They Met at a Tavern 26: Miles Covered

Tonight's Cast of Characters:

• Rick: Bjorr, 1/2 orc Paladin
• Dan: Kiara, elf Ras Godai
• Seana: Zanegar, 1/2 orc Sea Wolf
• Roger: Drom, dwarf Desert Rider
• Dave: Darkmist, elf Thief

(Thorn was sleeping one off, and Erol was out doing elf meditation things)

The party convened in Bettiholme, meeting Darkmist at the Lazy King. Some discussion, and an expedition north to the lost cities was chosen. A coastal trading ship with a sufficient hold for their mounts was hired. 

But first, we need to figure out where we are in the world. I'd scribbled up three "world" maps with large lakes/inland seas and other features. The party picked this one as their world.

The height of colored pencil technology

Bettiholme is on the southeast coastline of the large water body, by the smaller of the two rivers. 

The ship sailed, and things were all peachy until a wake was seen following. Spotted by Kiara, who was ill on the rail. 

Boo!

The serpent, possibly drawn by the scent of livestock on the ship, bore down, slamming into the hull multiple times. Chaotic action, as the party attempted to negotiate/intimidate the offloading of a cow on board to satiate the beast, while simultaneously hucking javelins and arrows at it. Fortunately, the serpent was dissuaded from continuing its attack by attrition of injuries, and the ship limped to harbor (cow still on board).

The port was a city located at the delta of the larger river. Named... Sulfurtown. For its mines. OK. The party disembarked as the ship put in for repairs. Time to go intelligence gathering on the lost cities. 

Drom sought out the library, where he was shown a fragmentary map of the city, and some old tomes describing its extent. The city was said to be dominated by a large causeway lined with markets and craft-halls, leading to the great temple, a pyramid at the city's heart. Drom is all about those ziggurats. 

Darkmist and Bjorr paid a visit to the local Temple of Ord, and while making some offerings, overheard that the lost city had generated energy for its many workshops and wonders from a volcano. Unfortunately, the city was lost when the volcano erupted, drowning it in lava.

Kiara? Well, no better place to look but random mad scholars in random taverns. Here she found Zet, a goblin with many pamphlets. Zet told of the flying machines and powerful magics that could render a city into glass purportedly developed by the city's researchers. And that a tall iron beacon at the city gates could be seen to the horizon. Zet also had questionable ideas about the geometry of the world. But he was happy to tag along with the party.

Back on board the ship, northward bound. Some days of uneventful sailing (damn dice), punctuated by arguments between Bjorr and Zet whether the world was shaped like a disk or a bowl. 

To the northern coast of the sea, and a town named Balmat. The ship offloaded the party, and took on ore and ingots from mines in the mountains to the north. The party resupplied for expeditioning. To the northeast they went, traveling on trade roads bordering the grasslands and forests east of the sea. 

All was good until the predictable griffin attack on their horses.

Boo!

Horses defended, griffin slain, and some minor raw materials and gut treasure retrieved. 

Leaving the last town on the road, the party doglegged northward towards the grasslands and northern badlands. All was good until a pair of their horses were stolen in the night. Probably during Kiara's watch. 

Fine. Let's go find them. Drom tracked the horses (And presumably, thieves) to a ruined fort. Kiara ninja'd in to take a closer look. And was spotted and pinioned by arrows from the guards within. The rest of the party rushed in and got of a suspiciously large number of lucky shots against the concealed guards. Zanegar charged the gate in time to trip and fall (rolling two nat ones with her luck token). 

Fine. Let's go rescue her before she gets curbstomped. The remaining guards were neutralized. The enemies were found to be serpent-folk. As the party bum-rushed into the old fortress, they were met by a serpentman with a giant attack-lizard at the mouth of a cavern at the back of the fort. The serpentman regarded the party and damage they had done. He held up a hand, motioning to an enclosure in the fortress - The horses were retrieved and serpentfolk left to count their losses.

Boo!

(I drafted up the abandoned fort here)

Reloading their recovered horses, the party looked north to the grasslands. What was that cloud of dust? Clearly more of them than us. Best to hide in these gullies. 

Some time later, and they look up to see a pair of horsemen looking down at them. "Yo! What are you doing hiding in that hole?"

'sup!?

That's not a respectable way to be behaving - come, ride with us. Over the rise they went, to see a host of nomads, their herds, wagons, and riders. Welcome to the Dekan Khanate - where we ride is our domain! 

The party spotted other travelers among the host - craftsmen, traders, explorers. Where was the party headed? Oh, the lost cities? We don't travel there. No grass. But we may have knowledge. They were directed to a wagon filled with books. A hobbled nomad asked what they may have to trade for his time in searching among his stores. Zet pulled a copy of "Biology of the Dead (2nd edition)" from his bag. Good enough. Come back later.

And with that we closed the session.

DM Notes:

Hmm. Not really pleased with the session. Simply, covered way too much ground. Always the challenge of not rushing things and slowing down to build world or scenarios. I probably was relying too much on random/improvised material, so since there was nothing to get in the way ... Nothing got in the way...

That said, "Drom" is out of town on field research for a few weeks. Since he was the most itchy to find the city, we've agreed to fill the world in the meantime. Drom is seeking technology/magic to restore the lands of his people.

I'll build up some more territory to explore, particularly the badlands that are the barrier between the grasslands and "cold desert" to the north.

Oh, the Khanate? A cameo appearance from the last campaign. The party only met Durkan Dildran, who rode with them, then returned with a horde for the last big fights. But literate nomads with portable libraries...

I'd already made up some notes for our mystery city, and have a map with scribbling. The information gathered in Sulfurtown was sourced from that, both accurate and false. 

And are they really going to trust a goblin scholar who denies that the world is flat?