Barons of Bellevue

[Ancalagon]

This thread will be for sharing the goings on in my local gaming group, the Barons of Bellevue.

[Ancalagon]

The group began in January 2015 and presently consists of Andy, Devin, Don, Jeff, Morgan, Todd, and myself. Of the current seven members, Jeff, Morgan, Todd, and myself are original. Don joined us two years ago. Andy joined about six months ago. Devin joined about two months ago. There have been at least a half dozen other players come and go since the group started.

We are currently playing a Castles & Crusades campaign set in Aihrde. I'm the Castle Keeper (CK, DM, GM, Screen Monkey, etc) for the campaign. The campaign started in the summer of 2018 with the players generating 1st level characters. So far there have been three PC deaths: an assassin, a knight, and a monk. Another character, a bard, departed the adventuring group as the player wanted to try his hand at another class. The party, all still 1st level characters, consists of two human clerics of different faiths, a dwarf barbarian, a dwarf paladin, a human ranger, and a human wizard.

The group meets every other Sunday, barring interruptions with work or holidays, etc., from 1 PM to 5 PM. The relatively short sessions and a few missed opportunities by the characters contributed to the slow advancement... which is fine by me. When characters in my games advance levels, the players know they earned them.

Right now the characters are in the midst of C&C module A0 - The Rising Knight. They inadvertently set off an alarm before descending to the second dungeon level seeking Gritznak, a big, nasty gnoll running a protection scheme for tribute upon surrounding villages. On the second level, the party took out a few goblins and kobolds before running into a large number of goblins and a gnoll. After a brutal fight only 1 PC, a 0-level NPC, and a disgustingly obese and cowardly goblin cook they spared remain conscious. Regular patrols or bad guys will be combing the dungeon passages due to the alarm that sounded. Will the party survive the experience? The next session is on December 30th.

[Ancalagon]

The lone conscious PC, and barely that at 0 hit points, is Vulrog, a once dandy looking dwarf paladin. As Vulrog and his loyal henchman, Kiint, a former leper whom Vulrog cured, discussed their predicament, they heard a clearing of the throat noise from down the hallway where sixteen goblins very recently met their ends. Vulrog and Kiint looked down the hall and saw the disgustingly obese and sweat-covered goblin cook peering around the corner.

The goblin thanked the dwarf directly for sparing his life then commented on the poor shape of the party. He stepped around the corner and slowly waddled down the corridor with his hands out to his sides to show he was unarmed. The goblin resembled a short waterbed with the way its flesh jostled and swayed as it moved. The goblin stopped roughly twenty feet from Vulrog and again thanked the dwarf for sparing is life though, in all honesty, some of the other PCs were involved in the decision. The goblin then offered to help the party in return for not killing him.

Vulrog asked how the goblin would help him and the party. As soon as the question was finished, the goblin waddled up to the dwarf, extended his hand, said that the other goblins call him Skinny, and waited for the dwarf to shake his hand. The dwarf did not react. Skinny spoke again, saying that if he and the dwarf were to negotiate his help then introductions should be made. It was a full two minutes before Vulrog extended his hand. Kiint immediately followed suit.

Skinny told Vulrog that he can revive sufficiently the party members so that they can "leave this place" or carry another out. Vulrog asked how this is done. Skinny replied that before anything else is said, Vulrog and Kiint must swear by the names of their gods and upon the name of Unklar to the following:
1. No one in the party will, in any way, cause harm to befall Skinny
2. No one in the party will, in any way, cause harm to befall the permanent structures and features of this place
3. No one in the party will divulge, in any way, that it was Skinny who helped the party and how that help was granted

Vulrog was fine with swearing by The All Father but wanted nothing to do with the name of Unklar. Skinny shrugged, the flab around his shoulders rippled, and said simply, "Those are the conditions for my help." Vulrog tried unsuccessfully to have Skinny relent on the Unklar requirement. Skinny countered by reminding Vulrog that time is precious since more patrols could happen by at any time. Vulrog was unmoved. Skinny then asked Vulrog what would serve the greater good: refusing to swear an oath upon the name of Unklar or saving the lives of his six companions. This was when Vulrog agreed. Both the dwarf and his servant swore the oaths as Skinny required.

The paladin asked how Skinny would help. Skinny replied that part of the reason why Gritnak's forces were so successful is that they have a good cook! Skinny then told Vulrog that each person Vulrog wanted revived would need to add the pinky finger of the left hand to the contents of his cauldron. Vulrog would be required to personally amputate the fingers.

The dwarf looked as though he hadn't quite understood what was said.

When he could bring himself to speak, Vulrog offered his own pinky finger rather than those of the unconscious party members. Skinny replied that it didn't work that way and besides, the dwarf was already conscious and didn't need reviving. Vulrog hesitated. Skinny said, "The choice is yours. You can have one, some, or all revived as you see fit... but I remind you that time is short."

After a few minutes, Vulrog decided that he did not want resentment from any party members if some had a finger removed while others did not. The paladin then amputated the left hand pinky fingers of the two clerics, the ranger, the barbarian, and the two wizards. Skinny clapped his hands quickly and quietly while the large sacks of flab hanging from his triceps quivered. Vulrog handed the bloody fingers to Skinny. The fat goblin sniffed them, said, "This will be a treat," and waddled down the corridor back to his cauldron. Skinny called to Vulrog, "Bring the one you want revived first."

Skinny tossed the fingers into the mostly full cauldron and stirred the contents. He used a ladle to sample the stew, shudder slightly, cut his eyes to Vulrog then say, "Aaaahhhh... soooo sweet!" Skinny went to one of the wizards Kiint had dragged to the cauldron, placed a hand under the back of his head then poured broth into the young man's mouth. The wizard began to wake, crying out as he did due to intense pain in his left hand. Each party member was revived in the same manner.

Kiint helped to support Vulrog as the group made ready to leave the dungeon. Skinny waddled up to Vulrog and told him that the oath he swore also binds those who received his help but how that matter is discussed would be left to the dwarf. Skinny then said, "Leave now while you still have time, my friend." As the adventurers walked slowly away, one of them looked back and saw Skinny take a cleaver, sever a dead goblin's arm at the elbow, and toss it into the cauldron.

The party encountered no patrols on its way out of the dungeon. Vulrog collapsed some forty feet from the exit.

"What did you do!?!" Rif, cleric of Augustus, shouted. Vulrog explained the deal he made to save their lives and how each of them were now bound by its terms. None of them were pleased. Rif swore loudly. Ulric the barbarian muttered to himself as was his habit. Eribus and Menlaus the wizards said nothing. Rif grabbed Vulrog by an ankle a dragged him through the forest until the party found a place it could rest for the night.

[Ancalagon]

The party traveled until they found a place to hide and set up watches. When the party was settled, Rif, greatly angered over now being bound by a promise to Unklar made on his behalf, punched Vulrog who immediately passed out. Eribus and Menlaus remained quiet. Kiint, the helpful 0-level NPC with the most hit points remaining, a whopping 3, took a double watch, first and second shifts, to let others have more rest. Luckily for the party, nothing disturbed them during the night.

Just after dawn, the wizards walked some 30-40 paces away to spend time in their spell books. Kiint, very tired after the events of the previous day and night, slept while the others started to wake. As Vulrog began to stir, Rif punched him again and he immediately passed out. One thing I've learned while running this adventure: don't ever F with Rif.

A few minutes after Vulrog was KOed, Eribus' voice was heard from where he stood, still some 30-40 paces distant. He held his disfigured hand towards the sky while invoking the name of his god, Aristobulus. As he did so, he extended his right hand and a blast of white light streaked from it to slam into Vulrog's head. The party was caught completely off guard by this. Until this point, Eribus had been a slightly whimsical sort curious about new experiences, especially if magic was suspected. A few seconds later, another blast of white light struck Vulrog's head. Another cleric in the party, whose church is no friend to Unklar, checked Vulrog for a pulse and found one... barely. A third blast of light found Vulrog's head and shattered it like a melon.

Due to noise and activity, Kiint began to wake from his deep sleep. By the time he wearily muttered, "What --", Rif's morningstar caught him square in the side of the head, cracking his skull. Kiint dropped like a sack of wet sand whereupon Rif's follow up swing demolished the remainder of the man's head.

Ulric the barbarian was none too pleased with the way the others treated Vulrog and Kiint and voiced his opinion. Rif's anger was already known. Eribus was furious over what Vulrog had done - taking one of his fingers from his hands, the tools by which Aristobulus enabled him to wield power! Heated discussion ensued. As the talk continued, Vulrog's body vanished in a flash light gray smoke. Eribus knew this to be the sign that his sacrifice of Vulrog to Aristobulus had been accepted. Kiint, who was only a loyal follower to Vulrog and not the one responsible for harvesting fingers, was given a burial. Immediately after the burial, Ulric struck out on his own by departing south while the rest of the party departed north, both factions heading back to the same town.

[Necron 99]

All I can say is, "DAY-UM!"

That's some seriously effed up party conflict right there, lol.

[Ancalagon]

The party has mostly neutral type aligned members following neutral gods. Even though he meant well, the paladin crossed a couple of lines, as far as the other characters were concerned, with his actions. Eribus' player told me he wouldn't have had much problem at all if someone had just carried Eribus out after being revived rather than mutilating one of his hands. I was a bit surprised the paladins' player didn't revive just the bucket heads to carry out the spellers. Had he done that, I think the party would've spared Vulrog and Kiint.

[Ancalagon]

The player of Vulrog has since rolled up a halfling character named Bigby "Short Shanks" Whistlefoot who is a funny, enthusiastic sort of fellow who won't take no for answer even when its obvious his remarks are not going over well... It also happens that Short Shanks is a chaotic neutral assassin.

[Ancalagon]

The party faction with Eribus and Rif reached Malforten in an uneventful manner at dusk after two days. Ulrich, who went south, was not there to see them arrive. The party, somewhat restored through the healing prayers of Resnick, made for The Empty Flagon to have hot meals and much ale. Though the travel had given time for tempers to cool, moods were still foul, and the party ate for the most part in silence.

Some time later when meals were finished, more ales were ordered whereupon Eribus and Rif began to discuss what next to do. Neither wanted to return to Gritznak's lair. Eribus was convinced the party was hopelessly outnumbered and considered another excursion to the lair to be suicidal. The promise of reward no longer persuaded them to risk life and limb to help the town. They deemed it time to depart, to seek better options elsewhere, and to leave the town to whatever fate awaited it. The stoic Resnick excused himself then retired to his room for evening prayers.

A short time later, Ulrich entered The Empty Flagon. He joined his companions and ordered food and drink. Eribus informed Ulrich of what he and Rif were planning which met with a disapproving look; several minutes of discussion and debate ensued.

At this point, an unnoticed halfling who had, so far, been quietly eavesdropping on the conversation, walked up to the party's table. He promptly introduced himself as Bigby Whistlefoot a.k.a. "Short Shanks." The nickname was accurate as Bigby was no more than three feet tall... and barely that. He hopped up into a chair, asked when everyone would be ready to go collect the reward on Gritznak, and extended a hand in greeting. The hand was not accepted by anyone since, as already mentioned, moods were foul.

Rif and Eribus attempted, more than once, to make it known that Short Shanks' company was not wanted but the halfling ignored the comments and continued trying to include himself in discussions. After a few minutes, Eribus went to the bar to refill his ale, leaving Rif and Ulrich to deal with the determined halfling. As Short Shanks prattled on, he suddenly went quiet and slumped in his chair. Eribus returned to his seat and informed Rif and Ulrich they could now continue their discussion as had used sorcery to put the halfling to sleep. As the Witching Hour neared, Ulrich, Eribus, and Rif went to their rooms to sleep. Short Shanks was left in his chair.

[Ancalagon]

A short while after the characters' heads found their pillows, but still well before dawn, commotion outside The Empty Flagon awoke them. From their respective vantage points, the party members could see that many goblins and kobolds were scurrying about breaking windows, kicking in doors, and firing flaming arrows at some structures. Gritznak had decided to attack the town in retaliation for the incursions into his lair!

Ulrich made his way to the back door of the inn, stepped outside, and began shouting to the goblins to draw some to him. The other characters conferred and went to the common room to peer out the front door for a better view. They saw two groups of goblins spaced about thirty-five feet apart. Each group was comprised of two goblins with two kobolds behind them. The goblins wielded short bows and they were preparing to shoot flaming arrows, prepared by the kobolds, at The Empty Flagon. The party quickly closed the front door and went to the rear exit to find Ulrich engaged with two spear-wielding goblins with a third dead on the ground in a pool of its own blood. A kobold soon joined the fray but the party put down the monsters.

The characters, except for Ulrich, decided to rush forth from The Flagon and meet the foes out in the open. The dwarf decided to run around the side of the building and try to approach the goblin archers from a different angle. The waxing moon provided sufficient light for the characters to judge the goblin archers to be about forty feet from the front door of The Flagon and something much larger, about gnoll-sized, about thirty feet behind the goblins.

Ulrich charged at the goblins while screaming insults at his ancestral enemies. Unfortunately for the dwarf, the goblins were able to draw a bead on him and loose a volley of arrows before he could reach them. Three of the four flaming arrows struck Ulrich and he collapsed.

Rif and Short Shanks rushed out the front door in different directions to split the concentration of further incoming missiles. Eribus used sorcery to incapacitate the much larger foe by putting it to sleep. Rif and Short Shanks each took an arrow before Rif closed and began breaking goblin skulls (and other bones) with his morningstar. Short Shanks returned fire with his crossbow. Human sounding shouts and screams could now be heard through the town as many of the folk were fighting back against their oppressors. Eribus suspected the large thing he put to sleep might be Gritznak. He began making his way to it, hoping to avoid any foes, to administer a coup de grace.

The fierce Rif was outnumbered in his fight by 4-to-1 and needed help. Where had the ranger and Resnick gotten to? (Players missed the session) Eribus could now see another large, gnoll-sized creature approaching from further down the road. His dilemma: try to put down the new threat or help Rif. The wizard summoned the last of his potent sorcery (i.e. 1st level spells) and put to sleep the remaining goblin and kobolds around Rif.

Short Shanks continued trading fire with the group he had engaged. A goblin had been slain but the constant need to dodge had made it difficult for the halfling to score many hits (low rolls by the player). Eribus used his cantrips to create light at the eyes of the remaining group engaged with Short Shanks while Rif moved forward to begin smashing more skulls.

By this time, the larger creature joined the fray. It was a huge gnoll, about 8 feet tall. It wore a hauberk, a gold necklace, two gold rings in one of its ears, and carried a broadsword in one hand and a shield in the other. Rif immediately turned his focus to what all the characters realized must be Gritznak himself!

[Necron 99]

Good stuff, I like the adventure progression.