Hello, Taxidermists!
It’s been many moons since you all have seen anything new
here, but I appreciate your willingness to meet again after so long away. After some fun and not-so-fun diversions, I
want to make this group the main focus of my D&D energy, and I’ve built
lots of world with which you can interact and explore. There’s lots of lore, mysteries and
excitement, whether you all push forward with the main campaign and/or
deviate.
In today’s blog post, I want to cover three things: the
usual narrative of our last session, a potential future alternative for the
group, assuming Wes and Drew have to be out of town in the next few months, and
finally, choosing a homeland!
The recap will be briefer than normal, but should still help
jog your memory should you need to look back!
Thursday, March 23, NY
931
No
matter how long we toss and turn after a long, arduous day, the pitter-patter
of rain rouses us from sleep. The
Gallant Gate, our residence just days before, is abandoned, cold, and smashed
to bits. The splatter of rain striking
the worn, oaken floorboards along the upstairs hall portends the gaps that have
emerged in the roof from smoldering fire.
The din of the rain, the occasional horse racing down the cobblestone
street outside and the sounds of life from outside finally bring us to our
feet.
Downstairs,
a human voice in a brusque language calls out to the seemingly vacant inn. A soldier continues to call out in this curt,
ugly tongue as he ascends the staircase, the wood creaking and giving with each
careful step. Raina, concerned about the
interloper’s intentions, hobbles onto a nearby dresser and readies her bow, the
string groaning audibly in the stillness.
Kalecgos, convinced these soldiers mean them no harm, calls out. “Hail!”
In his
native Common, the guard calls back, “Who goes there?”
Drew
answers with his name, and the guard emerges from around the worn banister of
the stair, his hand relaxing from the pommel of his sword. “That’s good; my Goblin is a little rusty,”
he confessed.
The
soldier invited us down to break down the course of events from the night
before. Kalecgos disclosed Tammil’s
hidden path that carved beneath the rocky crust of Thoroma to the basement
below, to which the guards, knowing the gnome’s reputation, let out a
guffaw. How fitting, they agreed.
After a soldier fetched us some watery ale that survived the night in
the kitchen’s casks, their captain caught us up. Apparently, the goblins and their siege teams
moved north after a mysterious woman tricked them into following her, as she ostensibly
had something they wanted. They’d gotten
word after dark in Kelten, the Gintan capital to the north, and they mustered
and rode south, intercepting them near the town of Elmid, a few hours’ ride
north of here. They engaged the goblins
and killed them down to the last one, but they lost several of their own. The wounded and their retinues returned, but
this captain and several dozen rode to Thoroma to find the destruction wrought
by these goblin fiends. They’d been
working through the night to make sure everyone was safe.
As his
eyes read our reaction to the story, it was clear that we were the last thing
on his mind, as healthy, able-bodied adventurers. He was after the wounded, the sick, and the
displaced. He called his men to follow,
wished us luck, and left us at the table.
The inn fell silent as the rain outside had begun to abate.
We
decided to explore the town, or what was left of it, as we’d been given our
next rendezvous by Mel from the Priory the evening before: meet her at the
Summerwald Arms in Yidda the following Friday, the last day of the month and to
rent the only unoccupied room, which she had reserved for us in secret. Then, she could give them further
instructions. Tammil had also scrawled a
missive for us to deliver to the Princess of the Bells, a trusted confidant of
the mayor. The scroll’s sealed, and we
don’t have a clue what’s in it.
Before
responding to Mel’s and the Priory’s call, we marched to the center of town,
the site of the spring festival. What
was once a vibrant, cheerful market of out-of-towners like ourselves was a
battleground for the lives and health of Thoroma. Triages had been set up where meeting spaces
once were, and stalls normally filled with delicious foods and handmade wares
have become receptacles offering simple bread, cheese, bandages, salves, and
blankets. Cries of pain and sadness
washed over us, replacing the rain that had stilled to a drizzle. We didn’t recognize anyone, and soldiers and
townsfolk alike were darting from person to person, litter to litter as they
cared for the wounded. As our own stocks
were nearly depleted, we took some of the offered cheese and bread. Seyer regarded the operation gingerly, but he
and the rest of us determined the work was steady, but sufficiently staffed to move
forward and head west into the forest.
We gathered some information about the path ahead of us, the distance
that awaited, and more about the Princess to whom we had a critical message to
impart.
Outside
of town, the homesteads that surround Thoroma were empty of sentient life. One still had cows grazing on the early
spring grass, but no sign of the farmhands who tended them. The front door of another homestead is flung open, noiselessly swaying like an idle sail.
After
only a few minutes, the woods emerge over a small rise, and the overcast sky
disappears behind canopies of blooming trees, awaking from hibernation in a
verdant display. Every step on the
well-tended dirt path of the Garrisunnie is sure, and the earth is soft from
the rain that trickled through the treetops.
We walk
through the forest wordlessly, each of us considering the events of the past
week and wondering what role we have to play in it. The wood is hilly and broken, with rocky
outcroppings emerging from the green basement of shrubs and spring buds. After several hours of walking, perhaps
shortly after midday, we see particularly large cliff to the left of the road,
with an earthen trough between us. The
rockface moved, and a small, stony being emerged from it. Although it did not seem to speak, Kalecgos
watched it and intently, listening to the scuffs and cracks made by the pebbles
colliding together. He spoke back,
producing no vowel sounds, but guttural rumbles and forcing air through his
teeth. The creature responded, but it
seems that Kalecgos’s attempt at Terran diplomacy failed, and it lunged into
combat.
While
charging towards us, we readied ourselves for battle. Raina wheeled around and, finding a tree she
felt confident climbing, wrapper herself around it to get a better vantage
point. Seyer readied his shield, hoping
to use his speed and weight to leap onto the elemental being as it approached. Kalecgos considered his options with quick,
mental precision, firing arcane missiles of force with a quick, verbal
incantation. Naya and her owl lunged
into battle, razor-sharp scimitar at the ready.
Seyer
heaved himself shield first at the elemental being, crashing against it with
all his weight and strength, but the sturdiness of the elemental and the
downward distance of the leap meant that he glanced off the rocky carapace of
the creature. Naya delivered a sharp
blow, her wooden implement unphased in contact with the being’s gravelly
protection. Raina, while slipping,
ascended the tree and, as she drew her bow back to deal the final bow, she
found her balance and let an arrow fly, striking the creature high on its
amorphous body. In a shudder, the
elemental disintegrated into a dusty pile of pebbles with a cacophonous
rumble. Naya followed the hill from
whence the elemental emerged to find that the creature seemed to be part of the
outcropping itself, a hollow alcove carved into the face of the rock.
We
climbed back onto the sloped road and proceeded downhill, breaking briefly for
a midday meal. The afternoon waned, the
storm clouds long gone and the pallor of overcast evening seeped through the
ever-thickening canopy. Soon, it was dusk,
and the idea of camp sounded great.
Up
ahead, Raina spotted a flickering light indicative of a campfire. She decided to move ahead of the group to
investigate, bow at the ready. With her
first step, a dry twig snapped beneath her feet, and there appeared to be a
ruckus near the fire; no doubt the camp’s tenants had heard her. She scanned the bushes beside the path when
suddenly, among the brush beside her, she saw them; goblins! She held her breath, snagged two arrows from
her quiver and fired one at each of the creatures beside her. One shrieked and collapsed at once, while the
other, while struck, emerged from the bushes to attack. The party came to aid her, but before long,
her short sword had finished the job.
We
approached the camp and observed a foul stench; the goblins had been there for
a few days, it seemed, and they had amassed rotten meals, tainted water and
excrement at the spot of the camp.
Seyer, eager to capture the scent for an unknown future event, offered
the gleaming pinkish liquid of his potion to Raina, using the now empty bottles
in his pack to encapsulate the acrid scent.
The sun
had totally vanished from the sky now, and it was time to break camp for the
night. Not here, though; it’s any wonder
the goblins survived as long as they did.
That scent would have attracted any number of hungry fauna in this wild
forest, happy to have a goblin feast. We
moved upwind of the terrific odor and settled in for the short night; in the
morning, we’d be on our way.
You all picked up right where you left off! Hopefully next meeting will be more
productive, as we’re all leveled up and ready to go.
That reminds me, speaking of next session…
Drew had mentioned a site called roll20.net the last time we
met as a solution to do online D&D for when people are unable to make it or
in the event of significant relocation for half the party. I took some time to investigate it last
night, and it is a DM’s dream come true: lots of tools, widgets, artwork,
easy-to-use and build grids and battle scenes, overworld options, and an easy,
but robust interface. For players, it
looks like a great, customizable tool to play online. It includes video chat features, text chat,
macros to speed up your dice rolling (including actual die rolls instead of
just computer generated numbers, as it’s pretty fun to roll die.)
I have already made our campaign, Scourge of the Redwyrm,
available on the site. Beth already has
her character sheet set up, too, and a lot of times, the program will do the
math for you, so long as you build your sheet correctly.
In my mind, this is an excellent option that might be more
convenient for all parties involved. If
I could ask you all to sign up on there (it’s free), I can invite you to the
campaign and you can make your character sheet online. I’m still learning, too, but it should be
pretty exciting once we’re up and running.
I’ve had a lot of fun fiddling around, and I already have your current
overworld map on there. It lets you do
fog of war, character bios, upload a picture/drawing, add sound effects and
music, and generally run a campaign better
than you can in paper (at least from what I can tell so far.) Let me know when you’ve made your account
(takes literally ten seconds), and I’ll invite you to the campaign so you can
go in and start building your sheet.
I’ve gotten each character in there, so I’ll just need to give you
permission to access and change it. I’d
recommend watching the introduction/tutorial videos first, as that’ll help a
lot. I did and was glad I did.
Finally, let’s talk about your character’s homeland. I did this in another campaign I ran and it
worked really well to get people into the world a bit more. Alora has dozens of potential homelands, but
you can only be from some of them based on each nation’s backstory and current
status (some, for example, are nearly uninhabited or feature no members of your
race.) So, based on the characters
you’ve made, I’ll give each of you five potential homelands to choose
from. Basically, I will grant you all
relevant bonuses when determining or gathering information about your home
territory.
Seyer (Human)
Nostalon (The undisputed capital
kingdom of humanity and the pinnacle of modern civilization; the home of
organized magic, trade, government, and the heart of the world’s political and
social future.)
Cambyr (A valorous kingdom
of humans encircled by violent, war-torn lands.
Trade, diversity, learning, and unity are emphasized in this ancient
monarchial society)
Meddlemass (A sweeping watershed and
sloping, wild plains, this relaxed, decentralized kingdom is racially and
biologically diverse, with a venerated local history.)
Wodengar (An isolated northern kingdom
of adventure, icy winds, and spartan living.
It has stayed out of international politics for centuries, managing the
dangers and intrigues within.)
Pallalbus (A highly regimented, lawful
society that is at the foremost of scientific innovation and scholarly
progress. Constructs and sentients live
alongside each other in this small, but advanced society.)
Drew (Human/Half-Elf? Either works in these locations.)
Eud (Eud is a theocratic, highly
religious society that, for some, is heaven on earth, thanks to its wide,
pristine valleys and fertile farmlands.)
Twei (Often called the cultural capital
of the east, this is the most progressive of the elven realms, and humans,
elves, and members of other races and faiths are accepted and nurtured in the kingdom
named for the elven word for “twilight.”)
Zoranda (A wild, unfettered, and
chaotic land where the people and the government are disorganized, rebellious,
and are tempered by years of internal struggle and restlessness. One of Alora’s most diverse populations.)
Kadd (This land of death, magic, and
survival is hard, hot, and dry. Plagued
by constant storms and endless political warfare, necromancers, churches, and
the de facto leaders of the disorganized human realm are constantly at odds.)
Nostalon (The undisputed capital
kingdom of humanity and the pinnacle of modern civilization; the home of
organized magic, trade, government, and the heart of the world’s political and social
future.)
Carol (Halfling)
Cambyr (A valorous kingdom
of humans encircled by violent, war-torn lands.
Trade, diversity, learning, and unity are emphasized in this ancient
monarchial society)
Eud (Eud is a theocratic, highly
religious society that, for some, is heaven on earth, thanks to its wide,
pristine valleys and fertile farmlands.)
Nostalon (The undisputed capital
kingdom of humanity and the pinnacle of modern civilization; the home of
organized magic, trade, government, and the heart of the world’s political and
social future.)
Ground of Camigil (The ancestral home
of both gnomes and halflings, this idyllic, loamy landscape is dotted with
homes and burrows of animals and their sentient kin; it’s named after an
ancient gnomish god who was thought to dwell here.)
Barak Dun (A craggy, marshy region
divided by the ground level; Dwarves thrive below and above ground, and other
local races labor to get what they can from the land)
Beth (Elf)
Mutu (Mutu is a tiny druidic kingdom,
formed in the crater of an extinct volcano by elves centuries ago as a place of
political and military sanctuary. They
are totally isolated, and their languages, customs, and practices have evolved
independently and remain obscure to most of the outside world.)
Leywellyn (The ancestral home of the
elves, Leywellyn is filled with sweeping forests, massive fauna, and the
highest concentration of elvenkind in the world. Its central, sylvan capital, Feradine, is one
of the most beautiful, and well-guarded, cities in history.)
Sierkum (A mountainous land of high
peaks and alpine forests, Sierkum is home to the ancestors of dragons, elves,
orcs, many of whom who have left their own societies, voluntarily or
involuntarily, for the unspoiled wilds of the mountains.)
Urgolia (Urgolia, named for the eponymous
mythic lake that encompasses most of the nation’s territory, is a magical,
mysterious place, framed to the north by the tallest mountain in Alora.)
Veleoa (Before the New Age, Veleoa was
a part of Leywellyn; over the last millennium, though, it has divorced itself
from the regimens of proper elven society, preferring a tribal approach to
living. Veleoa’s expansive forests rival
Leywellyn, and its wilds are arguably far fiercer, with even older mysteries
hidden within the primeval, rocky forests.)
If you’d like more info about any of these locations, I’m
happy to give it to you, I just wanted to give you a summary so you could get a
picture in your head. I can also give
you an approximate “feel” I have for each, i.e. a real-world location that has
the same “look” I have in my head when creating it, as many are based (loosely)
on real locations. That being said, you
can picture them however you like, and I encourage you to do so. This is as much your world as it is mine.
That about does it this time. I’m thinking the next meeting will be
Thursday, March 26th either online or in person!
May all your skinning rolls be 20s!
- Matt
