Quick Tuesday News & Notes

Spent all of yesterday doing my taxes, so I'm taking a bit of a day for myself. Apologies. Hope to post something later this week.

For the curious: our volleyball season is over. We lost in the semi-final to a very good team that received some very questionable line-judging calls from the parent/volunteer. By my count we won the first set 25-21 (rather than lost 21-25), and if that's judged differently, we go to a third set with our strongest players and a good chance to win. Maybe. They were still a very good team.

And you can call it sour grapes, but we did go to the championship on Sunday (by "we" I mean myself and half the team), and watched a game with neutral (i.e. official league ref) line judges and watched them play extremely mediocre and get beat in straight sets. To a team that (I think) we also could have handled.

Ah, well...it is what it is. We had a very good, very successful season with a group of kids (most of whom were new to the sport) who had a great time. Losing is a part of sport...a valuable part, as it helps build resilience. You don't die from a loss: you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on to the next challenge, hopefully taking a moment to glance over your shoulder at the road you just navigated for the length of the season (12 weeks for us, and a lot of victories under the belt). There's even some discussion about a couple/few of our players moving into club volleyball. Diego's one of them...though he intends to see how his soccer try-outs go first.

Volleyball. Such fun.

 

And good for the boys. Been listening to Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO podcast lately and I found this one with Logan Ury and Scott Galloway was really thought provoking. While it doesn't address Dungeons & Dragons or the place of fantasy RPGs in the scheme of the declining demographic of young males, it made me consider what could be the benefit of such groups (something that has been broached before by others in our community). Noisms definitely had a point with the importance of male role-models to young men...and yet, I'm NOT a humongous fan of "all dude gaming groups," finding it pretty neat/useful to have people of different genders playing/operating together in a cooperative fashion that lets all sides see others' strength and value to the collective. For me, growing up playing D&D with young women was immensely helpful...and yet, I also had the benefit of many male role models in my life (my father was around till I was seventeen, and I had male teachers, male coaches, male Scout masters, etc.). There are plenty of boys...including those I grew up with...who didn't have the same luxury. And that sad state of affairs is, it seems, becoming more common not less.

Mm. Just something I'm thinking about this week, as my own "young man" (who is now taller than his mother) is gearing up for high school. Probably I should just keep coaching.

Funny observation from coaching both boys and girls sports teams: with regard to boys, the main issue is keeping them disciplined and focused; for girls, the main issue is stoking their "competitive fire." Doesn't mean there aren't boys who are disciplined (like Diego) or girls who are fiery competitors (like Sofia), I'm just talking about "general trends." But you know what? I think one of the things that has helped BOTH my kids in this regard is the game of Dungeons & Dragons: playing D&D has forced Diego to reign back his more reckless impulses and had forced Sofia to step up and be more assertive. Yet another great reason to encourage your kids to play D&D from an early age!

*ahem*

The last thing I'll mention is that I am, indeed, working on some D&Dish stuff; ending vball, getting the taxes filed, and getting through all D's high school enrollment stuff means I suddenly have some extra "free" time. Today, I've been going through a LOT of old stuff that's been lingering in open windows on Ye Old laptop...adventures I'm writing and whatnot...and I came across this old (I mean old) post that any fan of T1 or The Temple of Elemental Evil might enjoy perusing. It's not the blog post itself, but the discussion in the comments (spearheaded by the once prolific scottsz) that is worth the read. This kind of discussion...minus all the Greyhawk-ian "lore"...is the kind of thought process I go through these days when I'm rewriting/repurposing a Hickman adventure module. Not that they don't "function" (well...) adequately for an evening's D&D entertainment. But it's possible to do a deeper dive and dig into the "why" of a thing such that it translates into stronger world building in your campaign.

Which is a VERY GOOD thing. For me, anyway. Because I'm not into superficial ("cheap") thrills when it comes to my game. Oh, it doesn't matter to me that such information will probably NEVER matter to anyone besides myself (certainly not the players!)...it helps me understand and grasp how the adventure works and how it fits with everything else going on in my game world. Which gives a comprehension of my campaign world such that I can answer any insipid questions the players come up with in a reasoned and meaningful way. Which makes me a better Dungeon Master. Hard to be a Dungeon Master if you can't even 'master' your own world.

ANYway...good post, good discussion. I'm not a Greyhawk dude, but between that, Joe Bloch, and Trent (whose new book you should take a look at if you're interested in 1E adventure material) I feel like I might want to do something with ToEE. And I have a pretty good idea what (although let me get through these other three projects first!).

Also, it may be time to revisit cosmology in my AD&D game. That should be the subject of my next blog post.  When I have the time.

; )

Big Ass Adventures

Happy Halloween! Kids have a half day at school today (just found that out) so, unfortunately, my time for blogging is rather limited. Perhaps tomorrow (sorry for the tease).

However! Just want to stab a placeholder in the internet with a couple thoughts. Today saw the arrival in my mailbox of a seriously big ass adventure: a print-on-demand extravaganza from DriveThru that clocks in at a whopping 144 pages (including 16 pages of maps).

The product? Well, it's not Patrick Stuart's Demon-Bone Sarcophagus (though that one is ALSO available on DriveThru and ALSO has a listed page count of 144). Nope, instead, I put my money into Wizards of the Coasts pockets for a new copy of the 1985 classic The Temple of Elemental Evil (Gygax/Mentzer). 

[I own a copy, but it's falling apart (missing the back cover) and that tiny little map booklet is...ugh. Hate it. The new print-out is clear and lovely with full-size (full page) maps. Lovely]

The ToEE is...large. I've never run the thing in its entirety. I've run T1 a couple times (it was a late addition to my collection) but I never felt a burning desire to explore the rest of the thing. Or any desire really...it looks like a pretty boring slog of a thing, and if I (once upon a time) read the entirety of the text, I have since forgotten nearly everything about it. 

But now...well, while the Greyhawk setting holds zero interest for me (oh my...really need to do THAT post), and I have no nostalgia associated with ToEE (having never ran/played it "back in the day")...I'm kind of relishing the challenge of making it work. 

[*long pause*]

Mmm. Apologies. Kids are out trick-or-treating with the spouse while I'm waiting on dinner. Back to what I was saying....

This wasn't really going to be a post about The Temple of Elemental Evil. It's about the siren call of a "big campaign adventure." I have this sneaking suspicion that one of the reasons people get geeked up to run such a thing...a ToEE or Stonehaven or Barrowmaze or Dwimmermount is that it is SO HUGE that it can provide hours upon hours of game play. Game play that allows DMs to provide players with the experiential joy of D&D (fighting monsters, securing treasures, acquiring levels) while simultaneously putting off the real work of crafting a world fit for one's campaign. 

That's perhaps a little cynical, but I don't think it's a conscious procrastination. However, the DM who only runs such things is, perhaps, stuck in 2nd gear.

ANYway...I mentioned "challenge" and, for me, part of the challenge would be finding a way to work ToEE into my own campaign (the main challenge I have with pre-made adventures these days); the other challenge I somewhat relish is the idea of editing the thing into a more practical, usable form, an idea that I was hipped to by reading Trent's posts on the subject and the impetus to make me buy the POD book. Thanks to Trent's stuff, I have a bit of a roadmap to butchering the thing in a way that works for me...a little holiday project for when I'm bored.

; )

But, of course, that's not where my madness ends. I find myself pulled in the direction of a completely idiotic idea that just...will...NOT...let...go! of my psyche. It's so stupid I'm embarrassed to even write about it. Although, that was the reason I even opened my laptop this morning in the first place. Sometimes you have to blog the demons out of the brain, just to regain processing power.

*sigh* Unfortunately, I really have run out of time now. Tomorrow the kids are in school the full day and the wife should be going into the office and Halloween festivities will be over (really need to stop stuffing my face with candy...). I'll embarrass myself writing about my stupid idea tomorrow. Good night!

From Twisp to Port Townsend

Yesterday, one of Diego's classmates (Maceo) spent the afternoon with us and joined our AD&D campaign. Using a half-elf assassin ("I love assassins!") we introduced him to our version of Hommlet: the village of Twisp. 

"Twisp? That's a crazy name!" It's actually a real place in the Methow Valley, just a few miles south of Winthrop. "Oh! I've been to Winthrop!" So have we...it was our first vacation spot after the pandemic started. Small population, lots of hiking, beautiful surroundings. Of course, in my campaign Winthrop takes the place of Nulb; the "Temple of Elemental Evil" (such as it is) would be located just beyond, to the north.

The Village of Twisp

[all apologies to the good folks of Winthrop. Sure, there were a lot of pro-Trump signs and banners the last time we were in the town, but I'd hardly call them "mean," "slovenly," or "evil." Fact is, I found the folks of Winthrop to be very friendly, and a place we wouldn't mind vacationing again. Very relaxing for JB the Tourist...and I don't even fish]

Using the real world..

[oh, wait...you want to know how did the adventure go? Pretty good. They hit up the moathouse again and managed to slay the giant snake with only Diego's new dwarf character getting downed (and he survived). Oh, what happened to Diego's elven thief? He was slain in our last outing by a wandering ogre. These things happen. Sofia's cleric is halfway to 2nd level]

Using the real world as a campaign setting is a great boon. It makes the world building so immensely easy, especially in this Internet Age of ours...the touch of the Google machine can bring up all sorts of historic, demographic, geographic information instantly (well, near enough). Images and pictures of landscapes and rivers and mountains and forests...with no hemming or hawing or arguing over whether its plausible or makes sense or if "magic" is required to explain it all.

I haven't written much about elves in my campaign...mainly because it hasn't been all that important. My concept of the elven race isn't far removed from where it was in August 2020, when I was still using the OD&D rules and using South America as my "world map." They're still based largely on Moorcock's Melniboneans in temperament, outlook, and culture, but now they're coastal cities are more located in the Olympic Peninsula region, with their main location being (of course) Port Townsend, nicknamed The City of Dreams.

[yeah, see what I did there? I'm such a hack]

However, there's a LOT about the elves that I need to nail down. In my OD&D game, for example, they had the same life expectancy as humans...but when I re-booted the game with AD&D I just rolled with the Rules As Written meaning their lifespan is measured in centuries. This is something that has to be corrected, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. 

[having 1,500 year old elves screws around with my world in ways that I don't like. It's okay to give them a slightly extended lifespan along with resistance/immunity to aging magic, but for the species to function in my world, it has to have a life expectancy on par with humans]

Besides, it's not like the PC elves that have shown up in-game have lasted more than a few weeks/months, let alone years. SO...low priority. It'll happen eventually.

What IS a higher priority is figuring out the population figures and resources of the region. Found a great, early 20th century mineral report explaining there's plenty of iron to be mined in Washington, but production was halted to "market unfeasibility" (translation: Big Iron couldn't make enough money for the industry to be economically viable compared to other resource harvesting). This is great news for an Iron Age setting that needs lots of swords and armor. Today, I've been trying to track the historic population spikes in Washington State, and was tremendously confused with 1910 boom (it couldn't just be due to the successful Suffrage movement!) until...duh...I was reminded of the Klondike Gold Rush that occurred at the turn of the (20th) century.

But MY world didn't have a gold rush to the Yukon...so that boom wouldn't have happened. Neither did it have an "industrial revolution" or the building of railroads. The region is still much the same, but withOUT all that Manifest Destiny hullabaloo and U.S. expansion...heck, the indigenous peoples of the region aren't even humans (and some of them live underground). It's alternate history that I'm creating with my fantasy world, one that features a lot of strangeness and wilderness...but with a background canvass that features a lot of detail I don't have to worry about creating.

How tremendously freeing that is! Instead of worrying about where to put rivers and towns and mountains and cities and political boundaries and forests...or even worrying about figuring out "fantasy names" for these things...I can simply use and re-purpose what is already present. I can build my "Red Empire" over the (so-called) Inland Empire. I can have Renton dominated by the "Wizards of the Coast" (a magical conclave or a batch of charlatans...who can say?). I don't need a range of "Misty Mountains" or "Dragon's Teeth" when I already have the Cascades and the Olympics (not to mention the Picket Range, Enchantment Peaks, Icicle Ridge, Black Hills, etc.). I don't need a Mirkwood when I have the Olympic Rainforest and Colville National Forest. 

I have a rough timeline of the region's settlement going back more than 10,000 years and that's plenty of time to figure out when and where the dragons landed.

And all this, of course, is just "surface" material. Plenty of room underground if I want to put giant subterranean civilizations...though the access points for those will probably be further north in British Columbia (i.e. "the land of snow and giants"). Should I, someday, need to expand my world, I can always dig deeper (literally), or else develop Oregon and California and Idaho...all three being, currently, different forms of apocalyptic wasteland holding little interest for the NPC population of my world (except maybe northern Oregon, but it's full of Yuan-Ti and such...scary). 

As I said...the real world is a great boon. It is recognizable (to me and my players). No one can argue that its geography isn't "sensible" (since it's real). It does the heavy lifting of map making for the most part...all I have to do is write my own little travelogues and "tart it up" with D&Disms.

It's a helluva lot of fun.

; )

What Treasure Is

The title of this post is meant to be read literally only as applies to the D&D game. I would hope we all agree that REAL treasure is the time spent with family, friends, and loved ones (as I am often reminded by the holidays).

[and speaking of "treasured time:" we DID manage to finish our Axis & Allies game...after THREE DAYS...with the Allied forces capitulating once the Krauts had taken all of the USSR save Moscow, and after Italy had invaded the central United States through Mexico. Folks may find me silly to crow about beating a kid two weeks shy of his 11th birthday; truth is, I'm proud of how well he plays. He's also pretty sharp (he beats me in chess about one game in three these days) and a fast learner. And I was playing from behind most of the game after Italy got pwned in the Mediterranean theater and after I stupidly chose to neglect Russia till Turn 4 (I'm so used to having Japan invade from the east, and had a difficult time adjusting to the needs of the game's European Only limitations). Still, I managed to take the UK...twice!...and while London was firmly in the hands of the Allies by the end of the war, the Americanos' need to bring overwhelming force to the North Sea ended up losing them all of Africa to a German "end around"...which gave Italy the space they needed to recover their naval forces. I seriously doubt Diego will make the same mistake again]

[of course, now he wants A&A Pacific for his birthday. Oh, boy]

Onto AD&D.

I am running the kids through Hommlet. Yes, T1...not the Temple of Elemental Evil mega-set (which I own and which is a disaster to parse). This is the first time I've run T1 using the original rules for which it was intended; my only other experience with the adventure was running it as a PBEM 3rd edition conversion (you can read the transcripts which I posted to my blog a few years back). 

It's been...mm...a bit of a rough go. Mainly due to their being so few party members. The adventure itself seems fine for a group of six/seven 1st level players. We have two. They ended up hiring four of the NPC adventurers hanging around the Inn of the Wanton Wench, three of whom were of the evil, "ambush-the-party-when-they're-weak" variety...with the inevitable results; i.e. Total Party Kill. HOWEVER...the kids want to make new characters and go back to Ye Old Moat House, and I have a few workarounds that I'm going to try implementing with our next go of it. That will all be detailed in a (later) post.

[for the curious: the players are still playing in the same campaign world, but I haven't taken the time to place Hommlet on the map. I'm thinking probably down around Tri-Cities...or near them...due to the proximity to the Columbia River. Probably Burne and Rufus should be agents of the Tri-City States, though my first thought was to make them vassals of the Red Empire - i.e. Spokane - far to the north]

Treasure in Hommlet...a rather important consideration in AD&D...is quite good. Leaving aside what might be stolen from the village goodfolk, or looted from the bodies of evil henchmen, the moat house contains well over 30,000 g.p. of treasure, not even counting the sale value of magic items (which could push the total over 73K). Parties managing to find every scrap of loot AND retaining magic items (as opposed to selling them) can expect a haul of more than 41,000 experience points...enough for even a party of eight to climb to 3rd level...or higher! This is found in 17 of the 35 numbered areas, so roughly every other encounter will have something valuable for PCs to purloin. 

Certainly whets the appetites of new players. No wonder T1 is held in such high regard.

Of course, not all the treasure found is of the coin and gemstone variety. One locked door protects "30 shields, 12 suits of leather armor, and barrels of salted meat." Another hides "50 spears, 10 glaives, 6 guisarmes, 3 battleaxes" as well as "two crates holding 120 arrows and 200 crossbow bolts respectively." Along with hidden kegs of brandy and four score of "black capes" sewn with a "yellow eye of fire," these two rooms alone yield a rich hall of nearly 1,200 g.p. value (even counting the capes as a 5 s.p. traveling "cloak" from the PHB).

But JB, that stuff isn't treasure! It's just gear and supplies that can be used by ill-equipped parties or given to arm henchmen and mercenaries. Where's the REAL treasure...the coins and jewels and such? Okay, first off coins...like all money...are simply a medium of exchange. One uses coins as a portable way of acquiring goods and services. In the AD&D game they also serve an ADDITIONAL purpose of providing experience points to ambitious players. But all treasure serves that latter purpose...coins are simply going to be exchanged for provisions and supplies anyway.

Let's ask: what's the real objection here? That a sheaf of arrows doesn't glitter the same as a box of silver? Okay, fine. But leaving aside the practicality of an arrow (which can be used to kill a foe), do folks understand the cost-weight ratio is the same for an arrow as a silver coin coin? 

120 arrows = 240cns encumbrance = 12 g.p. value

240 silver = 240cns encumbrance = 12 g.p. value

And more valuable equipment has a greater weight-cost ratio:

30 shields = 150# = 300 g.p. value

1,500 s.p. = 150# = 75 g.p. value

10 glaives = 75# = 60 g.p. value

750 s.p. = 75# = 37.5 g.p. value

50 spears = 250# = 50 g.p. value

2,500 c.p. = 250# = 12.5 g.p. value

Now, sure, spears aren't worth their weight in silver (you'd rather find 250# of silver than 250# of spears), but how many times has a low-level party been perfectly happy with bagging a pile of 2,000 or 3,000 copper pieces after some fierce battle with giant rats? More than a few, I'd imagine, as starting adventurers can't afford (literally) to be picky about the loot being left around. But given the choice between retrieving six spears or a sack of 100 coppers, it's clear which "treasure" is worth more...not just for cash and x.p. but for practical value. 

The original D&D game (the LBBs) only offered only three types of coin to be found in a treasure: copper pieces, silver pieces, and gold pieces (electrum and platinum were offered as additional alternatives but their specific value was left undefined and in the hands of the referee). Rather than look at them as literal coins, I prefer to view them as valuables based on weight when building a treasure:

Copper = bulky items 

Silver = portable items

Gold = precious items

[when using electrum and platinum pieces, as in the AD&D game, this adds the categories of "semi-precious" and "very precious," respectively]

"Bulky" treasures weigh (approximately) 20# per 1 gold piece value. "Portable" treasures weigh about 2# per 1 gold piece value. "Precious" treasures are worth 10 gold pieces for every 1# of weight...again, as a rough approximation. 

Keeping this concept in mind, one can furnish and outfit one's adventure site with all manner of "treasures," rather than stashing coins in crevasses and under loose flagstones. A barracks or guardroom may have solid furniture (bulky treasure) rather than copper. A wizard's closet may have fine clothing (portable) or even expensive clothing (precious). An alchemist's lab may have glassware (portable), rare herbs (semi-precious), and an amazing collection of journals/notes (very precious). Even a torture chamber might have iron implements and strong shackles (bulky and/or portable) of value to someone.

This idea...that the coin values given in the Treasure Tables can be used in the abstract...is something I hit on a few year back when writing Five Ancient Kingdoms (my Arabian Nights version of OD&D) and it's something I've been doing ever since. I've seen others that have since stumbled onto the same concept; however, the underpinnings of this has been present since Gygax published the DMG in '79 in which he gave the following example:

A pair of exceedingly large, powerful and ferocious ogres has taken up abode in a chamber at the base of a shaft...these creatures have accumulated over 2,000 g.p. in wealth, but it is obviously not a pair of 1,000 g.p. gems. Rather, they have gathered an assortment of goods whose combined combined value is well in excess of two thousand gold nobles (the coin of the realm)...there are many copper and silver coins in a locked iron chest. There are pewter vessels worth a fair number of silver pieces. An inlaid wooden coffer, worth 100 gold pieces alone, holds a finely wrought silver necklace worth an incredible 350 gold pieces. Food and other provisions scattered about amount to another hundred or so gold nobles value, and one of the ogres wears a badly tanned fur cape which will fetch 50 gold pieces nonetheless. Finally, there are several good helmets (used as drinking cups), a bardiche, and a two-handed sword (with silver wire wrapped about its hilt and a lapis lazuli pommel to make it three times its normal value) which completes the treasure. If the adventurers overcome the ogres, they must still recognize all of the items of value and transport them to the surface...the bold victors have quite a task before them.

[from page 92]

When the Monster Manual tells you that the individual orc has 2-12 electrum pieces...or that the individual dwarf has 10-40 gold pieces...this should be taken as the value of the creature's goods on its person. "I'm going to loot the dead goblin's morning star...the PHB lists the weapon's price at 5 g.p. so I should be able to get at least a couple gold!" No, the combined value of the corpse's possessions is 3-18 silver pieces. 

[that morning star? It's a twisted piece of wood studded with spikes, teeth, and jagged metal. The goblin's helmet? Too small for a human and has an incredible stench...you'll need to purchase some strong lye just to get rid of the odor, even if you can find a halfling willing to buy it as a "collector's item." The shield? Broken when you killed the guy. His rags? Good luck selling those]

It's not like the orcs use electrum as the basic currency of their culture (though that might be interesting if they did).

D&D can, of course, be played in the abstract, and these treasure hoards facilitate that. "You find 1,000 copper, 3,000 silver, and 1,500 gold in the den of the hydra." But while this is a great expediter of play (it is!) it's also one of the main complaints voiced when detractors talk about how "boring" old edition D&D is. "Man, half our party was killed by giant rats and all we got out of it was 2,000 copper pieces."

No. What you found was 10 (or 20 depending on edition) gold coins worth of valuable food stuffs (unspoiled grain perhaps) in four large (50#) sacks. Deliver that to an inn, baker, or tavern and you can create a valuable contact and perhaps a place for rumors of further adventure. 

See, this is the thing: D&D is more than a game...if you allow it to be. It can be a place where you and your players LIVE, engaging with the imaginary setting/environment. And there's no need to write up any hoity-toity story or Uber-Quest to do so. Just develop the rules of the game that are already in front of your nose...and allow yourself the luxury of basking in the fantasy realm.

Back when we were playing through UK2: The Sentinel, the kids managed to acquire a nicely skinned giant beaver pelt (as a reward for something or other) that was worth a fair chunk of change. They took the x.p. for the piece and then, having been a bit flush with cash at the time, hired a tailor to work the think into a rich/warm lining for their armor, boots, etc.  That was the players' decision, not mine. And not only did it work fine as a bit of ostentatious display (hey! we be 3rd level adventurers now!), it also acted to make their wealth even more portable. After all, had the situation arose, they could have traded a rich, beaver-lined cloak (or whatever) for some sort of deal/negotiation with neutral/hostile NPCs.

Anyway...if you're playing Dungeons & Dragons in (what I deem to be) the correct fashion, the treasure is going to matter. What it is, what it does, what it's worth, and what it costs the players to acquire...not just in terms of hit point/resource expenditure, but in terms of weight/encumbrance. Because if you want to live in your D&D world, you're going to have to deal with the burdens associated with living which are (generally) logistical burdens. Do I have enough food? Can I afford to buy food? Can I carry more food? What must I sacrifice to eat?

It's pretty hard to make the trek to Mordor on an empty stomach.

You can deal with these things in the abstract (the treasure from that hydra den weighs 550# in encumbrance and is worth 1,655 g.p.) or you can hand wave such issues completely, instead choosing to focus on the character backstories, formal plots, and PC-NPC interaction in an attempt to create a grandiose story. However, the former approach reduces the game to something little more than the Dungeon! boardgame, and the latter...well, that's really a different animal. I find neither of these approaches to be satisfying in the long term.

So make your treasure meaningful...both to you the DM (as a substance/thing of your campaign world) and to your players (ditto). Value and encumbrance are the starting points, and then use the systems in place as guidelines to flesh out the details. It's those details that will make your dungeon loot something to be "treasured."

Isn't that why we call it treasure?

; )

L is for Luln

[over the course of the month of April, I shall be posting a topic for each letter of the alphabet, sequentially, for every day of the week except Sunday. Our topic for this year's #AtoZchallenge? Revamping the Grand Duchy of Karameikos in a way that doesn't disregard its B/X roots]

L is for Luln, the original "suggested home base" for players in B/X. I've posted the description in a prior post, but I'll quote the text again for convenience sake:

"Composed primarily of persons who have fled Black Eagle Barony, merchants who have come to trade with the Baron, and some non-humans who have left the wilderness, Luln is a base town for adventurers exploring the Haunted Keep, also called Koriszegy Keep and the surrounding land. Somewhat lawless and open, the town can provide most of the basic needs to any group of adventurers. The town is poorly defended, relying on the goodwill and capabilities of both the Baron and the Duke for its defense. Approximately 500 people live in the town."

(from Cook/Marsh, page X60)

The text in Mentzer's expert set is mostly the same, though any suggestion of Luln being a "base town" has been removed (that honor falls to the idyllic "frontier town" of Threshold).

I'll admit that I've never used Luln in any way, shape, or form: my first campaign started after acquiring the Moldvay Basic set (which has no mention of Luln), and by the time I acquired the Expert set we were not interested in "starting over" in Luln (we did visit Specularum, though only en route to The Isle of Dread). The next time my group started a campaign, it was with AD&D in a home-brew world of our own design. And years later when I actually ran a BECMI campaigns for a short while (in Mystara), I used Threshold as the starting location...in fact, I started two or three campaigns that originated out of Patriarch Sherlane's barony. My own B/X campaigns over the last decade have only ever been home-brew worlds.

Might leave the windmill, might not.

Reading over its description now, as part of my research into Karameikos, I can't help but feel rather charmed by the town's description. Somewhat lawless, outside the jurisdiction of both Duke and Baron, comprised of a small community of mixed humans and "non-humans," this is the perfect type of "fantasy western" village for starting off a band of adventurers. Maybe they're refugees or escaped slaves, maybe they're outcasts from their own communities (possibly by their own choice). Being on the edge of the wilderness, located in the foothills, but close to forest and swamp, the village seems an ideal place for starting a campaign. I would be strongly tempted to start any Karameikos-based group in Luln.

[you know, I should have mentioned back in my Indigenous People post that on first pass, I kind of liked the whole "shearing ceremony" idea, as a way for young people to become adventurers. A little closer examination though brings me to the conclusion it's a little too cutesy fantasy, and depending on the "grit level" of your campaign it doesn't make a lot of sense...what farmer wants to see their child, finally grown strong enough to work the fields, to up and leave? What noble wants to see their potential heir strike out into danger on their own? I would think most parents would have beat a sense of duty and responsibility into their children during their formative years to prevent this type of behavior. A place like Luln makes for a satisfying, alternative reason to start an adventuring career. The version of the "shearing ceremony" Allston wrote for his Thyatis gazetteer (Running Away from Home) makes a bit more sense, especially in the more civilized setting of the Empire]

However, I would probably dispense with the GAZ1 description of Luln. The population increase...eh, I'd probably play fast and loose with the population regardless. But the whole Mistress Sascia character? No, I don't think so. Much as I kind of love Luln, I kind of hate the Protector of Luln, someone who turns the place from a nice little hometown into an adventuring hook for tourist PCs. Here's the history of Luln's townmistress ("mayor"):

"Sascia was born 28 years ago in Luln, the unhappy town near the Black Eagle Barony. Like the younger Yolanda of Luln, she gradually developed a fierce hatred of the nearby barony -- a hatred of its occasional raids into surrounding lands (including Luln), a hatred of seeing the infrequent bands of hollow-eyed escapees just escaped from that territory. But unlike Yolanda, Sascia was very strong and convinced that she could make a difference right here in Luln. She learned the ways of the sword and of military tactics. She persuaded the leaders of Luln to set up sentries in the forest who could warn of an impending raid. She fought the raiders when they came, and inspired others to do the same. Eventually, when the last town master stepped down from his post, she took that position."

Allston cut his teeth writing for the Champions RPG long before working for TSR and this reads like nothing less than your average superhero origin story. Forget (for the moment) that Luln was a village of a few hundred souls comprised of discontents, wanderers, and refugees...a pretty loose community at best. Imagine for a moment that the cartoony Baron Black Eagle suddenly had this 12th level (!!) fighter-chick suddenly on his doorstep, organizing a defense against his "raids"...what do you think would happen? I mean, what's the story of Robin Hood suddenly becoming a nuisance to the good Sheriff of Nottingham? Except that instead of living like a bandit in the woods, she's sitting in a town of people trying to eke out a living in an area largely unprotected (due to it being outside the boundaries of any particular dominion).

Look, I realize GAZ1 is written for a particular brand of "heroic fantasy," but this is even more fanciful than usual. The only reason I see Baron Ludwig allowing the existence of Luln at all is that it isn't an inconvenience to him. 16 miles down the road from Fort Doom (just over the border of the barony) there is an unsanctioned, un-fiefed, vassal-less community? To the baron, it's useful to have this place there as someone to trade with, that he doesn't need to administer, and that can house merchants that he doesn't want to deal with (or that don't want to deal with him...at least not up close and personal). Plus, it's a place to occasionally raid for slaves and whatnot.

But Luln isn't under the Duke's protection...there's nothing preventing the Baron from just marching in and annexing the place. And IF the baron got word back from his spies and raiders that some warrior was organizing an armed resistance and building up the defenses of a town located a day's ride from his castle, you think that wouldn't give him cause for action? Especially if his agents in Specularum heard any whiff of the Duke considering Sascia for a knighthood (or even worse...a baronial title!), you don't think he'd act immediately?

Here's exactly what would happen: 200 elite Black Eagle guardsmen, all mounted with chain and shield, would ride into town led by Baron Ludwig himself, and backed up by the baron's 15th level pet wizard. "Mistress" Sascia, who appears to have never been outside of Luln on an adventure (and whose AC is calculated wrong in GAZ1...just by the way), wouldn't stand a chance even in single combat against Ludwig. But with Bargle hitting Sascia with power word stun (she only has 47 hit points), let alone disintegrate?  All zeroes.

[and, no, I don't think the townspeople would be any help. Bargle has protection from normal missiles and invisibility. In a world of magic, there is a gross advantage to the side of any battle that has has access to high-level wizardry]

We tend to frown on
organized resistance.

No, the only reason I'd include Sascia in a campaign is to have her executed in some spectacular fashion. Crucified on the Western Road perhaps, or drawn-and-quartered with her various parts mounted outside the walls of Luln. Definitely posted as a warning to the adventurers that the Black Eagle is not to be trifled with. Peasant hero indeed...sheesh!

But OTHER than the whole "Mistress Sascia" subplot, I'm digging the whole vibe of Luln. Perhaps some player character will decide to take up the same cause as Sascia (though with similar consequences), but I prefer the place to be a bit less of a town and more of a place to meet mercenaries and buy adventuring gear (from the wandering merchants camped there). I think Luln is plenty interesting as is, with a lot of B/X potential...especially if you knock down the nearby fort (Radlebb Keep).

Better yet, it would be easy to convert Luln with some AD&D goodness. I've been thinking a lot about the Village of Hommlet recently (by which I mean "for the last several months"), and can see resigning Luln as the nearby village of Nulb (described in the "super module" T1-4: Temple of Elemental Evil). I would not re-skin Luln as the titular Hommlet...I see Luln as too mean and miserable a place. But I'd be VERY tempted to place Hommlet near Luln/Nulb just southeast of Radlebb Keep. Instead of being the guard house for "Hell's Jailers," Radlebb would be re-skinned as the half-constructed fort of Rufus and Byrne, now being built (on Duke Stefan's command) to keep a "watchful eye" on the Black Eagle Barony. The ruins of the Temple would replace Koriszegy Keep (i.e. "the Haunted Keep") and be an afterthought to the duchy outside of Luln/Nulb...after all, it was destroyed decades before when Stefan/Thyatis was first conquering the region. Bandit raids and slaver kidnappings would be blamed on Baron Ludwig, not any kind of resurgent cult activity...right? Right?!

Thinking about this possibility, the idea of starting an adventure campaign in Nulb (as opposed to Hommlet) has its appeal. Nulb might not be quite so evil, Hommlet might not be quite so good...and with all eyes focused westward on the Black Eagle, it's easy to see how the higher powers of the region could have missed the renovated moathouse (or monastery) and the evil rising again. Perhaps instead of repurposing Duke's Road Keep as the new "Keep on the Borderlands" I could set Castellan Keep in the closer Riverfort Keep (in the foothills just north of Riverfork Woods, about 50 miles north and west from Luln). This puts the Caves of Chaos much closer to the player characters' starting location...but I don't know. That might be too many "chaotic outposts" in too tight an area.

Still a cool cover.

Nah. Best to just go with one or the other. I've run T1 before, but while it's a good starter adventure, the module lacked a bit of "oomph" as a campaign starter. For all its accolades, T1-4 is really a product of its time, and that time was 1985 when TSR really started to push the idea of players running company produced stories. And I don't really want to do a whole campaign based solely on this (or any) single concept. I'd rather run B2 straight and give Luln/Nulb as the "hometown" the PCs return to after adventuring in the Caves. Hommlet, down the road, is little more than a soldier's camp being led by self-righteous prigs ("the Duke's Men") threatening to catch the PCs families between the hammer and anvil of Stefan and Ludwig. The "Village of Hommlet" with its petty religious squabbles doesn't exist; the "moathouse" doesn't exist (or has been cleaned out and its foundation stones used to build the new keep). The ancient Temple of Evil could exist, and might still exert an influence on the area (explaining both the madness of Baron Ludwig and the misery of Luln/Nulb)...but the shape it takes may be very different from the one presented in Mentzer's super-module.

Considering this as an adventure for B/X (and not BECMI) I'd certainly hope such was the case!

Village of Hommlet - D20 Style (Part 9)

[continued from here]

The Rest of the Dungeon

After stripping the bodies of your enemies and piling them against the portcullis, you set off to explore the rest of the dungeon. This time, Geffen is careful to map the interior, though you also have your chalk out to mark the way.

As you cannot get through the portcullis, you head back up the stairs and through the ogre’s chamber. Past the antechamber (the door opposite the secret one), you find yourself back in the cellar that contained the zombies and the two locked doors. You now take the time to pick the locks on the doors and find that they contain stores of supplies. The first contains dozens of spears, pole arms, and axes, as well as scores of arrows and crossbow bolts. The second one contains shields, leather armor, barrels of salted meat, and two kegs of excellent brandy.

You also find a crate in the weapon room containing more than fifty black capes sewed with the yellow eye of fire.

Going back through the torture chamber tunnel, and then through the crypt, you explore the rest of the underground complex. You find the chambers that housed both bugbears and gnolls, but nothing of value is in these rooms, only squalor and filth. You find a room with a pool in it; obviously the water supply for the hideout, a giant crab-like monster lurks below the surface and menaces you when you approach! Deciding that your party has enough water to last, you leave the pool and creature in peace, rather then risk further injury. You also find the other side of the portcullis, and loot the fallen; the sergeant has a gold chain around his neck and all the men have purses of coin. A simple winch mechanism lifts the portcullis.

Finally, down a long deserted corridor you find the chamber and barracks of the guardsmen and the residence of the high priest. The guards’ barracks contains only cots, salted meat, and other basic supplies, but the chamber of Lareth is another thing entirely! It is lavishly furnished with rugs and wall hangings and a silver serving set and goblets begs your immediate attention. A brazier of sweet incense burns near a carved alabaster box filled with rich unguents (obviously worth a good amount of gold) and lastly you discover a gold necklace, beautifully wrought with ten gorgeous fire opals and set with diamond chips. It is obviously worth a king’s ransom!

You also find another tunnel, near the guards’ chamber that leads in a long upwards slope to the surface…well outside the moat house and deep in a bramble grove. This is probably the way the remaining guardsmen fled. You use this exit and hike the short distance back to the moat house, where your horses and the body of Burne awaits.

The Road Back

You carefully tie Burne to the back of his great white horse, and stow your wealth in bulging saddle-bags. Kendra has changed her scale mail for the gleaming plate armor once worn by Lareth the Beautiful, a unanimous decision by the party as it was she that struck the telling blow. The group is amazed as the way the armor seems to magically contour to her body, slighter though it is compared to the six foot Lareth. Bryant carries the cleric’s quarterstaff, having given his own sword to Kendra. She in turn gives you the dagger of Burne, to use until it is decided what to do with his gear. So equipped your battered party turns its horses towards the open road.

More than a day has passed since you first entered the moat house, but your party has not yet rested, and figures to regain its strength after finding solace at the Inn of the Welcome Wench. However, it is near dusk as you head east back to Hommlet The dim light is enough for your half-elven eyes, however, as you guide the humans in the party.

You have not gone very far, though, when you find your way blocked by two horsed figures, one dressed in armor and the other in casual robes. The robed man holds up his hand for you to halt as you approach. You recognize Turuko and Kobort from the inn!

“Whoa, fellows!” says the monk from the back of his horse. “It appears you’ve had a rough time, with many wounds among your party, and at least one member not fit to ride. You should have taken us along on your excursion, as we could have kept you in better repair. Perhaps you need some protection to see you back to town? The roads are very dangerous at night and we’d be willing to escort you to Hommlet for a share of the spoils.”

Turuko blinks at your offer of 10%, then smiles. “Actually, we were thinking more like fifty percent.” The barrel-chested Kobort fingers the hilt of his long sword meaningfully.

You “tsk” at Turuko and the two thugs attack!

Turuko launches himself into the air, feet and hand flying, but Bryant is there striking with his new quarterstaff before the human can do any damage. He strikes twice, and the monk goes down in the dirt. You sling Burne’s dagger as Kobort kicks his mount forward, and it easily pierces the big fighter’s shoulder. Then Kendra and Eldoran are riding forward, the dwarf striking the foe in the knee and the paladin glancing a blow off the man’s shield.

Kobort throws down his sword and sues for peace. “Let me live! I’m not evil! Turuko told me that it would be easy money to waylay your party, since you all were wounded…I didn’t want to kill anyone! Please don’t slay me!”

Mercy

You turn to Kendra and suggest you tie the dog up and leave him for the buzzards. Kobort, large man that he is, shivers in fear and pain at his wounds as you and your companions surround him with drawn weapons. Kendra shakes her head.

“We won’t leave him to die, but I don’t see any wisdom in letting a potential brigand loose either…he might try to waylay some other poor soul who is not as prepared as ourselves.

“Let him leave all weapons and armor to us, and let him bury his fallen comrade. After that, he may ride away to find some honest work for himself, but we will not leave him with accoutrements of warfare!”

The five of you supervise the burial of Turuko (performed by a half-naked Kobort) and then allow the man to ride away, with only his breaches and a small bag of copper. Your party then continues on to Hommlet.

In the Common Room

Ostler is only too happy to send a pot boy to Rufus, while his other servant stables your horses. Burne is brought into the common room and laid on a table with a sheet thrown over his body. Then Ostler goes about getting you some food and drink.

The common room is full of people tonight, but the whole room has fallen silent at the sight of Burne. Some of the men drinking are laborers from the castle and are used to Burne’s presence every day. To all the villagers of Hommlet, “his Most Worshipful Mage of Hommlet” was a figure of both respect and awe. They find it difficult to believe the wizard is dead.

However, the silence is broken as Rufus arrives. Rufus sees the covered form of his cohort and goes red in the face, hand on the hilt of his sword. He glares at your party not saying a word, just as Ostler comes into the common room with a tray of drinks. The inn keeper halts mid-stride clearly sensing the tension and danger in the air.

Then Kendra speaks: “I’m sorry, Rufus.”

It is enough to dissolve the tension, and with that the five of you sit down to table with the fighter and share what transpired in the dungeons beneath the evil moat house. The common room is filled with low buzzing as people alternate between listening and commenting to their neighbors. You consider briefly taking the conversation back into a more private room, but decide the townsfolk have a right to know what happened to the wizard that employed many and was a protector of all.

Rufus countenance grows dark as you tell the tale of Lareth and his strangely garbed warriors. He chokes a little when you tell him of Burne’s death, and all but hoots with joy when you describe the defeat of Lareth and his men. You show him some of the trinkets taken from Lareth’s personal chambers and the crowd “oos” and “ahs” over the jeweled splendor of the loot. Then, as you finish your tale a startled look of hope comes over Rufus’ face.

“Wait…by what you say, Burne’s passing was only three days ago. If this is true, then there is still a chance to save him!”

Rufus quickly begins ordering his men to prepare horses for travel and to bring them to the inn, and also orders a few days worth of iron rations from Ostler. Then he explains, “The soul of my cohort has left his body before its time, but his body is still whole and intact. It is possible to call his spirit back to its form but it would take a mighty holy man to do so. The High Priest of Apollo in Gilea has the power to raise him up, but we must be able to get the body to his temple within 10 days of its death. After that, even the high priest may not be able to call him back!”

While Ostler makes ready Burne’s body (and the rations), Rufus continues, “Listen…I must try to raise my companion while there is still time, but this entire incident is troubling. This ‘Lareth’ whom you slew was a cleric of surpassing power, and only a true worshipper of dark gods could command the type of unholy might you describe. This was no charlatan using the name of Elemental Evil…this was a cleric of that foul power! It is good that you stopped him when you did, and extremely lucky for you that Burne was along with you to help. But if the dark power is rising enough to call mortal servants, this whole region could be in great danger!”

Let Me Tell You About Nulb

Rufus continues, “I must travel south (and quickly!) to Gilea or I would investigate myself, but I need someone to go to Nulb and investigate the old temple dedicated to the Cult of Elemental Evil. I charge your party with doing this; you have already proven yourselves worthy and strong by deeds both good and fell. You must make certain that the old temple is secure, that the seals on the place are unbroken. The seals were placed both to keep potential worshippers out, and to keep other things IN. It is the ‘other things’ that worry me!

“Travel the Western Road to Tryss…the same road that goes by the site of our castle construction, and the same road that goes by the moat house. You should see sign posts marking the lane that leads to Nulb a few miles past the moat house. Just on the outskirts of Nulb, you should find the Temple, once a place of great evil and foul creatures. Be VERY careful.

“Nulb itself is a miserable little village; I have only ever been there once, on a scouting expedition for Burne. The place is smaller then Hommlet, and meaner…it’s fallen on rough times the last few years. I daresay there may be brigands residing in Nulb and feel free to do with them as you will. To my knowledge, there’s no real law or militia in Nulb and it is ruled more by strength then by group consensus. Like Hommlet, it falls loosely under the rule of Gilea, but the Empire does not ride that far north and does not enforce its will over the village. However, that does not mean there are no agents of the Empire there…Gilea has a vested interest in keeping an eye on the old Temple Ruins, so you may find hidden help in Nulb…though why they did not notice the rebirth of the Cult is a mystery!

“You may take Burne’s gear to help you…I am sure he does not begrudge you using his equipment while he soars the afterworld. If we bring him back from the dead…well, we’ll deal with that if the lucky event comes to pass. However, until then, please use his enchanted items to best ability. His wand will fire magical missiles and this musical chime will open any lock or door with a slight ringing. His dagger is also enchanted and his ring will protect the wielder as if you were wearing an extra suit of leather. His other items back at the tower, I will keep for now.

“One last word of note: be very careful of your treasure. Nulb is not known for gentle qualities of its townfolk and unguarded loot will surely be stolen. Find a good base of operations in Nulb that you can secure against robbers, or buy a house in Hommlet even! I will return in about two weeks and after that I may be able to help you store your valuables. Until then, be careful!”

*****

Your party enters the Waterside Hostel…a fairly seedy place. The proprietor is burly and scowling, his bartender is surly and sleazy. Two slovenly women act as the barmaids/entertainment of the establishment, and both give you an unfriendly eye as you rent your rooms. On the bright side, all the costs are half of what they were at the Welcome Wench.

You feel a bit uncomfortable as you pay the fee; all eyes are fixated on the platinum you count into the innkeeper’s meaty palm.

You tie your horses outside, Geffen assuring you that they’ll make a ruckus if anything happens. Then you go to your rooms and wait for nightfall. Once it is dark the party, at your behest, takes to the streets in pairs looking for “anything suspicious.”

There isn’t a whole lot to explore. There are no lamp lights and the streets are dark, only lit by the crescent moon and stars. The only place open (besides the Waterside Hostel) is the Boatmen’s Tavern. Lights and raucous noise emanate from the river-front establishment. A drunk appears passed out on the street a few yards from the entrance.

[this is the end of the transcript and as far as the Doc and I got through the T1-4 super-module. Hope you all enjoyed the recounting of our tale...it's been fun in the telling!]

Village of Hommlet - D20 Style (Part 8)

[continued from here]

Into the Dark

As the party begins to glibly explain the upper lay-out of the keep, you wrestle with your doubts about Burne. Did you do the right thing, bringing him along? Does the party really need his assistance? Do you really want to give up one-third of the loot?

You are just about to tell the smug wizard to leave, but at the last moment decide against it. One more party member will certainly help and the mage might well get himself killed. Even if he doesn’t you might be able to stick a knife in his back yourself if there is a problem with dividing the treasure!

Geffen secures the horses and the party checks that their weapons are loose in their scabbards as you file one-by-one into the ruined moat house. The stones are hard underfoot and you hear nary a sound as you climb the stairs to the main keep. Behind you stride Eldoran and Kendra, followed by Burne then Geffen and finally, Bryant. Past the ruined doors and into the old audience chamber, and straight to the ‘dark room’ that was the hide-out of the brigands. Here you, Kendra, and Bryant all light up torches.

“What – no lantern?” asks Burne incredulously. “You should have told me. I could have gathered at least two from the fortress!” You ignore him and lead the party through the secret door in the back of the brigand’s lair.

It is only a short descent into darkness till you come to the blood-stained landing on which Spugnoir met his demise. To the left, you can lead the party down a second flight of steps. To your right and through the half-open secret door lays the ogre’s chamber, from which you can still smell its rotting corpse. “Hoo-boy,” says Burne, “What a stench!”

You carefully descend the second set of stairs to the corridor below. It turns gently to the right and continues into darkness. Your part moves as quietly as possible, though there is an awful lot of jingling from Eldoran and Kendra. You pace a few yards ahead to put some distance between yourselves and the party.

Suddenly, the light from your torch picks out something gleaming dully ahead of you. You slow your pace and carefully approach, holding up your free hand for caution. As you get nearer you see that it is a heavy iron portcullis that has descended from the ceiling and imbedded itself in the floor, sealing the corridor shut!

You turn to tell the party of the bars across the way, but they already talking…somewhere behind you in the corridor you hear a clattering of weapons and a roaring of voices…someone is approaching and your party is trapped like rats!!

Combat!

You grab your crossbow from your back while spinning on your heel, and charge back to the party. People seem to be jostling among themselves as they struggle to get past each other in the narrow corridor. You hear a roar and the dim torch light you see a pack of seven foot tall, furry humanoids with morning stars charging! Bryant is yelling, and Eldoran and Kendra are trying to get past Burne and Geffen to help him, but Burne also is shoving his way past the druid. Torches have been dropped on the floor, and you cannot get a clear shot past the pack of your friends!

Suddenly, you hear Burne shout a word of magic. A light streaks over the heads of the party to land amidst the bugbears and then flowers into a tremendous orange explosion of flame and sulfur!

“Burne you son of a bitch!” yells Bryant, falling back as the flames lick the corridor. “You’ve killed us all!” But only warm air washes past you, not flames, and many charred forms litter the corridor floor. Kendra and Eldoran have finally struggled to the front of the pack and Bryant stands behind the dwarf with an arrow knocked. You step up past Geffen next to Burne and try to aim your crossbow between party members, but it is a tight fit.

Your fighters have just enough time to take a quick step forward before they are charged by a group hyena-headed humanoids: gnolls! The two in front each hit their marks with their battle axes and both paladin and dwarf return the favor. You and Bryant fire arrows as rapidly as you can reload and seek foes, but you cannot shoot the fiends once they are engaged in melee with your friends, and your targets are few.

Burne, on the other hand, generates dart after dart of mystic power that races from his fingers to unerringly seek enemies, whether in melee or not! He has not even drawn his wand and he has managed to fell two foes by himself, and helped put down two others that were wounded.

Kendra has taken two wounds and Eldoran one but the gnolls are down to three in number and the rest of the party is unhurt. Then the gnolls back off, and as you press forward you hear a voice saying, “Ah, friends! Why must we make war amongst ourselves when your cause is hopeless, and you could be of use to our side?”

A bolt of searing light streaks down the corridor, missing Eldoran but striking Bryant; he shrieks in pain. The gnolls redouble their efforts and Eldoran is wounded again before she can slay her attacker. You push back the gnolls, wondering at first why they won’t flee…then you see that behind them is a line of armored men, holding out long glaives! Behind them stands a dark figure that you cannot make out from here.

The last gnolls fall and Burne shouts another spell…a bolt of lightning crackles in the air and streaks towards the men, who you can see wears the sign of the flaming golden eye on their chest…however, the dark figure gestures and the spell fades without striking a single man! Burne is taken aback, but quickly draws both his wand and his dagger. The armored men start marching forward slowly.

Ambushed Again!

Your crossbow bolts bounce off the guards scale mail, but Burne’s wands fells two of the guardsmen in their stride. Suddenly several things happen at once: you hear the twang of bow strings and feel a sharp pain in your back. You hear cries of pain from both Geffen and Bryant, and the dark figure behind the guardsmen shouts a word in some unholy language and the hammer falls from Eldoran’s nerveless fingers; she has been paralyzed! Then Burne shouts his own words of magic and disappears from view!

You whirl around and see that behind the portcullis are two rows of guardsmen with crossbows, three kneeling in front, three standing behind, with a sergeant overseeing them. They are reloading and taking aim. The dark man laughs.

However, it appears that Burne hasn’t deserted you; magic missiles streak out from thin air striking several of the crossbowmen! You fire your own crossbow and pierce a man over the bridge of his nose, slaying him. Bryant aims an arrow, but it strikes one of the portcullis bars and is deflected. “Surrender now, or be buried,” shouts the leader, “Though it cost me all my servants, I shall slay you in this tunnel!” The dark man’s guards seem fearless, as they quickly load and fire a second barrage of arrows. Geffen falls, pierced in the belly.

Behind you there is another explosion, this one closer! You look over your shoulder and see that Kendra’s sword has shattered from tip to hilt! Magical missiles drop two more of the glaivesmen but the final two march forward with confident surety and cut down Eldoran and Kendra where they stand. Kendra is badly wounded and lurches back as the two halt with stances wide. They have a ten foot reach with their glaives.

“Oh, come now, wizard! Let’s have no more of this invisibility!” Another word of magic, and Burne appears again wand in hand. Waving it, four more missiles streak out, two striking each of the guards with pole arms, slaying the men. He is then struck by several arrows and gasps in pain.

Sweet Surrender

You yell for everyone to get down on the floor and give themselves up to the dark lord. Bryant and Kendra obey immediately dropping down next to you and their fallen companions, but Burne shouts words of magic in defiance.

“Surrender, wizard, or suffer the consequences!” yells the dark lord stepping forward.

This must be Lareth the Beautiful. He is handsome and young, not much older than yourself. His body ripples with muscles beneath his plate armor, and he grasps his quarterstaff with obvious skill. He is confident in his power, and there is a demonic gleam of insanity in his eyes. On his chest he wears the symbol of the flaming golden eye.

Burne does not answer but begins to gesture and chant. Lareth makes a sign to his men, and shafts let fly easily striking the standing wizard. However, the arrows bend upon his robes doing him no harm; he has somehow warded himself against their missiles!

Lareth is undaunted as he gestures to his lieutenant. The man drops his bow and draws his long blade and a hand ax, stepping forward. But Burne finishes his gesturing at that moment and the fighter undergoes a swift transformation…into a toad! The priest stares open-mouthed!

“Bastard! You will pay for that…and my patron will give me the power to break your spell!” In answer, Burne lifts his wand and four missiles of magic might streak towards the cleric, swerving to miss the last guardsman that tries to place his body between the missiles and his master. They strike one after another, and blood flows from beneath the cleric’s armor.

Huddled on the ground with Bryant and Kendra, you can barely believe what you’re seeing! “Burne! Stop it, wizard!” But it does not matter now as Lareth, completely enraged by the mage’s actions, charges with staff in hand as more missiles smite the cleric in the torso. Swinging his staff, it glows in the dim light of the fading torches. One iron shod end reaches out to jab Burne in the gut, doubling him over, then whirling brings the second end to crack across the wizard’s skull, utterly shattering it! Burne’s brains are splashed across the corridor wall, and his body flung against the portcullis.

The high priest’s legs in front of your eyes prove too tempting a target for you, and nodding once to Bryant, you draw your knife and swiftly plunge it into the cleric’s unprotected calf! Lareth the Beautiful gasps in pain, already wounded by Burne’s missiles. Bryant lunges to his feet drawing his long sword and crashing it down on the mage’s shoulder and spinning him around. The priest brings his staff up, but now Kendra is on her feet as well, Burne’s dagger in her hand. She smites the priest drawing upwards with the blade of the dagger and splitting him from groin to neck!

Now you are on your feet, and somehow you have Burne’s wand in your hand. How the hell does this thing work, you think to yourself as you wave it at the guards and shout the words you heard Burne use. Somehow, you manage to activate the thing, and missiles streak from its tip striking the sergeant standing behind the crossbowmen, and slaying him!! The remaining guards drop their crossbows, turn tail, and flee down the corridor!

You turn on the remaining guardsman, but he is also fleeing and has reached the stairs already. You shout and wave the wand at him, but nothing happens, and he disappears into darkness.

Holy Smokes! Victory!

You survey the carnage around you for a moment before gleefully stooping to loot Burne’s body. Kendra gives you a VERY disapproving look, but she is in no condition to stop you…still she IS holding an enchanted, blood-stained dagger in her good hand. “I think we should have a little more respect for our fallen companions, don’t you?” You shrug and set about looting Lareth the Beautiful instead.

Bryant finds the toad and slays it with a swift thrust of his sword. It immediately reverts back into the dead lieutenant. “Here’s another one to check out, Christoff!” You can’t help but smile.

You also can’t help but pocket Burne’s magic wand. You don’t know how many charges remain, and you’re not sure you’ll ever get it to work again, but you know it’s no use to the dead wizard…and you note that Kendra hasn’t put down the wizard’s knife yet, so she’s not one to talk (of course, her master crafted broad sword was shattered…).

Kendra kneels first by Eldoran and lays her hands briefly on the dwarf. “She will live, now, but she’ll need more healing power than mine to regain consciousness!” She then stoops by Geffen and lays her hands on his wounds for a longer period of time, and he begins to rouse. Kendra leans forward and hugs the druid, who groans in pain.

“Don’t re-open my wounds!”

The paladin apologizes and then Geffen staggers to his feet and begins the healing of the wounded. Kendra, Eldoran, and the druid himself are the recipients who need the most healing, though Kendra does bind the wounds of you and Bryant. Poor Burne is beyond saving, however. You wrap him carefully in his cloak and take his body back to the surface and out in the sunlight. The party decides that they will take Burne back to Hommlet for burial as he is a friend and leader of the people. However, you see no reason not to “borrow” his equipment while you finish exploring the dungeon! Besides you don’t want a passing ruffian to despoil his corpse while your party is below.

Burne has many items of wonder on him. You find a gem studded ring on his left hand, and a long silver chime in another wand case at his belt. His wand of magical missiles is already in your possession as well as his enchanted dagger. His pouches contain spell components for his spells, most of which are of little use to you, and of course there is your potion back again. However, he carries no spell book or scrolls with him…which is just as well, since they would be more baggage then you could easily carry.

A search of the corpses in the corridor below yields even more loot. Each of the gnolls carried some sort of coin, mostly copper and silver, and the guardsmen carried gold and platinum as well. The bugbears torched bodies yield more coinage and a silver necklace and several gems (carried by the leader). Lareth’s lieutenant carries a bag of gemstones and wears a platinum chain set with a large topaz, an obvious piece of treasure. Finally, Lareth himself carries a small purse with a few pieces of platinum and a dark, shining opal. He also wears gleaming plate armor, obviously master-crafted if not enchanted, and you’ve already noted the power of his magical quarterstaff (as demonstrated on Burne). Finally, Lareth has some sort of clerical phylactery on his left arm that is carved with what looks like magical runes. You take this for good measure.

None of you are able to lift the portcullis, nor discover a way to open it, and cannot get to the bodies on the other side. You’ve made quite a haul of spoil, but you feel there must be more in the dungeon…a hoard or war chest from which Lareth paid his men. Also, you’ve yet to discover the supplies stolen from the ambushed caravans. The weapons and armor of the fallen guardsmen would fetch a good price, but you’d need a cart or wagon to carry the equipment back to town.

Village of Hommlet - D20 Style (Part 7)

[continued from here]

Next Day (& the Next)

The following morning, the party sets off for Hommlet very early. You’ve got a lot of loot and extra company and it is fairly slow going. However, you manage to arrive by early afternoon, and you certainly cause a stir as you pony up to the Inn of the Welcome Wench! Ostler is there to take Horg and the others to rooms (on the house, of course!) and the patrons in the common room greet you with amazement and many questions. It appears they are more interested in getting news then giving any!

When they see the chest of treasure you’ve returned with, the buzz of excitement doubles! Along with all the silver you’ve brought (and the treasure you found before!) you’ve acquired quite a haul! There is a hush of woe when your party tells the tale of Spugnoir’s death, and a general clamor when you ask if any spell casters present are seeking fame and fortune!

There aren’t any spell users, but there appears to be plenty of others looking to strike it rich.

Kobort and Turuko are still staying at the inn and express their condolences for the loss of your friend; they also renew their offer to accompany your party. A swarthy looking man armed with a long sword introduces himself as Zert, and asks where and how your party found the brigands lair. His eyes widen at your tale. The village farmers are eager for your tales of daring, and they buy your party several rounds of Ostler’s potent drink as you spin your story.

About the same time you are finishing your third ale, the door to the inn bursts open and four well-clad and able-bodied men stride into the common room. A quiet falls over the crowd, for these are not common peasants. One is dressed in the robes of a cleric of St. Cuthbert, a second in the cowl of a druid. The third man wears the cloak and pointy hat of a courtly wizard and the tall man leading the way wears gleaming chain armor. It is this man who steps forward and addresses you:

“Greetings, friends of Hommlet! I am Rufus of Gilea, and this is my associate Burne,” he gestures to the wizardly man with the goatee. “We represent the interests of imperial Gilea here in Hommlet and have been commissioned to build an outpost here. We have heard word of your deeds, and your coming has been a great boon for this township!

“We understand that you have cleaned out a nest of brigands, and have rescued prisoners who may otherwise have perished! For this we are very grateful, and wish to extend our personal thanks as well as the hospitality of Hommlet.”

The cleric steps forward, “Well met friends! I am Terjon of the cudgel of St. Cuthbert. I am undercleric to the village curate (who is away at this time on important priestly business). I am here to see to the captives and provide what succor I can to them in their pain and misery.”

The druid introduces himself, “I am Jaroo Ashstaff, and I have already met with your companion Geffen. I have long served as a leader of the Old Faith for the people of Hommlet, and your help with the bandits around the area has been a boon to us all. If I can offer any of you healing, it would be my honor to do so!”

The captives are quickly brought forward and Jaroo and Terjon heal the entire group of pain and misery. After that Burne, Rufus, and the others listen to your tale. They are disturbed to learn that there is a new evil lurking in the ruins of the outpost, and they ask that your party stop by their keep on the way out of town, if you plan on making an additional expedition to the place!

Terjon, Jaroo, Rufus, and Burne all leave and eventually your party is too tired (or drunk!) to stay awake. Ostler shows you to your usual rooms, and you sack out for the night. Before you do, however, you carefully unfold the elven cloak and try it on. By some trick of its elvish design, it shimmers in the candlelight and almost seems to blend in with its surroundings…just what a young rogue needs to keep from being discovered! Smiling, you carefully store it in your backpack until the morning.

The next day, Horg and his fellow merchants are ready to leave, being well-rested, well-fed, fully healed, and equipped by the grace of Rufus and Burne. Horg promises you that he has not forgotten his words of reward, and will send it to you with the next caravan that passes through Hommlet from Gilea…probably in the next two to three weeks. He, Togo, and Iul (the other human merchant) all thank you one last time then set out on the southern road. They wave until they are out of sight.

Counting the Cash

Your party pools the wealth it has found, and you can easily see that this adventuring certainly pays off! The five of you have accumulated more wealth then you have ever seen in your life, enough to fill a small chest to a weight of well over sixty pounds, even taking out the worthless “shiny baubles” the ogre had accumulated. After careful counting, you inventory the total take at 899 copper pieces, 964 silver pieces, a whopping 1145 gold pieces, and 18 pieces of platinum. This is the amount remaining AFTER paying Ostler your enormous tavern bill!

In addition, you found three small zircon gemstones with Spugnoir. In speaking with Melubb the money changer he tells you he will give you 520 gold pieces for all four gems you carry (including the large peridot) and 32 gold coins for the golden ring you wear. Another eleven pounds of gold for a few small baubles seems well worth the trade to you! You tell Melubb that you’ll think it over.

You took the liberty of pocketing Spugnoir’s scroll of protection from undead, and have re-supplied your quiver with a full 30 crossbow bolts.

You think about buying an extra pony (or mule!) to carry your treasure, but for the time being, Ostler agrees to hide your chest temporarily. However, he does not want to be responsible for the party’s loot, especially knowing that there are bandits in the hills! Still, you are good customers and he’ll do this while you figure out a better location.

Thus being ready, you head down the Western Road, with intention to stop by the construction site of Rufus and Burne.

Rufus and Burne

Riding down the road, you see the construction site up ahead on your right. The main keep of the castle is not yet built, but the foundations are being set and already two towers, one small and one large have been finished. From what you’ve heard, Burne and Rufus are tough and cunning adventurers who earned favor in Gilea putting down a bandit hoarde, and earned a small fortune defeating a Green Dragon in the southern reaches of the Gray Hills. They are part of Hommlet’s Council of Elders and know all the important people of the village, but it is rumored they will lend aid to adventurers for the right price.

Riding up the hill and tethering your horses at the base of a long stair, you climb to the small two-story tower. It is pierced by arrow slits and two men-at-arms stand atop the battlements. The guard at the door leads you inside, obviously expecting you, and you find yourself in an audience chamber being announced for, “his most Worshipful Mage of Hommlet, Burne the Wizard.” Burne dismisses the guard with a wave as Rufus comes through the door.

“We have been granted leave to build a fortress here by the Emperor,” Rufus begins, “and while we are in debt to your efforts, we are worried about this outpost of villains being so close to Hommlet. We had thought that the old moat house was long abandoned, save by the occasional fell beast or giant spider, but the idea of armed and organized evil is extremely troubling.”

“Especially,” says Burne, “the fact that Horg states the blackguards used the symbol of the burning eye. The Golden Eye of Flame is a symbol of the old cult of Elemental Evil…the worship of the forces of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air that bring destruction and suffering to all peoples. Hurricanes, forest fires, tornados, and earthquakes all fall under the influence of that demonic cult! However, the cult was stamped out years ago, and its main temple…near Nulb…was sealed against any possibility of resurgence. If the cult was to rise again it would cause much harm to the inhabitants of this land, as it did before!”

Rufus says, “We need to know if this is the case. Bandits are one thing; evil cultists are entirely another! In years past, is took Hin Warriors from the Shirelands and Knights from Gilea to stop the evil, and relations between the two nations are not as good as they once were. If this is a revival of the cult of Elemental Evil, we need to present evidence as soon as possible so that resistance can be organized. We don’t want the cult, if revived, to get a toe-hold in the Gray Hills. Once firmly established, the cult will cost many lives and much suffering before it is rooted out. We ask, thus, that you bring us any evidence of the cult that you find.”

Burne adds, “You will of course be well rewarded for your efforts, and may even find a place of favor in our establishment, should the Emperor grant Hommlet the status of barony!”

Rufus says nothing at this but looks your party over grimly, as if estimating your worth in the venture. “Good luck to you,” he says finally, “Do not underestimate the abilities of the enemy. If it is an uprising of the cult, you will find them very strong foes. Seek aid where you will, and be careful!” Rufus turns and leaves the chamber.

Before dismissing you, Burne offers: “From the tales I’ve heard in town, I understand that your companion wizard was slain. It will be difficult to replace him since there are none of magical might in Hommlet save myself, and I am unfortunately not available for adventuring! There are too many things that draw my attention, and I am not truly free to leave them. However, I am not above providing aid to those in need. I could render service to your party in a magical capacity, but I would need to be heavily compensated for my time…perhaps one-third of any treasure that is taken from the moat house? It would go a long way to help in establishing suitable governance here in Hommlet.”

Onwards, Young Companions!

Smiling at your acceptance of his offer, Burne rises proudly from behind the table. “Well, I must tell Rufus that I will be away for at least a few days, then. I travel light, and it will not take long for me to make ready. You may await me below with your steeds.” He gestures to a guard and your party is dismissed.

Bryant and Eldoran are frankly aghast at your proposal to give away one-third of your treasure to the mage, but they have learned to trust your lead in these matters and will continue to do so. “He should certainly make things easier,” agrees Kendra. “Besides, if things get as rough as he and Rufus think, we’ll definitely have need of a good mage!” The five of you descend the chiseled stairs to where your horses wait.

It is less than thirty minutes when you hear a neighing from above, and you see Burne, robed in blue and riding upon a splendid white mare. He bears no wizard’s staff but he is hale and hearty and descends the hillock in a rush of hooves. Your party feels less than equal in his presence, yet you have confidence that the mage will not lead you astray. As he rides forward, you see that his horse is equipped with two bulging saddlebags, and he wears a dagger by his side in addition to several pouches and scroll cases. “Lead onwards, young companions! You know the path and I will follow for I know it not. The southlands and the Plains of Gilea were my home before I settled here in Hommlet, and I have never ventured far west.” Your company sets off.

While you ride, you ask Burne if he has a map of the moat house. He shakes his head, and says, “I did not even know there was anything to it but ruins. If we had known, Rufus and I would have pulled the place down ourselves before digging the foundations of the castle!”

You show him the mysterious potion, which he takes from your hand while barely slowing his mount. He uncaps the bottle and sniffs it. “Brr – smells of ghoul! I would imagine it to be a potion of undead control…or else the bile of a carrion eater! But you won’t know for sure unless you try it. It may come in handy since our group contains not one of holy power…the young paladin excepted, of course.”

It is only a few short hours, before your party arrives on the outskirts of the moat house, and Burne reins to a halt. “Now there is a good chance that any enemies of the Evil Eye have discovered your party’s handiwork and has fortified their defenses. What is our plan of attack then…by which I mean, how are we getting in, and what will be our strategy. Again, you know more about this moat house then myself; what do you expect to find?”

Village of Hommlet - D20 Style (Part 6)

[continued from here]

Up the Hidden Stair

The party is silent with shocked grief over the death of their companion. Kendra, walking behind you, weeps openly as you grimly lead the way up the steps. At the top you find yet another door, concealed to look like stonework, but from this side the catch is readily found, and you open it quickly, and plunge through.

As the torchlight seeks the shadows, you recognize the jumbled and wrecked room where you find yourself; it is the lair of the brigands and the site of your battle with them. Through the doors opposite the secret panel you will find the ruined audience chamber, and through that is the courtyard and fresh air! You have led your companions back to the surface and it is just a few short yards to from where you stand to sunlight, the gate, and the road back to Hommlet!

Even their grief cannot mask the elation of the others as they come into the wrecked room and realize where they are. All are glad to be out, and proud at your ability to lead them. However, not all are quite so eager to leave the moat house as you are!

Kendra says, “Christoff, we should return for the prisoners now that we know the exit is so close to the lair of the ogre! Leaving them there for another servant of Darkness to find would be a terrible thing to do, and one that my patron god would not allow me to do in good conscience. It is but a short way down the steps, and there is no excuse for leaving defenseless captives to torture or worse! Surely the ogre had friends, and they will take out their anger at his death on the prisoners.

“Also, I feel strongly that we should not abandon the body of Spugnoir below. Not only is it disrespectful to leave our fallen comrade to the soup pots of any foul creatures, but I believe it would be better not to leave any evidence of our passing!”

Making Camp

By your leave, Bryant and Kendra head back into the dungeon, while you gather broken pieces of furniture to start a fire and Geffen looks to Eldoran. He is visibly agitated, but it is a couple minutes before he speaks, “Um, Christoff…there is nothing more I can do for Eldroan today, and the others could probably use my help, if only as an extra pair of hands. I’m going back down to find the others, but I’ll leave Eldoran here with you.” Before you have a chance to say anything, Geffen disappears through the hidden door! Eldoran looks at you sorrowfully but has given up trying to communicate through her wrapped jaw. She leads back against an old, moth-eaten cushion and closes her eyes.

You get the fire started and un-wrap your provisions. Only now do you realize how extremely hungry you are! You wonder how long you were in the underground without eating, but it must have been more than a day. Inside the brigand’s lair, you are not even sure of the time. The fire light is comforting to you.

It is only about thirty minutes before you hear a clattering on the stairs, and several figures stumble through the secret door. The first two are human, followed by a gnome, and Bryant comes in last. The ones you don’t recognize shirk away at the sight of you and the fire, until Bryant tells them that you are a friend, and not another brigand. Then they throw themselves at your feet and praise you for your help.

“Apparently,” says Bryant, “these folk are merchants who were waylaid by brigands some two leagues west of here…past Nulb even…but I’ll let them tell the tale. Come on Christoff, don’t be a poor host – give us something to eat!”

You grudgingly spare some food for the newly-freed prisoners. Though this was not your original plan, Eldoran and Bryant outnumber you and quickly break out some rations for the ex-captives. The taller human, who has the trademark red hair of Gilea, speaks while you eat.

“Our caravan was ambushed by brigands about three weeks ago; though it seems like a year, we kept time by scratches on the wall. We were not the only one captured, but we are the only survivors. The rest of our men were tortured, murdered, or eaten!

“I am Horg of Gilea. Our merchant caravan was coming from the city-state of Tryss on the western ocean, bringing trade goods through the Gray Hills to the plains of Gilea. Our assailants were hooded and cloaked in black, and carried the symbol of the golden eye of fire, a symbol unknown to me. We were brought here under cover of darkness and tortured and questioned, by one who calls himself Lareth ‘the Beautiful.’ In the end, we were left to rot in the ogre’s pantry and await our fates as meals for the creature!

“We thank you for our lives, and are indebted to you. If you can take us to the nearest town, where we can be outfitted for travel, we can provide you with some reward. Certainly our fortunes have not been favored of late (since all our goods were taken by the brigands), but in our homelands we still have some wealth, and I would not begrudge to spare some for our rescuers.”

At this, the gnome steps forward, and taking your hand bows low.

“I am no merchant of Gilea, and I have no wealth to offer. I am Togo Skintbiscuit, and I know that sounds a funny name to human (and half-human) ears. However, my people are seamen, and have been for many generations…a long number of years by human reckoning. The Skintbiscuit family has long been shipwrights and captains of vessels, and while I cannot offer any wealth at the next town, I do offer the gratitude of my family. This ring,” the gnome gives you a plain iron ring “will show you as a friend to my family and the gnomish race. It should be good for passage on any gnomish vessel, and you have but to give it to the master of the ship; he will see that the ring makes it back to me and my family. I daresay if you can ever brook passage to Gnomehold and the Gnomish Isles, you will find warm welcome in my house!” You note that inside the iron ring are several curious runes in the gnomish language.

Just then, Kendra and Geffen arrive, carrying between them the lifeless body of Spugnoir the wizard. They carefully lay him in a corner of the room, and cover him with his own cloak, blood-stained though it is. “We will bury him tomorrow,” says Kendra “At dawn.”

The captives have already met Kendra and Geffen, who helped to un-bar the door to their cell. They tell you that they did not bother to search the ogre’s chamber, but came right back after retrieving both Spugnoir and the captives. Bryant carefully sets spikes of iron in both doors, as the rest of the party settles down to their meal and to discuss the next day. Kendra feels that it is the party’s responsibility to take the captives back to Hommlet. Bryant likes the idea, if only to collect a reward from the merchants. Eldoran and Geffen say nothing, but go to sleep exhausted from their wounds and exertions.

Return to the Ogre’s Lair

You awaken the next morning to cool, fresh air and the far-off chirping of birds; someone woke before you and flung open the doors to the room. You find Eldoran and Bryant tending the fire and sizzling bacon. “Kendra and Geffen are burying Spugnoir. Horg and the others are bearing witness.” Soon enough the other party members return and you outline your plan:

..."Well, before we do anything, we're going to search the Ogre's lair. And thank you, Skintbiscuit, for the ring. I shall hold it near to me at all times. After searching the Ogre's lair, we will take you all to Hommlet to recover from your ordeal. While there, perhaps we shall run into a more useful spell caster, perhaps not. After that, I say we head for the Plains of Gilea ( or whatever that place was called ) where these people were captured, this may get us closer to the source of the problem..."

“Actually, sir,” says Horg “we were captured yet a few miles north and west of here…I would judge about five miles north of the town of Nulb. We were still in the Gray Hills, making for Gilea (the land south of the Hills) and I’m sure that no bandits would trouble us in the plains…not with the Knight Protectors of Gilea still riding the grasslands!

“The brigands and their superiors spoke specifically of the fact that they did not want to alert the nearby townships (Hommlet and Nulb) to their presence…that is why our caravan was ambushed so far from their actual headquarters, or so I gather. Your enemy is here, in this outpost, and they are many strong. Your party was lucky not to encounter more in the complex below!”

Horg’s words trouble you, but you are still decided on descending to the ogre’s chamber before leaving the moathouse. Geffen and Kendra take their time healing the various members of the party, and then you make ready for your reconnaissance. Bryant instructs the prisoners in the spiking of the door and not to open it unless the proper code be knocked by a party member (two sharp raps followed by three). And then you begin again.

It takes only a few minutes to descend to the landing between stairs and open the secret door to the ogre’s chamber. Eldoran volunteers to stand watch at the entrance while the rest of you search the chamber. Amazingly, it appears that no one has yet investigated the slaying of Lubash. You wonder how many actually inhabit the moat house; perhaps Horg was exaggerating.

The once barred door of the ogre’s pantry is now thrown open, and you find nothing in it but the stench of decay and quickly exit. Bryant finds a large purse inside Lubash’s skin cloak and it jingles with the sound of happy coins. Poking through the rags and skins that make up the ogre’s bed, you find a cloak of obvious elvish origin (obvious to your eyes anyway…you remember an uncle who possessed such an item of his people) and it appears to be in good repair. You take this for your own, easily stuffing it into your pack.

Kendra on the other hand has found a small chest containing a mass of articles including candlesticks, trinkets, glass beads, and many coins of various metals. She and Geffen easily left it between the two of them and carry it near the secret entrance. Meanwhile you open the other door (after carefully listening and hearing nothing) which moves silently on greased hinged. Beyond is a 20 foot square antechamber littered with useless rubble…there is also another door. But you ignore it for the surface.