My Old School Essential hex-crawl using randomly generated setting created by HEXROLL continues.
The Party:
- Arrn, level 3 magic user
- Wumpus, level 3 dwarf
- Waverly, level 3 ranger
- Andrew Price, level 3 cleric
- Gordon Binghampton, level 3 cleric
- Calvin Baily, level 2 thief
The party reunites with Arn the magic user, now a master of invisibility, and leave the city of Sigatona (hex 43) with three new companions:
- The female elves: Aicfrida and Vilana of Qona - on their way north to Komur to purchase horses.
- The female dwarf: Dedata Desideria - recruiter for the cult known as the Black Saints, known for abducting humanoids, mostly elves, for nefarious alchemical experiments.
That night, as they camped (hex 78), the fungus goblins emerged from the Earth, mysteriously, and tended to the needs of their queen, Calvin Baily the thief. The fungus goblins are quickly becoming a favorite of the players. Meanwhile Dedata did her best to sell the cult to Waverly the ranger.
Soon after the party went to sleep, Wumpus the dwarf and one of the men-at-arms, while walking a patrol around the camp, were ambushed by two ogres. Wumpus and the man-at-arms held the line against the ogres while they called for help. The party came awake and formed two defensive lines and a rear line of archers but the precautions were unneccessary as the ogres were each put to sleep, in turn, by Arn and dispatched by one of his man-at-arms.
The next day was uneventful and they spent the night at the Crying Wight Inn (hex 72). There Arrn cast a charm spell on Dedata the cult recruiter. Dedata, now Arrn's best friend, shared all of the cult's secrets that she knew - the cult was using elf blood as an ingredient to create a potion to create the perfect warrior - the pinnacle of humanity. They were also kidnapping humanoids and using them as test subjects in their experiments.
The next day they continued their travel to Kömür. They stopped to investigate a stone circle - site of a recent bonfire (hex 76). Footprints around the bonfire matched those of the fungus goblins. Why were they dancing around a bonfire? How did they get here? Waverly the Ranger also discovered tendrils of a massive underground mycelium - no doubt how they're able to appear from the earth at night and disappear at dawn and travel across Jo'Ril. But the bonfire remains a mystery.
They arrived at Kömür (hex 75). I gave each player a moment to have their own scene and do their own thing.
Arrn secretly took his "friend" Dedata with him on an excursion to the Tomb of the Serpent Kings where he introduced her to the lich Xiximanter. She did not return.
Waverly delivered the mysterious box to Drudo Cadhoiarn, per the instructions of the herbalist Flaminio of Koru in Sigatona. Drudo was an asshole and tried to take the box without acknowledging the receipt, meaning Waverly would not be paid. When Waverly took the box, Drudo threatened Waverly with force. The two fought and Waverly drew first blood. Drudo acquiesced and finally provided Waverly with the small keyfob like wooden token. Waverly gave Drudo his box - containing the hallucinogen dried lotus root, Stygian, the best - and took the token which, when combined with the token given her by Flaminio, could be taken to Flaminio's agents in Kömür and exchanged for payment.
Meanwhile Calvin Baily was teaching her fungus goblins how to pick pockets in a crowd when she noticed several of them admiring the waning crescent moon with awe.
The next morning, Andrew Price, Cleric, witnessed a wealthy merchant beating a house-servant behind a house. Andrew Price intervened, the merchant took offense and attacked the cleric with a shovel. Andrew Price quickly put the beat down on the homeowner. Note - this was a random encounter from the Cities sourcebook.
The party had no plans for staying in Kömür. They loaded up the wagon and prepared their entourage for another journey. They were heading to the northeast to search for the secret lair of the Black Saints, a place called the Shrine of the Feared Order (located somewhere in hex 26). They were joined by the elves Aicfrida and Vilana who wished to rescue their kidnapped elven kin. Note - Waverly's player bought the elves some new equipment, including bows.
As they crossed the hilly grasslands of the Devil's Eye Meadows, they were ambushed by a group of fourteen kobolds. The party, with help of their elven friends, soon killed eight of the kobolds and sent the others fleeing. Calvin eliminated two with her bow as they fled over the hill.
They crossed into the northwest corner of the Wizards of Alvania desert in the afternoon. There they saw a massive dome made of what appeared to be smooth marble. There were no entrances and its purpose was a mystery. The dome was surrounded by the ruins of a city, abandoned hundreds of years ago during the Mage Wars that created the desert.
Fearing being observed by the cult, the party sought shelter in an abandoned inn. There they found stairs leading underground, the lack of dust a clear indication of recent and repeated use - this was an entrance into a dungeon!
Leaving their wagon, horses, and camel, along the rest of their entourage, in the abandoned inn, they descended.
They heard a woman chanting and dancing nearby. They rushed around the corner and found an oracle or seer wearing black costume performing an ecstatic dance. Fearing dark magic, Wumpus and Waverly kill the dancer - only for a secret door to open behind them, revealing several masked cultists clad in black who rushed out of their hiding place to attack!
To be continued!
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