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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 8006163" data-attributes="member: 16069">Dark Squad in the Sunless CitadelSession #001b In the Beginning.Dark Squad (in alphabetical order, no egos here).Garumn (played by Stu) Male Mountain Dwarf Paladin of Moradin Lvl 1Ramshambo (played by Kev) Male Half-Elf Rogue Lvl 1Vincenzo (played by Haggis) Male Shifter (Wildhunt) Druid Lvl 1So, this is what actually happened in the session…It started with an hour long intro- the merits and benefits of being friendly and nice to the device that is called Fantasy Grounds, a paean to Doug (I think that’s the guy’s name) who put this marvellous piece of software together. Also two of the players- Kev, and Stu are both new to it… so, watch and learn- repeat and… well, it’s an hour that no-one’s getting back- let’s call it draw and move on.The first instalment is called Flawless because, well… next the players get around to introducing themselves, and their chosen crazy-legs personas- their PCs, to each other. Flawless, because when Stu (playing Garumn) got to talking about the dwarven paladin’s flaws… well, he’d thought it through and then simply written ‘flawless’ in the space provided. Haggis suggested another fine word- ‘hubris’, and so the game was on to find out who would be proven right. The ‘flawless’ statement became a talking point for the remaining two hours of the session, in which… and it pains me to say this- Garumn was… ah what the hell- say it, just… flawless. He said and did the right things, and at the right times- his dice were on fire, and when it came to the farmyard attack- he was three for three with the kills.The story version of the above encounter can be found here- <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/dark-squad-in-the-sunless-citadel-002a-snakebite.672536/post-8005590" target="_blank">#001a Flawless.</a>But let’s go back a bit, back to the story with the… oh, hell- the backstory.The three PCs all recently in the employ of Gundren Rockseeker are brought together by the aforementioned dwarf (I use him a lot in my games) and paid by their new patron to go to Thundertree. There to meet with Kerowyn Hucrele, an odd-ball member of the famous (merchant hauliers) Hucrele family (mostly of Waterdeep). It seems a pair of Hucrele younglings have gone adventuring in an old ruin close to the village of Thundertree, a place called the Sunless Citadel, and have failed to return from their wanderings.So, it would be best for all concerned if another bunch of neophyte adventurers were sent to rescue the aforementioned posh/rich kids.Hang on… no, let’s not start asking questions to soon.After (and during) Gundren’s speech there are questions, followed by a number of history et al checks. Then, mere seconds later- two days on the road for the fledgling adventurers. The passage to Thundertree is all farmer’s field, this is Neverwinter’s breadbasket, and soon after (scant seconds) we’re at the village. I’m moving fast, although with plenty of scene setting along the way- farmer's carts, summer sun, the dusty road and all looks to be well with the world, but beneath the surface- hang on, isn’t that the start of a Lynch movie?The Dark Squad arrive late in the day to Thundertree, get rooms in the Ol' Boar Inn, take a late supper and then a farmer- Old Man Coley, with enough courage (booze) inside him starts shouting the odds. When that doesn’t work he takes to crying and pleading while the new newly arrived adventurers try to relax and chew their chicken dinner.At the Coley Farm, the Combat Tutorial takes place, this after Vincenzo has made thirty two consecutive guidance-enhanced skill checks to discover, well, lots of things (note the first check was a ‘20’). It is however far more relevant to the story that the last check the shifter druid made was a ‘1’. Note all of the PCs checks are made in the Fantasy Grounds dice tower, so the players are unaware of the results. It thus comes to pass that the PCs all think that they are genuinely awaiting the arrival of some six foot tall, scythes for claws, I-kill-cows-for-kicks, wood demon. Thanks to Vinnie, and his ‘1’.Certainly not a trio of scrawny (four hit points apiece- or thereabouts) twig blights.The fight is over quickly courtesy of the aforementioned flawless dwarven paladin, who doesn’t miss a roll.Then back to the Ol' Boar Inn, and their beds- Bert waits up for them to return.In the morning breakfast and then as arranged by Gundren in advance, an interview with the previously mentioned Kerowyn Hucrele. The stern-looking old lady is clearly upset, and out of her depth- she’s used to people doing what she says, and not working on their own schemes behind her back. The missing Hucrele younglings had planned there adventure well in advance, she believes, and certainly not shared this information with her.It doesn’t help that the missing pair are the children of much wealthier members of the Hucrele family (from Waterdeep), and that there parents are going to… well, will they blame Kerowyn? She fears, and suspects, as much.Don’t worry about me telling you this, the players figured it all out for themselves at the VTT, Garumn was particularly suspicious- he employs his divine sense at every turn.So, the missing adventurers, there were four in the party Kerowyn thinks, are-1) Talgen Hucrele, a pretty boy warrior- with a slew of fencing instructors but no actual experience in the woolly wilds.2) Sharwyn Hucrele, a beautiful to behold fair maiden- with a touch of wizardry about her.3) Sir Bradford, a paladin of Tyr- co-opted to join the younglings for the venture way back in Waterdeep- it seems the young Hucrele’s have been planning this undertaking for quite a while.4) Lastly, Karakas- a local guide, Kerowyn knows nothing about this fellow.The reward for the young Hucrele’s return is substantial, however the younglings and their companions have been gone for 21 days, they left only a dashed note before they departed- stating where they were going, and the fact that they would be back in a tenday. So, overdue about covers it.[ATTACH=full]122606[/ATTACH]Note, the above is an old map of Thundertree (brought to life by a very accomplished artist) from a previous game that started in the village- the Old Cow Inn, is now the Ol' Boar Inn. It was so... accomplished I had to use it in game, the players- naturally, were very impressed.Last bit, the PCs have divined much about the history of Thundertree- the explosion of Mount Hotenow, and follow up undead/zombie invasion (about forty years past) causing the village to be abandoned, only for the place to be revived and resettled maybe ten years later by the old druid, Reidoth the Brown (and his friends*). There’s always a little flavour to be had in my games.The Dark Squad also determine that the Sunless Citadel, some time in the distant past, was home to a bunch of dragon cultists.Small world.So, a little local colour.The PCs, after signing contracts- Kerowyn owns the lands hereabouts, she therefore grants the PCs salvage rights, and then after talking through (and making crystal clear) the potential rewards for success in this venture. The trio head out into the village to see if there’s anybody else that has something- anything, to say about this matter, or any other matters of interest.But that happens next week, I hope to see you there and then.*Note the story of Reidoth the Brown, who with the help of the Blessed Avengers (actually, it was mostly just the Blessed Avengers) saved Thundertree from a young green dragon accompanied by a bunch of lackey dragon cultists et al, is played out in my main story hour, found here-<a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/we-d-d-tyranny-of-dragons-part-2-the-rise-of-tiamat-19b-sgt-harald-pops-out-of-existence.655128/" target="_blank">We D&D.</a></blockquote>

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