The Affairs of Wizards (Campaign Log)

[Majestic]

I always read every word of your summaries, Scrollreader. You do an excellent job conveying all that happened, and they're very enjoyable to read. So thanks for posting them!

[Scrollreader]

Session Five:. Eastern Promises

After a productive week or two of downtime, the fellowship proceeded to begin their search for the Mewlips, and who or whatever was responsible for their sudden jump in cleverness and danger. Glabum was again withdrawn and taciturn (Player absence due to real life issues), as the fellowship borrowed boats (via the King's Writ from Bard) and headed downriver. The first phase of the journey went remarkably well, even for the Healer (He passed a fatigue check, and there was much rejoicing). Arriving at a small village after a few days, they found some of the buildings burned down, and a sullen, scarred cluster of people. They set ashore to do what they could for the survivors. While Aurel and Lonnie and Farmann set off to explore the river, searching for tracks and signs of the invaders, Roderic the Bard and Grimfast the Healer questioned the small folk, trying to set them at ease while they tried to Riddle out some rhyme or reason behind the attacks.
With some ideas, but not yet fully convinced, they stopped at two more villages. While Aurel and Farmann found tracks leading from the river at each village, Lonnie proved that trying to travel more than short distances in the cold, fast waters of the river was improbable, even for the wretched Marshdwellers. (She almost drowned, managing to roll a total of 1, and an Eye), but Farmann, who swims like a fish, was there to drag her back out.
Based on the pattern of attacks, and the unusual behavior of the Mewlips (they did not loot or feed, just slayed and burned, and melted back into the River Running) the Woodsmen determined the direction the attacks seemed to be coming from, and were convinced that some deeper evil was afoot. While Glabum stayed with the boats and helped rebuild one of the villages, the two Bardings and the Elf lead on, finding tracks and traces after a day or two in the Marshes that confirmed they were on the right track. After a week or two of travel through the marshes, some of the party (of course including The Healer) was worn down by the seemingly unending swamps, when they came upon a ruined city, sunk almost underground in the reeking fens. Ancient mannish work, Aurel explained, from before The Dragon, when a Man called himself King of the North.
The party explored the ruined city for as long as the light lasted, eventually taking shelter behind the broken walls atop a hill, the closest they could come to being safe and dry. They lit no fire, but laid supplies in, deeply uneasy and worried about an attack in the night.
They were right to worry, and Lonnie's keen ears picked up a susurrus of croaking groans, and a harsh whisper in the darkness. Rousing the others quietly, the fellowship armed and armored themselves, and then set the massive bonfire they had built ablaze. As the fire roared up the heavens, it revealed a score of Marshdwellers, and a bent and twisted figure, cackling as it commanded them to slay the cursed intruders.
No sooner had the leader of this band revealed herself, than Aurel's bow sang out, and sent a pair of arrows, flickering with Elven fire, that pierced the heart of the Marsh Hag, striking her stone dead. (The players were terrified of the Marsh Hag when she used Snake-Like speed to avoid a would be piercing blow in the first opening volley from The Bard, so Aurel used her new Wood Elf Magic virtue to smack her with a piercing blow before she could get into melee). The rest of the party also let their arrows fly, managing to drop a few of the onrushing Mewlips. Then the battle was engaged in earnest. Accosted by the foul and choking reek of their foes, the group decided to simply let their blades do the talking. It took some time, and some scrapes and bruises, but after the opening volley, the outcome was never truly in doubt, as The Bard, protected by his hound, Roach, sent shots from his mighty bow in where a foe was staggered from a sword blow, and the Healer once again encouraged his companions as the fight continued. None of the foul Marshdwellers survived.
In the morning, the fellowship took stock of their situation, and decided to keep searching for the source of the attacks, convinced that the lone hag could not have been responsible for all of the attacks. After some hours, they discovered a deep well, with rusting iron rungs leading down into an ancient cistern. Lonnie led the way, with Aurel and the others holding a rope tied to her, should she fall. She managed to avoid a few broken and rusted out rungs, as she made her way downward, until the ladder ended. She could see water not that far below her, in the faint light creeping in from above, so she told the group to give her some slack in the rope, and jumped down... and into a hidden pile of sharpened metal, cunningly placed in the murky water beneath the ladder. Scraped up, but with her armor holding, due to luck (and a hope point) she moved the rusting metal out of the way, and tied off the rope for the others to come down and join her in the rotting remains of the cistern, where a clawed out tunnel led deeper into the darkness beneath the ruined city.
Lighting torches, and hindered by the waist-high water and muck that lined the tunnels, the party delved for perhaps a pair of hours, exploring under the city. They went away from the worst of the reek at first, and found an abandoned wine cellar, and the ruined lower level of what was undoubtedly once a great fortress and home. Seeing traces that the Mewlips had been here, but nothing more, they turned in resignation, and went deeper, seeking out the worst of the rotten, clinging reek, aware that between the tightness of the tunnels, and the clinging muck, they would be at a disadvantage against the foul Marshdwellers, down here. Ever on they pressed, while a world away, the sun moved across the sky on the surface. Finally, they reached a cave their torches could only barely illuminate, as the muck thinned; but as they did so, they were met with a guttural roar that seemed to shake the stones themselves. A massive, knotted troll squinted hatefully at the flickering torchlight, egged on by another hag, and surrounded by a sea of Mewlips, groaning and croaking with stentorian hate. The party raced into action, with a few driving for the dry land ahead of them, or at least, only inches of muck. (PCs could choose to avoid being hindered, but it meant Forward Stance only). Others took careful aim, and again managed to put in extra effort to take out the Marsh Hag first. (The Bard blew a hope to overcome her Snake-Like Speed on a successful piercing blow.). Lorrie, meanwhile, had a mad plan. While the others raced for dry land, or bent bows before the melee was joined, she readied a rope and successfully lassoed the Cave Troll. (Lorrie only has one athletics, but with a preliminary die she managed a Gandalf and a Tengwar). Battle was joined, deep under the earth, while Lorrie rode the troll back and forth, as it flailed at her, crushing the occasional unlucky Mewlip underfoot. (Next roll from Lorrie- Two Tengwar, total 20 athletics check). While Aurel stabbed at the great beast with her spear, and the Bard sent arrows into the great troll's flanks, The Healer and Farmann held off a wave of Marshdwellers, killing several. Finally, as the troll grew tired, after smashing Lorrie against the cave to try to dislodge her, she let loose the rope, driving her twin swords into the creature's back. As it flailed, dying, the others charged into the remaining Mewlips, who scattered. Leaderless and wailing, they fled deep into the darkness, no longer to trouble the people of Dale ...
In the ruined squalor of the cave was ancient gold, though whether it belonged to the Hag or the Troll mattered little now. The Healer found a belt of Mithril and Silver, truly ancient and valuable (40T), the Bard discovered a large black pearl, black as midnight (20T), and Aurel's keen eyes spotted an ancient gem of Elvish make, clear but for where the light of the stars shone out of it. (Blessing of Protection). The others gathered a treasure in gold for themselves, as the fellowship made their way back, wearied and worn (lots of hope expenditure in this session) to the surface.

[Scrollreader]

As an LM, I was rather proud of how this session went. Firstly, because it was entirely mine, though based on events that had been set in motion by the campaign and by the PCs previous actions. And second, because I'm beginning to feel like I'm getting the combat balance as a more inherent understanding, and feeling more comfortable with how the PCs will act (mostly. Lonnie's plan with the troll took me a bit by surprise).
In most fights, after an opening volley, the majority of the party goes to forward. Aurel usually takes advantage of her Shadow Bane and reasonable defense to lay the hurt down, while the rest of 'Team Rawr' will open with an Intimidate Foe or three, depending on opposition, before just murdering things. The Healer usually sits in Open, unless sorely pressed, and uses Inspire tactically, mixing it with normal attacks. The Bard is almost always in Rearward, as the archer, but he bought a second dot in Longaxe, and the Harass task for his hound, so he will occasionally drift into open to Heal, Weary a key foe and even swing his axe (but rarely that).
At various points Lonnie and Aurel have added an emergency inspire or song to recover endurance, but usually stick to combat.
The fights this time were able to disrupt that a little, due to Foul Reek and Snake-Like Speed (which got some players genuinely a bit worried, and definitely earned their respect). On the whole, the fellowship ended down some Hope, which is a nice change. Not every adventuring phase will be this rough, but it was a nice barometer of how much they can handle. Upgrading the Troll to a Cave Troll was definitely a good call, but with less than five players, I'd be very careful. That thing is scary.
I was also impressed with my players again, as they took the ball and ran with it, including Lorrie's insane plan, which ate like 3 preliminary dice and a personal and a fellowship pool hope, but which all the players were rooting for.
Overall, a great session, and one that was a blast. People were also quite gamely trying for Magical Treasures again, where the Healer's ability to roll an abnormal number of Eyes is very much to his benefit.

[Majestic]

Another great recap! The way you handled Glabum's absence was exactly how I would have done it, too.

Your players' tactics is fascinating to me. Our current group (all four Elves, two of each kind) has settled into their own, quite different, routine.

They all sit in Defensive, then when things begin to turn (often with a companion or two going down), one or two will move into Open and sing, rallying their fallen comrades back to health (though sometimes they're still Weary).

[Robin Smallburrow]

Can u explain how a player was able to prevent the Marsh Hag's use of Snake like Speed as I didn't think that was possible. ( I assume the party had the initiative?

Robin S

[Scrollreader]

The party did have the initiative. The player spent a point of hope to add their body to their Greatbow result. This raised the total high enough that Snake-Like speed was not able to prevent a successful hit. It didn't cancel Snake-Like Speed, so much as overpower it.

[Tuska]

Awesome update as per usual. After 6 sessions my group have only had the 1 fight so far so I'm still a little rusty on the mechanics but their first encounter made them realise how long it takes to recover from a fight.

[Hamarr]

Another awesome post Scrollreader, this is really getting me hankering to play TOR again. I read through Ruins and am wanting to write up a campaign to run, your players seem to really enjoy themselves.

[Fictionaut]

A really enjoyable campaign log, Scrollreader. I admire the way you are weaving all the threads together and am very much looking forward to reading the continuation of these adventures. Many thanks for sharing.

[Scrollreader]

I'm glad to hear people are finding this enjoyable and or useful. I have another couple of sessions to get up, as the fellowship has gotten up to the folk moot (that will be our next session). Shenanigans, pipeweed, and the meddling of Wizards, along with several PCs' rocky roads to love.