Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Aphonion Tales: Adventures in the Spice Lands and the War in Hanal, a tween and teen D&D game (edited notes, posts Tuesdays, most recent 3/7/23)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="CPaladin" data-source="post: 8914323" data-attributes="member: 7030144"><p>Session 51 (January 22, 2023)</p><p></p><p>15 Kas</p><p>They leave the abbey and head south towards the shoreline, expecting it to take about a day to get there. As they travel, Iados is out ahead of the group scouting.</p><p></p><p>Iados flies back to the group. "There's a large village, which looks like it had over a thousand people, at least two dozen small boats, and two large ships, which are flying green banners."</p><p></p><p>Noah says, "My guess is that those are occupying the port, keeping the town loyal. I doubt the town itself is more than a stop over point for the navy, but we still can't risk going in with them there. Actually, how many ships have the green banners? Is it just the two large ships, or are the fishing boats flying green banners as well."</p><p></p><p>"Just the large ones."</p><p></p><p>"They may not have much public support, then, beyond whatever garrisoning of soldier or guards are here. Still, we should stay clear."</p><p></p><p>They decide to head east some distance, and then turn south to the shoreline. They plan on traveling about three miles to the east before approaching the shore. They narrowly avoid running into a patrol--ten men and a sergeant, armed with crossbows and wearing breastplates, clearly very disciplined. Iados spots them in time, and the group hides beyond a hillock, avoiding them entirely. Noah feels an urge to confront them, trying to gain information, but he is aware that if the patrol doesn't return on schedule, it will stir up more trouble.</p><p></p><p>As they reach the shore, there are scattered huts--nothing like the village, just a hut here and a hut there, with rowboats and fish drying racks. It's getting on towards nightfall, and they head along the shore, avoiding the two obviously occupied huts and the two empty ones.</p><p></p><p>They decide to commandeer one of the empty shanties. Once they get inside, it's clear that it's abandoned. There are still pieces of furniture and a few root vegetables stored, but the fire is long cold and the furniture undusted. It has likely been abandoned relatively recently, but no one is coming back to this shack. They eat a cold meal and go to bed without lighting a fire, lest they draw the attention of neighboring villagers.</p><p></p><p>"Master Iados!" says the uruk on watch with Iados. "We're being surrounded from the water."</p><p></p><p>"By what?"</p><p></p><p>"Humanoids but they're not like us. They're scaly."</p><p></p><p>He quickly rouses everyone.</p><p></p><p>A female of the species has now come up, with shell necklaces and a short rod of coral.</p><p></p><p>Iados calls out, "Hello!"</p><p></p><p>"Who sits in the hut of Old Samuel and his family?"</p><p></p><p>"We apologize. We're seeking shelter for the night. We did not know that this hut was under protection."</p><p></p><p>"Pearls he gave us to guard his hut while he fled."</p><p></p><p>"We mean no harm. We just wanted shelter for the night. Are there empty huts you don't guard?"</p><p></p><p>"Yes, but be warned: If you are hiding in old Samuel's hut, you are no friend to the marines, and the marines patrol this beach twice a night. Once already they have passed. Here, they will not come, for they know that old Samuel has friends to guard, and we are too many for them."</p><p></p><p>"How many are they?"</p><p></p><p>"Each patrol is two hands of men, and the sergeant. Sometimes there is among them a priest. Sometimes there is not. Occasionally, among them there is a mage. Usually there is not."</p><p></p><p>"We could take them," says Noah. "But again, if we take them, it'll alert them that there's been people in the beach huts."</p><p></p><p>"Lady," states Trudie, "You are then no friends of these marines, either."</p><p></p><p>"We share a deity, but we believe they corrupt it."</p><p></p><p>"You are enemies of the cult that has sprung up."</p><p></p><p>"Yes. The Lord of Darkness and Deep Water does not support this cult. I have asked." The other merfolk with her--about 15 total--nod their heads respectfully.</p><p></p><p>"Could we pay you for sheltering here?" asks Noah.</p><p></p><p>"We need no pay. Old Samuel simply ask us to be certain that when he dared return some day, all of his things would still be here."</p><p></p><p>"We haven't taken anything, and we don't intend to"</p><p></p><p>"I think if you are within the hut, they will pass you by as long as you do nothing to draw attention to yourself."</p><p></p><p>"As a token of our sincerity. Do your people come out at the morning?"</p><p></p><p>"We are generally nocturnal, but our guards remain awake, of course, day and night."</p><p></p><p>"I'm willing to leave you my axe as a symbol that we won't take anything."</p><p></p><p>"Also take this," says Iados, reaching into his bag and taking out some fruit."</p><p></p><p>"Those are complicated. They're related in some way to the Lady of Chaos."</p><p></p><p>"Still, surface fruit is surface fruit." She distributes them among her warriors. "We will accept this token, and leave you in peace to sleep."</p><p></p><p>"Before you go--have you seen the sky ships?"</p><p></p><p>"There are two of them. They maneuver very carefully so they never encounter each other. We do not know why."</p><p></p><p>"They are of two groups who dislike each other greatly but are forced to work together against a common threat."</p><p></p><p>"Logical. The end of their patrol pattern is about a day southeast of here on the beach."</p><p></p><p>"Thank you. Knowing that is of great use to us."</p><p></p><p>"They used to pass over the shad fishing village, but have not since the two warships arrived. But be warned. They patrol greatly, so it is not often that they come so far."</p><p></p><p>"Even so, knowing that will be great use to us."</p><p></p><p>"They used to on occasion pass over the shad fishing village, but since the ships have arrived they avoid that."</p><p></p><p>"Is the village nearby the shad fishing village?"</p><p></p><p>"It is. We had words with them years ago when their nets got too big."</p><p></p><p>"Thank you for your advice."</p><p></p><p>"Yes, we truly appreciate your kindness."</p><p></p><p>"We will return the axe in the morning. It will be wet."</p><p></p><p>She withdraws into the water with her 15 guards.</p><p></p><p>The rest of the night passes uneventfully.</p><p></p><p>16 Kas</p><p>Noah retrieves his axe from the merfolk guard in the morning. Trudie leaves a silver piece behind, as a rent of sorts for old Samuel, tucked under some root vegetables where it will not be obvious but will be found when he returns. They head along the beach to the southeast.</p><p></p><p>As they trot along, they see a small group of sleek, fast ships off shore. They have a single bank of oars in addition to their sails, but no colors. Three boats immediately launch, full of people, about 20 or 25 total, and head to shore.</p><p></p><p>Noah says, "They're probably not meaning trouble."</p><p></p><p>"You think?" asks Trudie. "They look like pirates to me."</p><p></p><p>As they get closer to the shore, Ravokris sees that they have silver seals at the front of the boats. Everyone they can see is human, but on a flyby, Iados can see that those silver seals are some sort of intricate elven pattern. The sailors are clean, neatly dressed, carrying nets, mancatchers, and armed and armored, though lightly because they are sailors. The party starts figuring that these might in fact be slavers.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly, two banners fly on each of the ships. One is a let of a privateer on behalf of the Queen-Empress. The other is the banner of Region 8 of the Aragoni. "Give yourselves up!" cries the leader, in the lead boat.</p><p></p><p>Trudie responds by dropping a Flame Strike on the lead boat, sinking the boat entirely and killing most of the people in it, though not the leader.</p><p></p><p>He hesitates for a moment, as he flounders in the water, then shouts, "That one will be worth more! Take them!"</p><p></p><p>Noah rushes forward as they land their boat, raging and swinging his axe. The uruks follow in his wake, also charging and hitting. Noah hits twice, badly bloodying two of them but not dropping either. The uruks both hit twice, inflicting additional grievous injuries. None of the slavers from that boat are dead yet, but they're all getting close.</p><p></p><p>Ravokris envelopes the other boat in a Burning Hands. Two of them are injured, with the other four burned to death.</p><p></p><p>Iados swoops down and tries to knock some of them into the water while protecting himself. He knocks two of them prone.</p><p></p><p>Having attacked them while they were simply getting to shore, the group is then able to move faster than them as they try to join the fight. Noah chops at the two he wounded, dropping them.</p><p></p><p>Ravokris follows his first Burning Hands with a second one, reducing the remaining two in that boat to charred messes.</p><p></p><p>Iados knocks another two prone, as the other two are standing up.</p><p></p><p>Trudie casts Hold Person on the leader, but he resists.</p><p></p><p>The uruks finish hacking their foes to pieces, and one of them also hits another one.</p><p></p><p>The midshipman on the beach wets himself and dives back into the water and starts swimming back to the ship. The leader signals, and the two ships nearest the shore fire powerbow spreads. 40 steel bolts fly to the shore towards them.</p><p></p><p>One spray of bolts misses entirely, smashing into trees behind them. The other scatters among the group. Some bolts bounce off of Trudie's armor; one smacks into Ravokris; Iados takes 4 shafts; Noah is also hit by 4; the uruks take 3 and 1. Ravokris was only lightly creased, taking 1 damage. Iados takes 26 damage as he's knocked to the ground. Noah takes less damage than would be expected, because of his resistance.</p><p></p><p>The other two ships are swinging into position to bring their powerbows to bear.</p><p></p><p>Noah continues hacking the survivors to pieces. He gets a critical hit, inflicting an appalling 29 damage and splitting a slaver in twain.</p><p></p><p>Ravokris looks out at the ships, each of which is about 60 feet long. They're positioned out some 200 yards from the beach, where the water is deep enough that there's no risk that they will ground.</p><p></p><p>Noah shouts, "If you can get behind cover, get behind cover! They're about to fire on all of us!"</p><p></p><p>Ravokris sprints towards the dunes, throwing himself behind cover. Iados also flees, running over the dunes as well.</p><p></p><p>Trudie casts another Hold Person, sending the swimming slaver officer down to a dreadful fate as he slowly drowns, unable to swim or even to close his mouth. She then walks calmly back towards the dunes.</p><p></p><p>The uruk start running for the dunes, hauling the resonator with them.</p><p></p><p>The powerbows fire again. This time, one misses entirely, one jams and is out of action, and the other two spray across the beach. Noah takes another 4 bolts, and is still only lightly injured. Trudie takes two bolts, for a total of 5 points.</p><p></p><p>Noah runs over the dunes as well, with no live opponents left on the beach.</p><p></p><p>For another 7 rounds, a volley of powerbow bolts flies over their heads or slams into the beach. Finally, they give up and move on. After the fight, while they are healing, Ravokris realizes that those were the sigils for Section 8 of the Aragoni - Section 8 should not be operating this far north. They are in breach of their own agreements.</p><p></p><p>After the ships sail on, they travel out to loot the bodies. They recover 128 silver, plus a gold and silver fish earing that might be magical. Trudie identifies it as a talisman of swimming.</p><p>[End Session 51]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CPaladin, post: 8914323, member: 7030144"] Session 51 (January 22, 2023) 15 Kas They leave the abbey and head south towards the shoreline, expecting it to take about a day to get there. As they travel, Iados is out ahead of the group scouting. Iados flies back to the group. "There's a large village, which looks like it had over a thousand people, at least two dozen small boats, and two large ships, which are flying green banners." Noah says, "My guess is that those are occupying the port, keeping the town loyal. I doubt the town itself is more than a stop over point for the navy, but we still can't risk going in with them there. Actually, how many ships have the green banners? Is it just the two large ships, or are the fishing boats flying green banners as well." "Just the large ones." "They may not have much public support, then, beyond whatever garrisoning of soldier or guards are here. Still, we should stay clear." They decide to head east some distance, and then turn south to the shoreline. They plan on traveling about three miles to the east before approaching the shore. They narrowly avoid running into a patrol--ten men and a sergeant, armed with crossbows and wearing breastplates, clearly very disciplined. Iados spots them in time, and the group hides beyond a hillock, avoiding them entirely. Noah feels an urge to confront them, trying to gain information, but he is aware that if the patrol doesn't return on schedule, it will stir up more trouble. As they reach the shore, there are scattered huts--nothing like the village, just a hut here and a hut there, with rowboats and fish drying racks. It's getting on towards nightfall, and they head along the shore, avoiding the two obviously occupied huts and the two empty ones. They decide to commandeer one of the empty shanties. Once they get inside, it's clear that it's abandoned. There are still pieces of furniture and a few root vegetables stored, but the fire is long cold and the furniture undusted. It has likely been abandoned relatively recently, but no one is coming back to this shack. They eat a cold meal and go to bed without lighting a fire, lest they draw the attention of neighboring villagers. "Master Iados!" says the uruk on watch with Iados. "We're being surrounded from the water." "By what?" "Humanoids but they're not like us. They're scaly." He quickly rouses everyone. A female of the species has now come up, with shell necklaces and a short rod of coral. Iados calls out, "Hello!" "Who sits in the hut of Old Samuel and his family?" "We apologize. We're seeking shelter for the night. We did not know that this hut was under protection." "Pearls he gave us to guard his hut while he fled." "We mean no harm. We just wanted shelter for the night. Are there empty huts you don't guard?" "Yes, but be warned: If you are hiding in old Samuel's hut, you are no friend to the marines, and the marines patrol this beach twice a night. Once already they have passed. Here, they will not come, for they know that old Samuel has friends to guard, and we are too many for them." "How many are they?" "Each patrol is two hands of men, and the sergeant. Sometimes there is among them a priest. Sometimes there is not. Occasionally, among them there is a mage. Usually there is not." "We could take them," says Noah. "But again, if we take them, it'll alert them that there's been people in the beach huts." "Lady," states Trudie, "You are then no friends of these marines, either." "We share a deity, but we believe they corrupt it." "You are enemies of the cult that has sprung up." "Yes. The Lord of Darkness and Deep Water does not support this cult. I have asked." The other merfolk with her--about 15 total--nod their heads respectfully. "Could we pay you for sheltering here?" asks Noah. "We need no pay. Old Samuel simply ask us to be certain that when he dared return some day, all of his things would still be here." "We haven't taken anything, and we don't intend to" "I think if you are within the hut, they will pass you by as long as you do nothing to draw attention to yourself." "As a token of our sincerity. Do your people come out at the morning?" "We are generally nocturnal, but our guards remain awake, of course, day and night." "I'm willing to leave you my axe as a symbol that we won't take anything." "Also take this," says Iados, reaching into his bag and taking out some fruit." "Those are complicated. They're related in some way to the Lady of Chaos." "Still, surface fruit is surface fruit." She distributes them among her warriors. "We will accept this token, and leave you in peace to sleep." "Before you go--have you seen the sky ships?" "There are two of them. They maneuver very carefully so they never encounter each other. We do not know why." "They are of two groups who dislike each other greatly but are forced to work together against a common threat." "Logical. The end of their patrol pattern is about a day southeast of here on the beach." "Thank you. Knowing that is of great use to us." "They used to pass over the shad fishing village, but have not since the two warships arrived. But be warned. They patrol greatly, so it is not often that they come so far." "Even so, knowing that will be great use to us." "They used to on occasion pass over the shad fishing village, but since the ships have arrived they avoid that." "Is the village nearby the shad fishing village?" "It is. We had words with them years ago when their nets got too big." "Thank you for your advice." "Yes, we truly appreciate your kindness." "We will return the axe in the morning. It will be wet." She withdraws into the water with her 15 guards. The rest of the night passes uneventfully. 16 Kas Noah retrieves his axe from the merfolk guard in the morning. Trudie leaves a silver piece behind, as a rent of sorts for old Samuel, tucked under some root vegetables where it will not be obvious but will be found when he returns. They head along the beach to the southeast. As they trot along, they see a small group of sleek, fast ships off shore. They have a single bank of oars in addition to their sails, but no colors. Three boats immediately launch, full of people, about 20 or 25 total, and head to shore. Noah says, "They're probably not meaning trouble." "You think?" asks Trudie. "They look like pirates to me." As they get closer to the shore, Ravokris sees that they have silver seals at the front of the boats. Everyone they can see is human, but on a flyby, Iados can see that those silver seals are some sort of intricate elven pattern. The sailors are clean, neatly dressed, carrying nets, mancatchers, and armed and armored, though lightly because they are sailors. The party starts figuring that these might in fact be slavers. Suddenly, two banners fly on each of the ships. One is a let of a privateer on behalf of the Queen-Empress. The other is the banner of Region 8 of the Aragoni. "Give yourselves up!" cries the leader, in the lead boat. Trudie responds by dropping a Flame Strike on the lead boat, sinking the boat entirely and killing most of the people in it, though not the leader. He hesitates for a moment, as he flounders in the water, then shouts, "That one will be worth more! Take them!" Noah rushes forward as they land their boat, raging and swinging his axe. The uruks follow in his wake, also charging and hitting. Noah hits twice, badly bloodying two of them but not dropping either. The uruks both hit twice, inflicting additional grievous injuries. None of the slavers from that boat are dead yet, but they're all getting close. Ravokris envelopes the other boat in a Burning Hands. Two of them are injured, with the other four burned to death. Iados swoops down and tries to knock some of them into the water while protecting himself. He knocks two of them prone. Having attacked them while they were simply getting to shore, the group is then able to move faster than them as they try to join the fight. Noah chops at the two he wounded, dropping them. Ravokris follows his first Burning Hands with a second one, reducing the remaining two in that boat to charred messes. Iados knocks another two prone, as the other two are standing up. Trudie casts Hold Person on the leader, but he resists. The uruks finish hacking their foes to pieces, and one of them also hits another one. The midshipman on the beach wets himself and dives back into the water and starts swimming back to the ship. The leader signals, and the two ships nearest the shore fire powerbow spreads. 40 steel bolts fly to the shore towards them. One spray of bolts misses entirely, smashing into trees behind them. The other scatters among the group. Some bolts bounce off of Trudie's armor; one smacks into Ravokris; Iados takes 4 shafts; Noah is also hit by 4; the uruks take 3 and 1. Ravokris was only lightly creased, taking 1 damage. Iados takes 26 damage as he's knocked to the ground. Noah takes less damage than would be expected, because of his resistance. The other two ships are swinging into position to bring their powerbows to bear. Noah continues hacking the survivors to pieces. He gets a critical hit, inflicting an appalling 29 damage and splitting a slaver in twain. Ravokris looks out at the ships, each of which is about 60 feet long. They're positioned out some 200 yards from the beach, where the water is deep enough that there's no risk that they will ground. Noah shouts, "If you can get behind cover, get behind cover! They're about to fire on all of us!" Ravokris sprints towards the dunes, throwing himself behind cover. Iados also flees, running over the dunes as well. Trudie casts another Hold Person, sending the swimming slaver officer down to a dreadful fate as he slowly drowns, unable to swim or even to close his mouth. She then walks calmly back towards the dunes. The uruk start running for the dunes, hauling the resonator with them. The powerbows fire again. This time, one misses entirely, one jams and is out of action, and the other two spray across the beach. Noah takes another 4 bolts, and is still only lightly injured. Trudie takes two bolts, for a total of 5 points. Noah runs over the dunes as well, with no live opponents left on the beach. For another 7 rounds, a volley of powerbow bolts flies over their heads or slams into the beach. Finally, they give up and move on. After the fight, while they are healing, Ravokris realizes that those were the sigils for Section 8 of the Aragoni - Section 8 should not be operating this far north. They are in breach of their own agreements. After the ships sail on, they travel out to loot the bodies. They recover 128 silver, plus a gold and silver fish earing that might be magical. Trudie identifies it as a talisman of swimming. [End Session 51] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Aphonion Tales: Adventures in the Spice Lands and the War in Hanal, a tween and teen D&D game (edited notes, posts Tuesdays, most recent 3/7/23)
Top