Session 20 Notes (6/17/11)

Aric, Malarous 7th, 868 ID

After facing the undead invaders at Cedarway, the survivors regroup on the far side of the Pinewater. Luz, Mudgol and Blake Bauerkroft cross the river a few miles North to swing around and find Captain Hoary, while Slab rejoins the main host camping across the river. Belgin's surviving halfling scouts are sent to scope out the Frail Forest, while the rest of the party rests and uses whatever healing magic they can. The group stops to memorize spells and such before setting out once again.

Tault, Malarous 8th, 868 ID

The scouts return with word of a nearby ambush, sounds of battle drifting in from the Frail Forest. The PCs and Hoary's men run off to see what the trouble is, and encounter a scene in which a horse-drawn carriage of elves has been waylaid by a quartet of ogres and a forest troll. They've already chewed up the horse itself, while the family of Woolish Roodeye and their guide Darkahn Gradak are trying to hold off the ogres with missile weapons. The PCs attack quickly, first with ranged weapons and then closing in. They are able to slay 3 of the 4 ogres and the troll, but not before they make paste out of Woolish' wife Rishya and one of his sons Regis. Despite his protests, the PCs leave behind Woolish' wares, and after a group of them bury Woolish's fallen family members, they escort the survivors to Floivin Keep.

En route, they learn that Littlewolf has been sacked by giant-kin (ogres, etc), and that only the druids of Crake remained behind to protect the village while the Roodeyes and Reddenbalms fled. Soon they encounter a viper which is slain so that Odd Jon might cook up some new recipe. The PCs then arrive in Halehusk with due haste, and speak with Private 'Tickler' there about the skeleton guard that has been left behind. Langston is determined to gather the remaining guard there and bring them too to the Keep, but Hoary orders against it, since they are needed to guide further survivors. Once the PCs arrive at the Keep, they find a massive group of refugees outside the East gate, being slowly processed by the Guard so they can take stock of all in the Keep if it comes to siege. The PC soldiers are ordered by Major Vanquo to help keep order outside the gates, while Hoary and Langston journey inside to speak with Commander Doolan.

They learn from Doolan that their services are required for a number of possible missions, one being to track down a missing officer (Major Scot Morrow) and his men who have disappeared near the Ettenhead stronghold; the other, to journey through to Toul Tabor, to the city of Tarair and request the assistance of the Fourth Eidolorn Guard. Previous messengers have been deployed, but the Commander fears they have been sidetracked or slain en route. Langston and Hoary return to the PCs outside the keep after gathering supplies and ammunition. Langston is approached by Jon 'Blow', a smug half-elf bastard (son to the late Rishya Roodeye), who wished to join the Guard, and he is immediately deputized. Hoary talks Darkahn Gradak into joining the PCs for the time behind, as a tracker and guide, but the elf decides not to officially enlist. It is decided that they will take on both missions: Hoary, Blake, Belgin and their men will scout out the Frail Forest for Major Morrow's missing detachment, while the PCs and Odd Jon head to Toul Tabor.

Varony, Malarous 9th, 868 ID

The next morning, they set out, through Halehusk to Livenoak, where they stop to spend some time at what is the last functional village/town in Floivin Province outside the Keep. They bargain with a strange elf Lady Ravensquash for some potions, and get into a pathetic brawl and exchange of unpleasantries with a pair of dwarf gamblers at the Leaping Knuckle Lodge. Once their business is concluded, they head along the Great Westermarch road out of the Province to the East. They run into a Skull Collar mercenary who has been separated from his clan. A rambling hobgoblin named Githgol. They press him for information, but when he tries to flee, Darkahn Gradak shoots and slays him. The PCs press on through the pass towards the Blue Barrens, when they spy a cavern along the south of the Pass. They follow a number of tracks inside, and discover a similar lift to the one inside the Skull Collars' Hydra breeding hideout on the opposite side of the Valley. Perhaps the true hideout of Chief Chizel and his Skull Collars. At any rate, the PCs decide to press on to Toul Tabor, fearing to waste time here (for now).

PCs: Bethys, Darkahn, Langston, Luz, Mudgol, Slab

NPCs

Commander Doolan (human male): A human male in his 50s, with creases and folds on his eyes and cheeks made worse by the recent stress of his position as military leader of Floivin Province. He's a tall man, his hair is whitish gray and thinning on his forehead. A finely crafted halberd is slung across his back, but he keeps a buckler and short sword at the ready.

Jon 'Blow' (half-elf male): A smug half-elf of average build with chestnut eyes and black, oiled and curly hair half-covering his mildly pointed ears. He's feebly attempting a moustache and carries a cudgel with some confidence. He's the bastard son of Rishya Roodeye and an unknown human lover, and survived the ogre ambush in the Frail Forest. Later, Jon is conscripted by Langston and joins the Eidolorn Guard, serving under Captain Hoary. Any resemblance to a George RR Martin character is purely coincidental.

Lady Ravensquash (elf female): A hunched, elderly elven female who sells charms and potions out of Livenoak. She's always trying to drive a 'hard' bargain, and actively seeks to accumulate the magical items she comes across. She also sells magical pets, though their true properties are yet undiscovered.

Major Vanquo (human male): Finely groomed and darkly handsome, Vanquo stands with broad shoulders, but hobbles on his left leg. His hair is set in a black widow's peak, but his grey eyes are cool and calculating. He prefers stylish banded mail to the standard Eidolorn chain, and wears a feather about his neck that is preserved in amber. Vanquo has a finely forged broadsword and a light crossbow crafted of bone. With Gurd Gnarlbottom out of the Province, Vanquo is now a second-in-command to Doolan.

Regis Roodeye (elf male): The younger son of the tailor Woolish Roodeye, a lad of bright blonde features and a once bright future...laid low by an ogre in the Frail Forest.

Rishya Roodeye (elf female): The wife of tailor Woolish Roodeye, she was known to take human lovers as her husband's sensual dalliances swung over to the male persuasion. The half breed Jon 'Blow' is her child by an unknown man. Rishya was mulched in the battle against the ogres in the Frail Forest. Her infidelities now a thing of the past.

Ruckum Roodeye (elf male): The older son of Woolish Roodeye, with a more swarthy build and flecks of dark brown in his otherwise blond locks. He survived the encounter with the ogres, and is now a refugee at Floivin Keep with his father.

Woolish Roodeye (elf male): A gaudy and rather flamboyant elven male in fine robes, with short cut, stylish silver hair flecked by streaks of gold and white. He is encountered by the PCs while under ambush from a quartet of ogres and a forest troll in the Frail Forest. He had hired the ranger Darkahn to lead his family safely to the south, but they were simply overwhelmed by the giant brutes. Thankfully the PCs saved the day, but he does not seem overtly concerned about his lost family...more concerned for his surviving wares, which the PCs leave behind at the ambush site as they guide Woolish and his son to Floivin Keep.

Online Session 19 Notes (6/1/11)

Here is a link to a .RAR bundle which includes all the .html transcripts for AIM online sessions 1-32.

PCs: Doorjamb