Chapter Two: A Dangerous Escape
Total XV = 6 (x2)
Treasures | ||
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Substantial Treasure | none | |
none | Total XV did not exceed 10 | |
Minor Treasure 6 per Player | taker | |
(1-4) | MONEY [x4] | 2 for Jason, 2 for David |
(5-6) | Metal Flask [x2] | |
(7) | Metal Lantern | |
(8) | Canvas Pack | |
(9) | Blacksash Fingerless Gloves [+2 Blue, +2 Green to Command against Arcanists] | |
(10) | Feathered Steel Sword [+2 Red, +2 Green to throwing/trickshot] | |
(11) | Red Potion [unknown tonic] | |
(12) | Impression [not an alliance, because it's minor treasure] the next time you meet the same Silver Arrows that greeted you near the river, you can choose to add two green dice to a roll pertaining to them. |
Monsters
the Silent Camp at Dawn | |
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XV | 1 |
Flesh (2 End) + Metal (4 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Terrain" Is not monster, is terrain. |
ABL 2 | "Swarm" Attacks all players separately at once. |
ABL 3 | "Suspense" If anyone roles NO HITS and at lease one ONE the whole group is spotted and re-caged. |
Weakness | "Inanimate" Doesn't change tactics. |
the Drunken Mob | |
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XV | 4 |
Flesh (2 END) + Wood (3 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Swarm" |
ABL 2 | "+1 Damage Checkbox" Adds a Damagebox |
ABL 3 | "Attack (Flying Chair)" +2 Red Dice |
Weakness | "Can Be Contained" won't follow anyone out into the street |
Additional Powers | |
+1 XV | "Armor" They are all wearing street armor. |
+1 XV | "No Way Out" Based on "Knockdown" - +2 Green Dice to keeping the party contained. Green+White hits become Hits of Effort to Escape. |
+1 XV | "+1 White Dice" These guys are supposed to be tough. |
War Dogs | |
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XV | 1 |
Flesh (2 End) + Bone (3 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Armor" Leather Bindings wrapped around the beasts. |
ABL 2 | "No Way Out" +2 Green Dice to keeping them in the Mill. |
ABL 3 | "Attack" +2 Red Dice (bite) |
Weakness | "See's Red" They will stop to eat anything that's dead. |
(unencountered)
the Persuing Throng of Decivocth | |
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XV | 2 |
Flesh (2 End) + Metal (4 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Swarm" Attacks all players. |
ABL 2 | "Armor" +2 Blue Dice |
ABL 3 | "Attack" +2 Red Dice (Arrows) |
Weakness | "Can Be Contained" They won't pursue too far from the camp |
+1 XV | "Big" +2 Damage Boxes, +1 Red Dice, +1 Blue Dice |
Thregoth | |
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XV | 1 |
Flesh (2 End) + Metal (4 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Attack" +2 Red Dice with his gutting blade |
ABL 2 | "Armor" +2 Blue for slimey black plate |
ABL 3 | "Additional Attack" Attacks two players at once |
Weakness | "Weak Spot" The Face! |
the Stumbling Waste | |
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XV | 1 |
Stone (4 End) + Wind (1 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Swarm" Attacks all players. |
ABL 2 | "Terrain" Is not a monster, is Terrain. |
ABL 3 | "Suspense" They only have 4 Rounds to mark off all the group traversal boxes or they are captured and returned to the camp! |
Weakness | "Inanimate" Doesn't change tactics. |
the Mystwights | |
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XV | 3 |
Ice (2 End) + Shadow (1 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Additional Attack" Attacks twice in one round. |
ABL 2 | "Intangible" Cannot be harmed by Conventional Weapons. |
ABL 3 | "Attack" +2 Red Dice (Freezing Touch) |
Weakness | "Can Be Contained" They won't leave their pits. |
+1 XV | "Drain" +2 Green dice to drain Endurance Stat |
+1 XV | "Frightening" Command vs. 3 pre-Setup, <3= (-1) White Dice. |
the Decivocht Brawl | |
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XV | 2 |
Flesh (2 End) + Metal (4 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Terrain" Is not a monster, is terrain. |
ABL 2 | "Swarm" Attacks all players separately. |
ABL 3 | "Suspense" Skill Check in Followthrough to not be spotted and captured. |
Weakness | "Inanimate" Does not attack them as a whole group unless they fail the skill role in followthrough. |
+1 XV | "Attack" +2 Red for a wounded Decivocht to see them and attack away from the group. |
Hrothgar! | |
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XV | 6 |
Flesh (2 End) + Metal (4 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Additional Attack" Can attack both the players. |
ABL 2 | "+1 White Dice" Hrothgar is Strong |
ABL 3 | "+1 Damage Box" they are undead… |
Weakness | "Weak Spot" He's wearing no helmet… |
+1 XV | "Attack (Swordsman)" +2 Red Dice when attacking with his sword. |
+1 XV | "Attack (Throw Sword)" +2 Red Dice when throwing his sword. |
+1 XV | "Knockdown" +2 Green to knock down people. |
+1 XV | "Loot (Sword)" +1 Red |
+1 XV | "Loot (Armor)" +2 Blue |
Deathden | |
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XV | 3 |
Flesh (2 End) + Metal (4 End) | |
ABL 1 | "Bind (magic chains)" +2 Green Dice to casting magical chainspell |
ABL 2 | "Drain (Strength)" +2 Green Dice to casting drain spell |
ABL 3 | "Attack (firebolt)" +2 Red Dice to attack with firebolt spell |
Weakness | "Weak Spot" He's wearing a gaudy, oversized Cloak of Ichor |
+2 XV | "Loot (Cloak of Shields)" //+4 Blue |
The Story:
Our tale begins with Archist slowly waking from his assault, and wishing he had not. The wounds left on him by Hrothgar played no quiet melody in his head, and left no nerve in his body silent. Less than delighted with this symphony of pain, Archist listened to the voices around him as Mercy joined him in consciousness near by.
Around them were three others: a woman named Shraena, a boy named Davin, and an elderly man called Maethric. Together the five of them were trapped in a prisoner's cart, traveling somewhere unknown, and kept in such a deep darkness the curtains that covered their ride could only be shrouds of ichor. Only the voices gave our heroes any clue to their comrades. Only the straw under their bodies, and the constant jostling of the ground below them to tell them they were on the road.
The two newcomers learned from the rest that Hrothgar and his men had been setting about the realm of Beledain, kidnapping isolated individuals. Davin, being a farm-hand from the southwestern fields, was taken when alone on a dirt road. Shraena, likewise, was walking at dusk from the bar where she served toward her house along the wall, when they knocked her unconscious and she joined Davin. Only Maethric was taken in the city itself, mugged on night as he locked the doors to his personal library.
Archist made it known that the group was not in Beledain any longer. Where they were headed was a mystery, but they would not find themselves someplace friendly. These, it was obvious, were slavers, and they were about to be sold for coin.
The caravan was indeed leaving the realms of Beledain. And that night, as the carts came to a halt, their captors allowed them to be chained and then taken to some shrubs to relieve themselves. While doing so Archist and Mercy searched the horizon. As best they could tell the caravan was headed North, and they were now between the Shrouded Hills and the Stumbling Waste (which leads to Shalewood). What was worse, the group could only assume their fate lay to the far north, and the Black Kingdom of Mordekar. Unwilling to return to her tortured life in the darkness, Mercy made it known they would escape. Maethric asked Archist if the two would bring the others with them. He agreed, and that night they set to work.
Using splinters from a wooden spoon he'd pocketed, Archist picked the locks on the caravan's door, and the five of them snuck out. Davin and Shraena followed Mercy toward the food cart, sneaking past the dogs and the sleeping slavers. With some luck they found enough rations to keep them for three days. Archist and Maethric loosed the slavers horses, save for two, which they hitched to the cart with all the gang's bounty.
In a shout the five of them spurred the steeds to a sudden gallop, taking off with the treasure car, food, and only a handful of the slavers awake enough to catch onto their escape. Stearing the horses and dueling with a sword Archist managed to knock one of the attackers off of the cart. Mercy speared at one, knocking him off. And the final slaver charged them both, only to smash his teeth on a low-hanging branch from a tree Archist had driven for.
Freed for the moment they made their way west, toward the River Cardath. Along it's shores they found an old Mill, laying in ruin and abandoned for some time. They let the horses go, and used what they could scavenge to work a make-shift raft out of the cart. By that point it was nightfall again, and exhausted they made camp inside the Mill for the night.
The mills walls, though crumbling, were a fortunate choice, as they were all that stood between them and the ravenous War Hounds that found them in the night. Tracking their path for the slavers left behind, the hounds attacked with barks and howls that woke them in time to mount a defense. Using weapons taken from the treasure cart the dogs were driven back, but the night was uneasy, and the party could not stand to stay. Exhausted, hungry, and suddenly afraid of what the war hounds were a herald of, they all piled into the raft, and hoped it would not sink.
Three days later a group of Silver Arrows, now on high alert at the disappearance of at least three of Beledain's citizens, spotted something strange floating toward the Westering Bridge. As the cart took to the shore the Arrows were overjoyed to see the missing persons brought back. Some of the mercenaries in tow eyed the cart's wealth, but the leader of the trio shouted out, "Make no mistake, the whole of that treasure belongs to these," and she pointed at Mercy and Archist, "For they have earned it."
Grateful to be home again, the duo, rich with stolen wealth, took their bounty back to a familiar hovel, though somewhat skeptical of who they might find there. And so it was with great comfort they found a small contingent of the typical patrons huddled around a pensive Berkelda in the quiet Wolf's Head tavern. A scene that quickly exploded into celebration at their safe return.
Treasures
due to the horrible results of the last game, and in order to fully simulate the nature of our heroes procuring a cart-full of stolen treasure, i have elected to reward them with 12 XV worth of treasure, instead of the standard 6. I have also elected to give this treasure to them both, instead of splitting it between them.
XV 6 | 6 Minor per player |
Observations
—This is way easier than playing the Tribe of Sky and Fire.
—The Ending was ignored. Left the whole thing kinda anti-climactic. They'd just escaped! Fought War Dogs! Built a makeshift Raft! They were ready for the rest of Hrothgar's men to show up, and for the Raft to sink, and for the distance to be too far… but then i'm like: "hey, you made it home! Take some XV and let's go to bed." There could have been something at the end to make it more punchy.
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