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From humbug Fri Oct 15 00:32:41 1999
From: humbug
Subject: diddle daddles report thing (long)
Newsgroups: redbrick.rpg.board
Organization:
Summary:
Keywords:
User-Agent: tin/pre-1.4-19990805 ("Preacher Man") (UNIX) (FreeBSD/3.2-STABLE (i386))
Status: RO
Content-Length: 15933
Lines: 252
With a week paid up at the Orz Rd. Inn the party settle down to argue
(discuss) their options. The first problem that becomes apparent is
currency. Most of the party's assets lie in platinum, which, naturally,
the locals don't recognise as being valuable. That leaves a couple of gold
and silver pieces spread throughout the party. On the other hand, the
local gold and silver pieces are only about one quarter the size of the
party's, but individual shopkeepers are reluctant to accept the larger
gold and the associated problem of changing it into ready currency.
The innkeeper has been paid to assist the party (and to keep them
from wandering the streets on their own) and points out that carrying
weapons or wearing armour in town ist verboten. Jed and Dersh doff their
leather armour and accompany the innkeeper to the market square to gather
information. No money changers/lenders are evident, and the innkeeper says
that the party's best bet would be with the out of town traders at market
in three days time. There is a notice board in the market square, but most
of it is farming crap. The only item of interest is a weekly boat service
to Greyhawk (the capital city of this land) leaving the day before market,
or if the party wait for market day, two days after their free stay at the
Inn runs out. Jed and Dersh return to the Inn, where Greebo is getting to
grips with the local calendar, and chirping on about 'mathematics', and
Garth is muttering about the quality of the local brew.
The next morning Jed and Garth head down to the docks to make some
firm enquiries about the boat service, and return to inform the party that
it will cost one large gold piece apiece to get to Greyhawk. The party
decide on this option, and Jed returns to the docks to book passage. The
boat is to leave 'sometime' tomorrow, and Jed is advised to be at the
docks early.
Bright and early the next morning the party leave the Inn for the
docks. Not more than a couple of steps outside the Inn the party are
stopped by two cityguards for carrying weapons and wearing armour. Los
cannot, does not and will not remove his armour, so this presents a
problem. The innkeeper provides a cart, and onto it are bundled Los,
Slate's platemail, Garth's chainmail, Dersh and Jed's leather armour, Los'
two-handed sword, Slate's battleaxe, Garth's bardiche, Dersh's shortsword
and Greebo.
An hour or two have passed by the time the party arrive at dock 1, finding
it empty. Dersh enquires of a local who says that a ship did sail from
dock 1 this morning. The harbour office where Jed bought the ticket is
closed up, and it looks like that once again, the party have been defeated
by the 'successfully boarding a boat' monster.
Garth and Dersh decide to wait around at the docks for the day,
just in case, and the rest return to the Inn in the hope that the room is
still there for the taking. Dersh and Garth set about playing dice on an
upturned barrel, and the harbour dwelling locals say "Arrr, Matey" over
long-stemmed pipes.
Early afternoon a ship pulls into dock 1 and begins unloading cargo. Only
a few words here and there are learned from the sailor types unloading
cargo, but between them the fighter and the thief recognise the name of
the boat co. on the side of the ship, and Dersh hurries off to get the
rest.
In due course the rest arrive, and Garth even risks missing the
boat to run back with the cart the innkeeper kindly lent the party. A few
hours later the party are sailing northwards on the cargo boat, heading
for the town of One Ford, where a transfer to a river barge capable of
sailing upriver is to be made.
The transfer is made successfully and an uneventful journey upriver is
had. There are a few fighter types on the boat, on furlough it seems, from
maintaining the land's borders against the orcish hordes, or some
such. Dersh's attempts at conversation fail miserably, and leave the
fighters sitting to one side, eyeing suspiciously the smiling thief. Garth
doesn't do much better, and comments like "I've got an axe" leave the
party isolated for the rest of the journey.
After a total journey of about 6 days the party enter Greyhawk
City, and as is normal in such circumstances, look for an Inn. Passing
through a market square, the party eye the notices.
'Guards required for caravan to Ernst'
'Town of Erybend: Requires 'heroes' to sort out 'problem''
'Crew req'd for vessel sailing for Nyrdiv'
Garth quite likes the idea of being a hero and rumbles on about his dad,
and his adventuring days. One large gold piece proves enough for the party
to stay two days at the Rat's Nose Inn. The decision is made to go to this
town of Erybend, and preparations are made.
Greebo and Jed find a mapmakers, and only five local gold pieces
are asked for a good map to Erybend (the town is pretty much directly
south, but the map contains useful travelling notes). Greebo is
accompanied to the high quarter to try to sell Mongro's spellbook, but
returns to warn the party of an animosity towards magic in the city, and
asks not to be identified as a magic user. Dersh finds a fletcher and pays
for a set of throwing darts to be made, along with a belt/bandoleer, to be
picked up in the morning. The party use up their paid up time in the Rat's
Nose Inn, and set off for Erybend, purchasing fresh food in the market
that morning. The map is indeed of good quality, and outlines a necessary
divergence from course to avoid bandits, and also a likely ambush point.
The directions are followed, and the group set up camp on the
first night out. Garth has the last watch, but when morning comes around
the rest of the party find him snoring. No harm has been done, so nobody
really cares, but the party are disturbed to realise that someone has been
in the camp during the night. A message is scrawled in the dirt asking a
toll of 1gp to travel south. Someone decides to pay it, and the gold piece
is tossed into the dirt circle on the ground. The party continue south,
watching for two clumps of rocks indicated on the map. The boulders are
reached and skirted around. Los notices some movement and Garth calls for
"little hiding people" to show themselves, but nothing occurs. Perhaps the
toll worked. One more night is spent camped on the road, and then the
village of Erybend is reached.
A yokel with a pitchfork mans a hut at the edge of the village,
but 'admits' the party when they announce themselves as the advertised-for
heroes. The group are led to the mayor who outlines the situation. The
village is being held to ransom by a group of bandits, and outlying farms
have been burned, and people killed. The mayor knows of the highwaymen on
the road to the north, but is sure it is a different group terrorising the
village. The mayor can only afford to pay 15gp for the task of stopping
the bandits, but the party accept nonetheless. The bandits are known to
ride into the village on an irregular basis and demand (and get) gold. The
most recent time being two weeks ago, the most recent attack being one
week ago when a fisherman was stuck with arrows. The mayor reckons the
bandits are probably camped across the river, and they usually attack from
the north. There is a cleric in town, but his beliefs are dissimilar from
anything Jed knows. Enquiring about previous attempts to stop the bandits,
despite the mayor fudging over the details, it seems that one other group
tried, one of whom survived to return from whence he came. The party lack
the skills to hunt or track out the bandits location, so a simple but
sound plan is devised.
Garth is a competent carpenter, so the party decide to make-like
farmers and rebuild one of the frequently attacked farms. The villagers
are happy enough with this idea, and materials and extra labour are
provided where necessary. The farmhouse is to be built about two miles
north of the village, and after about 1 week Garth has knocked together
quite a nice little farmhouse, with no sign of bandits anywhere.
The plan is to maintain the pretence until there is an attack, which means
Los and Greebo remaining unseen in the farmhouse, Slate removing his
armour and tending to chickens in the yard, Garth carpentering, and Jed
and Dersh tilling and hoeing, all wearing local smocks or farmers
garb. Dersh is to travel to the village every few days for supplies
(gratefully provided), and it is on the first of these trips that the
party's closest battle to date commences.
Dersh is about halfway to town when he spots a group of horsemen
heading southwards. Making note of where they were coming from, Dersh
turns to run for the farmhouse. One of the horsemen peels off and starts
riding towards him. Dersh maintains his run, but is sent sprawling to the
ground from a blow to the back of the head from behind. The horseman
wheels around to charge Dersh with his horse, and when Dersh fails to
tumble out of the way he finds himself knocked to the ground again, taking
more damage beneath horse's hooves. The horseman rides off, leaving the
"bloody peasant" for dead. Indeed, he did enough damage to kill any
"bloody peasant", but Dersh picks himself up, bloodied but alive, and
heads for the farmhouse. He arrives to outline the situation, and himself
Jed and Garth don their armour. Jed casts 'cure light wounds' upon
Dersh. There really isn't time for Slate to get into his platemail, so he
picks up his axe, hoping his enormous health will be enough.
The party sprint for the point from which the horsemen came, hoping to
catch them on their return. Los, carrying Greebo, falls behind, and the
pace is set by Garth and Slate. Neither Jed nor Dersh sprint full out,
both not eager to be the first to arrive.
A long flat barge is spotted, beached on the sandy riverbank. It is
guarded by a fighter (well, a man with platemail, a shield and a
longsword) and an unarmoured man. Slate stops to raise his crossbow, and
Dersh, Garth and Jed charge the fighter. The fighter, in turn, raises a
longbow, and sticks the unarmoured Slate with 2 arrows. As the round ends
Garth and Jed are upon the fighter, Slate has resumed running after
ripping a crossbow bolt into the unarmoured man, and Dersh has leaped onto
the long thin barge, pursuing the bleeding man. At the same time a group
of horsemen are spotted in the distance, returning from the village, and
covering ground fast. Slate shouts out "Onto the raft!" as he runs in, but
Garth stands his ground at the edge of the beached raft, to swing his axe
at the fighter. Jed steps alongside Garth to swing his staff at the
fighter, but both miss.
The horsemen arrive in the very next round, as does Slate, who
steps onto the barge. Garth stands his ground on the riverbank,
concentrating on making his two attacks count this round. Jed is in a bad
situation, surrounded by dismounting horsemen, and unable to board the
raft past Slate or Garth, swinging battleaxe and bardiche. Jed takes some
damage, but remains standing, and things are looking grim as cries of
"Kill the healer first" go out. On the end of the barge the injured man
(the enemies healer or mage?) has dived into the river, and Dersh throws
darts at him as he swims off. Dersh hits with one of three thrown darts
this round, but only spurs the injured man to swim faster.
As the next round begins all of the horsemen are dismounted, bar one, who
falls on his face. Longswords flashing, Jed falls to the ground, never to
rise again. Garth and Slate back off onto the barge as best they can,
eager to limit the number attacking at any one time, but the water is
shallow, and the platemail clad fighters are able to stand in the water at
the side of the flat barge, and attack. Dersh hits the man with one more
thrown dart, but then turns to throw at one of the fighters climbing onto
the barge behind Garth.
Garth himself is taking damage from all sides, but determined to go out
fighting.
Something magical streaks through the air. Greebo must be nearby,
but he misses with his first 'magic missile'. Los arrives at the same
time, looming over the horseman who failed to dismount properly.
In the next round Garth and Slate are still unable to back off onto the
barge, and are attacked from the bank, and the water just beside
them. Garth lives to fight another round, and Slate's high health is being
put to the test. Two 'magic missiles' impact into one of the fighters, who
lays off attacking and turns towards the plains, where Greebo must be. Los
manages to miss his prostrate opponent, but will get another chance as the
same guy falls over again, foot caught in stirrup. Dersh is done throwing
darts, and attacks the fighter who has managed to board the boat behind
Slate and Garth with his shortsword and dagger. He hits with the former,
before falling beneath a sound blow from the fighter's longsword. Things
are looking very grim. Garth is one hit from death, Slate unarmoured and
four or five enemies remain standing.
Garth does well to remain alive for another couple of rounds, but
by virtue of sheer number of attacks against him, he too falls, never to
rise again. Los remains in combat on the bank, failing to hit, or be hit
by, his opponent. Slate too continues to fight on on the barge, and Greebo
continues to rain in the 'magic missiles' from a safe distance. Only one
or two of the enemy fighters lay dead. One in the water, and the other who
charged Greebo. Slate is having to deal with three opponents, two on the
barge, and one standing in the water, attacking up. Greebo injures the
latter with another two 'magic missiles', and Slate finishes him, perhaps
wasting a good blow on one so injured. Los is still in single combat on
the bank, and starting to gain the upper hand.
The fighters, like Los and Slate, are specialists, and are attacking three
times every two rounds. Slate has a bad round, and takes a further 15
points of damage, leaving him on only 9. In the same round Los finishes
his opponent, and steps towards the barge to move in. Greebo, at the same
time, is out of long range spells, and scurries in to lend what assistance
he can. Slate realises is will be necessary for him to step forward this
round, to block off the fighters and keep them close enough to Los for him
to attack them properly.
The party gain the initiative and Slate attacks the less armoured fighter
in front of him. He hits, but barely, and the fighter is lucky to be
alive, but still fighting. The lead fighter then attacks, and what seemed
the impossible occurs, Slate is put to the ground. Slate is still reeling
from the first blow when the injured fighter attacks, and scores a mighty
critical hit, cleaving Slate down the middle, pieces falling onto the
deck.
Both fighters turn to face Los, who is as yet uninjured, but the
outcome is by no means certain. Los targets the injured and less armoured
opponent first, and dispatches him with relative ease. By this time Greebo
has arrived, but he isn't taking any chances. Concentrating on his
spell-staff he reads out the 'light' spell (and in doing so loses it from
his staff) in an effort to blind the remaining fighter. He succeeds, but
the fighter is adept, and perhaps lucky, enough to score a hit on Los in
the same round. At this point it isn't a contest, and Los finishes the
blinded fighter in the next couple of rounds.
Turning to each other, Los and Greebo survey the remains of the party. Los
has the ability to heal once by laying on of hands, and they examine the
dead and fallen. Garth and Slate are decimated, and where is Slate's
corpse in any case? Jed is just beyond Los' fixed healing ability. Dersh,
however, is on -6, and saveable. Los lays hands on Dersh, who shudders,
and is returned to.. unconsciousness.
As Greebo prattles on about something or other, Los gives a
shiver, and realises that Slate is standing next to him clad head to toe
in his Dwarven platemail, now blackest black. Slate intones "I
understand", and Los nods.
humbug.
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