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(Cydra) The Year 271 Campaign (Low Magic experiment)
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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 2426272" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p>It is about noon when our heroes arrive at the ruin. The sun is warm; it still feels like a summer day well enough. The crumbled wall crawls again with ants. Our heroes carefully move away from that area. </p><p></p><p>Goer clambers up the wall on the east face, where damage from several strikes by catapult or other siege weapon have left the wall cracked and badly damaged. Some of the crumbling rock slips out from beneath him, and he falls to the ground with a huff. Picking himself up, the squire shakes his head. “Let me try that again,” he says with a cough, and the second time he moves more carefully, pulling himself up to the top of the wall 25’ above. There he attaches a rope to a crenellation, then tosses the other end down to the party. They start to climb upward while he surveys the scene. </p><p></p><p>From the top of the wall, especially now, on a clear hot day, the view is great. Goer can see probably for miles. More importantly, he can clearly discern the layout of the keep. The walls have a walkway all the way around, interrupted where the portcullis squats at the main entrance and by the square watch tower that rises fully 50’ from the ground. <em>That’s where they shot their slings from,</em> he nods to himself. A ladder descends to the courtyard below- that was where Bangus Redcoat’s look-alike had tried to flee from. </p><p></p><p>The walled area was probably around 100 yards square. There was no moat, but the wall was around ten feet thick- a staunch discouragement against assault. Still, the walls and buildings showed signs of a siege. There were two areas of the main castle that filled half the courtyard that had been blasted to rubble by catapult stones. Goer even fancied that he could see one of the stones buried in the building below. There were the two outbuildings, plus the well. From here, Goer can see that the larger outbuilding has a stairway leading out of it to the top of the wall. </p><p></p><p>The others have clambered to the top by now. They, too, survey the scene. Then Otis suggests they examine the tower. The entire group agrees easily to this suggestion; there appears to be a door entering the tower on this side of the wall, and perhaps it has a way down. “There’s always the ladder,” comments Dahlia, “but I like the tower. Maybe there’s something interesting in the tower.” </p><p></p><p>The tower is a little disappointing: there are several bandit bedrolls, but no bandits in evidence. The place looks like it has been undisturbed for a week or so. “This is probably where some of the bandits we killed or captured slept,” comments Cur. They do find a deck of cards, and they play a couple of hands before growing bored with it. They also find a window with a good view of the ants down below and consider taking a few shots into one of them. They wound one ant, but soon grow bored with the sport. Back out the tower to the ladder they go, then down into the back end of the courtyard, behind the main castle. The spot where Goer fancied he saw the catapult rock is not far away, so our heroes head in that direction. </p><p></p><p>They find themselves facing a shattered chunk of wall, and indeed there is a stone present of unusual roundness. The pounding that the floor took has created several low depressions, now filled with stagnant water overgrown with algae. Chunks of broken masonry are strewn about the chamber, but on the far wall there is a door. Otis starts to move towards it when a sudden, wispy buzzing sound starts to rise. Otis falters.</p><p></p><p>Before him, rising from the stagnant ponds, come an incredible number of mosquitoes. The noise is their buzzing. They swarm forward, enveloping Otis and biting him everywhere.* He cries out in distress and dashes back away from the mass of bloodsuckers. They drift forward in pursuit, overtaking Goer for a moment. He gives a choked cry of despair as he realizes how itchy he is going to be for the next few days. Then he bolts, flapping his arms, and the others are either ahead of him or following suit. The mosquitoes are fairly slow; they give up the chase almost immediately. </p><p></p><p>“Right, that’s not the way in,” Dahlia states firmly.</p><p></p><p>“No doubt, lassie!” agrees Cur Sed Seed most emphatically.</p><p></p><p>The party moves on to the other section holed by a catapult stone. This time they find nothing dangerous barring their entry. They move in, finding a number of different sets of living quarters. One disturbing area holds many children’s toys and a shattered crib. A few bones are also in the room. </p><p></p><p>“The poor dearth,” Sir Cedric says mournfully.</p><p></p><p>Sleeping quarters, and abandoned ones at that; there is almost nothing else to see, at least at first. A few things here and there worth taking- a nice pair of boots, a few coins, a dagger hidden beneath a bedroll.</p><p></p><p>As the party explores, they find a kitchen, piled high with dirty dishes and containing a goblin roped to the wall. The goblin proves to be a cringing coward, terrified of the big humans and convinced that they are going to beat him for some imagined failure or slight. With a big hopeful grin, the goblin starts rubbing a filthy rag across a plate, first dipping it to some disgustingly dirty water. </p><p></p><p>“Aw, a goblin,” says Cara. “How cute!”</p><p></p><p>“I will take charge of him,” declares Otis. He fixes the goblin with his eyes and shakes a warning finger at him. But the goblin- Shazo turns out to be his name- only cringes. With a shake of his head, Otis manages to free the end of the rope that is tied to the wall. Then he takes the end in his hand, figuring he can use it like a leash.</p><p></p><p>Soon our heroes move on again, this time with a nearly naked, shivering goblin on a rope with them. They try to treat him nicely, even paying for his services, but do they convince him that they mean him no harm? </p><p></p><p>“Hey, look here!” exclaims Cur Sed Seed. “This door’s blocked by rubble.</p><p></p><p>“How long has it been blocked, do you think?” asks Goer. </p><p></p><p>“A long time...”</p><p></p><p>“We could clear it out,” suggests Cedric. “It will take thome time, but we could do it.”</p><p></p><p>The party generally agrees, at which point Sir Cedric bellow, “PEATHANTTH! Clear the rubble!!”</p><p></p><p>And the peasants set to their task.</p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next Time:</strong></em> </p><p></p><p></p><p>*Yes, that’s right- it was a (homebrewed) <em>Mosquito Swarm!!</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 2426272, member: 1210"] It is about noon when our heroes arrive at the ruin. The sun is warm; it still feels like a summer day well enough. The crumbled wall crawls again with ants. Our heroes carefully move away from that area. Goer clambers up the wall on the east face, where damage from several strikes by catapult or other siege weapon have left the wall cracked and badly damaged. Some of the crumbling rock slips out from beneath him, and he falls to the ground with a huff. Picking himself up, the squire shakes his head. “Let me try that again,” he says with a cough, and the second time he moves more carefully, pulling himself up to the top of the wall 25’ above. There he attaches a rope to a crenellation, then tosses the other end down to the party. They start to climb upward while he surveys the scene. From the top of the wall, especially now, on a clear hot day, the view is great. Goer can see probably for miles. More importantly, he can clearly discern the layout of the keep. The walls have a walkway all the way around, interrupted where the portcullis squats at the main entrance and by the square watch tower that rises fully 50’ from the ground. [i]That’s where they shot their slings from,[/i] he nods to himself. A ladder descends to the courtyard below- that was where Bangus Redcoat’s look-alike had tried to flee from. The walled area was probably around 100 yards square. There was no moat, but the wall was around ten feet thick- a staunch discouragement against assault. Still, the walls and buildings showed signs of a siege. There were two areas of the main castle that filled half the courtyard that had been blasted to rubble by catapult stones. Goer even fancied that he could see one of the stones buried in the building below. There were the two outbuildings, plus the well. From here, Goer can see that the larger outbuilding has a stairway leading out of it to the top of the wall. The others have clambered to the top by now. They, too, survey the scene. Then Otis suggests they examine the tower. The entire group agrees easily to this suggestion; there appears to be a door entering the tower on this side of the wall, and perhaps it has a way down. “There’s always the ladder,” comments Dahlia, “but I like the tower. Maybe there’s something interesting in the tower.” The tower is a little disappointing: there are several bandit bedrolls, but no bandits in evidence. The place looks like it has been undisturbed for a week or so. “This is probably where some of the bandits we killed or captured slept,” comments Cur. They do find a deck of cards, and they play a couple of hands before growing bored with it. They also find a window with a good view of the ants down below and consider taking a few shots into one of them. They wound one ant, but soon grow bored with the sport. Back out the tower to the ladder they go, then down into the back end of the courtyard, behind the main castle. The spot where Goer fancied he saw the catapult rock is not far away, so our heroes head in that direction. They find themselves facing a shattered chunk of wall, and indeed there is a stone present of unusual roundness. The pounding that the floor took has created several low depressions, now filled with stagnant water overgrown with algae. Chunks of broken masonry are strewn about the chamber, but on the far wall there is a door. Otis starts to move towards it when a sudden, wispy buzzing sound starts to rise. Otis falters. Before him, rising from the stagnant ponds, come an incredible number of mosquitoes. The noise is their buzzing. They swarm forward, enveloping Otis and biting him everywhere.* He cries out in distress and dashes back away from the mass of bloodsuckers. They drift forward in pursuit, overtaking Goer for a moment. He gives a choked cry of despair as he realizes how itchy he is going to be for the next few days. Then he bolts, flapping his arms, and the others are either ahead of him or following suit. The mosquitoes are fairly slow; they give up the chase almost immediately. “Right, that’s not the way in,” Dahlia states firmly. “No doubt, lassie!” agrees Cur Sed Seed most emphatically. The party moves on to the other section holed by a catapult stone. This time they find nothing dangerous barring their entry. They move in, finding a number of different sets of living quarters. One disturbing area holds many children’s toys and a shattered crib. A few bones are also in the room. “The poor dearth,” Sir Cedric says mournfully. Sleeping quarters, and abandoned ones at that; there is almost nothing else to see, at least at first. A few things here and there worth taking- a nice pair of boots, a few coins, a dagger hidden beneath a bedroll. As the party explores, they find a kitchen, piled high with dirty dishes and containing a goblin roped to the wall. The goblin proves to be a cringing coward, terrified of the big humans and convinced that they are going to beat him for some imagined failure or slight. With a big hopeful grin, the goblin starts rubbing a filthy rag across a plate, first dipping it to some disgustingly dirty water. “Aw, a goblin,” says Cara. “How cute!” “I will take charge of him,” declares Otis. He fixes the goblin with his eyes and shakes a warning finger at him. But the goblin- Shazo turns out to be his name- only cringes. With a shake of his head, Otis manages to free the end of the rope that is tied to the wall. Then he takes the end in his hand, figuring he can use it like a leash. Soon our heroes move on again, this time with a nearly naked, shivering goblin on a rope with them. They try to treat him nicely, even paying for his services, but do they convince him that they mean him no harm? “Hey, look here!” exclaims Cur Sed Seed. “This door’s blocked by rubble. “How long has it been blocked, do you think?” asks Goer. “A long time...” “We could clear it out,” suggests Cedric. “It will take thome time, but we could do it.” The party generally agrees, at which point Sir Cedric bellow, “PEATHANTTH! Clear the rubble!!” And the peasants set to their task. [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] *Yes, that’s right- it was a (homebrewed) [i]Mosquito Swarm!![/i] [/QUOTE]
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