Page 54 of 126

50 Fathoms: Session 28- Pirating or Privateering?

November 5, 2016 / Jeff Messina

Pirating or Privateering?

Characters:

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

Date: 9-24-16

XP: 2 total

Recap:

Saddened but victorious, the Crew sailed off to rest and recoup. The information they sought about the Sword was unanswered so they set sail for Azy Cay to let the Crew rest and seek information. Along the way the ran across a Spanish Trading Guide merchant vessel. Thinking it would earn them favor from the British East India Company they prepared to do some privateering.

The ship fought harder than the Crew expected and hidden along the shore she had a friend watching their back. Both ships engaged the Liberators Wrath, who rapidly showed the power of their mages and the prowess of a seasoned crew. They boarded and took out nearly 30 sailors and both merchant ships were forced to surrender. The damage to both ships were minimal but the the loss of sailors posed a problem. They force some captured sailors to sail the newly acquired vessels and set sail for Brigandy bay. In an act of kindness they let the sailors go at Brigandy bay but kept the merchant captains and their ships as bounty for the BEIC and Admiral Duckworth.

Safely arriving at Azy Cay the Crew spent the time relaxing and meet with Azy and the now Captain Annie Mason. Most particularly Daxon got a dinner date with Annie but drinks and food all around helped sooth the loss of Tressa. The Crew is now invigorated for the next chapter of their adventures.

50 Fathoms: Session 26 and 27- The Archmage- Part 1 and Part 2

November 5, 2016 / Jeff Messina

The Archmage Part 1 and 2

Characters:

Kaliferous: Kraken mage
Rodrigo: Human priest and water Mage from Earth
Crow/Kadian: Atani guardian of the Great Tree
Kukukachoo Grael guest star Cook and Whaler (part 1)
Bracus: Scurillian merchant and Super
Daxson: Doreen treasure diver native
Mordecai: Human Air Mage Puritan from Earth

Date: 8-13-16 and 8-27-16

XP: 5 total

Recap:

Part 1:

The Crew decided to visit Tressa the Red in order to obtain more information, mostly trying to determine the location of the Sword of Amemnus. Arriving at The Teeth they discovered her mages tower leaning preciously and signs of a struggle inside. Through some careful investigation they determined that the Inquisition attached the Tower, got past the traps and either took or killed Tressa. Kal was able to restore power to the Mage Tower and the rest of the Crew found a curious mirror with a single red parrot feather sticking out of the middle. It was determined the mirror was a magical relic that would be used to “teleport” across distances. The mirror was cracked and damaged but it did appear to be used. After much deliberation they decided to go after the Inquisition and with information from a passing Kieran Cutter the Crew located the current location of the Perdition (Inquisition confessional barge and HQ).

While approaching the Perdition, Carnifax shot out of the Mirror and confirmed the Crews theory: The Inquisition attacked Tressas Tower, managed to get past the defences and captured Tressa. She was unable to make it to her mirror in time, instead sending Carnifax through to the find the Crew for help, unfortunately the Mirror was partially damaged so he was stuck inside until now.

As they drew closer to the island the Perdition was harboring at, Carnifax fell to the ground shaking and speaking with Tressas voice said:

“Torquemada has won, but the Sea Hags have lost. Find my heart. Use it against them.
Crush it in your fist and you will have unlimited power for 17 minutes—the same number of
days I endured Torquemada’s torments. I hope it was enough.”

Tressa was dead and Carnifax was dying. The Crew managed to heal the bird and vowed vengeance on the Inquisition and now sought to recover the heart of the Archmage…

Part 2:

Nearing the Perdition, The Crew came up with a plan to trick the Inquisition into either selling Tressas body or at the very least getting onboard. Leaving the Liberators Wrath out of sight they approached the Perdition on a longboat with hidden kegs of gunpowder. Bracus managed to bluff his way onboard with most of the Crew. Crow stays on the long boat and Daxon/Kal stayed in the water hidden.

While in audience with Torquemada bartering for the body, Bracus managed to insult the Inquisition leader but Rodrigo played off this insult instead implying this was a test of their true conviction. Torquemada was convinced that Rodrigo wanted to join the Inquisition and allowed the Crew to stay on board in quarters. At the following dawn Rodrigo would receive the Inquisition Tattoos and become one of their own.

As Dawn approached, Daxon managed to kill and replace one of the guards, Kal readying a blast for the bottom deck of the barge and Crow stood ready to light the longboat on fire and blow out the deck. Secretly Daxon “activated” Redbeards triangles in the night… The rest of the Crew played along with the ceremony until a the last moment, Rodrigo faked a betrayal of Mordecai as an air mage, giving Rodrigo the opportunity to arm himself and strike out to kill Torquemada.

At that moment Crow blew up the longboat, Kal placed a mighty blast on the lower deck of the ship and RedBeard appeared with his ghost ship. All hell broke loose on the deck with fighting inquisitors, ghost pirates attacking, fire and a badly listing/sinking Perdition.

In the chaos Daxon managed to acquire Tressas body and leap off the ship, Rodrigo tried to finish off Torquemada but failed and lost his arm and almost his life in the process. Crow turned into his young Roc and took off with Rodrigo while the rest of the Crew ran for their lives. They all made it ashore just in time as Redbeard figured out he was tricked but unable to go on land to enact his vengeance. The Crew watched the Perdition burn and sink as Torquemada escaped to the far shore.

Tressas body was recovered, but at what cost?

Land Ho!

October 31, 2016 / Robert Miklos

They volunteered for their own reasons. As word spread throughout the Gothic Empire of the discovery of a vast and new land, the Emperor’s aides quickly assembled the first year of cadets in the Imperial War Academy. For various reasons, the party volunteered to leave hearth and home, maybe to never return to the shores of the Gothic Empire, to family, to all they knew. But volunteer they did.

The party journeyed on a thirty day coach trip to Krugersport, in the Western March, and met with Baron Manfred von Kruger (thirteenth of his line). There, the party took the generous offerings of the Baron and the Emperor, and outfitted their Carrack, the Baron’s Revenge. They also purchased a second Carrack, and named it Beric’s Blessing (after the prophet Berric). The party screened settlers, and stocked the ship with provisions, livestock, and settlers.

Finally, before departure, the party tracked down one of the few survivors of the discovery voyage. Rustig Tannor was laying in bed, sick with the Bloody Pox, a disease he claimed came from touching a new type of bird in the New World. They didn’t find out much from Rustig, except that the passage was arduous and stormy, and that they had only stayed on shore for a few hours before rushing back to the Empire and safety.

Finally stocked and ready, the two Carracks sailed out of Krugersport to a ticker tape departure, with thousands cheering the two intrepid ships. May 25, TYOTE (the year of the empire) 1149. From information gathered, the party estimated a three month journey to the new lands. At first, the seas were calm, and the ships made good time (150 miles a day). Then a bracket of small storms slowed the two ships down. On August 15, the skies on the south, west, and north turned dark and tumultuous. The first band of storms hit the two ships that evening, with 120 mph winds. One mast of Berric’s Blessing snapped even as the sails had been taken down. As the first band passed, the crew prayed to the One God through Beric that they were through the worst part. Beric could not hear. The next wave hit the ships, with 150 mph winds, and lasted almost a day. Several passengers died from the unheard of tossing and cresting of the ships. Then, an unnatural calm. The ships had sailed into the eye of the cyclone. For hours, the crew tended to the wounded, and butressed the masts. Then the eye passed, and the storm, with a growl, hit the two ships again, with the back side of the eye of the storm. For another day, the ships were hit by a maximum of 188 mph winds. Two more masts of Beric’s Blessing were snapped, as were two of the Baron’s Revenge. Three more passengers died, including Doctor Paltos. With Beric’s Blessing down to one mast, and the Baron’s Revenge down to two, the ships made much slower goings.

On September 15, the crew spotted seagulls and shoals. On September 18th, the crew spotted a small reef island, and named it Constantine’s Concern. Finally, on September 26, 1149, the crew spotted a distant shore, with mountain peaks and forests. Land Ho! was cried, and excitement rippled through the weary passengers and crew. A New World.

The Captive of Dardrin’s Deep 02: The Secret of Sky Elves

October 30, 2016 / Stan Shinn

See the full photo album.

Had a great conclusion to the adventure! The heroes ventured into a subterranean shrine, had some interesting conversations with a giant Coy fish, and ended up fighting the ghost of the previous shrine-priest. See below for the map I never got around to showing you!

Final conflict took place in the valley of Dardrin’s Deep where it turns out taking the ring off the elf-maid was NOT what she wanted. It broke an enchantment she had placed to banish the Sky Elves to another dimension. Well, it all worked out in the end but not before the bard Chester showed up his rival 🙂

Middle-earth in TA 1640

October 29, 2016 / Stan Shinn

Heroes of Arnor

Our new ‘B’ campaign is ‘Heroes of Arnor’. Check out the trailer!:

Was doing some research in preparation for a potential Middle-earth campaign. Here are my notes.

A Brief History of Middle-earth & Arnor

In twelve minutes, you can learn just about all you need to know! Watch these two videos if you have time:

A 3 Minute History of Middle-earth https://youtu.be/fXxU01IgoxU
The History of Arnor https://youtu.be/rQkv4GcbsrQ (Listen up to the 9:14 minute mark. The events after 9:14 happen centuries after our campaign.

Middle-earth in TA 1640

This adventure is set in Arnor, over a thousand years before the events of The Hobbit. Here is some background on Middle-earth in that region at the time of Third Age 1640:

Durin’s Folk still inhabit Moria; Erebor won’t be founded until the year 1999. The colony in the Iron Hills won’t be established until 2590.
In Mirkwood, around TA 1,000, a dark sorcerer known as the Necromancer took residence at the stronghold of Dol Guldur, though none will know until nearly a millennium later that this is the spirit of Sauron.
Also around TA 1,000, the Valar sent the five Wizards, or Istari, including Gandalf, to oppose Sauron and rally the free peoples of Middle-Earth against him.
The Ringwraiths reappeared in the year TA 1300, and began steadily assaulting Arnor (the Numenorian kingdoms in exile). Whether the Witch King (the head Ringwraith, or Nazgul) was acting on his own, or was being guided by Sauron, is not known.
The Beorning culture won’t come into existence until after the year 2941.
Arthedain is the only remaining North-kingdom; the current ruler is Argeleb II, tenth King of Arthedain (1589-1670).
Rhudaur is controlled by Hill-men allied with Angmar.
The Shire was ceded to the Hobbits less than forty years ago; the Stoors arrived only ten years ago.
The Great Plague swept through Middle-earth in 1636 to 1637. Hobbits wandering back east should be very rare (if at all).
Dale would be thriving, but the inhabitants would not be known as Bardings, but simply as ‘men of Dale’ or ‘Dale folk’.
The current Esgaroth would be the old town that had fallen into ruin long before the coming of Thorin and Company.
The present ruler of Gondor is Tarondor, twenty-seventh King of Gondor (1636-1798).His predecessor Telemnar (who ruled 1634-1636) died in the Great Plague with all his children. The capital is Minas Anor, Osgiliath having burned during the Kin-strife (1432-1448) and then having been abandoned following the Great Plague. Minas Anor will be renamed Minas Tirith after the fall of Minas Ithil in 2002.

Pregen Characters

You can use the pregens in the book (except for the Beorning).

Custom Characters

If you create your own custom character:

Abilities: Use the stat array method from the D&D Player’s Handbook.

Cultures: All cultures are allowed except Beornings (Beornings don’t exist in T.A. 1640). Note the following modifications or additions to cultures.

Bardings — Bardings at this time are simply known as Men of Dale or Dale Folk.
Dwarves — Use background as-is, but your origin has you be from Moria (or Khazad-dûm), which at this time is still alive and well with Dwarves. Only in T.A. 1980 do they dig too deep and encounter the Balrog. Erebor won’t be founded until the year 1999. The colony in the Iron Hills won’t be established until 2590.
Men of Arnor — This is a new culture which is simply a renamed Dúnedain, Man of Minas Tirith, or Riders of Rohan cultures.
NPC Races — Hillmen, Elves of Rivendell and Elves of Lindon, and Noldor Elves are not in the Adventures in Middle-earth book nor are they playable races (although you’ll be seeing them as NPCs).

Starting Equipment: Use the standard starting equipment and money appropriate to your class and culture, and standard of living (I’m still deciphering these rules).

Character Names: Names are an amazingly important part of keeping the tone of Middle-earth. Don’t make up a name; rather, select a name from the Adventures in Middle-earth book appropriate to your race and culture. Alternatively, select a name from this page:
http://merp.wikia.com/wiki/Names. I would ideally like all characters to have unique first letters to their names to avoid confusion. Lastly, please review all character names past the GM for approval (to make sure you selected the right culture, etc.). 🙂