pogre
Legend
Ancient Awakenings
Campaign Note: This campaign is based on Paizo's Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path. There are numerous spoilers throughout this narrative. One aspect of the hobby I enjoy is creating terrain and painting miniatures – I endeavor to include numerous pictures of these props in the story hour. Directly after I post an episode I will include notes on rules, information on players, etc.
Episode One
“Vermin. Ratlings.” The small group of Rat-folk heard the whispers and murmurs follow them as they made their way through the festival crowd. They even heard the old Dwarven name, skaven, bantered about as they passed through the teeming crowd.
“I thought this was a religious festival,” one of the ratfolk said to another. All three of the sleek-furred adventurers smiled. The ratfolk adventurers were accustomed to facing some level of prejudice in human-dominated towns such as Sandpoint.
The festival at Sandpoint was indeed a religious festival. The Swallowtail Festival would serve a double role this Autumn Equinox, for it would also serve as the moment for the sanctification of a new massive stone temple in the town.
The festival was opened with the usual speeches by the mayor, town sheriff, and head priest. Some noble fop did not show up to give his speech so the local theater owner stepped up and gave the crowd some good laughs. The priest and his acolytes wheeled in a large cart and released thousands of swallowtail butterflies. A free lunch was catered by the local taverns with lots of savory dishes.
The afternoon passed pleasantly enough and as the sun began to set an explosion near the speaking platform. The head priest smiled pleasantly from the platform and looked as though he was about to speak. Everyone relaxed from the initial alarm raised by the loud noise, but just as quickly screams began throughout the area.
A strange sing-song gibbering rose from the edges of the festival. A yelp rose from under a nearby vendor cart as a small, wide-headed humanoid slit the throat of a poor stray dog. Screeches of inhuman delight rose from around the square as small parties of goblins unleashed attacks. Cries of alarm competed with the strange jibbering song, shouted orders from the town guard, and the clash of metal on metal as combat broke out.
The ratfolk adventurers were joined by a half-orc barbarian, a half-elf, a catfolk, and a human female in taking on the goblins. As soon as this intrepid group took down one set of goblins they moved on to another. The goblins seemed to be everywhere. Fortunately, the goblins were easily distracted – they stopped for a bite to eat from vendor carts and banquet tables, gave battle to dogs, horses, and people with equal zeal. Some of the goblins wielded torches and started small fires throughout the area.
A group of town guardsmen fight a group of goblins.
The group finished off the last group of goblins in their area, including one of the singing female goblins. As the adventurers paused to catch their collective breaths a strange calm descended over the area near the temple. The head priest of the temple looked up from helping some of the locals with wounds and walked over to the group.
“Gods bless you all,” the priest called to them. As he neared he asked, “Are any of you hurt?” He quickly cast healing prayers over some of the adventurers. The priest was continuing to praise their collective bravery, but sounds of combat to the north of caught the adventurers' attention.
*****
The adventurers scrambled north and quickly saw a noble fop cornered with his loyal hound by a nasty goblin mounted on a strange looking canine.
The group rushed towards the conflict and were intercepted by another set of goblins. As the adventurers hacked through the goblins they heard a yelp from the guard dog and a cry from the fop.
The goblin was poised to strike at the nearly defenseless fop when the adventurers managed to knock the goblin off his mount.
The ensuing combat was decidedly one-sided as the adventurers hacked the goblin and its mount to pieces. One of the ratfolk quickly went to the beleaguered dog and murmured a healing prayer.
The noble introduced himself to the adventurers as Aldern Foxglove and thanked them profusely for saving him. He informed them he would be in town for a few days and invited them to come see him at the Rusty Dragon where he can properly reward them.
****
The adventurers began laughing as the goblin raid ended. Their laughter was half-relief and half joy. They finally got around to introducing themselves to each other. The Lady Mayor Deverin approached with a partially torn garb with outstretched arms. “Saviors of Sandpoint! We are indebted to you!” The Lady Mayor warmly embraced each adventurer, even the ratfolk and catfolk.
As the adventurers started walking back through the town they were greeted as heroes everywhere. Their names became known and people called them out by name. They received promises of free drinks, home made pies, meals, and even lodging.
Campaign Note: This campaign is based on Paizo's Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path. There are numerous spoilers throughout this narrative. One aspect of the hobby I enjoy is creating terrain and painting miniatures – I endeavor to include numerous pictures of these props in the story hour. Directly after I post an episode I will include notes on rules, information on players, etc.
Episode One
“Vermin. Ratlings.” The small group of Rat-folk heard the whispers and murmurs follow them as they made their way through the festival crowd. They even heard the old Dwarven name, skaven, bantered about as they passed through the teeming crowd.
“I thought this was a religious festival,” one of the ratfolk said to another. All three of the sleek-furred adventurers smiled. The ratfolk adventurers were accustomed to facing some level of prejudice in human-dominated towns such as Sandpoint.
The festival at Sandpoint was indeed a religious festival. The Swallowtail Festival would serve a double role this Autumn Equinox, for it would also serve as the moment for the sanctification of a new massive stone temple in the town.
The festival was opened with the usual speeches by the mayor, town sheriff, and head priest. Some noble fop did not show up to give his speech so the local theater owner stepped up and gave the crowd some good laughs. The priest and his acolytes wheeled in a large cart and released thousands of swallowtail butterflies. A free lunch was catered by the local taverns with lots of savory dishes.
The afternoon passed pleasantly enough and as the sun began to set an explosion near the speaking platform. The head priest smiled pleasantly from the platform and looked as though he was about to speak. Everyone relaxed from the initial alarm raised by the loud noise, but just as quickly screams began throughout the area.
A strange sing-song gibbering rose from the edges of the festival. A yelp rose from under a nearby vendor cart as a small, wide-headed humanoid slit the throat of a poor stray dog. Screeches of inhuman delight rose from around the square as small parties of goblins unleashed attacks. Cries of alarm competed with the strange jibbering song, shouted orders from the town guard, and the clash of metal on metal as combat broke out.
The ratfolk adventurers were joined by a half-orc barbarian, a half-elf, a catfolk, and a human female in taking on the goblins. As soon as this intrepid group took down one set of goblins they moved on to another. The goblins seemed to be everywhere. Fortunately, the goblins were easily distracted – they stopped for a bite to eat from vendor carts and banquet tables, gave battle to dogs, horses, and people with equal zeal. Some of the goblins wielded torches and started small fires throughout the area.
A group of town guardsmen fight a group of goblins.
The group finished off the last group of goblins in their area, including one of the singing female goblins. As the adventurers paused to catch their collective breaths a strange calm descended over the area near the temple. The head priest of the temple looked up from helping some of the locals with wounds and walked over to the group.
“Gods bless you all,” the priest called to them. As he neared he asked, “Are any of you hurt?” He quickly cast healing prayers over some of the adventurers. The priest was continuing to praise their collective bravery, but sounds of combat to the north of caught the adventurers' attention.
*****
The adventurers scrambled north and quickly saw a noble fop cornered with his loyal hound by a nasty goblin mounted on a strange looking canine.
The group rushed towards the conflict and were intercepted by another set of goblins. As the adventurers hacked through the goblins they heard a yelp from the guard dog and a cry from the fop.
The goblin was poised to strike at the nearly defenseless fop when the adventurers managed to knock the goblin off his mount.
The ensuing combat was decidedly one-sided as the adventurers hacked the goblin and its mount to pieces. One of the ratfolk quickly went to the beleaguered dog and murmured a healing prayer.
The noble introduced himself to the adventurers as Aldern Foxglove and thanked them profusely for saving him. He informed them he would be in town for a few days and invited them to come see him at the Rusty Dragon where he can properly reward them.
****
The adventurers began laughing as the goblin raid ended. Their laughter was half-relief and half joy. They finally got around to introducing themselves to each other. The Lady Mayor Deverin approached with a partially torn garb with outstretched arms. “Saviors of Sandpoint! We are indebted to you!” The Lady Mayor warmly embraced each adventurer, even the ratfolk and catfolk.
As the adventurers started walking back through the town they were greeted as heroes everywhere. Their names became known and people called them out by name. They received promises of free drinks, home made pies, meals, and even lodging.
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