GM’s Observations
- Ok, this time I’ve decided to include my notes from each session which you’ll see in purplebelow. I normally use an exercise book and handwrite notes during the session. These notes are the cues that I need to remember what happened in sufficient detail to write the narrative. However, given that Ethan and Grant were split up, I had to decide what Ethan was doing in the background so that when Grant inevitably contacted Ethan via Icon, I knew what had occurred and could tell that part of the story. Besides, certain events happen on certain days (but the timeline is flexible) so I had a skeleton to work with.
Part 1 - End of Day (Day 3)
- After a lengthy conversation with Baron Tranth and the town elders, Rook excuses himself and retires for the evening. He returns to the Inn of the Clowns, has a drink or two (catching up with Jamison) before retiring for the night.
- Meanwhile, Griffin rests in the Silver Lion, half expecting to be attacked during the night, but he is undisturbed.
Part 2 - Preparations and Travels (Day 4)
Day 4 - Preparations and Travels
Day 4 - In Valls, Ethan runs afoul of William’s Regulators who attempt to rob him. Ethan meets Duke William (the Lazy).
Day 4 - Kids (Jack, Lucy-Ann, Phillip, Dinah) waiting for Grant
Day 4 - Grant inspects the village, meeting the people as he goes and getting their ideas as to how better to defend the village.
Day 4 - Grant considers the possibility that there may be a spy in the village. He assesses the people and decides that Stephan, Baron Tranth and Jamison have reasonable Warfare.
Day 4 - Jamison meets Grant at the Inn. Grant notes that there is no music at the Inn of the Clowns so he begins to play for them. Carlotta and Raquel show interest in Grant.
- The next morning, Griffin finds two men waiting for him in the Silver Lion. They tell him that ‘Captain’ Olric told them to keep an eye on him. For the rest of the day, Griffin finds that he has two watchful bodyguards. He notices that he’s been marked by the city guard - the so-called Regulators. Outside the city walls, the Dragoons are forming - there are only twenty six of them but Griffin’s bodyguards assure him that the rest are coming. He is advised to stay with them for his own protection. Griffin thinks there is more to their request than simply protecting their ‘investment’ but he does not pry.
- Meanwhile Rook finds four kids waiting for him as soon as he steps out the door. He gets to know them (their names are Jack, Lucy-Ann, Phillip and Dinah (GM’s note - yes, courtesy of Enid Blyton)) and Rook gives them jobs to do to involve them. He does a further inspection of the village, and he meets everyone again, seeking to get their input as to how best to defend the village. This takes considerable time. Everyone except the Abbot seems pleased and upbeat that he is here. He considers the possibility that there may be a spy in the village, and he muses how best to flush out such a traitor. The Abbot doesn’t like him, but surely he couldn’t be the traitor, could he?
- Late in the day, the Dragoons’ strength stands at eighty-five fighting men. The rapid growth of a force of veteran soldiers outside the city gates has made the locals uncomfortable. A group of Regulators visits their encampment and Griffin is summoned by Duke William. Olric insists on accompanying him, and Griffin agrees. They are escorted through the streets of Valls to the citadel, and taken to meet the lord of the land. He is a richly dressed fellow of large girth. Griffin assesses him as both greasy and dangerous. He greets the Duke, bows but does not let his guard down. The Duke thanks Griffin for saving the town and explains that he owes Griffin a debt of gratitude. But he is also confused that Griffin should be hiring troops. To what end? the Duke asks.
- Griffin explains that they are heading east and will not be returning to Valls. The Duke accepts this, but asks why the hasty departure. He is not pleased when Griffin refuses to explain further, even when threatened that he could delay or even prevent their departure. The Duke is clearly upset but does not press the situation - he dismisses them and lets them go.
- As they are leaving, Griffin passes the lady that he met briefly at the Silver Lion. He smiles and offers a bow, and she smiles in return. Heading back to the Dragoons, Olric breathes in amazement that Griffin seems to enjoy playing with fire. Griffin explains calmly that they could not have stopped him leaving. Again, Olric notes that he doesn’t doubt Griffin’s prowess with the blade, but he says that flirting with Lady Mathilda is folly. Griffin has no idea who she is, so Olric enlightens him. Mathilda is the Duke’s sister, and she’s the brains in this part of the world. Griffin thinks on this, then smiles to himself, but says nothing.
- Over the course of the day, Rook has thought hard over as who could be a traitor in the village. He has assessed everyone and decided that Baron Tranth, Stephan (the Innkeeper) and Jamison (the fletcher) have prior military experience. There is no one using magic here that he can detect, which suggests that if someone were a spy there would have to be a more mundane means of carrying messages. He decides to keep an eye out for unusual birds (perhaps carrier pigeons are being used).
- In the evening, Rook settles down at the Inn of the Clowns for a meal and a drink. There are plenty of patrons here, and Jamison joins Rook for an ale. They talk for awhile, but there is no music to liven the place up. On a whim, Rook goes upstairs and returns with his cittern which he then plays for the patrons. This draws a lot of cheers and even applause from the audience as they have not had a musician play at the Inn for a long time. Rook notes that Raquel and Carlotta seem impressed that he can play so well.
Day 5 - The Royal Dragoons Set Out
Day 5 - Ethan’s cavalry (“Olric’s Own” - formerly the Royal Dragoons) departs Valls. They are one hundred strong.
Day 5 - Kids (Jack, Lucy-Ann, Phillip, Dinah) waiting for Grant
Day 5 - Jamison meets Grant once again at the Inn of the Clowns for a drink.
Day 5 - Grant spends time with Olwen of the huntsmen to find out more as to what they can do. He places the priority on finding them defensible positions so that they will not be overrun.
Day 5 - Grant inspects the Bloodstone troops and begins training a group of them, whilst the other start digging defenses to break-up an enemy force’s approach.
Day 5 - Grant establishes a watch (rotating sentries)
Day 5 - Preparatory work on walls (but not building yet)
Day 5 - Grant notes that Baird (the tanner) flirts outrageously with Carlotta and Raquel - they seem to play along with it in good fun.
Day 5 - Grant plays at the Inn - music to perk them up. Baird dances with Carlotta and Raquel. Carlotta gives Grant a kiss to make up for not being able to dance (because he’s playing)
- In the morning, the kids are once more waiting for Rook. But now he begins organising the defences and troops. Rook organises a watch on the walls in two places, with rotating sentries and a system of horn blasts to warn the people of approaching forces. He then inspects the 360 fighting men and women that will make up the main body of the Bloodstone Forces, and divides them into three groups. One he assigns to Baron Tranth, one to Stephan (the Innkeeper) and the third to himself. He organises for two to begin battle drills whilst the third will begin preparatory work on the walls. Rook does not want them to repair the walls yet - just gather the materials for doing so.
- After inspecting the local Bloodstone militia (480 of them), Rook decides that he will need to be careful putting them into real combat. There are old men and women there, but also many adolescents who are too young to join the regulars. He decides to involve them, but keep them in reserve when a real battle starts. Rook is also conscious that the crops are ready to be harvested, and the Baron orders that everyone who can work (except those doing training/earthworks) will go into the fields tomorrow to complete the harvest.
- Rook also spends time with Olwen of the huntsmen to find out more about the surrounding area, and then starts to plan out in more detail which defences he will restore, and where he will build new fortifications. He is particularly interested in finding defensible positions for the archers to fire from.
- Just before 11am, Griffin and a force of one hundred and four cavalrymen leave Valls for the journey to Bloodstone. They are carrying provisions for two weeks travel, but have no wagons with them - they expect to travel fast and be resupplied in Bloodstone. Their departure is without incident.
- The day is long and hard for the people of Bloodstone - but the Baron and Rook make it clear that this is only the beginning. A lot of tired people enjoy a quiet drink in the Inn of the Clowns that evening. Rook notes that the tanner (Baird) enjoys flirting outrageously with Raquel and Carlotta - and they respond in turn - it seems to be a game between them. When Rook offers to play music once more, the tavern patrons accept heartily. Rook places some music to dance to, and Baird enjoys dancing with both barmaids (in between drinks). Rook gets the distinct feeling that at least one, possibly both of the girls is interested in him. Later in the evening Carlotta kisses Rook to make up for the fact that he can’t dance if he is playing.
Day 6 - The Harvest Begins
Day 6 - The Royal Dragoons fight their first battle, against a group of bandits disguised as refugees. Two of the Dragoons are lost.
Day 6 - Kids (Jack, Lucy-Ann, Phillip, Dinah) waiting for Grant
Day 6 - The harvest begins.
Day 6 - Meeting with the Baron - history, tactics, chain of command. The capable commanders are Olwen (huntsmen), the Baron, Stephan. Potentially capable are Quillan (sage), Aelfwynn (his daughter)
Day 6 - Grant continues training the troops. He notes Aelfwynn watching him.
Day 6 - Grant makes an effort to meet the Abbot in the afternoon. Tries to understand him. Considers killing the Lake Monster.
Day 6 - Abbot Aldric out for a night-time walk. Grant follows him, wondering if he could be a spy. He decides to keep a look out for any messenger birds.
Day 6 - Jamison meets Grant at the Inn in the evening. Grant plays something uplifting to perk them up.
- The next day begins bright and early with everyone starting on the harvest who is not drilling. Rook spends time with Baron Tranth, talking further about how he sees the defences of the village being laid out, how to break up the army and who should command them. They discuss the commanders in more detail as Rook is keen to understand the background of the people that he will be trusting with many lives. He also asks about Quillan (the sage) and the Baron’s daughter, Aelfwynn, as both could be potential commanders if required.
- Mid-morning, Rook takes over training the troops from Stephan and he drills them. He notes Aelfwynn watching him and what is doing from the baronial manor house.
- Meanwhile, Griffin and the Dragoons meet a group of almost three hundred refugees on the road heading to Valls. Unfortunately for Griffin, the ‘refugees’ are a large group of bandits. A brief battle is fought at close range which results in the death of two of Olric’s men but many bandits are slain and the survivors lost heart and are scattered. Griffin is disappointed by the battle - it erupted more quickly than he had expected and he believes that he should have been better prepared for it.
- In the afternoon, Rook makes an effort to meet the Abbot. He finds him in his abbey, performing domestic chores at the end of a hard day in the fields. Rook shows interest in Aldric’s patron saint - a man who was martyred twice! Aldric explains that he believes that Rook is offering the villagers false hope. St Sollars teaches that fate is inescapable and the farmers should simply accept that. Rook gets the impression that the Abbot doesn’t hate Rook personally, he just believes that it is futile. Rook wonders how he can give Aldric hope that things can change. He wonders as to whether he should seek out and kill the monster that lives in the lake.
- That evening, Rook eats a quick meal and then heads out again at dusk to survey the countryside (shapeshifted into a bird). He is wondering if anyone is sending messages in or out, or perhaps there could be an infiltrator. To his surprise, he finds the Abbot walking in the darkness along the Beaumaris River. Rook shadows him, wondering if he could be a spy. At last, he returns to the village and Rook heads back to the Inn of the Clowns.
- Jamison is pleased to see Rook and buys him a drink. They talk a little about strategy and Jamison is happy to share who he thinks are the best archers in the village. But the conversation is interrupted as some of the patrons ask Rook to play for them. He obliges and plays something uplifting for them.
Day 7 - The Messenger Bird
Day 7 - Kids (Jack, Lucy-Ann, Phillip, Dinah) waiting for Grant
Day 7 - Grant continues training the troops. A group is directed to repairing the damaged walls. The harvest continues on-track.
Day 7 - Grant spots a falcon leaving the village, and wonders if it could be a messenger bird.
Day 7 - Jamison meets Grant at the Inn for drinks. He introduces Haldan to him (Haldan is a bit greasy but he seems enthusiastic about helping)
Day 7 - Grant plays something uplifting to perk them up. Raquel and Grant hook up.
- Once again, the kids are waiting for Rook when he heads out. Rook gives them some odd jobs to do, but then tells them to help with the harvest. While the harvest continues, Rook continues training one group of troops, and directs a second to repair some of the damaged walls.
- Mid-afternoon, Rook spots a falcon high above the village, which then leaves and heads north. Rook wonders if it came from the village and whether it could be a messenger bird. He decides to keep an eye out for any other falcons.
- That evening, Rook is joined once more by Jamison for a meal and drinks. They chat. Jamison introduces Haldan to him - Haldan seems a bit greasy but he is also enthusiastic about helping so Rook is friendly towards him. Rook finally excuses himself and goes to get his cittern to play for the patrons. He plays some uplifting tunes to keep their spirits up and make them forget about their hard labours.
- That evening, Raquel makes her move on Rook, and she persuades him to slip out of the inn with her. They find a secluded spot down by the river and make love before returning to the Inn to sleep. Rook notes that Raquel’s room is just across from the hall from where he is sleeping. He thinks briefly of Lady Sophia, but then remembers ‘what happens on the Stair, stays on the Stair’ and puts his worries aside. After all, she had at one stage encouraged him to see other partners if it pleased him.
Day 8 - The Spy and the Dragonslayer
Day 8 - A group of Hill Giants throw rocks at the Dragoons.
Day 8 - Ethan renders aid to a group of badly burnt dwarves who have been savaged by a dragon. Ethan deals with the dragon, but four more Dragoons are slain. Ethan believes that he is four days’ ride away.
Day 8 - Kids (Jack, Lucy-Ann, Phillip, Dinah) waiting for Grant
Day 8 - Grant is training troops. He notes Aelfwynn watching him. Servants bring him lunch.
Day 8 - Grant spots a falcon leaving the village and races after it to intercept. He allows the falcon to carry on, but steals the message it carries. He is able to trace the bird back to Jamison. Grant discusses with Baron Tranth. The Baron advises him that the harvest will be completed earlier than expected. Grant goes to apprehend Jamison. Jamison resists and commits suicide rather than be captured. Grant finds a codebook and decodes the message. He finds a Hydra symbol.
Day 8 - The official word is that Jamison is being held by the Baron, and is talking. Post a guard and are hopeful to catch Jamison’s accomplices.
Day 8 - Abbot Aldric out for a night-time walk.
Day 8 - Grant plays at the inn. Grant hooks up with both girls.
- The next day is a busy day for Griffin and the Royal Dragoons. Leaving one forest behind, they travel through rolling hills for a few hours and are attacked by a group of giants. The misshapen giants are clearly hungry for flesh (man or horse) and they hurl great boulders from the hillsides at the cavalry, seeking to ‘get a few’. This time Griffin is having none of this - he orders Olric to tell the men to ride on while he deals with it. Using an Eidolon Shield to protect the cavalry, Griffin rides up the hill against the giants. Unfortunately the giants hurl multiple boulders at him and even though his sorcerous defences would normally be sufficient, the giants have legendary strength and the shield is shattered in one place by a flying boulder. The boulder kills Griffin’s horse, leaving him to run up the hillside while the hill giants laugh and take turns trying to knock him off.
- Griffin reaches them by using mental invisibility (one of his favourite spells) and then surprising them by attacking them at point blank range. This throws them into confusion and Griffin kills three of them before they break and flee, screaming about being chased by ‘spooks’. None of the Royal Dragoons are hurt, and Griffin mounts one of the available horses (two of the riders were killed two days earlier).
- The cavalry continue on, and they enter the next wooded area. There they meet a group of forty-odd dwarves, many of whom have been badly burned. Ethan renders them aid, healing them with Eidolon, and they tell him that they were savaged by a great dragon who took the treasure that they were carrying south to trade. The dragon killed more than thirty dwarves in the attack.
- Furious, Griffin insists on avenging them and returning the dwarves’ treasure, even though this alarms the Dragoons - they didn’t sign on to fight dragons. The dwarves are able to show Griffin where they were attacked (it is only a few miles away) and from there, Griffin is able to use Wayfinding to track down their nearby lair. Griffin orders the Royal Dragoons to carry on, but Olric insists that twenty of his men go with Griffin.
- Griffin tracks down the dragon, but to his surprise it is not alone. There are three of them - a mated pair, and a youngster. The dragons laugh when Griffin demands the return of the dwarves’ treasure, but they do not laugh for long when Griffin puts up an Eidolon-enhanced sorcerous shield around himself and then seeks to engage them. The adult-male then decides to parley and offers a chest of treasure to make him go away, but Griffin is not fooled into retrieving a treasure chest within range of the dragon’s fiery breath. A fierce battle is fought - a good section of the forest is set on fire - Griffin slays the the male dragon and badly wounds the female. The female and its offspring swear vengeance but flee rather than fight further. Griffin is exhausted by this - fighting three dragons in the Legendary Realm has severely taxed him. However, he has retrieved the dwarves’ treasure (to the joy of the dwarves) and also recovered treasure which the dragons had hoarded which he divides between Olric’s men. The Royal Dragoons are astonished and uplifted by Griffin’s triumph.
- Meanwhile, Rook continues training the troops and building defences. He is surprised at midday by servants sent by Aelfwynn who have brought him lunch.
- In the afternoon, Rook spots another falcon - this time it is definitely leaving the village and he races to intercept and pursue it (in sparrow form). The falcon heads north, but he decides not to follow it all of the way to its destination. Instead he uses Umbra to weaken the binding holding the message case to the falcon’s leg, enabling him to recover the message. The message is encoded - he can’t read it.
- Returning to the village, Rook quickly traces the falcon back to Jamison, the fletcher and his drinking buddy. Jamison has a cage with numerous falcons in the back of his home. Rook discusses the situation with Baron Tranth. The Baron advises Rook that the harvest is going well and will be completed earlier than expected - if Jamison communicates that back to the bandits, they will come sooner. Rook decides that Jamison should be apprehended, but Jamison resists and commits suicide rather than be captured. In Jamison’s house, Rook finds a codebook using Wayfinding. Engraved in the leather of the codebook is a hydra symbol. With this codebook, Rook is then able to decode the message. Jamison was indeed about to communicate to his masters as to the current status of village preparations, making note that ‘Rook has been preparing the villagers’, and that ‘the harvest will be ready early’. Rook thinks on this - he doesn’t know what Jamison has said previously so he can’t send a fake message without potentially giving away that the spy has been discovered. So he decides to say nothing.
- Instead, Rook concocts a plan with the Baron to flush out any accomplices. The Baron announces that Jamison is a spy, has been arrested, is cooperating and hence there is nothing to fear. A guard is then posted on ‘Jamison’s cell’ in the hope that someone will come to rescue him, or possibly an accomplice will do something rash to reveal themselves.
- That evening, Rook scouts out the village again and sees the Abbot once more out for a walk. He can’t tell whether this is out of character for the Abbot or not, and whether he could still be a spy. Frustrated, he returns to the Inn of the Clowns and decides to play for the patrons. He finds this brightens his mood. He spies Raquel serving customers and one glance from her puts a smile on his face. But he also notices Carlotta trying to get his attention….
- During a break in his performance, Raquel comes over to talk with him and tells him to knock on her door twice if he wants to join her. Later that evening, Rook follows up on the invitation and goes to her room - but it is Carlotta who greets him at the door. Pulling him inside, he finds both girls inside - they share the same room - and both of them have been keen on him ever since they discovered what an accomplished musician he is. Raquel explains that she cheated a little and made a move first, but she doesn’t mind sharing. And on that note, let’s just fade to black….
Grant and Ethan
Grant (left) and Ethan (right), with Macavity the Cat
Monday, 28 August 2017
Session 108 - Bloodstone Pass
Part 1 - The Inn of the Clowns (Day 3)
- The village of Bloodstone is situated on the shore Lake Midai where the Beaumaris River runs into the mountains to the south. It was once a centre of commerce and trade. There are a few signs of old mansions, now torn down or burnt in the fields where farmers labour.
- The village is small. The stone defensive wall that once protected it is broken in many places. The road leads through the town gate. The wooden doors sag from their hinges, unable to close.
- The citizens of Bloodstone gather silently to watch Rook’s arrival. These are poor people, fearful and distrustful of outsiders. Rook watches their sullen faces as he walks into town. According to Garlen and Gavin there are about a thousand people here in total, but many are women, children and the elderly. Garlen and Garvin have assured him that they will fight as hard as the men, but the sight of these people does not fill Rook with confidence. Many of the men are armed, but they carry only the crudest of weapons - homemade spears and longswords of inferior make. A few woodsmen carry bows. All in all, not a promising lot from which to build an army.
- Garlen and Garvin seem embarrassed as the people of Bloodstone stop and stare but offer no greeting for Rook. They lead him through the narrow streets of the town, past the poor huts and small shops to an inn.
- The inn is as rude as poor as the rest of the town, but obviously it was once a fine place. A battered, weather-worn sign of a clown juggling bottles of wine hangs above the door, announcing this as the Inn of the Clowns.
- Garlen and Garvin have told Rook that it was once famous throughout Damara. It used to be frequented by travellers, traders and entertainers. Even nobles from far and near used to come but those days seem to be long gone.
- A heavyset man with a bushy blonde beard comes out, wiping his hands on an apron. He greets Rook, introduces himself and welcomes him to his home. Stephan is the first villager who seems genuinely glad to see Rook.
- Assuming that Rook has travelled far, Stephan welcomes his guest inside and organises a comfortable room and good food for him. Stephen tells Rook that his home is now Rook’s home too. He calls out Raquel and Carlotta from the kitchens where they have been doing meal preparations, and they seem pleased to have a guest. Raquel has long blonde hair, and Carlotta has dark hair.
- After eating heartily, Rook inspects his room. It is basic, but comfortable enough. Stephan asks Garlen and Garvin how they got back so quickly, but the boys do not reveal Rook’s secret (as he asked them not to). However they do tell Stephan how Rook and Griffin thrashed a group of monsters (which sounds so ridiculous that Stephen wonders if Rook could be a sorcerer or illusionist to have confused the boys so) and that Griffin is recruiting an army to help the village. Stephan just accepts the situation and decides to give Rook the benefit of the doubt.
Part 2 - Inspections and Meetings (Day 3)
- Rook spends the rest of the day looking over the village, escorted by Garlen and Garvin. He sizes up the existing defences - from the broken walls to the north to Lake Midai which protects the village’s western flank, to the Beaumaris River which offers some protection to the south and east.
* Image sourced from old TSR module H1 Bloodstone Pass
- In Rook’s opinion, the defences are weak but he is counting on Ethan (Griffin) to bolster them when he arrives. The Beaumaris River is swift flowing and it would be difficult for an army to ford, which suggests to him that the main threat is to the north.
- Some kids begin to follow Rook as he surveys the village. Garlen and Garvin continue to accompany Rook, answering questions and pointing out things of interest. For example, they comment that the nearby lake (Midai) has a monster in it which prevents anyone fishing from it. Rook thinks the monster could be useful, and decides to ponder it further.
- After a time, Garlen and Garvin excuse themselves to inform the Baron that Rook has arrived. The kids grow bolder - two boys and two girls.
- Rook meets Olaf the Blacksmith (at #4 in the map), a stout, well muscled and friendly fellow who agrees to make Rook some heavy throwing knives when requested. Olaf mentions that iron is in short supply - they haven’t had any from either the dwarves or the southern towns in many months.
- At the General Store (#5 on the map), Rook meets Geoff and his wife Katrine. Both are friendly. It turns out that one of the boys and one of the girls that are following Rook around are theirs.
- At the Bakery (#6 on the map), Rook is greeted by Benjamin and his wife Anna. They have six children, two of which have been following Rook around. Rook notes that not only do they bake bread, but they also make simple pies and pastries.
- At the Butcher (#7 on the map) is big Harald, ruddy-faced and very friendly.
- At the Fletcher (#8 on the map), Rook meets Jamison who is a handsome and friendly fellow. Rook inspects Jamison’s handiwork and tests out one of his bows. It is of fine quality and he buys it. Jamison is pleased with the sale, asks where Rook is staying and then says that he’ll see him for a drink that evening. Rook feels that he’s met a possible friend here.
- At the Tanner and Leatherworker (#9 on the map), Rook meets Baird, an immensely fat, bearded fellow.
- At the Carpenter shop (#10 on the map), Rook marvels at the beautiful ornate carvings that adorn the shop. The carpenter himself is a very thin man and clearly an ‘artist’. He says his name is Curtis, and Rook is impressed enough to buy some of his carvings as keepsakes.
- At the Tailor/Weaver (#11 on the map), Rook meets an older man who is nearly blind from fine needlework, but his work is of very high quality. Rook is so impressed that he asks Felix to make him some suitable garments, which he agrees to make.
- Rook has a look at the Abbey (#2 on the map) but decides not to venture into it without asking Garlen and Garvin more about the religion here.
- By the afternoon, Rook has satisfied himself that the town needs him and it is woefully unprepared. Even when the huntsmen return from their foraging, they don’t appear to be a real fighting force - just a band of hunters. Garlen and Garvin meet up with Rook again and advise him that the Baron would like to meet him for dinner. Garlen suggests that he freshen up before the meeting, and they venture that they will do the same.
Part 3 - Dinner with the Baron (Day 3)
- Stephan organises for some water to be boiled so that Rook can have a proper bath. Then he changes into some suitable attire and is escorted by Garlen and Garvin (both of whom have dressed up) to the baronial manor house (#3 on the map).
- There, Rook is introduced to Baron Geoffrey Tranth.
* Image sourced from aragonbird on DeviantArt
- At the table with the Baron is Quillan (the Baron’s elderly adviser), the Abbot Aldric (a well dressed man who seems unfriendly), Stephan (the Innkeeper, but is now dressed up), and the Baron’s blonde-haired daughter Aelfwynn.
- After the initial welcome, the group sits down for dinner and many courses of dinner. The Baron and Quillan ask polite questions about Rook and where he comes from. Rook tries to ask questions about the current situation but he is asked to defer his questions until after dinner. The conversation shifts back to Rook and he is asked to tell them of his adventures, and also about Griffin. Rook tells them what happened at the Circus of Doctor Trundles but the story sounds so epic as to be an exaggeration. Not wanting to insult the Baron’s guest, the Abbot asks Garlen and Garvin about what they saw, and he is surprised to hear Rook’s account being verified.
- Rook is a little vague about where they have travelled as he does not know the geography of these lands, but he says that both he and Griffin are adventurers. The Baron asks if they have battlefield experience and Rook assures them that he has commanded armies before.
- Rook gets the impression that the group do not completely believe his story. Moreover, they are surprised that Garlen and Garvin have only brought back two heroes, and somehow the two teenagers made it back to Bloodstone much faster than expected.
- At the conclusion of the meal, the Baron offers Rook lodgings in his castle but Rook respectfully declines, preferring to stay in the Inn.
- After dinner, Garlen and Garvin are formally thanked by the Baron for their help in delivering aid to the village. They are dismissed, and the group retires to a nearby sitting room.
Part 4 - Council of War (Day 3)
- In the sitting room, fine wine is poured and the men produce pipes and tobacco. Aelfwynn sits by the window and listens as her father, Baron Tranth, begins to tell the story.
- The Baron tells Rook that the raiders began operating from the Galena mountains approximately twenty years ago, but were only a minor problem until about twelve years ago when the northern Kingdom of Calador fell, replaced by the Kingdom of Vaasa under the rule of a powerful ‘Witch King’. The raiders were already dangerous, but desperate refugees swelled their ranks and within two years the bandits had become a small but formidable. However, since the death of King Virdin of Damara, the Barony of Bloodstone has found itself alone and isolated, and the Bandit Army has grown in power and strength.
- When it became clear that the Bandit Army could easily destroy the villagers, the Baron sued for peace, and agreed to pay an annual tribute. His people might go hungry during the long winter, but at least they were alive. He gave up hope of resistance, and settled for survival. However last year, the bandits took an additional tribute of slaves... young women and some of the stronger young men. It was then that the Baron resolved to seek aid from the outside world.
- According to the Baron, the bandit army is well-trained and at least a thousand strong. Its members include humans, orcs, goblins, and similar scum. The Baron has also seen wyverns, giants, and other monsters. He knows that the enemy force has at least one warlock and a dark priest but he doesn’t know any details. He also believes that the Bandit Army is connected to the League of Assassins who slew many of King Virdin’s nobles across Damara in a single night, plunging the former kingdom into near anarchy.
- The Baron does not know if there are spies or assassins within the Barony, but he considers it possible.
- He also doesn’t know the location of the enemy camp, but believes it to be in the mountains somewhere to the east - probably within 3-4 days ride.
- Although the Baron is technically the ruler of the entire valley, he maintains a cordial relationship with communities of dwarves, halflings and centaurs in the valley. They cannot be counted upon as allies as it currently stands as they have not been directly threatened by the Bandit Army (to his knowledge).
- In terms of the citizens of Bloodstone, they have done what they can to prepare for the eventual conflict. The main Bloodstone ‘regular’ force consists of 480 men-at-arms, drafted from the villagers, half of them armed with swords and shields, and the other half with spears and shields. Roughly two thirds of the ‘regular’ force can be mobilised quickly, with the other third within a day (as they come from further away).
- The Bloodstone citizens also have a group of Huntsman (numbering 160) armed with longbows. They are not used to working together as they typically operate in small skirmish groups (for hunting).
- Finally, there are 480 other individuals in the Bloodstone valley - teenagers, women and older men who could be drafted during wartime to serve in the Bloodstone Militia. The Baron worries about putting these individuals in jeopardy given the devastating impact that it may have on morale, but he is counting on Rook to help organise the people into a ‘Bloodstone Army’ and be ready for the Bandits.
- Rook then asks about morale, and the Baron explains candidly that it is very low at the present. They may also be frightened that Garlen and Garvin have only brought back a single person (Rook goes outside, and demonstrates his strength by lifting a horse to prove he is supernaturally strong). Rook gets the impression that their morale will lift when Griffin arrives with cavalry reinforcements.
- Rook then asks about how the Bandits typically approach the village when collecting tribute. The Baron explains that they only send a small force, perhaps of 120-150 humanoids, with some monsters as additional ‘muscle’, plus horses and pack mules to cart away the harvest. Their normal procedure is to halt their main body out of town, then their leaders ride in to meet with the Baron. The Baron and other leading citizens must meet the visitors on foot, and are sometimes degraded by the enemy. The villagers cart out the harvest under supervision, and load it on the pack animals. The enemy leaders normally keep their men disciplined, but last year the tribute force rode into town and raised hell, burning huts, killing helpless people, and stealing anything of value they could find. The Baron warns that there is danger in attacking the tribute force, for if even a single man escapes to tell the enemy leader what happened, the bandits will spare no effort to ensure that the village is wiped out to the last man, woman, and child.
… and that’s where we ended Session 108. Partly because I’d given David (Grant) a lot of information and I wanted him to think over what to do next.
GM’s Advice to David
- So for Session 109, I would strongly suggest that you talk through what Grant is going to do, but then don’t play through hour by hour. Many activities will take days (eg: training troops, digging ditches, repairing walls, building improvised defences). Skip ahead days if you like. There are encounters/interactions to be had - and I’ll call them out as they occur.
I’ll give you a final warning - if you try to try and squish the Bandit Army by yourself, there will be consequences for Grant. Be careful - if Grant tries to single-handedly beat the Bandits without helping the villagers to do it themselves, what do you think will happen the next time that the Bandits (or another group like them) threaten the village of Bloodstone?
- The village of Bloodstone is situated on the shore Lake Midai where the Beaumaris River runs into the mountains to the south. It was once a centre of commerce and trade. There are a few signs of old mansions, now torn down or burnt in the fields where farmers labour.
- The village is small. The stone defensive wall that once protected it is broken in many places. The road leads through the town gate. The wooden doors sag from their hinges, unable to close.
- The citizens of Bloodstone gather silently to watch Rook’s arrival. These are poor people, fearful and distrustful of outsiders. Rook watches their sullen faces as he walks into town. According to Garlen and Gavin there are about a thousand people here in total, but many are women, children and the elderly. Garlen and Garvin have assured him that they will fight as hard as the men, but the sight of these people does not fill Rook with confidence. Many of the men are armed, but they carry only the crudest of weapons - homemade spears and longswords of inferior make. A few woodsmen carry bows. All in all, not a promising lot from which to build an army.
- Garlen and Garvin seem embarrassed as the people of Bloodstone stop and stare but offer no greeting for Rook. They lead him through the narrow streets of the town, past the poor huts and small shops to an inn.
- The inn is as rude as poor as the rest of the town, but obviously it was once a fine place. A battered, weather-worn sign of a clown juggling bottles of wine hangs above the door, announcing this as the Inn of the Clowns.
- Garlen and Garvin have told Rook that it was once famous throughout Damara. It used to be frequented by travellers, traders and entertainers. Even nobles from far and near used to come but those days seem to be long gone.
- A heavyset man with a bushy blonde beard comes out, wiping his hands on an apron. He greets Rook, introduces himself and welcomes him to his home. Stephan is the first villager who seems genuinely glad to see Rook.
- Assuming that Rook has travelled far, Stephan welcomes his guest inside and organises a comfortable room and good food for him. Stephen tells Rook that his home is now Rook’s home too. He calls out Raquel and Carlotta from the kitchens where they have been doing meal preparations, and they seem pleased to have a guest. Raquel has long blonde hair, and Carlotta has dark hair.
- After eating heartily, Rook inspects his room. It is basic, but comfortable enough. Stephan asks Garlen and Garvin how they got back so quickly, but the boys do not reveal Rook’s secret (as he asked them not to). However they do tell Stephan how Rook and Griffin thrashed a group of monsters (which sounds so ridiculous that Stephen wonders if Rook could be a sorcerer or illusionist to have confused the boys so) and that Griffin is recruiting an army to help the village. Stephan just accepts the situation and decides to give Rook the benefit of the doubt.
Part 2 - Inspections and Meetings (Day 3)
- Rook spends the rest of the day looking over the village, escorted by Garlen and Garvin. He sizes up the existing defences - from the broken walls to the north to Lake Midai which protects the village’s western flank, to the Beaumaris River which offers some protection to the south and east.
* Image sourced from old TSR module H1 Bloodstone Pass
- In Rook’s opinion, the defences are weak but he is counting on Ethan (Griffin) to bolster them when he arrives. The Beaumaris River is swift flowing and it would be difficult for an army to ford, which suggests to him that the main threat is to the north.
- Some kids begin to follow Rook as he surveys the village. Garlen and Garvin continue to accompany Rook, answering questions and pointing out things of interest. For example, they comment that the nearby lake (Midai) has a monster in it which prevents anyone fishing from it. Rook thinks the monster could be useful, and decides to ponder it further.
- After a time, Garlen and Garvin excuse themselves to inform the Baron that Rook has arrived. The kids grow bolder - two boys and two girls.
- Rook meets Olaf the Blacksmith (at #4 in the map), a stout, well muscled and friendly fellow who agrees to make Rook some heavy throwing knives when requested. Olaf mentions that iron is in short supply - they haven’t had any from either the dwarves or the southern towns in many months.
- At the General Store (#5 on the map), Rook meets Geoff and his wife Katrine. Both are friendly. It turns out that one of the boys and one of the girls that are following Rook around are theirs.
- At the Bakery (#6 on the map), Rook is greeted by Benjamin and his wife Anna. They have six children, two of which have been following Rook around. Rook notes that not only do they bake bread, but they also make simple pies and pastries.
- At the Butcher (#7 on the map) is big Harald, ruddy-faced and very friendly.
- At the Fletcher (#8 on the map), Rook meets Jamison who is a handsome and friendly fellow. Rook inspects Jamison’s handiwork and tests out one of his bows. It is of fine quality and he buys it. Jamison is pleased with the sale, asks where Rook is staying and then says that he’ll see him for a drink that evening. Rook feels that he’s met a possible friend here.
- At the Tanner and Leatherworker (#9 on the map), Rook meets Baird, an immensely fat, bearded fellow.
- At the Carpenter shop (#10 on the map), Rook marvels at the beautiful ornate carvings that adorn the shop. The carpenter himself is a very thin man and clearly an ‘artist’. He says his name is Curtis, and Rook is impressed enough to buy some of his carvings as keepsakes.
- At the Tailor/Weaver (#11 on the map), Rook meets an older man who is nearly blind from fine needlework, but his work is of very high quality. Rook is so impressed that he asks Felix to make him some suitable garments, which he agrees to make.
- Rook has a look at the Abbey (#2 on the map) but decides not to venture into it without asking Garlen and Garvin more about the religion here.
- By the afternoon, Rook has satisfied himself that the town needs him and it is woefully unprepared. Even when the huntsmen return from their foraging, they don’t appear to be a real fighting force - just a band of hunters. Garlen and Garvin meet up with Rook again and advise him that the Baron would like to meet him for dinner. Garlen suggests that he freshen up before the meeting, and they venture that they will do the same.
Part 3 - Dinner with the Baron (Day 3)
- Stephan organises for some water to be boiled so that Rook can have a proper bath. Then he changes into some suitable attire and is escorted by Garlen and Garvin (both of whom have dressed up) to the baronial manor house (#3 on the map).
- There, Rook is introduced to Baron Geoffrey Tranth.
* Image sourced from aragonbird on DeviantArt
- At the table with the Baron is Quillan (the Baron’s elderly adviser), the Abbot Aldric (a well dressed man who seems unfriendly), Stephan (the Innkeeper, but is now dressed up), and the Baron’s blonde-haired daughter Aelfwynn.
- After the initial welcome, the group sits down for dinner and many courses of dinner. The Baron and Quillan ask polite questions about Rook and where he comes from. Rook tries to ask questions about the current situation but he is asked to defer his questions until after dinner. The conversation shifts back to Rook and he is asked to tell them of his adventures, and also about Griffin. Rook tells them what happened at the Circus of Doctor Trundles but the story sounds so epic as to be an exaggeration. Not wanting to insult the Baron’s guest, the Abbot asks Garlen and Garvin about what they saw, and he is surprised to hear Rook’s account being verified.
- Rook is a little vague about where they have travelled as he does not know the geography of these lands, but he says that both he and Griffin are adventurers. The Baron asks if they have battlefield experience and Rook assures them that he has commanded armies before.
- Rook gets the impression that the group do not completely believe his story. Moreover, they are surprised that Garlen and Garvin have only brought back two heroes, and somehow the two teenagers made it back to Bloodstone much faster than expected.
- At the conclusion of the meal, the Baron offers Rook lodgings in his castle but Rook respectfully declines, preferring to stay in the Inn.
- After dinner, Garlen and Garvin are formally thanked by the Baron for their help in delivering aid to the village. They are dismissed, and the group retires to a nearby sitting room.
Part 4 - Council of War (Day 3)
- In the sitting room, fine wine is poured and the men produce pipes and tobacco. Aelfwynn sits by the window and listens as her father, Baron Tranth, begins to tell the story.
- The Baron tells Rook that the raiders began operating from the Galena mountains approximately twenty years ago, but were only a minor problem until about twelve years ago when the northern Kingdom of Calador fell, replaced by the Kingdom of Vaasa under the rule of a powerful ‘Witch King’. The raiders were already dangerous, but desperate refugees swelled their ranks and within two years the bandits had become a small but formidable. However, since the death of King Virdin of Damara, the Barony of Bloodstone has found itself alone and isolated, and the Bandit Army has grown in power and strength.
- When it became clear that the Bandit Army could easily destroy the villagers, the Baron sued for peace, and agreed to pay an annual tribute. His people might go hungry during the long winter, but at least they were alive. He gave up hope of resistance, and settled for survival. However last year, the bandits took an additional tribute of slaves... young women and some of the stronger young men. It was then that the Baron resolved to seek aid from the outside world.
- According to the Baron, the bandit army is well-trained and at least a thousand strong. Its members include humans, orcs, goblins, and similar scum. The Baron has also seen wyverns, giants, and other monsters. He knows that the enemy force has at least one warlock and a dark priest but he doesn’t know any details. He also believes that the Bandit Army is connected to the League of Assassins who slew many of King Virdin’s nobles across Damara in a single night, plunging the former kingdom into near anarchy.
- The Baron does not know if there are spies or assassins within the Barony, but he considers it possible.
- He also doesn’t know the location of the enemy camp, but believes it to be in the mountains somewhere to the east - probably within 3-4 days ride.
- Although the Baron is technically the ruler of the entire valley, he maintains a cordial relationship with communities of dwarves, halflings and centaurs in the valley. They cannot be counted upon as allies as it currently stands as they have not been directly threatened by the Bandit Army (to his knowledge).
- In terms of the citizens of Bloodstone, they have done what they can to prepare for the eventual conflict. The main Bloodstone ‘regular’ force consists of 480 men-at-arms, drafted from the villagers, half of them armed with swords and shields, and the other half with spears and shields. Roughly two thirds of the ‘regular’ force can be mobilised quickly, with the other third within a day (as they come from further away).
- The Bloodstone citizens also have a group of Huntsman (numbering 160) armed with longbows. They are not used to working together as they typically operate in small skirmish groups (for hunting).
- Finally, there are 480 other individuals in the Bloodstone valley - teenagers, women and older men who could be drafted during wartime to serve in the Bloodstone Militia. The Baron worries about putting these individuals in jeopardy given the devastating impact that it may have on morale, but he is counting on Rook to help organise the people into a ‘Bloodstone Army’ and be ready for the Bandits.
- Rook then asks about morale, and the Baron explains candidly that it is very low at the present. They may also be frightened that Garlen and Garvin have only brought back a single person (Rook goes outside, and demonstrates his strength by lifting a horse to prove he is supernaturally strong). Rook gets the impression that their morale will lift when Griffin arrives with cavalry reinforcements.
- Rook then asks about how the Bandits typically approach the village when collecting tribute. The Baron explains that they only send a small force, perhaps of 120-150 humanoids, with some monsters as additional ‘muscle’, plus horses and pack mules to cart away the harvest. Their normal procedure is to halt their main body out of town, then their leaders ride in to meet with the Baron. The Baron and other leading citizens must meet the visitors on foot, and are sometimes degraded by the enemy. The villagers cart out the harvest under supervision, and load it on the pack animals. The enemy leaders normally keep their men disciplined, but last year the tribute force rode into town and raised hell, burning huts, killing helpless people, and stealing anything of value they could find. The Baron warns that there is danger in attacking the tribute force, for if even a single man escapes to tell the enemy leader what happened, the bandits will spare no effort to ensure that the village is wiped out to the last man, woman, and child.
… and that’s where we ended Session 108. Partly because I’d given David (Grant) a lot of information and I wanted him to think over what to do next.
GM’s Advice to David
- So for Session 109, I would strongly suggest that you talk through what Grant is going to do, but then don’t play through hour by hour. Many activities will take days (eg: training troops, digging ditches, repairing walls, building improvised defences). Skip ahead days if you like. There are encounters/interactions to be had - and I’ll call them out as they occur.
I’ll give you a final warning - if you try to try and squish the Bandit Army by yourself, there will be consequences for Grant. Be careful - if Grant tries to single-handedly beat the Bandits without helping the villagers to do it themselves, what do you think will happen the next time that the Bandits (or another group like them) threaten the village of Bloodstone?
Thursday, 24 August 2017
Session 107 - Return to the Legendary Realm
Backstory
- Calador to the North, Damara to the South
- Damara has been shattered into numerous fiefdoms - the Barony of Arcata, Duchy of Brandiar, Duchy of Carmathan, Duchy of Sorovia, Barony of Morov, Barony of Ostel, Barony of Polten
- Calador fell 10 years ago and became a wintery wasteland. Fell winds continue to blow from the north every winter, bringing misery and pestilence.
- Where once a great and noble of King of Calador ruled, now, there is only the Witch King of Vaasa. No one knows where he came from, but he is known to use necromancy.
- Two years ago, King Virdin of Damara was slain at the battle of Goliad. Many of the competent loyalists were slain, leaving only with the pliable and the traitorous.
- Baron Geoffrey Tranth was one of the survivors. His son Hervis was slain at the battle of Goliad. His daughter Aeflwynn is the last of his line.
GM Observations (Part 1)
- Once again, Grant and Ethan return to the Legendary Realm. They were last there in Sessions 62 to 66. Generally the Legendary Realm is a stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons realm, however the realm itself attracts high calibre heroes and villains from other worlds. It even ‘scales up’ based on the calibre of heroes. Better still, the Legendary Realm knows a great deal about Grant and Ethan - and it wants to keep them.
Part 1 - Preparations for the Legendary Realm
- It is 1996, three years into the time compress. Life has moved on. Abbie has met a young Frenchman named Marc, and Ethan is (for the moment) separated from her. Ethan has let her go but he hopes that one day things will be different. Ethan has learnt enough sorcery to be able to do simple divination spells, but hasn’t attempted to divine his future with Abbie. Ethan feels unmoored, and it is hard to focus on Clockworld and Earth without Abbie being part of his life.
- Meanwhile Grant and Sophia are still together, and Grant has recently completed his paramedic course on Earth. He is keen to celebrate this milestone, and has persuaded Ethan that they should go back onto the Stair and have some fun ‘like old times’.
- Grant has long wanted to help the Princess in the Glass Mountain (originally seen in Session 44) but according to the legend, only a Prince can free her. Grant knows that in the Legendary Realm that he and Ethan were referred to as the ‘Lost Princes’ so he is keen to return there and learn more about this place where they are royalty. However, given that they could be recognised by their real names in the Legendary Realm, Grant decides to call himself “Rook”, and Ethan chooses to go by “Griffin” once more.
- They know that they cannot contact people via Icon whilst in the Legendary Realm. On their last trip, Ethan established a contact with Abbie and she was pulled in. So Grant advises Sophia of his intentions to return to the Legendary Realm (but he says nothing of the Princess in the Glass Mountain). Ethan contacts Abbie and lets her know that he’s leaving for a time. He promises to let her know when he returns, and says that if she is in real trouble that she should contact him (because then at least she’ll also be brought to the Legendary Realm). Abbie thanks Ethan and wishes him well, saying that she hopes that he will find something that will make him ‘smile again’.
- Grant prepares for the Legendary Realm as if he is going on a long and dangerous mission. He wears armoured cloth (which he knows will be transformed upon entry to the Legendary Realm into some sort of armour), he carries a variety of weapons and a pack which carries provisions and water. He also carries a cittern. In contrast Ethan dresses in his ‘musketeer’ outfit (GM’s note - seen in the official picture of Grant/Ethan), carries his rapier and wears his dragonshield slung over his back. They meet at Westgate cottage. It is quiet here. The ravens, cats and even Macavity have gone.
- Ethan pauses as they are about to leave. He considers contacting Isabelle to see if she would like to come. He feels bad that he hasn’t spoken to her in a few months. He considers using her Icon, but decides to leave it.
- Grant claps Ethan on the back and reminds him that ‘what happens on the Stair, stays on the Stair’. It is clear to Ethan that Grant is looking forward to an opportunity to cut loose and raise a bit of hell. His mood is infectious and Ethan cheers up.
Part 2 - Through the Red Door (Day 1)
- The journey to the Legendary Realm is very short. The Door is on the home landing, close to Earth 0. Grant and Ethan arrive in a mediaeval township, stepping out of one of the wooden buildings into what appears to be the town square. There are many people on the streets, but this is a poor township. Many of the people here are dressed in old clothes and there are numerous refugees. However, the mood of the people is bright (at least for now) as the circus is in town and everyone is on the streets waiting for it to roll into town. A few plucky street vendors have set up stalls to try to sell their wares or are weaving through the crowd, trying to sell what they can to the throng of people. While Ethan talks to some locals, buying some snacks from a street vendor, Grant steps away from the town square and shapeshifts into a sparrow.
- Grant then takes off and goes for a look over the town. The houses and city wall have stone foundations, but otherwise they are made of wood. Most of the houses have slate roofs. The streets to the east are choked with people waiting to see the circus. Grant quickly spies it - it consists of seven large covered wagons which are moving under their own power (probably via magic) towards the east gate. Each covered wagon bears the sign “The Circus of Doctor Trundles”.
- Grant returns without incident. Ethan introduces the two farmers that he has met to Grant, and shares some information about where they are. This town is called Valls in the Duchy of Arcata. It is run by Duke William, who is also called “William the Lazy”. The farmers speak of misery ever since King Virdin was slain two years ago in a terrible battle, and now half the population is on the move fleeing the Witch King from what used to be Calador (before the Witch King made it his own).
- Grant spies a tavern on the other side of the congested town square and decides to head for it, leaving Ethan chatting with his new farmer friends.
Part 3 - The Golden Grain Inn (Day 1)
- At the Inn of the Golden Grain, Grant finds that it is packed and he is unable to reach the bar to order a drink. As such, he announces that he’ll buy everyone a round and the crowd parts to let him through.
- Once it is clear that Grant has coin, everyone wants to be his friend. Grant introduces himself as “Rook” and says that he is a freesword from the south. Settling down at a table with a group of men, he asks them all about what has happened here. The information flows freely.
- For generations, these lands were ruled by the Kings of Damara. Always Calador to the North (beyond the Galena mountains) and Damara to the South. However, ten years ago, Calador fell and became a wintery wasteland. Fell winds continue to blow from the north every winter, bringing misery and pestilence with them.
- Where once a great and noble of King of Calador ruled, now, there is only the Witch King of Vaasa. No one knows where he came from, but he is known to use necromancy.
- Then, two years ago, King Virdin of Damara was slain at the battle of Goliad. Many of the competent loyalists were slain, leaving only with the pliable and the traitorous. This split the old Kingdom of Damara into many fiefdoms - the Barony of Arcata, Duchy of Brandiar, Duchy of Carmathan, Duchy of Sorovia, Barony of Bloodstone, Barony of Morov, Barony of Ostel and Barony of Polten.
- Grant asks if the death of King Virdin ended his line, and those at the table confirm that the entire Damaran royal bloodline was wiped out. Those who survived the Battle at Goliad were wiped out a few weeks later in the ‘Night of Long Knives’. No one really knows who was behind the ‘Night of Long Knives’ but all across Damara, most of the remaining ruling nobility who were still loyal to the King were wiped out in a single night.
- Grant asks about the ‘Lost Princes’ and the men laugh. To them, it is just a fairy tale.
Part 4 - The Circus Arrives (Day 1)
- Meanwhile, the cheers from the people outside in the town square grow louder. The Circus of Doctor Trundles is approaching. One by one, seven covered wagons move slowly into view. In front of them is a small carriage in which sit the wild haired Doctor Trundles, his shortish sidekick Tanaroo and a grey Cat called Schrödinger.
- Even Duke William has come to see the circus. A raised platform has been set up for His Lordship, and a corpulent fellow sits on a large chair, watching the Circus’ arrival with interest.
- Doctor Trundles tries to calm the crowd, but it is Tanaroo who silences them all to give his spiel. Speaking into a wand to amplify his voice, he encourages the audience to “gather ‘round” while he introduces the attractions. He is excitable and quickly whips the population into a frenzy of excitement.
- Grant and Ethan are surprised to hear Tanaroo claim that they have come from the Agora, and that they have collected creatures from many worlds “beyond your wildest comprehension”. Grant watches from one of the open windows of the Inn whilst Ethan watches from street level as he continues to munch on an apple from one of the street sellers.
- Tanaroo introduces the first attraction as a landshark - a strange beast that resulted from a mad wizard’s experimental cross-breeding of a snapping turtle with an armadillo with a touch of demon’s blood. The curtain draws back to reveal the beast. Tanaroo assures the gaping audience that viewing the attractions is quite safe. He claims that Doctor Trundles is a sorcerer of rare and exceptional talent and the creatures cannot escape. (GM’s note - yeah yeah, this is the Legendary Realm - as if those creatures are going to stay caged for long …)
- Jumping to the next wagon which is even larger, he draws back the curtain to reveal a strange beast which has the hindquarters of a goat, the foreparts of a lion, the wings of a dragon and three heads. While the audience stands astonished, Tanaroo goes on to explain that this is the original Chimera, and that Bellerophron was lying when he said that he slew the beast - for how else could it be here otherwise. Grant and Ethan chuckle at the reference, but no one else in the crowd seems to get the joke. The Chimera looks very cross.
- Reaching the next wagon which is the largest of the seven, Tanaroo further whips the crowd into a frenzy by warning them that there is a dragon inside, but again assures them that they can view this fearsome beast in complete safety “only at the Circle of Doctor Trundles”. Tanaroo explains that dragons come in all shapes and sizes, but this one is a storm dragon of the very largest size. Opening the curtain reveals a very pissed off looking storm-grey dragon which fills the entire cage. The crowd takes a frightened step back (Ethan included) but there is finally some nervous applause.
- Jumping to the next wagon, Tanaroo reveals a two-horned jet black horse which Tanaroo says is a ‘nightmare’ from the Nine Hells. The bicorn glares balefully at the crowd, and paces up and down. Every footfall raises a spray of flame and smoke.
- Tanaroo doesn’t get as much applause from the nightmare as he expected, so he moves to the next wagon. He warns the audience (again to get them excited) that the creature within is dangerous, but only to men. He says that the creature inside is a foxwoman, capable of changing form from a silver fox to a beautiful elven woman who would capture the heart of even the hardest man. Again, he assures that the enchantments of Doctor Trundles will allow patrons to view this unearthly beauty without being entranced. Tanaroo gives the audience a taste of this, by forcing the foxwoman to change briefly from fox to beautiful maid, but it is only a fleeting glimpse for very few of those who can see. This definitely excites the (predominantly male) crowd.
- Leaping to the next wagon, Tanaroo introduces a creature ‘from another world’ which can walk through solid stone. He refers to it as a Delver Zorn. Again the crowd is impressed by the strange beast with its stumpy legs, stubby arms and the jawed mouth on the top of its head.
- Tanaroo then leaps to the last wagon, and introduces a ‘chaos fiend’ - an amorphous creature consisting of eyes and mouths. Before the crowd can take a breath, Tanaroo returns to the biggest wagon, and begins his spiel once more on top of the storm dragon’s prison, telling the audience that the ‘performance’ will astonish and exceed all expectations. He tells the people where they will be performing, the price and continues to make his sales pitch of this ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’.
- Then, suddenly, the Nightmare has had enough. Casting a counter-spell, the enchantments on the cages collapses. The Nightmare shifts into mist form and simply phases through the bars. The storm dragon powers up (electricity crackling) and blows the top off the wagon. Tanaroo bursts into flame and is flung high into the air. The sudden sound startles the landshark and it runs against the side of the cage, shattering it like matchwood.
- Cue, mayhem.
Part 5 - Mayhem (Day 1)
- During Tanaroo’s speech, Grant established an Icon contact with Ethan and asked him to ‘be ready’. (GM’s note - Grant’s High Warfare prepared him for the possibility of a break-out. Also, he knew that they are in the Legendary Realm and that the realm itself provides opportunities for heroics.) At the very first sign of trouble, Grant vaults through the open window of the Inn and makes a bee-line for the Circus of Doctor Trundles.
- Grant reacts faster than the crowd, who are momentarily too shocked to do anything. He sprints towards the landshark as it crashes out of the cage. The landshark is confused and scared by all of the people - and it decides that flattening some of them is the best way of establishing its dominance of the situation.
- Then all hell breaks loose. The Chimera smashes apart its cage and takes to the air. The Delver Zorn starts melting through the floor. The Chaos Spawn oozes through the gap in the bars and begins spraying people with vile ochre to keep them away.
- Amidst this, Doctor Trundles cries out to the crowd to spare his attractions and promises one thousand pieces of gold for every creature subdued. Nobody in the crowd attempts to subdue any of the creatures - instead they all panic and run (the Duke included).
- Grant leaps through the crowd as the landshark lumbers after them. Normally going head to head with a ten-tonne landshark would be a bad idea, but Grant is incredibly strong (and especially so in the Legendary Realm). He hits the landshark hard enough to stun it and stop its charge (which confuses it immensely), and then he wrestles with it and then flips its great bulk onto its back, immobilising it.
- During all of this, Grant has directed Ethan to take care of the Chimera given that it seems intent on killing people (whereas the Storm Dragon has taken to the air and is summoning a storm and drawing electrical power into itself). Ethan takes to the air, deftly avoids the three heads and then makes physical contact with it. His Psyche comes down on it like a crushing piledriver. The Chimera attempts to resist but Ethan’s Psyche is overpowering. The Chimera is suddenly put to Sleep in mid-air. It doesn’t matter that there are three independent heads with three separate brains - Ethan smashes through its weak mental defences and shuts it down.
- The ground rocks as the Chimera smashes into the ground. But Grant is no longer there - he is airborne, leaping into the air with an Incredible Hulk style jump after the Storm Dragon. The dragon is incredibly surprised by this. Grant is electrified as he lands on the dragon’s left wing but he still manages to pull its wing down, making it difficult for the dragon to stay aloft. While the dragon flaps to stabilise itself, Grant attempts to flip himself onto the dragon’s back. The first attempt fails, but the second attempt is successful. He manages to get a handhold further up the dragon’s body and hold on, beating it further with his fists. Each blow is titanic (it helps that Gorgorin is in ring-form on his right hand) and the shockwaves from each blow sound like thunder. The dragon reels with each impact, and it seeks to escape, trying to throw Grant off. But Grant persists, using his godlike strength to beat the dragon senseless. Eventually it crashes to the ground about a half mile outside of the town. Dusting himself off, Grant is suddenly overawed by his achievement - he physically beat the living snot out of a dragon - but then he remembers that there are four other creatures running amok and snaps out of it. He shifts back into a sparrow and heads back to help Ethan.
- Meanwhile, Ethan’s Sorcery is just as strong as he remembers it in this place. In the Legendary Realm, Ethan is truly powerful, even though the Legendary Realm blunts a Warden’s Wayfinding abilities. In only a few minutes he has subdued the Nightmare as it sought to escape the town square (redirecting a lightning bolt from the stormclouds which the Storm Dragon had summoned), snared the beautiful foxwoman by one hand and surrounded the amorphous chaos spawn with a spherical shield to contain it.
- Ethan can tell that the Delver Zorn is somewhere beneath him (melded with the ground) but he’s not sure how to flush it out. Meanwhile, the foxwoman (in the form of an elven maiden of semi-divine beauty) tries to ensorcel Ethan to release her. She is very attractive, and Ethan doesn’t really want to let her go. Part of him is quite enchanted with her, but he has a Very High Psyche and he remains rational.
- Grant returns to the town square. Almost everyone has fled. The landshark is still immobilised, and Grant does a quick mental count of all of the creatures. He realises that there is one left - the Delver Zorn. Grant is about to ask Ethan about it when the foxwoman asks Grant for help, seeking to ensorcel him. Grant is taken aback by the sudden thought that he should save this beautiful maiden from Ethan, but before he can take further action (or shrug it off), Ethan has planted a kiss on the maiden’s forehead and she swoons. (GM’s note - yes, Ethan has once again used a Sleep spell - one of his favourite devices) The foxwoman returns to her silver fox form and the spell is broken. Grant thinks no more of interceding. As Ethan puts her gently on the ground, Grant asks how they should deal with the last creature.
- They talk quickly. Ethan is unwilling to dig the creature up as it would “make a mess”. So Grant tries using Umbra to create an uncomfortable resonance through the ground for the creature and drive it upwards. This produces swift results - the Delver Zorn comes to the surface and tries to amble away on its stubby legs. Grant gives one of its legs a kick and the ungainly creature falls over and is quickly immobilised.
- The friends give each other a grin. Ethan offers a thumbs up.
- Then they notice two ten-year old boys who have been hiding under one of the wagons and have watched the whole thing. Their eyes are wide. Their jaws are wide open. “THAT WAS AMAZING!” they cry, quickly scrambling out from their hiding place.
Part 6 - The Plea for Help (Day 1)
- The two boys introduce themselves as Garlen and Garvin. They are twins (which reminds Ethan of himself and his brother). Tumbling over words and finishing each other's sentences, they explain that their village, Bloodstone, is threatened by bandits. They came to Valls seeking heroes to help them.
- Before the duo can even offer the ‘five silvers a day’ that the village can afford, Ethan has given Grant a knowing look (he knows it is a plot hook from the Legendary Realm and the circus was just a teaser) and Grant has agreed that they’ll come. He introduces himself as “Rook”, and Ethan as “Griffin”.
- Gaping, Garlen and Garvin can’t believe their luck, but before they can speak further, Ethan has spied poor Tanaroo and he excuses himself to heal the poor fellow. Grant asks Garlen and Garvin to wait for a few minutes as he spots Doctor Trundles and Schrödinger still cowering in the lead wagon. Grant heads over to Doctor Trundles and asks him to pay up seven thousand pieces of gold. He doesn’t expect Trundles to have the money, but to his surprise, Trundles says that he does. Trundles is equally surprised that all of the creatures have been subdued. When Grant explains that they are scattered around the town square and half a mile away, Trundles asks for Grant’s help in recovering all of the creatures so that they are not killed by the locals. It will take a good night’s work to re-enchant all of the cages but they can’t risk any of the creatures waking up until the cages are ready once more.
- Grant agrees to help. Ethan and Tanaroo return (Tanaroo is still a bit red, but the worst of his burns have been healed) and Trundles explains the plan.
- As many of the townsfolk of Valls watch (some of whom are quite angry), the smashed wagons are wheeled slowly out of town. Grant and Ethan drag, carry and ‘levitate’ the various creatures out of the city limits, defying any attempts by the thuggish-looking city guard to stop them. Ethan repairs the carts and strengthens them, and Doctor Trundles then starts re-enchanting the wagons to keep the creatures contained within. Ethan strengthens the spells with Eidolon to prevent them from being breached again.
- That evening, on the edge of town sitting beside a warm fire, Ethan asks Trundles if he truly came from the Agora. Trundles confirms this, and he seems surprised that Grant and Ethan know of the place. They talk a little, but the conversation is quickly diverted to the adventure at hand. Garlen and Garvin eagerly fill ‘the heroes’ in.
Part 7 - The Tale of Bloodstone Pass (Day 1)
- Garlen and Garvin explain that the town of Bloodstone lies in one of the few mountain passes through the Galena Mountains between Damara and the northern kingdom of Vaasa (what was once Calador). The Bloodstone Pass was once an important trade route, but when the sea route was opened up, the pass became less used and the town fell on hard times. But worse, when the war with the northern kingdom continued, the Bloodstone Pass found itself more and more cut off. Then the King of Damara was slain at the Battle of Goliad and the kingdom of Damara has largely disintegrated.
- Bandits have been a problem in the Bloodstone Pass for a long time, but in the last few years they have become more organised. Baron Tranth (the ruler of Bloodstone Pass) believes they have a new leader. It was the Baron who sent them to seek help. The bandits have been taking most of their harvest every year and last year the annual tribute also included healthy men and women - taken away and never seen again. The annual harvest is expected to be completed soon and the bandits will come again. The villagers are terrified of them, but there are many who would fight if only someone would help them.
- Ethan asks Garlen and Garvin how many bandits and how many villagers. The numbers are not good. The bandit army numbers over a thousand, and includes giants and other monsters. The villagers have only a few hundred fighting men. Ethan quickly reasons that they will need to hire some mercenaries.
Part 7 - Splitting Up (Day 1)
- Grant agrees with Ethan’s assessment. They discuss and Grant decides that he will head directly to Bloodstone with Garlen and Garvin to prepare the villagers. Ethan will try to hire soldiers to help - he guesses that it will take a week to hire troops, and Garlen guesses that it should take about a week to reach Bloodstone Pass on horseback or two weeks on foot. Grant asks when they expect the harvest to be finished and Garvin explains that it should be in about a week’s time, after which an envoy from the bandits typically arrives to inspect the village.
- Grant and Ethan talk for a while about the situation. The adventure reminds them of ‘The Seven Samurai’, except there don’t seem to be any others who are brave enough to stand with them. Grant decides that he’ll leave with boys at first light. They agree to use Icons to keep in touch. Ethan offers to keep watch while Grant sleeps, but Grant says that Ethan will need more rest than he - the people here are poor, and Ethan will be carrying a lot of gold. Grant warns Ethan that he will likely be a target for someone so he should “watch his back”. He suggests that the Legendary Realm “doesn’t do boring”. Ethan accepts this and he sleeps for a few hours.
Part 8 - On the Road (Day 2)
- In the morning Rook (Grant) sets off with Garlen and Garvin. They set off initially on foot, but when they are well out of sight, he reveals that he can shapeshift. Transforming into the form of a black pegasus, Rook asks the boys to hop on his back and then he takes to the air.
- On the first day, Rook soars over forest and low hills. He spies refugees on the road heading south and some thuggish-looking giants in the low hills. In the late afternoon, they set up camp and he contacts Griffin via Icon to warn him as to what he has seen.
- In the meantime, Ethan (as Griffin) has been very busy looking for experienced soldiers. He isn’t looking for individuals. He is looking for mercenaries who are used to fighting together. Garlen and Garvin told him that the village could support soldiers, but no more than one hundred and twenty fighting men (unless provisions were brought).
- Griffin finds that he is quite recognisable here. His red hair is distinctive here, and the dragonshield that he typically slings over his back is unique. The locals are surprised and a little nervous when Griffin begins asking questions about hiring armed men for a campaign. He notes that the town’s constabulary begin taking an interest in him. But worse are the hangers-on - those who offer to help but have no interest in helping him, simply trying to part him from his money. Griffin can tell the difference but it wastes precious time getting rid of nuisances.
- By the end of the first day’s travel, Griffin feels that he has a few leads but nothing concrete. Griffin stays at the Silver Lion, a better establishment than the Golden Grain, and he is treated very well as everyone knows that he has a lot of coin. He considers masking his presence, but decides against it in case there is a valid lead who seeks him out. He remains tense even though there does not appear to be an immediate threat.
- He half-expects someone to attempt to rob him overnight, but no one does.
Part 9 - Trouble Finds Ethan (Day 3)
- On the second day of his travels, Rook spots some dwarves from the air (and the boys wave to them) heading south on the road towards Valls. Other than this, their journey is uneventful.
- Meanwhile, early in the morning when Griffin he going to check on the leads that he was given yesterday, a group of soldiers attempts to take him into custody ‘for his own protection’. They appear to be thugs but Griffin isn’t sure if they are the local constabulary. Griffin bluntly tells them that he doesn’t require their protection and they move to arrest him. What follows is quick and brutal. Griffin doesn’t draw steel, but he soundly thrashes the lot of them, leaving them bruised and battered but alive.
- After that, a lot of the locals give Griffin a wide berth - evidently they were the real constabulary and associating with him could get them into trouble. Griffin becomes a little frustrated - his Wayfinding is telling him that there are soldiers to recruit here, but he can’t seem to find them. All he sees are peasants, refugees and thugs - certainly not a body of men who would be willing to follow him into battle.
- Another attempt to arrest him is made, but Griffin spots the soldiers early and uses Mental Invisibility (GM’s note - again, one of his favourite spells) to simply walk past them, leaving them confused. For hours after this, Griffin chases down his leads, one by one, but all of them seem to be dead ends. There are individual soldiers who might be willing to join him, but no mercenary band.
- Griffin wonders if he might be able to ‘buy’ some of Duke William’s men. Perhaps this is what the Wayfinding has been telling him to do - he still feels that there is an opportunity here in Valls to recruit some soldiers. He decides to go and seek an audience with the Duke.
- However, before he reaches the Duke’s keep, Griffin feels that he is being followed. He senses that his pursuer is concerned for him and he uses Mental Invisibility to slip aside and then catch the individual.
- The man is a middle-aged warrior with a grey handlebar moustache. Griffin is shocked as he recognises the man. It is Mister Elwood, who was once Grant’s and Ethan’s geography teacher in high school. This man has a moustache, and longer hair, but the resemblance is unmistakable. Griffin asks the man if he is looking for him, and the man confirms that he is. He introduces himself as Olric, and he says that he has one hundred fighting men at his command who would be willing to sign on if the cause is just and there is fair compensation for them. Griffin nods, a bit surprised at how suddenly his fortunes have changed, and he suggests that they talk in private.
- Heading back to the Silver Lion, Olric explains that he was once the commander of the 1st Damaran Dragoons, a heavy cavalry unit in the service to King Virdin, the last Damaran King. Even though the Battle of Goliad was lost, Olric managed to save those he could. Many of the Dragoons disbanded, but a core have remained with him and they will fight for coin. Griffin is intrigued but he has seen few fighting men in Valls. He asks if they are in Valls and Olric says that some are here, but many are not. He could gather them swiftly if required.
- They talk - Griffin senses that Olric is an honest man and he decides to trust him that their destination is Bloodstone and their mission to destroy the bandit army there. At this news, Olric agrees that this is a worthy cause. They speak briefly of money and Olric seems happy that the gold that Griffin has will be more than sufficient to buy their services. They seal the deal with a firm handshake, and Olric says that he will return shortly with men to protect Griffin while the others gather as swiftly as they can. Griffin laughs and says that he can defend himself, to which Olric says “Of that I’m sure, my Lord.”
- That evening, Griffin relays the good news to Rook. He advises Rook that he’s recruited a unit of cavalry that used to be part of the Damaran army. Griffin tells Rook that he likes Olric, and he mentions of Olric’s resemblance to their old school teacher. He hopes to be ready in two, possibly three days.
- Not long after their contact, Griffin eats a hearty dinner at the Silver Lion. A minstrel plays a happy tune and Griffin finds himself humming along. There is a pretty lady in a red dress at another table whom he makes eye contact with. He finds himself staring and she blushes. Alas, the evening is spoiled when another patron sits down at Griffin’s table without asking, and asks of his business in Valls. The man has thick fingers and wears far too many gold rings. Griffin takes an instant dislike to him. The man claims to be in the service of Duke William. He praises Griffin for his quick actions in saving the town from the circus creatures and politely asks whether Griffin could remain in town while the circus is here, just in case. Griffin agrees to this (even though he’s not sure he will honour this promise). The man presses further, and ventures that a man ‘like Griffin’ could be very useful to His Lordship. He asks what brings Griffin to Valls and whether His Lordship might be able to find him some employment.
- Griffin smiles at this. The lady on the next table has glanced over again, and he finds himself rather pleased with this situation. He introduces himself as Griffin to the man who has joined him, and the man introduces himself as Riccard. Griffin thanks Riccard for the very generous offer and asks for his regards and appreciation to be conveyed to the Duke. Griffin says that he would be most gratified if a suitable offer of employment became available (although he has no intention of accepting employment, he figures it might be wise to keep the Duke onside whilst he is in Valls.) Riccard is pleased, and he wishes Griffin a good evening.
- Griffin returns to enjoying the music until the minstrel retires late in the evening. The pretty lady in the red dress glances at him when she chooses to leave, and Griffin follows her when she pauses outside. He’s almost certain that she is in Riccard’s employ or this is an attempt to rob him, but she is quite alluring and he is curious as to how this will play out. As Griffin joins her, she comments that he is very bold given that he’s been staring at her on and off for some time. Griffin offers an apology but says that she is the most beautiful woman that he’s seen in a long time. Her lip curls a fraction and she replies that it is nice to be thought in such a way. She proposes that they walk a little - she would prefer the company as sometimes the streets are not safe.
- Griffin chuckles and agrees. He jovially asks whether he should be expect to be attacked on this block or the next and she matter-of-factly asks if it really matters. Her eyes tell him that it is indeed a trap so he offers to take her arm “so that she gets home safely”. She laughs at that, and says that she will make it home whatever happens. However, he can feel that she’s not as confident as she sounds.
- The ambush takes place only two blocks away. A crossbow bolt is fired from a rooftop, but it shatters on Ethan’s dragonshield as he turns away from it. The lady is thrown off-balance by this and Ethan offers an apology and suggests that she step back. Three groups of thugs approach him with swords and axes. She wishes him luck in a detached sort of voice, and she steps away as the thugs attempt to rush him. The battle is swift, and again, brutal. Within two minutes there are fifteen dead bodies in the street - Griffin has killed them all with his rapier and one of their axes. Even the assassin on the rooftop was hauled down to street level with a sorcerous pull (Force pull) and then hacked.
- The lady in red says nothing. She simply steps back to Griffin, takes his arm again and says that her home is not far away. Griffin escorts her to her house in the village but declines when she invites him inside. Griffin says pleasantly that he has no wish to have his throat slit in the night, and wishes her a good evening. He returns to the Silver Lion and rests for a bit - but there is no further trouble that evening.
Part 10 - Arrival and Gathering (Day 3)
- The next morning, Griffin finds that four soldiers of the Olric’s Dragoons are already waiting for him at breakfast time. They’ve heard about what happened the previous night. One of them, Jol, explains that Olric has sent word to the others, but they have been ordered to stay with Griffin until they are ready to depart. Griffin asks Jol more about the Dragoons and is impressed by what he hears - the group sounds very professional and they are taking their duties very seriously. Jol suggests that Griffin leave with them when ready as it’s not possible for them to organise themselves adequately within a town crowded by refugees. Olric has organised a mustering area outside of town for the Dragoons to assemble - when they are fully gathered, they will ride for Bloodstone Pass.
- Griffin finds himself wondering about the lady he met the previous night. Was she a simple courtesan or an assassin? He never even learned her name. But such thoughts are fleeting as he begins organising additional supplies to go with the Dragoons. He also organises a horse for himself, and an axe to use in battle whilst on horseback (a rapier is hardly appropriate). Then he goes with Jol and the others to join the Dragoons and the gathering army.
- On the same day, Rook and the two boys arrive in the Bloodstone Pass. They land a few miles from the township and continue the last few miles on foot. Garlen and Garvin promise Rook to keep his secret that he can shapeshift and fly.
- Rook is taken to the Inn of the Clowns and is welcomed by Stephan, its owner.
GM Observations (Part 2)
- Some words on the combats fought during this session - eg: Grant beating a dragon physically into submission, Ethan dealing with multiple monsters simultaneously. Firstly, Grant and Ethan are very powerful at this point. Even 3 years into the time compress, they are nearing 300 points. What would be a challenge for Superior or Paragon ranked individuals is less of a challenge for them. Yes, the Legendary Realm scales up the power levels of these critters, but Grant is physically strong enough to flip a charging rhino (or landshark), jump like the Incredible Hulk and outfight anything short of a demi-god; Ethan is powerful enough to crush any normal individual’s Psyche, fend of a dozen normal sorcerers and, like either, outfight anything short of a demi-god.
- Hence most monsters are simply ‘speed-bumps’ to ranked PCs (especially given how formidable Grant and Ethan are). Even a powerful adversary will likely have a ‘glass jaw’ to Grant and his Dominant Ranked Warfare, armed with Gorgorin, and using Umbra to find the weaknesses in the combat.
- Nevertheless, the Circus creatures were dangerous. The landshark could have crushed many people in the crowd if it was not stopped quickly. The Chimera would have dived into the crowd and terrorised as many as it could before fleeing with the Nightmare (who was the brains behind the escape). The Storm Dragon was very powerful and very strong - but Grant did the unexpected whilst it was still ‘powering up’. Even the Foxwoman’s unearthly beauty was a distraction to Ethan, but his Psyche was such that he could withstand it.
- When designing this sort of adventure, it’s important to work out which encounters should just be ‘speed bumps’ and which should not. Speed bump combats can still be mentally challenging to the players but the PCs should trounce their adversaries. Often it’s a lot of fun to play through the speed bump fights because they reaffirm in the players’ minds that their characters are vastly superior to most of the individuals that they run across. They are special. They are the superheroes of the game. It can be a negative to only pit the PCs against individuals who have Attributes and Powers equivalent to their own - it makes them feel less special. It’s better to use such challenges sparingly.
- In this specific combat, the challenge was twofold - firstly there were multiple adversaries with very different powers, and secondly, there were defenceless civilians. If the PCs had dithered, the creatures would have killed many in the crowd and this would have been their failure.
- One of the challenges with playing games at this level is that the PCs’ Warfare vastly exceeds the players’ own Warfare. For example, Grant has Dominant Rank Warfare - even if David (the player) can’t think of a plan, Grant can. More than that, the plan that Grant devises is likely to be successful, and the best plan that could be thought of. Hence when David decides that Grant needs to tackle the landshark first because David thinks it is the greatest threat, the GM then decides that Grant has assessed the situation and determined that the landshark is the greatest and most immediate threat because it is really is. That is, don’t fight the players - the GM simply modifies the scenario and runs with it. That’s very different to most other games.
- Anyway, hopefully these musings are useful to some of you ...
- Calador to the North, Damara to the South
- Damara has been shattered into numerous fiefdoms - the Barony of Arcata, Duchy of Brandiar, Duchy of Carmathan, Duchy of Sorovia, Barony of Morov, Barony of Ostel, Barony of Polten
- Calador fell 10 years ago and became a wintery wasteland. Fell winds continue to blow from the north every winter, bringing misery and pestilence.
- Where once a great and noble of King of Calador ruled, now, there is only the Witch King of Vaasa. No one knows where he came from, but he is known to use necromancy.
- Two years ago, King Virdin of Damara was slain at the battle of Goliad. Many of the competent loyalists were slain, leaving only with the pliable and the traitorous.
- Baron Geoffrey Tranth was one of the survivors. His son Hervis was slain at the battle of Goliad. His daughter Aeflwynn is the last of his line.
GM Observations (Part 1)
- Once again, Grant and Ethan return to the Legendary Realm. They were last there in Sessions 62 to 66. Generally the Legendary Realm is a stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons realm, however the realm itself attracts high calibre heroes and villains from other worlds. It even ‘scales up’ based on the calibre of heroes. Better still, the Legendary Realm knows a great deal about Grant and Ethan - and it wants to keep them.
Part 1 - Preparations for the Legendary Realm
- It is 1996, three years into the time compress. Life has moved on. Abbie has met a young Frenchman named Marc, and Ethan is (for the moment) separated from her. Ethan has let her go but he hopes that one day things will be different. Ethan has learnt enough sorcery to be able to do simple divination spells, but hasn’t attempted to divine his future with Abbie. Ethan feels unmoored, and it is hard to focus on Clockworld and Earth without Abbie being part of his life.
- Meanwhile Grant and Sophia are still together, and Grant has recently completed his paramedic course on Earth. He is keen to celebrate this milestone, and has persuaded Ethan that they should go back onto the Stair and have some fun ‘like old times’.
- Grant has long wanted to help the Princess in the Glass Mountain (originally seen in Session 44) but according to the legend, only a Prince can free her. Grant knows that in the Legendary Realm that he and Ethan were referred to as the ‘Lost Princes’ so he is keen to return there and learn more about this place where they are royalty. However, given that they could be recognised by their real names in the Legendary Realm, Grant decides to call himself “Rook”, and Ethan chooses to go by “Griffin” once more.
- They know that they cannot contact people via Icon whilst in the Legendary Realm. On their last trip, Ethan established a contact with Abbie and she was pulled in. So Grant advises Sophia of his intentions to return to the Legendary Realm (but he says nothing of the Princess in the Glass Mountain). Ethan contacts Abbie and lets her know that he’s leaving for a time. He promises to let her know when he returns, and says that if she is in real trouble that she should contact him (because then at least she’ll also be brought to the Legendary Realm). Abbie thanks Ethan and wishes him well, saying that she hopes that he will find something that will make him ‘smile again’.
- Grant prepares for the Legendary Realm as if he is going on a long and dangerous mission. He wears armoured cloth (which he knows will be transformed upon entry to the Legendary Realm into some sort of armour), he carries a variety of weapons and a pack which carries provisions and water. He also carries a cittern. In contrast Ethan dresses in his ‘musketeer’ outfit (GM’s note - seen in the official picture of Grant/Ethan), carries his rapier and wears his dragonshield slung over his back. They meet at Westgate cottage. It is quiet here. The ravens, cats and even Macavity have gone.
- Ethan pauses as they are about to leave. He considers contacting Isabelle to see if she would like to come. He feels bad that he hasn’t spoken to her in a few months. He considers using her Icon, but decides to leave it.
- Grant claps Ethan on the back and reminds him that ‘what happens on the Stair, stays on the Stair’. It is clear to Ethan that Grant is looking forward to an opportunity to cut loose and raise a bit of hell. His mood is infectious and Ethan cheers up.
Part 2 - Through the Red Door (Day 1)
- The journey to the Legendary Realm is very short. The Door is on the home landing, close to Earth 0. Grant and Ethan arrive in a mediaeval township, stepping out of one of the wooden buildings into what appears to be the town square. There are many people on the streets, but this is a poor township. Many of the people here are dressed in old clothes and there are numerous refugees. However, the mood of the people is bright (at least for now) as the circus is in town and everyone is on the streets waiting for it to roll into town. A few plucky street vendors have set up stalls to try to sell their wares or are weaving through the crowd, trying to sell what they can to the throng of people. While Ethan talks to some locals, buying some snacks from a street vendor, Grant steps away from the town square and shapeshifts into a sparrow.
- Grant then takes off and goes for a look over the town. The houses and city wall have stone foundations, but otherwise they are made of wood. Most of the houses have slate roofs. The streets to the east are choked with people waiting to see the circus. Grant quickly spies it - it consists of seven large covered wagons which are moving under their own power (probably via magic) towards the east gate. Each covered wagon bears the sign “The Circus of Doctor Trundles”.
- Grant returns without incident. Ethan introduces the two farmers that he has met to Grant, and shares some information about where they are. This town is called Valls in the Duchy of Arcata. It is run by Duke William, who is also called “William the Lazy”. The farmers speak of misery ever since King Virdin was slain two years ago in a terrible battle, and now half the population is on the move fleeing the Witch King from what used to be Calador (before the Witch King made it his own).
- Grant spies a tavern on the other side of the congested town square and decides to head for it, leaving Ethan chatting with his new farmer friends.
Part 3 - The Golden Grain Inn (Day 1)
- At the Inn of the Golden Grain, Grant finds that it is packed and he is unable to reach the bar to order a drink. As such, he announces that he’ll buy everyone a round and the crowd parts to let him through.
- Once it is clear that Grant has coin, everyone wants to be his friend. Grant introduces himself as “Rook” and says that he is a freesword from the south. Settling down at a table with a group of men, he asks them all about what has happened here. The information flows freely.
- For generations, these lands were ruled by the Kings of Damara. Always Calador to the North (beyond the Galena mountains) and Damara to the South. However, ten years ago, Calador fell and became a wintery wasteland. Fell winds continue to blow from the north every winter, bringing misery and pestilence with them.
- Where once a great and noble of King of Calador ruled, now, there is only the Witch King of Vaasa. No one knows where he came from, but he is known to use necromancy.
- Then, two years ago, King Virdin of Damara was slain at the battle of Goliad. Many of the competent loyalists were slain, leaving only with the pliable and the traitorous. This split the old Kingdom of Damara into many fiefdoms - the Barony of Arcata, Duchy of Brandiar, Duchy of Carmathan, Duchy of Sorovia, Barony of Bloodstone, Barony of Morov, Barony of Ostel and Barony of Polten.
- Grant asks if the death of King Virdin ended his line, and those at the table confirm that the entire Damaran royal bloodline was wiped out. Those who survived the Battle at Goliad were wiped out a few weeks later in the ‘Night of Long Knives’. No one really knows who was behind the ‘Night of Long Knives’ but all across Damara, most of the remaining ruling nobility who were still loyal to the King were wiped out in a single night.
- Grant asks about the ‘Lost Princes’ and the men laugh. To them, it is just a fairy tale.
Part 4 - The Circus Arrives (Day 1)
- Meanwhile, the cheers from the people outside in the town square grow louder. The Circus of Doctor Trundles is approaching. One by one, seven covered wagons move slowly into view. In front of them is a small carriage in which sit the wild haired Doctor Trundles, his shortish sidekick Tanaroo and a grey Cat called Schrödinger.
- Even Duke William has come to see the circus. A raised platform has been set up for His Lordship, and a corpulent fellow sits on a large chair, watching the Circus’ arrival with interest.
- Doctor Trundles tries to calm the crowd, but it is Tanaroo who silences them all to give his spiel. Speaking into a wand to amplify his voice, he encourages the audience to “gather ‘round” while he introduces the attractions. He is excitable and quickly whips the population into a frenzy of excitement.
- Grant and Ethan are surprised to hear Tanaroo claim that they have come from the Agora, and that they have collected creatures from many worlds “beyond your wildest comprehension”. Grant watches from one of the open windows of the Inn whilst Ethan watches from street level as he continues to munch on an apple from one of the street sellers.
- Tanaroo introduces the first attraction as a landshark - a strange beast that resulted from a mad wizard’s experimental cross-breeding of a snapping turtle with an armadillo with a touch of demon’s blood. The curtain draws back to reveal the beast. Tanaroo assures the gaping audience that viewing the attractions is quite safe. He claims that Doctor Trundles is a sorcerer of rare and exceptional talent and the creatures cannot escape. (GM’s note - yeah yeah, this is the Legendary Realm - as if those creatures are going to stay caged for long …)
- Jumping to the next wagon which is even larger, he draws back the curtain to reveal a strange beast which has the hindquarters of a goat, the foreparts of a lion, the wings of a dragon and three heads. While the audience stands astonished, Tanaroo goes on to explain that this is the original Chimera, and that Bellerophron was lying when he said that he slew the beast - for how else could it be here otherwise. Grant and Ethan chuckle at the reference, but no one else in the crowd seems to get the joke. The Chimera looks very cross.
- Reaching the next wagon which is the largest of the seven, Tanaroo further whips the crowd into a frenzy by warning them that there is a dragon inside, but again assures them that they can view this fearsome beast in complete safety “only at the Circle of Doctor Trundles”. Tanaroo explains that dragons come in all shapes and sizes, but this one is a storm dragon of the very largest size. Opening the curtain reveals a very pissed off looking storm-grey dragon which fills the entire cage. The crowd takes a frightened step back (Ethan included) but there is finally some nervous applause.
- Jumping to the next wagon, Tanaroo reveals a two-horned jet black horse which Tanaroo says is a ‘nightmare’ from the Nine Hells. The bicorn glares balefully at the crowd, and paces up and down. Every footfall raises a spray of flame and smoke.
- Tanaroo doesn’t get as much applause from the nightmare as he expected, so he moves to the next wagon. He warns the audience (again to get them excited) that the creature within is dangerous, but only to men. He says that the creature inside is a foxwoman, capable of changing form from a silver fox to a beautiful elven woman who would capture the heart of even the hardest man. Again, he assures that the enchantments of Doctor Trundles will allow patrons to view this unearthly beauty without being entranced. Tanaroo gives the audience a taste of this, by forcing the foxwoman to change briefly from fox to beautiful maid, but it is only a fleeting glimpse for very few of those who can see. This definitely excites the (predominantly male) crowd.
- Leaping to the next wagon, Tanaroo introduces a creature ‘from another world’ which can walk through solid stone. He refers to it as a Delver Zorn. Again the crowd is impressed by the strange beast with its stumpy legs, stubby arms and the jawed mouth on the top of its head.
- Tanaroo then leaps to the last wagon, and introduces a ‘chaos fiend’ - an amorphous creature consisting of eyes and mouths. Before the crowd can take a breath, Tanaroo returns to the biggest wagon, and begins his spiel once more on top of the storm dragon’s prison, telling the audience that the ‘performance’ will astonish and exceed all expectations. He tells the people where they will be performing, the price and continues to make his sales pitch of this ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’.
- Then, suddenly, the Nightmare has had enough. Casting a counter-spell, the enchantments on the cages collapses. The Nightmare shifts into mist form and simply phases through the bars. The storm dragon powers up (electricity crackling) and blows the top off the wagon. Tanaroo bursts into flame and is flung high into the air. The sudden sound startles the landshark and it runs against the side of the cage, shattering it like matchwood.
- Cue, mayhem.
Part 5 - Mayhem (Day 1)
- During Tanaroo’s speech, Grant established an Icon contact with Ethan and asked him to ‘be ready’. (GM’s note - Grant’s High Warfare prepared him for the possibility of a break-out. Also, he knew that they are in the Legendary Realm and that the realm itself provides opportunities for heroics.) At the very first sign of trouble, Grant vaults through the open window of the Inn and makes a bee-line for the Circus of Doctor Trundles.
- Grant reacts faster than the crowd, who are momentarily too shocked to do anything. He sprints towards the landshark as it crashes out of the cage. The landshark is confused and scared by all of the people - and it decides that flattening some of them is the best way of establishing its dominance of the situation.
- Then all hell breaks loose. The Chimera smashes apart its cage and takes to the air. The Delver Zorn starts melting through the floor. The Chaos Spawn oozes through the gap in the bars and begins spraying people with vile ochre to keep them away.
- Amidst this, Doctor Trundles cries out to the crowd to spare his attractions and promises one thousand pieces of gold for every creature subdued. Nobody in the crowd attempts to subdue any of the creatures - instead they all panic and run (the Duke included).
- Grant leaps through the crowd as the landshark lumbers after them. Normally going head to head with a ten-tonne landshark would be a bad idea, but Grant is incredibly strong (and especially so in the Legendary Realm). He hits the landshark hard enough to stun it and stop its charge (which confuses it immensely), and then he wrestles with it and then flips its great bulk onto its back, immobilising it.
- During all of this, Grant has directed Ethan to take care of the Chimera given that it seems intent on killing people (whereas the Storm Dragon has taken to the air and is summoning a storm and drawing electrical power into itself). Ethan takes to the air, deftly avoids the three heads and then makes physical contact with it. His Psyche comes down on it like a crushing piledriver. The Chimera attempts to resist but Ethan’s Psyche is overpowering. The Chimera is suddenly put to Sleep in mid-air. It doesn’t matter that there are three independent heads with three separate brains - Ethan smashes through its weak mental defences and shuts it down.
- The ground rocks as the Chimera smashes into the ground. But Grant is no longer there - he is airborne, leaping into the air with an Incredible Hulk style jump after the Storm Dragon. The dragon is incredibly surprised by this. Grant is electrified as he lands on the dragon’s left wing but he still manages to pull its wing down, making it difficult for the dragon to stay aloft. While the dragon flaps to stabilise itself, Grant attempts to flip himself onto the dragon’s back. The first attempt fails, but the second attempt is successful. He manages to get a handhold further up the dragon’s body and hold on, beating it further with his fists. Each blow is titanic (it helps that Gorgorin is in ring-form on his right hand) and the shockwaves from each blow sound like thunder. The dragon reels with each impact, and it seeks to escape, trying to throw Grant off. But Grant persists, using his godlike strength to beat the dragon senseless. Eventually it crashes to the ground about a half mile outside of the town. Dusting himself off, Grant is suddenly overawed by his achievement - he physically beat the living snot out of a dragon - but then he remembers that there are four other creatures running amok and snaps out of it. He shifts back into a sparrow and heads back to help Ethan.
- Meanwhile, Ethan’s Sorcery is just as strong as he remembers it in this place. In the Legendary Realm, Ethan is truly powerful, even though the Legendary Realm blunts a Warden’s Wayfinding abilities. In only a few minutes he has subdued the Nightmare as it sought to escape the town square (redirecting a lightning bolt from the stormclouds which the Storm Dragon had summoned), snared the beautiful foxwoman by one hand and surrounded the amorphous chaos spawn with a spherical shield to contain it.
- Ethan can tell that the Delver Zorn is somewhere beneath him (melded with the ground) but he’s not sure how to flush it out. Meanwhile, the foxwoman (in the form of an elven maiden of semi-divine beauty) tries to ensorcel Ethan to release her. She is very attractive, and Ethan doesn’t really want to let her go. Part of him is quite enchanted with her, but he has a Very High Psyche and he remains rational.
- Grant returns to the town square. Almost everyone has fled. The landshark is still immobilised, and Grant does a quick mental count of all of the creatures. He realises that there is one left - the Delver Zorn. Grant is about to ask Ethan about it when the foxwoman asks Grant for help, seeking to ensorcel him. Grant is taken aback by the sudden thought that he should save this beautiful maiden from Ethan, but before he can take further action (or shrug it off), Ethan has planted a kiss on the maiden’s forehead and she swoons. (GM’s note - yes, Ethan has once again used a Sleep spell - one of his favourite devices) The foxwoman returns to her silver fox form and the spell is broken. Grant thinks no more of interceding. As Ethan puts her gently on the ground, Grant asks how they should deal with the last creature.
- They talk quickly. Ethan is unwilling to dig the creature up as it would “make a mess”. So Grant tries using Umbra to create an uncomfortable resonance through the ground for the creature and drive it upwards. This produces swift results - the Delver Zorn comes to the surface and tries to amble away on its stubby legs. Grant gives one of its legs a kick and the ungainly creature falls over and is quickly immobilised.
- The friends give each other a grin. Ethan offers a thumbs up.
- Then they notice two ten-year old boys who have been hiding under one of the wagons and have watched the whole thing. Their eyes are wide. Their jaws are wide open. “THAT WAS AMAZING!” they cry, quickly scrambling out from their hiding place.
Part 6 - The Plea for Help (Day 1)
- The two boys introduce themselves as Garlen and Garvin. They are twins (which reminds Ethan of himself and his brother). Tumbling over words and finishing each other's sentences, they explain that their village, Bloodstone, is threatened by bandits. They came to Valls seeking heroes to help them.
- Before the duo can even offer the ‘five silvers a day’ that the village can afford, Ethan has given Grant a knowing look (he knows it is a plot hook from the Legendary Realm and the circus was just a teaser) and Grant has agreed that they’ll come. He introduces himself as “Rook”, and Ethan as “Griffin”.
- Gaping, Garlen and Garvin can’t believe their luck, but before they can speak further, Ethan has spied poor Tanaroo and he excuses himself to heal the poor fellow. Grant asks Garlen and Garvin to wait for a few minutes as he spots Doctor Trundles and Schrödinger still cowering in the lead wagon. Grant heads over to Doctor Trundles and asks him to pay up seven thousand pieces of gold. He doesn’t expect Trundles to have the money, but to his surprise, Trundles says that he does. Trundles is equally surprised that all of the creatures have been subdued. When Grant explains that they are scattered around the town square and half a mile away, Trundles asks for Grant’s help in recovering all of the creatures so that they are not killed by the locals. It will take a good night’s work to re-enchant all of the cages but they can’t risk any of the creatures waking up until the cages are ready once more.
- Grant agrees to help. Ethan and Tanaroo return (Tanaroo is still a bit red, but the worst of his burns have been healed) and Trundles explains the plan.
- As many of the townsfolk of Valls watch (some of whom are quite angry), the smashed wagons are wheeled slowly out of town. Grant and Ethan drag, carry and ‘levitate’ the various creatures out of the city limits, defying any attempts by the thuggish-looking city guard to stop them. Ethan repairs the carts and strengthens them, and Doctor Trundles then starts re-enchanting the wagons to keep the creatures contained within. Ethan strengthens the spells with Eidolon to prevent them from being breached again.
- That evening, on the edge of town sitting beside a warm fire, Ethan asks Trundles if he truly came from the Agora. Trundles confirms this, and he seems surprised that Grant and Ethan know of the place. They talk a little, but the conversation is quickly diverted to the adventure at hand. Garlen and Garvin eagerly fill ‘the heroes’ in.
Part 7 - The Tale of Bloodstone Pass (Day 1)
- Garlen and Garvin explain that the town of Bloodstone lies in one of the few mountain passes through the Galena Mountains between Damara and the northern kingdom of Vaasa (what was once Calador). The Bloodstone Pass was once an important trade route, but when the sea route was opened up, the pass became less used and the town fell on hard times. But worse, when the war with the northern kingdom continued, the Bloodstone Pass found itself more and more cut off. Then the King of Damara was slain at the Battle of Goliad and the kingdom of Damara has largely disintegrated.
- Bandits have been a problem in the Bloodstone Pass for a long time, but in the last few years they have become more organised. Baron Tranth (the ruler of Bloodstone Pass) believes they have a new leader. It was the Baron who sent them to seek help. The bandits have been taking most of their harvest every year and last year the annual tribute also included healthy men and women - taken away and never seen again. The annual harvest is expected to be completed soon and the bandits will come again. The villagers are terrified of them, but there are many who would fight if only someone would help them.
- Ethan asks Garlen and Garvin how many bandits and how many villagers. The numbers are not good. The bandit army numbers over a thousand, and includes giants and other monsters. The villagers have only a few hundred fighting men. Ethan quickly reasons that they will need to hire some mercenaries.
Part 7 - Splitting Up (Day 1)
- Grant agrees with Ethan’s assessment. They discuss and Grant decides that he will head directly to Bloodstone with Garlen and Garvin to prepare the villagers. Ethan will try to hire soldiers to help - he guesses that it will take a week to hire troops, and Garlen guesses that it should take about a week to reach Bloodstone Pass on horseback or two weeks on foot. Grant asks when they expect the harvest to be finished and Garvin explains that it should be in about a week’s time, after which an envoy from the bandits typically arrives to inspect the village.
- Grant and Ethan talk for a while about the situation. The adventure reminds them of ‘The Seven Samurai’, except there don’t seem to be any others who are brave enough to stand with them. Grant decides that he’ll leave with boys at first light. They agree to use Icons to keep in touch. Ethan offers to keep watch while Grant sleeps, but Grant says that Ethan will need more rest than he - the people here are poor, and Ethan will be carrying a lot of gold. Grant warns Ethan that he will likely be a target for someone so he should “watch his back”. He suggests that the Legendary Realm “doesn’t do boring”. Ethan accepts this and he sleeps for a few hours.
Part 8 - On the Road (Day 2)
- In the morning Rook (Grant) sets off with Garlen and Garvin. They set off initially on foot, but when they are well out of sight, he reveals that he can shapeshift. Transforming into the form of a black pegasus, Rook asks the boys to hop on his back and then he takes to the air.
- On the first day, Rook soars over forest and low hills. He spies refugees on the road heading south and some thuggish-looking giants in the low hills. In the late afternoon, they set up camp and he contacts Griffin via Icon to warn him as to what he has seen.
- In the meantime, Ethan (as Griffin) has been very busy looking for experienced soldiers. He isn’t looking for individuals. He is looking for mercenaries who are used to fighting together. Garlen and Garvin told him that the village could support soldiers, but no more than one hundred and twenty fighting men (unless provisions were brought).
- Griffin finds that he is quite recognisable here. His red hair is distinctive here, and the dragonshield that he typically slings over his back is unique. The locals are surprised and a little nervous when Griffin begins asking questions about hiring armed men for a campaign. He notes that the town’s constabulary begin taking an interest in him. But worse are the hangers-on - those who offer to help but have no interest in helping him, simply trying to part him from his money. Griffin can tell the difference but it wastes precious time getting rid of nuisances.
- By the end of the first day’s travel, Griffin feels that he has a few leads but nothing concrete. Griffin stays at the Silver Lion, a better establishment than the Golden Grain, and he is treated very well as everyone knows that he has a lot of coin. He considers masking his presence, but decides against it in case there is a valid lead who seeks him out. He remains tense even though there does not appear to be an immediate threat.
- He half-expects someone to attempt to rob him overnight, but no one does.
Part 9 - Trouble Finds Ethan (Day 3)
- On the second day of his travels, Rook spots some dwarves from the air (and the boys wave to them) heading south on the road towards Valls. Other than this, their journey is uneventful.
- Meanwhile, early in the morning when Griffin he going to check on the leads that he was given yesterday, a group of soldiers attempts to take him into custody ‘for his own protection’. They appear to be thugs but Griffin isn’t sure if they are the local constabulary. Griffin bluntly tells them that he doesn’t require their protection and they move to arrest him. What follows is quick and brutal. Griffin doesn’t draw steel, but he soundly thrashes the lot of them, leaving them bruised and battered but alive.
- After that, a lot of the locals give Griffin a wide berth - evidently they were the real constabulary and associating with him could get them into trouble. Griffin becomes a little frustrated - his Wayfinding is telling him that there are soldiers to recruit here, but he can’t seem to find them. All he sees are peasants, refugees and thugs - certainly not a body of men who would be willing to follow him into battle.
- Another attempt to arrest him is made, but Griffin spots the soldiers early and uses Mental Invisibility (GM’s note - again, one of his favourite spells) to simply walk past them, leaving them confused. For hours after this, Griffin chases down his leads, one by one, but all of them seem to be dead ends. There are individual soldiers who might be willing to join him, but no mercenary band.
- Griffin wonders if he might be able to ‘buy’ some of Duke William’s men. Perhaps this is what the Wayfinding has been telling him to do - he still feels that there is an opportunity here in Valls to recruit some soldiers. He decides to go and seek an audience with the Duke.
- However, before he reaches the Duke’s keep, Griffin feels that he is being followed. He senses that his pursuer is concerned for him and he uses Mental Invisibility to slip aside and then catch the individual.
- The man is a middle-aged warrior with a grey handlebar moustache. Griffin is shocked as he recognises the man. It is Mister Elwood, who was once Grant’s and Ethan’s geography teacher in high school. This man has a moustache, and longer hair, but the resemblance is unmistakable. Griffin asks the man if he is looking for him, and the man confirms that he is. He introduces himself as Olric, and he says that he has one hundred fighting men at his command who would be willing to sign on if the cause is just and there is fair compensation for them. Griffin nods, a bit surprised at how suddenly his fortunes have changed, and he suggests that they talk in private.
- Heading back to the Silver Lion, Olric explains that he was once the commander of the 1st Damaran Dragoons, a heavy cavalry unit in the service to King Virdin, the last Damaran King. Even though the Battle of Goliad was lost, Olric managed to save those he could. Many of the Dragoons disbanded, but a core have remained with him and they will fight for coin. Griffin is intrigued but he has seen few fighting men in Valls. He asks if they are in Valls and Olric says that some are here, but many are not. He could gather them swiftly if required.
- They talk - Griffin senses that Olric is an honest man and he decides to trust him that their destination is Bloodstone and their mission to destroy the bandit army there. At this news, Olric agrees that this is a worthy cause. They speak briefly of money and Olric seems happy that the gold that Griffin has will be more than sufficient to buy their services. They seal the deal with a firm handshake, and Olric says that he will return shortly with men to protect Griffin while the others gather as swiftly as they can. Griffin laughs and says that he can defend himself, to which Olric says “Of that I’m sure, my Lord.”
- That evening, Griffin relays the good news to Rook. He advises Rook that he’s recruited a unit of cavalry that used to be part of the Damaran army. Griffin tells Rook that he likes Olric, and he mentions of Olric’s resemblance to their old school teacher. He hopes to be ready in two, possibly three days.
- Not long after their contact, Griffin eats a hearty dinner at the Silver Lion. A minstrel plays a happy tune and Griffin finds himself humming along. There is a pretty lady in a red dress at another table whom he makes eye contact with. He finds himself staring and she blushes. Alas, the evening is spoiled when another patron sits down at Griffin’s table without asking, and asks of his business in Valls. The man has thick fingers and wears far too many gold rings. Griffin takes an instant dislike to him. The man claims to be in the service of Duke William. He praises Griffin for his quick actions in saving the town from the circus creatures and politely asks whether Griffin could remain in town while the circus is here, just in case. Griffin agrees to this (even though he’s not sure he will honour this promise). The man presses further, and ventures that a man ‘like Griffin’ could be very useful to His Lordship. He asks what brings Griffin to Valls and whether His Lordship might be able to find him some employment.
- Griffin smiles at this. The lady on the next table has glanced over again, and he finds himself rather pleased with this situation. He introduces himself as Griffin to the man who has joined him, and the man introduces himself as Riccard. Griffin thanks Riccard for the very generous offer and asks for his regards and appreciation to be conveyed to the Duke. Griffin says that he would be most gratified if a suitable offer of employment became available (although he has no intention of accepting employment, he figures it might be wise to keep the Duke onside whilst he is in Valls.) Riccard is pleased, and he wishes Griffin a good evening.
- Griffin returns to enjoying the music until the minstrel retires late in the evening. The pretty lady in the red dress glances at him when she chooses to leave, and Griffin follows her when she pauses outside. He’s almost certain that she is in Riccard’s employ or this is an attempt to rob him, but she is quite alluring and he is curious as to how this will play out. As Griffin joins her, she comments that he is very bold given that he’s been staring at her on and off for some time. Griffin offers an apology but says that she is the most beautiful woman that he’s seen in a long time. Her lip curls a fraction and she replies that it is nice to be thought in such a way. She proposes that they walk a little - she would prefer the company as sometimes the streets are not safe.
- Griffin chuckles and agrees. He jovially asks whether he should be expect to be attacked on this block or the next and she matter-of-factly asks if it really matters. Her eyes tell him that it is indeed a trap so he offers to take her arm “so that she gets home safely”. She laughs at that, and says that she will make it home whatever happens. However, he can feel that she’s not as confident as she sounds.
- The ambush takes place only two blocks away. A crossbow bolt is fired from a rooftop, but it shatters on Ethan’s dragonshield as he turns away from it. The lady is thrown off-balance by this and Ethan offers an apology and suggests that she step back. Three groups of thugs approach him with swords and axes. She wishes him luck in a detached sort of voice, and she steps away as the thugs attempt to rush him. The battle is swift, and again, brutal. Within two minutes there are fifteen dead bodies in the street - Griffin has killed them all with his rapier and one of their axes. Even the assassin on the rooftop was hauled down to street level with a sorcerous pull (Force pull) and then hacked.
- The lady in red says nothing. She simply steps back to Griffin, takes his arm again and says that her home is not far away. Griffin escorts her to her house in the village but declines when she invites him inside. Griffin says pleasantly that he has no wish to have his throat slit in the night, and wishes her a good evening. He returns to the Silver Lion and rests for a bit - but there is no further trouble that evening.
Part 10 - Arrival and Gathering (Day 3)
- The next morning, Griffin finds that four soldiers of the Olric’s Dragoons are already waiting for him at breakfast time. They’ve heard about what happened the previous night. One of them, Jol, explains that Olric has sent word to the others, but they have been ordered to stay with Griffin until they are ready to depart. Griffin asks Jol more about the Dragoons and is impressed by what he hears - the group sounds very professional and they are taking their duties very seriously. Jol suggests that Griffin leave with them when ready as it’s not possible for them to organise themselves adequately within a town crowded by refugees. Olric has organised a mustering area outside of town for the Dragoons to assemble - when they are fully gathered, they will ride for Bloodstone Pass.
- Griffin finds himself wondering about the lady he met the previous night. Was she a simple courtesan or an assassin? He never even learned her name. But such thoughts are fleeting as he begins organising additional supplies to go with the Dragoons. He also organises a horse for himself, and an axe to use in battle whilst on horseback (a rapier is hardly appropriate). Then he goes with Jol and the others to join the Dragoons and the gathering army.
- On the same day, Rook and the two boys arrive in the Bloodstone Pass. They land a few miles from the township and continue the last few miles on foot. Garlen and Garvin promise Rook to keep his secret that he can shapeshift and fly.
- Rook is taken to the Inn of the Clowns and is welcomed by Stephan, its owner.
GM Observations (Part 2)
- Some words on the combats fought during this session - eg: Grant beating a dragon physically into submission, Ethan dealing with multiple monsters simultaneously. Firstly, Grant and Ethan are very powerful at this point. Even 3 years into the time compress, they are nearing 300 points. What would be a challenge for Superior or Paragon ranked individuals is less of a challenge for them. Yes, the Legendary Realm scales up the power levels of these critters, but Grant is physically strong enough to flip a charging rhino (or landshark), jump like the Incredible Hulk and outfight anything short of a demi-god; Ethan is powerful enough to crush any normal individual’s Psyche, fend of a dozen normal sorcerers and, like either, outfight anything short of a demi-god.
- Hence most monsters are simply ‘speed-bumps’ to ranked PCs (especially given how formidable Grant and Ethan are). Even a powerful adversary will likely have a ‘glass jaw’ to Grant and his Dominant Ranked Warfare, armed with Gorgorin, and using Umbra to find the weaknesses in the combat.
- Nevertheless, the Circus creatures were dangerous. The landshark could have crushed many people in the crowd if it was not stopped quickly. The Chimera would have dived into the crowd and terrorised as many as it could before fleeing with the Nightmare (who was the brains behind the escape). The Storm Dragon was very powerful and very strong - but Grant did the unexpected whilst it was still ‘powering up’. Even the Foxwoman’s unearthly beauty was a distraction to Ethan, but his Psyche was such that he could withstand it.
- When designing this sort of adventure, it’s important to work out which encounters should just be ‘speed bumps’ and which should not. Speed bump combats can still be mentally challenging to the players but the PCs should trounce their adversaries. Often it’s a lot of fun to play through the speed bump fights because they reaffirm in the players’ minds that their characters are vastly superior to most of the individuals that they run across. They are special. They are the superheroes of the game. It can be a negative to only pit the PCs against individuals who have Attributes and Powers equivalent to their own - it makes them feel less special. It’s better to use such challenges sparingly.
- In this specific combat, the challenge was twofold - firstly there were multiple adversaries with very different powers, and secondly, there were defenceless civilians. If the PCs had dithered, the creatures would have killed many in the crowd and this would have been their failure.
- One of the challenges with playing games at this level is that the PCs’ Warfare vastly exceeds the players’ own Warfare. For example, Grant has Dominant Rank Warfare - even if David (the player) can’t think of a plan, Grant can. More than that, the plan that Grant devises is likely to be successful, and the best plan that could be thought of. Hence when David decides that Grant needs to tackle the landshark first because David thinks it is the greatest threat, the GM then decides that Grant has assessed the situation and determined that the landshark is the greatest and most immediate threat because it is really is. That is, don’t fight the players - the GM simply modifies the scenario and runs with it. That’s very different to most other games.
- Anyway, hopefully these musings are useful to some of you ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)