Looking across the Badlands:
- Chris: Thorn, dwarf Wizard
- Dan: Kiara, elf Ras Godai
- Roger: Drom, dwarf Desert Rider
- Seana: Zanegar, 1/2 orc Sea Wolf
- Callista: Erol, elf Priest
And, once again, someone found a halfling while shaking out their boots:
- Madaket: Bomb Murfin, halfling Wizard
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(Madaket is a friend of Callie's who heard about this silly game-thing and has been trying to join for a session. No, she has never played a TTRPG before. As I've posited before, first-timers are among my favorite players. As we will see.)
So the party, having vacated the strange metal ship and its guardian spider, reviews the gifted map and gets their bearings (it is at this moment that out gamemaster realizes he left tonight's session planning on the printer at home. No worries, he can remember parts of it, and has random lists for the rest...)
Finding some more carved and stacked stones indicating a shrine or protective stele along the buried roadway, the party proceeded (after Zet took a rubbing, of course). Igra the kobold read more poetry.
Cresting a dune, cries for help were heard issuing from a talus field. Kiara chose to investigate. And was surprised by a serpent that manifested from the rock.
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Kiara suffered a bite, and unfortunately was envenomed, failing her roll. She felt the light fading...
Others joined to aid, and the tricky thing was dispatched. Just another of the Badland's native critters... Kiara was stabilized and lashed to a horse.
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Some minor treasure was found, and the party moved on. They soon found some ruins around a subterranean complex. Debris and relics indicated that it had been a couriers' waypoint at one time. The party explored a few rooms, then retreated, more interested in finding the "shortcut" caverns described by the spider.
A series of cliff-face catacombs were spotted, and since night was falling, the party left their exploration for later.
The group camped for the night, and, of course, poor Bomb was on watch when they were attacked by a giant hunting lizard. The monitor got ahold of the halfling, gave them a a good bite and shake, and attempted to drag them into the night. Zanegar was able to wound the reptile, causing it to drop its slightly-chewed halfling, and Erol finished it off (the lizard, not the halfling).
With morning, Kiara recovered from her envenoming, although later rolls indicated lingering effects... The catacombs were investigated further. Shallow handholds were found carved into the cliff face, and Bomb, healed up, scrambled up. They found several wrapped corpses. Bomb didn't think it was wise to disturb them.
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And, for the first time in 50+ years of TTRPG history, a party decided NOT to loot the catacombs...
Onward.
Another metallic obelisk, warm in spite of the chilly morning. While they read its glyphs, a thunderous grinding and shaking of ground was felt. Rumors had mentioned that the canyon walls could shift of their own accord. Perhaps this was one of those times. Regardless, the shifting was from behind, so I guess we're not going back that way...
Sure enough, the obelisk indicated a passageway through the canyon walls, and the party was off...
They found and entered a cavern, large enough to lead their animals through. Coolness and humidity indicated water. Kiara found a body near a pool, showing stab wounds. Not a promising start. Something manifested from the water, and showered her with ice shards, proving the source of the corpse's stab wounds.
Retreat and find another passage. Damnit, a stream, and more watery shapes manifested, firing ice.
Retreat again and yes, that stream crosses multiple passages in this cavern network. Several of the things appeared. There seemed to be more of them...
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Bomb: "Umm, can we talk to them?"
Well, you're the only one in the party who speaks Primordial. Go for it.
Tense negotiation. The sprites did not want their water disturbed. The party didn't have much to trade except some holy water and a blessing. This was acceptable. The animals were muzzled to keep them from drinking water, just in case. The party moved on, under the watch of sprites that rose from the occasional ponds and seeps lining the caverns. Oh, and they found a few more bodies and a wounded mule with a saddlebag of coin. So there's that...
Out into the sun, and more random landmarks... A galley, leagues from any water, decayed to hull ribs and keel. A field of humanoid skulls to be gingerly crossed through. Erol performed a turn undead to make any nibbly ones shut up...
Another camp, and more nighttime visitors. A war party of serpent-folk, scouting the party's strength. The serpent-folk were spotted and hailed by Drom. Not so fast, you.
Wake up Bomb. They are also the only one who can speak Reptilian. The party made themselves visible on a rise. The leaders of the war party assessed the number and estimated capabilities vs their own. No need for blood. Some insults exchanged, and warnings that the desert will take you anyhow...
The serpent-folk faded into the night.
Daylight and travel. More standing stones? Yup. More standing stones.
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These were before a cliff and almost appeared to float.
And they had guardians.
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via Jason Sholtis |
A human emerged, shooing them back and welcoming the party. Yes, this was the cave and passage they sought. Please, enter, shelter your animals, fill your water.
The hermit was Sigwald, the caretaker, along with a companion, of the cave and its shrine to a forgotten fire god. The animals were stabled in the largest cavern, and the party shown to the pool. Of course it has random beneficial powers, and members of the party now need 1/2 water or rations, or will not suffer sand in their shoes (and other garments...) for up to three days.
After they rested, Sigwald showed them to the shrine to the god. You have a companion here? Oh yes. Please meet them. To an inner cave, with a crystal stele. Inside shifted and flared a being of flame. Party members saw the being according to their own heritages, flaming eyes, ancient forge-gods, or winged beings. It introduced itself as Dongan. Are you the god here? Oh no, just a being confined here to watch. Bomb thought this was unfortunate, and wanted to offer a gift.
And what would be better for a being of flame than burning hands? (Failed roll - yeah, you better use your luck token for something this important...). The gout of flame enveloped the stele, and Dongan laughed in joy and thanks. That was rather refreshing, small one.
With that, Sigwald offered his own boon. Perhaps a reading of the stones? Returning to the standing stones, he lit a fire among them and prepared incense. Small offerings were thrown to the fire, and the stones levitated, shifting in a dance before settling back to the ground. Sigwald read their arrangement.
Ah, loss or lost... Hmm.
DM Notes:
As mentioned above, first-time players can be a joy. Can I try this? was a refrain for the night, as Bomb Murfin (one of my favorite Shadowdarklings random names). I'd designed the hazardous caverns as a potential running battle or maze, but why not try to talk to some elemental critters? There were several reaction rolls and judgement calls as the sprites "voted" to allow the party passage. Bomb coincidentally had extra languages that happened to mesh into the setting and random encounters. So ok, we don't fight everything. And we leave treasure in a tomb? What sorcery is this?!? Anyway, hopefully she'll be back for more shenanigans...
A full table, but everyone hopefully got a moment or at least decisive roll.
The Milduitic were a "Minions Speed Round" entry I submitted during the Expanded Petty Gods community writing project. Their cavern has been sitting in my file-pile for quite some time, and why not use it as one of the passageways? With a point-crawl environment, I've balanced out encounters and locations as having peril, being harmless, or beneficial. Some are informed by reaction rolls (e.g. the war party), but most are pre-set. Out in the boonies, not everything wants to fight.
So now we strike off into the desert, seeking the city, whatever its name is...
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Ok, should post up those "shortcut" scenarios for general populace use and abuse. As well as continue my convention game prep - the Shadowdark gauntlet needs some more love, as well as my review of the Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells rules, so I'm not a total hack at running it.
Oh, and continuing our Hyperborea sessions on Monday night (8/3). Last session, the party slayed a chimera for a good bounty (although one party member is now a wight...) Bersi the mage is indebted to a local witch, and has been having unsettling dreams. I'm sure it's completely unrelated.
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