Session 14

Date Played: December 23, 2000





Lunadain, 22nd of Vatermont, 1,000 A.C. (sometime around 8:30 pm)

Huddled close for warmth, the party and the escaped refugees from the orc lair decide to get as far away from the orcs as possible. The refugees were given some food and the party gathered together as much cloth as they could find to create makeshift clothing for the trek. Sacks and blankets were converted into tunics and footwear for the humans and halflings. They then broke camp and fled at a slow rate. The going was slow because of the condition of the refugees and the fact that they traveled in almost complete darkness (humans were led by Markus and the halflings while Eric tried his best to conceal the trail behind them). After traveling about 4 miles, they collapsed and slept a short while.

Gromdain, 23rd of Vatermont 1,000 A.C. (break camp at 8 am)

Breaking camp after a 4 hour rest period, the party marched on, although slightly faster now that the humans could see. The day was frigid and the refugees were suffering from the cold. Luckily there were no encounters. One of the humans had developed a pain in his feet, and it was sure to turn into frostbite unless the party could get him to a warm place and a healer quickly.

Tserdain, 24th of Vatermont, 1,000 A.C. (break camp at 6 am)

At first light, the party moved on, breaking through the trees in the midst of a snow flurry. A forced march brought them back to Radlebb Keep by early afternoon. Maribor and Torino left to report to their commanding officer while the rest of the party headed for the warmth and comfort of the Wolfsnarl Inn. The refugees sat by the fire, warming themselves. Everyone then ate a hearty meal, food for the refugees being provided by Chow-Lin’s generosity.

The party decided to talk to the refugees and try to get some idea of how they got captured and where they came from. Pietro, the youngest of the humans, was a lad from the nearby Radlebb village, a Traladaran settlement just northwest of the keep. He thanked the party profusely for dinner and then ran on home. Darius and Yuri were from Luln, the next town along the Westron Road to the west of the Keep. They were very happy to be rescued but they, like the others, had no clothing, food, or means of providing for themselves. They needed the basic necessities and the party seemed happy to provide them with some (well, at least Chow-Lin tried, Markus just kept wondering how much they were worth as slaves).

Eric left to get some help for the old man at the Keep. He was directed to speak with Prefect Davidian in the Keep’s Chapel of Vanya (Minerva). The Prefect gathered some herbal remedies and followed Eric back to the inn. There he tended to the old man’s frostbitten feet and gave him some herbal tea to help him sleep and heal. He then provided a sedative tea for the young woman who seemed to be in shock. The tea helped to calm her down, enough so that she could sleep. Arrangements were made for the old man and the woman to remain in the Prefect’s care at the Keep until they were healthy enough to move on. The others would have to be provided for by their rescuers as the provisions were tightly controlled at the Keep, in true military style.

Moldain, 25th of Vatermont, 1,000 A.C.

The party outfitted Darius, Yuri, Hamlin, Margo, and Gimble with clothes and food. Yuri and Darius thanked their rescuers and then headed off to Luln, hoping to make it there before nightfall. Chow-Lin’s generous donations of clothing and food will obviously be remembered. Hamlin, the only true adventurer out of the group of ex-slaves, was willing to continue his adventuring career with the party if they could help outfit him. Margo and Gimble simply wanted to leave, Gimble wanting to go home to the Shires and Margo to the big city of Specularum.

Future Plans

Since the party required training at this point, they decided to head back to Specularum. Once there they intend to see Gimble off on the next available boat to the Shires. Hamlin intends on sticking with the party. Markus still owes a great debt to the Assassin’s Guild in Luln. Unless he pays this off soon, he is likely to become a hunted man. Eric also owes a debt to his teacher, Rathamandaris, back at the Holy Oak. In addition, both Markus and Eric need to train to learn new skills. Markus now learns thieving skills, and Eric gains yet another spell level and the ability to identify plants, animals, and pure water. Chow-Lin has gained enough experience to warrant the learning of another first level spell. She may return to the Magician’s Guild in Specularum under the tutelage of the Guild Wizard.

The plan stands that the party will set off at the earliest convenient time to journey back to Specularum. Once there they could gain extra money by attempting to sell their map, or hold onto the map until it is completed to their satisfaction. The potions, gems, and jewelry they discovered will undoubtedly go towards their training costs. They will have to sell some of their potions if they require more coin. Perhaps they could find a moneylender in the city, or maybe Lord Vorloi would lend them the money required to complete their training. Of course, this means that they would be indebted to him and likely sent on another mission of his choosing instead of their own.

Cast of Non-Player Characters

Hamlin, Margo, Gimble – halfling refugees
Darius, Marion, Aster, Yuri, Pietro – human refugees (3 Thyatians/2 Traladarans)
Sub-Commander Maribor – warrior from Radlebb Keep who accompanied party to the orc lair.
Soldier Torino – man-at-arms under direct command of Sub-Commander Maribor.

DUNGEON MASTER'S NOTES: The party did very well in the orc lair, despite being defeated and captured. They managed to keep their cool and fight their way out – something they would never have attempted otherwise. During this adventure they managed to slay 1 worg, 21 orcs, 1 ogre, 1 orc chief (in his sleep), some orc hags, and 2 orc whelps. They escaped with 6,713.94 gp worth of treasure and the box of 8 potions Chow-Lin smuggled out of the chief's treasure chest. They received XP bonuses for rescuing 5 humans, 3 halflings, 4 goblins, and 3 kobolds, as well as mapping 36 hexes on their map of the Radlebb Woods. I granted 20 XP per hex mapped. After treasure division, the following XP awards were given:

Chow-Lin: 2,980

Markus: 2,928

Eric: 3,166 (gets +10% to earned XP)

Also note that the temple in Radlebb Keep was dedicated to Vanya (Minerva). I vacillated between using Roman gods and Mystaran gods in this setting. I see either as viable, and I've used the names interchangeably. Using the more familiar Roman names allows the players to more easily identify with the religion. Since the Church of Karameikos essentially is polytheistic, this works well.

We took an extended hiatus at this point due to holidays and other commitments. It would be 2 months before the group got back together again!