DF Novices, Session 12 - A Skeleton, a Necrotic Tree Stump, and Some Poor Bandits
The first session of 2023. Unfortunately a bit of setback to start the year, as the player of Fenn has had to drop from the group permanently due to RL commitments*, and 2 more were absent on the day. With just 3 players present we agreed to continue, with Fenn and Doran being controlled by the other players during combat to make it easier on the GM.
Session Date: Tuesday 10 January 2023
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 finished off the skeletal warrior without too much trouble. They had disarmed it at the climax of the previous session (from memory it was a critical success on an active defence roll, catching the longsword on a PC's shield and knocking it from the skeleton's grasp). Doran and Agis kept the skeleton engaged while Erizax moved a hex of conjured fire with the Shape Fire spell to engulf the undead. Rather than retreat, the skeleton instead crouched down to pick up its dropped sword, submerging itself in the flames. The elf and dwarf didn't let up on attacking it either, and the skeleton never re-emerged from the fire.
Erizax withdrew his magical fire to a safe distance, and the party checked the remains. They found a heap of bones with its old and cracked armour and clothing smouldering from the flames. The party was able to salvage a heavy duty but cracked wooded shield, a metal pot helm, and an old but still serviceable longsword (good quality, and thus better than many of the PCs' cheap quality starting blades).
Erizax withdrew his magical fire to a safe distance, and the party checked the remains. They found a heap of bones with its old and cracked armour and clothing smouldering from the flames. The party was able to salvage a heavy duty but cracked wooded shield, a metal pot helm, and an old but still serviceable longsword (good quality, and thus better than many of the PCs' cheap quality starting blades).
Proceeding along their way, the group elected to enter into the small wood from which the skeleton emerged, rather than taking the alternate path which presumably skirted around the outside. They found the wood to be forebodingly quiet as they stayed alert for signs of any further undead. Fenn identified the path the skeleton had come (perhaps more than once) and they left the trail in order to investigate. They soon found a clearing with the stump of a single large dead tree in the centre. The sense of unease increased as the party entered the clearing, and the feeling only got worse as they approached the centre. Within a few yards of the dead tree, Agis had a horrible sensation of un-life as if necrotic energies were emanating from the stump. He decided this was too much, and the party agreed to retreat. Returning to the track, the group continued on their way, and were soon out of that uncanny wood.
Ahead of them the vista opened up to miles of plains of patchy grassland and small shrubs. A mile or two down the track the party encountered a lone wagon slowly coming their way. The wagon was covered and only a solitary wagon driver was visible. This man turned to be fairly friendly and talkative. They told of the skeleton they had encountered, and he told them that he avoided the eerie wood, and instead went around the track that skirted the outside. He advised the group that they were heading north and this direction would take them towards the village of Cribble some 15 miles ahead of them, from whence he had come. The PCs instead wanted the village of Mere, which the wagoner informed them was more or less due east from where they were. The wagoner enquired of the party and their journey. Erizax was talkative, and told of their task to deliver a casket to a wizard in Mere. Eleanor however would rather have told this stranger nothing. The wagoner knew of the magician, and warned Erizax that he was a grumpy old man. They said their goodbyes, and the wagoner looked intently at the tight-lipped Eleanor as he drove away. She returned his stare, watching as the wagon retreated slowly southwards. Someone may have been watching from inside the wagon, but Eleanor could see only the rear cover moving.
Before they left the path to head east, Eleanor spotted a small structure to the west, in more or less the opposite direction. It was perhaps a couple of miles away so she couldn't make out much more detail than what was probably a roof. The party had been travelling for maybe 8 hours by this point, and not all of it in the right direction. They knew they would need to stop for the night, but they had maybe another 4 hours of hiking left before they camped. So they debated whether to check out this small structure, the only building in sight for miles in any direction. They decided to press on, accepting that they would have to risk camping out in the open, rather than delay further with a detour. As it turns out, their choice of campsite was lousy, and they didn't rest well (starting off with -2 FP and a reduced max FP as a result).
The group encountered some farmers as they headed east, immediately followed by the emergence of bandits. The "farmers" and the "bandits" turned out to be one and the same, and the farmers attacked the party as soon as they got close (a fact which did not surprise the players much, if at all). This fight was only remarkable in its one-sidedness. The PCs made very short work of these bandit-farmers, showing the difference between well-skilled novice warriors and untrained combatants. The group didn't kill the defeated would-be robbers, but stripped them of their few copper coins and meagre weapons and armour. They kept the (cheap) shortswords and burned the unwanted wooden weapons, padded armour, and the skeleton's damaged shield to prevent the farmers from reusing them in another attempt. With that done, they proceeded onwards.
The plains turned into hills and the remaining journey of the second day was hard slog but largely uneventful. The group arrived at the halfling village late in the evening, tired but otherwise in one piece. The village of Mere is tiny. A few hillside dwellings, and about half a dozen buildings, including a small two-storey stone tower leaning against a simple wooden house. It is getting dark. Small folk were to be seen leaving what looks to be a tavern...
Ahead of them the vista opened up to miles of plains of patchy grassland and small shrubs. A mile or two down the track the party encountered a lone wagon slowly coming their way. The wagon was covered and only a solitary wagon driver was visible. This man turned to be fairly friendly and talkative. They told of the skeleton they had encountered, and he told them that he avoided the eerie wood, and instead went around the track that skirted the outside. He advised the group that they were heading north and this direction would take them towards the village of Cribble some 15 miles ahead of them, from whence he had come. The PCs instead wanted the village of Mere, which the wagoner informed them was more or less due east from where they were. The wagoner enquired of the party and their journey. Erizax was talkative, and told of their task to deliver a casket to a wizard in Mere. Eleanor however would rather have told this stranger nothing. The wagoner knew of the magician, and warned Erizax that he was a grumpy old man. They said their goodbyes, and the wagoner looked intently at the tight-lipped Eleanor as he drove away. She returned his stare, watching as the wagon retreated slowly southwards. Someone may have been watching from inside the wagon, but Eleanor could see only the rear cover moving.
Before they left the path to head east, Eleanor spotted a small structure to the west, in more or less the opposite direction. It was perhaps a couple of miles away so she couldn't make out much more detail than what was probably a roof. The party had been travelling for maybe 8 hours by this point, and not all of it in the right direction. They knew they would need to stop for the night, but they had maybe another 4 hours of hiking left before they camped. So they debated whether to check out this small structure, the only building in sight for miles in any direction. They decided to press on, accepting that they would have to risk camping out in the open, rather than delay further with a detour. As it turns out, their choice of campsite was lousy, and they didn't rest well (starting off with -2 FP and a reduced max FP as a result).
The group encountered some farmers as they headed east, immediately followed by the emergence of bandits. The "farmers" and the "bandits" turned out to be one and the same, and the farmers attacked the party as soon as they got close (a fact which did not surprise the players much, if at all). This fight was only remarkable in its one-sidedness. The PCs made very short work of these bandit-farmers, showing the difference between well-skilled novice warriors and untrained combatants. The group didn't kill the defeated would-be robbers, but stripped them of their few copper coins and meagre weapons and armour. They kept the (cheap) shortswords and burned the unwanted wooden weapons, padded armour, and the skeleton's damaged shield to prevent the farmers from reusing them in another attempt. With that done, they proceeded onwards.
The plains turned into hills and the remaining journey of the second day was hard slog but largely uneventful. The group arrived at the halfling village late in the evening, tired but otherwise in one piece. The village of Mere is tiny. A few hillside dwellings, and about half a dozen buildings, including a small two-storey stone tower leaning against a simple wooden house. It is getting dark. Small folk were to be seen leaving what looks to be a tavern...
We will pick up there next week.
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* I will advertise on the GURPS discord for a replacement player. 6-plus-GM can be a big team and a bit unwieldy for online play, but I prefer to have some redundancy built-in specifically in case of accidental loss or erasure.
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* I will advertise on the GURPS discord for a replacement player. 6-plus-GM can be a big team and a bit unwieldy for online play, but I prefer to have some redundancy built-in specifically in case of accidental loss or erasure.
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