Dungeon Crawl Classics, Ch. 1: The Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho

The story so far....

A fledgling band of would-be adventurers (consisting of Sharza the Badger, Dagg Riprock, Wiliby the Red, Dair, and Delghar Fellhammer) has set out from the big city to seek fortune and glory in the wilderlands of the Urkallan Hills. Nestled among the hills, they come across a small hamlet called Hadler's Gap. Hadler's Gap is really little more than a collection of buildings set between two steep hills, with a trade road running right through town. The "town" consists of one inn, a mill set along a fast-running creek, a farrier's and carter's shop, an herbalist's apothecary shop, a blacksmithy, and a barn that acts as a community gathering place, social center, or local market every ten days or so. In total, the surrounding farmers, families, and locals who live alone in the woods total about 90 people spread over a 3 mile radius.

In town, the adventurers hear tales of many strange behaviors and stranger physical changes to the local wildlife, including once-peaceful kobolds and an ogre in the nearby hills. The ogre, named Logbrag, formerly relied on extortion and intimidation to rob merchants and dominate the kobolds, but was, on the whole, peaceful. However, lately he has begun raiding neighboring hamlets and waylaying travelers...in short, his behavior has changed to that of a psychotic marauder. The local folks have asked the characters to track down Logbrag the ogre in his cave, and slay him. They also are concerned about the reasons behind the physical changes and extreme aggression of Logbrag, and the other creatures in the area.

What say you, young adventurers?

"There's strange doin's afoot in this town, and the people call out in their hour of need! Ho, mighty companions, let us lend our combined might to waylay the waylayers, raid the raiders, and, uh..." Dagg's voice trails off, unable to finish the unruly speech he at first thought he had under control.

"Shoot... Let's go hunt some ogre!" he finally decides, giving Pebbles an appreciative skritch betwixt his ears. (The rat's, that is)

Wiliby the Red steps forward with a flourish of his red cape, and holds a hand toward his gung-ho friend. "Ho! Hold, my anxious, tusk-ed companion. As much as my blood boils at the thought of the suffering caused by Logbrag the Ogre, who claims all the tight valley between the tall mountains as his own, we ought first perhaps to pry from yon villagers any further information on Logbrag. Have any been to his cave and survived? Can a survivor tell us of the cave's location and vulnerabilities? Also, whence and hence doth he waylay? We should know where we are asked to go and should develop a plan before we encounter the giant-one and summarily abandon the plan and ruthlessly and unwisely attempt to prove our mettle against him in an uncoordinated and, mayhaps even spastic, attack."

(OOC: Er, translation: I'll ask around: where's his cave and can we get any description of it or the area around it, etc.)

Spitting on the ground Delghar looks around his companions, Hanseath's Beard, how did I ever end up with such a ragtag group shaking his head slightly Delghar speaks in his rough barritone "The Elf has a point, Orky. If we are going to hunt this beast we need information"

Turning the the towns folk with a glint of avarice in his eyes, "You expect us to put our lives on the line for you, what reward are you offering"

Lord_Raven88 said:

"The Elf has a point, Orky. If we are going to hunt this beast we need information"

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Dagg listens intently to the Dwarf, then turns his attention to the Elf, particularly his head. He rubs the whiskers on his chin thoughtfully, then finally intones, "Ahhhh... Yes. Yes, I see now. In the correct light, you can just make it out there. Or were you talking about the ones on his ears?"

Lazlow said:

Dagg listens intently to the Dwarf, then turns his attention to the Elf, particularly his head. He rubs the whiskers on his chin thoughtfully, then finally intones, "Ahhhh... Yes. Yes, I see now. In the correct light, you can just make it out there. Or were you talking about the ones on his ears?"

Click to expand...

"What are you on about you scatter brained fool", thinking back to what he said The Elf has a point, a look of understanding suddenly crosses Delghars face, Hanseath save me.

Taking a calming breath he's as thick as the stones he loves, thru clenched teeth "What I mean, is that what the Elf said makes sense, we need more information" noticing the barly hidden smiles amongst his new companions and the towns folk, Delghar's frown deapens, crossing his arms in irritation Delghar mutters to himself "Who's the greater fool, the fool himself, or those who travel with them"

"Information..." Dagg responds, a look of contemplative understanding slowy making its way across his craggy visage. "In-for-MAY-tion..." he repeats, slowly and more pronounced. "By hook or by crook, we'll get it!"

He leans over toward Wiliby and whispers loudly, "What were all those questions you asked, again? Mayhap they can get us more of this information we need, so we can hurry up and go find the ogre."

Wiliby doesn't pretend to whisper back, "Yes, yes, orcish companion. Good call. I'll ask them now." He then turns to any assembled (NPC's) and says loudly, "Who has seen this Ogre with his own eyes? Of those, who has seen its cave?" If no one answers immediately, he throws his hands up, "I don't know if this tactic is going to work. The locals don't seem to have any clue. If only we had a tracker . . . one who could, with only the smallest clues, lead us to the Ogre's lair. Are there any trackers in the house?"

Dagg leans over to Delghar. "So... Do you track? Are you a tracker? Have you any tracking skill, good sir Dwarf? 'Trackest thou thine enemies, so that they may be smitten', as the holy writ says? Have you tracked in the past? Engaged in any trackination, of sorts, my hearty friend? Is tracknitude counted amongst those fields in which you have some entrainment?"

He whispers back to Wiliby and confides, "Krungo the Wisened taught me some good wordination when I was but a youngeningling...", he says with a huge wink.

Dair pipes up from behind Dagg, "an aggressive ogre, how surprising. Perhaps we should contact the kobolds first?" Realizing maybe he wasn't heard over Dagg's bulk, he steps around the half-orc and looks at his companions.