Post by muddy on Jul 20, 2020 15:14:54 GMT -6
Last week I ran a game using Blueholme (thanks Vile Traveller ) and what I have been referring to as my vanilla dungeon - something I made formatted for a wide PC monitor, so I could use a second monitor for dungeon and key rather than the traditional pencil, paper, & DM screen. Vanilla because I made it quickly and it is pretty standard stuff. The session went smoothly and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. We are going to try to play weeknights, usually Wed or Thur 7-10pm eastern. If you are interested in joining message me.
Holedorf Berrybrook, a hobbit from the Gentle Hills of southern Sen, upon learning that he had a half brother named Hayward Hogg decided venture out to seek fortune and perhaps learn the fate of Hayward. Along the way he encountered an old acquaintance, Cassius Cosiah, who had left the family farm to become a soldier. Cassius hoped to send monies home to his impoverished family but soon realized his naivete: wielding a sword in border skirmishes barely kept him fed, unless he was willing to become a darker shade of himself. Cassius was easily persuaded to abandon his position and join in with Holedorf.
Kings Cross, their destination, was located on the border of three kingdoms. It attracted the marginal of society: mercenaries, soldiers fleeing their responsibilities, smugglers avoiding taxes. And for just that reason many Kings Men could also be found there. Most importantly, though, it was the village closest to an ancient cemetery, one that for centuries been robbed of its buried treasures. Hayward was rumored to have gone to King's Cross in search of fortune.
Upon arriving in Kings Cross, Holedorf and Cassius made their way to the Oaken Bench where, upon acquainting themselves with the owner, Duthcar, they struck a deal: a room of their own to rest for a few days and to house their belongings while they away, supplies for their venture, and knowledge of the old cemetery. All this in exchange for one quarter share of whatever they might bring back. Try has he might, Holedorf could not negotiate a lower share, for Duthcar had the winning hand – he pointed out that no one returned from the such ventures, not for the past twenty five years.
Duthcar explained that two days travel would take them into The High Moors, a barren land populated by an uncivilized clannish people who refused to recognize any king. Worse, Duthcar explained, they still bury their dead underground like heathens, in a moor known as the Dead Moor, the most remote of the highland moors. There the ancient cemetery could be found, the burial grounds of a long forgotten people, known appropriately as The Forgotten. They too believed burying the dead was a holy thing, and the local clans carried on this practice, claiming to be descended from The Forgotten. The people were so long forgotten, and they beliefs so strange, that their burial grounds are given no respect and had been looted for centuries. The tombs under that cemetery housed the remains of The Forgotten, and have become known as The Tombs of No Return, a name that greatly amused Duthcar. He eventually shared that he briefly knew Hayward Hogg, at a time when he had no inn, only an oak bench in the shade for for customers to rest and refresh themselves with his ale. Hayward had gone to the High Moor and was never seen again. Duthcar proved a worthy ally and soon brought them supplies and gear, as well as bandages and healing balms.
As they left town, Cassius and Holedorf met a dour though charismatic dwarf calling himself Gerrok who, having similar ambitions, agreed to join forces with them. For two days they traveled up into the mountains. As they crested the ridge to the High Moor, they could not help but feel surprise at the sight of the the old cemetery. They had heard of such things but never seen one, and it seemed large, very large for such a remote area. Being midday they screwed up their courage and entered the cemetery, immediately noticing many unearthed burials, some old, some recent. Examination revealed that the disturbance was from above, not from something trying to escape the grave. They headed for the mausoleums and crypts central to the cemetery, only to find them thoroughly pillaged. One, though, had steps downward. Going down, they were surprised to find not another burial crypt but an underground complex, perhaps even a maze. Following the dwarf Gerrok's lead, the party explored an eastward passage.
They soon found themselves in a mirror filled room, with all light reflecting upon a raised and ornate chair. Cassius warned that something could be heard in the outer hall, something scraping at the door and growling. Unsure how to proceed, they went through another door, only to find themselves in a mirrored maze. Holedorf handed out a rope to help them remain together as Gerrok slowly followed the left wall. Cassius, guarding the rear, noted that the snarling beast was just outside the door. Soon the mirrors filled with images of powerful fanged beasts and our friends found themselves battling for their lives. Holedorf was thrown unconscious against a wall, having been torn by fang and claw. Cassios and Gerrok smashed and slashed with a ferocity surprising even themselves, and soon found victory. After a brief rest, Cassius examined the remains of the foul creatures as Gerrok tended Holedorf with the bandages and salves provided by the innkeep Duthcar.
With Holedorf revived, they carefully made their way out of the mirrored maze, only to find room after room of looted caskets and wild dogs prowling just beyond their torchlight. Making their way down a narrow passage to evade the dogs, they found abandoned prison cells filled with cobwebs and hundreds of large, fist sized spiders. Carefully making their way to the end of the line of cells, they found a room filled with rope-thick cobwebs and a body, cocooned in web, dangling from the ceiling. Spurred by curiosity, they approached the body when a spider the size of a small man dropped upon Gerrock, biting him in the neck and shoulder. Holedorf maneuvered to strike a telling blow upon the creature, and Gerrock and Cassius dispatched it. Gerrock fell to his knees as the venom of the now dead spider burned his flesh. Only quick thinking by Cassius, who drew some of the poison out, and Holedorf, who burned the wound with his pipe, saved the noble dwarf.
Cutting down the web encased body, they found the desiccated remains of an elf and, at long last, something to treasure: a few gold coins and a silver and emerald necklace or remarkable workmanship. Finally rewarded, they returned to the dark passages of the crypts with renewed energy.
Before long they found themselves in a foul, debris filled room smelling of urine and devoid of anything of interest other than a stairway downward. As they approached, they heard footsteps, as if something were dragging a heavy object up the stairs. There they waited, hoping to use the stair to their advantage, but the wily creature below retreated at sight of the torchlight. Carefully they proceeded down, finding a recently unearthed corpse lying on stairs. Downward in pursuit of the creature they continued. They found no sign of the corpse dragging creature, but instead another cemetery in a large cavern.
Here too the graves were disturbed. Gerrok again led the trio along the wall where, at the rear of the cavern they found several large mosoleums and as a large statue of a man, intriguingly with arms outstretched and draped in jewelry. Cassius, ever cautious, warned Holedorf against appropriating the valuables too quickly, as the entire cemetery had been looted yet this was untouched. Speculating that this may be some ancient demi god watching over the graves, they left the statue to further explore the cemetery. Finding an unopened tomb, they eagerly pried open the gate to see several untouched stone caskets. Happily pulling one to the floor with a crash, their joy ended as rotting corpses had risen from the nearby graves as punishment for their sin. Gerrok held off two of them, but once more little Holedorf fell, succumbing to the unnatural strength of these cold and unholy creatures. Gerrok and Cassius prevailed, but again they saw wild dogs just beyond their torchlight, watching. They grabbed Holdorf as the dogs howled, and made their way out of the tombs as quickly as they could. Gerrok had made careful markings along the way, and soon they were out of the dreary depths and atop the hill crest above the cemetery. There they examined a cold and pale Holdorf, who was miraculously revived with the help of the ointments and potions given them by Duthcar the Innkeeper.
Slowly making their way back to Kings Cross, the three were surprised to find that the city sentry had spied them announced their return, and the road into the village was lined with cheering townspeople. Our friends were mildly heartened but far too worn and weary to rejoice or to argue when their newfound wealth was taxed at the gate. Duthcar was quite pleased that they had returned, and after obtaining his share of their hard earned treasures promised free drinks whenever they shared their story with his guests. And drink and share they did, and none doubted their tales whenever Gerrok showed the black bite wound at the base of his neck, or skeptics noticed the weary, scarred, and still pallid Holedorf, who had quickly become known throughout Kings Cross as Halfling Cheatsdeath.
Adventures in the High Moor
First session: expedition to the Tombs of the Forgotten
First session: expedition to the Tombs of the Forgotten
Holedorf Berrybrook, a hobbit from the Gentle Hills of southern Sen, upon learning that he had a half brother named Hayward Hogg decided venture out to seek fortune and perhaps learn the fate of Hayward. Along the way he encountered an old acquaintance, Cassius Cosiah, who had left the family farm to become a soldier. Cassius hoped to send monies home to his impoverished family but soon realized his naivete: wielding a sword in border skirmishes barely kept him fed, unless he was willing to become a darker shade of himself. Cassius was easily persuaded to abandon his position and join in with Holedorf.
Kings Cross, their destination, was located on the border of three kingdoms. It attracted the marginal of society: mercenaries, soldiers fleeing their responsibilities, smugglers avoiding taxes. And for just that reason many Kings Men could also be found there. Most importantly, though, it was the village closest to an ancient cemetery, one that for centuries been robbed of its buried treasures. Hayward was rumored to have gone to King's Cross in search of fortune.
Upon arriving in Kings Cross, Holedorf and Cassius made their way to the Oaken Bench where, upon acquainting themselves with the owner, Duthcar, they struck a deal: a room of their own to rest for a few days and to house their belongings while they away, supplies for their venture, and knowledge of the old cemetery. All this in exchange for one quarter share of whatever they might bring back. Try has he might, Holedorf could not negotiate a lower share, for Duthcar had the winning hand – he pointed out that no one returned from the such ventures, not for the past twenty five years.
Duthcar explained that two days travel would take them into The High Moors, a barren land populated by an uncivilized clannish people who refused to recognize any king. Worse, Duthcar explained, they still bury their dead underground like heathens, in a moor known as the Dead Moor, the most remote of the highland moors. There the ancient cemetery could be found, the burial grounds of a long forgotten people, known appropriately as The Forgotten. They too believed burying the dead was a holy thing, and the local clans carried on this practice, claiming to be descended from The Forgotten. The people were so long forgotten, and they beliefs so strange, that their burial grounds are given no respect and had been looted for centuries. The tombs under that cemetery housed the remains of The Forgotten, and have become known as The Tombs of No Return, a name that greatly amused Duthcar. He eventually shared that he briefly knew Hayward Hogg, at a time when he had no inn, only an oak bench in the shade for for customers to rest and refresh themselves with his ale. Hayward had gone to the High Moor and was never seen again. Duthcar proved a worthy ally and soon brought them supplies and gear, as well as bandages and healing balms.
As they left town, Cassius and Holedorf met a dour though charismatic dwarf calling himself Gerrok who, having similar ambitions, agreed to join forces with them. For two days they traveled up into the mountains. As they crested the ridge to the High Moor, they could not help but feel surprise at the sight of the the old cemetery. They had heard of such things but never seen one, and it seemed large, very large for such a remote area. Being midday they screwed up their courage and entered the cemetery, immediately noticing many unearthed burials, some old, some recent. Examination revealed that the disturbance was from above, not from something trying to escape the grave. They headed for the mausoleums and crypts central to the cemetery, only to find them thoroughly pillaged. One, though, had steps downward. Going down, they were surprised to find not another burial crypt but an underground complex, perhaps even a maze. Following the dwarf Gerrok's lead, the party explored an eastward passage.
They soon found themselves in a mirror filled room, with all light reflecting upon a raised and ornate chair. Cassius warned that something could be heard in the outer hall, something scraping at the door and growling. Unsure how to proceed, they went through another door, only to find themselves in a mirrored maze. Holedorf handed out a rope to help them remain together as Gerrok slowly followed the left wall. Cassius, guarding the rear, noted that the snarling beast was just outside the door. Soon the mirrors filled with images of powerful fanged beasts and our friends found themselves battling for their lives. Holedorf was thrown unconscious against a wall, having been torn by fang and claw. Cassios and Gerrok smashed and slashed with a ferocity surprising even themselves, and soon found victory. After a brief rest, Cassius examined the remains of the foul creatures as Gerrok tended Holedorf with the bandages and salves provided by the innkeep Duthcar.
With Holedorf revived, they carefully made their way out of the mirrored maze, only to find room after room of looted caskets and wild dogs prowling just beyond their torchlight. Making their way down a narrow passage to evade the dogs, they found abandoned prison cells filled with cobwebs and hundreds of large, fist sized spiders. Carefully making their way to the end of the line of cells, they found a room filled with rope-thick cobwebs and a body, cocooned in web, dangling from the ceiling. Spurred by curiosity, they approached the body when a spider the size of a small man dropped upon Gerrock, biting him in the neck and shoulder. Holedorf maneuvered to strike a telling blow upon the creature, and Gerrock and Cassius dispatched it. Gerrock fell to his knees as the venom of the now dead spider burned his flesh. Only quick thinking by Cassius, who drew some of the poison out, and Holedorf, who burned the wound with his pipe, saved the noble dwarf.
Cutting down the web encased body, they found the desiccated remains of an elf and, at long last, something to treasure: a few gold coins and a silver and emerald necklace or remarkable workmanship. Finally rewarded, they returned to the dark passages of the crypts with renewed energy.
Before long they found themselves in a foul, debris filled room smelling of urine and devoid of anything of interest other than a stairway downward. As they approached, they heard footsteps, as if something were dragging a heavy object up the stairs. There they waited, hoping to use the stair to their advantage, but the wily creature below retreated at sight of the torchlight. Carefully they proceeded down, finding a recently unearthed corpse lying on stairs. Downward in pursuit of the creature they continued. They found no sign of the corpse dragging creature, but instead another cemetery in a large cavern.
Here too the graves were disturbed. Gerrok again led the trio along the wall where, at the rear of the cavern they found several large mosoleums and as a large statue of a man, intriguingly with arms outstretched and draped in jewelry. Cassius, ever cautious, warned Holedorf against appropriating the valuables too quickly, as the entire cemetery had been looted yet this was untouched. Speculating that this may be some ancient demi god watching over the graves, they left the statue to further explore the cemetery. Finding an unopened tomb, they eagerly pried open the gate to see several untouched stone caskets. Happily pulling one to the floor with a crash, their joy ended as rotting corpses had risen from the nearby graves as punishment for their sin. Gerrok held off two of them, but once more little Holedorf fell, succumbing to the unnatural strength of these cold and unholy creatures. Gerrok and Cassius prevailed, but again they saw wild dogs just beyond their torchlight, watching. They grabbed Holdorf as the dogs howled, and made their way out of the tombs as quickly as they could. Gerrok had made careful markings along the way, and soon they were out of the dreary depths and atop the hill crest above the cemetery. There they examined a cold and pale Holdorf, who was miraculously revived with the help of the ointments and potions given them by Duthcar the Innkeeper.
Slowly making their way back to Kings Cross, the three were surprised to find that the city sentry had spied them announced their return, and the road into the village was lined with cheering townspeople. Our friends were mildly heartened but far too worn and weary to rejoice or to argue when their newfound wealth was taxed at the gate. Duthcar was quite pleased that they had returned, and after obtaining his share of their hard earned treasures promised free drinks whenever they shared their story with his guests. And drink and share they did, and none doubted their tales whenever Gerrok showed the black bite wound at the base of his neck, or skeptics noticed the weary, scarred, and still pallid Holedorf, who had quickly become known throughout Kings Cross as Halfling Cheatsdeath.
