Stone-Hell on the Borderlands Session #11, 25 SEP 2023

 

 Well there was a gap in playing this campaign due to #irl events and the welcoming of my 7th grandchild into the world and our ever growing family. It's weird being old. I was distracted between sessions so some of the In-Between-Session stuff I would have edited or hashed out got overlooked. It is what it is, I will just  adjust stuff on the fly. I am also informed right before session that I have a PC dropping out due to some schedule conflicts so am short a PC so we are again at a group of four instead of five so will either recruit an additional player or introduce options for NPC as well as Retainers or Retainer-Henchfolk.

   So we picked up a few days after the rescue of Timmy the Pot Boy from being the main course in the Troglodytes Feast of scrawny pot boy stew. They hear rumors of happenings in the Keep of the Curate as well as Guild-Master Bail being escorted to the Inner Bailey for an audience with the Castellon. The Castellon is rather reclusive and ventures out to the Outer Bailey on purely ceremonial occasions while his wife, child and other advisors may be seen slightly more often. There is a mantle of reserve and separation from the common folk and the Inner Bailey giving it an air of mystery which is heightened when visiting Nobles will stay there but never mingle with the Outer Bailey Common-Folk. The Bailiff is responsible for most of the daily activities and appears to be busy most of the time when not hunting or riding in the countryside. The Bailiff is also tasked with the collection of taxes. The party decides to return to the sewers and further explore the caverns below.

   Ailil the Uncanny, an Elfin Cleric/Magic-User, joins the party and sets out gathering information from the Curate who seems to enjoy the company of Elfin Folk [Reaction Roll is 13 with Bonus & this is Twice when dealing with Elf Characters] and explains that he and the Guild-Master have come to earn some of the Castellon's ire for hiding the existence of the Caverns and Old Chaos Temple from him. Guards have been posted at the Double Doors to the Temple as well as obstructions in the form of new construction in the passages beneath the Outer Bailey. A Guard is posted at the Sewer Grate that leads to the Sewer closest to the Inner Bailey and Patrols have been Doubled with several Men-at-Arms seemingly serving perpetual sewer patrol duty. They are not happy about it and evidently blame the adventuring party as well as the Curate and Guild-Master. The Old Grey Stinker is confirmed to be not a rumor but is in fact real and has been observed by Men-at-Arms as a pony sized Rat ! The Giant Rattle Snake has not been confirmed by the Constabulary but they are keeping their eyes open for it....

    The Curate also informed Alil that the Guild-Master assumed full responsibility for the excursions into the caverns suffering some loss of reputation with the Castellon. The rest of the party gathers up some resources to delve again while Ailil visits the Bailiff and informs them they wish to return to the Sewers and a caverns to take care of the Monstrous Rat Grey Stinker as well as the Giant Rattlesnake. I note that Ailil is insistent to do so and his pointing out that the Men-at-Arms failed in their duty or were unknowing of the threat is  taken as an insult by the Bailiff [Reaction of 4 with CHA Bonus !] so I monologue his irritation and he threatens the party with incarceration or expulsion from the Keep. It is only by the good graces of the Castellon and the good will of the Common-Folk of the Outer Bailey they have not been punished for skulking in the sewers below the Keep as these are known to be Off-Limits to any but the Keep's Constabulary and Men-at-Arms on Patrol. In previous sessions the PCs have been seen with and working with Stefan Har'well whom has been very vocal about his disdain for the Keep's Garrison in the inability to gain revenge for his raided caravans by the Ghost Beggars of Stone-Hell Valley/Craig/Ravine or whatever it's called. Ailil insists he is sent from the Elfin kingdoms to aid in the Keep in its restoration and elevating its standards which the Bailiff finds odd since they actually have an Elfin advisor in the Inner Bailey who is supposedly in communication with the nearest Elf civilization. This is due to a miscommunication in Character Design and Background. Like I said I've been busy and distracted so had not informed the PC option was a stretch for my low key greater world but I'll work this in either as rival Elfin Houses or bureaucratic miscommunication as the Elf Advisor; still un-named as well, has been here for a very long time and this is the 2nd Castellon he is "advising". Possible intrigue but that would be a distraction from deep delving Stone-Hell.

THE REACTION ROLL DEVELOPS YOUR STORY

   Ailil returns tot he party and they immediately set out. I forgot to Roleplay some interaction with Rufus & Felix at the front gate but we were already over an hour into the session and still at the Keep. Curiously the Party forgot they had War Horses from the previous session and some trade and barter occurs while they acquire Wagon and Draft Horses. I inform them having mount and wagon means they can cover twice the ground and make it tot he second camp site. They opt to investigate the old ruined tower at the crossroads instead.

   Random Encounter Rolls are yet again beneficial to the PCs un named group of adventurers and they make to the Ruined Tower in good time. Unable to take their wagon and horse all the way to the top they continue the last bit on foot and discover the interior was set up for observation of the road by Bandits. it is in good order and they also discover that there is a observation point set up for keeping eyes on the swamp and a large mound can be seen in the center of the fens with Neolithic-style standing stones atop it. It is several miles away and is only visible to the Elf's Superior vision, it is vague in detail to the others in the Party. The Elf and I think one other is interested in investigating the large mounds but they opt to continue to Stone-Hell the next morning.

 No Encounters Again . . .

   They continue and go down the creepy old military road and end up in front of the Ruined Gate House. Noting the wagon and Draft Horses will not be able to go over the rubble very well so they opt to inspect the old portcullis and go through the middle. Inspection reveals they are rusted in place and would require Giant Strength to move at this point by the Dwarf Stonus. However they still have Saws and other tools from their previous looting of the Gate-House and opt to make it wide enough for the wagon and horse team. I Rule this will take about an hour as the bars are already spread apart wide enough here and there to allow easy egress by human sized folk in Armor. [I Call for a Listen at Door Check for the Party to see if they hear anything amiss nearby as I have restocked the Gate House, Daggun Succeeds] The Halfling Tome-Robber hears snorts & conversation nearby so they advance  into the Ruined Gate-House murder corridor to investigate. 

   Did I mention they walked into the Murder Corridor with murder holes above and arrow slits to the North & South ? Orcs call out for them to throw down their weapons and coin and they 'may' let them flee. Stonus starts running the length of the corridor counting on his armor to win the day, several members follow while the Cleric Octavius Curry & Daggun the Tomb-Robber stay back. Rushing forward they take arrow fire and then a chorus of insults and laughter erupt from the South as Kobolds start taunting the Orcs "Who are now gonna git it !" trhough those arrow slits. Octavius begins trying to recruit and bribe the Kobolds whom seem reluctant to do any physical violence towards the Orcs. Ailil takes damage from the gauntlet of arrows and Benn, Stonus and Ailil emerge on the far side then head to the corridor they know leads to the archers gallery. Bottle necking the corridor Been supports Stonus with Spear as they enter the Corridor and a melee battle with Orc Host begins. I opt to describe these Orc in the style of 40k fantasy Ork Boyz w/a sigil of a boot stomping upon a face. The Orcs have the numbers but a Sleep Spell from Ailil reduces it greatly and they Fail their Moral Check and begin to Fell with been And Stonus in pursuit. Octavius advances to Heal Ailil.

[Reaction Rolls to entice the Kobolds are close but the Kobolds of Stone-Hell are craven and not prone to fighting as they prefer to do the tried and true Grovel. I add thematic to the Healing in the sound of a cash register Cha-Chinging for the Trade Deity Fortuna as well as the jingling of a coin purse when spells are cast]

    Stonus Doggedly pursues the Orcs whilst Benn & Daggun begin finishing off sleeping Orc. Octavius frets about being attacked by the Kobolds but advances into the Northern section of the Gate House for security while Ailil observes the Kobolds leaving the Southern Section of the Gate House carrying sacks and waving at him wishing him in the Common Tongue "Have fun slaughtering the Orcs". The fleeing orcs have left the top of the Ruined Gate House and were fleeing to the Swamp that separates Stone-Hell Ravine from the Main Road. 

   Investigating the Archers Gallery they discover several dead goblins and a Kobold hanging from the rafters by his heels obviously beaten to death by the Orcs. A large stew part holding goblin remains and discarded bows taken from the dead goblins that were used to fire upon the PCs in the Murder Hall. Out of Spells but fully healed the PCs opt to head up the Switch Back Trail to the old Bandits hide out over looking the Ravine/Valley; reminding myself to compare the layout to geographical reference so I stop interchanging the terms, and I rule its possible with difficulty. They re enter the Caverns and discover it burnt where they had set fire with lots of charred bandit corpses nibbled on by caver vermin.

   Inspection reveals the fire spread via the straw and burned up the Ferrier shop in the side cavern and the cave full of merchant loot that was not returned to the Keep. Small foot prints are found on the cavern floor of kobolds who have visited the cave since the death of the Bandits. For a moment I thought hey were going to explore multiple direction at once separating the party but coalesce back into formation before following up on Benn's discovery of an upward sloping passage. 

   Following this route they find a latrine of foul odorous stank. Beyond which they find an old guard room not used by the Ghost Beggars but predating them by some time and beyond that an old Barracks with 20 bunks. Searching reveals a Rusted longsword stuck in a scabbard. Several rounds of experimentation reveals a large gold hoop and silver necklace. Its getting late so the party decides to camp out in the old Ghost Beggar Caverns and I will roll encounters between sessions. 

   There was lots of joking and messing around this session as well as plenty of in town RP. Not allot of gold found but honestly they are still in the Ravine/Valley and have only explored roughly 7 or 8 rooms in Stone-Hell proper. I believe everyone is having a good time and will get into some hijinks dealing with the Kobolds shortly. Need to make myself some handouts in #ROll20 for Monster Reaction and Reaction Rolls for easier ref during the session.

#OSR #SHotB #VintageGaming #OSE