Colostle Season 2, Episode 4: An Investigator's Interlude

 Hi!

Here's the mini campaign that I played over a couple of sessions that covers the investigation of Greem Garnell into the reason for all the unexpected Rook activity in the area around Beacon Bay!

I used Tricube Tales, a freely available mini RPG that I found. Its super simple and I added some extra elements using my Rory's Story Cube collection.

The Scenario

Greem has decided to investigate the reason for the Rooks menacing the town and the strange dreams that afflict the inhabitants. The morning after the Golem Adventurer sets sail, Greem is summoned to the Silver Violin by the mayor who has received an unsettling note accusing him of murdering his old business partner in the dead man's own hand.

There are 12 locations around the town to investigate and clues to be found at each scene which will hopefully identify who or indeed what is causing the mayhem.

The Locations 

The Silver Violin Tavern

Abandoned Smythe Warehouse

Main Gatehouse

Rookery Island

The Mayor's Residence

Fisher Row

The Beacon

The Fish Market

Temple of Lumenor

Corn Gate

The Hunters Guild

Each location can be investigated by choice or the character may find themselves travelling there by circumstance as the investigation develops. 

Greem Garnell

Greem is equipped with a knife and carries a spyglass, tub of grease and pack of salt, being a superstitious sort (I rolled up his equipment using Cairn, another freely available RPG that I have found. The items may come in useful or not but add a bit of interest to the character!)

The Game

Scene 1, The Silver Violin Tavern. 

The Silver Violin Tavern

I arrive at the tavern mid morning and find the mayor slumped at the table, a note clutched in his trembling hand. As I approach he looks up and beckons me to join him. It appears that the note was found pinned to Beatrice the Gravediggers door at sunrise and she had immediately brought it to him.

Orthrax Smythe, Mayor

I ask if it is a genuine signature and the mayor shakily nods that it is but before we can discuss the note further, there is a commotion at the door and the unkempt form of Beatrice the Gravedigger rushes in, leading a pair of guards. She shrilly accuses the Mayor of murder and despite my protestations, the guards bundle the mayor away to the Rookery, a fortified island that lies in the harbour. 

Beatrice the Gravedigger

Handily during the altercation, I am able to pocket the note and order a coffee from the barkeep and sit to peruse it's contents. It is short and to the point and accuses the mayor of leaving his partner to die in the Scrapyard to the north and is signed by the man himself (CLUE!).

As the fussy barkeep bemoans the upset that the arrest has caused to the reputation of his tavern, I decide to ask if he's heard of any strange occurrences in the town and he says that the first people to have the dream of the Rook that spells doom to the town lived near the Mayors warehouse down by the dock (CLUE!).

Finishing my coffee and telling the man to put it on the Mayors tab, I saunter out and head towards the Smythe Warehouse, followed by cursing from the affronted barkeep.

Scene 2 The Abandoned Smythe Warehouse

The Abandoned Smythe Warehouse

As Beacon Bay isn't a large settlement it doesn't take long before I find myself standing outside the padlocked door of the Smythe Warehouse. Realising I am going to have to resort to a bit of breaking and entering, I settle in a secluded spot to await nightfall. As the shadows lengthen, I continue my watch but the street remains quiet and nobody approaches the building. 

Eventually evening arrives and I make my move. I give the lock an experimental shake but it doesn't move and appears to have rusted solid. Reaching into my pocket, retrieve a small tub of grease and a bent nail and begin attempting to pick the lock but to no avail. Cursing I walk a circuit of the building as unobtrusively as possible and eventually spot a small window high on one wall at the rear and with a bit of scrabbling manage to squeeze through the opening.

One inside I begin carefully looking around, wary that there may be something lurking in the gloom. My fears are assuaged when it appears to be empty of anything but dust. Something on the floor catches my eye and as I move closer I realise I am looking at a runic mark and due to a misspent youth, recognise the array as something that will both attract Rooks and bring misfortune on the recipient of the cursed script. As I look on it begins to glow a faint blue (CLUE!).

Cursing I realise that while the mayor is safely ensconced in the Rookery, his wife is still in their residence and whoever created this array means to do harm to the mayor or his family. I spring up to the window and eel my way through but my spyglass falls from my pocket and lands with a clatter on the inside of the building. Fuming, I take to my heels as I need to get to the mayors house as quickly as possible to avert whatever ills the villain has in store.

The Mayors Residence

 The Mayors house is at the other end of the settlement and I run the entire way, lungs burning at the effort but I soon reach the house. It is brightly lit and there doesn't appear to be anything amiss but I hammer on the door none the less. A frightened maid opens the door and when I ask to speak to her mistress, she informs me that the lady of the house had left a mere 15 minutes ago to visit a friend in Fisher Row.

Fisher Row

Once again I take to my heels and am soon at the wharf that marks the famous Fisher Row, the residences of the Five Fisher Families of Beacon Bay. I slow down as I approach, my ears pricked for any signs of danger and I pause as I hear a heavy tread moving in my direction. Slipping into a shadowy alley just in time, I see a large man emerge from the gloom carrying a faintly struggling figure over his shoulder. 

Not sure what is going on but leery of the scene, I draw my dagger and approach the figure. Suddenly the man spins and sees me. Without waiting for me he hefts the figure on his shoulder off and hurls it into the briny water of the harbour.

I swing my knife at the man as he lurches past but think I've missed and fling myself into the water after the bundle. The water is shockingly cold and dark and for a moment I fear I won't find what I am looking for but my hand locks on the collar of the figure that the stranger had tried to kill.

I strike for the surface and begin dragging the unmoving form to the dock and judging by the noise and lighted lanterns, my struggle has drawn the attention of the inhabitants. As I approach the wharf, strong hands reach down and aid me in pulling the figure up onto the dock. It is the Mayors wife and while pale, she does appear to be breathing and as the fishermen gather to ask what is going on, a strident call stills them.

Drevell Crumwaller

It is Drevell Crumwaller, the Matriarch of the Crumwaller Clan and a force to reckon with. She demands to know what is going on so I quickly tell her what has occurred and she calls for her folks to take the woman inside and put her to bed and bring me a brandy. The mayors wife is unconscious but will live and I must continue my investigation.

Looking around I see a trail of blood leading away from the scene (CLUE!). My blade must have caught the assailant after all and I cautiously follow. 

The trail leads to the Temple of Lumenor on the Eastern edge of town and skirts the main building and heads towards the High Priests dwelling which is built up against the outer wall of the settlement.

The Temple of Lumenor

As I approach, I can see the door is lying wide open and I cautiously enter, knife ready to fend off an attack but the place seems to be abandoned. Could the High Priest of Lumenor be somehow involved with the case and if so why? I continue my search and other than some interesting documents which reveal that the priest is skimming from the temples finances, I don't find anything suspicious until I reach the rear of the property. Hidden behind a wardrobe that has been pulled aside, I see a passageway leading through the outer wall and out into the darkened Roomland beyond. (CLUE!)

Fully aware that travelling the Roomlands at night in search of a desperate fugitive is not a good idea, I make myself as comfortable as possible and wait out the night observing the hole in the wall.

Scene 3 The Temple of Lumenor

My vigil is in vain as nobody has attempted to re-enter through the secret passageway and I stiffly shuffle out of the priests quarters only to bump into a sleepy looking deacon who boggles at me as I tell him to go and get the watch as the walls have been breached.

He takes to his heels, sandals slapping on the paving and soon the watch arrives and I explain everything that has occurred in the last twenty four hours. Initially skeptical they change their minds when I show them the passageway and a guard is immediately posted whilst the remaining troops go to look outside the walls for any sign of shady deeds. 

The sergeant in charge, eyes me suspiciously and we both jump as a cry from outside breaks the silence. The search party has found a body. It is the High Priest and he is lying in the field outside town with an arrow in his neck and is very dead (CLUE!).

Melnax, High Priest of Lumenor

Cursing, the sergeant orders his men to secure the body and prepares to march me off to the Rookery for some questioning. Sighing but putting up with his in my opinion, block headedness, I agree to go with him but ask that he speak to the Crumwaller's on the way as they will prove the outlandish story I'm telling is true.

Somewhat begrudgingly, the man agrees and we parade through town back to Fisher Row with a small crowd of onlookers openly ogling the party as we go. Matriarch Crumwaller is less than impressed to be woken at the crack of dawn by a bunch of louts but does substantiate my story and the guard releases me before setting off to report to their captain.

Turning to me Mrs Crumwaller suggests I should go home and change as I look and smell like a bilge rat but informs me that the mayors wife has slept throughout the night and will be able to talk later today. Bowing grandly to the woman, I head back to my quarters to bathe, have a bit of a nap and change into something that doesn't smell so bad.

Scene 4 Fisher Row

A few hours later refreshed by a bath and nap and several cups of black coffee, I return and prepare to interview the Mayors wife about the events of yesterday evening. Escorted by the somewhat disapproving Mrs Crumwaller, I greet the Mayor's wife, Wenlan. She is pale and propped up in bed but smiles wanly as I sit and proceeds to tell her story.

Wenlan Smythe

The previous evening she had been sent a note, purportedly from Drevill Crumwaller inviting her to tea and she had set off, despite the unusual manner of the invite as Drevill would usually come herself with any invitation. She states as she approached Fisher Row, someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an alley before a pungent smelling rag was forced over her mouth and nose and the next thing she knew she was waking up in the Crumwaller house.

Mrs Crumwaller pointedly states that she sent no message but is relieved that her friend is safe and the pair thank me for my actions of the previous evening. I wave away the praise with a slight flush and continue the interview.

I ask her if there is any bad blood between her husband and the high priest and she shudders, stating that her husband had been threatened by the man but she doesn't know why and that she never liked Melnax as he was a cold and unpleasant sort (CLUE!)

She then says that her husband kept a journal in his office at their residence and while she is still too feeble to accompany me, she writes a note to her butler instructing him to provide me with access and aid in my investigation. 

I rise to my feet, thank Wenlan with a kiss to the back of her hand and florid bow, much to the disapproval of the Crumwaller matriarch who tuts and ushers me out into the street and I set off to the Mayors house to continue my investigation.

Scene 5 The Mayors Residence

I arrive outside the Mayors residence and find the place locked and dark. I knock on the door but there is no response and I try hammering on the door but it remains firmly locked. Sighing, I break out my lockpicks and set to work on the door. Fortunately it is no match for my skills and I open the door with a flourish before freezing as a grizzly discovery is revealed inside.

The mayors butler lies dead next to the doorway and has obviously been stabbed repeatedly. He appears to have been dead for several hours and I swear quietly before drawing my knife and edging into the darkened building. Skirting the corpse, I make my way through the house methodically checking each room before moving on until I reach the mayors office. It has been thoroughly ransacked and as I look through the chaos, I see a burned scrap lying in the fireplace. 

It appears to be the charred remains of the mayors journal and I manage to fish it out of the ashes and although it is badly burned, there is just enough for me to find that the mayor was searching the town covertly in search of some form of treasure but the rest of the entry is gone. (CLUE!)

Fuming that once again I am too late to find out more, I move onto the master bedroom and as I enter I hear a stifled sob coming from a wardrobe. I freeze and tighten my grip on my knife before edging over the the wardrobe and hauling it open. Inside lies the maid who had answered the door yesterday. She appears uninjured but is clearly terrified.

Shakily she explains that she was upstairs when she heard a commotion downstairs and arrived at the top of the stairs just in time to see a man stabbing the butler.

Realising she was trapped, she hid in the wardrobe and over the next few hours heard the man wrecking the mayors study before he left the house, locking the door behind him. She recognises the man as being an artisan who visited the mayor several weeks before but doesn't know his name but gives me a description of a stocky man with dark skin and a shaved and scarred head. (CLUE!)

I escort the girl out of the building, shielding her from the sight of the dead butler and re-lock the door behind me before escorting her to her mistress on Fisher Row before setting off to the Rookery to report the murder and seek an interview with the Mayor to try and finally get some answers.

Scene 6 The Rookery

The Rookery is a fortification that lies just outside the harbour and is intended to defend the settlement from attack and plays host to a garrison of troops from Bannervale who are charged with the towns protection and as I am rowed across the strait by a loquacious ferryman, I ponder on the whereabouts of the killer as although I now have a description of the man who killed the butler and ransacked the mayors study, is he also the one who is responsible for the slaying of the high priest, Melnax? It seems unlikely as he couldn't have left the settlement via the secret passage in the temple grounds and re-entered as the town gates are sealed during the night. 

I am torn from my thoughts by the guards shouting a challenge and nimbly leap to the jetty as they approach. I tell them my tale and am escorted to the captains quarters. 

Captain Sunderman

Captain Sunderman is unimpressed by my story but calls for his sergeant to dispatch men to the Mayors house to secure the scene and move the body to the temple. He also instructs his men to check with the main gate to see who has left or entered the town durning the last twenty four hours and if anyone matching the description of the scarred and shaven artisan has been seen.

Rubbing the bridge of a nose that has obviously been broken and set squint at some point in the past, Sunderman glares at me and says he has repeatedly interviewed the mayor and he claims to know nothing but suspects he is hiding something and agrees to allow me to speak to the man on the proviso that anything I learn will be shared with him, especially if it involves the safety of Beacon Bay or Bannervale.

I am led to a small cell that sits high in the tower of the Rookery where I see the mayor sitting dejectedly on his cot, his head in his hands. He stirs when the door is opened and looks up as I enter, a spark of hope in his eye which promptly dulls when I tell him of the attempt on his wives life the previous evening and the murder of his butler.

The news seems to crush the man and he takes a deep breath before telling me the truth of him and his partners falling out. The pair had spent many years together searching the scrapyard to the north in search of salvage to aid the town and had eventually found an unusual core in the husk of an ancient Rook. The mayors partner, Archibald Tolman had become obsessed with the core as he believed it could unlock the possibilities of creating tame Rooks and the pair had amassed a cache of cores that they stored in the Smythe warehouse but Tolman's increasing obsession concerned the mayor as he felt the man was taking too many risks out in the scrapyard and demanded he see sense and stop what he was doing.

Tolman cursed him for a fool and left the settlement the next day, claiming that he was going to the scrapyard to find a suitable workshop to continue his research. The mayor visited the warehouse the same day and discovered that it had been emptied of the cores and all of Tolman's research notes.

The mayor says that some weeks later the gravedigger, Beatrice had found Tolman's effects and a large pool of blood on the northern road and had raised the alarm and everyone assumed that the man had run into a Rook or bandits out of the safety of the town and met his end somewhere in the scrap.

Realising that if bandits were involved, the town could be in danger, the mayor had began a covert search of all the places he could think that Tolman could have hidden the cores within the walls but had come up empty. Somehow the High Priest had become aware of his search and in an unpleasant exchange had made some not so veiled threats to the mayor that if the cores weren't handed to the temple, dire consequences would follow.

Arwel the Artisan

Around this time, he was approached by a man called Arwel, an artisan who had settled in the town in the months following Tolman's disappearance. The man had asked for work but the mayor claims the man had a dangerous look to him and had turned him down. The next day the letter from the dead man had been delivered to him by the Gravedigger who claimed she had found it pinned to her door. (CLUE!)

He claims that on more than one occasion he had seen the man in the company of the High Priest and had been suspicious of his sudden interest in working in the mayors household.

I leave the cell, reassured that the mayor doesn't seem involved with the murders I tell him that his wife is safe with the Crumwaller's and return to Captain Sunderman's office to report my findings. 

He is concerned that there seems to be at least circumstantial evidence that there are bandits operating in the town and announces that he will be ordering his troops to be on the lookout for Arwel and will be conducting a thorough search for the missing cores.

As he informs me this, there is a knock on the door and his sergeant enters to inform him that nobody has left the settlement since yesterday when the Hunters Guild expedition left via boat to hunt down the Rook menace.

Nodding his thanks he dismisses the sergeant and turns to me with a grim look. He thanks me for the work I've done thus far and says that he will be collecting the Mayors wife and maid from the Crumwaller's and moving them to the safety of the Rookery until the perpetrators are caught. Realising that the meeting is ended, I take my leave and catch the ferry back to the docks of Beacon Bay.

Scene 7 The Corn Gate

The Corn Gate

I find myself wandering through the town. The inhabitants are still busy about their tasks but it is obvious they have been unsettled by the events of the last few days and I end up stood atop the parapet of the Corn Gate, the fortified gatehouse that leads from the Temple of Lumenor out to the fields beyond the town where the High Priest met his end.

I know the man was somehow involved with the bandits but why did they kill him? With this thought in mind, I decide to talk to the remaining priests to see if any of them can shed any light upon the man and why he would ally himself with bandits.

I nod to the guard outside the building and make my way inside and catch the eye of the deacon I had met the previous day, he approaches and asks if the killer has been found yet and I say no but we do have a suspect. He seems relieved and I casually ask him about Melnax. 

The deacon says that Melnax was always a cold and aloof man who seemed to be more interested in the power of his office than any holy duties or piousness but pauses and apologises for speaking so ill of the dead but I motion for him to continue and he reveals that the last time he spoke to the man, he had found a small badge in the mud outside the Corn Gate when he was bringing the temples flock of sheep in for the evening from their grazing. The badge portrayed a black tower and I freeze at his words and ask if he still has it. (CLUE!)

Shaking his head he says that he had taken it to the High Priest to show him it but the man had snatched it off him and cursed him for disturbing him with trinkets he had found before ordering him to leave him in peace.

Having spoken to the Golem adventurer EM-RY5 of his encounter with the Order of the Black Tower I realise it isn't just bandits I am dealing with but something much more dangerous and decide that I need to go and speak to the Gravedigger Beatrice to see if she has any further information.

Scene 8 The Main Gate

The Main Gate

Beatrice the Gravedigger lives in a small shack outside the towns walls, claiming that she is cursed and doesn't want to share her misfortune with the inhabitants of Beacon Bay so I make my way to the main gate and inform the guard of my intentions and grudgingly they open a small portico that will allow me to exit the town but warn me to be on my guard as they cannot guarantee my safety outside the town.

I nod my agreement and move off at a brisk pace along the cliffs to the west as the guards watch on from the rampart. 

The Gravediggers Shack

The shack is a few minutes walk from the town gates and stands in a copse of trees next to the roadside but as I approach I hear a commotion. I kick the door in but the window suddenly explodes out and a figure leaps out and runs towards the trees.

I spare a glance at the interior of the shack and see Beatrice the Gravedigger is dead, a dagger still stuck in her chest before I turn and take off after the fleeing man.

I chase him further into the woods that skirt the north road until we burst into a clearing which seems to have been a camp and I see a cog bike as the man leaps for it. In my desperation to catch the killer, I fling my knife and it flies true, catching the man in the lower back, he staggers and falls and as I catch up he rolls onto his side and I see it is Arwel. I have caught the killer but he is clearly dying as blood seeps from the wound and as I try to staunch it, he groans, shudders and lies still.

Sighing, I retrieve my knife and stand up. Looking around I feel decidedly uneasy as I am aware that the man couldn't have been working alone. I hear a commotion approaching through the wood behind me and lift my dagger, prepared to fight when I see reinforcements have arrived in the form of members of the watch from Beacon Bay. Sagging with relief I discover that the sergeant who had been in charge of the gate had watched my departure and then seen the man bolting from the shack and had ordered a patrol to head out with all haste to follow.

We search the camp as well as the corpse of Arwel but discover nothing of note before transporting both him and his effects back to the town. We stop on the way to look in at the gravediggers shack. Beatrice is indeed dead so we head back to the main gate to find the captain waiting for me.

Conclusion

Sitting with the mayor in the captains office in the Rookery, we discuss my findings. It appears that the there were two different killers at work, both seeming to be working towards discovering the whereabouts of the missing Rook core. I do not know if they were working in concert or against each other but it is clear that they had enrolled both Melnax the high priest and Beatrice the Gravedigger into the conspiracy and somehow the Order of the Black Tower is involved.

I surmise that Beatrice must have discovered the missing and almost certainly deceased Tolman and managed to find out something of the Core but not its location and she had produced the note that had set the whole case going to ensure the mayor was out of the way so her companion or companions had free rein to search the town. However I don't believe they found it as my investigation had interrupted their efforts. 

One of them must have been skilled with magic as the Sigil I discovered that had afflicted the town proved to be quite potent but I am not sure who it was but suspect Melnax to be responsible and he was killed when his usefulness was over and tried to flee.

The archer who ended his life is still at large as we didn't discover a bow in the camp so at least one of the assailants is still at large but I am more confused as to why Beatrice the Gravedigger was killed as she had obviously been working for the enemy for some time and I suddenly leap to my feet as I realise something.

Captain Sunderman merely raises an eyebrow at my antics but the Mayor seems startled by my sudden agitation and I say I'll explain everything as soon as we get to the Gravediggers hut and we must get there quickly and will need some guards to help.

The expedition sets out immediately and within half an hour we stand outside the sorry shack of the departed Beatrice. Excitedly I explain that Beatrice didn't just find the missing Tolman, she looted his corpse, possibly realising what he had was incredibly valuable and had been playing off the bandits with clues and hints but never revealing that she was in possession of the Core the entire time. 

Remember she told everyone she was cursed? The Core has obviously had some sort of effect on the woman which means she kept it close to her but hidden from view so while Captian Sunderman orders his troops to form a perimeter, in case of unwanted company, the Mayor and myself begin to search the shack.

The process is not particularly pleasant as Beatrice was not a particularly cleanly woman and the shack is dismal and rather unkempt but eventually we discover what we are looking for under the floorboards beneath the woman's bed. It is a Rook core but deep purple and it glows dimly. The Mayor gasps and says this is the core his partner Tolman had discovered and reaches to pick it up. I seize his hand just in time and point out that anyone who touched the thing was cursed and is now dead so we retreat and pick up a spade that was lying outside and use it to lift the object from its resting place. with care I heft it out of the shack and into a bucket.

Whatever the Core is made of, I want nothing to do with it and neither does the Mayor or Sunderman so we take it back to the Rookery and Sunderman sends for a lead lined chest to keep the thing in until a more permanent solution can be found and orders it be kept locked in the deepest dungeon of the Rookery until an expert can be sent for from Bannervale to make it safe or destroy it.

As we come to this conclusion, a shout comes from outside and we troop to the parapet to see the hunter Candlewick's ship limping back into port. It appears that the Golem EM-RY5 has had as an eventful few days as we have.

Final Thoughts

Gosh! The mini campaign played out over two sessions but typing it up and creating the artwork was a lot more work and has taken me ages to get finished but I've really enjoyed playing a different sort of a game than usual as my investigator Greem seems to have spent his time quite enjoyably and I didn't know how things were going to play out until literally the last roll of the dice!

Now EM-RY5 and Greem have new leads to follow as they have to track the bandits into the mysterious depths of the Crackway, the Scrapyard has to be traversed again to clear the way for travellers again and get aid in dealing with the mysterious Rook Core. There's also the prospect of investigating the next roomland and finding out the motivations of the Order of the Black Tower and EM-RY5 needs to continue his quest to find a way to protect his hometown from Rook attacks!

I suspect that my adventures are going to keep me entertained for some time to come and I still need to write up the five days of my Golems Campaign Log to reveal what he found out in the sea with the aged hunter Captain Candlewick. Hopefully I'll get the chance to post that up at some point in the not too distant future but in the meantime, All the best!

Colostle Season 2 Part 3: The Journey to Beacon Bay

 Hi!

Here's the next instalment of my Colostle Campaign!

Campaign Log Day 11

Following the encounter in the scrapyard, EM-RY5 sets off towards the settlement of Beacon Bay (I rolled it up randomly using Table Fables!) steadily descending the massive staircase but always on guard as there are more and more tracks of the bandits and rooks he's been tracking for over a week. The cluttered junk piles are obviously slowing them down which is possibly why the mysterious Dryad and member of the Order of the Black Tower set an ambush the previous day.

The Scrapyard on the Stairs

As he ponders on this, his new companion, the small floating Rookling he has nicknamed Bronwyn comes to a stop and begins worriedly chirping at him. Suddenly two Rooks burst from cover in the junk and lumber towards our hero.

The Pugilist 1

The first is a medium Rook and while it doesn't appear to have any magical attack focus, it is armed with a pair of massive crushing fists which it has raised and ready to attack. 

The Scrap Crusher

Its companion is massive and has a pair of what appear to be battering rams for arms. The ground shakes as the pair move but fortunately for EM-RY5 the cluttered terrain means only one can attack at a time and the medium Rook rushes to engage him.

The Rooks fist swings in an arc aimed at his head but EM-RYS is prepared and dodges the blow with ease and swings his own mace down on the extended limb. The weapon connects with a thunderous boom and smashes the arm off. While the Rook stumbles, off balance with the loss of a limb, EM-RY5 steps forward and rains blow after blow down on it and crushing it's core.

Before he can even catch a breath, the second massive Rook smashes the ruined Rook out of the way with a massive fist and is upon him. Fortunately the husk of the defeated Rook has slowed it's charge and EM-RY5 is able to dodge in and smash his mace into the massive machines knee. The Rook stumbles but keeps attacking and the melee swirls on with the Rook trying to smash the hero into the ground but EM-RY5 dodging each blow but unable to get close enough to strike back.

The ground suddenly gives way under the hero's feet and as he trips on some exposed cabling, the massive Rooks fist connects with his chest sending him flying. He lands with a crash into a nearby scrap pile and as he dazedly tries to reclaim his feet groaning as the pain blossoms in his chest. His armoured carapace has taken much of the damage but he knows he's been hurt badly. 

Bronwyn the Rookling

As he staggers out of the scrap, the massive Rook rumbles forward raising its fist to bring down on the hero and crush him to death. The fight is suddenly interrupted by a piercing shriek and a Gargoyle seizes up EM-RY5 and Bronwyn and soars up to the rafters.

The Gargoyle deposits the hero on the rafter and he has a brief sense of cool green vegetation before unconsciousness takes him.

The Rafters

Campaign Log Day 12

The next morning EM-RY5 wakes to find himself in a strange forest. The vegetation is as lush green with massive ferns, strange plants and tuberous growths while the rafter itself has a moss covered slab surface. Mist swirls thickly around and he realises he is above cloud level again. As he looks around he sees his Rookling companion bobbing nearby and as he hefts himself up, groaning in pain in the aftermath of both the beating he took at the hands of the massive Rook yesterday and having been buffeted by the Gargoyle as it carried him, Bronwyn floats over chirping happily and gently bopping his elbow.

Before exploring further, the pair are forced to seek shelter a storm blows in seemingly from nowhere. Looking up, he can see there are great sprinklers in the ceiling above and water sheets down in a torrent that lasts an hour and the hero is thoroughly soaked before it lets up. Fortunately the rain stops as quickly as it started and soon the forest is steaming as the heat of the great braziers that hang from the ceiling evaporates the rainwater.

As he begins to move along the poorly defined path on the rafter, an all too familiar shriek pierces the air and a Gargoyle swoops down and grabs EM-RY5 up in its talons but it is spooked by Bronwyn who unexpectedly unleashes an electrical charge at the stone beast and drops the hero. Unfortunately he misses the vegetation and lands with a crash on the pathway taking more damage. As he lies groaning, Bronwyn floats over and beeps sadly. EM-RY5 sighs and pats the Rookling before hauling himself gingerly to his feet. Not only is he somewhat winded by the fall he's also singed by the Rookling's electrical help.

It appears that the Gargoyle had a reason for picking him up though as he sees a rickety pipe that appears to lead down and back to the surface. The thing is a rusty looking deathtrap but EM-RY5 is badly in need of rest and the town he's headed towards is only a days walk once he gets back to ground level so grumbling, he begins the long descent, muttering about blasted Gargoyles and helpful Rooklings. Bronwyn floats after him tooting and chirping in agreement.

Campaign Log Day 13

Emerging from the rusty pipe back in the scrapyard staircase, EM-RY5 peers out from concealment. There doesn't seem to be any sign of the massive Rook he fought yesterday, something he is profoundly glad about as he is in no state to do battle with the beast he has nicknamed the Scrap Crusher and cautiously sets out down the stairs.

The terrain is still broken with large pieces of broken machinery and a river flows down in cascading waterfalls beside the switchback path he follows and more and more trees seem to be growing along its banks, their long frond like branches sweeping down into the water.

The settlement is only a days travel and EM-RY5 is beginning to feel a bit more confident as there has been no sign of the Scrap Crusher as the twisting pathway is far too narrow for the great creature to follow him. Somewhat worryingly there are no signs of the bandits he'd been following either but he reasons that he may have bypassed them via his unexpected journey to the rafters. Briefly he considers setting up an ambush for them as it would be rather poetic for the ambushers to become the ambushees but he's too badly damaged to face a battle so gamely limps on until he reaches a bridge that marks the end of the scrapyard.

Infuriatingly a medium Rook is ensconced in front of it and doesn't look like it's planning on going anywhere so with a sigh, EM-RY5 limps forward to fight it.

The Pugilist 2

The Rook appears to be a carbon copy of the medium Rook that had accompanied the Scrap Crusher in the skirmish in the scrapyard two days before. It appears to be waiting patiently for something or someone but as it sees me it lumbers forward fists raised.

All the distractions, delays, hurt and diversions of the previous few days boils up in the hero's chest and he bellows a warcry and rushes to meet the machine. Dodging under its swinging fists, he swings his mace as he charges and the head makes contact with the Rooks chest with a thunderous boom sending the Rook hurtling backwards.

As it hefts itself back to its feet, Bronwyn floats past chirping and buzzing angrily and unleashes a blinding bolt of searing lightning into the Rook sending it staggering back into the ground where it lies unmoving.

Cautiously, a flabbergasted EM-RY5 pats the small Rookling on the head before approaching the fallen Rook. The husk contains enough components for the hero to trade in the settlement ahead for parts to repair his badly damaged casing and he staggers on towards the settlement.

Within an hour he approaches the settlement but where he had been expecting a small fishing village, he sees a thriving town that sits on the shore of a sea. The town is built out onto the water atop a number of stone columns and the guards who stand watch rush to meet EM-RY5 as he approaches.

Beacon Bay

 Campaign Log Day 14 

Following a brief meeting with the towns mayor, EM-RY5 had been bundled off to the inn for a rest and repair. The Inn is well kept and called the Silver Violin and as he emerges into the main room the next morning he is met by a worried Mayor who tells him that he is the first traveller they have seen in almost a week due to the sudden appearance of multiple aggressive Rooks in the scrapyard between Beacon Bay and Bannervale. Seeing his battered state on the previous evening, EM-RY5 had shocked the inhabitants but his tale of fighting his way through the scrapyard has reassured them that aid has arrived.

The mayor explains that even before the Rooks in the scrapyard had begun acting up, the towns inhabitants had been having vivid dreams of a great Rook appearing from the sea to destroy the town and had sent to the Hunters Guild in Bannervale for help but the road had since been cut off and they had believed they'd been left to their fate.

When asked about bandits or mysterious Dryads, he states that nobody matching the description had been through the town so they must still be in the scrapyard outside town and worries that their activity may have got the Rooks riled up.

Having been badly mauled over the previous few days, EM-RY5 retreats to his room to rest and ponder on what has caused the Rooks to cut the town off so completely and what he can do about the issue. It is clear that he needs to go into the town to search for rumours and deal with the threat but he still needs to complete repairs on his badly damaged armour so puts off exploring until tomorrow.

Campaign Log Day 15 

The next morning EM-RY5 explores Beacon Bay in search of rumours that will guide him to both the Hunters Guild job he has and the quest that brought him to Balconia in the first place. The town contains an inn, merchants and Rook creche as well as a gourmet district that specialises in sea food but other than hearing variations on the same story, that everyone has dreamed of the same Rook and the town has not had any strangers or travellers visit within the last week or so, he finds out nothing.

Sighing, he heads to the local Hunters Guild. The guildhouse is ramshackle and the man behind the counter is ancient with mahogany skin and a profusion of scars and tattoos visible. Despite his age he clomps round the counter revealing he has a wooden leg and introduces himself as Captain Candlewick while shaking the hero's hand in a crushing grip and announces that he intends to head out to sea tomorrow to do battle with the Rook and suggests EM-RY5 can tag  along to give a hand. 

He further explains that the danger is a Rook that inhabits the deeps further out to sea, towards the doorway to the neighbouring Roomland and something has got it all riled up and its up to him and EM-RY5 as Hunters to deal with it before it threatens the town. 

Candlewicks boat, the Victory

Planning to meet at the wharf the next morning, EM-RY5 bids the crotchety old coot a good night and heads back to the tavern. As he sits in the tavern that evening, a small wiry man approaches. He has a large hat and red lensed spectacles and introduces himself as Greem Garnell, Investigator. EM-RY5 notes this is quite the grand title for such an unassuming figure but Greem smiles and offers to aid his quest as the town is going to suffer if trade between Beacon Bay and Bannervale cannot be re-opened. Similarly he is extremely worried about the fact that the entire town has been so effected by dreams and something must be causing it which needs dealing with as soon as possible. Therefore he suggests sharing resources and if he finds out anything he will share any results in his investigation with the hero. 

Realising the small man is serious, EM-RY5 agrees and the two part ways, EM-RY5 to go forth to battle a mysterious Rook and Greem to begin his investigation into the cause of the bandit activity and the mystery of the towns strange visions.

Well what an eventful few days our adventurer has had and he's found some companions to aid with his quest!

Captain Candlewick is only really a means for EM-RY5 to get out to sea at the moment but I quite like the character so he may get a bit more of a roll moving forward and Greem is going to be getting his own mini adventure using Tricube Tales, a free solo RPG set that I happened across and I'll see how things go.

I've really been enjoying playing Colostle as its allowing me to make up some really fascinating stories and I've become quite attached to my Golem adventurer and was quite concerned that he was going to die at the hands of the mighty Scrap Crusher but he's pulled through and is fully repaired now and ready for the next leg of his quest which I'll update onto here as soon as I get the illustration done but in the meantime, All the best!

Colostle Season 2 Part 2: The Stairs to Bannervale

 Hi!

Here's the next five days worth of my Colostle campaign. 

Campaign Log Day 6

First thing the next morning, EM-RY5 sets off the short distance from his camp to the next cable car station. As he cautiously approaches, he sees a small figure huddling in the doorway. It is a young golem and after shrinking back in fear of his approach she is encouraged to speak after Liran, the heroes canine companion wags its tail and demands a fuss.

S1B-1L the Golem

She explains that her name is S1B-1L and she was created to be a companion to the local chiefs young daughter and the girl has ben captured by bandits and they are currently hanging around her village waiting for the chief to cough up a ransom. The bandits have also sabotaged the cable car station, tearing out several vital components.

Our hero agrees to help rescue the girl, mostly because the bandits are his foes, but also beneath the gruff exterior of weathered metal, is a good hearted being (the fact that there may be replacement components in the village to repair the cable car is also somewhat of a factor!). EM-RY5 instructs Liran to stay with S1B-1L while he goes to deal with the bandits. 

Liran the doggo

After climbing down the steep path leading to the village, the hero discerns a massive door in the wall of the roomland in which the village nestles in the shadow of and realises it is a doorway to an as yet unexplored roomland but it appears securely closed. Could this be the bandits real reason for kidnapping the chiefs daughter and if so why are they trying to get to another room?

Shrugging his shoulders and readying his mace, EM-RY5 enters the village and it appears abandoned but as he enters the village square he sees a Rook standing outside the chiefs house, obviously guarding something.

Unlike the previous encounter, this Rook is a wiry construction which wields a long copper rod which crackles with energy. 

The construct is surprisingly nimble and rushes our hero as soon as it sees him unleashing a bolt of lightning from its staff. EM-RY5 leaps out of the way but catches a glancing strike from the crackling energy. Bellowing in pain, he rushes forward swinging his heavy mace which catches the staff and sweeps it aside and before the Rook can react, he smashes it in the chest with a backhanded swing sending the construct flying back into a nearby building with a screech. 

The machine tries to lurch out of the rubble but before it can extricate itself, EM-RY5 is upon it and brings his mace down again and again on the things chest cracking and then caving in the heavy stone. The construct freezes as the glow from its eyes fades, the golem climbs down from his perch, limping as the damage he took from the initial blast makes itself felt.

The chief and the villagers appear soon after and are joyously reunited with their daughter as the hero rummages around in the rooks remains in search of parts to enact repairs on his damaged leg (I found a cortex in the salvage but instead of keeping it which would have given me a treasure, I decided that my resourceful hero would use it to repair his own fried circuitry).

Campaign Log Day 7

The the chief hears EM-RY5's story and shares his own, telling of a large group of bandits who sought access to the portal that his village lies next to. They were accompanied by several Rooks and didn't believe the chief's protestations that his people have no knowledge of how to open the door. The bandits left suddenly earlier in the morning but left the Rook to stand guard. 

Hiking back up to the cable car station, the hero, accompanied by the chief and his daughter as well as a group of villagers who carry the replacement components he needs to get the station running again sees S1B-1L and Liran running to meet the party. Overjoyed to be reunited with her friend, the two race around with Liran as work continues late into the afternoon and as evening draws in, EM-RY5 prepares to leave.

Before he departs he tells the two girls that his quest is dangerous and asks them to take care of Liran while he is away and clambers into the car as the small group of villagers wave on and wish him success.

Campaign Log Day 8

Not long after leaving the third station the next morning, EM-RY5 is suddenly jerked off his feet as a gargoyle seizes him up in its talons and soars up towards the ceiling. Furious that his quest is once again interrupted by the great stone menaces, the hero strikes at the gargoyle with his mace but it ignores him before dropping him off up in the rafters.

After some creative cursing, the hero looks about him. The rafters are shrouded in thick mist and the footing is treacherous as one false step and he will plunge back to the surface. Fortunately he seems to be on a path of some sort and follows it before a structure suddenly looms out of the mist. It appears to be an abandoned temple of some sort and EM-RY5 decides to explore it in hopes of finding a way back down to the surface that doesn't involve jumping.

The structure has obviously been abandoned for time untold, cobwebs and dust coat every surface but in the centre he finds a room bathed in pale blue light. The light seems to be emanating from a blue gemstone that pulses slowly and EM-RY5 carefully picks it up before stowing it in his pack. 

Further investigation reveals a staircase that winds round and round a massive pillar upon which the temple is built atop and sighing, EM-RY5 begins the long trek down to ground level.

When he eventually descends beneath the clouds the hero can see that he is entering a hidden valley which has a stream that burbles out from the pillars base. Following it, EM-RY5 finds himself emerging from the valley into a lightly wooded plain. Searching the surrounding landscape, he can see that a path has been trodden into the turf by massive stone feet. Could it be the bandits he's been tracking for some time now or just a random Rook? There is only one way to find out. EM-RY5 sets off into the gathering dusk to follow the trail.

Campaign Log Day 9

Emerging from the woods early the next morning, EM-RY5 begins to see signs of civilisation. As he crests a hill he sees a sprawling city that teems with life. While the tracks he has been following seems to skirt the city to the south, the hero realises that he needs to take the opportunity to visit the city and try to find answers to his many questions. 

Bannervale

While the guards at the gate look at him askance, he is allowed to enter the city and spend the day wandering its streets. It is far larger than his home of Granite Orchard but following perusing the Rookling Creche, Peering in the window of a house that is for sale and avoiding the Gourmet district, EM-RY5 happens across a dusty cartographers and spends some time speaking to the old man who sits behind the counter. While he doesn't know of the impossible tower the hero seeks, he is more than happy to pay in gold for a copy of EM-RY5's incomplete map of Lamporia.

With some coin now secured, EM-RY5 seeks out an in and as he settles in for the night at the bar, a robed figure approaches his table and sits without asking permission. He greets the golem as if he was expecting him and states he is from the Order of the White Tower, a society that seeks a way to live peacefully with the Rooks. He says he knows of his quest to find a weapon to protect his village and asks if EM-RY5 would be willing to aid him in a better way than destruction.

Mysterious Old Geezer

Somewhat grumpily, EM-RY5 states that all that matters to him is protecting his village and if it means killing Rooks, then so be it. Somewhat sadly, the elderly man takes his leave but as he rises, he pauses and tells the golem to beware the Black Tower. Somehow EM-RY5 knows he's going to meet the old coot again and he retreats to his room, mind whirling with unanswered questions. 

Campaign Log Day 10

Before leaving Bannervale, EM-RY5 visits the Hunters Guild. Maybe they've heard rumours of bandit attacks and unusual Rook Movements. The Guildmaster is unaware of the bandits but does say that he has heard from a village three days travel further downstairs whose inhabitants have all been dreaming of the same Rook. It hasn't appeared but they are desperate for a hunter to come and protect them from whatever impending doom they face. 

EM-RY5 accepts the job as maybe this mysterious Rook is the Black Tower that the old man mentioned the previous night. As he leaves the city, the hero wonders what the day will bring.

As he walks he approaches a broken landscape of massive ruined machinery, its purpose long forgotten. Obviously somehow connected with The Colossle, EM-RY5 picks his way through the scrap following what passes for the trail. The Rooks seem to have entered the scrapyard but the place is a literal maze so he plunges on.

Massive Rook - The Ogre of the Scrapyard

Suddenly a massive cog falls from above cutting off his retreat and in front of him the scrap stirs and shifts. From amongst the junk a massive rook shoulders its way free and blocks EM-RY5's path. Besides the rook a smaller figure appears, it is armoured but its wooden antlers and green hair marks it as a Dryad. 

Order of the Black Tower

The small figure gestures at EM-RY5 without saying a word and the massive Rook lumbers forward. 

As the Rook begins to move, the armoured figure raises her spear and fires a blast of green energy that crackles past the golems head before disappearing in the junk. Before he can make a move to follow, the Rook is upon EM-RY5, its club arching down and smashing the ground where the hero had been standing to rubble.

The beast then grabs a large piece of scrap in its other hand and hefts it at EM-RY5 who has to throw himself out of the way. The club swings down again but this time the hero is ready for it and nimbly scampers up the massive arm and onto its shoulder. Here he finds a reinforced wooden door that no doubt leads to the Rooks interior and without waiting for the construct to recover, EM-RY5 bashes the portal to kindling and dives in.

The Rook lumbers and shakes itself like a wet dog, trying to dislodge the golem but he hangs on grimly when a barbed spear suddenly telescopes out of the wall right next to him. Smashing the trap with a reflexive swing of his mace, EM-RY5 dives and rolls as more barbed spears emerge from walls, floors and ceiling but he somehow manages to avoid being impaled.

With a desperate twist, he avoids yet another of the Rooks automated defences and swings his mace in an arc that connects with the beasts cortex, shattering it like glass. The defences grind to a halt, mere inches from his face and the Rook stops moving. Somehow EM-RY5 has defeated the machine.

Scrambling out of the Rook, EM-RY5 surveys his surroundings. The ruined machinery has been reduced to so much scrap by the Rooks thrashings and the dark armoured figure has vanished. Who was she? How are they connected to the heroes quest? Are the Dwarven bandits their minions or a different faction entirely? Is this the Black Tower the old man warned him of or the Rook the villagers dreamed would bring destruction upon them?

As he scrambles down from the machine, his mind awhirl with unanswered questions a noise from the wreck makes him turn, weapon raised. A small Rookling floats out from the machine. It is ball shaped and doesn't appear threatening so EM-RY5 turns again, intent on getting to the village the Hunters Guild hired him to protect when something gently bumps into his elbow. Looking down, he frowns at the bobbing Rookling and sighs before gesturing for it to follow him. It makes small tooting and chirping noises before floating after him.

Whee! Things seem to be heating up a bit with the simple card based prompt system of Colostle being really engaging. Annoyingly I have realised that my mini deck of cards seems to be missing a few so I've invested in a new deck and the Colostle Roomlands expansion which hopefully will arrive soon.

Red Tribe Robot

While its not really wargaming and possibly doesn't really fit this blog, I am really enjoying the process and am wondering if it is possible to create an encounter table that would allow me to play out a similar sort of experience but set in my assorted sci-fi settings, either Inquisitor Fisher or my Rusty Robots.

Who knows! I've also been painting some cultist miniatures for my Planet 28 campaign but am once again finding myself distracted only three weeks into a new year, a year which I set myself some goals that seem to be getting forgotten about in a haze of RPG shenanigans!

I'll try and get back on track once I've got the next two sessions of Colostle out of the way which will hopefully complete the campaign, or at least get me to a point that I can take a break but it's proving to be such a compelling process that its hard to put down!

In the meantime, All the best!

Colostle Season 2 Part 1: An Unexpected Beginning

 Hi!

Whee, two posts in a single day! I managed to play the first five days of my Colostle Season 2 adventure so thought I'd post it up now!

My Character is a Golem called EM-RY5 Addercap. I rolled him up randomly using my character generator and then filled in the character sheet for Colostle.

EM-RY5 (note he's taken a bit of damage in a scrap as he should have 4 for his combat)

EM-RY5's class is The Armed, essentially giving him a grafted Rook limb to aid him in combat. He's currently armed with a heavy mace that releases a bolt of electricity when it strikes home, causing serious damage to anything he hits (rules wise, the weapon and its abilities don't actually do anything but are included to add detail to how he fights in combat).

Calling

EM-RY5 was a lowly horticultural golem before being abandoned by his master to roam the Roomlands. Fortunately he found a home amongst the hardy inhabitants of Granite Orchard, a walled settlement to the north west of the Roomland of Lamporia. 

Granite Orchard is built upon the remains of a massive Rook and has been well fortified to protect it from bandits and marauding Rooks and contains a hothouse orchard that grows remarkable fruit that provides much of the settlements income but of late marauding Rooks have been increasingly approaching the settlement and it has been under almost constant siege.

EM-RY5 has had a vision of a far off Roomland with an impossibly tall tower that contains a weapon that will ensure the safety of the settlement that welcomed him and has set off on a quest to recover it.

Because of his abandonment, EM-RY5 is impatient, quick to anger and rather grumpy but has a genuine love of the inhabitants of Granite Orchard and would quite happily die for them if it meant their continued wellbeing.

Campaign Log Day 1

EM-RY5 leaves the settlement of Granite Orchard to begin his quest, the gardeners assistant, Moss Willow tucks a flower into his hat as a good luck charm and while he grumbles about it, Moss Willow smiles and notes that he doesn't move to take it off.

Granite Orchard

No sooner does he leave the village behind than two Rooks burst out of a nearby valley. Cursing his fortunes the brave Golem hefts his mace and prepares to sell his life dearly but as the two Rooks bear down on him, weapons swinging, a Gargoyle swoops from the distant rafters and plucks up EM-RY5 in it's talons and bears him away.

Cursing and struggling, the last our hero sees is the two rooks lumbering up the valley towards his home but he cannot escape the grasp of the Gargoyle. Fortunately it doesn't carry him up into the rafters and instead deposits him in a chasm a considerable distance from his home.

Campaign Log Day 2 

The second day of his travels has EM-RY5 wake up to find himself perched on a ledge some distance from the surface. As he looks up he can see tiny figures moving around a gantry of some sort that spans the pit and they proceed to hurl a number of objects down into the hole, narrowly missing our adventurer.

Roomland of Lamporia thus far explored. 

Realising he cannot climb back to the surface, the Golem decides to continue down following a narrow and treacherous path when he sees something glittering in the gloom ahead. Approaching with care he realises it is a journal of some sort and while faded, it is still legible. Reading the scrawled text is challenging but appears to have belonged to someone from the Roomland below and it informs him that the room is called Balconia and it's inhabitants have been trying to communicate with his own Roomland of Lamponia. Initially they'd tried sending up climbers but it was too treacherous an ascent so they'd recently experimented with hot air balloons but the jagged sides of the hole had prevented any successful manoeuvres.

 

Campaign Log Day 3

Resting for the night on a narrow ledge, our hero continues to read the journal. It appears that the inhabitants below, or Balconians as they call themselves have set up a net to catch the stuff that those above throw down but have been getting raided by bandits who steal all that is recovered and are now seeking aid.

EM-RY5 eventually emerges from the ceiling and gazes down at an open grassland that stretches into the distance far below. Not being willing to take an old journals word of a net being in place to catch him, he looks about until he sees the remains of one of the balloons he read about previously caught on a nearby outcrop. With a bit of tinkering it makes a decent, if crude parachute that should get him to the ground safely.

With some trepidation, the hero launches himself out into the clouds and plummets towards his destiny. Much to his relief the parachute works and he glides down into the great net that the Balconians set up. 

When he lands he is surprised to see the surroundings seem abandoned and glancing around is shocked to discover what he had thought was a large white rock outcrop is in fact a gigantic skull. Closer observation with his spyglass reveals that an encampment seems to have been set up next to it and as he cautiously approaches, he can see it is abandoned. Could this be the bandits encampment but why is it seemingly abandoned? 

He suddenly freezes as he realises that there is a slumped form lying in the centre of the camp. It is the body of a man. As he approaches the still form the ground opens up beneath him and he is forced to fling himself backwards, barely avoiding the spike lined pit that was obviously intended to trap whoever was foolish enough to investigate the body.

Recovering, EM-RY5 scans the surrounding area and sees a path leading towards what appears to be a small settlement and cautiously follows it, wary of any further traps. Like the bandit camp, the settlement seems abandoned and while there are signs of a struggle, there is no further clues as to what happened. 

The Golems search does yield some success when he finds an old Cog Bike in a shed. It is a three wheeled vehicle made from Rook components and while it has seen better days, it appears functional. EM-RY5 mounts up and sets off at increased pace to try and catch up with the bandits and find out the fate of the villagers.

Campaign Log Day 4 

As he pelts along through the countryside on his recovered Cog Bike, EM-RY5 begins to see signs of travel, a discarded shoe here and a split sack of flour there. He increases his pace, the Cog Bikes dynamo churning furiously as he powers on until he sees a bloodstained figure lurching from a stand of trees ahead.

Only as he slows does EM-RY5 realise he's fallen into a trap! Figures burst from the undergrowth and rush the startled golem. Doubly shocking is the realisation that the armour the figures wear has an icon that matches the Rooks that have been troubling his home. Launching himself from the saddle, EM-RY5 crushes the head of the first attacker with a sweep of his mace but the rest overwhelm him and a blow renders him unconscious.

Consciousness  returns slowly and the adventurer wakes to find himself looking up at a small black dog. The dog is wearing a red collar and likes his face. Grunting and groaning, EM-RY5 pulls himself upright and the dog lets out a happy bark and wags its tail. Absently patting the dogs head, the golem looks around. Both his bike and the attackers have vanished but he now knows his enemies are here in another Roomland. Thinking to the confrontation, the masked figures were small and bearded but burly and he realises that they were in fact Dwarves.

Realising that daylight is fading and pushing on would be foolish, EM-RY5 decides to camp amongst the trees and fishes around in his pack where he finds a piece of jerky which he feeds to the dog, who happily eats it. Looking at the name tag, the golem realises the dogs name must be Liran and calls it by name and the dog perks up before sitting obediently. 

Campaign Log Day 5

The Roomland of Balconia so far...

Setting off first thing in the morning in pursuit of the Dwarves, the adventurer emerges from the treeline with Liran sniffing amongst the leaves that litter the ground. Ahead he can see a stepped valley descending into the depths as far as the eye can see. Set near the trees is a sturdy building with a large wheel emerging from the roof. The golem realises that it is a cable car station that will allow passengers to traverse the steep valley quickly.

Suddenly Liran freezes and begins to growl in the direction of the wood behind the station and the trees begin to sway as a Rook lumbers out. It is squat and heavily built and carries a large shield from which a snub nosed cannon emerges. EM-RY5 quickly calculates his position. He could dodge past the Rook and descent using the narrow switchback path he can see as the construct cannot follow him but it will delay his pursuit of the Dwarven bandits by several days, possibly allowing them to escape.

The Bombardier Rook

With a battlecry, EM-RY5 hefts his mace and charges, the small dog Liran hot on his heels. The Rook braces itself behind its shield and the cannon belches fire with a roar. The shot flies wide and before it can reload, the furious golem is upon it.

The first blow from EM-RY5's mace is caught on the machines shield but the thunderous discharge of electricity makes it stumble and the second blow connects with its shoulder and rips off the entire limb, sending it crashing down into the valley below. As the Rook stumbles past EM-RY5's third blow crushes its head and destroys its cortex. The Rook collapses to the ground.

With a victory cry, the adventurer waves his mace in the general direction of the bandits for good measure before searching the fallen Rook, Liran sniffing the fallen machine curiously. The gun arm would have come in handy but it is currently lying further down the valley so EM-RY5 shrugs and heads into the cable car station.

It appears that his foes don't have a high opinion of his skill as they have failed to disable the cable cars, obviously figuring that the Rook would deal with any pursuit and it doesn't take long for EM-RY5 to figure out the simple controls and leap into a car as it leaves the station with his small canine companion under his arm.

The trip down is peaceful as EM-RY5 looks out the window, noting the Rook's arm is stuck in a tree smouldering as they trundle past. Liran seems to find the journey hugely entertaining, spending much of the time sniffing out the window.

As evening approaches, they near the second cable car station and EM-RY5 leaps from the car with his companion before it reaches the station, mindful of the treacherous Dwarves penchant for setting traps and settles down for the night and begins to read further into the journal in search of clues...

Conclusion

Well that was an action packed start to an adventure and I'm finding myself really enjoying playing Colostle. I will need to get some more artwork put together for future posts but the storytelling and journalling nature of the game has been brilliant fun and I can't wait to see what happens next!

All the best!