GURPS DF Session 54 - Caves of Chaos, part 8
Here is (belatedly) the first session of a new series of DF games. We've played a few times since then, and I need to write a record of those too.
Due to illness and coronavirus, and the need to self-isolate, we played remotely rather than in person. Rather than wrestle with a VTT application, I laid out maps and paper minis on the table, and used Hangouts to broadcast a video of the battlefield.
Session Date: Thursday 12 March 2020
Party roster from previous session:
Miao Miao, cat-folk swashbuckler, 391 points (PC)
- Jenkins, human servant, 186 points (NPC Ally)
- Brother Warian, human monk (initiate), 177 points (NPC Ally)
- Gregus, human sellsword, unknown points (NPC Hireling)
- Mace, human mace-wielder, unknown points (NPC Hireling)
Davin Emberwood, human wizard, 326 points (PC)
Sister Miriam Suntemple, human cleric, 297 points (PC)
Childerbert "Bert" Ingoberger, halfling locksmith (thief), 251 points (PC)
Llandor the Gray, wood-elf scout, 290 points (PC)
Sir Yvor Gryffyn, human knight, 309 points (PC)
Location: Borderlands between the Kingdom of Ioscany and the Wilds of Pyrrhon
We had ended the previous block with the party having defeated a room full of hobgoblin defenders. Rather than retreat, the PCs had locked the doors...
...Only a few minutes after the door had been locked, there were noises from outside and then banging on the door. A hobgoblin announced in broken Common that they had human prisoners whom they would execute unless the invaders retreated.
Not yet ready for another fight, with Brother Warian out cold, and Gregus without the use of his sword-arm, the party agreed to leave. They collected their belongings as quickly as they could, and retreated carrying Brother Warian. They took with them the body of one of the hobgoblins, not having had time to strip off his mail armour. The hobgoblins shouted after them, and some of the hostages called out to not to be left behind. The group steeled themselves and vowed to return.
Pausing in the forest once they were sure of not being followed, the party rested until Warian awoke, and Gregus's arm recovered also. They stripped the mail armour off the hobgoblin and returned to the keep. As they approached the keep, the party could see a caravan train approaching along the old road that leads from the Wilds of Pyrrhon to the west. The head of ogre was given to the keep guards (and would later be mounted on a pike by the gatehouse).
Back at the inn, the party rented the large room and counted up their takings. The loot was just the sum of the hobgoblins' and goblins' pocket change, which Jenkins (Miao's manservant, and general party treasurer and loot carrier) added up:
149 silver shillings ($2980), 287 coppers ($287), and 30 silver denarii ($300). The loot was split as follows:
- 18 shillings and 3 denarii went to each party member (6x PCs from previous session, plus the 2x NPC allies)
- 4 shillings went to room and board at the inn
- 5 remaining shillings went into the communal pot
- 6 remaining denarii went to the pot
- all 287 coppers went to the pot (for healing, power items, paying hirelings etc)
There was a commotion outside the inn while the party recovered. Going outside the inn, they could see the caravan train they had spotted earlier, now coming through the keep gates. They looked very much like human refugees. A half-orc at the gate was being denied entry by the keep guards, despite having arrived with the caravan. Davin went forward to talk to them, and introducing himself, found out the diminutive half-orc was called Hemmu, and claimed to speak Goblintongue as well as Orcish. In need of a translator to aid in their negotiations with the goblin-kin, Hemmu was hired. Davin assured the keep guards that he would be responsible for the half-orc behaving herself.
The party set off again for the caves the next day, with a different roster (not all the players from previous session were available, and Hemmu was the new PC of the player who had recently played Sir Yvor). They rehired Gregus (whom the party was pretty much in agreement was worthwhile) and Mace (about whom there was disagreement). Mace also wanted the same as Gregus this time (60cp rather than 30). Miao hired him personally, over the protestations of some of the other PCs.
Party roster returning to the Caves:
Miao Miao, cat-folk swashbuckler, 391 points (PC)
- Jenkins, human servant, 186 points (NPC Ally)
- Brother Warian, human monk (initiate), 177 points (NPC Ally)
- Gregus, human sellsword, unknown points (NPC Hireling)
- Mace, human mace-wielder, unknown points (NPC Hireling)
Davin Emberwood, human wizard, 326 points (PC)
Sister Miriam Suntemple, human cleric, 297 points (PC)
Hemmu Gahrol, half-orc knight, 252 points (PC)
The return the caves was uneventful, and the party headed straight into the goblin cave (the only way they knew to reach the hobgoblin lair). There was a shout of alarm from the goblins whose lair was again being invaded, and Hemmu called that they weren't here to fight. The party proceeded up to the hobgoblin door and knocked.
A negotiation was shouted through the door. First between Hemmu and a hobgoblin guard on the other side, then between Hemmu and the chief. The hobgoblin chief was wary of the human invaders (they had proved themselves capable of slaughtering his warriors) but willing to deal with them if they agreed to kill orcs. The party learned that there were two tribes of orcs on the other side of the ravine. The chief said that he would release human prisoners in exchange for the party killing orcs. Specifically, if they brought the head of one of the two orc chiefs, then he would release all his human hostages.
The hobgoblins had 4 human hostages, but the chief was cagey about admitting exact numbers to Hemmu, trying to stay on top in the negotiation. Hemmu upsold the party's capability to kill orcs, asking what they would get for killing both orc chiefs. "Treasure" was the hobgoblin reply. Davin tried to get Hemmu to ask about the humans in the caves (the party is looking for the cultists they have been sent to deal with). Hemmu decided not to confuse the issue, as the party had already agreed that freeing the prisoners was the primary concern.
Hemmu agreed that the party woulds kill both the orc chiefs, for the prisoners and the "treasure" and was told the party should wait outside the goblin cave. They were joined shortly by a goblin and hobgoblin who would show them to the orc caves.
We ran out of time as some players had to finish early, so we paused it there...
Due to illness and coronavirus, and the need to self-isolate, we played remotely rather than in person. Rather than wrestle with a VTT application, I laid out maps and paper minis on the table, and used Hangouts to broadcast a video of the battlefield.
Session Date: Thursday 12 March 2020
Party roster from previous session:
Miao Miao, cat-folk swashbuckler, 391 points (PC)
- Jenkins, human servant, 186 points (NPC Ally)
- Brother Warian, human monk (initiate), 177 points (NPC Ally)
- Gregus, human sellsword, unknown points (NPC Hireling)
- Mace, human mace-wielder, unknown points (NPC Hireling)
Davin Emberwood, human wizard, 326 points (PC)
Sister Miriam Suntemple, human cleric, 297 points (PC)
Childerbert "Bert" Ingoberger, halfling locksmith (thief), 251 points (PC)
Llandor the Gray, wood-elf scout, 290 points (PC)
Sir Yvor Gryffyn, human knight, 309 points (PC)
Location: Borderlands between the Kingdom of Ioscany and the Wilds of Pyrrhon
We had ended the previous block with the party having defeated a room full of hobgoblin defenders. Rather than retreat, the PCs had locked the doors...
...Only a few minutes after the door had been locked, there were noises from outside and then banging on the door. A hobgoblin announced in broken Common that they had human prisoners whom they would execute unless the invaders retreated.
Not yet ready for another fight, with Brother Warian out cold, and Gregus without the use of his sword-arm, the party agreed to leave. They collected their belongings as quickly as they could, and retreated carrying Brother Warian. They took with them the body of one of the hobgoblins, not having had time to strip off his mail armour. The hobgoblins shouted after them, and some of the hostages called out to not to be left behind. The group steeled themselves and vowed to return.
Pausing in the forest once they were sure of not being followed, the party rested until Warian awoke, and Gregus's arm recovered also. They stripped the mail armour off the hobgoblin and returned to the keep. As they approached the keep, the party could see a caravan train approaching along the old road that leads from the Wilds of Pyrrhon to the west. The head of ogre was given to the keep guards (and would later be mounted on a pike by the gatehouse).
Back at the inn, the party rented the large room and counted up their takings. The loot was just the sum of the hobgoblins' and goblins' pocket change, which Jenkins (Miao's manservant, and general party treasurer and loot carrier) added up:
149 silver shillings ($2980), 287 coppers ($287), and 30 silver denarii ($300). The loot was split as follows:
- 18 shillings and 3 denarii went to each party member (6x PCs from previous session, plus the 2x NPC allies)
- 4 shillings went to room and board at the inn
- 5 remaining shillings went into the communal pot
- 6 remaining denarii went to the pot
- all 287 coppers went to the pot (for healing, power items, paying hirelings etc)
There was a commotion outside the inn while the party recovered. Going outside the inn, they could see the caravan train they had spotted earlier, now coming through the keep gates. They looked very much like human refugees. A half-orc at the gate was being denied entry by the keep guards, despite having arrived with the caravan. Davin went forward to talk to them, and introducing himself, found out the diminutive half-orc was called Hemmu, and claimed to speak Goblintongue as well as Orcish. In need of a translator to aid in their negotiations with the goblin-kin, Hemmu was hired. Davin assured the keep guards that he would be responsible for the half-orc behaving herself.
The party set off again for the caves the next day, with a different roster (not all the players from previous session were available, and Hemmu was the new PC of the player who had recently played Sir Yvor). They rehired Gregus (whom the party was pretty much in agreement was worthwhile) and Mace (about whom there was disagreement). Mace also wanted the same as Gregus this time (60cp rather than 30). Miao hired him personally, over the protestations of some of the other PCs.
Party roster returning to the Caves:
Miao Miao, cat-folk swashbuckler, 391 points (PC)
- Jenkins, human servant, 186 points (NPC Ally)
- Brother Warian, human monk (initiate), 177 points (NPC Ally)
- Gregus, human sellsword, unknown points (NPC Hireling)
- Mace, human mace-wielder, unknown points (NPC Hireling)
Davin Emberwood, human wizard, 326 points (PC)
Sister Miriam Suntemple, human cleric, 297 points (PC)
Hemmu Gahrol, half-orc knight, 252 points (PC)
The return the caves was uneventful, and the party headed straight into the goblin cave (the only way they knew to reach the hobgoblin lair). There was a shout of alarm from the goblins whose lair was again being invaded, and Hemmu called that they weren't here to fight. The party proceeded up to the hobgoblin door and knocked.
A negotiation was shouted through the door. First between Hemmu and a hobgoblin guard on the other side, then between Hemmu and the chief. The hobgoblin chief was wary of the human invaders (they had proved themselves capable of slaughtering his warriors) but willing to deal with them if they agreed to kill orcs. The party learned that there were two tribes of orcs on the other side of the ravine. The chief said that he would release human prisoners in exchange for the party killing orcs. Specifically, if they brought the head of one of the two orc chiefs, then he would release all his human hostages.
The hobgoblins had 4 human hostages, but the chief was cagey about admitting exact numbers to Hemmu, trying to stay on top in the negotiation. Hemmu upsold the party's capability to kill orcs, asking what they would get for killing both orc chiefs. "Treasure" was the hobgoblin reply. Davin tried to get Hemmu to ask about the humans in the caves (the party is looking for the cultists they have been sent to deal with). Hemmu decided not to confuse the issue, as the party had already agreed that freeing the prisoners was the primary concern.
Hemmu agreed that the party woulds kill both the orc chiefs, for the prisoners and the "treasure" and was told the party should wait outside the goblin cave. They were joined shortly by a goblin and hobgoblin who would show them to the orc caves.
We ran out of time as some players had to finish early, so we paused it there...
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