The Land of Black Glass: story hour: part 1

Hello all

Though it about time I tried my hand at a story hour, and since I have recently started a new campaign (3.5 for this one) what better time to try.

Firstly, the player characters (all first level); the "speech" bits are what the players themselves sent me when we were creating the characters, which were also shown to the other players. The other two are more secretive and therefore shorter.

• Kairee Ravencroft, female human, fighter L1 [Alister's]
  Amazonian-type, but more scout than warrior. Comes from a dragon-worshipping group, dedicated to hunting down evil dragons.
• Richard Sherman, cleric L1 [Jonny's]
  
  "He's big, slow, very loud, heavily armed and fanatically devoted to the glory of Cahan. Likes nothing more than putting a sword to the forces of chaos in the name of his God. If he was in a movie, Brian Blessed would probably get the part."
• Nix, kobold wu jen (wizard) L1 [Doug's]
  Looking for the adventuring group that slew his 'mother' and his tribe (a red dragon and the kobolds that catered to its needs).
• Fischer, Fighter L1 [Mark's]
  
  "A usually quiet youth (excepting too much rum!) - muscles built by hauling in catch nets, accuracy with weapons due to hunting the beasts of the sea and shallows.
  
  His main trade has grown boring to him as he has only sailed local shores between mainland and tide breakers . He is thankful for Cerinwe's blessing at night and Lucas warmth and good weather by day. Though when the storms raised by Cahans mighty roar and whim he is grateful for to wait it out on good motherand Dairine's solid embrace. He requires adventures further afield and wonders what and seas are awaiting him in the near future."
• Caracala female elf, unknown L1 [Carni's]
  
  "She seems to be a young and pretty but somewhat feral elf girl (She always wears a hood but you may have caught sight of those pointed ears). A few strands of pale blond hair can be seen, decorated with pink feathers. Under a her sleeved and hooded robe of dark teal she wears a sturdy looking bodice and full length skirt both of brown leather. The long skirt trails along the floor and the lower edges are somewhat torn and frayed although you can hear the tik-tap of stilletto boot heels if she walks over a hard surface. She carries no visable weapon but the heavy leather gauntlets she wears look out of place on such a young girl.
  
  She's usualy seen hanging around outside taverns, singing for money and undoubtedly has a beautifull voice. Most often at the Waypoint where returning adventurers have plenty of loose change but when times are hard she visits the Two Pints because theres usualy unfinished food left on the tables. Also seen staring longingly into the windows of Marianne's Sweetshop and Fit for an Empress but on occasion, carrying a heavy looking bag and following a Kobold. Doesn't speak much...hardly at all infact (a few words at best) and is considered a bit simple by most.
  
  Rumor has it an orc tried to drag her into a dark alley onetime and got his face cut up so badly that even a cure moderate wounds won't fix the scars. Since then the locals seem to leave her alone."

Next, their first adventure...

[p.s. here is a link to the site with lots of info on the world: Obsidian].

First Adventure: Flowers for Reginald

It all started in the hall of the Wayfinders Guild; a vast room dominated by a map carved into one wall, showing the new world, the places explored and discovered, with numerous scrawled comments enscribed, such as "Gnolls Here!" or "Dragon!".

On the opposite wall, rows of notice boards with jobs posted. Most were taken that day, others asking for specialised knowledge or expertise, but there was one post that seemed to offer easy gold:

"Looking for work! Need some loose coins to fill your pockets! Then look no further. Gatherers wanted to pick flowers! Enquire at mid-day, to Reginald Moinne of House Moinne! 50 gp apiece on delivery!"

It looked like easy money.

Five 'people' stood looking at the post, each lost in their own thoughts, when a cleared throat behind them made them take notice of a well-dressed merchant, looking up at them through bronze-rimmed spectacles. A glance at the cloudy sky through the windows of the guild told them that it was the appointed time of mid-day.

"Come for the job? Good, good. Glad to see you. My name is Reginald. It's an easy job, just a short trip to some nerby ruins; gather some flowers; bring them back."

Reginald pointed to the giant map on the wall, to a particular ruin marked there, on the edge of the Bitter Leaf forest.

"Two days there, two days back. The flowers are the Devil's Horns flower, red, look like horns, much valued by wizards. You get me as many as you can harvest, and in five days I'll meet you back here to collect. You'll be paid well. Here, have a gold piece as a retainer. Any questions? No? Excellent,"

Before anyone could say anything, the merchant turned and walked away.

The five new employees looked at one another warily...

...but since they all needed the money, they introduced themselves and decided to go and pick some flowers together. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

The first to introduce himself was Sherman, a cleric of the war god Cahan. A loud man, wasted no time to letting everyone know who his god was. He carried a well-used sword.

Then there was Fischer, an ex-sailor and fisherman, carrying a trident and a net. He looked out of place in the landbound guild, wearing shark-skin armour with the teeth still attached.

The small kobold said his name was Nix; he seemed drawn to the flames of the lanterns hanging up, the fire glinting in his draconis eyes. The young elf girl seemed to be with him, not talking much, and when they left the guild she was carrying the kobold's pack.

Finally, there was Kairee, leather-clad and dual bladed, pleasant and amicable.

They wasted no time in leaving the guild and heading straight out of the port, pausing only to check that they each have enough supplies to get them to the ruins and back.

For the most part they travelled with minimal conversation, although Sherman kept mentioning his glorious god whenever he spoke. The elf girl, Caracala by name, spoke little and followed in Nix's footsteps.

The day was cool, the sky cloudy and promising rain. Autumn was edging slowly towards winter, but the chill had not yet reached the port. A bit of drizzle made the hike through the grassy plains a bit more unpleasant than it could have been, but the journey wasn't too bad.

By mid-afternoon they had left Obsidian behind, passing through some low rolling hills with trees dotted about and a small stream cutting across their path.

Suddenly two arrows flew through the air and embedded themselves into the ground at the feet of the cleric, and a voice called out from some nearby trees:

"Halt! Give us your gold and you'll come to no harm!"

Caracala immediately loosened her coin pouch, pitiful as it was, and threw it to the ground. No one else followed suit; in fact, they became rather angry.

"Like hell I will," muttered Nix to himself, a sentiment common to the other three.

"Come now, you're surrounded and we'll have to kill you otherwise!" said the voice again; a gruff, masculine voice, that trembled ever so slightly.

Kairee was already moving off to the side, moving towards the trees and looking for the owner of the voice: she spotted a pair of men hiding in the branches of the trees, bows ready.

Fischer looked around, but couldn't see anyone. Sherman too, could see no one, but he wasn't about to stand still and wait to see what happened; he drew his sword and with a prayer to Cahan he started towards the trees.

"Halt!! screamed the voice. Another pair of arrows struck the ground near Sherman, but the cleric ignored them.

"Come out, coward! In the name of Cahan, show yoursef," cried Sherman loudly.

The owner of the voice stepped out from behind the tree; but before the tired looking man could say or do anything, Kairee decided she had had enough and fired an arrow of her own at one of the men in the tree... a good shot that felled the man before he ever realised what was happening.

"We're being attacked!" cried the other.

Their leader drew his own sword, but Sherman was quicker, despite his bulk and armour; he strode up to the man and swiped with his blade: whether by skill, or luck, of the will of his god, the sword bit deep into the man's neck and carried through. The would-be robber's head fell to the ground, closely followed by his body.

This was all too much for the last man, who quickly dropped his bow and surrendered, jumping down from the tree and begging to be spared.

"Very well," said Sherman. "Be on your way, but when you return to Obsidian, mend you ways and do good. Or else we shall come looking for you!"

The robber fled, happy to be alive.

The five flower-pickers looted the bodies, no qualms at all, finding little of worth. Without a word over the dead, they carried on until night fall and made camp in the trees that formed the border into the forest known as Bitter Leaf.

Next: snakes and ruins...

Snakes & Ruins

In the middle of the night, as Kairee stood watch over her sleeping companions, prodding the dying fire and attempting to coax it back to life, something moved in the shadows beyond the trees.

Looking up with her keen eyes she spotted a giant snake, a viper, slithering towards the camp. With reckless abandon she drew her twin swords and charged at the beast, heedless of the danger, not a word of warning to those sleeping.

The snake reared up as she attacked, dodging her blows; it snapped its jaw around her arm, biting deep and injecting weakening poison into her blood.

As Kairee's cry of pain Nix awoke, and upon seeing an enourmous snake that could swallow him whole, he quickly woke the camp. Meanwhile, Kairee scored a hit on the viper, cutting deep into its side. It bite her again, on the shoulder, the poison burning the wound.

Fischer and Sherman picked up their weapons and moved in, swinging and stabbing, and in a few short seconds the snake was dead.

Nix said he had heard that such creatures ate treasure, so with help he cut open the snake and Caracala, his elf girl companion, was astounded that he was right: inside the guts of the snake werea pair of bronze spectacles, a scrollcase of bone, and the remains of an elf that was partially digested.

* * *

They arrived at the ruins just before dusk. It was raining heavily, great drops pounding into the earth. The ruins themselves were little more than foundations sticking out of the barren soil, in concentric circles that held a wide pit at their very centre. By the remains of a wall, red flowers grew.

Fischer noticed the body first.

"Look, over there, is that a body?"

It was. A woman, slumped against some rocks, head lolling, a corpse several days old. She was dressed in explorer's clothes, her pack on her back, something wrapped around her neck like a scarf. It was obvious she was dead. She had that stillness that only a corpse has.

Sherman and Kairee approached it carefully, looking out for anything odd of place. Fischer readied his net and grasped his trident tightly, while Caracala and Nix watched from the back.

As the two humans approached the body, the thing wrapped around its neck slowly unwound itself and took to the air: a cord of thick muscle with a bloodshot eye on either end. The eye-cord spun violently and flew towards them...

Next: into the ruins