheless made some study of the known elven civilizations that called the Spiderwood home, and was intrigued to learn more.


The trip to the Spiderwood having been uneventful, the group made excellent time returning to the site of their discovery--and as hoped, the thin light of the quarter moon once again revealed the glowing strands of web, creating an ephemeral pathway into the darkness.  The group took much caution, with the nimble Daisy scouting ahead, to avoid making noise, lest there be enemies lurking in the wood.


Daisy discovered, however, not long after taking the path following the glowing web, that they were indeed not alone in the wood.  Sounds ahead, those of a furious combat, alerted the halfling, and almost immediately, they began to approach Daisy's position.  The noise grew to a crescendo, the sounds of battle and cries of the fallen literally all around her, though no sign could be seen of any foe, neither by Daisy nor her companions.  Suddenly, ghostly forms of dwarven warriors began to manifest, being driven back by other ghostly forms, those of orcs and goblin-kin.  It was clear that the dwarves were being routed, and driven deeper into the wood.  The ghosts took no notice of the group, that is until Daisy interacted with one of the spirits--suddenly a trio of ghostly orc focused on her and rushed to attack, their own forms seeming to become more substantial as the boundary between the spiritual and physical seemed to evaporate.


Though pressed into hiding by the attack, stalwart Kanaen was able to force the foes off of Daisy, and with assistance by Granny (in the form of flung caltrops at the opponent's faces), the three manifested orc ghosts were slain.  All evidence of the battle, including the sounds and other ghostly forms, disappeared, though Olin's interests were keen having finally found evidence of the dwarves.  Theories arose, regarding the thinning of the border between the physical realm and "the Fade" in this region...perhaps explaining some of the inconsistencies in time experienced in the Petunia and Magnolia's clearing.


Not long thereafter, the company reached the tomb--though they searched for some sort of marker or identification, none could be found.  The tomb was constructed to last the ages, and though they searched for some sign of there being a hidden tunnel or entrance to an underground crypt, none could be found.  Once again, however, sounds could be heard around them--this time of muffled speech, which quickly turned into heated debate.  Ghostly forms of elves and dwarves took shape around the group, though this time the company took care not to interact with any of them, even when the elves drew their weapons and began to slay the dwarves over some disagreement.  Olin had some inkling what this may be, at least partly--the "Dusk King", identified by the elf-stone worn on a necklace, was a legendary antecedent of the elven civilizations he studied.  Little was known of this Dusk King--at least, little that Olin could recall--and as the ghostly forms faded away, it seemed clear that the tomb was some monument--either to the slain dwarves, or to some other event unknown.  With somber moods, especially Kanaen, having watched his kindred be slain, they continued deeper into the wood.


Daisy, again scouting ahead, discovered a tower--this time, fully material, with no sign of any ghostly presence--with only one entrance, a sturdy door with hidden hinges, barred from the inside.  Olin confirmed it was of dwarven construction--a purely defensive building, meant to keep the unwanted out.  There would be no way, short of a battering ram, to breach the entrance.  That is, of course, until Daisy discovered, while crawling on the ground looking for an alternate way in, that ghostly evidence of a siege appeared--along with the bodies of several fallen dwarf soldiers.  She searched for a ghostly axe to try and cut through the door, and when she found one, learned she could take it from the ghost world into her own--also revealing that the door had a ghostly overlay, this one battered and broken, allowing entrance to the tower, but only by entering the ghost realm of the Fade.


The only clue Olin could provide as to the tower's purpose was a reference to yet another legend--the "Heart of the Wood," an artifact of unknown power and origin, presumably wielded by the elves...though in context of the violence witnessed at the ghostly debate, the truth of the Heart of the Wood could be altogether different.  And it could very well be possible that this is indeed the object being sought by Petunia and Magnolia.  Given that the Master of Songbirds may also be held within the tower...presumably seeking the Heart of the Wood himself, for purposes unknown to Granny, the company decides to venture forth into the ghost realm to investigate, passing through the door as if it were indeed insubstantial.


Within, the company found signs--in the form of skeletal dwarven deceased--that the tower's defenses had been breached by orcs and goblin-kin.  Granny, more than anyone else (being of half-elven heritage), felt a supernatural sense of unwelcome, which was proven to be more than just a feeling when the skeletal remains awakened to repel the intruders and protect the Heart of the Wood.


Kanaen, sensing the honor of the dwarven fallen, if not yet fully comprehending their purpose, issued a challenge to the skeletons--in the form of single combat, allowing the company to pass, should he prove the victor.  The dwarf skeletons assented, though proved unequal to Kanaen's challenge, eventually conceding defeat and allowing the group access to the second floor.  Feeling more in charge of the environment, they ventured onward.


The second floor proved to be a puzzle--four statues, two elf and two dwarf, were arranged on the walls, with a door of unequaled strength opposite the group.  In the center of the chamber was a fountain, from which protruded eight objects, each designed to fit within the statue's hands.  There was a sword, an axe, a wheat sheaf, an unidentified plant, a scepter, a set of merchant's scales, a miner's pick and a jewel, similar to the elf-stone seen at the tomb.  After carefully examining the statues, the group divined that the elf was indeed the Dusk King, and anointed him with the stone.


Olin confirmed that the Dusk King's wife, known as the "Black Widow", was thought to have poisoned her husband--Granny, confirming that the unidentified plant was indeed the toxic "Adder's Kiss," gave this relic to the statue.


The dwarf king's maiden wore plain clothes and utilitarian boots, driving the company to bestow the miner's pick upon her, and so it was that only the dwarf king--unrecognized by both Kanaen and Olin--was left without a relic.  After fighting off dwarven ancestor spirits, after incorrectly assigning him the scepter, they settled upon the merchant's scales, causing the door to open as if by magic, allowing them entrance to the third and final floor of the tower.


At the top, they encountered the dwarf king, overcome both physically and mentally by a twisted spirit of greed.  In his hand was a tiara, upon which was set a large green stone--presumably the Heart of the Wood.  Beside him lay his wife, in a restful pose, slain by a knife through the heart.  The Master of Songbirds was present--bound to a chair, having been thoroughly tortured and worked over, the dwarf king believing him to be the Dusk King, having arrived to challenge the king for control of the stone, and also believing that he murdered his wife--though it would be proven that the dwarf king himself struck that blow, in a fit of uncontrolled rage, incited by the spirit of greed.


The company brought battle to the dwarf king, though it became apparent that he was bolstered by the Fade and by the spirit of greed, and the group suffered a rain of attacks both magic and physical, unable to wrest to the tiara from his grip.  Finally understanding the tangled mess of emotion and motivation guiding the spirit's actions, they appealed to the dwarf king's sense of honor, hoping to overcome greed's influence.  They managed to convince him that the Master of Songbirds was not an agent of the Dusk King, and also that they would become protectors of the stone--for present times, as the dwarf king's enemies were long since dead--and finally he handed over the tiara.


As he did, the tower began to recede into the Fade, though the company was able to escape--with both the tiara and the Master of Songbirds--before it finally disappeared, leaving the company in the middle of the Spiderwood, with dawn not far off.

the rule of cool

A situation arose in my pbp game involving the use of the invisibility spell.  Here's the text, from OSRIC:

In this situation, "King" Corbin, a bandit lord that the party encountered previously while guarding caravan, is waiting to ambush an oncoming wagon in order to steal a delivery of jewels meant to seal an alliance with a nearby lord.  He has 14 men, half on each side of the road, waiting in cover to rain missiles on the caravan in the case that there is any resistance.

What Corbin doesn't know is that the delivery is a trap--the party's fighter, Ithel, is posing as a nobleman, and the party's henchmen make up the caravan crew and guard.  What Corbin also doesn't know is that Aditsan, the party's hunter, lies in wait in the woods nearby, and that Raith, the party's mage, is currently under the effect of the invisbility spell, standing just behind Corbin.

As the bandit lord raises his bow to fire upon the caravan, Raith wishes to foul the shot by tapping the bow with his staff, thus raising the question as to whether that constitutes as an "attack", negating the invisbility spell.

By the rules as written, and certainly by intention, I think that this would indeed constitute as an attack, and that it would negate the spell.

By the "rule of cool," however, by which players are encouraged to stage interesting, flavorful and entertaining actions and scenes, I think this is a brilliant use of the spell, and I've ruled that Raith can indeed foul the bandit lord's shot without cancelling the invisibility spell.

Thoughts?  How would you rule it?

outer reaches pbp: cheshire and environs

Showing the area between Chimney Rock and Cheshire, including the location of the ambush while headed into Cheshire, as well as the suspected location of King Corbin's hideout.

The ruined keep, in the north Darkwood, is also shown--lands and structure having been given to the heroes by Lothar.

outer reaches pbp: cuprum and environs

 

A map of Cuprum, protected by Lothar's Keep in the mountains, as well as the surrounding wilderness.  Abandoned copper mines dot the mountains and hills.

 

Gnolls were encountered in the wood west of the Trade Road, south of the Copperflow.  As for the giants, they are reported to have come west, out of their mountain holds, by way of the Cyprus Pass, and currently torment outlying farms east of the Trade Road, north of the Copperflow.

 

ogrespotting

The cavern went dark.

Silently, Raith cursed himself for being ill-prepared. His final torch vanquished, he began uttering a cryptic incantation, then waved his arms in a mystic pass. The torch still in his hand flickered to life again, though not by any form of natural fire.

"We've not long to secure the tunnel," he said, taking up his staff and treading onward. "Let us move quickly."

The halflings that followed him hardly needed the magical light to see, but having a sightless mage at the party's forefront was far from an acceptable liability.

Besides, Raith knew that he would serve as a fine distraction when the hin fanned out to either side upon finding their quarry: the vile ogre responsible for murdering more than a dozen halfling villagers. And likely more by now, had Raith not recently been passing through the low valley that harbored their undersized huts and cottages.

Nevertheless, that he was forced to expend a valuable spell distressed the wizard greatly. Raith and the halflings had burned through a liberal number of torches dealing with a goblin encampment near the cave's entrance, a reckless use of supplies that would see the halflings leading Raith out like a blind beggar if they couldn't end their mission soon.

Raith narrowed his dark eyes and swallowed his anguish. Hitherto, nary a hin had been lost, even seriously injured, and Raith very much intended that his full accompaniment would return to their families safely.

For enough halfling blood had been spilled at the hands of the wretched creature they sought.

outer reaches pbp: expanding horizons

As time passes, so do new catastrophes arise, and sometimes, new heroes arise to meet them. As an expansion to my tabletop game, I am starting a small email-based play-by-post (pbp) game with new players.

While their actions will take place in the same setting and perhaps the same timeframe, they will not necessarily overlap.  The pbp game will take place upriver and across the mountain range from my tabletop group, commencing in the town of Nulrest en route to a militarized keep in the mountains, as well as the nearby village of Cuprum along the Copperflow River.

So if you see new faces and stories on the blog, never fear!  

becoming the hunter

Aditsan was born to poor parents in a small village. What little income the family had came from his parents knowledge of the woods surrounding them. His mother, Aiyana, would collect herbs and fungi from the forest and his father, Chaska, was an expert hunter. Between the two of them, this provided enough to get by.

The couple took turns caring for Aditsan, so he spent his childhood wandering the woods instead of playing with other children. As such, he generally relates better to animals than people. Aditsan is short and thin with a pinched rat like face, yet is incredibly strong despite his outward appearance. After reaching adulthood, he decided to move to the city to experience more of the world. He quickly found that he was able to monetize his knowledge of the woods and has started to build a reputation for tracking and capturing fugitives. Now know by his clients as The Hunter, he enjoys that he gets to spend most of his life out in the woods while making enough money to support his parents back in the village.

When The Hunter is working in the woods, he can always be found with Fang, the Catahoula Leopard Dog that he found as a pup and trained to help him track. Fang knows how to look mean when necessary, but is really a gentle dog who just loves to work. He also is usually found with his horse, Nevarra. He doesn’t ride her often as he tracks better on foot, but she walks behind carrying his equipment and frequently an injured fugitive.

Aditsan is highly skilled with a long sword, however he does not often use it against the fugitives he hunts because they are often required to be returned alive. For that reason, he often uses his extraordinary strength to grapple an opponent into submission before clamping them into the mancles he always carries in his belt pouch.

ithel maccarrick: background and description

Description
Ithel MacCarrick is the youngest son of the Earl of Kierney. He is tall, about 6 feet, with brown eyes, and dark brown hair that he keeps cut short. He can usually be found in an inn drinking, dicing, laughing, and hoping to hear about a chance at treasure and glory.

While he might be drinking with the commoners in the inn, it is quite obvious that he views them as beneath him. He is always quick to accept a free drink, but can rarely be found buying drinks for others.

He always has his trident by his side, and when it is in his hand it is almost like it is an extension of him.

Background
Ithel is the sixth child, fourth son, of the Brion MacCarrick, Earl of Kierney. Due to his noble upbringing, he was trained in weapons from a very early age. He sat in on discussions on running the earldom, even though he knew he would never inherit it. Because of this knowledge, Ithel rarely paid attention, and did little to learn these skills. He would much rather be in the practice yard fighting.

Ithel was trained in all manner of weapons, but did not excel with any of them. He would practice just as hard as anyone else, but just did not become proficient with them. It wasn't until he started to work with pole-arms that his talent began to show. In particular, he loved the trident. He began to work with it exclusively, and soon he was able to master the use of it. He was able to hold his own against three others wielding long swords.

In addition to his formal weapons training, Ithel could be found spending time with the court bard. It was not music or stories that he was interested in though. He discovered that not only was the bard a talented musician, he was quite adept with a dagger. Ithel wished to learn those same skills, as they could be quite useful if he ever found himself without a larger weapon. The bard taught him how to throw a dagger with deadly accuracy.

After mastering the dagger training, Ithel could be found with any number of daggers on him at any point in time. Everyone noticed the dagger at his belt, but only the more perceptive noticed the dagger handle sticking out of his boot sheath. However, anyone that thought those were his only weapons were sorely mistaken. With a flourish of his hand, he could make a deadly dagger appear in his hand. Another flourish and is was gone, back up his sleeve. This was true of both arms. In a flash these could be thrown with, and quite accurately.

As he got older, Ithel became tired of sitting in meetings all day and discussing business of the household. Wheat and hay just did not hold his attention. He decided to join the king's army. His father was proud of him, though saddened to see him leave. Ithel left home and made his way to Specularum. Once there he went to the barracks and inquired about joining the army. He me with some men there, and after a long discussion with them, plus a demonstration of his skills, he was in the army. Due to his noble birth, they made him a corporal.

After a couple of years in the army, and a few successful campaigns, he had attained the rank of captain. He had even been praised by the king for his deeds. His men followed him willingly and without question.

Then one one day, everything changed. His company was out in the countryside practicing, and in general keeping the land clean of brigands. Late one day his men brought a band of brigands before him in his tent. What happened next is a matter of speculation, as everyone involved is either dead or refuses to speak of the incident. The only thing that is known is that there was some yelling, then everything got quiet. When Ithel's Lieutenant and several of his Corporals entered his tent they found Ithel hunched over the dead bodies of the brigands wiping the blade of a dagger clean. When questioned, Ithel refused to say what happened. His Lieutenant, took him into custody, and the company began the long march back to the city.

Ithel was brought before the general, and when he refused to tell what happened, was court-marshaled and told to leave the city. Ithel, found an inn for the night and drowned all of his sorrows in ale. The next morning he struck off into the countryside to find glory and treasure on his own.