Biggz Troop – Session 22 – Part 2

[December 26 through Januarius 6 – What went wrong.]

[This game uses Adventures in the Green, a RPG based on the original rules for the world’s most popular roleplaying game.  These rules are under development with Draft C available here.  Game sessions happen an average of once a month.  This is Part 2 of the session that happened July 3, 2021.]

Biggz’z Troop, CAC (Chartered Adventuring Company):

Biggz Bigguns of the Big’uns Clan – gender neutral goblin Family Priest (6th level Cleric)

Porkins – male human Conjuror (6th level Magic-User)

Tiny – male minotaur Swashbuckler (6th level Fighter)

Tor Wind – male human Swashbuckler (6th level Fighter)

Mannin Darkshield – male dwarf Robber (4th level Thief)

Kunigunde Gruber – NPC female goblin Footpad/Petitioner (3rd level Thief/2nd level Cleric)

Hirelings:

Larn the Linkboy – male human hireling linkboy

Isidoros of Delphis – male Tolk hireling translator [specifically, German to Mü]

Deniska – female human hireling bodyguard [for Larn]

Ivan – male human hireling bodyguard [for Larn]

Bernagi – male human hireling bodyguard [for Isidoros]

Hardkira – male human hireling bodyguard [for Isidoros]

Moonday, December 26, 523rd year of the Empire

3:30 PM

The adventurers paused to catch their breaths after the hectic fight with the wererats and running around of the last several minutes.  Tor was dead and partly eaten by the wererats that had killed him.  Kunigunde used her staff of healing on Biggz to heal up her boss.  Biggz cast Cure Light Wounds twice on Tiny to heal him up.  No one else was going to die on this job!  Biggz also treated their wounds with wolfsbane to avoid another case of lycanthropy in the party.

Tiny took a blanket from Tor’s pack and wrapped up the dead human in it for easier carrying of the corpse.  Tiny then tied the [slightly sticky] body to his backpack.  While he was doing this, Kunigunde and Mannin searched the nest of the wererats for valuables.  Surprisingly, they found a small strongbox containing a couple thousand silver coins along with 4 pieces of gold jewelry.

Feeling somewhat exposed and alone two rooms away across unstable floor, Porkins called out, asking for someone to join him.  Tiny attempted to jump across the unstable floor to join Porkins, but he landed short and fell through to the ground floor.  Knowing how to get back to where Porkins was waiting, Tiny ran to the nearby stairs and then up a floor, rejoining Porkins quickly.

Biggz dithered a bit as to what to do next.  If the adventurers left the ruins now without clearing the last building and more villagers disappeared, not only would the group not get paid by the local lord, but the villagers might riot against the adventurers.  Porkins called out that he and Tiny had run off the huge phase spider and the only other people they had found in ground floor were some chained up villagers.  With a slight trace of exasperation, Biggz suggested that Porkins could have started with sharing that information.  Biggz ordered Tiny and Porkins to finish searching that area for loot and then rescue the villagers.  The rest of the group would retreat to the breezeway and climb down to the ground via rope.

Tiny and Porkins went back the way Tiny had arrived from.  They paused in the lair of the huge phase spider.  It had not returned [still bloodied from its initial encounter with the adventurers, see Part 1] and so Tiny and Porkins took a look around.  They found two human-sized lumps in the webbing.  Thinking they might be villagers, they cut the lumps down and carefully opened them.  Inside each was the dried husk of a dead adventurer.  Porkins cast Detect Magic to see if anything on the corpses was magical and much was.  The armor and shield of the fighting man were magical, as were a ring and a scroll on the second corpse, obviously a spellcaster.  Each also had a sack of coins and the fighter’s sword was very ornate if not magical.  Due to weight, it took Tiny and Porkins two trips to haul the loot down to the ground floor at the foot of the stairs.

Meanwhile, the rest of the adventurers backtracked out of the second floor to the breezeway that connected two of the ruined buildings.  They hammered in a spike and tied a knotted rope to it for a safer way down to the ground.  It took a short while, but eventually the entire group was on the ground again and they waited there for Porkins and Tiny to join them.

Back inside, Tiny and Porkins went to the room deep in the building that held the chained villagers.  They were awake now and seemingly in possession of their reason, but all showed signs the wererats had clawed or bit them.  Porkins explained Lord Helmar had sent them to rescue the villagers.  This cheered up the villagers who clearly had been concerned about Tiny, the minotaur.  Tiny broke their chains, freeing them.  Tiny and Porkins needed to rest at that point, so Porkins chatted with the villagers to see what they knew.  [Very little.]  He also performed some first aid and realized all five villagers were likely infected with lycanthrope.

After the rest, the duo led the group to the doorway out of the building, pausing only to explain that the villagers needed to help carry back the loot the adventurers had found.  The villagers were less cheerful at this, but at least they weren’t going to be eaten?

Once Tiny, Porkins, and the villagers joined up with the rest of the adventurers, the entire group returned to the first building the adventurers had raided that morning.  There they freed the gnole captives [two foremen from the original work detail from the village] and picked up their stashed captives and other loot.  They rested long enough to feed all the captives from the gnole larder [which was quality food - gnoles eat well].  This heartened all the villagers greatly.  Porkins then paid them each a gold coin to help carry the loot and as much of the food as possible back to the inn in Stralbruck.  A gold coin was very good pay, especially after being fed for free, so the villagers agreed.

5:00 PM

The entourage of adventurers and villagers, all laden with boxes, bags, and sacks of loot arrived back at Stralbruck.  Biggz displayed the contract with Lord Helmar to get past the gate guards.  The group made good time to the inn, but it was clear that word was spreading in the village that the adventurers were back with rescued villagers in tow.

At the inn, Biggz offered to feed the villager/porters all warm food and drink if they would just carry their loads up to one of the adventurers room.  Happy to be home and fed again, the villagers easily agreed, depositing all the wealth into Biggz’ room.  Porkins then cast Wizard Lock on the door to seal it up.  Biggz paid the innkeep for whatever food and drink the villagers wanted and to have hot baths drawn for the adventurers.

By the time the adventurers were bathed, dressed, and all were fed [and maybe now a little tipsy], families of the missing villagers were showing up in numbers at the inn.  Lord Helmar eventually arrived and took control of the situation.

Biggz stood on the front porch of the inn told the story of what the adventurers had found and done.  This drew enough attention that Porkins and Tiny were able to sneak the five infected villagers out the back of the inn and through the village alleys to the church.  At the church they meet with Father Solomon and Porkins explained, in Latin, that these five were likely infected with lycanthrope.  Father Solomon looked at the villagers and recognized all of them.  He was of the opinion that, since the full moon has just passed, they could safely let these villagers go home to their families that night.  They would all return the next day at Father Solomon’s request so Biggz could cure them of their curse.

Back at the inn, Biggz wrapped up the recounting of the adventure.  Displaying the still wrapped body of Tor, Biggz explained to Lord Helmar that the adventurers needed to go to Grossestadt immediately to see if they could have their friend brought back to life.  Biggz anticipated the trip would take a month, but the adventurers would return to verify the ruins were completely empty and now safe.  Lord Helmar agreed to this, stating they remainder of their payment would be waiting here in the village for their return.  In the meantime, it would be best for the adventurers to hold onto the gnole prisoners until morning as trying to take them to the jail now would cause a riot and a lynching.

The ruckus of the returned villagers lasted long into the night as those whose family members were back celebrated and those who now knew their loses were permanent grieved.

Hernesday, December 27, 523rd year of the Empire

Morning

Isidoros and Tiny took the gnole prisoners over to the village jail and turned them in.  At the same time, Biggz headed over to the church to work on the five potentially infected villagers.

Biggz first cast Detect Supernatural and all five registered as supernatural creatures, meaning they had all been infected and were now wererats in the same way Porkins had been just three days ago.  Biggz cast Remove Curse on two of them successfully, curing both villagers.  That left three cursed and Biggz without the ability to lift the curses.  Biggz explained to Father Solomon that the adventurers had to leave Stralbruck that day to get their dead companion to Grossestadt in time to have any chance of bring him back.  Father Solomon asked if Biggz would take the infected villagers as far as Wittingen, two and a half days away.  This would give Biggz another two days with them to finish curing them before getting on a boat at the Wasser to sail down to Grossestadt.  Biggz was concerned how the villagers would make it back safely.  Father Solomon offered to write a letter of introduction and explanation for the priest in Wittingen.  That priest would be able to get the cured villagers back safely.  Biggz agreed to this, asking the Father Solomon have the letter ready by Noon.

Noon

The adventurers hired a horse and cart for the trip to Wittingen and loaded it up with their loot [both valuables and the remaining food from the gnole larder].  The three villagers still needing treatment arrived and room was made for them and their luggage.  Father Solomon delivered the letter of introduction and explanation to Biggz so the villagers would be able to return safely.  To some small fanfare, the adventurers left Stralbruck.

Evening

The laden horse and cart arrived at a travel inn on the road to Wittingen.

Magusday, December 28, 523rd year of the Empire

Morning

In the morning before leaving the travel inn, Biggz cast Remove Curse on two of the remaining villagers, curing them of lycanthrope.

Evening

The laden horse and cart arrived at a travel inn on the road to Wittingen.

Cromsday, December 29, 523rd year of the Empire

Morning

In the morning before leaving the travel inn, Biggz cast Remove Curse on the last villager, curing them of lycanthrope.

Evening

The group arrived at Wittingen.  While Porkins and the rest got rooms for the night and inquired about boats heading downstream to Grossestadt the next morning, Biggz took the three cured villagers to the local church and presented the letter from Father Solomon.  The priest verified the villagers were cured and then accepted responsibility for them, thanking Biggz for their assistance and circumspection.

Freysday, December 30, 523rd year of the Empire

The adventurers started their river trip to Grossestadt.

Sunday, Januarius 1, 523rd year of the Empire

The river boat arrived at the confluence of the Jeetzel and Wasser.  Porkins changed boats here with his share of the loot to take a separate boat up the Jeetzel River to Smolberg.  As the matter of the bounty on his head had not been settled yet, he felt it unwise to continue with the rest of the group to Grossestadt.

Hernesday, Januarius 3, 523rd year of the Empire

Porkins arrived in Smolberg.  He immediately set in supplies for a bout of study and learning new spells.

Magusday, Januarius 4, 523rd year of the Empire

The rest of the adventuring party arrived at Grossestadt.  Tor has been dead for seven days at this point, but due to the cold winter air had not deteriorated too much.  While the group was having their goods unloaded from the river boat, Biggz hired a runner to take a message up to the cathedral, expressing an emergency need for a casting of Restore Life and Limb.

Biggz recieves a reply that no one at the cathedral that day could cast the rite requested, but one was being sent for.

Cromsday, Januarius 5, 523rd year of the Empire

Biggz and party carried Tor’s body to the cathedral.  A caster was available [on the last possible day for the spell to be useful] and Biggz made the donation to the cathedral for the rite.  Tor’s body was laid out and the rite enacted.

[At this point Tor’s player needed to roll 90 or less on percentile dice to survive the system shock.  He rolled a 91.]

Once the rite completed, Tor stirred for a moment and then fell back into the arms of Death.  His mortal coil was not able to sustain the energies of the rite and withered away, leaving only a skeleton.  Shocked at this unexpected outcome, Biggz collected Tor’s bones into an ossuary provided by the cathedral and broke the news to the rest of the party.

Freysday, Januarius 6, 523rd year of the Empire

A strong winter storm arrived and closed all travel in the region.

End of Session

Behind the Green

[I really should have named the villagers and the priest in Wittingen, but we were trying to wrap up and get the party to Grossestadt in time.  As it turned out, we didn’t need to hurry.  When I had Tor’s player roll to survive resurrection, it was perfunctory as we all expected him to make a 90% chance of success.  His dice had other plans.]

[The winter storms finally arrived, forcing a break in adventuring and allowing that player to create a new character and me time to work out how to introduce the new character.  I had several options, but the player chose to create the brother of his dead character.  We discussed it some and I worked out an idea about how things would go.  In the following session we introduced Pio Vento of Piccolo, slightly elder brother of Tor Wind, or more properly, Torino Vento.]

[You might notice that the year did not change when the date went from December to Januarius.  The calendar here still has the first day f the year as Marius 1 (March 1), something that changed some time in the Roman Republic (exactly when is not certain due to loss of records, but seems to be around 153 BCE).]

Biggz’z Troop, CAC

Session 01, Part 1

…

Session 19, Part 1

Session 19, Part 2

Session 20

Session 21, Part 1

Session 21, Part 2

Session 22, Part 1

Session 23, Part 1

Biggz'z Troop – Session 19 – Part 1

[After three weeks of downtime, the Troop gets a job offer and travel to Stralbruck.  Porkins has a confession to Biggz.]

[This game uses Adventures in the Green, a RPG based on the original rules for the world’s most popular roleplaying game.  These rules are under development with Draft C available here.  Game sessions happen an average of once a month.  This session happened April 24, 2021.]

Biggz’z Troop, CAC (Chartered Adventuring Company):

Biggz Bigguns of the Big’uns Clan – female goblin Family Priest (5th-level Cleric)

Porkins – male human Conjuror (5th-level Magic-User)

Tiny – male minotaur Swashbuckler (5th-level Fighter)

Tor Wind – male human Swashbuckler (5th-level Fighter)

Mannin Darkshield – male dwarf Robber (3rd-level Thief)

Kunigunde Gruber – NPC female goblin Footpad/Petitioner (2nd-level Thief/1st-level Cleric)

Hirelings:

Larn the Linkboy – male human hireling linkboy

Isidoros of Delphis – male Tolk hireling translator [specifically, German to Mü]

Deniska – female human hireling bodyguard [for Larn]

Ivan – male human hireling bodyguard [for Larn]

Bernagi – male human hireling bodyguard [for Isidoros]

Hardkira – male human hireling bodyguard [for Isidoros]

Downtime between November 20 to December 11, 523rd year of the Empire

During this downtime, the adventurers pursued individual projects, summarized as follows:

• Porkins learned Rope Trick and added it to his spellbook.  He also underwent his second transformation into a wererat during the full moon on November 24 and realized he had lycanthrope.
• Tor went to Grossestadt to pick up the magical plate armor he commissioned.  He paid the remainder of the agreed cost [half up front, half on completion].  He then returned to Smolberg.
• Biggz also went to Grossestadt to file the necessary paperwork for the adventuring group to make them a Chartered Adventuring Company.  This provides some protections for their activities and title to their loot [assuming there is no prior claim] in exchange for paying a yearly renewal fee to the Empire.  Without these protections adventurers can be charged for murder for killing the wrong kind of people in a dungeon or have their hard-earned loot confiscated by a local noble on whose fief a dungeon might be located.  Biggz also posted new notices that they were looking to hire another cleric and placed an order with Hugh for another enchanted sling [for Kunigunde].
• Tiny and Kunigunde lived like rockstars in Smolberg, partying until late in the night, sleeping in, and generally living large.
• Mannin lived quietly, doing his best to not draw a great deal of attention to himself, especially from law enforcement.
• [The entire group paid their upkeep for November (I forgot to ask for it previously) and for December.]

Sunday, December 11, 523rd year of the Empire

Biggz, sitting in the Little Ox tavern and working on some paperwork, was approached by a human in fancy clothing.  After verifying that Biggz was Biggz, he introduced himself as Ulf Thorhallson.  He explained he was a representative of the village council of Stralbruck.  Not recognizing the name of the village, Biggz asked where Stralbruck was and Ulf explained it was part of County Mandersheid-Scleiden-Virreburg, a small principality to the north.  The village had recently secured the right to build a mill on a nearby stream and sent workers to clear the site before the winter snows came.  Shortly after the work started, workers started disappearing, six so far.  The village council wants that stopped and decided to hire the group that cleared the goblins from the Smolberg Watchtower.  [This is something the PCs are currently known for doing.]

Biggz was interested in the job and asked what it paid.  Ulf explained the job paid 1000 gc for making the site of the mill safe from whatever was taking the villagers.  If Biggz was willing to sign a contract for the job, Ulf was also authorized to pay out an emerald as a deposit over and above the coins.  Biggz asked about the status of any loot taken from whatever was making the villagers disappear.  Ulf agreed that anything secured in the process of stopping the disappearances would belong to the adventurers.  Finding the deal fair but curious about the emerald being offered, Biggz asked to see it.  Ulf looked around to verify they were not being watched and then pulled a small velvet bag from his belt pouch.  From it he produced a cut emerald about the size of an acorn and displayed it to Biggz.  Biggz was impressed and asked when they needed to be in Stralbruck.  Allowing for travel, Ulf agreed that the adventurers needed to be in Stralbruck to start work no later than the 29th of December.  Biggz agreed to the terms of the contract.  The two of them then completed and signed two copies of the contract, Ulf taking one copy and Biggz the other.  Ulf handed the emerald over to Biggz and departed.

With the contract and emerald in hand, Biggz rounded up the members of Biggz’z Troop and explained the job.  The group discussed what supplies they needed to take with them for the trip.  They decided to purchase 10 new shields for the fighters to use [I use Shields Will Be Shattered, so the fighters burn through a lot of shields].  Not certain what accommodations there would be, Porkins bought a tent and the company bought a second one.  They thought it would be wise to hire some additional bodyguards for Larn and Isidoros and they should pay Larn, Isidoros, Deniska, and Ivan for a full month as they would be out of town for at least that long.

Biggz went over to the Guild of Condotierre, Linkboys, Roustabouts, and Stevedores to make the arrangements.  She learned that Hardkira and Bernagi were currently available [the group worked with them in the past] and hired them as the additional bodyguards.  She also made use of the Guild's money-changing services to use the emerald for payment and received coin as change, which were used to pay for the other supplies the group wanted.

Porkins went over to Isen’s Book and Paper and purchased a copy of Créatures de la Lune from Isen.  Isen raised an eyebrow at the book purchase and Porkins claimed it was for a job the adventurers had been hired for.  The book was in French and written in three parts.  Part 1 was a general history of lycanthropes, Part 2 discussed the different types of were-creatures and their habitats, and Part 3 discussed defenses against them and their curse.  [Reading through it during the trip to Stalbruck, Porkins would learn that the author, Grégoire de Fronsac, had the most experience with werewolves and very much advocated the eradication of all lycanthropes.]

Finally, Biggz tracked down Aaron Kalteswasser, the river merchant, and asked if he and his boat were available for hire to take the group to Wittlingen (the nearest river town to Stralbruck).  Aaron said he would be ready in the next morning for a reasonable fee.  Biggz paid the fee and told Aaron to expect 12 passengers in the morning.

Moonday, December 12, 523rd year of the Empire

In the morning all of Biggz’z Troop and their hirelings arrived at the town docks and boarded Aaron’s river boat.  The trip would take 10 days, first heading down the Jeetzel River to the Wasser River and then up the Wasser.  Unsurprisingly, the boat of heavily armed adventurers was not bothered during the trip.

Cromsday, December 22, 523rd year of the Empire

The river boat full of adventurers arrived at Wittlingen and docked mid-morning.  Biggz thanked Aaron and the group started walking.  Stralbruck was the better part of three days to the east.  Luckily, there were inns along the way as the route from Wittlingen to Stralbruck was reasonably well traveled.

Freysday, December 23, 523rd year of the Empire

Realizing that this would be the first night of the full moon, Porkins was forced to confide in Biggz that he had lycanthrope and would likely change into a wererat when the moon rose.  Biggz was shocked that Porkins was only now mentioning this.  They discussed their limited options at this point and Biggz agrees to tie Porkins up and lock him in one of the rooms at the inn – it was the best they could work out as the sun was already setting.

Yggsday, December 24, 523rd year of the Empire

Dawn

Porkins woke up, partially dressed, in a small outbuilding near the inn.  He snuck back to the inn and was able to re-enter his room through the window without anyone noticing.  The room was a mess from the thrashing around he apparently did to get free and his rope was fairly shredded.  He finished cleaning just as Biggz arrived and unlocked the door.  They were both concerned that he would change twice more this lunar cycle.

Mid-afternoon

The group of adventurers arrived at Stralbruck.  Stralbruck was a large village with a wall around it and a noticeable church.  At the gate Biggz explained who they were and showed the contract.  The gate guards directed the group to The Brass Dog, the best [only] inn, and explained where the local lord lived in town.

While most of the group spent the remaining afternoon securing rooms at The Brass Dog [rooms had been set aside by the local lord for their use], Biggz and Porkins went on separate missions.  Porkins went to the local church to determine if anyone had access to Remove Curse “in case whatever was making the villagers disappear could invoke curses.”  The priest in charge told Porkins the village was small and did not have anyone capable of removing curses, but it would only take a week or so to get someone here.  Porkins thanked the priest for the information and made a small donation to the church.

Meanwhile, Biggz reported in with the local lord of Stralbruck, Helmar Schleiden.  Helmar was somewhat nervous when discussing the job.  He eventually admitted that the number of missing villagers was now 14.  He gave directions to the location of the ruins where the land was being cleared for the mill.  This made Biggz raise their eyebrows as Ulf had not mentioned any ruins.  Biggz decided to not ask about the ruins – it would be easier to claim any loot in them later than ask for permission now.  Biggz left the lord’s home to update the other adventurers.

Shortly Before Sunset

While finishing an early dinner, Biggz and the rest were accosted by a human in wealthy merchant’s clothing.  He introduced himself as Grimbold von Virreburg, a prominent member of the village.  He sought verification that the adventurers had accepted the contract and would have things “settled in a timely fashion.”  Biggz asked why Grimbold had not asked the lord and Grimbold stated he “didn’t want to bother his lordship with merchant fears.”  Grimbold told Biggz he was concerned that the disappearances would stop commerce in the area as the Yule celebrations were already subdued.  He reiterated that he was glad the adventurers who cleared the Smolberg Watchtower were on the job and said his farewells.

Oleg the bartender, who was delivering a round of drinks as Grimbold was leaving, offered the opinion that he heard a rumor that it was ghosts taking away people.

End of Part 1

Behind the Green

[So, there is a huge time gap between session notes.  That’s because I stopped writing up my session notes for this campaign back in 2019.  I did so for a couple of reasons, mostly to do with feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the personal projects I was handling at the time.  Since then I brought the major writing project I was working on to a stopping point.  It was not complete, but it was a project that consumed a lot of my personal time used someone else’s IP.  I started to feel burnout on it and realized if I finished, I couldn’t do anything with it but give it away free.  Recognition is great, but it doesn’t pay bills and I was feeling very financially precarious at the time.  I set a date to get the files into good enough shape that I felt they could be made public without terminal embarrassment and then posted a link to them on my primary blog, Bugbears for Breakfast (look for the sidebar links to The Game).]

[Once that was wrapped up and handed over, I concentrated on writing my clone of OD&D – Adventures in the Green, the rules I’m using to run this campaign.  I’m nearly done with Draft C of the rules and have posted PDFs of Book I and Book II.  Book III was targeting to complete Draft C by the end of June, but it now looks like a July thing as it has a lot of Referee advice and needs some serious thinking for the re-write.]

[In the meantime, I feel I have more personal bandwidth right now and so I’m resuming typing up the session notes for the playtest campaign.  Rather than go back over a year ago and try and catch up, I’m starting with the current action.  I will gradually go back and fill in the gap, but don’t expect it soon.  I don’t want to burn out on any of this, so I’m taking it one piece at a time.]

[I also recently learned that I’d been spelling Biggz’ name wrong (I was using only one “g”).  This happened when the character was asked the name of the adventuring party while filing the paperwork to become a Chartered Adventuring Company.  I’ve corrected that error going forward.  Sorry, Biggz.]

Biggz’z Troop, CAC

Session 01, Part 1

…

Session 19, Part 2

Outcasts – Session 01 – Part 2: A Worse Ending

[The same three adventurers look to make some money clearing out the Watch Tower of goblins.  It does not go as planned.]

[This game uses a modified version of the first ever roleplaying game.  These rules will be released as the Adventures in the Green RPG in the (far) future.  Game session happen once a month.  This is the second half of the session that happened September 28, 2019.]

Player Characters:
Bigz Bigguns of the Big’uns Clan – female goblin Adept
Tiny – male minotaur Veteran
Smols Wedge – male “gnome” Medium

Added Later:
Porkins – male human Medium


Hernesday, Quintilis 25th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
After killing a bunch of goblins at the old Watch Tower and capturing one of them for questioning, the three outcast adventurers hauled their captive back to Smolberg.  [See Part 1 for details.]

Back in town, the adventurers turned their feral goblin captive over to a sergeant of the town guard.  They explained they found feral goblins in the Watch Tower and killed some, but they were not certain if there were more.  The sergeant took their captive to see if there were any specific rewards and asked the adventurers to come back in a couple days.

Magusday, Quintilis 26th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
Bigz cast Cure Light Wounds on Tiny while Tiny and Smols rest and heal from their wounds.

Cromsday, Quintilis 27th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
Tiny and Smols finished resting and healing from their wounds.

Freysday, Quintilis 28th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
All healed up, the adventurers checked the town public announcement pillar for anything interesting.  There was a notice from the Smolberg Town Guard offering a reward to get the feral goblins to leave the Watch Tower.  Intrigued by the word “reward,” the adventurers went to the Town Guard headquarters to get details.  There they learned that the reward was 50 gold coins, a serious amount of money.

Bigz decided to go to the Land Office to find out who owns the land the Watch Tower is on.  Maybe it might be available for purchase or the current owners might pay an additional reward for removal of the goblin squatters.  The bureaucrat at the land office was not especially helpful, but did tell Bigz which form to fill out.  Bigz spent an hour filling out the form and turned it in, only to be told that a reply would be available in a week.  Bigz shrugged and left.

With nothing else to do in town, the adventurers took the ferry across the river and then walked south, through the woods, to get to the Watch Tower.  This time, the adventurers decided to sneak up the hill to the watch tower.  Finding the entry hall much as they left it, minus the goblin bodies, plus blood stains.  Tiny once again approached the door on the right, but kicked it open rather than knock.

The room beyond was an impromptu goblin barracks, full of once-sleeping goblins who were now awake.  Smols immediately cast his Sleep spell and put all 14 goblins back to sleep!  Tiny entered the room and started using his axe to kill the sleeping goblins.  Smols hopped down from Tiny’s back and used his knife to cut throats.  Bigz tied up one of the sleeping goblins to question and take back to town later.

Unfortunately, the noise of kicking open the door drew alert goblin guards from the room across the entry hall.  They snuck up on the slaughtering adventurers and threw spears at Tiny.  Two of the spears hit, heavily injuring Tiny [5 of 7 hit points in damage].

This fight went much worse than the previous fight.  The adventurers faced 10 awake goblin guards and had only killed 5 of the 14 sleeping goblins before the noise of the combat started waking those goblins up.  The adventurers were surrounded and fighting for their lives, trying to kill the goblins before the goblins got a lucky shot in on them.  Bigz cast Cure Light Wounds on Tiny to heal him up while all three adventures did their best to kill goblins.

Tiny attempted to force an opening through the goblins for Smols and Bigz to follow, but took a big hit from a spear as more goblins could now target him [6 points of damage from a single hit].  Smols wanted to follow, but two goblins skewered him with their spears, killing him [two critical hits, back to back].  Bigz also took a major injury and saw death.  She instead surrendered, hoping the goblins would accept it.  She also called out to Tiny to surrender.  Tiny was angry with the goblins for killing his friend Smols and bellowed loudly, but eventually surrendered as well.

The feral goblins, still in shock about the suddenness of the fight accepted the surrender.  [The goblins knew they could kill the two adventurers but the adventurers had killed 8 of them in the short fight and none of them wanted to be the ones who died taking down the adventurers.]  The goblins made the adventurers strip to their small clothes and then leave, allowing them to take Smols's body and keep Bigz's holy symbol [the goblins didn’t want to get a deity angry at them for stealing it].

Despondent but alive, the adventurers fled the Watch Tower for the nearby forest.  There Bigz attempted to revive Smols, but he was gone.  [Rolled low on the Mortality Table and received the result “That’s a bad way to go.”]  Bigz and Tiny dug Smols a shallow grave and buried him in the forest before returning to town.

Quintilis 28th through Sextilus 4th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
The remaining two adventurers, sans gear but burning with a desire to get even, took jobs for a week to earn enough money to replace their gear and heal up.

Tiny, heavily injured but still strong, spent his time chopping wood.  After subtracting the the cost of renting an [over-priced] axe, Tiny earned 4 silver coins.  [Tiny has an INT of 6 and WIS of 6, so he felt this was a good deal.]

Bigz found a wealthy and [after I mis-read the rules] generous patron who hired her as a healer for a princely sum of 300 gold coin.  While working for her patron, Kismi the Sybaritic Sorcerer, Bigz met a human Medium named Porkins.  While Bigz mostly ignored the humans working for her patron, but one day she was angry and cursing in Mü, the language of minotaurs, and one of the humans snorted at her comments.  This sparked an interest in Bigz.  She and Porkins took to talking [in Mü , of course] and he wanted to be an adventurer, but wasn’t willing to strike out on his own.  Bigz smiled wide.  She had such a deal for Porkins.

Sextilus 5th through the 8th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
With pay in hand and a new adventuring partner, the group spent several days re-equiping with gear and armor, especially plate armor that fit Tiny.  Bigz also used Cure Light Wounds to finally heal up Tiny as all the wood chopping he had done kept him from healing naturally.

Magusday, Sextilus 6th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
Geared up, healed up, and well fed, the adventurers decided to check the job board for something that would pay well but wasn’t going after the goblins yet.  Bigz felt the group needed some additional experience before going after the “gnawers” at the Watch Tower.  Besides, the reward for removing the goblins was now up to 100 gold coins.  If they waited another week it might go up even higher.

The adventurers checked the town public announcement pillar and found a job protecting a merchant taking goods to Grossestadt [a large city down the Weser River] from river pirates.  This seemed like a good job for the group of adventurers.  After tracking down the merchant [who liked the visual deterrent a minotaur would bring] they negotiated pay of 100 gold coin each for the trip down river and back.  The merchant, Aron Kalteswasser, explained that the dangerous part of the trip was the trip back when the boat would be poled upriver, against the current and at the boat’s slowest speed.  As a result, they would not get paid until the group returned to Smolberg.  The adventurers were fine with this.

Cromsday, Sextilus 7th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
Early in the morning the adventurers climbed aboard the river boat at the Smolberg docks.  The boat set sail shortly thereafter, following the current down the Jeetzel River.  Late in the afternoon, the boat transitioned from the Jeetzel to the Waser River and sailed down the Waser.

Sunday, Sextilus 10th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
Early in the morning the boat arrived at Grossestadt.  The Aron instructed the adventurers to stay onboard the boat while he delivered the cargo.

Later in the day Aron returned to the boat and told them they would be staying in the city overnight.  The adventurers could get off the boat but should stay in the vicinity of the docks.  The merchant had arranged sleeping space at a hostel in the docks area for them and the boat crew and paid for it.  They were on their own for food.

Moonday, Sextilus 11th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
Late in the day Aron returned to the boat with a chest he locked up in the hold.  The boat’s crew poled the boat out of the city docks and started the laborious process of poling the boat upstream.

Magusday, Sextilus 13th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
Mid-afternoon, a group of river pirates pushed a skiff into the Waser River from a concealed spot on shore.  Two of the pirates rowed in quick conjunction while three of the pirates pointed loaded crossbows at the crew, calling out, “Ahoy!  Prepare to be boarded!”

Bored out of their minds, the adventurers sprung to attention.  Bigz started slinging rocks at the pirates with the crossbows while Tiny and Porkins waited for the pirates to close.  Bigz killed one of the crossbowmen just as the skiff pulled up to the boat.

With a bellowing warcry, Tiny, clad in plate armor, leapt from the boat to the skiff and attacked the skiff’s bottom.  The skiff nearly capsized and immediately started taking on water.  This caught the pirates off-guard and their crossbow shots went wide of their marks.

Tiny, satisfied the skiff would sink, attacked what he perceived to be the lead pirate, cutting in half the man and his crossbow [critical success].  Bigz killed the third and final crossbowman with her sling while Porkins waited – it seemed to him Tiny had things under control and casting a spell would have been a waste.  The rowing pirates jumped from their skiff and started swimming away.  Tiny jumped from the sinking skiff onto the pirate swimming upstream, grabbing the pirate and pulling him under the water.  This attack drove the air from the pirate’s lungs and he immediately drowned.  The last pirate, swimming with the current and staying under water as long and as often as he could, escaped.

Tiny, still holding his breath, slogged along the bottom of the river to shore.  The boat pulled over to pick him up and he spent the rest of the day cleaning and oiling his armor to keep it from rusting.

Yggsday, Sextilus 16th, 523rd year of the Aegean Kingdom
The boat arrived back at the Smolberg docks.  Aron gladly paid the adventurers for work well done.  Bigz asked for and received a letter of recommendation from Aron for the group.
End of Session


Behind the Greens
[Yes, I will be using Kisme later as an adventure hook – assuming Bigz lives long enough for it to happen.]

[What does Mü sound like?  Imagine every scene in a MCU movie with Groot in it, but shorten his dialog to the word “Mü”.  That’s exactly what it sounds like.  The players started using it in play and it became the defacto language of the adventuring group, especially since it is the only language Tiny speaks.]

[After the near-TPK, the players greatly enjoyed the fight with the river pirates.  It was running late, so I only ran the one attack.  Perhaps word got out.  The players wanted to level their characters before going back after the goblins, plus they wanted to wait for the next session when the fourth player would be available.  I’m fine with this, but pointed out that direct assaults on the front door where all the goblin guards are might not be the best plan and maybe they should do some thinking before returning to the Watch Tower.  I think they took the hint.]


Outcasts
Session 01, Part 1


Session 02, Part 1 [Not Written Yet]