Tabletop RPG Podcast and Roleplaying Resources

Month: January 2017

Redmark Session 01: The Die is Cast, Lots of Luck Gives Visions of the Future

It was 1331 on January 26th dawn broke around 7:30am on a chilly but beautiful morning. Our travelers:

  • Ghost Dancer—a man, with war chants and self proclaimed Indian
  • Ivamel—a man with a stranger past…
  • Lundie—the pious dwarf, devout and strong
  • Marcus—an officer in the IX legion and a roman priest of Mars
  • Quintos—from a noble family and a roman veneficus, a warlock of the IX legion

They had been traveling together by convenience for some time. Each having a different motivation to head to Nimroth, but all walking with a purpose. During the day protecting each other from bandits and at night sharing stories by the campfire, in such a short period of time they had formed a bond, which is rare in this age.

As they approached about 10 miles from Nimroth, the alert adventurers heard a noise in the deep woods, it was the sound of crying. Marcus rushed down the path in the woods, thinking of a woman in distress in this dangerous place. As the bold adventures rounded the bend, they saw a young woman, a priestess, crying and around her the dead bodies of human mercenaries and orc fifth. As they built trust with the young lady, they asked her what had happened and learned of her sadness because she could not raise her fallen companions. During the discussion Quintos, got that look in his eye, as he approach the young and comely woman with more than intentions of friendship… For a moment Sophia started to calm down… Then…

Orcs attack!

Rounding the bend ahead where an Orc War chief and his 4 Orc warriors.. Blowing a battle horn, they charged into the fray… Our hero’s fought bravely and ultimately defeated the Orcs, however during the battle Marcus rushed in-front of his demoralized friends to protect them and was fallen by the war chief blade.. Lundie the pios dwarf, a paladin of his order brought Marcus back from the touch of the roman death god Viduus as he began to separate Marus’s soul.. Marcus is in Lundie’s debt..

Sophia seems to have a secret -- what is it?

Sophia seems to have a secret — what is it?

After the battle, more comfortable with our heroes as they protected her, or perhaps it was the positive advances of charming Quintos, Sophie shares her mission to go to the shrine of the Lady of the Lots. This place is were she was to receive an augury. Her fallen companions the human mercenaries were to be the ones to help her on the quest…. Or as she said under her voice, could it be these new found heros….

The party travelled some two miles to the mound of the shrine of “Our Lady of the Lots” it was a strange area where the cold melted away to find warmth some 500 feet around this strange mound with an 60 foot long giant egg like structure. Sophia lead the party to the entrance. Once inside we knocked on a door and were introduced to Brother Faldelac and other acolytes of the Lady. The Brother was a strange man, but excited to see Sophia. He then announced we must do an Augury. We must roll the dodecahedron and the nought nought is the number we must seek. It seemed that we would roll these two dice to get the highest score of 100 or nought nought, whomever won all rolls would get the augury from their god the Lady of the Lots..

Next the priest and acolytes of the Lady chanting and marching in unison, proclaimed holding their dice cups to their chests that we must roll. We all seated at different tables and after many rolls, the finalist were selected and ultimately Ivamel (the strange… man?) was selected to receive the Augury. It foretold the following:

In haunts of old, sacred gems rest.
The first was from elvish hands wrest.
Now hidden deep, the undead keep
Urthjarl ‘s lost prize to Nimroth’s West.

Lots of Luck at ‘Our Lady of the Lots’

This is when Sophia read from the translated page from Enmyr’s codex (from the 2nd Age) which Sophia let you read:

Stormgate was in olden days created as a small stronghold to serve as buffer against the orc territories. During the reign of Elf Chieftain Calismar, this primitive outpost was expanded into a powerful city-state, its walls and towers erected as the final life-work of the famed wizard Urthjarl.

Thus, in the 916th year of the second age, the eight walls of the city were erected in the shape of an octagon — each appeared, formed and sustained purely by the power of magic. To all appearances, these walls are ordinary stone. The power to sustain these walls was wrought into eight gemstones — each implanted into the crown of a large statue of Urthjarl himself.

Against the encroachment of the orc hordes from the east, the elvish kingdoms prevailed for centuries. Then a traitor did what all the vast orc armies had in long centuries not been able to do. Only a skilled master of magic could unwork the crown’s gemstones and unbind its power. In secrecy of night, an insider with sufficient mastery of the arcane stole each gemstone from the statue’s crown.

By the time the night guard was aware of this treachery, the unknown betrayer of the elves had slipped into the stygian darkness of night. The city lasted only minutes after the gems were removed. At the first rays of dawn, the walls crumbled, and an awaiting orc army attacked, destroying the entire Elvish city of Stormgate.

One messenger alone survived to tell their tragic tale. After many bloody battle, with no stronghold to fortify the pass of the Dragonridge mountains, the elves gave way, and Stormgate and the lands west of the mountains were for many generations lost.

800 years passed.

An adventuring party of Elves, making their way into the Dreadlands, stumbled upon a orc warrior’s tomb deep within the caves of the Deathbone canyons. There they found one of the stones of the Urthjarl Octagon, and in the dead orc chief’s hand he found a scroll containing clues leading to other of the Urthjarl gemstones.
I, Enmyr, was among this party. Numbering five, we were beset by fell beasts as we made our way back westward towards Inlaness. I alone survived to record these events, my friends’ life-blood spilt by nameless horrors.

The runes from the orc chieftain scroll, the clues we have discovered, and lore such as we uncovered in our ill-fated journey I transcribe here, encoded in ancient Zygannian script, in the hopes those friendly to Elves and their allies may find the gemstones of Urthjarl Octagon.

We must find them, and bring these gems of power to friendly hands. Were they to fall into the control of our enemies, Thrëa would fall into darkness, a dead-man’s land where nameless horrors lope through the night.

After much discussion, the party believed this encounter with the priests was not an ACT OF LUCK, but fate itself and the Lady guiding our future. We decide to help Sophia and her order to protect the people of Thrëa and work to secure the powerful gemstones before the orc can get them all.

So we head some 10 miles to Nimroth to safely return Sophia to her order. We then spend the night at the Minotaur & The Emperor. As Quintos plans to meet with Lord Renaldo tomorrow morning

And so the DIE IS CAST as our heroes begin forge their destiny, given visions from the Lady to save the people of Thrëa….

Quintos tried (but failed?) to impress Sophia


Party Level:

  • Characters are 1st Level

Party treasure to date:

  • 1 Scimitar (from Orc War Boss)
  • 12 Squirrel Neck less
  • 3 Leather armor
  • 1 Chain Mail Armor
  • 3 Long Swords
  • 2 Short Swords
  • 5 Daggers

Bankrolled Inspiration

  • John: 1 Point

Rescued!

Our intrepid colonists tracked down the kobold force, and the five lumberjacks that had been absconded with and taken to the kobold hold. The trail stayed warm, and as the party turned the corner, they were blasted by three kobold Fire casters. After a close battle, the party continued into the depths of the kobold caves, where they found the foul dragon kin had made it their home. Exploring ever deeper into the caves, they finally came upon three kobold alchemists, and a blue Dragon Wyrmling on a collar with the Kobold Chieftain. A nasty fight ensued, but the partyy was victorious.

The luberjacks were rescued, as was a longtime settler from the Gothic Empire, Jacob Bluecastle. jacob let the party know about a cure for the bloody pox, and that a map found in the caves contained the way to the kobold King’s hold. The party looked around the caves, and decided to return at some future time. But for now, they returned back to Vidorville as heroes, lifting the spirits of the settlers. the lumberjacks had been rescued and safety returned to the Colony.

50 Fathoms: Session 29 and 30- Prelude to War and Battle for Baltimus

Prelude to War and Battle for Baltimus

 

Characters:

  • Kaliferous: Kraken mage
  • Rodrigo: Human priest and water Mage from Earth
  • Daxson: Doreen treasure diver native
  • Mordecai: Human Air Mage Puritan from Earth

 

Date: 11/6/16 and 12/17/16

XP: 5 total

Recap:

The Crew having rested at Azy Kay struck out to find Admiral Duckworth.

While the Admiral didn’t know directly any info regarding the Sword, he thought his spy in Marsales, Enrico de Toledo might. The Crew found Enrico being held captive by thugs and rescued him and his wife. They also discovered that an attack on Baltimus by the Spanish Trading Guild was imminent! The Guild was tired of the ongoing hostilities and decided to end it while they had the upper hand. Enrico had blown his cover and both he and the Crew rushed to tell Duckworth the news. Unfortunately they had to fight their way out of Marsales harbor but make it safely nonetheless. Duckworth immediately set preparations to defend the city and gather ships.

Meanwhile the Crew delivered the chronometer measurements to Daxson’s friend Joshua Goldstein who was very happy for the info. Unfortunately someone was watching his shop and attempted to kill Joshua and steal the prototype and Daxons device. Fortunately they took the wrong piece and did not deal Joshua a mortal wound(with the help of Father Rod). Daxson and Crew were able to track the attacker and discovered Fletcher’s old first mate who blamed Daxon for his near death in the Flotsam sea. Fletcher still held a grudge and might be trouble in the future..

Side mission resolved, the Crew set sail with Duckworth to head off the attacking force. Meeting them in open sea the Admiral and his Fleet waged war for days, causing great loss for the Guild. The Crew of the Liberators Wrath fought bravely and won many decisive victories. They sunk ship, blasted sailors and ultimately turned the tide of the battle. This forced Spanish Guild was forced to retreat with a huge loss of both ships and life.

The Battle was won by the East India Trading Company, but at what cost? Has the balance of power shifted? And why were a group of Kieran Cutters observing the battle from afar?

Onward to find the Sword!

Kidnapped!

Josiah, Mandella, and Harcourt were among the crew of lumberjacks working hard to fell trees for the lumbermill. Winter was fast approaching and there was no time to waste building shelters. Each had signed up not to cut trees, but to start a new life in the new world. But on an early November morning, with a slight dusting of snow collecting on the leaves of the forest they worked in, suddenly, a party of scaly lizard like creatures burst out of the thicket, chattering and hissing, and attached their party. The soldiers quickly responded, but three went down with spear wounds, and the others wavered against so many. soon, the reptilian creatures rushed the workers, and but burlap sacks over the three workers heads. Each were roughly picked up, and hauled to some distant base. They had been kidnapped.

Our brave colonists responded by forming an expedition, tracking the tracks left on a river trail, until reaching some strange base. On the way, they fought off an ambush of the scaly creatures, with few wounds. When they came upon the Kobold base, it was clear the Kobolds hadn’t built it, but instead whatever predecessor species had come before. Perfectly hewn walls, smooth pillars, this was no Kobold den. The party crept ever inwards, until confronted by fire breathing kobolds. A tough skirmish ensued, but the party was victorious. Looking over the bodies of the three fire breathers, a long, dark hall continued downward. What lay before the colonists? More kobolds, or something worse?

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