Meet 100, Adv 6, 10/19/19

This was a meeting introducing a new player at our table as well as a Role Play heavy meeting.

Most of my towns have 2-3 defining characteristics that make them stand out as locations on their own and not to be confused with the other cities the group visits. But as have been pointed out with my current group - the naming convention of some of my towns have been in place for 20, 25, or even 30 years in real time.

So Falcor's Rise does generate the odd guffaw and cries of 'Falcor!!' from the table. As does Bork Keep and the Swedish Chef impressions of 'Bork bork bork'.

Whatever. Pbbth. :)

Write up follows:

Once inside we asked around and got directions to an inn called “The Experience” not too far from the main square. As for Falcor’s Rise, it was mostly an orcish town from its construction to its populace. The streets were ordered but not too neat, some of the grassy areas had succumbed to mud, and there was a bit of depression about the entire place. Also, many of the building had marking standards upon them, indicative that literacy was limited here at best.

At The Experience we were met by a half-orcish wench who seemed unimpressed with us before directing us to see Merk the proprietor if we wanted to stay. The clientele were afternoon drunkards and there was an area in the back where some sort of fighting would take place as evidenced by the roping area.

Merk took our order, we mostly bough some dark stouts and sandwiches of mutton, and then sat and talked about what to do. Most of the group didn’t want to stay, the place giving off the “rob you while you sleep” feel. As for the name, Mark eventually came over and let us know that in the evening they have Feats of Strength where you try to smash a barrel open with a Warhammer from a distance. And then afterwards, they have Trial by Axe where you try to sever a wench’s braid with a thrown axe.

Most of us were horrified but Brading was pretty stoked. We dispensed with staying here and made our way out (the young dwarf holding back long enough to drop some copper coins in Merk’s hand to save him a spot and room for later) and then took better view of where to go and what to do.

We had 2 days to kill so we asked around after getting to a clothier and weavers where we decked out a bit more in clothing lost, had some fur lining added to our cloaks, and did some shopping. We asked for a better place to stay and was told the “Iron Pen” was a good place to stay and was a bit further in town.  It was while we were here and wrapping up that one of the older women working the loom made her way to the front of the store to get a bolt of cloth when she gripped Barb’s arm tightly and with rolled over white eyes hissed at her in a quiet voice, “Beware girl, the Blue Boar has been released” and then let her go and shook it off, eyes rolling back to normal.

No one else noticed this.

At that exact moment, right outside the shop a fat raven gave a raucous squawk, fixed an eye on Barb, and then flew off to another building.

She grabbed Darius and told him what happened and the then the party finished their shopping and made their way outside where we saw 1, and then a 2nd raven take off from nearby roofs and then wing away. The feeling was the Ravenstone was the nexus for this and that the Blue Boar was most likely a person, not an actual animal. We were going to keep our eyes peeled for now.

At Eoghan’s request, we went to a local Bowyer named Flabo who repurposed older bows, and bought a simple short bow for him, happy with the price and comfortable with his skills. From there it was to the Iron Pen where the much better clientele, cleaner room, larger space, and busier staff made us more comfortable that our original choice (except for Brading who still wanted to try the other bar).

It turned out they also did Feats of Strength and we signed up, with Dwarf Tossing to follow! Which we ALSO signed up for! Including Brading and the “Tossee”. We talked to the staff and learned about the cold and that there was a White Dragon that awakens every winter for 2 months and hunts these lands named Icingheart. Hides in the clouds, comes with the snow, almost impossible to see and find – most people just live with it as the dragon avoids the cities and towns and picks off lonely and small groups of easy targets in the wilderness when able to.

As for the games, we had a great time with money being spent, some of us getting some coins for busting barrels and even Darius being allowed to participate in the dwarf toss as the Half-Ogres in the area said to “let the little man have a shot!”. With Darius getting a respectable 12’ on tossing Brading onto some laid out mattresses. Many threw further than him, some threw less. When Barb gave her dwarf a toss and only got 11’ she caught Darius doing a little victory dance and raised arms that she punched him in the kidney and dropped the fighter to the ground with a grunting snarl of “Stop gloating.” From the look Darius gave her, there would be payback at some point.

But the days passed and it was Deathmonth the 9th that we left the town of Falcor’s Rise, travelled down the highway back to the south and west, and then broke trail where Eoghan and Barb suggested would take us back to the woodcutter’s cottage. Sure enough, even with the accumulated frost and frozen dew,  it was obvious that someone else was here, stayed a bit, and then left. 1 set of horse prints from a heavy warhorse and 2 humans, male, booted – came about 2 days ago and left yesterday.

We followed the trail.

By the time 7 PM came and the night had fallen, we knew we still had some time to go. But the temperature was now in the low 20’s and dropping and the amount of cloud cover was increasing. How much further? Brading climbed one of the many Douglas Firs in the area until he was able to look in the direction we were traveling. Maybe 2 miles from here was a thin glow on the horizon – small town, large Thorpe? Camp?

We decided to camp here and set up cloaks, blankets, and lengths of wood and boughs to act as a vision break. Gathering wood we all got around the fire and one by one, took watch and slept the night away. The next morning the sky was steel grey and the promise of snow was on the air. It was by 8 AM that we were on the way as we trudged ever north and west.

Eventually we arrived at a ranch of sorts. Maybe 20 sharecrofter huts, 5 larger building, organized fields. About 15 odd people tilling what fields they could, gathering winter tubers. We made their way closer, the entire place reminding us very much of the layout of Durcent but a bit smaller. Maciles? Ostlerson?

We approached a husband and wife pair in the fields and talked with them, learning this was the Ostlerson Demesne, and the lord was Lord Gregor Ostlerson. There were 5 main buildings: the manorhouse, the granary, the traders, the tavern, and the gathering hall/church. And we could see the line of the prints in the snow did get lost in the fields a bit but headed without error right towards the Manorhouse.

Shit.

We made our way to the Tavern where we had a drink and startled the tavern keeper enough to signal a large heavy set man near the end of the bar. He sauntered over, holding his gut in and holding a truncheon. The feeling was local tough going to pot. He identified himself as Irgar and said he was a deputy for Sheriff Fersic Gregson. Who were we, what did we want, what were we doing here? Suspected we were mercenaries and suggested we move on. We said we would but the snow was coming, anyplace we can stay?

Were told we had to ask at the Manorhouse. We said we didn’t want to bother the lord and were told that ALL the homes here were owned by the local Lord, and if we wanted to stay, go and talk to him about it – otherwise finish your drink and move on.

We got the hint.

Irgar was Deputy? Was Thurbarn NOT Sheriff? What was going on? It’s been 11 days but still – what’s happening? We were told by the tavernkeep that there was lots of issues in the Western part of the Province but here, things were fine. And Sheriff Fersic? Come every 3 days give or take – was just here a day or two ago.

We made our way to the Manorhouse where we were told by the guards to wait while they get someone to deal with us. They were rude and unwilling to talk, but one of them was a trainer of wolfhounds and did get into a spirited conversation with Eoghan about his wolf. Eventually a tall well dressed, rich looking man with a sneer on his bald head came out. He was the Janissary Haki and we had a guard with a wide half-orc wearing a bag and manacled with him.

Lord Ostlerson was busy and didn’t want to meet with us so Janissary Haki was happy to. Yes we can stay in one of the older huts that wasn’t being used for 1 day and get a meal allowance – but they had to deliver this prisoner (delivered with a kick) to Stivil to Fightmaster Loring at the Arena. Apparently, this prisoner, Thon, was to fight wolves and bears and hopefully die doing so. He paid us 10 nobles for the efforts as long as we leave tomorrow, where Loring might give us another stipend for delivery as well.

We took the job and left, heading to the hut in question, going inside, and then getting to talking to Thon. Thon was a half-orc from Stivil who had tried to get a job on the Reetersbeard caravan but getting denied. Not wanting to return home he went looking for other work when he ended up befriending and joining the Wolf Skull Firvinir Orc Tribe. He grew close to a girl Greki and things were good until the fall festival where Scratch made its way into the youths.

He tried it, didn’t like it, but those that took it grew angry all the time and the mood was changing. Even Greki was becoming distant. Eventually there was a raid that she was a part of and when it ended badly with almost 10 of the raiders captured, the thought was to get Scratch out of the tribe entirely.

Thon learned a lot about the Durcent people who came to treat with the Chief and had respect for their new Sheriff and the members of the adventuring group who came to help out. Wanting to be a part of ending the hold of Scratch, he came back to Durcent where he made fake friends with a man named Fersic. Fersic was easy to fool and imagined Thon was his friend if not also stupid (he wasn’t).

Enough information came to him from Fersic about his father buying nails from Stivil made Thon think about following the trail to Fersic’s father, Gregor Ostlerson. The nails were the delivery system of the Scratch and it just seemed too good of an opportunity to miss. He convinced Fersic that he could do any job his father might need in his manor house and Fersic got him a job there.

He was moving hay bales from one side of the Stables to the other and other menial jobs, but he had a chance to look the place over. No drugs here…except there was an area in the basement below the manorhouse that needed a 5 tumbler key to open. That must be it.

Lord Ostlerson left with 2 of his trusted men 3 days ago on some trip and that was a good opportunity to scout. So @ 2 in the morning he tried the door, opened it with his picks, and made his way downstairs to another door. Working on that one he felt a puff of air and passed out.

He awoke the next day and Janissary Haki had some of the local thugs work him over with fists and saps, screaming at him constantly that he would be fucking dead and fucking dead soon for this shit. When Lord Ostlerson came back a day and a half ago with his men, he was already in a shit mood – but this just put him over the top. Janissary Haki had Thon beaten and then salted and then beaten again.

He was to be sent to Stivil where Loring would have him fight rapid animals until he either died, or earned enough money to get his freedom (most likely not). The only thing Lord Ostlerson was missing was someone to take him up there – which our arrival made happen. We were the adventuring group that he had heard about in Durcent – and he had a mental image of the Manorhosue and how to get to the basement – where if there were ANY records of what’s going on –that’s where they would be.

 And we would need iron clad proof of the drug operation to bring to Lord Durcent because going up against another Lord with just our word was tantamount to stupidity and suicide.

Meet 99, Adv 6, 10/12/19

During our adventure we managed to find 3 very beaten up and abused slaves and had to discuss freeing them, taking them with us, leaving them here, or what?!? This has come up before and there was some lively discussion around the table about them and their capabilities.

Not everyone likes this sort of woolgathering and thought process but I find it to be an integral part of the game and helps shape the party members and how they interact with one another.

Write up follows:

While looking through the charnel house that the basement entrance room had become, the group then turned their attention to the three doors on the south wall. We know there were “persons” behind at least 2 of them, and the thought went to setting them free or not. There was much spirited conversation before we at concussed that we should at least look – and then go to the vault upstairs and use the key we got of Ixitch to check the safe.

Barb was the primary speaker and we learned that there was a figure in there, Abarin Codsdottr, we was at the mercy of Ixitch and Malven “The Keeper” (The necromancer) who she referred to as master. She was terrified and kept her eyes closed on command. The room was a seraglio with cushions and bedding and pillows. Three stout 4 poster beds were here, one with a half orc girl in her early 20’s badly scarred and beaten, sporting burns and chained to the wall by manacles and a set of neck chains.

The next bed a catatonic dwarven female also bound but wearing a muzzle and lying in her own filth. The last was a human female dead about a week in a state of undress from torn clothing.

Crap.

After getting Abarin to understand we’d be back in a minute the party discussed feverishly the need to NOT leave these women behind. Brading was firm that they were ALL coming, Barb wanted to save Abarin, and Darius wasn’t sure about the dwarf being catatonic and moaning. We have to go and leave, and its 9 hours or so to the woodcutter’s cottage, and then what? Drag them with us? Where do we bring them?

These were real concerns but Brading was firm that it was the right thing to do. We tried to put a blindfold over the dwarf’s eyes but she was keening and screaming terribly so we stopped. Abarin said she’d been here 7 months or so and was from Stivil, her father was Cods Smithson. The dwarf was named Gersy and had been here about 3 or months and the reason she was screwed up was she had been forcibly taken and raped by The Keeper’s ghouls during the New Year’s Eve celebration.

Ugh, fucking shit.

Ok. We had Shim Ray of Frost both sets of Abarin’s chains and then smashed them from the wall. Her job was to calm Gersy down and we’d be back in an hour or less. We left there and discussed the problems ahead of us at length until we arrived at the vault. We opened the secret door and then noted that much of the tradesgoods had been taken – as well as the horse from the shed! Most likely Gerry Rockbottom.

But the safe was still closed so Will Murder used Ixitch’s key to open the lock…and succeeded! It was filled with thousands and thousands of copper commons as well as a smattering of nobles, bits, and even crowns. There were two bags with some fancy stones within. We guessed over 150 lbs of coin so we divvied it up amongst everyone and then trooped back down to the basement.

The thought was that we were most likely running against the clock before someone from Paxian would be showing up and we wanted to be very gone from here before then. So we went back to Abarin and Gersy who was much better. Gersy was staring at Brading, the only other dwarf in the group and was crying. Brading called to Heimdall, begging for Virtue for her and she sighed and then passed out.

We freed the two of them and went out to the basement and then main entrance hall upstairs. Meanwhile, the last room had a male figure in it calling out. Rygar Halfman. Darius freed him, a mostly orcish (small bit of human) young man of about 14 or so, badly beaten with rope scars around his neck. Said he started out as a linkboy and valet in training for Ixitch before Nardolen the druid took a fancy to him and used him often for her depravity – been here about a year and a half.

We all got upstairs, then outfitted everyone with the bug out bags, some spears and helms, made sure to all be ready. Shim had everyone get together and then hit the entirety of us with a prestidigitation spell, cleaning everyone – which we needed. So it was by 2 that we left Ixitch’ Manorhouse behind and made our way north and west, back to the Hills and hopefully to the Bloodtusk Hobgoblin camp.

It took us the better part of 4 hours to get there and Will Murder spoke of our efforts and the passing of Bad Tom and Elsa Ire. Meanwhile Abarin, Gersy, and Rygar were going to be an issue for us. Rygar had some sort of serious training from what we can tell and Gersy had the Nightengale effect on Brading.

We slept well and the next day we left and continued on our way to the place marked on the map where Ixitch and Big GO would meet up at neutral location – hoping to find something that would lead us back to Big GO. Will Murder took a bag of coin as his share for the efforts at Ixitch’s stronghold and from the many thousands left, Darius put a decent handful of coins in Rygar’s pouch and told him his charge was to take the 2 women safely to Stivil and make sure they were reunited with Abarin’s father.

He wanted to meet up with Darius after but Darius played is close to the chest. Meanwhile Barb did the same with Abarin, giving the half-orcish girl a stipend of coins and telling her to go home and take care of Gersy who would need it.

By this time we had gotten to the barrier between Canaslan and the rest of Rand and there was 5 inches of snow beyond the border. So we made sure we were well covered and then stepped out – and it was cold – maybe mid 20’s, biting wind. We trudged on, Eoghan and Barb guiding us through the snow for hours and hours until we passed the highway on the map between Erylond and Falcor’s Rise – and it was about a half mile before we arrived at the spot on the map.

We gave Rygar our best, Darius gave him the Cat Pillow he had been carrying from home from his mother’s living room as a token for him to remember the group, made sure they were gone, and then approached the house with care. Tall A’Frame style woodcutter’s cottage with an attached stables that would house 2 steeds. No smoke from the chimneys, shutters tight.

We approached from the east to minimize being seen. No one had been here recently and the wood bid outside had barely a day and a half of wood in it. All was locked up tight. Door was Ironwood, shutters were reinforced – not typical. We lifted Shim to look through the soffits on the stables and he saw some owl sign – two stalls, 3 bales of hay, pretty clean, 1 saddle and nothing else.

As for the house, no one had been here for a week plus so we used Ixitch’s key – and damn if it didn’t open the door! Woodcutter’s cottage had no root cellar, all joints and boards were flush and tight, 1 main room with a loft. Loft had some boxes but were empty although one had coins at some point in it. Kitchen had no food but 4 bottles of Forgewhiskey and a stoneware jar of Stonepiss Beer – seating for 6 – bowls and mugs were simple wood.

The fireplace had two piles of wood nearby, one with red waxy coating, the other blue. Shim began scraping the wax off one of the logs and the spell on it flared, filling the room with BRIGHT red light blinding three of us, before a blazing rune appears in the air and broke apart.

What the hell? Signal logs? Since the rune never left the room, we guessed we were ok. We were going to stay here tonight, light a fire and toss a signal log in it, hopefully attract the Big GO and then retreat to Falcor’s Rise for a few days, returning where we would rely on Barb and Eoghan to follow the tracks back to wherever Big GO was.

The next morning, Deathmonth the 7th, was crisp and cool and we threw a blue log on the fire while Darius and Eoghan went outside to see which way the rune flashed off to the west – and the flash blinded Eoghan again. Lol.

We left the cottage, locked it up, covered our tracks and made our way back to the Highway and then Northeast another 3 hours to Falcor’s Rise. A walled city deep in the original Randari territory, they subsist on trades with various Randari semi-nomadic tribes and take a dim view to fighting inside the town with most fines being 5 commons first offense and then expulsion afterwards.

We had a rough time getting in since Eoghan’s wolf was not trained and barely followed his commands, struggling to even sit when prompted. Eventually it required leashes, collars, and even a muzzle which Barb was willing to help with even though the animal almost snapped at her. Once done we made our way through the gates and entered Falcor’s Rise.

Meet 98, Adv 6, 9/28/19

I've played this game for almost 4 decades and one of the things that always bugged me on either side of the screen was Deux Ex Machina - when something wondrous happens to save the party from certain doom. It feels cheap and as the player I always had the sensation I was robbed  - so I try to not have that happen in my games.

Except that it did.

The group had a whistle for over a year and a half in real life time that had been givento them by Dunatis, an Orcish druid (12th level) in the Moratian lands who felt good that the group was fixing the kobold issues out there and if they had run across the giants and felt a bit outside their element, can blow it once and Dunatis and his circle would come to help.

The thought was it would be used for the giant fight which I had expected to occur at the end of the adventure.

But the party didn't need it and we avoided the fight - so the resident Barbarian kept the whistle all this time.

And when they were faced with a TPK at the hands of Ixitch Barrowman, one of the party members remembered the whistle and the group blew it. And I portalled 1 12th and 4 10th level orcish druids into the Stronghold and they helped the group kick the crap out of the bad guys.

And as the DM, I felt cheap. The party was happy and no one but me seemed to bothered by it - but as for myself, it still stuck in my craw.

Write up follows:

The battle continued to rage on around us. The dwarven cleric that finally entered the room made her way behind the Bugbear and shot off a Cure Serious Wounds into him, staving off his impending death. We struggled against the ghoul who crept even closer, magic missiles slamming into it but failing to kill it. Barb was hemorrhaging hit points, Shimlagesh was bleeding out, and the two zombies beat on Eoghan who was struggling to knock one of them down.

We tried to back up into each other and Brading was smashed to the floor by the bugbear after finishing off Elsa Ire. Meanwhile the cleric stepped behind the swordsman fighting Barb and healed him as well! It was approaching the final hour and it looked like the party was done when Barb at the last moment drew Dunatis’ whistle that she had gotten from the druidic orc months ago and let go a single blasting piercing tweet.

The air split open and the shaggy half-wolf form Orc came in with 4 of the circle, looked around the chamber that drew themselves to a stop and looked about, and asked her “What do you need from us little one?”

She pointed to the bad guys and said, “Help us! Please!”

5 Druids, 4 10th, 1 12th, and their animal companions made VERY short work of Ixitch’s support staff. The bugbear, the swordsman, the axe thrower, the cleric, the two zombies, and the ghoul were all killed in a few minutes of slashing, biting, rending, terrible fiery power. Even a fire elemental had been summoned to help finish the fight off.

When it was over, Dunatis admitted he expected the call to come against the giants some weeks ago and was happy to have been a help. He agreed he would meet with Barb again on Icemonth the 1st to discuss their arrangement and relations and before they left, healed the party of their poisons, ills, and wounds.

Ok – that was NOT expected and NOT on the original plan. But it worked – as Thalin said, you can’t save things like the whistle for after you were dead.

At this point we could tell that the necromancer wanted to talk to us as one of the dead bodies here began speaking to us. The necromancer, called the “Keeper” was able to see which way this entire affair was blowing and wanted safe passage for him, his apprentices, and he non-empirics. Willing to give up his contract with Ixitch, he was going to beat feet and get to Grimyria before the angry dwarf could force his hands into something he didn’t want to do.

Time was ticking as Ixitch was having some argument with his other followers and we gave the Keeper the ok that he could leave. From down the hall we heard a door open and close quietly and then a line of people approached. The Keeper was a human, tall, and thin with ulcerous lesions visible on his neck and arms. He had two apprentices, both human, each just under twenty. A girl heavy made up and wearing bullous clothing and leading a chain with two zombies. And a boy corpulent and waddling, beady “kill you in your sleep” eyes and had a catchpole with a slavering ghoul on the end of it.

We gave the Keeper the farewell and he left along with his crew, but not before letting us know it was Ixitch, Gerry Rockbottom and his daughter Fleabite, Nardolen the half orc druid and her two animals and Silver Glass Ixitch’s wizard.

We were going through everyone’s belongings and deciding what to do next. The thought was to continue down the hall and take it to Ixitch now – but that meant leaving this room unwatched and even with the spike in the door, it was enough to slow them down but now totally stop them should they want to leave.

Will Murder offered to stay here, flatbow at the ready and hiding behind one of the curtains. We went down the hall to an entrance area, passages in all directions and a double door to the left with various religious symbology upon it. We made sure the door was untrapped and opened up, looking it. A temple of some sort, two tiers, furthest part of the room raised – dim voices in that direction. A number of backpacks were here on the left, packed and ready to go. A quick look showed clothes and food stuff – bug out bags.

We made our way through to the second tier where a door was on the south wall and the source of the voices. We came closer; made sure it was unlocked, and then entered with care. Small 10x10 room with another door on the south wall. We could hear clearer, some crying, and a rhythmic banging noise in the distance.

We drew up and got ready, then hit the door open and started pouring into the room. Nardolen was halfway across the long chamber which doubled as a dungeon and torture chamber, a silverbacked wolf and a hedgehog the size of a mid sized dog with her! At the end of the room was an open door with Gerry and his daughter visible as well as a human female in her mid-30’s clad in wizard robes and a tall conical hat. There was much yelling at our arrival and Barb ran for the druid getting angry as she did so.

Arrows and spells followed but they seemed to slow down and turn aside on hitting around Silver Glass. Meanwhile Gerry, crying and begging, was dragged into the dark hall by his daughter and we could hear Ixitch down there yelling to “help get this fucking door open!!”

The party launched spears and swords at the chamber while the hedgehog barreled into Barb, driving a dozen foot long quills into her body and making her swoon in agony. Most shots missed the mage who returned the favor by striking out at the group with a Blindness spell which had Darius screaming, “Foul! Fucking Foul!”

We tried to help out Barb, setting up to her left as we coaxed the druid, wolf, and hedgehog off of wasting her, Shim dousing a third of the room in a globe of darkness. While all this was going on, Ixitch managed to get the door open and told Gerry and his daughter to run for it. As then entered the room, Will Murder looked them over, verified their names, and got approval that Ixitch was still in there. He nodded his head and muttered something about not killing kids and their dads, then motioned them to get to the stairs and get the hell out of here.

The battle was turning and the group was pouring on the hurt as they raced down the room, spells flying. Silver Glass hit herself with an Invisibility spell and Ixitch tried to run for it, wounded, but Will shot his at point blank range, and then as he fell over, shot him again. As Ixitch was pleading for help, Will walked right up to him and shot him in the chest, and then again in the head. Silver Glass, wounded was unable to escape and was taken down and then the group managed to finish off the Half-Orc druid and her hedgehog.

The wolf was mourning her loss and Eoghan did his best to calm the animal down and get it to come to him. Once this was done we passed out some healing and started going through what belongings we could. It was at this time that the air split open and 3 figures in black and red, smelling like sulfur and sandalwood, entered the chamber with an official looking scroll. They were here for the body of Ixitch Barrowman who had made a contract with the Tower Arcane in Grimyria for various help and protections on the knowledge that upon his death his body would be remanded over to them for post empirical usage.

Yeah, you can take him.

Once sure that all was done and the Grimyrians left, we checked out Silver Glass’ spellbook, got some trinkets and keys off of them all, and decided that we had a few hours to look around before we should get the hell out of here.

Meet 97, Adv 6, 9/21/19

Big meeting this one was, and it was running long so we ended on a cliffhanger in the middle of fight.

Two main things that occurred though was the party had a second conversation with the BBEG, Ixitch, and this time it did not go in our favor. And the fight at the end showed the group was overmatched.

Ixitch at some point figured out between the first conversation and this one who the party might be. He was wrong on some level, but right on others. And flat out was/is going to use his influence to kill the group's family member and friends.

That's the truth of it. So they HAVE to neutralize him and soon before he becomes a problem.

The second part was the group had to face a concentrated enemy on their home turf - and even though we lost an NPC or two - and multiple members of the party were down - they once again underestimated the effectiveness of the enemy on their stronghold with their strengths.

Write up follows:

Bad Tom flat out said we didn’t need 2 dwarves to talk, and the camp dog was a non-starter so some sword thrusts finished them off, leaving one dwarven crossbowman and the wizard alive…for now. The wizard was young, a bit past 20 and cocksure of himself while the dwarf, Shelvar, was a bit more open and willing to talk to the party. Some questioning, some snide answers, some dead wizard and then we got some information about Ixitch and the others.

Apparently Shelvar is a temporary employee, worked for Ixitch about 5 months, was laid off for 3, and had signed another 5 month contract of which 3 or 4 months have passed. Ixitch has a trusted group of supporters who handle the downstairs portion of the Homestead and apparently they had been practicing for this situation and Shelvar let the group know that enough time has passed that Ixitch and Co. are ready for the group. No he doesn’t have particulars, but he knows that they all have a part to play.

We trussed him up after getting no confirmation about antipoison being in the locked secret room and made our way back to the Entrance Hall. It was apparent that there had been some changes here, small subtle things. We heard faint movement inside the Exercise yard as well as outside. Plus we could see/smell oil all around the front door.

We wanted to burn it off but do it in such a way that we don’t get hit with another fireburst spell. So Shim cast a ghost sound which sounded like 3 or 4 of us going to the front door, followed by a handful of loose rocks tossed at the door, which was followed by the oil being lit under the door and then followed by the fire being BURST by an unseen magical assailant! Shim made the sounds of people yelling and then going silent.

The group then dimly heard the sound of and inrushing of air from the Exercise yard and then a matching one from outside through the window. Ok…what??

Once sure no one was around, we chanced to enter the Exercise yard again. Right near the entrance, the dirt was swirled in a spiral pattern at least 6’ wide…and the ladder we had on the floor was missing. Ok…Lets look around. The thought was the people/person just here portaled out somehow, hence why the inrushing of air, pop, and spiral of dirt. As for the ladder it had to be back on the roof, so we had Brading cast Invisibility to Undead on Bad Tom, Eoghan, Barb, and Darius, and two of them attempted to climb the wall to look on the roof.

And there were two undead half-ogres up here with three ladders right near them.

Fuck, not a good idea – they came back down.

The Delay Poison was in its last hour and Eoghan was in danger to succumbing, so the group hightailed it to the north wall, Will Murder checked the door and let us know that there was a pressure against it on the other side but it was not locked…most likely trapped – and the set up made it impossible for him to disarm it on this side.

So Barb volunteered to open it and the group was expecting maybe a guard and/or a spear trap so we all spaced out and got ready and Barb used her pole to force the door open.

And a pressurized bladder popped and sprayed her with a caustic aerosol poison that go in her skin, nose, ears, mouth, eyes, and lungs…And just as it was beginning to burn – Brading hit HER with a Delay Poison Spell – stopping the effects in its tracks.

The group looked her over and the consensus by Will and Thalin was that she had two poisons on her, an acetic destabilizing one that could kill her, and flammatory one made from dried salamander skin. So it’ll weaken her, set her on fire, and then finish her off.

Crap – we had 4 hours to find a cure for her – and about an hour and a half left to help Brading.

We went in to the next hall, looked down and was going to open the door on the north side leading to the secret door when Darius noted something on the floor. Will checked it out – a wire connecting the two doors together. Open one and the other one opens as well. Nice. Nice try.

We disarmed the trap and held the door in place and then opened the north door – and the trap on the south room went off without opening the door – and no one was hurt! All right!

Key in hand we opened the secret door and it was an armory and trade closet of some sort. Weapons, armor, boxes of trade goods – and a safe set in the floor also guarded by a key. Will checked it out and was sure there was a needle trap set inside the 5 tumbler lock – no antidote visible for now. – Most likely INSIDE the safe.

That we don’t have the key for.

We left the area and decided that we might have to go downstairs and take the fight to Ixitch – but we also know that it might be a bad idea. The thought was to try and talk to Ixitch first and see if we can salvage anything of this situation – two of our members were poisoned and needed help now – and the minutes keep ticking by.

We went back to the Exercise yard, climbed the roof to look out at the front door – no one was there just undead on the roof (who didn’t see us thanks to the Invisibilty to Undead still going) – but we saw the swirling pattern in the dirt out there as well. We went back to the main room, to the hall and disarmed the spear trap, and then talked to Shelvar the dwarf who gave us what little info he was able to – and we let him go, the dwarf VERY thankful and on his way to Grimyria for now.

We went to the dead mage and Bad Tom finished hacking the head off while Darius kept tapping the head and waving his hand it, trying to get the necromancer and Ixitch’s attention. And after a few minutes, we were able to hear once again through the head.

Ixitch was pissed; we had been killing his men, wasting his resources, and ransacking his home. Convinced we were working for Big G O who had sent us here to collect the now 7,700 commons he was owed, he had little interest in making a deal, even when Darius (pretending to be Isilwine still) tried to give him a version of the truth that we were NOT working for Big G O and instead wanted to get to him.

Then we grew concerned as he traced the fact that Isilwine was married to Twilane Diamondcutter – who was the younger sister of an adventurer, and sell sword Darius, who had a group called the Vanguards of Ragnarok – and were them. Shit. He knows who we are.

We tried to beg for an antidote to the poison in the lock and made believe that Thalin was Avulstein – which had the “Keeper” – the Necromancer here, VERY interested in helping – professional courtesy and all. He wanted to have a good word sent back to Parylis that he was helpful and was willing to do a good turn. The antidote portaled up here and we turned the head so they couldn’t see us giving it to Eoghan who downed it with relief.

But Ixitch and Darius/Isilwine went back and forth and Ixitch flat out didn’t believe or trust the group at all. This was going to end and end badly. He was going to order a hit out on Isilwine’s wife, Twilane (Darius’ younger sister) and then do the same for the rest of the group – in a week; they were all going to be fucking dead, dead, dead.

We ended transmission at the same time he did and Darius looked at the group and said – now we have to kill them. This is my kid sister and family, he can’t be allowed to leave here and set this up.

We went to the door going down, made sure that any trap on the other side was set off, and then made our way down the steps to a large room. Some chairs, small tables, comfortable looking living room – pretty big, 30x 50. There were 3 doors on the south wall, one on the north – all reinforced oak. And each had a hanging curtain partially blocking it.

We took our time looking and listening. The three southern doors, the first one had a stink to it like unwashed bodies, the middle was silent, the last had some more foul sickly sweet smell and some weeping sounds on the other side. Meanwhile the north door heard maybe some distant shuffling noises, nothing nearby.

While all this was going on, Shim and Thalin were looking around for secret doors when they found a section of the western wall that could open – but no way to open it from this side – one way secret door. Most likely an escape tunnel. We wanted to block it up and Darius looked in his bag – finding one last iron spike.

Barb was going to set it but it would take 10 or so hits to do it – and it would be loud. So we handed out hammers and around the room we struck the spike 2 times and the ground the same and then stopped and Eoghan listened. Some noises again, nothing new. We hit it another pair of times and stopped. Listening…Someone coming closer and Eoghan could tell that who ever it was was listening on the other side of the door!

We hit it another 2 times and Eoghan let us know the figure was running down the hall. Then we just wailed on it and got it set – effectively closing off their escape route.

But now they know we’re here and most likely getting ready. So we all got near the door, Shim cast an illusion of 3 guys with flat bows looking at the door while Bad Tom was ready to open the door. And we did, one, two, three.

There was a distant moaning and then a snap.

And a god borne line of fire streaked down the hall like Sutur himself empowered it, consumed Bad Tom and the door in cacophony of shrieking flames, and burned Elsa, Darius, and Barb who were near the front.

And the figures ran down the hall as we backed up staring at the space where Bad Tom one stood as we readied weapons…And 4 zombies ran…RAN into the room and tried to hit Brading and Eoghan. Meanwhile right behind them came three other figures – a hulking 7’8”, 500 lb bugbear clad in heavy armor and swinging a heavy 20# flail, a human mercenary with a broad sword spinning in his grasp, and then a stout Gorokian Mountain Dwarf with 2 braces of hand axes. The Bugbear hit the line and we scattered, Elsa Ire taking the first hits as her quarter staff shattered and she fell back shoulder pauldron crushed. The swordsman struck out at Barb who realized that he was a better swordsman than her.

Spells fired, sling stones were shot, Arrows filled the air and Brading turned the zombies – but only two of them managed to flee- the others circling around and engaging Eoghan. Then a ghoul ran into the room and we shot sling stones and magic missiles at it, killing it before it could get close enough to hit one of us. Barb was overmatched and starting to lose the fight when she bit her tongue and swelled up, blood running through her mouth as her barbaric rage helped even up the odds between her and the swordsman.

Elsa took punishing blows as she swapped to her butterfly axe, bleeding from a torn scalp and nursing fractured ribs as the Bugbear was beating her to death. But she managed to center herself and hacked up hard…lopping off the bugbear’s shield arm at the elbow and evening up that part of the battle! Darius was struck by flying axes as the dwarf was trying to take him down. We could hear the dwarf calling down the hall, “Empress, we need you now!!” Followed by heavy mailed figure running down towards us. Eoghan took more hits from the zombies and was starting to stagger.

And as we were trying to set up a solid line of defense, the human mercenary called out, “Empress…A Three!” as he hacked at Barb again.

And there was outrushing of air as another ghoul pounced out of nowhere and appeared in the back corner of the room where Darius, Will Murder, and Thalin was. Shit. And it hit Will Murder like a starving wild cat, tearing and biting and scratching and ripping into the hobgoblin who fell over paralyzed as Thalin ran towards Barb and Darius took up defensive line between them.

And we heard running again down the hall – something was coming and we needed to slow it down. So Shim dodged through the battle, hit the front line, and cast a globe of darkness as far down the hall he could making whoever it was slow down and stumble – buying us another round.

And for his efforts, the swordsman turned his attacks from Barb and instead hit the gnome hard, again and again and again – dropping Shim to -7.

The group was screaming for Brading to help as Darius missed with all of his sling stones at the approaching ghoul and the scroll of magic missiles Thalin read shot off FOUR of the missiles at the undead scavenger – but failed to kill it!! Brading tried to turn the ghoul but failed and it hit Darius in a twisting ripping dance of fury – and the fighter fell over paralyzed!!!

And the ghoul was staring at Thalin and licking its lips.

There we were, Shim dying, Barb struggling against a superior fighter fully in a barbaric rage, Else Ira in the single digits and trying to keep the murderous Bugbear focused on her, Brading with his back turned to the dwarf who was ready to hurl another axe at his back this time, Bad Tom immolated, Eoghan struggling against two zombies, Will Murder bleeding bad and down paralyzed, Darius struggling to break free of his own paralysis and failing, and Thalin facing off with a wounded ghoul stalking closer and closer, with only a satchel full of spell scrolls to hopefully stem the tide.

Meet 96, Adv 6, 9/7/19

The group continued to hit their way through the upper floors of Ixitch' Manorhouse, taking out the defenders along the way but getting slowly whittled away as they did so. Time was both on their side and against them and the clock was always ticking ticking ticking.

Plus, the hobgoblins have been a blast to role-play.

Write up follows:

The thought was to check out the roof line before proceeding further through the Manorhouse, but with no way to the roof from here, it was up to Bad Tom to give Shim a toss-up and then join him up there. The roof of the Manorhouse was empty but we did notice three ladders had been stacked at the south end. This was also an explanation for the strange divots on the ground over there. However, we wanted to be able to get out if need be so we dragged one of the ladders back to the courtyard, and lowered it before climbing down and then dropping the ladder to the ground here.

We listened to the doors in the area again just to be sure. The South door that lead back to the entrance hall was quiet but we had taken the key out of it. The other south door with the rabbit dropping about the area seemed quiet and undisturbed. The door to the shed was still wire wrapped closed and we could hear a horse banging around within. (A check of the muddy ground showed it was a much smaller animal than the plaster casting of the warhorse hoof print we had). And finally the door to the north that lead further into the manorhouse was still quiet.

Bad Tom was voted to open the door. So we drew up, weapons at the ready, and the hobgoblin shouldered the door open and rolled in and to the side, broadsword flashing.

It was a hallway, door at the end maybe 15 paces away.

We gathered into the hall, drew up together, and Bad Tom hit the next door hard, rolling again but this time without the yelling or battle cry as per Brading. Another hall, shorter, two doors at the end, one on the north and south wall. So slow burn candles were in here on sconces and have been burning for some time. The door to the south smells faintly of cigar smoke and beer. We heard nothing at either door but figured we’d check out the north one as it should lead us to the stairs going up to the roof.

Once again Bad Tom did his roll and rise to show another hall that went some 8 paces and turned to the left, set of steps going up. We checked to make sure it was sealed closed and was going to make our way back when Eoghan was staring at the west wall. When pressed for why, he said that this manorhouse was tight with its space and room, but there was a wasted area here almost 8 or 9 feet wide that had no room behind it. It might be a secret door.

We looked about and eventually discovered a section of the wall that would open and a cleverly hidden keyhole. Taking the key we had taken from the other door, Eoghan stuck it in and turned it – but the key didn’t turn and instead he pulled his hand back and was nursing his finger which had a pin hole in it.

Brading had Heimdall show him any poison and sure enough, Eoghan was stuck and the poison was spreading. A Delay Poison was going to give us 4 hours to find a solution and an antidote we hoped but for now, the room was closed and sealed.

We looked in the south room, a meeting room that was used often but currently not. With nowhere else to go, we went back to the exercise yard to discuss our options and where to go next. We figured we’d go back through the way we came and head off to the entrance room. So we opened the door back to the hall with the dead dogs..and there were dead dogs there. We tested their deadness with some thrown axes and then moved to the next door.

Pickle and preserve room. Dead guys here, stripped. Ok, door closed. We opened it again…and Bad Tom had a spear in his chest, and went down hard from a spring loaded trap in the ceiling.

Damn it.

We hacked it out of him and then after he passed out, a sprinkle of fizzstone in his nose had him wake up. We healed him up and took a look. The hall beyond had the bench against the far door now, two pedestals and busts pressed tight to its side, blocking the door. But when we went in to look it over we stopped and backed out of the room carefully. The carpet had been liberally doused in oil – another damned trap.

Ok – this wasn’t going to work. So we were going to instead go back to the exercise yard and see about going through the front door.

However when we climbed up to the roof and looked down by the front door, there was a half-ogre zombie standing there ready to skewer anyone who came through. Damn it again.

Ok – another new plan. We go through the south door in the Exercise yard back to the main entrance and hit it hard, knowing that we’re most likely going to have to run a gauntlet of people. We wanted to try and fake out Ixitch’s people, so Barb and Elsa Ire took one of the dead guys, got him dressed in some of her cast off clothes, stuck a pole through the back of his head and the two of them used him like a marionette to hopefully get some attention.

We drew up and got ready to go in and then unlocked the door and shoved the dead guy through. Crossbow bolts slammed into him and we saw a dead guy in here. Barb and Else charged in, getting hit a bit from some bolts coming from down the long hall towards the kitchen. We charged in and tried to cover the distance, returning fire as we went. Brading just made the entrance and fired off a turn undead at the zombie just before it hit us, and it turned and started making for the front door.

But from down the hall some enemy spellcaster shot off a spell, and the door to the exercise yard blocking off Thalin, Shim, and Darius from the rest of us. Damn it!! The three of them tried the door which was held magically before going to the ladder and lifting it in place to climb up to the roof – they were going to head for the south end of the compound and down to the ground to take the fight through the front door.

Meanwhile Bad Tom was getting shot again as we tried to clear the hall, but Eoghan, Will Murder, and the rest of the group returned fire, dropping one and then a second crossbowman…meanwhile the others moved back and a magic missile shot into the party as the zombie opened the front door – and was attacked by the other zombie outside. Another turn undead had that one running as well as we gathered together and pulled bolts from Bad Tom – and sent more arrows flying down the long hall.

Outside Shim and Darius had made the roof when they heard crows coming, larger than normal, fat, and flying fast, they dove down out of the sky and aimed for the group. Arrows and stones flew knocking the crows down while Thalin was still in the courtyard before the sky was cleared and they can all cross the roof together and climb down to the ground below and enter the Manorhouse where we all gathered together.

From down the hall the 2 dwarven crossbowmen and the supposed mage retreated into the gloom of the kitchen and disappeared. We tended to our wounds and took stock of our situation. We had a chokepoint here and wanted to set a deterrent for them to follow. So we used some chalk, made a 10’ wide circle and pentagram, some incense and a candle, even used a burned out Manastone.

And while this was going on, a dead zombie human wandered in to the front door, held up its hands, and said in a disembodied voice, “Wait, wait, wait, I just want to talk. This has gotten entirely out of control.”

Someone was talking through the zombie. And we realized it was not only the necromancer on premises, but Ixitch Barrowman as well. We hit the zombie in the legs so it was forced to fall over, but it did see what we were doing and tried to talk to us about going our own way. Still suspecting we were representatives from Big G O, and referring to Darius as Isilwine Goldsmith (the same name he used in Paxian), we went back and forth for a while, while pretending to do a spell to ward the circle we made.

Eventually we grew tired of the conversation and hit the zombie a few times until it stopped moving and talking.

Ok. It was time. There were 2 other doors on the north wall here, one in front of the circle we made, and another further down. We checked the second one out and it was a barracks for 6 people to stay and sleep along with some personal belongings – but that was about it. So we tread carefully to the end of the hall and the kitchen.

No one was here. We did find the steps going up to the roof (ok, that was all 3 stairs up we’ve found) and a hall going north that eventually turned to the west. A large slowburn torch was lit at the corner. We extinguished it and then heard the sound of a door closing down the hall. Ahhh, another fire trap that we just interrupted.

We walked with care to the end where we smelled oil on the floor but now there was no issue. Door on the north and the smell of food, door on the west, most likely led to our enemy. So we all drew up, gathered together, Thalin began casting and then we tossed the door open to show 2 dwarven crossbowmen, a human, and another mastiff.

And our fighter mage put them all to sleep with a handful of rose petals and a blast of arcana.

We trussed them up quickly and took a look about. We were in the Manorhouse’s main great room. Door led to an armory, another led north to a private bedchamber that Will had to pick to open. It ended up being Ixitch’s private bed chamber. We looked around. Horseshoe collection, some bottles on a shelf, nice desk. Looking over the papers most had to do with his job as an enforcer for King Seljack, some had to do with his dealing with Big GO. Found hidden in desk a leather satchel with 20 doses of Scratch, a key we assumed was for the locked secret room we found earlier, and a messenger leather folder with a page torn out of a journal in it. About something called the Desmondia Diamond and where it might be and who has it.

Nice.

It was while we were reading it over that Barb felt and itch from the Ravenstone she was carrying and eventually hidden letters on the page were revealed to show even more clues where to find the Desmondia Diamond and that apparently Ixitch was going to go and send his people to look for it and soon.

By this point in time our charges were waking up and we gathered back to the Great Room to ask questions and then decide on where and how to find Ixitch.

Meet 95, Adv 6, 8/31/19

At this meeting the new player at the table had his own character, a Human Ranger that I was able to introduce through the interactions of the Hobgoblins. To help the group out in their attempt to storm Ixitch's Manorhouse a second time, I've included 3 of the hobgoblin warriors to help them out.

They are going to need them this go round.

Write up follows:

For the next 3 days, the party was at the welcome…and mercy, of the Bloodtusk clan. The hobgoblins were focused on their overall and arching mission which was to bring their might in a surgical strike against the orcish tribe that had raided their caves some 6 months earlier. Less wise creatures would have thrown themselves at the orcs hoping to take as many down as possible, but the hobgoblins have a different outlook – the clan is important – but no more important than the individuals that make it up.

Any attack on the orcs would have to be one that did not risk the decimation of the Bloodtusk strike team.

We learned from Lieutenant Bloodtusk that he would lend us 4 of his fighters to go an assault the Ixitch Manorhouse. From his conversation with his advisors, what the party had told him about Scratch, and some serious strategy – the thought was that currently the orc tribe in question does not know of or use Scratch – but if they did, their capability would increase which would mean more potential loss of life for the Hobgoblins. So by taking out the Dealer, or seriously curtailing his ability, it prevents the promulgation of the drugs in question.

But it’s not a horse he has in the race and the main goal is to continue to shadow and track the orcish tribe as they break down their encampment and begin their wandering portion of their annual lives. But they did take back any wooden shields we had and upgraded most everyone’s armor thanks to their smiths and armorers.

We had a chance to meet and discuss plans and tactics with the 4 that would be coming with us. Bad Tom Bloodtusk was a giant of a hobgoblin, almost 7’ tall and over 300 lbs, he was the excited front line fighter of the group. Will Full Murder Bloodtusk was shorter and thinner, but was a crack shot with his flatbow and had some serious skill in sneaking around and scouting. Elsa Ire Bloodtusk was an adherent of Maglubiyet and had some fighting skills based upon her god’s skill set.

And then there was Eoghan.

At over 6’ tall and somewhere in his early 20’s, this non-hobgoblin had been captured by the Bloodtusk tribe over a year ago and had been their thrall during that time. Already a skilled bowman, his abilities grew exponentially in tracking and shooting, able to find his way through the densest forest in the darkest night. Saddened over some travesty that befell him almost 2 years ago, the Bloodtusks were waiting for an opportunity to send Eoghan on his way.

We were it.

The 4 were instructed that the group – primarily Barb and Brading, were in charge and they were to take out Ixitch Barrowman and end his dealing abilities. Then the three hobgoblins should find their way back to the strike team and Eoghan was free to go. It was expected that the hobgoblins would be entitled to a share of any spoils if any.

So it was on the end of the 4th that now fully equipped and given a bag full of food, that the now nine party members made their away from the Bloodtusk encampment and began their trek back. We pushed overland for a while, then turned south and stole our way through the early morning hours around huts and homes, making no effort to interact with anyone. We arrived at the North East Highway and turned to the left, and then realized we had made the initial turn south too early as we were coming upon once again, the small Thorpe known as Ditch.

We decided to go around it, giving the town a wide berth and then eventually found mile marker 5 where we had seen it before. From here we took the side road north to the 5 manorhouses that had not been used for a few years – except for the 4th one – Ixitch’s. In the just post dawn air, the ground was cool, the air cool and moist, and there was a layer of fog on everything.

We detoured to the left and off the road and peered through the gate seeing no one walking around. Shim drew out a scroll of Wall of Fog and intoned it, reading off the words as they boiled away and he sprung up a wall of vapors, 5’ thick, 10’ tall, and 70’ long that stretched in a faint curve from the gate to the front door of the manor!

We ran to the gates and Will Murder unlocked the new lock and chain easily, the wall hid us from the zombie head, and we arrived at the door without issue. We went to the right of the door and saw about 2 dozen rectangular divots in the ground, most about 3” deep. Not sure where they came from or what they were about, we wanted to instead turn our time and attention to getting inside and moving through as fast as we could.

Once again Will went to the door, and we managed to get it open…And Bad Tom went in, rolling and sweeping his sword, and then dodging to the left. No one was inside the place at the entrance, but we did see a half-ogrish Zombie standing there. With an armful of cheap clay plates.

And shit…he dropped them. The noise echoed through the place at the same time that Shim dropped a globe of darkness over the zombie AND blocking the door and the hall! Nice. So this meant we went to the left double door and the group high tailed it down there fast.

Once inside and before the zombie could get to us, we went to slam the door closed and Brading took a bracing bar to block it up – meanwhile we faintly heard voices getting closer. Just before it happened, Thalin fired off a summon monster spell and a Troglodyte appeared! He gave it the command to “fight” and the door closed as the reptilian drew out his bone spear and charged into the dark. With the door closed we took quick stock of the place.

Hall, dirty carpet, wooden bench with ratty cushion. Closed door on the north wall, double door on the end hall, 2 pedestals with dwarven busts upon it. Alright. Barb and Tom were going to push our way in to the next room while we took the bench and placed it in front of the lone single door. Meanwhile though the doors behind us we could hear yelling and snarling and fighting.

Barb hit the door just as it was opened and we saw two humans armed with flatbows and a mastiff hound! Whew! Fight was on. And with 9 to 3- it was an easy hold for the party to force the enemy back and pick them apart, especially after Barb raged and body slammed one of the back to crash against the far wall and rain preserves down as well and fall against an open brine barrel 1/3 filled with pickles.

Nice.

More double doors to the north, stairs going up to the south. Shim and Brading checked it out and after climbing the turn, saw the trap door above was closed and braced in place – no chance of anyone getting in that way. Meanwhile the group was putting more hurt on the defenders when just as it was about over and we pushed into the next room that two more mastiff’s leapt in from beyond the next chamber and Barb took the impact.

She was savaged for a bit before the rest of the group was able to come to bear and help her hold off any further damage from the hounds. We finished THAT battle off before we heard a lone shambling undead coming our way also across the training grounds…stop…look at us and then detour around the side of the entrance. From there we watched it as it picked up a practice sword and stood by the door poised to strike.

Right.

So while Bad Tom and Shim were getting pickles and preserves, handing them out to the tired adventurers and Thalin and Brading were locking doors behind us as we kept going on, Else Ire and Barb dove through the door and made short work of the undead with a well delivered smattering of blows.

We found ourselves in the training yard, some practice dummies, saw horses, piles of bark, some stones for shotput practice, and tall posts. Also, lots of dog shit. A Large shed was in the northwest corner, we heard some noises like a horse coming from inside – the door was roped closed. A door on the north side of the place was closed and we heard nothing and 2 other doors on the south side of the place, one with rabbit shit around it, the other with a key in the lock. We guessed it was the other door that led back to the main entrance hall so we made sure it was locked and then roped the two doors together.

Meet 94, Adv 6, 8/17/19

The group had a miserable time just at the front door of the place as it was the enemy stronghold and they had been prepared for the party by almost 2 hours - one of my players did the math and the enemy did over 100 hp of damage to the party about 5 times the amount we had done to them. Location location location.

And then after they ran away, they were captured by a bad run of the wandering monster dice - 70 fucking hobgoblins.

Hahahah - holy crap - that did not go as planned.

Write up follows:

The group walked around the west side of the Manorhouse towards the front of Ixitch’s stronghold, noting the same sort of sparse narrow windows here and there and the lack of anyone milling about. We were confident the Invisibility to Undead spell was still working as the severed heads on spikes still made Brading’s skin tingle. The stables (that we could now see) were in poor condition, 2 of the 4 stalls had a fallen thatched roof upon their wooden supports. No steeds were visible.

There were three oversized trees through and at least a half dozen crows were perched on the branches and staring down at the party, cawing loudly as they shuffled from branch to branch. Darius was concerned that if this entire thing went south, we had no easy way to escape short of heading back to the wall and trying to climb over. So instead we went to the front gate and took a look. Chain and lock were newish but we figured on busting one of the links. Shim fired a ray of frost at one of the links and Barb used a crowbar to force one of the links open – allowing us the snake the chain off the gate and giving us a way to get out of here.

We went back the front door and decided that Barb was going to test it and if need be, slam it open. Thalin had his bow out, sleep spell at the ready, everyone else was set to shoot into the double wide entrance doors and then storm in but as the Half-orc barbarian was coming to the door she smelled lamp oil coming from the soggy ground in front of the place and she backed up quick.

The front area was set up to go on fire. She shuffled her feet a bit to get the residual oil off and the group discussed plans again, deciding this time to burn off the oil with a tossed torch and then force the doors open. Seemed like a good plan and we lit a torch, tilted it back to throw…

And someone inside the Manorhouse hit us with a Fireburst spell again. Barb was on fire and she fell to the ground rolling as Brading used a blanket to help put her out. The torch DID get tossed to the oil which was on fire and burning the area near the front door and we let it burn while healing Barb again. Brading let us know that his spells were dwindling and we were starting to think that this might be harder than we expected.

Barb took out her threaded rod and approached the front of the Manor house, stepping near the closest window (10” wide, 4’ tall, 2’ deep – homespun curtain obscuring view on the inside). She then stuck the rod through the window, snagged the curtain, and twisted it around and around until the curtain was wrapped around the rod and she pulled…ripping the curtain free and making one window less likely to have a mage hiding behind it.

By this time the two half-ogre zombies wandering around the place came towards the front of the building and then each one of them stopped…right in front of the doors to the Manorhouse and stood there staring out at us, but not seeing us. Ok, fuck, that was pretty smart for whoever was controlling them.

We needed to move them and it was thought that Brading would call upon Heimdall to turn the zombies away. So the dwarven priest stepped up, symbol presented before him, and called out to Heimdall for aid. And the Zombies rippled, twisted, and then with a breathy moan, turned and ran (fast shuffled) their way out of the area – splitting up as they tried to get away.

Ok, this was it, front door was clear – it was time. Thalin had bow out, spell at the ready for possible sleep, Darius had his sling, Shim was full of spells, Brading hand axe and holy symbol…And it was Barb forcing the door open.

Large entrance room, two double doors leading out of the place and a side corridor, three zombies just on the inside of the door, large harpy statue to the right of the door, and in front of each double door out of the entrance hall were three flabowmen each and one of the mastiff guard dogs.

And the quarrels flew. Barb was struck as the 18” shafts slammed through armor, knocked her down, and then over – killing her.

What the hell?!?!

Brading went to step forward to heal her as the three zombies stepped up, two of them tripping on her and breaking the spell, while the third swept around and was making a beeline for the dwarven cleric. The camp dog was let off the leach and CHARGED the group going to jump for Brading. Darius let his sling fly and slammed into one of the crossbowmen so hard he was tossed back and hunched over, hands wrapped around his midsection.

After a single volley the crossbowmen were already looking the head back OUT of the combat and through the double doors further into the manorhouse. To keep the camp dog off Brading Shim uncoiled his whip and slashed it at the dog who caught a painful wound and turned to leap upon the gnome sorcerer, bearing him to the ground and critically mauling him, ripping his face open from eye socket to ear and then TEARING his ear off the right side of his head! Darius and Thalin shot at the dog, weakening it and trying to keep it from killing the gnome.

And the two Zombies on Barb were STOMPING their feet down on the unconscious and dying Barb – breaking bones and trying to finish the job. Brading called to Heimdall and two of the three zombies turned tail and ran back into the keep and around the corner leaving just one who was making it his personal effort to get Barb to -10.

Darius tackled the zombie, driving it off of Barb which allowed Brading to try and heal her. Meanwhile Thalin fired off a magic missile and blasted the dog to death. Barb opened her eyes and tried to focus, Darius and the Zombie grappling with each other right over her head. She crawled a few paces to her threaded rod, grew ANGRY and raged, and then in a prone position, swung it with all her might at the zombie’s leg.

Shattering one of its shin bones and the undead ogre fell over bearing Darius to the ground with him. The fighter twisted and elbowed and shoved just breaking the grapple as he struggled away and we all drew shaky breaths. The undead zombie stood up and fell over, its leg not supporting itself, so it did it again and then started crawling towards us fairly adroitly.

Most of us badly hurt, almost no healing available, and we hadn’t even made it INTO the entrance hall yet, Darius suggested very strongly that we get the hell out of here and now. No one argued it and we double timed it to the gate, past the cawing crows and excited noises, and then to the main road when we went back to the Highway and made out way Southwest as quick as we could.

With nowhere else in mind to go to, the thought was to go to the farmstead we stayed at before and hoped to hole up there – but we were very convinced Ixitch could follow us and might already be doing so. One problem at a time. Once at the farmstead we went past the few chickens there and unlocked the place again. Inside we relaxed and Barb slipped back into exhaustion as the crossbow bolts were STILL IN HER BODY AS WE RAN.

We spent some time taking them out and Brading shared what healing he had left, potions were handed out, and we took stock of ourselves.

We got out ass kicked.

They knew we were there, we knew they were watching us, and they were well prepared for us to come in and rained all sorts of pain down on us. And what did they lose? 1 guard dog was slain and one zombie had its leg broken. This was not going to work for us and we needed a new plan to assault them.

But we couldn’t stay here. This was too close to their point of operation and with all the chicken outside and now crowded around the door (between hearing us, seeing us, and Barb feeding them bread under the door) this was not going to be a safe place for us to stay.

The decision was we’d sneak out the side window, head north for a bit and then west and get lost in the hills, finding someplace to hold up for a few days and then go back to Ixitch’s place and this time not screw around but just charge the front door before they have a chance to prepare for our attack.

Darius managed to open the window and once we all got outside, hurting and sore, we closed the window behind us, left the squawking chickens alone, and travelled north through the rough terrain and winter grasses. After 20 minutes or so we turned west and were lost in the foothills. Coming to a decent sized copse of pines we stopped to heal again, bind more wounds, and take stock of our situation. We were boned and needed a better base of operations. We were going to head more to the west and hopefully pick up a road and small town to stop out and then come up with a proper assault plan.

That didn’t happen either.

Not too much later that that as we were walking through the cold hills we crested the top of one and saw…a military encampment of dozens of tents, horses, and orderly lines of orange haired tall green skinned goblinoid figured.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.. Damn it.

We went to back away but our presence was noted and two sets of riders rode up to us spear and lances at the ready while another half dozen charged up the hill towards us, the tall hobgoblin leader sneering at us. He identified himself as Lieutenant Bloodtusk and branded us as spies. We were forced to drop weapons and shields, then we were escorted to a prisoner’s wagon where a half orc named Dwarlow was, pretty beaten up and was going to be prisoner of the Bloodtusks for the next 2 years for mouthing off to them.

The Bloodtusks were going to take their assault against a local orcish tribe that had raided the hobgoblin’s cave system earlier this year (no, not the Wolf Skull Orcs) – and it was thought we were working for them. Hobgoblins HATE elves and gnomes so it was best that Thalin and Shim say nothing. They left us alone for a few hours until they came back and demanded to know who was in charge. Whoever was in charge is responsible for the group – including punishment. So who was it?

Darius didn’t understand the language, so that left Brading and Barb to talk – and Barb was pretty wounded. The Bloodtusks were convinced that the two of them were NOT friends as dwarves and orcs don’t get along and suspected a ruse. But when Brading stepped up as the person to be in charge, he was pulled from the wagon, stripped of everything except pants, and was told he WAS going to get 10 lashes – but he had to work for the Bloodtusk’s first – digging latrine trenches. A job for a slave, not a hobgoblin warrior.

We watched him being led away and were growing very concerned now. What was to happen next? If Thalin or Shim did ANYTHING magical they would just be killed out of hand and we figured to lay low for now.

At that point one of the shaman Irilius and his followers came, called out for a detection, and took note of what items the party had on them that were magical. But the shaman looked at Shim and had the gnome dragged out of the wagon and stripped. They took his potion of flight and the shaman and Shim talked – inside a circle of solace as well as a zone of truth. And Shim was forthcoming. The Shaman was a good listener and came to the realization that the group was NOT aligned with the orcs and were actually a fairly good aligned force. It wasn’t exactly said but the Shaman paid close attention to the idea of Scratch and seemed to be disturbed at its implications and how it would affect other orcs.

Eventually he made the call that Shim and his group would be given the benefit of the doubt and would let the Lieutenant know that they could be trusted. But Shim still had to take 5 lashes. Um…what?!?!?

The gnome was held in place and was whipped 5 times across his own back until he passed out from the pain. And then tossed back in the wagon. The gnome was whipped…with his own whip. And the Shaman took it.

Then as for Brading, he had finished the job and then was taken from camp where the Lieutenant told him he was to be whipped. BUT – according to the Shaman and his advisors, the group’s presence was most likely guided by Maglubiyet, the goblin god. So here was the deal – if Brading could take 10 whippings and NOT pass out, the Bloodtusk clan would better equip his group AND lend them 4 of his warriors to help assault the Ixitch Homestead.

If he could not, then they would be kept for a year and a day and then set free, but still better equipped at that time.

Brading took the deal. The dwarf took lash upon lash, held in place as the whip crisscrossed his flesh. As he grew weaker he called on Heimdall twice to heal him and hopefully remove the painful wounds – and then it had been 8 lashes and he was tottering in agony but still awake. He was given a chance to commute his final whippings to Barb – but he refused. Then he was given an opportunity to just have Thalin killed outright as a commute – and again he refused.

The last two whippings fell…and they were just very light hits on the dwarf.

The Bloodtusks were impressed with Brading’s refusal to break himself and pass further injury to his people. He was told he would be considered a Corporal to the Bloodtusks and they were going to spend the next three days getting better outfitted and introduced to the 4 warriors that were going to go with them back to Ixitch’s homestead.

Meet 93, Adv 6, 8/10/19

Chickens.

Somewhere around Canaslan, there is a large area dominated by wild free range angry aggressive chickens. They have grown to larger than normal size and have hunting tactics that remind one of Velociraptors. And the group made the mistake of encountering a few of them, thinking they were going to get a fast meal.

Did...not...happen.

Hardened adventurers ran for their life from the chicken mob, and as the DM, it was the best decision they could make. :)

Write up follows:

The group wanted to get ready to leave and we split up, Shim and Brading went to the public well to fill the water skins while the rest of the party went to the provisioner to gather food. Shim did note that at least 1 of the 2 that had been watching the group earlier was watching us again here, being on line a few places behind Brading. And further, he also noted a frantic looking stringy dwarven female come charging into the town square and have an animated conversation with one of the guards. She gave an animated description of a number of people who Shim felt looked too much like us, talked about an assault on two members of the town, and eventually placed a large amount of coins in the guard’s hands.

The guard then went to another one and the two of them went up to the parapet on either side of the main gate, heavy flatbows loaded, and proceeded to look over the crowded town square.

Fuck – 2 sets of problems.

Shim made the mistake of mentioning to Brading to hurry up as we were being watched which had the dwarven priest grow furious and blame the guy behind him on line of spying on us (the wrong guy!). While this was going on, the rest of the group had come back to the town square and seeing Shim’s waving hand and eventual pantomiming to wait – Thalin stepped out to talk to Shim while Barb and Darius went to the street merchants and got roped into a conversation about potatoes with one of the sellers.

Thalin and Shim shared information and we had to get out of town, through the only gate being watched, but NOT as a group as our combined descriptions will tip off the guards. What to do, what to do…

Bum fight was the solution.

Through a number of deceptions and some well placed smatterings of coins given to the local down trodden we cycled through the gates in 3 sets as Town Square degenerated to at least a dozen men fighting over a number of coins and the local guards and merchants taking odds on the outcome.

Once outside we decided NOT to walk right to Ixitch’s Manorhouse and instead pretend we were heading back to Erylond. It was a good call because one of the tails who had followed us out made sure we were heading back for home for a good 10 minutes before heading back to Paxian.

From there we travelled overland north through harvested fields and furrowed lands, and then east again after some distance until we crossed the Canaslan Northern Byway and then eventually the Canaslan Northeastern Highway – a muddy and rutted patch of raised puddly dirt almost 25’ wide stretching off into the distance.

We were on our way.

As we traveled down the highway, we passed more of the questionable homes and pseudo-poverty that seemed to define Canaslan. The people though were happy and each town we went through was smaller and a bit dingier than the next. We had broken for meal and pressed on, watching the mile markers count upward. Just before mile marker 5, we came up the smallest and last hamlet of hovels; a group of miserable homes in a place called Ditch, and commented the place was aptly named.

Getting close we were going to camp for the night and assume that Ixitch and company would be celebrating the new years – hoping to find a barn or farm we could use. In an effort to further our stores, we did note a number of free ranging wild chickens in the area. Feeling good about the prospects of fresh chicken, Darius loaded a stone and let fly…

Thud. The bird pitched over and fell, got up, flapped around and then died. The other half dozen chickens in the area all stopped and stared at the dead bird, and then as one – back at Darius. They took a few steps towards us, heads bobbing as he casually loaded up another stone, whirl whirl whirl…THWOCK! Took the head off another one! It ran about half a dozen steps and fell over spurting blood dead.

At this point the remaining 4 chickens all started clucking and “bokking” rhythmically and tilting their heads back. And from the tall winter grasses around us – other answering chicken calls came. Like, a lot of them.

Ok..this was getting weird. We started to move on down the road as the chicken closest to us suddenly picked up speed and started chasing us. Just as almost THIRTY over sized chickens burst from the grasses and bushes around – coupled with TWO of the largest roosters we had ever seen. And they were all hissing and clucking and RUNNING towards us with avian fowl hatred in their eyes.

Fuck… The party ran.

We ran hard and fast, heading for an abandoned farmstead not too far from here, trying to make it to the barn. Meanwhile the chickens were gaining ground on Shim and Brading, the two of them the slowest in the group. Shim dropped a darkness spell behind us causing the pursuers to roll into the globes and lose some momentum and others to circle around it. It was getting closer as he hit the farmstead and Barb, Thalin, and Darius tried to get the barn door open in time. The chickens were getting closer and closer. Finally it was open and the 5 of us ran in and slammed the door closed behind, barring it as 30 plus angry oversized chickens tried to force their way in. We latched the back door to the bard and Brading took care of the loft door.

They continued to beat at the door for almost 5 minutes before eventually slowly fading away. We opted to wait almost an hour before daring to open the door and making our way to the house. The shutters were closed and the door locked. Using a javelin, we managed to pry the bar aside from the outside and entered. It was a peasant’s hut, dusty from lack of use. Some food stuffs had dried and rotted, and there was faint sweet odor from the huts only other room. Inside we saw two figures in the bed, dead for the better part of a year, an elderly couple fingers entwined with one another. As a show of respect we covered them with a blanket and shut the door.

From the kitchen we lit a fire and ate our meal, boiling some potatoes and getting ourselves ready to rest. We wanted to sleep and early in the morning, head off the Ixitch Barrowman’s Demesne and Manorhouse and reconnoiter first if at all possible.

After a long night we awoke early, broke our fast, and before we had left, Brading had cast Invisibility to Undead on the group. It would have no effect on the living – but we had to remember three things that would end it: an aggressive action against an undead, the passage of four hours, and the willing end of the spell if need be. In addition, if you allowed an undead to walk into you, it would also break the spell.

We left the farmhouse, closed the door and locked it, and making sure no chickens were around us, we finished our walk past mile marker 5, only a short distance now from the border of Grimyria. Following Gerry Rockbottom’s directions, there was a side road that led north to at one point was supposed to be a haven for the wealthy new landowners of Canaslan. However, the location never took off and the homes had been left to fall fallow.

Ixitch was ensconced and owned the 5th Manorhouse – a walled in area about 4 acres total, with only 1 double wide gate in and out. We walked by slowly and looked in. The Manorhouse was stone construction, at least 12’ tall and had a crenellated wall that ran along the top of the structure. A stables was to the right but was a bit out of view for us. No large windows, the grounds were overgrown and had three very large trees where at least half a dozen fat crows was cawing in and watching us. A spike was near the gate on the other side, a severed orc’s head was planted on top. The faintest tingle let Brading know that the Invisibility to Undead Spell was working as we passed in front of the orc’s head – someone was “watching” us through the dead skull.

We kept going past to the next homestead and picked through the wall. The property here was worse than the other side, and we followed the wall perimeter northward the full length to the end. The wall on Ixitch’s side was solid and unbroken. The top of the wall (8’ or so) also had busted glass mortared in place to further prevent anyone climbing over. Finally at the top of the wall along the BACK of the homestead was another severed orc head on a pole. Watching back here as well.

We heard the cawing of a crow and hid along the wall, hunched down in the scrub as a fat black crow flew up and circled around for a while before heading back to Ixitch’s side. Ok – we assumed both the stationary undead head and the crows were the watching warning for Ixitch’s people – Necromancer and probably Druid.

The group went to the house here on this Homestead to get out of sight and to see if there was a tunnel running between the two properties. It was almost an hour of looking before we accepted the fact that there wasn’t any. The thought was to climb over the wall, scout the place out, and make our way to the front door.

But when we left the place and went to the wall to look over (Barb) – we noted there were at least 2 large mastiff guard dogs in the area. A mass of salami and cheese in a ball of bread was thought to be given to the dogs to make them pliable but we didn’t want to risk it.

Then it was 9:30 and we heard the ringing of a bell at the front of the Homestead and the dogs’ with the ears perked up ran for the front. Breakfast bell. It was time to climb. Barb went over first, blanket draped across the glass, and one by one, the party went over the wall until finally we pulled the blanket down and took stock. Overgrown grounds, sparse trees, building – seems quiet. We went up the building’s walls and decided to walk around the back of the place first. What few windows we did see were narrow, 4’ tall, curtained from the inside, and deeply set in the stone almost 2’ – no chance of us using them to get in.

Around the back of the building we proceeded about until we came to an overgrown and choked herb garden – where a variety of plants were growing – including Lion’s Leaf and Eye Bright. We continued exploring, going south now and then heard something coming through the tall grasses. Dog? No – a half-ogre zombie plodding along. 8’ tall, 400 plus pounds – it wandered north and our invisibility held as it passed  - went beyond the herb garden and then turned sharply to the left and continued in that direction and out of sight.

A little further south just before the stables one of the narrow windows gave us the sounds of men (and women?) eating breakfast and laughing. Ok – kitchen area here on the east side of the building.

We wanted to get in and figured with no other doors visible – we’d have to entice them to come out. The thought was to go to the herb and drug garden and burn it. But the plants were green so we’d need to use oil to get it to light. Darius and Barb stayed by the garden to prepare it with oil and rags, while Brading, Thalin, and Shim when back around the side of the building and to the first large alcove to hunker down and hopefully surprise the bad guys when they came out.

It didn’t go to plan.

As Darius was getting ready to light the place on fire, oil and rag everywhere, he had a torch lit when something went terribly wrong and the fire in his hand EXPLODED. It then caught the oil on fire and he was suddenly engulfed in flames as he tried to roll around to put them out. Barb ran out to tackle him and drag him back to the building when crossbow bolts were shot and she was hit. They staggered towards the building as more flatbows fired, hitting the two of them again and then a trio of magic missile flew out and scored Darius just as they made it to the building – both of them bleeding hit points.

Had to go and meet up with the rest of the group and now. – They were hurting but ran east along the building’s edge while from above they could see two, maybe three figures peering over trying to get another shot in at us. Another magic missile went off and Darius was going to run OUT from the wall and sling up there while Barb went into berserker rage and tried to climb the wall.

Meanwhile the rest of the group saw TWO ogrish zombies coming along – still unable to see us, but they could hear some sort of problem going on around the corner. Brading snuck the edge and the Shim and Thalin know the two friends were bleeding badly and Barb was climbing up to some figures up there on top.

Thalin and Shim then drew scrolls and stepped back, pointing to the roof and each of them called out a summon monster spell – one ended up was a gnoll wielding a two handed sword and the other with a goblin sporting a sling. And then Barb was up there just as Darius sling bullets one of the crossbowmen. Two crossbow men and a mage type.

Excellent.

Barb changed one of them and proceeded to beat him to death and then lift him overhead and HURL him off the building. One dead. The gnoll ran towards a crossbowman who dropped his flatbow and had his sword out – but the gnoll was stronger and the battle was on. The goblin kept firing sling stones in the combat, whittling hit points away. Brading ran to Darius to heal the wounded fighter and Barb chased one of the men who tried to make it to a trap door to escape but failed.

The combat on the roof ended after this and Barb tried to hack the trap door open but it was too thick and well made and although she jammed the gnoll’s sword through the crack – she couldn’t open it up.

As the summoned monsters faded away we all gathered again and doled out some healing, taking into account what happened and that they know where here even if the zombies can’t respond to us. This was it, we were going to the front to bust the door open and take the fight to Ixitch and his men.