[This session took place June 24, 2000.]
Player Characters
Dangar Stonekleaver - male dwarf from the Northern Dwarven Kingdom
Max Lucas - human male ranger from the Bayern District
Arturo of the Brambles - male human monk of the Order of the Brambles
Tarquin the Mad - male human fighter, traveling companion to Rory
NPCs
Monteflurio the Sage - male human sage from Freegate
Rory the Red - Wizard and graduate of Outlands University, traveling companion to Tarquin
Session Begins, March 27, 18 IC
On March 27th of 18 IC, the group headed west from Freegate once again. On the route, they met and talked with a merchant caravan heading east from the High North Trade Route. The merchant had run across the site of the fight with the orc raiders and found that it had been scavenged fairly thoroughly. His men had moved the tree so it no longer blocked the road. He also told the adventurers that he had heard rumors that the 8th Legion now guarded the entire High North Trade Route and the 4th Legion’s Citadel was almost completely empty. The players told him about their fight with the orcs and that Freegate was currently very short on quality beer. This was good news for the merchant who was shipping a modest stock of Orpheon Gold. [A high end beer from Port Orpheon, on the other side of the Worldspine Mountains.] He now knew to raise his prices when he got to Freegate. He offered to sell the adventurers some Orpheon Gold on the cheap for the information and Dangar bought a small keg of it.
March 29, 18 IC
Two days later, the adventurers returned to the site of their fight with the orcs. After warily checking out the site, they found it to be as the merchant described it. From there they headed south, into the mountains of the Spur. The air in the mountains was colder than on the plains and the adventurers were very glad for the winter gear they had packed.
March 31, 18 IC
Late in the day the adventurers spotted a low-flying bat patrol as it crested a mountain ridge. They decided, due to their experiences with the Sting-Tails, to set up a false camp as well as a cold regular camp.
Third Watch
During the final watch that night, Dangar observed what appeared to be orcs setting up a tent in a meadow across the valley. Rather than wake his comrades, he decided to go “take care of” these orcs, believing he could get there and back before his friends awoke.
Sneaking across the valley, Dangar was able to use the tall grasses in the meadow to sneak right up to the tent and attack. Catching the guards by surprise, Dangar was able to kill two of the four guards before the orcs were aware he was there. The orc shaman there subsequently subdued Dangar with magic. The noise from this conflict woke the rest of the adventurers across the valley.
Rapidly discerning what had happened, Tarquin and Max headed across the valley to save Dangar from himself. Arturo, Rory, and Monteflurio broke down camp and prepared for a hasty retreat if needed.
After spending 30 minutes quickly working their way across the valley, Tarquin and Max arrived at the edge of the meadow. Max stayed hidden in the brush with his bow at the ready while Tarquin openly approached the tent. The tent flaps were down on all sides and the tent was ringed with orc spearmen, spears pointing out. When Tarquin got within 30 feet, the leader of the spearmen hailed him and ordered him to stop. The leader of the spearmen then leaned into the tent and informed Go-Tok of Tarquin’s arrival.
Tarquin (who knew some orcish) and Go-Tok, the leader of the Snake-Bites, negotiated the return of Dangar and unhindered passage around the lands of the Snake-Bites. This cost the 30 gold Royals Dangar had on him and the half-cask of Orpheon Gold Dangar had not yet drunk. As Dangar was unconscious, Tarquin felt Dangar could not complain about the use of his money and ale to pay his own ransom. He readily agreed to the terms.
For being a good sport about the whole thing, Go-Tok drew a map in the dirt of the valley and warned Tarquin about the owlbears currently there. Go-Tok also warned Tarquin not to drink the water of the river in the valley as goblins were using it as a dumping area upstream. Tarquin thanked Go-Tok for the information, threw the unconscious Dangar over his shoulder, and headed back out of the meadow.
When Tarquin got to the edge of the meadow, Max asked if he had gotten Dangar’s axe as well as Dangar. Tarquin hadn’t, so he set Dangar down and went back for the axe. Go-Tok had left the meadow but some of his spearmen were still there and formed up a defensive ring when they saw Tarquin was returning.
After taking a few minutes to explain how upset Dangar would be to find his axe missing and describing what he would likely do to get it back, the orcs returned the axe, deciding it would cause too much trouble to have Dangar repeatedly trying to get his axe back. When Tarquin returned with Dangar’s axe, Max asked about Dangar’s helmet. “He can get along without it,” was Tarquin’s only response. They tied Dangar wrists and ankles to a pole and carried him back to the camp.
Once back at the camp, Dangar was revived while still tied up. When it became apparent he would not go running off after the orcs, Dangar was cut free. When Dangar asked about his missing ale and money, Tarquin said that the orcs had stolen it. Dangar did not entirely believe this and suspected that Tarquin drank his ale, not the orcs. He was not certain what happened with his money.
April 1, 18 IC
The group traveled west until they entered the valley that lead around the Snake-Bites’ lands. There, they traveled south a few hours until the early dusk of the mountains made it hazardous to travel any further. They made a cold camp around a clearing in the woods near the river.
That Night
Max and Rory heard the cries of what could have been owlbears during their watches, but it sounded like the owlbears were at the far end of the valley. On the third watch, Tarquin heard the sounds of several “somethings” moving through the underbrush at high speed towards the camp. He woke the rest of the group so that they would be ready for whatever happened. At this point Dangar realized that he had also lost his nightvision goggles along with his helmet.
After a small eternity, during which the adventurers could hear the hunting cries of the owlbears getting closer and closer, a small group of deer ran through the clearing. Max shot one of the deer, hoping to use its carcass as a distraction for the owlbears. Seconds later, an owlbear crashed into the clearing, its huge shaggy body a mass of shadows in the darkness. It moved to feast upon the deer, which was spasming slightly. While it was distracted, the group attacked it en mass.
After a short and violent fight, the owlbear went down. Dangar and Max moved in to remove its claws and beak as battle trophies. When they were almost done doing this (and covered with owlbear blood), two more owlbears attacked. This battle was less organized and more frantic as the party was unprepared for it. Dangar and Max were heavily wounded in the fighting and the party was only able to drive off the owlbears, not kill them.
As the sun came up, it was early the morning of April 2nd.
End of Session.
Happening Off-Stage
The wounded owlbears are moving off to regenerate the damage they have taken. Once that is done, they will return to hunt the adventurers.
This session ends the night of April 1st/2nd. Dangar’s birthday is April 2nd and some birthday gifts have arrived for him at the University since the group left Freegate. These will be waiting for him at the University Guards building until he returns.
DM Discussion
[Another player joined the group at this point. Rather than try and introduce a new character mid-adventure, I gave him the option of playing either Rory or Tarquin. He was new to the HERO System, so chose Tarquin as fighters are easier to learn than spellcasters, who need to know how the powers the magic spells are made of work.]
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Mansion Of Illusions
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