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NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
the Kyri Chronicles - last updated 22 Oct
- Thread starter Plane Sailing
- Start date
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
Sorry - major business at work, trying to hit an April 1st deadline with a new online service for UK doctors 
But here's the next installment
The company ride into the town of Bellhold as the last rays of the sun still reflect off the top of steeple mountain, shining on the winter ice. Even this late in the day the ring of bells and the striking of forgehammers is clearly heard. Riding down the main street to the Wyrmcall plaza they notice that many of the better class of shops are closed and boarded up - it looks as if many of
the wealthier people in town have moved out.
Finding the Bell and Clapper is easy, and Trajan leads the horses to the stable at the rear.
“Treat Lightning special” he tells the stablehand, who glances at him and stammers “It’ll be a whole Mark for oats, sir”.
Checking his pouch, Trajan removes his last five Marks.
“Oats for all the horses then lad”
He’ll have to rely on his friends for drinks, but Trajan likes horses. He can’t see them badly done by.
Inside the inn there is a hubbub of noise. Many of the foundry workers are enjoying a drink before wandering home, and it is a few minutes before the company can gain the attention of Tokket, the barkeeper. M’ir and Darra circulate, listening for rumours while Azrin and Trajan speak to Tokket.
It turns out that Tokket is the son of one of the adventurers which killed Copperdeath, nearly 50 years ago. There are many souvenirs of that campaign hanging on the walls of the bar, including a huge claw. Azrin is interested to hear about a fragment of diary from those old adventurers, and is soon sitting at a table, poring over it and laughing to himself as that story unfolds. Tokket is sure that the headaches are the results of something in the water, and recommends that everyone drinks more ale.
M’ir discovers more about the missing children and the Heroes of the Bell - the local adventurers who were out looking for them, but have been gone over a week and a half now. One of the drinkers believes that the headaches are a curse from Asura, because the local people are shallow in their religion - he is shouted down but some men glance over the rims of the mugs at Azrin the priest.
Darra discovers tales of a witch who lives just outside town - and heard that she says the headaches will end within a week. Crazy old woman, tells fortunes and stuff. Sometimes she really gets a prophecy right though.
As they meet to confer notes, the inn door slams open, and a wide-eyed man looks around the room, fastening his eyes on Trajan and company. “Aha, new friends! Welcome, welcome!” he shouts before his voice drops to a harsh whisper “you will be welcomed by he who will swallow us all into his abysssss” He rants on and on, then with a sob turns and flees out the door. The silence in the room gives way to ordinary chatter again, and Tokket explains - “That’s just Cobble. He’s taken a bit funny recently, I wouldn’t pay him no mind”.
As they talk, a huge bell sounds outside in the plaza. Its sound is so deep and loud that they feel it in their chest more than hearing it by their ears. After two strikes a town crier is heard, calling for a town meeting at the next bell. Tokket explains that *everyone* goes to the town meetings, and Mayor Hob will be answering some of the questions which people have.
Half hour later, as the great bell chimes once more, Tokket closes up the inn and they join everyone else gathered in the plaza - facing a raised, torchlit platform on which stands Mayor Hob with Krekket the mine owner and his wife on one side and the guard chief on the other. Azrin attempts to detect thoughts, but finds it hard to concentrate with such a seething mass of people before him, although he senses that Krekket wants the mayor to calm people down. M’ir makes his way to the front of the crowd and the others stay near Tokket.
Mayor Hob addresses the problems of the town, attempting to calm people down and reassure them that everything is all right. He covers most of the issues that the company had discovered people talking about in the inn, but none of his “solutions” ring true. Azrin has a bit of unwanted excitement when three ruffians who had watched him in the bar attempt to pick a fight with him for being a “baldie”, but after the training he used to do with Ynnsfeardh (the monk who died a couple of months ago) he finds their fist fighting and trip attempts ludicrous - they keep leaving themselves wide open for simple counterattacks, and within seconds the scuffle has ended with all three staggered or knocked out.
Tomorrow the party will have breakfast with Othic, then go and visit the witch.
They all retire to the inn, paying for less luxurious rooms on the 1st floor. Syl creeps upstairs and picks a lock on one of the luxury bedrooms, but with a bare mattress and not having been prepared she has little better sleep than her companions on the floor below.
In fact, they all have an awful nights sleep. Disturbing nightmares, different for each of them - full of threats and veiled promises. Difficult to remember the details in the morning, but sharing their experiences is quite difficult and distasteful.
Ready for breakfast, they await their farming companion. Then the door crashes open, and a dirty and puffed farmhand cries out
It’s Othic - he’s been murderered!”
But here's the next installment
The company ride into the town of Bellhold as the last rays of the sun still reflect off the top of steeple mountain, shining on the winter ice. Even this late in the day the ring of bells and the striking of forgehammers is clearly heard. Riding down the main street to the Wyrmcall plaza they notice that many of the better class of shops are closed and boarded up - it looks as if many of
the wealthier people in town have moved out.
Finding the Bell and Clapper is easy, and Trajan leads the horses to the stable at the rear.
“Treat Lightning special” he tells the stablehand, who glances at him and stammers “It’ll be a whole Mark for oats, sir”.
Checking his pouch, Trajan removes his last five Marks.
“Oats for all the horses then lad”
He’ll have to rely on his friends for drinks, but Trajan likes horses. He can’t see them badly done by.
Inside the inn there is a hubbub of noise. Many of the foundry workers are enjoying a drink before wandering home, and it is a few minutes before the company can gain the attention of Tokket, the barkeeper. M’ir and Darra circulate, listening for rumours while Azrin and Trajan speak to Tokket.
It turns out that Tokket is the son of one of the adventurers which killed Copperdeath, nearly 50 years ago. There are many souvenirs of that campaign hanging on the walls of the bar, including a huge claw. Azrin is interested to hear about a fragment of diary from those old adventurers, and is soon sitting at a table, poring over it and laughing to himself as that story unfolds. Tokket is sure that the headaches are the results of something in the water, and recommends that everyone drinks more ale.
M’ir discovers more about the missing children and the Heroes of the Bell - the local adventurers who were out looking for them, but have been gone over a week and a half now. One of the drinkers believes that the headaches are a curse from Asura, because the local people are shallow in their religion - he is shouted down but some men glance over the rims of the mugs at Azrin the priest.
Darra discovers tales of a witch who lives just outside town - and heard that she says the headaches will end within a week. Crazy old woman, tells fortunes and stuff. Sometimes she really gets a prophecy right though.
As they meet to confer notes, the inn door slams open, and a wide-eyed man looks around the room, fastening his eyes on Trajan and company. “Aha, new friends! Welcome, welcome!” he shouts before his voice drops to a harsh whisper “you will be welcomed by he who will swallow us all into his abysssss” He rants on and on, then with a sob turns and flees out the door. The silence in the room gives way to ordinary chatter again, and Tokket explains - “That’s just Cobble. He’s taken a bit funny recently, I wouldn’t pay him no mind”.
As they talk, a huge bell sounds outside in the plaza. Its sound is so deep and loud that they feel it in their chest more than hearing it by their ears. After two strikes a town crier is heard, calling for a town meeting at the next bell. Tokket explains that *everyone* goes to the town meetings, and Mayor Hob will be answering some of the questions which people have.
Half hour later, as the great bell chimes once more, Tokket closes up the inn and they join everyone else gathered in the plaza - facing a raised, torchlit platform on which stands Mayor Hob with Krekket the mine owner and his wife on one side and the guard chief on the other. Azrin attempts to detect thoughts, but finds it hard to concentrate with such a seething mass of people before him, although he senses that Krekket wants the mayor to calm people down. M’ir makes his way to the front of the crowd and the others stay near Tokket.
Mayor Hob addresses the problems of the town, attempting to calm people down and reassure them that everything is all right. He covers most of the issues that the company had discovered people talking about in the inn, but none of his “solutions” ring true. Azrin has a bit of unwanted excitement when three ruffians who had watched him in the bar attempt to pick a fight with him for being a “baldie”, but after the training he used to do with Ynnsfeardh (the monk who died a couple of months ago) he finds their fist fighting and trip attempts ludicrous - they keep leaving themselves wide open for simple counterattacks, and within seconds the scuffle has ended with all three staggered or knocked out.
Tomorrow the party will have breakfast with Othic, then go and visit the witch.
They all retire to the inn, paying for less luxurious rooms on the 1st floor. Syl creeps upstairs and picks a lock on one of the luxury bedrooms, but with a bare mattress and not having been prepared she has little better sleep than her companions on the floor below.
In fact, they all have an awful nights sleep. Disturbing nightmares, different for each of them - full of threats and veiled promises. Difficult to remember the details in the morning, but sharing their experiences is quite difficult and distasteful.
Ready for breakfast, they await their farming companion. Then the door crashes open, and a dirty and puffed farmhand cries out
It’s Othic - he’s been murderered!”
Last edited:
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
While the farmhand runs off to find the guards, Trajan and the rest quickly saddle up and ride out to Othic’s farm. Arriving there they can see the barn doors open and the horses all out in the field. They ride up, dismount and investigate.
Inside the barn there is a stink of blood, and in the middle of the floor lies the body of Othic – face down, trampled and with great bloody chunks torn out of him. Darra promptly goes back outside the barn and loses his breakfast. Azrin dispassionately examines the scene, and turns over the torso – rather surprised to see a bridle forced into the old mans mouth...
M’ir and Syl help Darra into the farmhouse, where he looks for a drink while they search for signs of suspicious activity. K’tan stays with Azrin and Trajan goes out to check on the horses.
He notices that they are in two groups – Blaze and Broadsword are further away from the barn and separated from the rest of the horses. He decides to go and check on them first.
Drawing closer, and making ingratiating noises, he is startled by a voice inside his head
“Stupid two-legs!”
He glances around looking for the speaker. Nobody around except for the two horses, Blaze and Broadsword.
Looking at him.
Suddenly he feels a stiffness grip at his limbs, as if a giant hand is trying to make a puppet out of him – and to his mounting horror, he sees Broadswords jaws unhinge and elongate, becoming nearly a yard long and filling with finger-long razor sharp teeth as it leaps towards him!
Inside the barn there is a stink of blood, and in the middle of the floor lies the body of Othic – face down, trampled and with great bloody chunks torn out of him. Darra promptly goes back outside the barn and loses his breakfast. Azrin dispassionately examines the scene, and turns over the torso – rather surprised to see a bridle forced into the old mans mouth...
M’ir and Syl help Darra into the farmhouse, where he looks for a drink while they search for signs of suspicious activity. K’tan stays with Azrin and Trajan goes out to check on the horses.
He notices that they are in two groups – Blaze and Broadsword are further away from the barn and separated from the rest of the horses. He decides to go and check on them first.
Drawing closer, and making ingratiating noises, he is startled by a voice inside his head
“Stupid two-legs!”
He glances around looking for the speaker. Nobody around except for the two horses, Blaze and Broadsword.
Looking at him.
Suddenly he feels a stiffness grip at his limbs, as if a giant hand is trying to make a puppet out of him – and to his mounting horror, he sees Broadswords jaws unhinge and elongate, becoming nearly a yard long and filling with finger-long razor sharp teeth as it leaps towards him!
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
Piratecat said:
I think your friend was right - it would have been more "Gary Larson/Far Side" than horrific surprise
Little_Buddha
First Post
Piratecat said:
!!!!
!!
!!!!
Buy that friend a beer
KidCthulhu
First Post
You're welcome.
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
The grace of Asura is with the young Jazumai, and he mentally casts off the unseen shackles that attempted to bind him. Vicious teeth gouge his ribs as he jumps back, quickdrawing his scimitar and slicing back at the beast.
“Asura’s Blood!!” he cries out.
Once again he hears the refrain “Stupid two-legs” and the attempt to mentally control his body but his resolve is sure; he calls for help as he defends himself against the razor sharp teeth of Broadsword and the attempts by Blaze to either control him or knock him down.
Back at the barn, Azrin and K’tan hear his cries and start running down the field towards Trajan, apparently battling with two… horses? In the house M’ir and the others hurriedly make their way out of the small door. M’ir concentrates briefly and horrible whip-like welts appear on Broadswords side. Trajan spots his opening and critically hits the beast, slicing its awful head clean from its body.
Concerned, Blaze steps back from Trajan, and Darra spots his chance. From his position by the farmhouse he throws his arms forwards and cries out arcane words – and a bolt of lighting blasts across the field, catching Blaze squarely in the side and tumbling it over, dead. DMsnote: this is the first big damage spell ever thrown by the good-guys in my campaign – the first 3rd level arcane spell come to that. It was great!
The party gather round the two corpses.
“What in Asura’s name was all that?” they wonder. Examining the corpses carefully, Syl notices partly-healed wounds on each horses forehead – and apparently some kind of splinter beneath. Azrin does his best to carefully dig out each of the splinters for further examination, but they are delicate crystal, and shatter as he attempts to remove them. M’ir and K’tan both confirm with their knowledge of magecraft Dmsnote: psicraft in my campaign that these goings on sound like magery – and particularly the banned disciplines of the telepaths and the mutables.
“OK” says Darra “Lets go and see that witch now”.
“NO” says Trajan, sharply. “We are not leaving that old mans body lying there in the barn. We hardly knew him, but he was a friend and he deserved better than this. We are not going anywhere until he is properly buried.”
As they are starting to make preparations, a group of guards come up the road from Bellhold, along with the farmhand who originally raised the alarm. A short discussion, and the evidence of the frighteningly deformed head of one of the horses convinces the guards about what has been going on.
With matters settled at Othics farm, and with an increased sense of urgency, the company mount up and ride off to find the witch, and to… discuss… matters with her.
to be continued
“Asura’s Blood!!” he cries out.
Once again he hears the refrain “Stupid two-legs” and the attempt to mentally control his body but his resolve is sure; he calls for help as he defends himself against the razor sharp teeth of Broadsword and the attempts by Blaze to either control him or knock him down.
Back at the barn, Azrin and K’tan hear his cries and start running down the field towards Trajan, apparently battling with two… horses? In the house M’ir and the others hurriedly make their way out of the small door. M’ir concentrates briefly and horrible whip-like welts appear on Broadswords side. Trajan spots his opening and critically hits the beast, slicing its awful head clean from its body.
Concerned, Blaze steps back from Trajan, and Darra spots his chance. From his position by the farmhouse he throws his arms forwards and cries out arcane words – and a bolt of lighting blasts across the field, catching Blaze squarely in the side and tumbling it over, dead. DMsnote: this is the first big damage spell ever thrown by the good-guys in my campaign – the first 3rd level arcane spell come to that. It was great!
The party gather round the two corpses.
“What in Asura’s name was all that?” they wonder. Examining the corpses carefully, Syl notices partly-healed wounds on each horses forehead – and apparently some kind of splinter beneath. Azrin does his best to carefully dig out each of the splinters for further examination, but they are delicate crystal, and shatter as he attempts to remove them. M’ir and K’tan both confirm with their knowledge of magecraft Dmsnote: psicraft in my campaign that these goings on sound like magery – and particularly the banned disciplines of the telepaths and the mutables.
“OK” says Darra “Lets go and see that witch now”.
“NO” says Trajan, sharply. “We are not leaving that old mans body lying there in the barn. We hardly knew him, but he was a friend and he deserved better than this. We are not going anywhere until he is properly buried.”
As they are starting to make preparations, a group of guards come up the road from Bellhold, along with the farmhand who originally raised the alarm. A short discussion, and the evidence of the frighteningly deformed head of one of the horses convinces the guards about what has been going on.
With matters settled at Othics farm, and with an increased sense of urgency, the company mount up and ride off to find the witch, and to… discuss… matters with her.
to be continued
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