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Olaf the Stout's Story Hour - "Shackled to the Age of Worms"
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<blockquote data-quote="Olaf the Stout" data-source="post: 6233075" data-attributes="member: 13703"><p><u><strong>Session 7 - To the farm</strong></u></p><p></p><p>As scribed by Roku Gimball</p><p></p><p>The farmhouse is obviously long abandoned and in a state of total disrepair.</p><p></p><p>It stands in a small clearing on a bluff – and there are 5 grave sites just outside the yard, all showing signs of having been recently opened and their contents removed.</p><p></p><p>The headstones read:-</p><p>Anders Land : 531-564 CY.</p><p>Bernissa Land : 534-576 CY.</p><p>Coldaran Land : 550-576 CY.</p><p>Gertia Land : 563-576 CY.</p><p>Allastor Land : 552-</p><p></p><p>The year is now 595 CY – so the last 3 members of this family died some 19 years previously, and their graves show the 4 petal motif of the Red Death Plague.</p><p></p><p>Aramil notes 5 different booted footprints around the gravesites and heading up to the farm house. And 4 of them coming back again at a fast pace. And also wheelbarrow tracks mixed with the 4 boot prints heading back towards Diamond Lake.</p><p></p><p>We cautiously approach the house, and enter to find obvious evidence of a recent bloody fight. Puddles of blood and chunks of flesh several days old.</p><p></p><p>In one room is a wounded owlbear protecting a small owlbear cub. It attacks us and we have no option but to kill it. Its mate is already dead in the room. We find a human arm sporting the tattooed symbol of one Garavin Vest – a man well known to us. He was a greedy mine owner from some time back – he had a habit of branding all his employees, but was bankrupted by Balabar Smenk who took over his mines. He died a pauper a year or so ago.</p><p></p><p>Aramil captures the owlbear cub. It is worth much gold – and the alternative is to leave it here to die.</p><p></p><p>Finding nothing else of value we bury Alastor's remains in his grave. I say some appropriate words to send his soul to a peaceful rest and we hastily return to the Whispering Cairn to try and pass through the portal in the room where Alastor's restless spirit is trapped.</p><p></p><p>We explain to Alastor what has transpired in our absence. He is bewildered that he has not passed over. He thinks we have made some kind of error and haven’t kept our word and returned his remains to their resting place.</p><p></p><p>I try to convince him that he hasn’t passed over because he needs to open the portal for us first. I suggest that his spirit would not allow him to leave without first honouring his promise to us.</p><p></p><p>It is not my intention to deceive him – I would intend to figure out why he hasn’t passed over and make good my word. But I also want the portal opened.</p><p></p><p>He is not to be convinced – and on further discussion we realise that his remains need to be buried “with his family”. It is the absence of his loved ones remains, from their graves, that makes it impossible for him to join them.</p><p></p><p>He is somewhat mollified and tries to help us figure out why his family's bones would be robbed. He isn’t able to clarify things greatly.</p><p></p><p>His father died, his mother cared for the children before the plague struck. He feels like he failed them all somehow, and feels inexplicably drawn to the strange place he now haunts and is unable to leave.</p><p></p><p>We have but one lead to follow. The severed arm with the Garavin Vest tattoo. Clearly we must track down the other 4 individuals who robbed the graves.</p><p></p><p>We head back to town – get some much needed rest – sell the owlbear cub to a carnival owner – then set out to hunt these men down.</p><p></p><p>Cirian speaks to Allustan who promises to investigate and let us know what he finds.</p><p></p><p>Traeven puts the word out on the streets, and we soon get news of a group of ex-Garavin men who now work for Smenk. They are led by an albino half-orc called Kullen and frequent the Feral Dog – so we head there in the early evening to await their arrival.</p><p></p><p>We sit in separate groups, and attempt to get involved in the nights entertainment. Ezio places a few bets on a dog-fight. Aramil accepts the challenge of a female elf who is taking on all-comers in dagger throwing contests. It transpires that this is the same elf – Tirra – who is part of the group of 3 adventurers led by the Seeker known as Khellek.</p><p></p><p>In due course Kullen and his group arrive. He is a huge ugly brute sporting the mark of Garavin on his face.</p><p></p><p>The others are a varied lot – one is small and wiry with long black hair. Another is solidly built with a short brown crew cut. His face bears long red scars all down the left side. And the third is an unpleasant looking, bald, very thin man in long flowing robes.</p><p></p><p>We notice that the crowd, themselves a very rough and tough bunch, treat Kullen's group with great care and deference. They move quickly away to leave a table vacant, and many patrons greet Kullen in a very ingratiating manner.</p><p></p><p>We hover around to try and overhear any snippets of useful conversation – but with the din in this place it is useless. Eventually we take the initiative and I order a round of drinks and loudly propose a toast to Traeven as the “fearless slayer of the OwlBear”.</p><p></p><p>This gets their attention – and Kullen approaches us – feigning friendship with Traeven and offering to buy a round of drinks. The others stay back in what we hope is a subtle manner – but they are always ready to leap to our aid should things become difficult.</p><p></p><p>There then follows a tense conversation between Kullen and Traeven. Kullen bluntly asks what business we had in being at the farmhouse. Traeven is loath to divulge much and the atmosphere becomes heated. I feel that one wrong word will cause a fight to erupt – and this will not be to our advantage. Win or lose – we will not get what we came for, the whereabouts of the Land’s family's remains.</p><p></p><p>Knowing my friend as I do, I can see that he would be happy to challenge Kullen. So I decide to join in the party. This beaks the tension. But we are still getting nowhere in our quest for information.</p><p> In the end I put it to Kullen bluntly. “Tell us where the remains you stole from the graves are and we will pay you.”</p><p></p><p>A price of 200 gold is agreed upon and Kullen tells us the bones are at the Old Observatory, in the care of “a crazy old goat named Filge.”</p><p></p><p>He adds – “bring me back that thin bastard's eyes”.</p><p></p><p>Traeven agrees, and tell's Kullen they will cost him 200 gold!</p><p></p><p>This renews Kullen's anger and, as Ezio begins to move closer, I break up the gathering and get our band together outside.</p><p></p><p>Traeven expresses the wish to return later to retrieve our money from this thug. Perhaps we will, perhaps not. We shall see what the future holds.</p><p></p><p>So we next head to the Observatory. Its a mere 5 minutes walk away, to the North, on a bluff overlooking an abandoned mine.</p><p></p><p>It is dark and decrepit. We see narrow stairs leading up to a first floor landing. A light flickers in one window.</p><p></p><p>We have already decided to take whatever actions are required to retrieve the bones. It is unlikely that Filge is up to anything but some sinister involvement in the plot of the mysterious FO. For what other reason would one require the remains of the dead??</p><p></p><p>Traeven finds an unlocked wooden door hidden under the landing. We open it to enter – and are suddenly attacked by a tiny flying undead creature.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Olaf the Stout, post: 6233075, member: 13703"] [U][B]Session 7 - To the farm[/B][/U] As scribed by Roku Gimball The farmhouse is obviously long abandoned and in a state of total disrepair. It stands in a small clearing on a bluff – and there are 5 grave sites just outside the yard, all showing signs of having been recently opened and their contents removed. The headstones read:- Anders Land : 531-564 CY. Bernissa Land : 534-576 CY. Coldaran Land : 550-576 CY. Gertia Land : 563-576 CY. Allastor Land : 552- The year is now 595 CY – so the last 3 members of this family died some 19 years previously, and their graves show the 4 petal motif of the Red Death Plague. Aramil notes 5 different booted footprints around the gravesites and heading up to the farm house. And 4 of them coming back again at a fast pace. And also wheelbarrow tracks mixed with the 4 boot prints heading back towards Diamond Lake. We cautiously approach the house, and enter to find obvious evidence of a recent bloody fight. Puddles of blood and chunks of flesh several days old. In one room is a wounded owlbear protecting a small owlbear cub. It attacks us and we have no option but to kill it. Its mate is already dead in the room. We find a human arm sporting the tattooed symbol of one Garavin Vest – a man well known to us. He was a greedy mine owner from some time back – he had a habit of branding all his employees, but was bankrupted by Balabar Smenk who took over his mines. He died a pauper a year or so ago. Aramil captures the owlbear cub. It is worth much gold – and the alternative is to leave it here to die. Finding nothing else of value we bury Alastor's remains in his grave. I say some appropriate words to send his soul to a peaceful rest and we hastily return to the Whispering Cairn to try and pass through the portal in the room where Alastor's restless spirit is trapped. We explain to Alastor what has transpired in our absence. He is bewildered that he has not passed over. He thinks we have made some kind of error and haven’t kept our word and returned his remains to their resting place. I try to convince him that he hasn’t passed over because he needs to open the portal for us first. I suggest that his spirit would not allow him to leave without first honouring his promise to us. It is not my intention to deceive him – I would intend to figure out why he hasn’t passed over and make good my word. But I also want the portal opened. He is not to be convinced – and on further discussion we realise that his remains need to be buried “with his family”. It is the absence of his loved ones remains, from their graves, that makes it impossible for him to join them. He is somewhat mollified and tries to help us figure out why his family's bones would be robbed. He isn’t able to clarify things greatly. His father died, his mother cared for the children before the plague struck. He feels like he failed them all somehow, and feels inexplicably drawn to the strange place he now haunts and is unable to leave. We have but one lead to follow. The severed arm with the Garavin Vest tattoo. Clearly we must track down the other 4 individuals who robbed the graves. We head back to town – get some much needed rest – sell the owlbear cub to a carnival owner – then set out to hunt these men down. Cirian speaks to Allustan who promises to investigate and let us know what he finds. Traeven puts the word out on the streets, and we soon get news of a group of ex-Garavin men who now work for Smenk. They are led by an albino half-orc called Kullen and frequent the Feral Dog – so we head there in the early evening to await their arrival. We sit in separate groups, and attempt to get involved in the nights entertainment. Ezio places a few bets on a dog-fight. Aramil accepts the challenge of a female elf who is taking on all-comers in dagger throwing contests. It transpires that this is the same elf – Tirra – who is part of the group of 3 adventurers led by the Seeker known as Khellek. In due course Kullen and his group arrive. He is a huge ugly brute sporting the mark of Garavin on his face. The others are a varied lot – one is small and wiry with long black hair. Another is solidly built with a short brown crew cut. His face bears long red scars all down the left side. And the third is an unpleasant looking, bald, very thin man in long flowing robes. We notice that the crowd, themselves a very rough and tough bunch, treat Kullen's group with great care and deference. They move quickly away to leave a table vacant, and many patrons greet Kullen in a very ingratiating manner. We hover around to try and overhear any snippets of useful conversation – but with the din in this place it is useless. Eventually we take the initiative and I order a round of drinks and loudly propose a toast to Traeven as the “fearless slayer of the OwlBear”. This gets their attention – and Kullen approaches us – feigning friendship with Traeven and offering to buy a round of drinks. The others stay back in what we hope is a subtle manner – but they are always ready to leap to our aid should things become difficult. There then follows a tense conversation between Kullen and Traeven. Kullen bluntly asks what business we had in being at the farmhouse. Traeven is loath to divulge much and the atmosphere becomes heated. I feel that one wrong word will cause a fight to erupt – and this will not be to our advantage. Win or lose – we will not get what we came for, the whereabouts of the Land’s family's remains. Knowing my friend as I do, I can see that he would be happy to challenge Kullen. So I decide to join in the party. This beaks the tension. But we are still getting nowhere in our quest for information. In the end I put it to Kullen bluntly. “Tell us where the remains you stole from the graves are and we will pay you.” A price of 200 gold is agreed upon and Kullen tells us the bones are at the Old Observatory, in the care of “a crazy old goat named Filge.” He adds – “bring me back that thin bastard's eyes”. Traeven agrees, and tell's Kullen they will cost him 200 gold! This renews Kullen's anger and, as Ezio begins to move closer, I break up the gathering and get our band together outside. Traeven expresses the wish to return later to retrieve our money from this thug. Perhaps we will, perhaps not. We shall see what the future holds. So we next head to the Observatory. Its a mere 5 minutes walk away, to the North, on a bluff overlooking an abandoned mine. It is dark and decrepit. We see narrow stairs leading up to a first floor landing. A light flickers in one window. We have already decided to take whatever actions are required to retrieve the bones. It is unlikely that Filge is up to anything but some sinister involvement in the plot of the mysterious FO. For what other reason would one require the remains of the dead?? Traeven finds an unlocked wooden door hidden under the landing. We open it to enter – and are suddenly attacked by a tiny flying undead creature. [/QUOTE]
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