Game Session Twenty Three (b)

Game session Twenty Three (b): Saturday November 16, 2002

Link to last game

The game session started the evening of Harvester 16, 3080 YE. The party is resting inside an Inn in the City State of Greenswabs. They are sitting drinking and listening to people spin tales of Rappan Athuk and how deadly the place is. "Nonsense", they think, "No place can be that deadly".

At this point the party consists of four characters:
Lars Ulriche; A Paladin of St. Cuthbert, Lars is exceptionally strong not only in righteousness but also physical strength. He has as a Paladin's mount, a pegasus named Peg.
Quill; This elf is in the process of mastering the bow. His mighty composite longbow is a deadly weapon in his hands. He hopes to live long enough to master the arts of the arcane archer.
Windcheque; This druid seems like a odd companion for the rest, but his strengths will come in handy. As will the help of his animal companion. The 30 ft. long Dire Tiger named Woods.
Ogden Smash; Last is the cleric of Fharlanghn. Besides the obvious strengths of his divine spells he also carries a magic mace that can affect even those creatures without bodies.

As they finish up their dinners a young lad dressed in the livery of Greenswabs approached their table asking them if they were adventurers. They of course answered yes and the lad tells them the governor of Greenswabs requests their presence at the palace for a mission of utmost importance. As they agree and get up to leave they notice the lad going to another table and asking the people there the same question.

As you approach the palace your are escorted to a waiting room outside the governor's Audience Chamber. As you sit there you notice you are one among several groups waiting outside. As you wait you see several groups enter the Audience Chamber full of enthusiasm, only to leave shortly with looks of disappointment and fear.

As you sit pondering this the door to the Audience Chamber opens and the chamberlain announces that it is now your party's turn to meet the governor of Greenswabs.

You are brought into the presence of the present Governor of Greenswabs, Count John Brunis, also present was His Holiness, Jorlon, the High Priest of Pelor in Greenswabs.

After you have introduced yourselves the Governor, he outlines the task that need doing. Telling you of brigand attacks and hi-way robbery that have been halting trade with the villages to the east of Greenswabs and to the north of the River of the Ancients. The Count tells you of how three weeks ago he sent a force of 30 fighting men to the area near the village of Waycombe. So far there has been no report, no message, no rider - not even a rumor of their fate.

The Governor has called for bands of adventurers, seeking to select a special band of volunteers to go to the Waycombe area, discover the fate of the first expedition, investigate the reports of highway robbery, and if possible put and end to this trouble. The Count then said that they should expect great danger, but also great rewards, as the Governor of Greenswabs was known to all a generous man.

"You are accepted for this task. What you must do seems simple. Travel to the village of Waycombe in the east. Learn the fate of my squad of men; they were led by Barto Trume, one of my most trusted soldiers. Then find these detestable brigands and eliminate them; summary justice is approved by my authority. Above all else, find out if there is any further evil behind these vicious attacks. If so, eliminate it. Your reward for success will be whatever you regain from the evil you discover, plus my personal gratitude."

The party decided to take on this challenge. Lars immediately agreeing (especially liking the idea of summary justice against brigands) and the rest bargaining for some more tangible up front reward. Finally the Count, and Jorlon, agreed to supply the party with two cure moderate wounds potions each, along with mounts. At that Count told them to meet back here tomorrow where he has arranged a meeting with some of the merchants where the party could question them.

After spending a quiet night in the Inn the party was approached again at breakfast by a page with a summons to the Governors Palace. You are led into a large public audience chamber. The Count John Brunis is sitting in the center of a long table, you are led to seats on either side of him. The High Priest Jorlon, is standing behind the Count.

The audience chamber is filled with merchants, along with few men in armor (unarmed though) who look like mercenary guards. There were two large doors in the back, manned by guards in the Count's livery and in each corner behind you priests of Pelor in robes with their heads bowed..

The merchants start complaining loudly and finally Count Brunis silences them and allows you to ask questions.

Questing the merchants you managed to get the following information.
- The attacks always seem to occur along the main routes near the village of Waycombe and the Dark Crag Marshes
- The brigands always come from the north
- The brigands look like normal men
- The merchants believe the brigands to be very tough fighters. Their mercenary guards have been ineffective against their attacks, with most of the guards fleeing as the attacks begin.
- The brigands actively pursue the fleeing guards. The belief is that many have been taken prisoner.
- All the brigand attacks have been preceded by the appearance of a harmless-looking old man who stops at the head of the merchant column asking for directions.
- There is always great confusion during the attacks, so the number of actual brigands is hard to estimate.

While the questioning is going on Windcheque got the strong feeling that someone, or something was scrying the party from afar.

As the questioning was winding down, several of the party members heard one of the priests in the corner start chanting "Oh great power of evil, destroy now thine enemies . .. " At that there was suddenly a large flame strike that came down centered on the Count, but catching the party in it's effects also.

Immediately Windcheque and Ogden were down unconscious, John Brunis, being unarmed, had ran behind him at grab a sword off the wall. Both Lars and Quill saw one of the priests run from the room, but neither seemed able to bring themselves to attack him, neither did the guards at the door, or even Wincheque's great dire tiger. As the priest ran out of the room, Lars followed but the man had disappeared by the time he reached the doorway.

Back in the room, Jorlon was busy healing the count while lesser priests were healing the rest of the party. The Count urged the party to make haste with their mission, for he now "feared the worst" and felt that "quick decisive action is vitally important". With that, and the party healed back to full strength by the priests of Pelor summoned by Jorlon, they mount up and exit the city.

The party headed east out of Greenswabs in the direction of Waycombe and the Mistwall. The first day of their journey was uneventful and they arrived at the Robin's Breast Inn near nightfall. As they entered the inn the first thing they noticed is that there were only a few customers in a tavern that supposedly is usually packed with travelers. Most of the customers look like local farmers or craftsmen. Absolutely no merchants at all.

Looking about the room you see only one individual of note; a young, lanky lad clad in a leather jerkin and a green hat, sitting alone in the corner. He is softly plucking on a stringed instrument.

As the party settles in at their table the young lad approached them, introduced himself as Puck the Minstrel, and offered to sing them a song or two in exchange for a few pieces of silver. One of the songs he offers to play in called "The Ballad of Sakatha", a local peasant story. At the sound of this offer the other local in the bar began to make angry comments such as "Let evil lie sleeping, you fool!" and "Why invite more trouble? Stick to your silly songs and leave us in piece" and "You suck! Play Freebird." Puck tried to tell the patrons that it was only a ballad used to frighten naughty children at night.

Finally the innkeeper, William Brightboy, spoke up. He said that that song was never to be sung inside his tavern, and that if Pluck wanted to sing it, and the party really wanted to hear it, it would have to be outside his walls. At that the party agreed, leaving the Robin's Breast and standing in the outer court while Pluck sang.

Here is the song that Pluck sang to them;

The Ballad of Sakatha

Sakatha once was the Great Lizard King,
Said to have power stored in a ring.
O'er swamplands and plains lands his dominions they spread;
His very name filled all creatures with dread.

To build his great tomb in the midst of the marsh,
Many men died in slavery most harsh.
His minions took all of our best for his altar;
Not for a day did his bloody thirst falter.

Then there arose the great Men of Greenswabs,
The greatest of heroes in those days of yore;
He slew Sakatha in the Battle of Waycombe;
The Lizard Men carried their slaughtered chief home.

And now he awaits in the cold sleep of death
His day of awakening, his first newborn breath.
Though deep in the ground his followers closed him
He'll come back for vengeance on those who opposed him.

After that the party paid Pluck a gold piece and wondered what was so frightful about that song. Several members of the party remember hearing the name Sakatha before, something to do with the history of Greenswabs, but no one could remember any details.

Going back into the Robin's Breast Inn the party settled down for the night. In the morning they saddled up their mounts and headed off towards Waycombe.

As the party approached the great stone bridge that spanned the Olokon River they were ambushed by a score of lizard men who were hiding in the marshes underneath the bridge. Quill and Ogden spurred their mounts onto the bridge while Windcheque and Woods retreated back down the road. Overhead Lars saw the commotion and started to head down atop Peg. As the lizardmen started climbing onto the bridge it quickly became a slugfest with Ogden beating on them with his mace, Quill firing arrow after arrow into them, Windcheque wading into melee, and finally Woods the dire tiger slapping lizardman after lizardman to death with his huge paws. By the time Lars and Peg had landed there was nothing left but mopping up. Both Windcheque and Woods took a lot of damage. Woods could handle the pain but Windcheque was seriously hurting.

The game ended here on the afternoon of Harvester 18, 3080 YE. The party has just finished killing all the lizardmen and have not yet settles down to rest. No healing or recovery of spells has taken place.

Unanswered Questions:

• What is really going on? There seems to be more than mere bandits at work here but what?
• Who is this Sakatha fellow anyway?

Session Twenty Three (b)  Experience

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