Correl: An Element of Origin

[MarauderX]

Correl: An Element of Origin

http://correl.wikispaces.org/

Welcome to the story hour for our group based in the Kingdom of Correl. If you would like to receive the background of the setting or other material related to this homebrew, post a note and I will get right back to you. Or you can go to our new dedicated campaign homepage: Correl.
~MX

PCs:
Alex - Human Rogue 11
Jerrin - Halfling Druid 11
Thovaas Stroth - Human Paladin of Heironeous 11
Quentin Blythe - Half-elven Rogue7/Ranger1/Shadowdancer3
Grimnyr - Human Barbarian1/Bard9 (Deceased, Session 37)

ex-PCs:
Varekai - Half-Orc Monk/Rogue (retired?, living at the Foutain Anaphia, session 25)
Arashika - Half-Orc Barbarian Rogue (retired, living in Kargam, ~session 18)
Yaritza - Human Rogue Sorceress (retired, living on the outskirts of Kargam?, ~session 15)
Bratton McConough - Dwarven Fighter (retired, rejoined brother's clan at the town of Kyrill, ~session 13)
Cyprian - Human Ranger (retired, wilderness, ~session 8)
Dian - Eastern Wizard Monk (deceased, ~session 14)
Argan - Human Ranger (Deceased, session 37)
Aerial - Elven wizardess (Deceased, session 37)

Out Of Character page for our game

In-Character page

Maps Page

News 07-14-05:
I finally had the chance to update the info on our game, and the effort continues over here: http://correl.wikispaces.org/
Since the site is pretty easy to use and improvements look to be on their way, I'm commiting to using it to keep track of our game. It will be some time before the thing is complete, and I hope to get to add all the bells and whistles that I can't here.


News 06-24-05:
Due to vacations, out of town band shows and weddings, we won't be back at it until 7/12/05. In this time off the DM will have plenty of time to update the thread with details. In the meantime, feel free to cook up your 11th level PC sheets and send them to me.

News 06-15-05:
We are good to go for Saturday the 18th for a weekend game. We start at 1:00 sharp, and I'll be ordering food once we start. In the meantime, be sure to check your email for the PC changes that have occurred.

News 05-04-05:
It's the day after my birthday, and wow am I am still stuffed from the nine course meal the night before. Now I know what it's like to eat like a king. Tomorrow should be a fun Cinco de Mayo too, so that means the last day at my job will be a blast. Does this mean Dionysis in the upcoming episode?
I'm still looking into a new spot to run a weekend game, and the date looks like it will be around June. Though it doesn't align with some of the campaign items I had in mind, it should be very worthwhile nonetheless.

News 04-28-05:
I'm back from my break and delving back into things once again. I'll see if and when we can get a weekend session going, and I might be able to swing a spooky location if the stars line up just right.

News 03-24-05:
I'm taking about a month off from ALL gaming, socializing, cavorting, goofin' off, etc. I'm sequestering myself in a local library and at home in order to study for the largest (and hopefully last) test in my life. So that means there will be no updates or email on the game as of Saturday, March 26 until Sunday, April 17th. And if interviews go well, I may also have a new job by then too.

News 01-03-05:
Welcome Jabberwocky to the group, as he is playing Grimnyr, a tall warrior-bard with a penchant for adventure.

News 12-15-04:
Well, Tramp4Life has moved across the country, and I am again on the prowl for another player to fill his massive shoes. We'll miss ya, M, and feel free to come back anytime to growl and seeth at PCs and NPCs alike.

News 10-22-04:
The survey results are in and can be found in the Out of Character page for the campaign. Thanks for replying and I have responded as well, and will incorporate much of the input to the game. Also look forward to food being served at the beginning, and some other goodies on the horizon.
In the meantime, I need to update the story hour with some of the discovered information and get an idea of what the PCs would like to do in between sessions at Kargam to speed things up next time.

News 9-24-04:
We have filled that missing spot, and added a new temporary player as well! Welcome to both Erik and Mike, as they will be filling out our table with 6 players plus me. It should work well, and I will plan for such in encounters and capacities. I still need to add treasure from the tower onto the pages, as well as note who you ran into and what happened to them (mostly death). Keep in mind that I am running a game at TerpCon on the 2nd, so the updates might be spotty, but I will keep everyone keenly aware with mailbox stuffing emails on my progress.

News 8-24-04:
Well, I'm on the prowl for a player to fill a missing spot or two before the conclusion of the current adventure. At that time I hope to let the players take the reins on direction and where they decide to go and what they do will be completely up to them. I hope to fill the void so that the new player(s) will get a good feel of the campaign setting, etiquette and the like. The world will still keep marching on, and should they decide to take a nap for a few game years, no problem!

News 7-30-04:
Let me officially welcome Chris & Leslie to the group. Things are heating up now, and I think the focus of the campaign in general will shift to a more PC-driven world, in which the players will choose where to go and what to do next. In a way this is better, but as the DM I would like some preparation time to set up the next steps the PCs take. It gives me a chance to make cool full-color maps, flesh out NPCs to help and is easier than improvising.
I anticipate that it will be another session or two before this will happen, and I will send out a survey to get some feedback on me as a DM and what you expect as a player on different topics.

News 5-27-04:
Ok, I have finally fleshed out a lot of the direction given a solid base of characters and an awesome set of players. I think I mentioned in person once that I designed most of the beginning part up front for five PCs, and that while having five was not necessary it was advisable for survival. This remains true, and the more I look back upon my notes the more it will become a test of the components of the group as well as cohesive battle prowess. Good luck.

News 1-19-04:
I added the Out Of Character page for our game, so check that out if you have a question about rules or want to share tactics and stats with everyone.
Also I have added the In-Character page for discussions with each other and NPCs "in-character". It will be used to keep things a bit more organized, and I hope to keep this thread more for the campaign info (maps, storyline, events) and the other thread for discussion.


About the content:
This is for a new campaign that started up in January, 2004, and I will be posting most session updates here. My players, let me know if I should edit anything or expound more on subjects I may be too vague about. I will try to edit this first post often to add links to other pages and keep you well informed of updates to this thread.

Forgive my poor writing skills as I occasionally fade from 2nd person to 3rd and back to 1st in the span of a sentence, but often I do not have solid blocks of time often enough to complete cohesive thoughts. Instead I will be posting up a patchwork of the happenings of the characters and their progress per session as more of a record for us and a place to make comments and such. Add on that I’m an engineer by trade (we are encouraged to write passively), and the whole thing becomes a mess. Oh, and I tend to drink alcohol, and as it turns out I should have been on drugs all this time when I just said no for years. Go figure.

 

[MarauderX]

Prelude

You have been in Kargam a little while now, and are getting used to the sights, sounds, smells and culture of the city as it keeps surprising you with new sights and people. Living in the lower southwest quarter has been interesting, as you often get to see many newcomers to the city. You are starting to recognize some of the more familiar faces now, as you are beginning to establish a routine, and are starting to know of the best places that you like to go. One of the men you remember and see often is Rollof.

Rollof is a lieutenant of the city guard, responsible for maintaining accurate numbers, equipment and other record keeping as well as serve to keep the city peaceful. He was the man who penned your name and profession on a piece of parchment when you first entered the city, and has since not forgotten your name. You noticed his chain mail shirt beneath an off-white robe, with the golden eagle crest of the Barony of Kargam, which is thinning with wear, and whenever you see him he always has it on. Although you don’t see him every day, he is a familiar sight at random times of the day or night, waving acknowledgement to nearly everyone throughout the neighborhood. His popularity and thoughtfulness have earned him many friends in the southwest quarter. Although you know of the man you are not acquainted with him well, and have never held more than a few passing words to each other, that is until Tuesday.

 

[MarauderX]

Prelude continued into Session 1 -

On Tuesday, Rollof approached you and asked how your work was going. Not wanting to sound desperate, you turn your head to the side and make a vague comment. The bowl of cheap stew in your hands has already given you away though, but he says nothing and sits down next to you on the stoop of the inn where you have been staying. He idly chats with you and mentions that the first boat of spring heading up the Vulir River soon, promising a busier season than the fast-fading winter. Not saying much, you convey a message that asks what he or the city might need you for. Rollof reads your face and pauses before asking you to come to the city guard mess hall tomorrow for a better meal, and perhaps better work. You are thinking that perhaps a better opportunity than being a city guard might come along, but in the meantime you could earn enough to pay for better tools for your trade. He doesn’t leave until you make a weak promise to come.

Wednesday is rainy, and arriving at the mess hall across the river was out of your way, but the warm fireplace and the smell of food inside the mess hall welcomes you. Inside is already a group of twenty or so men at one end of the large open room, and among them is Rollof, greeting them as they approach. You make your way to him, and he smiles and gives you a hospitable slap on the shoulder. A group of younger men, probably still serving their year’s time in service to the city, sits to the side playing a game. They are likely under the direction of Rollof for the time being, and by their tones cannot wait until they have completed their service to the city.

Rollof calls everyone to gather, and only the sounds of a few latecomers eating can be heard. He motions the man standing next to him, who has bright red hair and a green-gray tunic, and without waiting the man introduces himself as Stefan. He tells you all about a shipment that he will be making, as he and his family will need help with the merchandise. Stefan has brokered a deal with the elves to the northeast of Kargam, who are interested in his product. Now all he has to do is deliver.

One among you braves interrupting Stefan to ask exactly what the ‘merchandise’ is. ‘Horses’ he says. Feeling a need to explain further, he adds ‘We capture and break wild horses, then sell them in Kargam. We chanced to find a large herd of pure white horses and knew the elves would be interested, as a white horse is a symbol of their patron deity.’ Stepping forward with his hands on his waist for showy effect, he finishes
‘We offer each able-bodied man 100 gold, payable once we reach the elven trading post.’

There is murmur and nodding of approval at the sum of money offered, as most have figured the trip will be well worth the time. A few leave, but enough stay to meet Stefan’s request. Rollof tells you all that he will be leaving on the first riverboat to the lumber camps up the Vulir River and that they should meet him at dawn in three days to go with him.

 

[MarauderX]

Session 1 continued -

Although the past few days have had cool rain, this Saturday morning seems colder than usual. You meet Rollof at the south docks along the Vulir River, and he introduces the boat captain Kalanos. Kalanos doesn’t give you a warm welcome as he is busily directing his crew where and how to stow supplies to be carried to the lumber camps. Soon you are on board with these strangers, and only the quiet lap of water and pulling of oars can be heard. The day passes and you are starting to learn about a few of your fellow passengers, where they are from and what they do for work. Rollof tells a few stories of the city and you are starting to know him as a jovial man, enjoying himself on a routine journey. You spend the night in a village upstream, and set up camp for yourselves on the moist ground.

Again the next day you set out at noon, and the rowers pull the boat upstream as Kalanos inspects the river for changes and new embankments. You realize that Kalanos is probably getting paid well to be the first up the river, as the Vulir is still swollen from melting winter snow. Occasionally he makes a comment about alligators or troglodytes to keep a few of the unruly passengers in line. You spend the night at a well-used haven along the river.

On the third day, Kalanos says that with some luck you could reach Misha’s Ferry a little after noon, which is where you will be dropped off. This reminds Rollof, whom you realize has been drinking during the days in the boat, that he should give you direction. He stammers a little and is corrected by Kalanos often, but tells you to stay on a trail to the southeast along a smaller river that meets the Vulir at Misha’s Ferry. He cautions you to not leave for Stefan’s home until the next day, as it is a 10-12 hour hike before they get there. Instead you should stay the night at Misha’s Ferry, as she accommodations for everyone. Around one of the bends in the river a ferryboat can be seen crossing to the south side of the river after having delivered a passenger to the opposite shore. You have arrived at Misha’s Ferry.

 

[MarauderX]

Session 1 continued -

Kalanos does a quick introduction of Misha, a squat older woman who seems more interested in her dried herb collection than meeting new faces. Rollof flips a gold piece to her to pay for your night’s lodging in her spacious hut, and shortly thereafter she bustles off into the nearby woods. An hour later she emerges with her pet, a very large bear. It occurs to you now how Misha lives safely alone in the wilderness.

You have been dropped off with a sizeable group, and decide to follow Rollof’s suggestion of waiting until morning before setting out to reach Stefan’s homestead, Sukiskyn. The night passes quietly.

The next morning you set out for Sukiskyn at about 7:00 AM and travel the day on foot south-southeast to follow the small river as it winds through the forest. The trail is rather wide and well used, and you pass several signs where other homesteads, camps or outposts branch off from the main path. The noonday sun comes and goes, and you feel like you have been walking far too long when the sun starts to dip below the trees.

Suddenly you notice something. A twilight hush has settled over the forest, and there is no movement amongst the shadowy trees on either side of the trail. No birds are chirping, the forest is not moving with any of the normal springtime activity. Just as you all halt on the path, and eerie sensation passes over you.

Then the silence is broken. A faint cry drifts on the evening breeze which also brings a whiff of wood-smoke. Ahead, you catch a glimpse of flames arising beyond the trees. The sounds grow louder; shouts of men mingle with harsh, guttural warcries and the clash of battle, while all the time the flames grow higher and begin to bath the forest in an orange-pink glow.

You run forward along the path towards the flames where you see a short pathway end on the bank of a fast-flowing river spanned by a wooden bridge, which leads to the gate of a palisaded homestead. The buildings are mostly intact, but are lit by flames leaping from a barn to the left of the bridge. Between you and the homestead, you see a pack of the attackers – goblins, or possibly orcs – as they were hiding in the dark woods preparing an assault.

You clash with the goblins in the woods while heading for the bridge and gate, when more of them show themselves on the other side of the trail. A few arrows descend from the nearby tower of the homestead as you join battle with the goblins.

“Look out!” cries a man’s voice from the gatehouse across the bridge further up the path you see a squad of goblins mounted on huge wolves charging wildly along the path towards you. “Quick, before they cut you off!” the voice continues, and the gate door starts to swing open. Several of your comrades fall trying to defend your path to the gate as the young man jumps down from a ladder leading to the top of the gatehouse. He grabs the young woman holding open the gate door by the hand and says “Follow me inside!” before running across the courtyard to an oak door to the main building.

Just as the wolves bring down one of your fallen companions, two others leap to his aid. A glowing figure also suddenly emerges, outshining the roaring fire with pristine light. One of the wolf riding goblins directs his mount over the bridge while the others shy away from the bright light now harrying them. The mounted wolf becomes trapped in the doorway of the gate and begins trashing about, to finally be silenced by a series of blows. While several of you removed the wolf’s body from blocking the door, a few jumped back to the open to try to save a few of your fallen comrades. Dragging one of them inside you discover his throat is beyond repair and leave his body in the courtyard before piling inside.

 

[MarauderX]

Session 1 interlude -

There is a lull in the goblin attack as a woman from the top of the tower shouts an all clear. A one-armed man shuts and bars the door behind you, and you realize you have entered through the kitchen. You follow the young couple through to the main hall, where you see a second-floor balcony surrounding above. On it is a red-bearded man and his eyes and red hair give him away as an older relative of Stefan. “My name is Pyotr,” he says. He greets you and explains that he is Stefan’s brother and asks if you have seen him. He is visually dismayed at your answer, but nonetheless he jokes grimly about the warmth of their welcome. He then explains your collective predicament:

· There are two clans of goblins attacking the homestead: the Red-blade (Gnhass-ka) and the Wolfskull (Kloss-lunk), who have the wolves.

· There was a third clan, the Vipers (Jaggadesh), but these have run off with the horses from the pens after killing two of the clan (Novannes and Hakos).

· Although the barn, gatehouse, and the stretch of palisade are on fire, the main building and stables are intact.

· With your help, the defenders have a good chance of holding out until dawn, when daylight will force the goblins back into the woods.

· With so many goblins hidden in the woods it would be suicidal to leave the homestead before dawn.

· This is only one of several goblin attacks on human homesteads in recent days, as told to you by their elf companion.


With a cloudless night, the moonlight allows you to see the open clearings and river easily. You would be able to see any of the attackers once they come out from the shadows of the woods. The goblins make you fully aware of their presence as they chant and beat drums. Occasionally you catch fleeting glimpses of figures moving amongst the trees or in front of small fires, as they conceal their true positions in the woods.

 

[MarauderX]

Session 1 interlude -

Before long you have met all of the defenders as they were curious to know who you are, and are led around the homestead to see the armory’s inventory. As you pass through the lower great hall again, you catch sight of three marvelous tapestries hung against the stone wall. While the center one is easily twice as large as the others, the two flanking it on either side are the ones that catch your attention. Realizing they must be Shen-Jin, you can only estimate their worth to be more valuable than any other you have seen. Not pausing to let you ask about them, Pyotr leads you to the top tower where you look down on the clearings below.

 

[MarauderX]

Player's map:

 

[Cyronax]

That's a great recap MarauderX, I enjoyed the first session a lot! I look forward to the next one!

C.I.D.

 

[MarauderX]

Session 1 Interlude Continued:

Pyotr leads you down the spiral staircase for the tower to a room filled with an assortment of weapons and crafting tools. He rubs his rotund midsection and says that it should be enough to last through the night, though everyone will have to keep their wits about them.


Armory: (Area 10 on the map)

- 2 short bows
- 2 long bows
- battle axe
- 2 small wooden shields
- long sword
- rusty mace
- broken crossbow
- 3 slings
- 16 spears
- 120 arrows
- 200 slingstones
- dwarf-sized plate mail, half-suit