DF Novices, Sessions 7 through 11 - End of Chapter One, Start of Chapter Two

    This is a very belated update. Several sessions have happened since the last post. My recollections will be incomplete.

Session Dates:    Tuesday 8, 15, 22, and 29 November 2022

Party roster:

Agis Keylar, wood elf cleric, 64 points (PC)
Borgergorg, half-ogre barbarian, 65 points (PC)

Doran Longbeard, dwarf warrior (knight), 65 points (PC)

Eleanor Bayley, human thief, 65 points (PC)

Erizax Ofaris, human wizard, 65 points (PC)

Fenn Shepard, human scout, 65 points (PC)

       We have concluded the introductory mission, with the party escorting the caravan as far as the town of Bridgegate. This wasn't exactly what they were expecting, as the characters had been hired with the understanding that they would be guards for the caravan from Abdurna to the city of Plytos in the next kingdom. However on arrival at the midway point, it was discovered that the difficulties they had experienced* in the journey from the Kingdom of Grallmarg were apparently nothing in comparison to whatever has destroyed at least two other caravans between Bridgegate and the Kingdom of Alcyondy; and this danger would presumably await the caravan on their journey to Plytos. As a result of this news, the caravan has stopped at the midway point, and everyone is now trying to make the best of the situation in this frontier town in the wilderness.

    The PCs are now free agents, looking for opportunities. The end of the caravan mission was also the first chance for the players to cash in their first batch of unspent experience points. In addition to the XP for the completion of the mission, I gave each PC a 1 point bonus background skill of either Area Knowledge, History, or Current Affairs**.

    The group rented a room at The Old Gate inn, liquidated what loot they had recovered from their opponents, and divided between themselves and the two NPC guards who had fought alongside them against the zombie and the orcs, Randall and Cynric the Wild.

    After a week in town for R&R and a week for training, the PCs have each improved by between 21 to 30 points. No longer ~62 point newbies, they are still relatively inexperienced adventurers. The PCs will need both good decisions and some luck to survive and prosper.

Session Date:    Tuesday 6 December 2022

Party roster:

Agis Keylar, wood elf cleric, 94 points (PC)

Doran Longbeard, dwarf warrior (knight), 86 points (PC)

Eleanor Bayley, human thief, 92 points (PC)

Erizax Ofaris, human wizard, 90 points (PC)

Fenn Shepard, human scout, 88 points (PC)

    The party did some shopping in Bridgegate. Fenn found Tamina the Fletcher from the caravan was now selling her wares in the market. He settled his outstanding debt with her, and bought from her 6 arrows made with strider feathers, which were said to be better balanced (+1 accuracy) for only 6cp each. Doran looked for healing potions, but Erauso the potion-seller from the caravan wanted the money he was already owed by the PCs before he would sell them any more discounted healing potions, and Doran could not afford to pay normal asking price for healing potions from any other vendor.

    Knowing that any future journey into the wilderness would require the party to look after themselves, the PCs bought food for multiple days and a set of group camping gear, which they agreed to split between them as necessary.

    They heard several mentions of a zombie army in the Borderwood through which they had travelled. This seemed to be new rumours in town since their caravan arrived, so there may be nothing more to it than the zombie horde the caravan already encountered. On the other hand, the PCs did see skeletal figures in the forest which seemingly watched the zombie assault without engaging; instead the skeletons withdrew once the zombies were defeated.

    The party heard of a young woman named Perioni who had recently disappeared from Bridgegate. An apprentice wizard who would often visit her wizardly master or run errands, that she was away for a time was not unusual. However this time she had seemingly vanished without word or message. There was no reward or job offer for this missing person, however this was clearly a case of someone who might need help.

    There was also the matter of what could have been a vision or omen for the party cleric. After the battle with the zombies, in the first rays of dawn light, Agis saw a glint above the treetops which no-one else perceived. This looked to Agis like sunlight glinting on stone. Other party members could see the hint of a stone structure once Agis indicated the location, but none other saw the sunlight glinting off it. The elf cleric downplayed the importance of this, and it seemed that injured and exhausted from the fight with the zombies, that the majority of the party agreed. It seemed possible that after their R&R in town, the PCs might choose to revisit this. However this was ignored in favour of a paying job.

    The PCs picked up a job from Ritalla, a spice merchant who also deals in reagents and other supplies for the few magical practitioners around this frontier town. She will pay the party 200cp to deliver a small chest to a reclusive wizard in a little village some 20 miles or so from Bridgegate. Some PCs tried to cajole Ritalla to pay more, but they were unsuccessful in getting the woman to change her price. They did learn that the missing woman Perioni was apprentice to the same reclusive wizard to whom they would be delivering the chest. So that seemed to decide that as far as the PCs choosing to taking the job.

    The PCs left the town by crossing the river using the "new" wooden bridge, and heading north along the trail. The original stone bridge of Bridgegate had apparently been destroyed long ago; all that remained was the stone tower which was originally the gatehouse for the old bridge, however it now served as the residence of the local lord.

    On the northern side of the river the party followed the track north into some low hills. At one point they spotted a rider on horseback on hilltop ahead of them, but they were too far away to make out any details. By the time they got to where the rider would have been, no sign of horse or rider could be seen. 

    Beyond the hills the land opened up into plains of mostly grasses and small shrubs. Ahead of them the path lead to a small wood or thicket of trees; another trail led off to the east. The party continued north. As they approached the wood, the party saw a lone skeletal figure. This skeleton came at them and a fight ensued. The skeleton has so far been largely successful at parrying with its sword and block with its shield, but unfortunately for Agis it has landed a serious injury on him. This is dangerous when he is the only proper healer in the party.

    We had to pause session 11 mid-fight. The combat will be concluded once we resume in the new year...

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    *Over their week-long journey, the PCs had encountered: a half-dozen bandits; an owlbear; about a dozen goblins with a couple of hobgoblins; half a dozen caprinids; a horde of zombies, including an obese one which exploded when killed, and a mob of large zombie rats; and an attempted ambush by several orcs and an ogre. There were 3 NPC deaths in the caravan. Two of these occurred while the PCs were ahead of the main caravan, and arguably not their fault. However the third NPC was killed while the PCs were on watch, but nobody detected the murderer and the monster is presumably still at large. There were some serious injuries to the PCs several times during the week, and the NPC berserker Cynric nearly died twice, but all of the guards were fortunate to survive.

    

    **I like such non-adventuring skills to round out characters, and they can also be useful to characters wanting to know or gather information. This can be a problem at 62 points, as there is little scope for such niceties in the Delvers to Grow templates; still it is easy enough to fix with the occasional bonus points specifically for such background skills.