About a decade ago, I wrote a storyhour of a long-running D&D campaign. I wrote up storyhours for roughly the first 31 sessions of the campaign. I then ran out of time, largely for professional reasons, to keep writing up the storyhours. But the campaign continued, and I kept notes on the campaign. We've played roughly 100 more sessions beyond the end of the storyhour. I'm never going to write those up as actual Storyhour posts, but I can still share them for people who are interested in following the storyline, which I find very interesting. I'm going to use this thread to post those notes. Some of these notes include content more appropriate for adults (but not explicit), including references to (off-screen) sexual violence by enemies.
For people who are interested, the Storyhour part of this campaign is at: Aphonion Tales (New posts 6/13, 6/15, 6/19).
Other discontinued written-out storyhour on Aphonion (on Zestqua, a different continent from this one) (contains adult content): Journals of a Licensed Diabolist
A collection of notes, similar to this thread, for a teen and tween game set on Drucien, the same continent as this game: Aphonion Tales: Adventures in the Spice Lands (updates Tuesdays)
A collection of notes, similar to this thread, for a pre-teen game set on Zestqua: Aphonion Tales: Ravenskrag and the Shadowlines (updates Thursdays)
Between the three active note threads, there should be a new post every weekday for the foreseeable future--it will take more than a year to catch up to the present, and each campaign meets every other week, so by the time we're caught up to the current date, there will be a lot more material.
Session 32 (January 29, 2008)
Military briefing:
Different orkish horde about to attack Caldra itself. Caldra is unwalled. This is the Horde of the Clawed Foot. They vanished at the beginning of the invasion, after defeating a regiment of militia. They appear to have hidden in the swamps. They are attacking salt mines, some swamp thorps, and at least one fortified manor. If the saltworks at Caldra were destroyed, we would lose our main capability for processing salt for 4-5 years.
Brightspan has at least two legions of barbarian cavalry; could have raised a full field army if he had more time and logistics.
Scout vollers have returned from the new islands. They lost three airmen. We set up an appointment with their captains today.
We also received a map of Zorplona-Argoni in Enclaves from an agent within the Council of Opposition.
Kit with domestic report.
More info on attacks in Caldra-- clearly attacking salt mines. Also, wyvern riders have been spotted.
House of Furrows largely disgraced-- will take generations to regain support.
currently crime low; probably from cleaning up the underworld leading up to the coronation. Dame Brionna suggests recruiting people for the army to try to keep the numbers down.
we also discuss the small number of recent murders. Many of the people on the lists have died; the others are in pain, crippled, or mentally ill. (We arrange for the temple to investigate and treat the survivors.)
People are getting very worried about the shortage of salt.
Alistair suggests using automata or golemim to clear out the salt mines. (We implement.)
The hostage prince appears to be prospectively the best khan ever. Responded very forgivingly.
We discuss Furrows. The current Duke is senile. Lady Susan is not the heir; the Duke’s grandsons would be. Benjamin is 11 and promising. His older brother (Mark) is rogueish and about 18. We worry about the reactions of the other nobles if we took action.
All of the other great nobles (the dukes) view themselves as roughly equal under the overlordship of the Archduke. The current Duke was captain of the Royal Guard from 24-34, and fought at the Battle of the Twin Passes, when Lady Amelia directed the battle against an invading force coming through the Twin Passes. He is remembered for that with great respect. The House is respected because of a history of service. Lady Susan, and the niece, Lady Viola, were never trained to be ruling lords, and since they functionally assumed control, most of the bad things have happened. Certainly a sense of understanding among his peers that he lived longer than he should have, so there is sympathy for the last 10 years. Lady Viola is earnest, youngish (about 30), can be taught, is a bard.
We discuss marrying him off to Alistair’s half-sister, Margaret, who is competent, a little dodgy, and was recognized, so received an upbringing mostly appropriate to high nobility. She’s about 20.
We ask Mark and Alistair’s sister to meet with us. We set up the meeting with Margaret for this afternoon, Mark in six days.
We also leak to Brightspan that we plan to urge Furrows to make Sir Derrick either Caldra or Caligshire.
Scouting report from the captains of the vollers:
Almost immediately upon being summoned, Capt. Brennan reports.
Approached from the north, circled island, one to east, one to west, then did a search pattern at 2000 feet above the highest outcropping, using the gnome spyglasses. Most of primary island is heavily jungled, with reddish-brown trees that seem to move apart from the wind. The outcroppings are covered with buildings, not quite a city. 6 types of beings. Some that look like illithids, but are not-- different coloration, number of tentacles, no indication that they eat brains (as best we can tell, they eat emotions); large numbers of slaves, some no longer quite human, though some are; large doglike things, also tentacled, absolutely vicious, we saw them take down a rhinoceros sort of things (like dogs crossed with displacer beasts), seemed to move without blinking or shifting-- tentacles exude paralytic poison; rhinoceros-like beasts fed on the trees, which is somewhat disturbing (the trees defend vigorously) (don’t think they are intelligent); the trees exude a dart-like thing to defend, about 90’; in addition to those groups, a floating creature (in the air above the island), it also carried weapons, some pole-arms, a couple of clubs, and seemed to be guarding the pass that leads up to the pinnacle (only saw one, floating largely in place); then saw a protean mass that we initially thought was a giant slime or ooze until it surprised us. It suddenly elevated at substantial speed nearly two-thousand feet and attacked us. It could change portions of its shape and propelled itself by absorbing and expelling air. It damaged the deck with some sort of viscous ooze, and plucked three men off before we got the boarding pikes out. We punctured it and it retreated to the ground. The structures are clearly of non-human design. No right angles, few corners. The illithid-type creatures are using them; we presume they built them, but did not see any building in progress. Only things that didn’t use weapons were the rhinoceroses and the trees.
Ships in the bay. Two structures that we took to be temples. No identifiable holy symbols, but there was a design. (He shows a sketch on parchment, a ball with squiggly arrows coming out in all directions.) I recognize it from an obscure book in the Library of Glittertowers, its an ancient and lost holy symbol from some lost god, but I don’t know more.
Who crewed the ships? Humans, no illithid people on them.
Ships made of wood? Yes, well vast majority. Two large metal barges, long contraption near the top with a long tube sticking out the top. Not completely sure they’re ships, but they were in the water. Black metal, but not adamantium. Almost seemed to absorb the light. Saw skaven, but not many, only in port. Did not appear to be slaves. Believe that they were of Clan Moldar, and trading, but we don’t know for what.
Island honeycombed with tunnels. Slaves brought carts of material, probably fungus, out of the tunnels. Also, many trees bear fruit. Overseers do not seem to do a great deal of directing, but would walk among them and select a group to go to the building complexes. None who entered the buildings besides the overseers emerged. Selected slaves showing the most emotion, of any sort.
Something strange about the sea, if you get away from the channel leading directly to the isle. The very water seemed to be red and thick, like a red tide but thicker. And there’s a fish kill along the edges. Could be undersea trees-- couldn’t tell from the air. Could still be more structures or people under the water, but nothing to go on.
Area not currently expanding. They have a thing about bones. One of the few things they have the slaves do is collect bones from creatures that had died, carry them back to structures. Those didn’t come back out either.
Kit passes a mental image of Sir Denro over from Dame Brionna. Did you see this man?
Not to recognize him, but 60 or 70 thousand slaves on that island. We saw three groups, each of three or four, brought into the structures.
Significant magical activity in both temples, one other structure. No resources to check psionic activity. Magic on one of the wooden ships, but they probably brought that with them. The metal ships were “dead”-- either absorb magic or don’t show up at all.
On our way back, three more ships heading there. Appear to be coming from around the coast to the east. Our guess is the Trade Cities. Some of the Trade Cities are slave states, most aren’t.
We hire privateers to interdict them.
Dismiss the Captain.
[Cont'd]
For people who are interested, the Storyhour part of this campaign is at: Aphonion Tales (New posts 6/13, 6/15, 6/19).
Other discontinued written-out storyhour on Aphonion (on Zestqua, a different continent from this one) (contains adult content): Journals of a Licensed Diabolist
A collection of notes, similar to this thread, for a teen and tween game set on Drucien, the same continent as this game: Aphonion Tales: Adventures in the Spice Lands (updates Tuesdays)
A collection of notes, similar to this thread, for a pre-teen game set on Zestqua: Aphonion Tales: Ravenskrag and the Shadowlines (updates Thursdays)
Between the three active note threads, there should be a new post every weekday for the foreseeable future--it will take more than a year to catch up to the present, and each campaign meets every other week, so by the time we're caught up to the current date, there will be a lot more material.
Session 32 (January 29, 2008)
Military briefing:
Different orkish horde about to attack Caldra itself. Caldra is unwalled. This is the Horde of the Clawed Foot. They vanished at the beginning of the invasion, after defeating a regiment of militia. They appear to have hidden in the swamps. They are attacking salt mines, some swamp thorps, and at least one fortified manor. If the saltworks at Caldra were destroyed, we would lose our main capability for processing salt for 4-5 years.
Brightspan has at least two legions of barbarian cavalry; could have raised a full field army if he had more time and logistics.
Scout vollers have returned from the new islands. They lost three airmen. We set up an appointment with their captains today.
We also received a map of Zorplona-Argoni in Enclaves from an agent within the Council of Opposition.
Kit with domestic report.
More info on attacks in Caldra-- clearly attacking salt mines. Also, wyvern riders have been spotted.
House of Furrows largely disgraced-- will take generations to regain support.
currently crime low; probably from cleaning up the underworld leading up to the coronation. Dame Brionna suggests recruiting people for the army to try to keep the numbers down.
we also discuss the small number of recent murders. Many of the people on the lists have died; the others are in pain, crippled, or mentally ill. (We arrange for the temple to investigate and treat the survivors.)
People are getting very worried about the shortage of salt.
Alistair suggests using automata or golemim to clear out the salt mines. (We implement.)
The hostage prince appears to be prospectively the best khan ever. Responded very forgivingly.
We discuss Furrows. The current Duke is senile. Lady Susan is not the heir; the Duke’s grandsons would be. Benjamin is 11 and promising. His older brother (Mark) is rogueish and about 18. We worry about the reactions of the other nobles if we took action.
All of the other great nobles (the dukes) view themselves as roughly equal under the overlordship of the Archduke. The current Duke was captain of the Royal Guard from 24-34, and fought at the Battle of the Twin Passes, when Lady Amelia directed the battle against an invading force coming through the Twin Passes. He is remembered for that with great respect. The House is respected because of a history of service. Lady Susan, and the niece, Lady Viola, were never trained to be ruling lords, and since they functionally assumed control, most of the bad things have happened. Certainly a sense of understanding among his peers that he lived longer than he should have, so there is sympathy for the last 10 years. Lady Viola is earnest, youngish (about 30), can be taught, is a bard.
We discuss marrying him off to Alistair’s half-sister, Margaret, who is competent, a little dodgy, and was recognized, so received an upbringing mostly appropriate to high nobility. She’s about 20.
We ask Mark and Alistair’s sister to meet with us. We set up the meeting with Margaret for this afternoon, Mark in six days.
We also leak to Brightspan that we plan to urge Furrows to make Sir Derrick either Caldra or Caligshire.
Scouting report from the captains of the vollers:
Almost immediately upon being summoned, Capt. Brennan reports.
Approached from the north, circled island, one to east, one to west, then did a search pattern at 2000 feet above the highest outcropping, using the gnome spyglasses. Most of primary island is heavily jungled, with reddish-brown trees that seem to move apart from the wind. The outcroppings are covered with buildings, not quite a city. 6 types of beings. Some that look like illithids, but are not-- different coloration, number of tentacles, no indication that they eat brains (as best we can tell, they eat emotions); large numbers of slaves, some no longer quite human, though some are; large doglike things, also tentacled, absolutely vicious, we saw them take down a rhinoceros sort of things (like dogs crossed with displacer beasts), seemed to move without blinking or shifting-- tentacles exude paralytic poison; rhinoceros-like beasts fed on the trees, which is somewhat disturbing (the trees defend vigorously) (don’t think they are intelligent); the trees exude a dart-like thing to defend, about 90’; in addition to those groups, a floating creature (in the air above the island), it also carried weapons, some pole-arms, a couple of clubs, and seemed to be guarding the pass that leads up to the pinnacle (only saw one, floating largely in place); then saw a protean mass that we initially thought was a giant slime or ooze until it surprised us. It suddenly elevated at substantial speed nearly two-thousand feet and attacked us. It could change portions of its shape and propelled itself by absorbing and expelling air. It damaged the deck with some sort of viscous ooze, and plucked three men off before we got the boarding pikes out. We punctured it and it retreated to the ground. The structures are clearly of non-human design. No right angles, few corners. The illithid-type creatures are using them; we presume they built them, but did not see any building in progress. Only things that didn’t use weapons were the rhinoceroses and the trees.
Ships in the bay. Two structures that we took to be temples. No identifiable holy symbols, but there was a design. (He shows a sketch on parchment, a ball with squiggly arrows coming out in all directions.) I recognize it from an obscure book in the Library of Glittertowers, its an ancient and lost holy symbol from some lost god, but I don’t know more.
Who crewed the ships? Humans, no illithid people on them.
Ships made of wood? Yes, well vast majority. Two large metal barges, long contraption near the top with a long tube sticking out the top. Not completely sure they’re ships, but they were in the water. Black metal, but not adamantium. Almost seemed to absorb the light. Saw skaven, but not many, only in port. Did not appear to be slaves. Believe that they were of Clan Moldar, and trading, but we don’t know for what.
Island honeycombed with tunnels. Slaves brought carts of material, probably fungus, out of the tunnels. Also, many trees bear fruit. Overseers do not seem to do a great deal of directing, but would walk among them and select a group to go to the building complexes. None who entered the buildings besides the overseers emerged. Selected slaves showing the most emotion, of any sort.
Something strange about the sea, if you get away from the channel leading directly to the isle. The very water seemed to be red and thick, like a red tide but thicker. And there’s a fish kill along the edges. Could be undersea trees-- couldn’t tell from the air. Could still be more structures or people under the water, but nothing to go on.
Area not currently expanding. They have a thing about bones. One of the few things they have the slaves do is collect bones from creatures that had died, carry them back to structures. Those didn’t come back out either.
Kit passes a mental image of Sir Denro over from Dame Brionna. Did you see this man?
Not to recognize him, but 60 or 70 thousand slaves on that island. We saw three groups, each of three or four, brought into the structures.
Significant magical activity in both temples, one other structure. No resources to check psionic activity. Magic on one of the wooden ships, but they probably brought that with them. The metal ships were “dead”-- either absorb magic or don’t show up at all.
On our way back, three more ships heading there. Appear to be coming from around the coast to the east. Our guess is the Trade Cities. Some of the Trade Cities are slave states, most aren’t.
We hire privateers to interdict them.
Dismiss the Captain.
[Cont'd]
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