Stone-Hell on the Borderlands Session #18(1 JAN 2024)

    Picking up where we left off last session with Bandits coming down the stairs facing the party attempting to emerge from Stone-Hell. Both being surprised for a round then hurling insults and weapons at each other as they clash on the stairs which are broad and well worn overtime. I assign a +1 to attacks' to the Bandits as they are on the higher ground and the party is facing up against them. Benn calls over his shoulder for his Retainer Oscar the Odd to quickly end this fight with a Sleep spell which results in all of the Bandits falling to the stairs asleep. They are dispatched with ruthless efficiency with throats slit allowing the blood to run down the steps into Stone-Hell. Blood feeding and Fueling the Beast of a Dungeon. 

   It's always good to start off the New Year with a decent session imo. This started quickly which is rare for us and the y got right into sorting it out.

   Returning to the Old Mountain Lion Lair the Coddiwomple Company settles up for a long evening of tending their wounds, Benn & Alberich are wounded but the rest of the Retainers and Stonus are uninjured. I make quick roll to see if the Mountain Lion returns to its lair and it has not, still avoiding the PCs who so grievously injured it previously. They check in with the Dwarf Cohort of Snorri and then promptly return to the area known as the Contested Halls to deal with the remnants of the Ghost Beggars. Stonus has sworn revenge against Jackur the Cruel and he believes he is with the Ghost Beggars in the depths of Stone-Hell having retreated from their stronghold overlooking the valley after the party raided it. There are no Wandering Monster Encounters and they stop along the way to spike open the one way door at the room of Dwarf Architectural Marvels. Travelling south using Glix the Short Lived goblin as a sort of guide (OK I forgot about this guy they picked up in Kobold Korners) they head straight to where they believe from information obtained from Kobolds & Hobgoblins interactions.

   As they enter the area they believe to hold the remnants of the Ghost Beggars they send the goblin slave Glixx whom Alberich purchased in Kobold Korners forward to ostensibly check for traps by setting them off. I make a Morale check and he makes it which I take as Glixx sees a chance for escape and takes it. He begins running full tilt northward away from the Coddiwomplers ! "Adventurers ! Filthy mean Dwarf come to Kill You. Glixx is free Glixx is freee!" A single Bandit is on watch holding a crossbow and they Surprise him and fire upon him in masse but at the range their hurled weapons fall short and Benn scores a solid hit. The sound of alarm comes from the archways nearby and out come several bandits in haphazard looking chain hauberks over their leather. We call these the janky kobold korner armor upgrades. Jackur the Cruel joins the fray with another Bandit Crossbowman. The original is felled by a hurled dagger and Stonus with Benn begin a general melee with the Bandit Spearmen. It being a new day Oscar is called upon to put these bandit vermin to bed by Benn. In a tense moment Jackur upon hearing this command orders his crossbowman to kill the wizard. The party loses Initiative but the crossbow bolt misses which results in all of the bandits being put into a magical slumber as Oscar the Odd casts Sleep. This is a bit anti climatic but the melee was lackluster with the party missing a ton of attacks. The bandits are dispatched on the ground with Jackur being tied up and the woken up by Stonus to be killed after he insulted and informed him that this was a long time coming ! They discover several of the Bandits are carrying thongs with goblin ears on them. This bit of odd info is noted then quickly forgotten.

   The back and forth chatter, the battle in the hall covers a few rounds making the need for a Wandering Monster Check, nada. 

   The Archways from the Hall open into a large Feast Hall where the Bandits had been staying which reeks of sweat and reptile stink. In the corner with a small table holding a pair of chests the treasure of the Ghost Beggars rested, the watch lizard eyeing the party as they move into the room. It however does not attack as they drag in the bodies of the slain bandits. Having been trained not to attack anyone wearing the Yellow & Black checkerboard patterns common to the bandits. None of the party however is wearing any of these tokens and when they move away from the dead bodies are blocked by the large lizard. I roll an 11 on Monster Reaction so the creature is not overtly offensive to the party. They attempt to sneak past it but I roll a Morale Check to see if the Lizard maintains its post over feasting over its former masters, it passes its morale check so it will not let them approach the things it guards. This results in the party dragging all of the bodies in and piling them up near the watch lizard as they have determined that the lizard will eventually get hungry and eat the carrion. 

   They check a nearby door and discover five goblin slaves of the bandits cowering in a corner of a refurbished old kitchen being used by the bandits. I roll for a chance to see if the goblins know common; 20% possibility, and they do not so dialogue is attempted but I roll abysmally low on he Monster Reaction Chart and these 1 hit point beaten and abused "servants" of the bandits are very uncooperative and shout insults at their racial enemies the Dwarf. A few players forget they know goblin and use Stonus as the translator which is bad since he has a negative modifier to his CHA. I tried to mention that the character talking in Common knew Goblin as a language since he was also a Dwarf but got talked over on Discord, not once, not twice but three times. This is my genuine main complaint about playing with a VTT. I would normally hold up my hand and grin when a PC is talking at a table but there are no non verbal clues that someone is about to speak. The goblins are dispatched and the room quickly searched. There is nothing on Scullery Slaves of the Ghost Beggar Bandits ....

   That last bit could be a seedy pulpy book title.

   This dragging of bodies from the hall and piling up and attempts to sneak past the "distracted" guardian lizard takes several Turns. I roll for Wandering Monster Encounters and again, nuffin. They go through another torch as one was consumed in the time it took to descend and traverse Hell's Antechamber and meander through the Contested Halls. Exploration speed is 20' per round for these Dwarf in the Party.

   The Coddiwomplers then check back on the Guardian Lizard. It still has not eaten the corpses and eyes them cautiously. Attempting to enter the chamber  this time it growls and bares its fangs. Growls ? I mean hisses. They return to the hall then butcher the goblin corpses tossing bits at the Lizard and forming a trail to the old kitchen. I make a note that the Cleric Yolanda will need to make a Loyalty Check to remain in the employ of Benn as this is distasteful to the Lawful Cleric of Beauty, Advisors and Consorts. There is back and forth that the lizard should take the bait and leave its post which I ignore. They continue up the Hall to another door in the direction that Glixx the Short Lived fled and abandoned the party. The stout door is kicked open by Stonus revealing a fairly messed up chamber which has been recently tossed as the dust and debris is kicked around. I ask for actions and get the regular delay in answers as I drop some dice. Advancing into the chamber Alberich steps upon a Bear Trap beneath a straw mat concealing it in a cavity. Suffering but a single point of damage they remove it and search the chamber for anything of interest and find nothing of value.

  I continue to mark off time as they have really doddled in this one hall and continued to not encounter any Wandering Monsters. This is supposedly a well trafficked area which makes it seem it may be avoided by the local denizens.

   Returning to the Old Feast Hall they see the Guardian Lizard eyeballing them from afar so they form a firing line and fire upon it so they can gain access to those chests the bandits have stored in the far corner. Everyone misses, badly misses. The Guardian Lizard charges the party and attacks them, it is extremely fast and covers the 40' in a single round and attacks. The melee that follows takes roughly 6 rounds to finish as they literally cannot hit nothing. Its simply armor Class 6 and they roll single digits so I emphasize this creatures almost preternatural speed. Dispatching the Guardian Lizard which honestly could have been adopted by simply putting on the Yellow & Black Checkerboard Cloth they surround the chests. Inspection of them by the Locksmith Alberich finds they are not trapped and the locks are damaged. They begin to just take the chests but Stonus is impatient and flips open the first one revealing it is full of Electrum and Gold coin. Alberich then opens up the second one and discovers its trapped but he nimbly dodges the spike that thrusts out of the front of the chest. It sis full of silver with the hint of gems.

   Leaving the dungeon they head straight to where they spiked open the one way door only to discover something has taken the spike and closed the door. Taking the longer way out and encounter no Wandering Monsters which is odd since it has been nearly three hours underground. Making their way upwards they make their way to gather up their Cart and Donkeys from the Dwarf Cohort living in Stone-Hell Valley. They make note to leave and head directly to the Keep. No Wandering Monster Encounters nd they make it safely as dusk approaches. Then they have to deal with the gate guards and Rufus.

   Now this encounter went sideways. They are addressed by Rufus; whom they know does not like them at all and coined the phrase Coddiwomplers as a derogatory remark that stuck, to pay the Road Tax of 5 CP to enter the Keep and he notes the Chests in the cart. They produce the head of Jackur and there is still a bounty on him from when they fought the raiders who were molesting merchants upon the road very close to the Keep. Jackur was also a former guard at the Keep a fact they have forgotten as they take his head out of a bag. Rufus always goes through the "What is your business at the Keep schtick when the party returns and hassles them but this time there are a few side comments which rile up the old guard. HE informs them that the bounty for this scoundrel will be sent to the Travellers Inn to them but they demand payment now. Felix observing continues to write in his log book while Rufus tells them the Bailiff has to approve such things and takes their Road Tax. and then Stonus tosses a gold coin at the guards so I roll a Reaction Roll, its a 3 modified by the negative one for his CHA for a total of 2. The gold coin flips through the air and hits Rufus square in his middle and falls to the ground. His eyes grow large and a sneer gashes his face. Rufus begins to circle the wagon and calls for it to be searched for contraband. "Only merchants can trade in the Keep and I see here you have arms, you be members oft he Guild ? I thought not! " Several members of the party chime in that its loot to be sold which is rebuffed by the Corporal of the Guard then they inform the guard that if not for their efforts the Keep would be swarmed by Kobolds which only angers the guard more and he informs them he could toss them into the stocks if he wanted and to mind their tongues as he has the weapons seized as contraband. Stonus claims up and stops speaking while Alberich and Benn protest. Rufus picks up the gold coin and plants it firmly into Stonus' hand, "Enjoy your stay at the Keep. I'll be 'aving a word with the Bailiff about you rabble shortly. Might 'ave to talk to Guild Master Basil as well."

   On many previous sessions there are a few players who seem to want to dump on the Keep guard. It created this ill will over time and Rufus despises the party as a group. This spun off of the jewel  merchant Steffan Har'Well being upset not enough was done for his lost caravans near Stone-Hell to which he offered bounty on the Ghost Beggar Bandits at one time. Any opportunity to disparage the Guard and Men-at-Arms of the Keep but for one evening of drinking and celebrating after they recovered Timmy from the Sewers which resulted in the Guard and Men-at-Arms having to do more patrols in the sewers. Moving the Reputation level with the Guard down and making Rufus an enemy of the Coddiwomple Company. I expect the Road Tax may increase and searching of the Cart, Donkeys and Wagons if they are added in the future top become the norm. Kind of like when you piss off the local cops in your town. Your life gets more complicated.

   This is the largest haul they have made in Stone-Hell and several are nearing leveling again. This is mainly due to the Bonus XP system I have installed otherwise they would be struggling with XP totals. In between session activity in discord will be focused on role play and banking. The possibility of attaining residence within the Keep still exists but might be stalled by Rufus. Still not sure what to charge for one of those 2 to 3 story buildings if one was wanted to be purchased or moved into with rents paid to the Castellon. I'll work something up this week I guess.

#OSR #VintageGaming