Of Sound Mind the Halfling Way

[the Jester]

A Little Look Around

Othic’s barn holds several garen- green and yellow, yellow and brown or green and brown in color, striped equine creatures. A number of the stall gates are broken asunder and some of the animals are milling around outside. The clucking of the chickens as our heroes approach it seems fearful to Trinia. The coppery smell of blood taints the air heavily.

The poor old man is dead, no doubt of that. Thelonious gulps softly, examining the body. It’s clear he died by being trampled by garen; but there are nasty bite marks as well. Something attacked him, then panicked the garen...? the ranger thinks.

Our short heroes exeunt the barn. Outside, in the fresh air, they look at each other with pained eyes. Ed has been crying since before they reached Othic’s farm.

“Well,” Sandy says hesitantly, “it isn’t really any of our business. And we have to get the bell made...”

“I think we should help them out,” Ed blubbers. “He fed us!”

“And we do have time before we need to go back,” her twin Coco adds.

So our heroes go to the plaza in the center of town. Not far from it is the bell maker, and they visit him first. Then they try to seek out Mayor Hob, the man they saw speak to the town in the square. They manage to sweet-talk their way in to him and offer to help.

Hob looks tired. “Anything you could do, we’d appreciate. I guess the biggest thing is to find the children. The longer they’re missing, the more likely it is that something bad will happen to her.”

Hob gladly sends someone to show the party the kids’ last known location. “We’ll send whoever we can muster to help you, but we’ve already looked the ground over and our trackers couldn’t find anything,” he laments.

“Maybe I can,” Thelonious says, and once in the shadow of the mountains where the children were last known to have been, he commenced a thorough examination of ground, brush, twig and creek. After about an hour, he exclaimed, “Here!” and started moving across ground empty to the eyes of the others. Slowly they followed the ground, Thelonious sometimes muttering to himself. “Goblins,” he announces at one point, then presses his lips together. I hope the kids are still alive, he thinks grimly.

The party decides to wait for whatever trackers Mayor Hob can come up with to arrive. At about the fourth hour past noon, a single crabby and unhelpful man arrives. He’s brusque but willing to follow Thelonious’ lead.

Up the skirt of the mountain (which looks to shortly become unclimbable) the party moves, the two trackers working together to guide the group. “Won’t be able to get up the mountain,” the surly tracker comments.

“You couldn’t find the trail, either,” mutters Sandy.

Soon the tracks lead our heroes to a narrow hidden path that ascends. But it’s nightfall, and soon the climb would become untenable. “We’ll get an early start tomorrow,” Dogfish suggests. The group returns to town, the tracker sullenly telling them they’re on their own. He’s short-tempered and hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in quite a while.

So back to town the clan goes, their dog scampering after them. A good couple of meals, a good night’s sleep and a few more meals; then they’ll come back.

And someone will die.


Next Time: The halfling party’s first fatality!

 

[Lela]

And someone will die.

Next Time: The halfling party’s first fatality!

Too look forward to the next update or not. That is the question.

Ah, screw it, give us blood!!!!!

 

[the Jester]

A Difficult Climb

His fingers dig for purchase. His breath is short and his calves are screaming as he stretches up, pushing hard with his toe to avoid falling from the mountain face. Even with the path they found, the climb is nearly impossible.

For an instant he feels his toe start to slip, and then Thelonious' rough grip snatches at his wrist, pulling him up onto the ledge. With a shudder, Federico collapses, whining. His arms and legs are trembling, his tail's between his legs. The poor, weak kobold* has been having more trouble with the climb than anyone else, but even so, the entire group is sore and tired from their exertions.

But they're making progress up Steeple Mountain.

They pause for a moment to catch their breath, then continue up the trail, scrabbling over rough rocks and clambering up natural steps. They work together, and by midday they've come to a dreadful sheer cliff. Even with the climber's kit they borrowed from the mayor, our heroes know this is a treacherous and potentially lethal section of the mountain. Again they pause for a moment.

"Looks almost like the mountain's been carved against climbing," Coco pants. His twin sister, Ed, bursts into tears.

Thelonious ties off one end of a rope. Sandy gulps, takes the other end, and carefully picks his way across the cliff to the other side. He never looks down- it's probably an eighty foot drop. Once he reaches the other side, he takes a deep breath and ties the other end of the rope tautly to a sturdy shrub. "All right," he shouts.

One by one the party starts clambering across.

***

Brother He's face is smooth as he continues his ascent of the mountain. He's never seen the sun before these last few days, and it's a marvelous revelation to him. Though it hurt his eyes at first, he adjusted within the first few hours. It's amazing, how far he can see- and the colors! Much more vivid than by torch or witchlight.

But he is ascending, and must discipline his mind to do so. The ascension to the top of a surface mountain is symbolic of his spiritual ascent, which of course has only just begun. But as he transcends his body and mind, so too must he transcend his environment.

Suddenly Brother He's train of thought is interrupted by a terrible warbling scream from above him. He whips his gaze up.

There! Above him- a group of climbers- and one falling, falling, down towards him.

***

When it's Ed's turn to climb across, she hesitates for a long moment. Instead of using the rope to aid her in climbing, she tentatively steps onto it, balancing precariously.

"Careful," Coco cautions as she walks out slowly across the rope. Ed's heart thuds in her chest as she eases her way across and steps off.

Coco steps up after her. He makes it halfway across, and it's tricky; there's considerable wind- and he loses his balance. For an instant he flails his arms, trying to get it back, and then he's starting to fall. His fingertips brush against the rope, but not enough. He shrieks as the cliff whistles past him. Then there's a flash of bone-shattering pain and everything goes black for Coco.

"NOOOOO!!!" howls Ed. "NOOOOOO!!! NOOOOO!!!"

Below, Brother He lowers the arm he raised to shield himself from the splatter of blood and organs that burst from poor Coco's mouth as he died. He can hear the cries of grief above him. After a moment's consideration, he arranges the body and builds a quick cairn for him; then Brother He begins to climb up the cliff, towards our heroes, to offer his condolences.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" asks Thelonious, studying the figure before him. He sees a pale halfling, clearly one of the so-called deep halflings from the Underdark, dressed in simple robes.

"I am Brother He," the monk replies. "I am on a journey of spiritual ascent. To symbolize this, I must climb this mountain. And you?"

"We're following some missing children," growls Dogfish. "Looks like they were kidnapped by goblins."

"Children!" Brother He exclaims. "Perhaps I can help somehow. I would be glad to."

Ed is weeping for her brother; the group decides to pause for a snack and to decide whether to continue forward...


*Str 1, poor thing.


Next Time: Nothing like rolling rocks on adventurers!

 

[Lela]

*Str 1, poor thing.

Ouch.

I like the new name. Brother He. Another play on gender. Is this a common practice in your groups or are you just having fun with the Halflings?

 

[Piratecat]

Ouchie ouchie ouchie splat! Trying it the hard way, eh?

 

[the Jester]

Ouch.

I like the new name. Brother He. Another play on gender. Is this a common practice in your groups or are you just having fun with the Halflings?

I don't know, I've never really noticed it before! I think it's just this particular party- started as a very light-hearted game, and likely to have a lot of light elements in it from time to time.

It was a bummer when Coco fell to his death, though- I thought he had a lot of potential!

 

[the Jester]

Rolling Rocks on Adventurers

As they’re ascending, Ed’s sobs suddenly give way to a strangled shriek. She looks around, a panicky light in her eyes. “Who said that?” she cries. Our heroes reassure her that nobody was talking, but she insists, “I heard something!” Her tears flow freely again, blowing away in the vicious wind. The party stops for a few moments, straining their ears. Nothing.

A bit further up the mountainside, where cold wind lashes at our heroes, they spot a ledge some distance up above. Brother He motions for the group to stop, cocking his head as if listening. “Do you hear something?”

A few moments pass in nervous silence. Then Trinia jumps. “Dark! What was that?” Apprehension fills them. They’re all hearing voices, but... but maybe not the same voice?

“I’m scared,” Ed cries.

Thelonious and Trinia study the shadows. It’s early afternoon; they can reach the ledge shortly. “Perhaps someone should scout,” Brother He offers, following the direction of their gazes as they scan the ledge again.

And soon, He and Sandy are scaling the face of the mountain, heading up for the ledge. The path seems to end somewhere near it; perhaps something lives up there? And then there’s a loud rumbling noise. Sandy glances up and his jaw falls open. “Look out!” he cries.

A large, roundish rock is rolling and bouncing down the face of the mountain at him.

Sandy cringes, pulling himself as flat against the mountain as he can. The rock hits a small outcropping several feet above him and bounces over and past him, missing by inches. He shouts in fear, then glances up again. More rocks! he thinks wildly as two more start bouncing downhill at him.

“Goblins!” cries Brother He, and he starts pulling himself further up the mountain. A rock as big as his chest smashes by him, pulverizing a few mountainside weeds as it crashes inexorably downward. Sandy follows his lead, but then a rock finally lands home, smashing Brother He badly in the head. He reels, barely maintaining his grip on the cliff side, and thinks grimly, We cannot achieve victory like this. He starts heading back down, ignoring the pounding in his head. Again, Sandy follows his lead, descending towards the rest of the party. They can hear the goblins hooting victoriously up above. Rocks continue to rain around them, and both of them keep hearing the whispered voices, murmuring madness in their heads.

They both escape further damage from the rocks and reach the rest of the group safely. “We can’t make it up there,” Sandy says grimly. “Maybe if we had a powerful wizard to lob a fireball at them or something.”

“Let’s keep going around the mountain and see if we can find another way up,” suggests Dogfish, so the party agrees. They go back down the dangerous climb they’ve already ascended, moving slowly and carefully, tears springing from Ed’s face as they pass the death place of her unfortunate twin brother. Once the group gets down far enough- below the part of the mountain that looks carved against ascent- the going is much easier. They begin moving laterally, circling around the skirt of the mountain.

“The local mines,” Federico points out as a guarded cave entrance comes into view.

“Maybe there’s a secret entrance or something in there,” suggests Trinia. “Let’s see if they’ll let us in.”

The party approaches the mine entrance and strikes up a conversation with the guards. They are denied at every turn, though the guards are reasonable and nice enough; but they simply aren’t allowed in the mines. Everything’s fine; there are no missing children in there; the adventurers who are after the kids aren’t in there. Go away.

“What if the dragon had a secret exit out of the mines?” suggests Ed.

“Bah, the dragon’s mines have been abandoned for nigh on fifty years,” scoffs one of the guards. “These are the town’s mines, dug after the ol’ dragon was killed. And even if they were the same mines, you’re unauthorized. You can’t go in.”

“Who could authorize us?” asks Ed.

“Well, the owner, of course- Lucius Krekket. But he’s a busy man, gots a business to run, and why he’d let you in I don’t know.”

The band of halflings (and their allies) heads off. “Perhaps we can find the old mine, entrance,” Brother He says. “Let’s keep moving around the mountain...”


Next Time: The old mines!

 

[Lela]

Stupid red tape. Not even Fruit By the Foot so the Halflings can't eat it.

 

[robberbaron]

Does every party doing this module try to climb the mountain?

 

[the Jester]

Into the Old Mines

“There, look!” Dogfish grunts.

Our heroes have just ascended a rough but climbable ledge, and now they can see decrepit mining equipment, destroyed by free townsfolk or weather. It’s further along the skirt of the mountain, but lower; there’s even a path that leads away from it, though so overgrown that it’s only noticeable from a distance. Had they been on it, the choking weeds and stubby shrubs would have left them unaware of it. From here, though, the party can tell, by the surrounding vegetation, that a trail big enough for a cart leads off towards town.

Now the climbing is easier as they descend; and before another hour is passed, they’ve reached the entrance, sealed by a set of beaten copper plates that have been bent apart enough for someone to move through and enter the old mines. “Look at this!” Sandy exclaims. “It was bent twice- and they even left us a rope!”

Indeed, a knotted rope is tied to a nearby boulder and snakes into the hole.

“Well, isn’t that lucky,” comments Ed.

“Maybe it was the other adventurers,” suggests the kobold, Federico. “Maybe we should go back and get help. I’m hungry.” He’s shivering, as usual.

At the mention of food, Ed’s stomach grumbles. But Dogfish snorts and starts descending the rope, entering a shaft. So our heroes clamber down a series of ropes and into the old mines of the dragon Copperdeath. The sound of water echoes from somewhere below them, and soon our heroes land upon a creaky, obviously unstable platform. Next to it, the wall opens and a passage leads away. The rope continues further down.

Dogfish nods to himself and steps into the passage, following it down to a large room. The others are cautiously following him. More old mining equipment lies around, untouched for perhaps decades. Large greenish beetles scuttle away from the light of Sandy’s lantern as they begin poking around in the old discarded wheelbarrows and sledges, but it’s obvious that it would take hours to search through the place and there’s no obvious reward, so they continue deeper into the mines. Dogfish continues to lead the party forward, ignoring the mined-out area and continuing through the room.

Then, as the group approaches the room’s exit, the light falls on a pile of three severed heads on the ground. Ed gasps and starts crying. Federico starts shivering violently and tuffs his tail between his legs. Dogfish cocks his head and furrows his brow, continuing to walk forward, and the heads suddenly open their swollen yellowish eyes and let out horrific bubbling screams! Our heroes are taken rather aback, and for a moment they freeze in horror- then they react, taking up weapons and bracing themselves, but nothing happens right away. So, shrugging, Dogfish leads the party directly through the intersection. The corridor goes further than our heroes can see, but there seem to be dozens of mining tunnels off of either side. Brother He spots movement! “Look out!” he cries, but it’s too late, as a shambling reptilian humanoid, stinking like rotting fish, steps out from a tunnel on Dogfish’s left and swings a ponderous blow with a club as he passes by. The barbarian gives a hoarse yell, turning his head to see his attacker, and then another one of the nasty creatures staggers out of a passage just ahead of him and to his right! Again the creature misses, but further down the passage another one steps out.

Brother He wastes no time, swinging his fist into first one’s belly. He was ten feet behind Dogfish, so he’s already in position. His blow deals significant damage, but there’s no blood. Instead, Brother He comes to a sickening realization as he feels its cold flesh.

Sandy throws himself forward, stabbing the one behind Dogfish and moving to stand next to Brother He. The thing turns, its eyes empty of volition or consciousness, and swings its club at Sandy, but the limber halfling ducks under it. The other one that initially attacked raises its club and smacks it down on Dogfish, hitting him in the face with the strength of the dead. The barbarian grunts and coughs, but still stands. The other one the party can see shambles forward, and another moves into view behind it. “Oh no!” Federico cries in dismay, then starts shouting and singing encouragement to the rest of our heroes, hoping to inspire courage in their hearts. Shaking, he pulls out his sling and a bullet, preparing to... to fight. He shakes harder at the thought.

Dogfish finally gets his wits about him and gives out a great hoarse roar, swinging his mighty (small) greataxe at the stinking lizard-corpse facing him. His blow crashes into its ribs and heart and lungs, smashing them like icicles on a winter afternoon. The thing doesn’t really seem to need them, however, and as it can still stand up it keeps fighting. Dogfish grunts in disappointment, then smacks it again. It’s still up! Trinia moves in, her scimitar flashing, but she’s scared- she’s never seen this kind of unnatural, undead monstrosity before. She swipes at it, but keeping away from that club keeps her from scoring a blow herself.

Another of the zombies hits Brother He, slapping his head with its club. He staggers, kicking it in a nerve cluster (Useless! he thinks) and steps back a few paces, shaking his head to clear it. Sandy falls back, too, and he and Federico start a rain of sling bullets and daggers. But one of the zombies shambles up on Sandy and strikes him in the arm. He cries out as it flares with red-hot agony, then pulls out his morningstar, ignoring the pain. Gritting his teeth, the lil guy swings, and smack! He nails the monster. Dogfish finally beats down his foe and turns to the next one, spittle flying from his lips as he laughs hoarsely. Federico yowls, smacking a zombie’s jaw with a sling bullet, fracturing it and smashing a large chunk of flesh loose. It’s the same one that Dogfish is on, and his next blow takes it out. Trinia finally lands a blow, and it’s the final one of the battle, as she takes the last zombie out.

Breathing hard, our heroes decide to rest for a moment before continuing on...



Next Time: The barrier and the bonetangle!