Session 04: Of Brigands and Goblins

Foreword

So many players! We had eight (8) on this night and it certainly changed the nature of play. One player was deemed the Caller and did most of the talking. As such, after the initial hubbub of all the players jumping onto the voice chat for hellos and edgy jokes, things got very quiet. Too quiet?

You ever just sit on your brigand camp?

One player, after the game, stated it wasn't all that much fun to him and I wonder if the nature of the session itself attributed to this. Perhaps most of players felt ignored and of little importance during the session as my focus was on discussions with the Caller. 

A normal old school campaign with tons of players, in my experience, tends to have those who are not the Caller keeping quiet except to joke around with eachother and tossing out the occasional idea or scheme while the Caller and GM go about the Serious Business of mapping, checking for random encounters, and deeming watch orders.

I noticed very little of this during the session.

That said, I think the players were cutting up a bit in the text chat but I had little time to keep an eye on it. Other players stated, after the session, that they had a great time (despite their PC nearly dying... or, because of it?)

As a GM it's a difficult thing to gauge. I've heard mention from other GMs of Sandbox style campaigns, as mine aims to be, that they had to power through many "milk run" type sessions to get to those Gold Standard sessions of brilliance that GM and Players remember forever. I'm prepared to make many "milk runs" for this experience and hope at least some of my players feel the same.

That said, not every campaign is a fit for every player. And that's fine. But a GM must be true to his campaign and his initial goals for running the campaign in the first place. I intend to do so until no players show up at all.

Session Report

A plethora of fortune seekers and neer-do-wells found Gauis (PC Fighter Level 1) and Mandonio (PC Fighter Level 1) and asked them for a place in the party upon the next adventure. The two Legionnaire were all who came back alive from the last delve from the dome of black rock hidden deep in the Viaspen wood. Yet the hope of adventurers' springs eternal! Surely mine luck shall be better than those fools who died in the haunted dark.

Off they went! Ravakor (PC Mage Level 1) leading the way with great confidence his Loremastery, wits, and Collegiate Training at the Tower of Knowledge in the white city would not lead him nor the party astray. The Legionnaires, used to humoring the robe garbed rhetoricians, were fine with allowing him his way. Back to the "Blister of Doom?" No!

A peasant widow had found her way to the hospital in Turos Tem with tales of terror; her friends and neighbors absconded by goblins with serpent tattoos on their face. This same warband the party had run in with some 2 weeks earlier. Onward to victory! This time the chief would not escape raid again!

The party traveled across the hedgerow fields towards the Viaspen forest, stopping to investigate the burnt farmhouses and barns. Speaking with nearest neighbors it became clear the goblins marched two peasant captives northwest into the dark wood for purposes unknown. The party stayed the night in the husk of a barn, braving the wood in the light of the following day.

Travel through the Viaspen was slow as the party searched for sign or sound of the goblins and their ravenous wargs. Nothing! It didn't help the party had no tracker or ranger to speak of. BriarWhisper (PC Elven Ranger L1), wherefor art thou? 

Some two days into deep wood wanderings the party came across a palisade of brigands. The mercenaries were bemused by the party's failed attempts to sneak into their stronghold, rather than offended. Except upon taking a shot at the party's silent stalker Heath Pawn (PC Thief Level 1) who was reconnoitering sans party advisement. The party slept comfortable in the walls of the palisade, Pawn sleeping in bushes and brambles.

The brigands were led by a retired Auran military commander whom Gaius and Mandonio knew by name for his courage and honor. Now in his latter years, the gregarious Inthorn had rosy cheeks from too much drink and ribald nights enjoying the spoils of his company of more than 150 mercenaries and their brigandage. He was bedecked in rings, jewels, and chains indicating their success. Conversating with the Legionnaires into the wee hours, the old soldier seemed to see no contradiction in his past life as a great commander and his current days of assaulting trade caravans for their goods. 

Yllmetoon (PC Shaman L1) sensed the elaborate plumed helmet atop the commanders head all evening was quite powerful indeed. He also sensed the power of Inthorn's mage advisor Dairin was likely ten times that of his own mage party member Ravakor. 

Dairin, a wizard in elven robes and sporting a heavy but neat beard, spoke openly about his interest in the occult (flaunting it at the obviously Lawful party) and of a coming invasion from the underworld. It appeared to be of special interest.

Camp here? What could possibly go wrong.

Inthorn's paramour Olyma was not seen by the party, though she was rumored to be beauty itself; yet also an occultist of the Chthonic goddess Nasga!

Quite the camp our intrepid heroes had found themselves as guests. It seems the enemy of thine enemy was the rule of the day, for the brigands and their leader cared not for the warg riders and wished the party luck in their hunting.

The next morning the party had left Inthorn's camp behind and their wanderings brought them yet again to the dome of black rock hiding an ancient temple beneath. Signs that even laymen could read showed clear tracks of warg and goblin. 

Broll (PC Jutland Barbarian Level 1) agreed to approach the dome and the wide crack along the southern side. Goblins! Inside the large cave at the entrance Broll spied their wargs picketed, their number going about their brutish beastmen business of bloodletting games and arguments over valueless items. Yet, among the horde, the peasant captives were signed bound but still very much alive.

They're baaaaack

Broll let loose a spear at goblin and warg from the entrance, whilst the party had strung a trip line and hidden around a corner in battle preparation. Spears hit dirt and stone, no blood spilled! The goblin chief was able to calm his frenzied forces and got them mounted and attacking in something resembling order; as these things go.

Battle waged! Arrows and spears flew and stabbed. Crimson rained across the ground, dripping the vines of the Viaspen and painting the side of the black dome. Ravakor chanted words arcane, sending many goblins to the lands of slumber. 

The party got the better of the battle for a while until the wargs closed the distance with the Legionnaires. Both fell to furious canine teeth, huge gashes opening as they fell unconscious; dead?

Daria (PC Bladedancer Level 1) saw the desperation of their cause, what with both powerful fighters now crossing the threshold to be weighed on Tauran's scales, and charged the goblin chief! What courage!

The chief's morale broke yet again, having fled from these adventurers some two weeks prior. He escaped into the buried temple under the dome with his goblin champions and some half dozen dire wolves following his lead. The party had barely survived the battle.

Daria went to her herbs to try and revive her fighting men and both survived, yet barely. Gaius himself needed magical healing fast or he'd not live through the night. The rest of the party freed the peasants and took what meager treasure the goblins had in tow, before all present worked at getting Gaius back to Inthorn's camp for rest.

Daria healed him with Lay on Hands some hours later but he'd need a week of bed rest before he might adventure again. Wounded deep, he preferred his stay be at his home in Turos Tem. Some days later the party was greeted again as heroes as they had saved yet more peasants from goblin clutches. Some denizens of Turos Tem have begun to call the party the Friend To All Farmers. 

In the end, a whitepill night.

Surviving PCs Present

Broll (L1 Barbarian) played by RR. Liquid treasure Gained in Session 4 was 10 GP 5 SP. XP gained in Session 4 was 97. Current total: 97

Daria (L1 Bladedancer) played by JB. Liquid treasure Gained in Session 4 was 10 GP 5 SP. XP gained in Session 4 was 88. Current Total: 97

Gaius (L1 Fighter) played by VoC. Liquid treasure Gained in Session 4 was 10 GP 5 SP. XP gained in Session 4 was 97. Current Total XP:1,435

Heath Pawn (L1 Thief) played by MB. Liquid treasure Gained in Session 4 was 10 GP 5 SP. XP gained in Session 4 was 92. Current Total: 97

Mandonio Terkikos (L1 Fighter) played by RM. Liquid treasure Gained in Session 4 was 10 GP 5 SP. XP gained in Session 4 was 97. Current Total XP:839

Ravakor (L1 Mage) played by Oghma. Liquid treasure Gained in Session 4 was 10 GP 5 SP. XP gained in Session 4 was 97. Current Total: 97

Ulf (L1 Fighter) played by Maoi. Liquid treasure Gained in Session 4 was 10 GP 5 SP. XP gained in Session 4 was 88. Current Total: 88

Yllmetoon (L1 Shaman) played by SS. Liquid treasure Gained in Session 4 was 10 GP 5 SP. XP gained in Session 4 was 97. Current Total: 97

Inactive:

Briarwhisper (L1 Elven Ranger) played by RM. Current Total XP: 570 

Leonidas the Inquisitor (L1 Cleric) played by RR.Current Total XP:498 

Deceased:

Dama (L1 Venturer) played by RR.  Current total xp: 75. DECEASED. Poison gas in Session 3.

Darius LeVay (L1 Assassin) played by JB. Current Total XP:451. DECEASED. Poison gas in Session 3.

Donald the Guardsman (L1 Fighter) played by MP. Current Total XP:570. DECEASED. Intra-party justice in Session 3.

Felix (L1 Thief) played by Nicholas. Current Total XP:431. DECEASED. Poison gas in Session 3.

Hektor (L1 Paladin) played by Moai. DECEASED. Cause of Death: goblin warg rider throat removal surgery in Session 2

This is so sad. Alexa play padme's ruminations from revenge of the sith motion picture soundtrack.

General Notes:

12 goblins killed (60 XP)

4 wargs killed: 560 XP

2 laborers rescued (80 GP total) = 80 XP

42 SP  (4 XP)

704 XP total

Divided by 8 = 88 XP each

92 XP with 5% bonus

97 XP with 10% bonus