I don’t remember where we’re up to but I think 20 is about right
Major events from sessions past:
The Friends of Orthos are:
Rules Change: This session we started experimenting with dividing all gained treasure and XP requirements by 10. This is an attempt on my part to align the treasure gained for levels with the treasure needed to do adventuring stuff. Trying to come closer to a more cohesive adventuring loop like B/X has.
We’re also using Corruption rules for magic.
The Friends of Orthos are resting right now on a boat that was inhabited by a Corpse Flower. They are beat to a pulp, many members below 10 health.
They spy a ruined windmill on the short a quarter mile away. They endeavour to explore, but Talari and Rykus want to go claim their horses from outside of town. They split off from the group to do this.
Half the party gets to the windmill. They hear crying inside. Some spying from the gnome reveals it is a spiked snake who is crying. They make their way inside and talk to the snake, who speaks with the voice of a small girl. She calls herself Amelia and says that the “big man” with the “metal arm” (which happens to describe like 3 different people at this point) took her doll and turned her into a monster. An identify from the elf reveals a powerful polymorphic enchantment bound to a singular item.
I roll for encounters for the players heading to the horses. Since they killed the Warden and many of the bugmen, the chance for encounter is reduced from 2-in-6 to 1-on-6 and luckily they roll no ones.
On their way back with the horses, Talari sends his otter to explore some ruined homes. In a dark room, the familiar hears raspy breathing from behind a curtain. It slowly peaks around and gazes into the face of one who has been contorted by death. It’s vision gets lost in the void of its eyes, and the otter dies instantly. Talari and Rykus hurry to the windmill without stopping to look further.
These ruined houses are neat, I have some dotted around the map and a table to find out whats in each one. The contents of the house can change and in this instance a powerful monster was rolled.
At the windmill they set up camp. Talari casts his Tiny Hut and Icoriol casts Alarm and they head to sleep.
I roll (or rather, got the player to roll) the encounter die and it indicates an encounter in the morning. Another player rolls the encounter and lo and behold it’s the same type of monster as was encountered in the house. This made for a great story beat. I love when the dice do that.
In the wee hours of the morning, the alarm spell is pinged. Outside the windmill, the party hears raspy breathing, footsteps, and the sounds of their horses dying. Despite Talari warning of the threat, the Friends would rather attack than go without their horses. They leap into action.
Icoriol is an elf, which I have ruled does not require sleep. To throw him a bone we still let him have his trance, which worked really nicely. I ruled the players have not had their short rest yet, which they disliked, but it led to a way more interesting encounter.
The fight itself is short and sweet, with very little fat. Stealth checks were made so the part got full actions the first turn. Their encunter with the things meant they knew they needed to be looking away. Some clever play by the rogue and monk had them hiding behind the windmill, the rogue circling around back to shoot at the backs of their heads was cool. I rolled lucky for targets and the elf took most of the beating but he had had his rest, and they dispatch the bodaks after about 4 rounds.
In the morning, the Friends head out to an old iron archway on the west of town. They investigate a little but dont find anything. They note the gargoyles sitting atop the arch.
They see further west a house on stilts. They go there (I roll for encounters - nothing) and find an old ruined silks shop no stils, about to fall. Vespertine, the gnome, dismounts her ram and lightly sneaks into the shop. She finds there a safe, which she has no training to pick, but she puts her shortsword in and cracks and prys.
My prep says this takes 3 turns to pick, and there is a 1-in-6 chance of the house collapsing each turn. Vespertines first roll is a 1, but instead of it falling I describe the house cracking and shifting. I give her the chance to stop or keep going and she stops. I figure this offers more of a dramatic choice. Now they know the house might collapse when they pick the lock.
The rogue enters and picks the lock (lucky rolls - the house stays up) and finds some treasure.
The Friends head back to the windmill and talk Amelia into coming with them. They know of a wizard in town who has helped them with curses before.
I roll for encounters on their final journey out of town. They trigger one - a shambling mound - but the party has fought a lot of shambling mounds and plants type creatures recently. It’s kinda boring. Additionally, Vesper (who is a new player and still finding exciting new things to do with her character) decalres she will cast Pass Without Trace to avoid the monster. Though there is nothing to hide behind, shambling mounds can’t see, they can only sense. I figure it was following their scent or their tracks, but Pass Without Trace means you don’t leave tracks. They get away from the mound effortlessly.
Breaking away from Canos, The Friends enter into uncursed land again. But in Canos, chaos stirs…
The Green Lich, a skeleton dressed in a deep green robe, stops to pick up some of the red dirt where their companion Illoril has melted, cursing under his breath. He is distracted by something on the wind, with a wave of his hand, he dispels an elf who was hidden in it.
The elf is surprised, “Blasted… how did you!?”
“The borders between worlds grows thin. That includes yours, Elf. I do not appreciate you stealing my spell. Nor do I like being spied upon.”
The elf grimaces, then smiles. “You mistake me for an enemy. I come in partnership. The boy, Talari, he must die. That was the reason for your little spell, wasn’t it?”
“It was. So you also wish to see him dead? Why?”
“Aah… our reasons may differ but what does it matter if our end is the same. I get the boy and you get the staff. Yes, I saw you had your eye on it. What do you say to the prospect of becoming temporary allies?”
I put self indulgent cutscenes like this in my game all the time. My players are really good about not acting on knowledge they shouldn’t have, and I get to show off how the forces of the world are reacting to their actions.
On the way back home, after a routine cast of a tiny hut, the forces of chaos strike back at Talari. Perhaps he was in a zone where hidden ley lines cross, or pronounced one syllable of his 10 minute incantations slightly incorrect, but when his spell exits his mind, so too does his voice. It seems it learned bad behaivour from the spells. If they don’t have to stay, why should it? From now on Talari has to prepare his voice like a spell each morning.
This was a spell corruption roll, and I really love it. This is the kind of shit magic does. I blundered here by telling the wizard he could craft a new voice like a magic item. If I were better I would have let him figure that out on his own. On the other hand, taking away a wizards ability to cast spells is quite mean. I throw my players a bone every once in a while.
This is an example of a ‘Catastrophe’, one of the categories of corruption you can roll when your spells go awry. Talari rolled ‘Total Silence’ as his corruption, and I went from there. The catastrophe descriptions are very short and vague (example: Tower Appears), but that’s part of the fun. Last session, Icoriol rolled ‘Dream Plague’ on his corruption, which I determined would impede their rest. This is punishing, but corruptions are rare, and it actually worked out:
Back in Encathra, the gang split up. During their week of rest, they are plagued by horrid dreams and nightmares, and their rest fails. They choose to spend an additional week in town, crafting, gambling, carousing, and resting.
During their rest, The Friends hear about gathering troubles in the mountains to the south-east. Goblins are gathering on the border of Aza Roccia. The barons prepare for an impending attack. Rolf also receives a letter from his father, the baron of Fort Duvno, relaying events to the north. The soliders have beaten back the beastmen, successfully slaying a tribe, but their numbers are swelling. In addition, new garrisons of Ajira-ni soldiers have arrived, and they aren’t as loyal as the baron would like. He is losing control of his fortress during the lead up to what looks like an attack. The crown has assured him the garrison is a gift, but the baron is suspicious (and a little bit racist). He is now convinced that Baron Voghtairi has at least lied about cutting the head off the beastmen. He endeavours to convince the queen that the beastmen are not dealth with. If the Ajira-ni can be trusted… he does not know. Additionally, a Tayan Theras knight has come to Fort Duvno asking for the likeness of Icoriol and his old companions. They have some news they need to share.
This was really awesome for me. A while back I figured out exactly what the factions of Orthos are doing. Each long rest (which takes a week) I roll some dice to see how goals are progressing. A lot of factions rolled a lot of progress, and the political landscape of Orthos shifted while the party rested. I’ve been scared of exposition for a while but the ball is starting to get rolling. A player described to me after the game that this really felt like a living world that was reacting to their actions which was very nice to hear.
Sorely in need of allies, facing threats from royal powers and undead mages and being outlaws in their own lands, The Friends of Orthos decide to journey back eastwards to Fort Duvno to consolidate their position and think of next moves forward.
Only one morning into their journey, on the short length of parth that stretches up into Llamontca Wode on the way east, the party is stopped by a mound of earth covering the path. As they stop near it, it bursts, revelaing below it a magnificent green dragon, decorated in jewels, golden chains, silks and rings. It growls at the party.
“WHERE IS IT!?”
The dragon was a result of an unlucky encounter roll, and we ran out of time so we ended there. Interesting point to pick up on next session.
The game is ramping up. Secrets will soon come to light. Next session will be a really good grounding, lots of info to learn. I genuinely have no idea whats gonna happen next. It’s been a long time since the parties first interaction with Baron Voghtairi, and more and more threats keep popping up. Orthos’ path through history warps around the actions of The Friends of Orthos.
Speaking of Baron Voghtairi, what’s he up to?
The Sorcerer Baron sits on a velvet rug, surrounded by crystals, gemstones, vials of liquid and colored powders. He is haggard, worn out, covered in soot and sweat. He pours over a book in his lap. In this rocky clearing where his tent and bedroll are set up, two small creatures made of soot boil a pot of water. High above them, the great vent of a volcano, spewing smoke.
The baron produces a black iron badge from his robe. He rubs his finger over the rose stamped into it. He whispers to it.
“Alamander… Reveal to me your secrets. The spirit will not rest. What has made her so angry?”
Voghtairi flips through his book and observes his writings. An ink sketch of a ghostly maiden floats above a tiled floor. Around her are written the words “Traitor”, “Divine Scourge”, “Fallen Angel?”.
The baron taps one of the words, “Balthazar” with his quill.
“And you… who are you?”