Ava conscripted us into a werewolf hunting party. We were told to contact "Lord Protector Thoril Trannyth" for more details. Thaelin wisely observed we'd been imbibing and cast a spell upon some fountain water. We took a drink and our senses sharpened.
A knock on the door and a show of a token, and the good "Lord Protector" invited us in for a polite (albeit macabre) conversation. Tales of tragic innocents murdered in their homes. The bodies appeared torn to pieces. A survivor, a young girl, was sent off to an orphanage. A hunter was also slain, followed by a stablemistress, "Maraga Hawklight" who was found still in the jaws of the werewolf.
Blame seemed to fall on a local criminal, Eldan Serpenthelm, but after his execution, the killings continued. The humans' impatience for justice was clearly short sighted. They now seek our help in tracking down the beast or beasts. Even sent us to a local silversmith to get our weapons silvered. We were given a long list of suspects and their locations.
We met Trym along the road. She brought tales of a magical cache hidden in the hillside. Apparently guarded by one of our suspects, "Vance Moonshadow". I felt a half-orc messenger named "Alaga" would have the most useful testimony to give. I convinced the others and made for her home. She was reluctant to speak at first, but when she realized we weren't more accusers she became more hospitable and conversational. Unfortunately, she had little information other than she saw it flee.
We dropped off our weapons for silvering (with a healthy tip to help expedite the process), and then headed off to a bakery; scene of the first mauling. The scene was a bloody mess of gore and footprints. A tuft of fur by the fireplace caught my eye. The peculiar thing was the fur had fleas. Upstairs we found the living quarters. Ava thoughtfully suggested bringing some of the young girl's toys to her. We settled on a few from the bed and chest.
We collected our weapons and made for the House of the Golden Lady. The headmistress told us Jahanna still hadn't spoken a word since her parents' murders. We asked to see the child. Ava and my attempts to talk to her proved fruitless, but Trym's bag of tricks broke her sorrowful countenance. She summoned a dog to play with the child, and let her name it. A tender moment. The girl told us that shortly after she had gone to bed, she heard her father invite a man in, followed by a loud commotion downstairs. The man seemed to be known to the father. Or at least very polite. Nobly so...
It seems the noble "Milstone" needs questioning. The other crime scene was along the way - the office of Wilton Trannyth; scribe/cartographer, and cousin to the Lord Protector. Judging from a self portrait, he was an unfortunately homely looking half-elf. Another grisly murder... from the inside. Clearly the victims have been taken by surprise, as there is no apparent evidence of forced entry.
We decided to go to the inn and check on our noble... and our bard. He seemed an eager sort. Eager, mostly, to be somewhere else. Trym noticed the noble's guards had a persistent itch. Meanwhile, Ava confided our mission in our bard friend. He insisted on his innocence, and even offered to help by keeping an eye on Milstone.
We decided to split the group. Trym and I are going to see Miss Arroway, while Ava and Thaelin check in on the hunter, Illan Wyrmsbane. So Trym and I made for the Talking Troll Tavern to search for Miss Arroway. The establishment was of the less savory variety. We found Holly Arroway snickering in an alley. She was reluctant to speak, even in the face of superior judgement. It seems I need a more personable demeanor when dispensing wisdom. I hope Ava and Thaelin have better luck in their investigations.
Trym and I made for Vance Moonshadow, the next name on our suspect list. Trym had some less than honest dealings with him earlier in the day. Her keen eye spotted a safe house in the vicinity, and her roguish senses told her to investigate.
She effortlessly picked the lock and lead us into a labyrinthine warehouse. Trym decided it merited further investigation later. We made for Vance's house. It was a posh little cabin. the little halfling invited us in. A feeling... or something in the corner of my eye gave me pause. But in we went. His hospitality was almost too gracious; and his alibi weak. There was a great deal of roguish verbal fisticuffs between the two. But ultimately, he revealed very little information.
I stopped at a clothier on the way back to the inn. I thought maybe I ought to change my only robe for some new garments. I fear the smell might be putting some off.
Thaelin reported a struggle at the other scene. The other living hunter reported unusual wolf activity in the area. We intended to inquire with the bard, but neither Traavar, nor Milstone were to be found.
After some questioning of the locals, Traavar returned with tales of conspiracy surrounding Lord Milstone. He decided he'd like to travel with us a while. Thought we might be a story worth telling.
With night beginning to fall, we decided our bet lead was with Milstone, so we left a message with Lord Protector Trannyth and headed to find Milstone, only to find him coming down the street, approaching us. He recognized us all, and wished us a safe evening. We attempted to tail his guards, but Thaelin made a blunder off the curb and made a show of it. With our cover blown we left Trym to recon and the rest of us headed back to the inn to check in with Traavar. Milstone was snug in his room when Trym brought tales of a nefarious guard traveling toward the edge of town.
Thaelin insisted on conversing with the horses while we argued with another werewolf hunting hunting party. Blasted dolts can't tell an elf from a goblin. The horses saw the attack. Maraga burned the werewolf's hand with a torch while protecting her steeds before it got the better of her. That information would have been useful much sooner. But they sent us in the right direction. We caught up with Milstone's guard terrorizing a poor family on the edge of town. We attempted to burst into the room, but Ava's kick only rattled the door. We simply opened it instead. Inside, the guard had transformed into the werewolf. Seems our suspicions have been confirmed. We launched an attack on the beast and killed it before it could lay a paw on anyone. Once dead, it morphed back Milstone's guard. The husband swore to testify to what he saw. We made for the Lord Protector's tower and told him the news. Noble Milstone seemed as surprised at the culprit as anyone, and submitted himself and his men to a lycanthropy examination from the local physician. Everyone passed, though one guard seemed shaken. We decided to rest for the night.
The town seemed quite at ease the following morning. There was a buzz of relief in the air. After a free breakfast from a tavern keeper who was very grateful for our heroics the previous night, the seamster also tried to give me his wares free of charge. I insisted on paying him, but he suggested a new set of clothes for my comrades. I bade him well, and made back for the inn.
By mid-morning, I had new clothes. Ava checked in with her order and Trym joined a secret society. She brought information from her new contacts relating to the bandit attacks. Word is the raids are being perpetrated by ones calling themselves "The Cloaks of the Hidden Knoll". The curious thing is that they don't seem to be selling the magical items they've been pilfering. We decided to join up with a caravan heading south in an attempt to lure them out.
Trym insisted on visiting young Jahanna at the temple. She was over the stars to see us. Said she planned to be an adventurer like us, and begged to be our squire. But at only eight years of age, she seemed more of a hindrance. Ava had the novel idea of apprenticing her at the Order of the Gauntlet. Jahanna took to it immediately. We left her a healthy stipend of gold and encouraged her to train hard until we returned.
The clothier made good on his promise and outfitted the rest of the party in fine garments. We put word out with the local traders that we were looking to take a caravan south, and should anyone need our services, they should inquire at The Everwyvern House. I collected Traavar and returned to the inn to wait for potential employers. Trym and Ava made for the pub for an early afternoon drink.
It did not take long for our first caravaneer to find us. We struck a deal with one "Basara Steelreeper" for 600 GP in exchange for our services protecting him and his caravan of teamsters in their journey from Triboar to Waterdeep. The deal was for half now, and half when we arrive at Waterdeep. He was ready to depart without delay, and so we made out of town with haste.
Showing posts with label Scribe Notes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scribe Notes. Show all posts
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Scribe Notes: Vol. 11 - A Trip to Triboar
If you haven't already done so, be sure to read the previous posts in the Scribe Notes series for the complete back story!
We decided to investigate the structure to the south and found a room scorched by a fiery blast. A wraith rose from the ashes and made threats. I tried ordering it to stand down, but it insisted on being a nuisance. After launching a bevvy of attacks, Thaelin snuffed it out with an impressive Thunderwave. Trym saw to the chest of coins while I looked around the book shelves. Mostly old history books, but one in particular contained a map eluding to some hidden treasure located in a cave near Shadowdale. It looks to be written in the language of the Underdark.
Another bit of useful information found among the books were old contracts and a log book. It appears this was a guest quarters for visiting wizards. The last visitor in the log was a wizard named "Mormesk".
We moved down some stairs toward the sound of waves. A large cavern with crashing waves in the dark. We carefully circumvented the water and moved down a western corridor to find ourselves circled around to where we battled the shapeshifter. Having finally cleared Wave Echo Cave, we hauled our booty to our cart and made for Phandalin.
Gundren and Nundro were beside themselves when we returned with the news. We ate, we sang, we rested. Sister Garale was kind enough to identify all the artifacts we had collected while we rested.
The note she deciphered revealed that the Black Spider has been taking orders from one named Imbross A'Daragon, hiding in Shadowdale with something called "The Eye". If we want to keep Wave Echo Cave operational, we'll need to deal with this "Imbross". Shadowdale, however, is a very long way away.
Luckily, Ava's order has business south of Triboar, so we'll be able to do a bit of good along the way. Some business about bandits robbing people using magic. After finalizing our provisions, we left for Triboar.
Our first evening proved quite comfortable thanks to Leomond's spells for shelter. It would have been restful for everyone, had an Ogre not wandered into camp. He had a hungry eye for our horses. But mastication of our equine would prove disasterous to our endeavours, so drastic actions had to be employted. My ever courageous companions made short work of the beast while Thalin swallowed it in the earth. A typical morning on the trail.
A platoon of goblins attempted an ambush from the tall grass. My comrades picked off a few and a well placed fireball finished the lot. A long day's ride and then a good night's rest awaited us that night. Travel has been smooth and enjoyable.
Wolves gathered in the night. Thaelin tried to reason with the alpha. Negotiations failed. The beast mauled him to the ground, but he cleverly conjured a poison mist to gag the beast. Trym and I attacked with all of our power, but the Dire wolf refused to release Thaelin.
Thaelin eventually threw the beast off of himself and slew it with a mighty blow of his staff. Trym pulled a bear from her bag, which tore into the closest wolf. After throwing a bit of fire, the rest fled into the wilderness. We finished our rest and started late the next morning.
Our final push to Triboar went without event. The town looks like it's seen it's fair share of death, lately. Ava suggested meeting with her contact to get more details...
I went to the local trader to inquire about maps. I purchased a map covering the area from the Sword Coast to the great desert. I also managed to haggle a profitable trade, swapping my spider staff for some magical protection items. Afterwards, I met my companions at the inn.
Trym brought sad tales of werewolves and hangings. Ava adopted a bard, and a hysterical woman accuses a noble of lycanthropy. Clearly, I'm in my cups.
We decided to investigate the structure to the south and found a room scorched by a fiery blast. A wraith rose from the ashes and made threats. I tried ordering it to stand down, but it insisted on being a nuisance. After launching a bevvy of attacks, Thaelin snuffed it out with an impressive Thunderwave. Trym saw to the chest of coins while I looked around the book shelves. Mostly old history books, but one in particular contained a map eluding to some hidden treasure located in a cave near Shadowdale. It looks to be written in the language of the Underdark.
Another bit of useful information found among the books were old contracts and a log book. It appears this was a guest quarters for visiting wizards. The last visitor in the log was a wizard named "Mormesk".
We moved down some stairs toward the sound of waves. A large cavern with crashing waves in the dark. We carefully circumvented the water and moved down a western corridor to find ourselves circled around to where we battled the shapeshifter. Having finally cleared Wave Echo Cave, we hauled our booty to our cart and made for Phandalin.
Gundren and Nundro were beside themselves when we returned with the news. We ate, we sang, we rested. Sister Garale was kind enough to identify all the artifacts we had collected while we rested.
The note she deciphered revealed that the Black Spider has been taking orders from one named Imbross A'Daragon, hiding in Shadowdale with something called "The Eye". If we want to keep Wave Echo Cave operational, we'll need to deal with this "Imbross". Shadowdale, however, is a very long way away.
Luckily, Ava's order has business south of Triboar, so we'll be able to do a bit of good along the way. Some business about bandits robbing people using magic. After finalizing our provisions, we left for Triboar.
Our first evening proved quite comfortable thanks to Leomond's spells for shelter. It would have been restful for everyone, had an Ogre not wandered into camp. He had a hungry eye for our horses. But mastication of our equine would prove disasterous to our endeavours, so drastic actions had to be employted. My ever courageous companions made short work of the beast while Thalin swallowed it in the earth. A typical morning on the trail.
A platoon of goblins attempted an ambush from the tall grass. My comrades picked off a few and a well placed fireball finished the lot. A long day's ride and then a good night's rest awaited us that night. Travel has been smooth and enjoyable.
Wolves gathered in the night. Thaelin tried to reason with the alpha. Negotiations failed. The beast mauled him to the ground, but he cleverly conjured a poison mist to gag the beast. Trym and I attacked with all of our power, but the Dire wolf refused to release Thaelin.
Thaelin eventually threw the beast off of himself and slew it with a mighty blow of his staff. Trym pulled a bear from her bag, which tore into the closest wolf. After throwing a bit of fire, the rest fled into the wilderness. We finished our rest and started late the next morning.
Our final push to Triboar went without event. The town looks like it's seen it's fair share of death, lately. Ava suggested meeting with her contact to get more details...
I went to the local trader to inquire about maps. I purchased a map covering the area from the Sword Coast to the great desert. I also managed to haggle a profitable trade, swapping my spider staff for some magical protection items. Afterwards, I met my companions at the inn.
Trym brought sad tales of werewolves and hangings. Ava adopted a bard, and a hysterical woman accuses a noble of lycanthropy. Clearly, I'm in my cups.
Scribe Notes - Vol. 9: The Black Spider
If you haven't already done so, be sure to read the previous posts in the Scribe Notes series for the complete back story!
We rode back to Wave Echo Cave in the morning. It was much how we left it: dark, ominous, and full of all manner of monsters.
Another of those jellies descended from the ceiling. Despite our best efforts to freeze the thing it still managed to clobber poor Ava. Figuring fire might be a better approach, I launched a firebolt at it. Poor Thaelin attempted to follow suit, but only burned himself in the process. A frustrated Ava hacked the thing to pieces.
Our old hiding hole was patched up. Voices on the other side. I used a series of cantrips to lure them out and away from us. We split a group of four and flanked them. Trym assassinated one with an arrow before anyone even heard a whisper. We made short work of the beasts, even when reinforcements arrived. It seems everyone's experience has served them well.
We approached a set of double doors. On the other side, we finally found Nundro. Ava saw to his health while I examined the documents on the table. My curiosity let the drow get the drop on me. Learning from my previous lesson, I managed to cast shield to block his magic missile. But he called a group of spiders to his aide, and our wizards' duel began.
We engaged in magical combat while my friends attempted to manage the spiders. The coward blinded me and fled into the darkness. Trym and Thaelin both summoned animal companions to deal with the arachnids. When the drow reappeared, I hurled a fireball over his shoulder. In his arrogance, he had believed I missed with a firebolt. When the flames exploded outward they took him entirely by surprise, fully engulfing him in the flames. We dispatched the spiders and three bugbears burst into the room...
Thaelin convinced them they had little worth fighting for and healed Nundro. His peculiar staff of black metal confirmed our suspicions as to his identity, by way of it's ornamentation - a large, Black Spider. We set the it aside for further inspection later, and upon deciding a rest was in order, secured ourselves in the room that had (until we dispatched his jailers) been Nundro's cell; an opportunity I used to review the documents we had claimed from Nezznar, The Black Spider's desk.
We rode back to Wave Echo Cave in the morning. It was much how we left it: dark, ominous, and full of all manner of monsters.
Another of those jellies descended from the ceiling. Despite our best efforts to freeze the thing it still managed to clobber poor Ava. Figuring fire might be a better approach, I launched a firebolt at it. Poor Thaelin attempted to follow suit, but only burned himself in the process. A frustrated Ava hacked the thing to pieces.
Our old hiding hole was patched up. Voices on the other side. I used a series of cantrips to lure them out and away from us. We split a group of four and flanked them. Trym assassinated one with an arrow before anyone even heard a whisper. We made short work of the beasts, even when reinforcements arrived. It seems everyone's experience has served them well.
We approached a set of double doors. On the other side, we finally found Nundro. Ava saw to his health while I examined the documents on the table. My curiosity let the drow get the drop on me. Learning from my previous lesson, I managed to cast shield to block his magic missile. But he called a group of spiders to his aide, and our wizards' duel began.
We engaged in magical combat while my friends attempted to manage the spiders. The coward blinded me and fled into the darkness. Trym and Thaelin both summoned animal companions to deal with the arachnids. When the drow reappeared, I hurled a fireball over his shoulder. In his arrogance, he had believed I missed with a firebolt. When the flames exploded outward they took him entirely by surprise, fully engulfing him in the flames. We dispatched the spiders and three bugbears burst into the room...
Thaelin convinced them they had little worth fighting for and healed Nundro. His peculiar staff of black metal confirmed our suspicions as to his identity, by way of it's ornamentation - a large, Black Spider. We set the it aside for further inspection later, and upon deciding a rest was in order, secured ourselves in the room that had (until we dispatched his jailers) been Nundro's cell; an opportunity I used to review the documents we had claimed from Nezznar, The Black Spider's desk.
Scribe Notes - Vol. 8: Smoke, Fire, and a Hasty Escape!
If you haven't already done so, be sure to read the previous posts in the Scribe Notes series for the complete back story!
During our rest the bugbears attempted entry. After they eventually busted the door down, Thaelin set the bodies of the previous bugbears aflame. They now had a wall of fire to fight through. Cunning beasts hurled javelins through the flames, both of which struck Ava. My firebolt was lost in the fire, and the bugbears fled while I struggled to put out the flames. The smoke was so think we had to flee the cave.
A tickle on the back of my neck warned me of an incoming javelin. This time, I did not forget my shield, and fended off the attack. The bugbears had returned. One of them almost clobbered Trym, and grazed me with a blow as well. I sent a fan of flame at them, but my magic felt weak after the exertion of my shield. Ava cleaved into one of the beasts, breaking wide it's armor. Thaelin nearly froze the other. The wand was useful in dispatching one bugbear, but the other gave me a fierce look; fortunately, it finally succumbed to Thaelin's frost, and we one the day.
During our escape we ran into four ghouls (quite literally). Ava smashed into them with her shield, knocking them back. I laid burning hands on the beasts whilst Thaelin rend the ground beneath their feet. Clearly, we are all hasty to leave this place.
Gundren had clearly removed himself and his deceased brother. While looking about, 3 more bugbears advanced from the shadows, catching Ava by surprise with a Javelin. I used the last of my prepared spells to set flame to the lot. Ava nearly severed the closest one's arm. Thaelin summoned a whirling dust devil, battering them while we bled them down. He followed with a powerful Thunderclap that slew his second bugbear. The last one clearly saw Thaelin as his biggest threat and attempted a clumsy attack, allowing Trym to deliver a death blow.
We escaped the cave to find Gundren at the entrance. He inquired about his brother, Nundro. We swore a promise to go back for him, but rest is necessary, lest we all die in that cave. We made for Phandalin.
Trym's aunt was a most gracious host once again. Trym regaled her with stories of our adventures while the rest of us got some much needed rest.
During our rest the bugbears attempted entry. After they eventually busted the door down, Thaelin set the bodies of the previous bugbears aflame. They now had a wall of fire to fight through. Cunning beasts hurled javelins through the flames, both of which struck Ava. My firebolt was lost in the fire, and the bugbears fled while I struggled to put out the flames. The smoke was so think we had to flee the cave.
A tickle on the back of my neck warned me of an incoming javelin. This time, I did not forget my shield, and fended off the attack. The bugbears had returned. One of them almost clobbered Trym, and grazed me with a blow as well. I sent a fan of flame at them, but my magic felt weak after the exertion of my shield. Ava cleaved into one of the beasts, breaking wide it's armor. Thaelin nearly froze the other. The wand was useful in dispatching one bugbear, but the other gave me a fierce look; fortunately, it finally succumbed to Thaelin's frost, and we one the day.
During our escape we ran into four ghouls (quite literally). Ava smashed into them with her shield, knocking them back. I laid burning hands on the beasts whilst Thaelin rend the ground beneath their feet. Clearly, we are all hasty to leave this place.
Gundren had clearly removed himself and his deceased brother. While looking about, 3 more bugbears advanced from the shadows, catching Ava by surprise with a Javelin. I used the last of my prepared spells to set flame to the lot. Ava nearly severed the closest one's arm. Thaelin summoned a whirling dust devil, battering them while we bled them down. He followed with a powerful Thunderclap that slew his second bugbear. The last one clearly saw Thaelin as his biggest threat and attempted a clumsy attack, allowing Trym to deliver a death blow.
We escaped the cave to find Gundren at the entrance. He inquired about his brother, Nundro. We swore a promise to go back for him, but rest is necessary, lest we all die in that cave. We made for Phandalin.
Trym's aunt was a most gracious host once again. Trym regaled her with stories of our adventures while the rest of us got some much needed rest.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Scribe Notes - Vol. 6: Delving Into Wave Echo Cave
If you haven't already done so, be sure to read the previous posts in the Scribe Notes series for the complete back story!
It was a short ride to the cave. A small hidden entrance behind a rock. Waves... crashing in the depths. Gundren's brother, Tharden, was found shortly inside. Poor dwarf had been dead at least a week. His other brother, Nundro, might still be inside. Gundren gave Ava Tharden's boots. Magical items that fit the wearer and provide extra agility.
It proved handy when a yellow slime fell from the ceiling. I wasn't as lucky. Caught most of it. The ooze started attacking once it hit the ground. Foul ichor took me by quite a surprise, bludgeoning me senseless. I tried to shrug it off but was a sticky mess. Ava made a mess of the ichor with a mighty swing. I'd have been helpless without her. The slime split and attacked us further. But Thaelin and I were able to escape. My Ray of Frost was ineffective. Ava's axe was all the beast needed in the end. Thaelin and Ava knew the creature as an Ochre Jelly. Carnivorous slimes that lurk in caves.
Came upon an interesting pool in the cave. Thaelin, much to our surprise, turned into a shark and retrieved a wand from the bottom of the pool. A wand of Magic Missile. I remember them from my schooling days. The devices contain numerous charges of the spell for demonstration purposes. Quite handy in these circumstances. Thaelin insisted I carry it.
Up the stairs and we come to a door with voices on the other side complaining of undead and mentioning someone named "Nezznar". Ava's attempt at a grand entrance was unsuccessful. Her well intended kick did not break in the door; it merely knocked our arrival to the bugbear horde inside. Trym and Ava were quick to damage the first with a flurry of blows. Thaelin halted the beast in the door and I unleashed a fan of flame on the lot. Burned them all to a crisp but still they stood. The one in back lobbed a javelin at me so hard it penetrated my magic barrier... and my shoulder. The rest of the party managed to dispatch the rest while I drank a healing potion. We barred the doors and took a short rest. The room was a barracks, barricaded from the other side. We found a curious white potion. Some kind of healing or protection energy emanates from it.
It was a short ride to the cave. A small hidden entrance behind a rock. Waves... crashing in the depths. Gundren's brother, Tharden, was found shortly inside. Poor dwarf had been dead at least a week. His other brother, Nundro, might still be inside. Gundren gave Ava Tharden's boots. Magical items that fit the wearer and provide extra agility.
It proved handy when a yellow slime fell from the ceiling. I wasn't as lucky. Caught most of it. The ooze started attacking once it hit the ground. Foul ichor took me by quite a surprise, bludgeoning me senseless. I tried to shrug it off but was a sticky mess. Ava made a mess of the ichor with a mighty swing. I'd have been helpless without her. The slime split and attacked us further. But Thaelin and I were able to escape. My Ray of Frost was ineffective. Ava's axe was all the beast needed in the end. Thaelin and Ava knew the creature as an Ochre Jelly. Carnivorous slimes that lurk in caves.
Came upon an interesting pool in the cave. Thaelin, much to our surprise, turned into a shark and retrieved a wand from the bottom of the pool. A wand of Magic Missile. I remember them from my schooling days. The devices contain numerous charges of the spell for demonstration purposes. Quite handy in these circumstances. Thaelin insisted I carry it.
Up the stairs and we come to a door with voices on the other side complaining of undead and mentioning someone named "Nezznar". Ava's attempt at a grand entrance was unsuccessful. Her well intended kick did not break in the door; it merely knocked our arrival to the bugbear horde inside. Trym and Ava were quick to damage the first with a flurry of blows. Thaelin halted the beast in the door and I unleashed a fan of flame on the lot. Burned them all to a crisp but still they stood. The one in back lobbed a javelin at me so hard it penetrated my magic barrier... and my shoulder. The rest of the party managed to dispatch the rest while I drank a healing potion. We barred the doors and took a short rest. The room was a barracks, barricaded from the other side. We found a curious white potion. Some kind of healing or protection energy emanates from it.
Scribe Notes - Vol. 5: A Brief Stop in Phandalin
If you haven't already done so, be sure to read the previous posts in the Scribe Notes series for the complete back story!
Back in Phandalin for a bit of errands and rest. Stopped by the shrin of Lick to see if Sister Garelle could shed some light on the trinkets we picked up in Cragmaw Castle. While she took a look, we visited Trym's aunt at her farm. A humble folk, the halflings. Trym seems a bit of an anomaly amongst her normally shy, reerved people. Small wonder she took to the adventuring life. Her "Bag of Tricks" provided the evenings entertainment.
Trym's Aunt was a most gracious host. Poor woman was most grevious to learn of her friend Reidoth's death, a druid who was slain by the dragon in Thundertree. Still, she managed to make us a marvelous potato soup. So savory.
Sister Garelle was not dissapointing. She gave us wonderful information the items we found. Ava's Axe, "Hew", is an excellent magical item, potent against plant material. The statue is most fascinating. It's a divinity focus. Casts Augury for anyone who asks it a question. Only seems to work once per person. I think we'll keep it around.
The pub was entirely too boisterous for my tastes. But Sildar was able to expound on my knowledge of Wave Echo Cave. A magical item factory made by an alliance of human wizards, dwarven smiths, and gnomish tinkerers. Local orcs heard of the place and launched an attack. The ensuing battle killed scores on each side, and destroyed the very heart of the mine. Gundren says he knows a secret passage in. Plans to restart the forge. Trouble is, the Cragmaws and this Black Spider are most surely on their way there. Not to mention monsters and undead.
Trym's planning some ridiculous disguises. I hope they won't be necessary, but nevertheless, it is an extra asset. A battered miner wandered in. Human and ornery. Said goblins attacked his camp in the south east Sword Mountains. Trym and Ava, both deep in their pups, promised bengence for the poor lad. It seems helpfulness has become an addiction to the two. A big day tomorrow. I hope for a good night's rest.
Back in Phandalin for a bit of errands and rest. Stopped by the shrin of Lick to see if Sister Garelle could shed some light on the trinkets we picked up in Cragmaw Castle. While she took a look, we visited Trym's aunt at her farm. A humble folk, the halflings. Trym seems a bit of an anomaly amongst her normally shy, reerved people. Small wonder she took to the adventuring life. Her "Bag of Tricks" provided the evenings entertainment.
Trym's Aunt was a most gracious host. Poor woman was most grevious to learn of her friend Reidoth's death, a druid who was slain by the dragon in Thundertree. Still, she managed to make us a marvelous potato soup. So savory.
Sister Garelle was not dissapointing. She gave us wonderful information the items we found. Ava's Axe, "Hew", is an excellent magical item, potent against plant material. The statue is most fascinating. It's a divinity focus. Casts Augury for anyone who asks it a question. Only seems to work once per person. I think we'll keep it around.
The pub was entirely too boisterous for my tastes. But Sildar was able to expound on my knowledge of Wave Echo Cave. A magical item factory made by an alliance of human wizards, dwarven smiths, and gnomish tinkerers. Local orcs heard of the place and launched an attack. The ensuing battle killed scores on each side, and destroyed the very heart of the mine. Gundren says he knows a secret passage in. Plans to restart the forge. Trouble is, the Cragmaws and this Black Spider are most surely on their way there. Not to mention monsters and undead.
Trym's planning some ridiculous disguises. I hope they won't be necessary, but nevertheless, it is an extra asset. A battered miner wandered in. Human and ornery. Said goblins attacked his camp in the south east Sword Mountains. Trym and Ava, both deep in their pups, promised bengence for the poor lad. It seems helpfulness has become an addiction to the two. A big day tomorrow. I hope for a good night's rest.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Scribe Notes - Vol. 4: Cragmaw Castle
If you haven't already done so, be sure to read the previous posts in the Scribe Notes series for the complete back story!
While riding, we learned of Thaelin's affiliation with the Circle of the Forest - a protective group of druids assigned to different parts of the forests of Faerûn. As it turns out, Thundertree and Cragmaw Castle are in his jurisdiction.
We came to the outskirts of the castle in the dense woods. Seven crumbling towers above the tree line. Despite its dilapidated appearance, it remains quite defensive. Best be cautious...
We approached a side entrance on the south. Trym sneaked ahead to investigate. We first made way into the banquet hall... and loudly introduced ourselves to eight goblins during their evening meal. Three got away and dragged us into a trap. I set flame to the extra goblins and we set off north, only to find more goblins. One set off into the woods in terror. The rest weren't as lucky. One of the doors was trapped and nearly swept us up in a pile of rubble, cutting off two passages in the process. We also found some dwarven sized armor in a stock room. Grabbed a longsword next to it, hoping to return it to Gundren.
Hobgoblins greeted us in the next room. Confounding cantrips! So difficult to bring forth in my mind. But Ava slew two with a single stroke! After the battle, we secured the room and took a short rest to recuperate. I swear we've spent two days in this castle.
Found the wretched, defiled altar in the northern tower, attended by three of the goblin cultists. We cut them down in almost an instant. The last one, Lupo, cried out to his "god." We cleared the altar of its trinkets and admired the once great shrine to Oghma.
The room to the south of the shrine contained a fascinating brazier. Human made, dedicated to many gods, not just Oghma. More curious was the tiny statue of a sun elf in the coals. But most curious was the enormous beaked worm that dropped down on us from the ceiling. I attempted to slow it with a poison arrow, but the spell fizzled most embarrassingly. It dodged my witch bolt, but Ava made an elegant chop to its head. Thaelin identified the beast as a "Grick" - subterranean monsters that use camouflage to blend into their surroundings.
We finally found Gundren, beaten on the ground and in the presence of what surely must be this "Black Spider." A vile drow woman with a wolf and a bugbear in tow. A mighty battle... Thaelin's bears made short work of the wolf. I surprised the drow with a mighty artillery of magic missiles, as Trym planted an arrow neatly in her thigh. The drow grins... a respectable adversary.
A flurry of blows! The drow looks to Trym and says her name, taking the halfling aback. Another volley of magical energy and the drow... well, I can only say "withered" before our eyes. It lost all color and form. Most disturbing. A shapeshifter is not quite what you'd imagine in the flesh.
The bugbear put up quite a fight to the very end. "King Grohl", apparently... didn't seem all that dignified for a king. This "Black Spider", unfortunately, is merely an impostor. Gundren begs us to make haste to Wave Echo Cave to save his brethren. No rest for the adventurer, it seems.
I'll have to inform the Temple of Oghma of the shrine's cleansing when next in Neverwinter. Still... such a marvelous day. The shrine is cleansed and we move on to Phandalin for some much needed rest. I am eager to see what else Oghma has in store...
While riding, we learned of Thaelin's affiliation with the Circle of the Forest - a protective group of druids assigned to different parts of the forests of Faerûn. As it turns out, Thundertree and Cragmaw Castle are in his jurisdiction.
We came to the outskirts of the castle in the dense woods. Seven crumbling towers above the tree line. Despite its dilapidated appearance, it remains quite defensive. Best be cautious...
We approached a side entrance on the south. Trym sneaked ahead to investigate. We first made way into the banquet hall... and loudly introduced ourselves to eight goblins during their evening meal. Three got away and dragged us into a trap. I set flame to the extra goblins and we set off north, only to find more goblins. One set off into the woods in terror. The rest weren't as lucky. One of the doors was trapped and nearly swept us up in a pile of rubble, cutting off two passages in the process. We also found some dwarven sized armor in a stock room. Grabbed a longsword next to it, hoping to return it to Gundren.
Hobgoblins greeted us in the next room. Confounding cantrips! So difficult to bring forth in my mind. But Ava slew two with a single stroke! After the battle, we secured the room and took a short rest to recuperate. I swear we've spent two days in this castle.
Found the wretched, defiled altar in the northern tower, attended by three of the goblin cultists. We cut them down in almost an instant. The last one, Lupo, cried out to his "god." We cleared the altar of its trinkets and admired the once great shrine to Oghma.
The room to the south of the shrine contained a fascinating brazier. Human made, dedicated to many gods, not just Oghma. More curious was the tiny statue of a sun elf in the coals. But most curious was the enormous beaked worm that dropped down on us from the ceiling. I attempted to slow it with a poison arrow, but the spell fizzled most embarrassingly. It dodged my witch bolt, but Ava made an elegant chop to its head. Thaelin identified the beast as a "Grick" - subterranean monsters that use camouflage to blend into their surroundings.
We finally found Gundren, beaten on the ground and in the presence of what surely must be this "Black Spider." A vile drow woman with a wolf and a bugbear in tow. A mighty battle... Thaelin's bears made short work of the wolf. I surprised the drow with a mighty artillery of magic missiles, as Trym planted an arrow neatly in her thigh. The drow grins... a respectable adversary.
A flurry of blows! The drow looks to Trym and says her name, taking the halfling aback. Another volley of magical energy and the drow... well, I can only say "withered" before our eyes. It lost all color and form. Most disturbing. A shapeshifter is not quite what you'd imagine in the flesh.
The bugbear put up quite a fight to the very end. "King Grohl", apparently... didn't seem all that dignified for a king. This "Black Spider", unfortunately, is merely an impostor. Gundren begs us to make haste to Wave Echo Cave to save his brethren. No rest for the adventurer, it seems.
I'll have to inform the Temple of Oghma of the shrine's cleansing when next in Neverwinter. Still... such a marvelous day. The shrine is cleansed and we move on to Phandalin for some much needed rest. I am eager to see what else Oghma has in store...
Scribe Notes - Vol. 3: An Unfit Adventurer
If you haven't already done so, be sure to read the previous posts in the Scribe Notes series for the complete back story!
Vexing sounds in the forest... or a lack of noise, really. Webs. Thicker as we go. We heard a scream in the woods. Ava found its source - a large hold in the ground, covered in webs. Trym scouted ahead... loudly, and led us to a cavern full of bodies and spiders. Odd humanoid spiders. Grotesque creatures! Something about the close quarters or unfavorable surroundings made it hard to get out effective spells. Ava took quite a beating from these arachnid monstrosities. But all was not for naught, for we found quite a horde in that hole. Trinkets, coin, and magical items. A pouch most curious. Seems to be bigger on the inside.
Ettercaps, the creatures are called. Spider shepherds. We pulled a live human from the webs. Thaelin is what he can do to heal the poor lad.
The boy's name is Taman Starag. He took quite a beating. Risked his life to be an adventurer. His whole party was killed chasing the treasure that horde. We gave him a share of the gold and my long sword. He was exceptionally grateful, and told us to look him up in Neverwinter so he could repay us. I hope he makes it home in one piece.
Vexing sounds in the forest... or a lack of noise, really. Webs. Thicker as we go. We heard a scream in the woods. Ava found its source - a large hold in the ground, covered in webs. Trym scouted ahead... loudly, and led us to a cavern full of bodies and spiders. Odd humanoid spiders. Grotesque creatures! Something about the close quarters or unfavorable surroundings made it hard to get out effective spells. Ava took quite a beating from these arachnid monstrosities. But all was not for naught, for we found quite a horde in that hole. Trinkets, coin, and magical items. A pouch most curious. Seems to be bigger on the inside.
Ettercaps, the creatures are called. Spider shepherds. We pulled a live human from the webs. Thaelin is what he can do to heal the poor lad.
The boy's name is Taman Starag. He took quite a beating. Risked his life to be an adventurer. His whole party was killed chasing the treasure that horde. We gave him a share of the gold and my long sword. He was exceptionally grateful, and told us to look him up in Neverwinter so he could repay us. I hope he makes it home in one piece.
Scribe Notes - Vol. 2: Reclaiming Thundertree
If you haven't already done so, be sure to read the previous posts in the Scribe Notes series for the complete back story!
We set fire to the occultist's cottage and cut them down as they fled the flames... On a happier note, I successfully cast a Flame Sphere for the first time. Burned three of them to a crisp; poor devils. Rinn rushed us away from the scene and spoke of trust. His real name is Thaelin.
The plan... if one were to call it that, is for Thaelin to coax the dragon into prematurely using its acid breath while we lay in wait. While it recovers its breath, we are to beat the creature into fleeing... wish me well! I'm planning on using that scroll of fireball.
A mighty battle! We rushed in as soon as the acid cleared. Thaelin was split into many forms. A clever tick. Ava fired off two shots, landing one. Trym missed once... twice. But that scroll! By Oghma, such a fiery blast! It nearly took the whole tower in flame. Thaelin rent the ground beneath it's feet, but it took flight and chewed through one of his illusions. His response was to summon a pair of brown bears. After that I must say I lost track of the action. Last I remember, the dragon was flying away with our arrows and fire still wounding it. Thaelin has agreed to show us to Cragmaw Castle. Oghma be praised!
While we rested at Thaelin's cottage, he told us of Cragmaw Castle: a former human settlement, taken over by the Cragmaw Goblin clan. Awful creatures. They worship a vile god called Maglubiyet. Only a day's ride to the site. Oghma's first task for me me... almost complete!
We set fire to the occultist's cottage and cut them down as they fled the flames... On a happier note, I successfully cast a Flame Sphere for the first time. Burned three of them to a crisp; poor devils. Rinn rushed us away from the scene and spoke of trust. His real name is Thaelin.
The plan... if one were to call it that, is for Thaelin to coax the dragon into prematurely using its acid breath while we lay in wait. While it recovers its breath, we are to beat the creature into fleeing... wish me well! I'm planning on using that scroll of fireball.
A mighty battle! We rushed in as soon as the acid cleared. Thaelin was split into many forms. A clever tick. Ava fired off two shots, landing one. Trym missed once... twice. But that scroll! By Oghma, such a fiery blast! It nearly took the whole tower in flame. Thaelin rent the ground beneath it's feet, but it took flight and chewed through one of his illusions. His response was to summon a pair of brown bears. After that I must say I lost track of the action. Last I remember, the dragon was flying away with our arrows and fire still wounding it. Thaelin has agreed to show us to Cragmaw Castle. Oghma be praised!
While we rested at Thaelin's cottage, he told us of Cragmaw Castle: a former human settlement, taken over by the Cragmaw Goblin clan. Awful creatures. They worship a vile god called Maglubiyet. Only a day's ride to the site. Oghma's first task for me me... almost complete!
Scribe Notes - Vol. 1: The Dragon of Thundertree
The first Scribe Notes were taken while the PCs were still in the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure from the 5e starter box, and pick up after the party drove Redbrands out of Phandalin, and were trying to find Cragmaw castle. After clearing a band of orcs from Wyvern Tor for a wayward Necromancer named Hunan Kost, the wizard advised the party to seek out the Banshee Agatha in the ruins of Thundertree. If they could convince her to help them, she could tell them the location of Cragmaw Castle. After a brief stop at the House of Knowledge in Neverwinter to do some research on the destruction of Thundertree, the eruption of Mt. Hotenow, and Agatha herself, they headed off in pursuit of the banshee.
After battling stirges and goblins, our comrade Trym took grievous injuries in a night ambush. But our valiant fighter Ava rushed into the fray in nothing more than her sleeping garments and a helmet! Firing bow and swinging sword, she laid waste to three, no four goblins! I flung magic missiles as fast as I could, but barely kept up. We won the night, but at quite a cost to our health. A good rest, and we were back to work.
Our first examination of Thundertree was of an old crumbling cottage. Roofless and depressing. Entirely worthless in both value and knowledge. In fact, most of Thundertree offered nothing in terms of usable assets.
Trym is a most disruptive little person! Constantly switching note and toppers on my research supplies. I assume at this point she enjoys my displeasure. At least the shield maiden Ava respects the virtues of knowledge and privacy! Her company is a boon to both mood and offensive skills.
Anyway, the plants here are most ponderous. I swear I was some moving out of the corner of my eye. Then one snatched up Trym! Several of these blighted bushes attacked us. Only through the skill and determination of our comrades were we able to overcome these monstrosities. I was elated to have dispatched one with my longsword. Normally I would take no delight in such base endeavors, but Ava has taught me much of the martial arts of swordsmanship. I never understood the skill and concentration required. I have a new respect for the physical prowess involved.
Still, my magic was needed when ash zombies attacked, biting Ava on the neck! After many battles with these horrors, we finally made it to a well maintained cottage, living in by a mysterious little fellow wearing the vestments of a circus side show. He wanted of yet another "insurmountable danger." Boredom endures... but lo! Tales of a green dragon upon the hillside! Surely, these are the adventures I dreamed of as a young elf. A real dragon! In the flesh!
But for tonight, we rest and eat. The little fellow offered us a dinner of salad and berries. Made me full. Never did catch his name... "Rinn", we found out in the morning, after more of these peculiar berries. Rinn insists on a detour to deal with some dragon worshipers. He says they mean to make a deal with the beast, and pose a danger.
Off to some mayhem, I suppose. 'Tis the nature of "field work"...
After battling stirges and goblins, our comrade Trym took grievous injuries in a night ambush. But our valiant fighter Ava rushed into the fray in nothing more than her sleeping garments and a helmet! Firing bow and swinging sword, she laid waste to three, no four goblins! I flung magic missiles as fast as I could, but barely kept up. We won the night, but at quite a cost to our health. A good rest, and we were back to work.
Our first examination of Thundertree was of an old crumbling cottage. Roofless and depressing. Entirely worthless in both value and knowledge. In fact, most of Thundertree offered nothing in terms of usable assets.
Trym is a most disruptive little person! Constantly switching note and toppers on my research supplies. I assume at this point she enjoys my displeasure. At least the shield maiden Ava respects the virtues of knowledge and privacy! Her company is a boon to both mood and offensive skills.
Anyway, the plants here are most ponderous. I swear I was some moving out of the corner of my eye. Then one snatched up Trym! Several of these blighted bushes attacked us. Only through the skill and determination of our comrades were we able to overcome these monstrosities. I was elated to have dispatched one with my longsword. Normally I would take no delight in such base endeavors, but Ava has taught me much of the martial arts of swordsmanship. I never understood the skill and concentration required. I have a new respect for the physical prowess involved.
Still, my magic was needed when ash zombies attacked, biting Ava on the neck! After many battles with these horrors, we finally made it to a well maintained cottage, living in by a mysterious little fellow wearing the vestments of a circus side show. He wanted of yet another "insurmountable danger." Boredom endures... but lo! Tales of a green dragon upon the hillside! Surely, these are the adventures I dreamed of as a young elf. A real dragon! In the flesh!
But for tonight, we rest and eat. The little fellow offered us a dinner of salad and berries. Made me full. Never did catch his name... "Rinn", we found out in the morning, after more of these peculiar berries. Rinn insists on a detour to deal with some dragon worshipers. He says they mean to make a deal with the beast, and pose a danger.
Off to some mayhem, I suppose. 'Tis the nature of "field work"...
Scribe Notes - An Explanation
DM-ing is a lot of work. At any given moment, the DM is expected to track combat mechanics, play the parts of multiple (often dozens of) NPCs and Monsters, translate player actions into rules, keep track of where players are within a story, make on the fly adjustments to planned events, cross-reference data across at least three rule books, read prepared descriptions, tell a story that's being made up in real time, and much more; all while keeping the atmosphere fun, engaging, and exciting for the PCs. It takes years of practice to truly master, and I've been out of the game for longer than I was in, so I'm still finding my grove again.
As part of my attempt to lighten my workload so I can focus on keeping the story going, I offer my players a small (5%) experience bonus to track some of the game mechanics for me. Specifically, I have one player track initiative, another track treasure and experience, and another keep notes on the general events of a game session, so we can refresh everyone's memory on what happened last time at the start of each new session. This last job provided me with an unexpected surprise, when I found that the player taking the role of party scribe (Val) wrote all his notes in first person perspective, the way one would write a journal.
His notes beautifully tell the story of my campaign from a character's perspective, and are infused with delightful little quips that shed light on Val's personality. I look forward to hearing these scribe notes every week, and I love the idea of doing something with them, so I've decided that I'll present them here for you to enjoy.
My general method for posting on this blog from week to week will be to wait until the PCs complete a given adventure, then post the materials I created to run it, along with my comments on what I liked, or what I would have done differently. I'll then post the Scribe Notes for the adventure. This will allow any DMs using this blog to get the core mechanics of an adventure, a DMs take on what worked and what didn't, and a player's perspective on how the story unfolded. And as an added bonus, any curious reader could start at the beginning, read only the Player Character descriptions and Scribe Notes posts, and have a solid understanding of the entire story of our campaign.
It's worth noting that these notes are written quickly, and were never designed to be proper works of fiction. And while I may do a little light copy editing (mostly to correct spellings and improve readability), these stories are not my work, and are not being submitted for creative or stylistic critique; they're just a lot of fun to read.
So with that by way of an introduction, please enjoy the backlog of Scribe Notes that we've taken so far.
As part of my attempt to lighten my workload so I can focus on keeping the story going, I offer my players a small (5%) experience bonus to track some of the game mechanics for me. Specifically, I have one player track initiative, another track treasure and experience, and another keep notes on the general events of a game session, so we can refresh everyone's memory on what happened last time at the start of each new session. This last job provided me with an unexpected surprise, when I found that the player taking the role of party scribe (Val) wrote all his notes in first person perspective, the way one would write a journal.
His notes beautifully tell the story of my campaign from a character's perspective, and are infused with delightful little quips that shed light on Val's personality. I look forward to hearing these scribe notes every week, and I love the idea of doing something with them, so I've decided that I'll present them here for you to enjoy.
My general method for posting on this blog from week to week will be to wait until the PCs complete a given adventure, then post the materials I created to run it, along with my comments on what I liked, or what I would have done differently. I'll then post the Scribe Notes for the adventure. This will allow any DMs using this blog to get the core mechanics of an adventure, a DMs take on what worked and what didn't, and a player's perspective on how the story unfolded. And as an added bonus, any curious reader could start at the beginning, read only the Player Character descriptions and Scribe Notes posts, and have a solid understanding of the entire story of our campaign.
It's worth noting that these notes are written quickly, and were never designed to be proper works of fiction. And while I may do a little light copy editing (mostly to correct spellings and improve readability), these stories are not my work, and are not being submitted for creative or stylistic critique; they're just a lot of fun to read.
So with that by way of an introduction, please enjoy the backlog of Scribe Notes that we've taken so far.
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