The Restenford Journals #4 (18 MARCH 2024)

    This session got off to a rocky start and I was feeling a bit off. My CHF has been acting up strangely as of late but after a small delay we got right into the session. We had left off last time with the party falling back to the Inn of the Dying Minotaur and retiring for a few days then they checked around for other adventuring types and found the Inn mainly just farmers, merchants and regular townsfolk. Restenford is very quiet but there are reports of banditry north east of town and another missing fisherman which is of some concern and much rumor. There are rumor of huge orcs on Bone Hill, Orcish Bandits near Bald Hill and the North East road (Prolly needs a road name now I would guess)while some talk of a mercenary that resides in Restenford, perhaps someone who could be hired out to deal with it.

   The PCs debate on what to do this session leads the trio back to the Burnt Guard House where they discover someone has been inspecting the entrance to the Hidden Complex. They continue on nonetheless. PCs have not decided upon a title for their adventuring party and the locals have not given them one yet either as they have not accomplished enough to warrant one being handed over. We will see what transpires though for that eventually.

   Descending into the darkness they have a tough time with the first door in the entry area. This seems to set the tone for the evening. The dice are going to try and kill you. They advance southward and keep close to the interior wall which allows them to hear the near constant scratching within the walls of the Hidden Complex. In the hall large rat dropping's are seen and they come upon a door. taking the time to listen they hear nothing so attempt to open the door, Tushuab the Ranger fails followed by Eldrin the Elf Magic-User Thief failing as well leaving the door opening to be successful by the Magic-User Davon. A surprise roll is made which is not successful as the party is being cautious but having failed to open the door twice alert the occupants. I quickly describe the room as a kitchen of sorts and there are two shambling undead figures in chefs hats stumbling towards the door while two gaunt growling figures rush the door at great haste, another pair of ghouls !

   I use a good old fashioned declaration phase before rolling initiative. They are gonna Fireball the room which I explain is a 20 foot square chamber but are going to attempt to slam the door shut as it is cast which I am going to allow. Davon whom was the PC who successfully opened the door is squarely in the sights of the ghouls and Tushuab is nearby with bow in hand while the Elf has been skulking behind the party quite a bit is not an initial target. Did I mention the dice sometime tries to kill you ? They lose Initiative which results in Davon and Tushuab getting paralyzed. Eldrin follows through on his action to close the door as it was his declared action; this seals the Zombies in the kitchen, then I go back to the Declaration Phase. HE decides to bolt, I make a quick morale roll for the Ghouls, this is to determine if they feast or follow the fresh meat, and they fail and chase the fleeing Elf. Wounding but not killing him and unable to paralyze him either he outpaces them and scales the iron ladder up into the Burnt Guard House. He flees down the street in the early morning screaming for aid and that undead are loose in the old Burnt Guard House alerting the local fishermen. I check to see who lives closest and I see its a family with 5 children, er... this is bad. I Roll to see if the children do as children are opt todo when something strange is happening, they go check it out and become ghoul food.

   This tragic fate of the dice is also the only thing that saves the paralyzed PCs. Eldrin returns with the guards form the nearest Guard House and a melee is joined. Both parties are surprised and then after declaration phase the guards rush the ghouls and interrupt their feasting on a pair of children from Fishermen House A. I will be honest this back a nd forth and running to gain aid is difficult to track. There is a turn tracker right next to me the entire time and I never once lifted it up, the CHF wonkiness is rearing its head this evening and I am feeling a bit confused due to the blood being, erratic. MeH, It Is What It Is. The battle is shifting to the ghouls and seems evenly matched so the Elf Eldrin rushes toward Phaulkon's Abbey but instead  attracts the attention of the solitary house at the bottom of the hill where a chain mail clad individual walks outside by the name of Yalta. He entreats him to aid and rolls a 12 on Reaction Roll and Yalta enthusiastically steps inside returning with Staff and Shield his Holy Symbol of Saint Ygg emblazoned upon his Shield. They rush to reinforce the Guards battling in the Burnt Guard House. Being relative new comers to Restenford they could have more efficiently sought aid at this time by exploring the town more thoroughly but the call to adventure was strong !

  Upon returning to the Burnt Guard House Eldrin & Eldrin face a single ghoul as it paralyzes the last remaining guard who had slain the other. Unfortunately the dice favor not the heroes and Yalta is quickly paralyzed but Eldrin manages to severely damage the creature and destroy it the following round. Two of the Players have basically sat this session out and been observers while Eldrin ran sprints about Restenford. The West Guard House was roughly 200 feet from the Burnt Guard House while Yalta's House was roughly 300 feet away so relatively close with a leather clad Elf running to each while a battle loomed. I do use 1 minute rounds so this all worked out fairly consistently although I need to make more use of my game aids like Torch Trackers and Round Trackers for confusing stuff like this but it worked out. The other PCs were convinced they were dead but the Ghouls chasing prey actually saved them, adding in the curiosity of some local children buying them a few additional round as well. As more guards arrive the PCs are disarmed and ushered towards Castle Grellus as a mob forms upon hearing of the death of Jack & Jill some of the fishermen's children. The story is presented to the Guards and Yalta so I have the PCs roll a Reaction Roll and they buy their story but have more questions which the PCs are slow to answer but come clean they were trying to rid the town of the Giant Rat Problem. 

   Upon reaching Castle Grellus the party is again questioned by Yalta and I have one of the PCs roll a Reaction again. They are expanding their story and being more forthright in their actions so they are brought forth into an impromptu meeting with Baron-Champion Grellus, the Baroness Fairwind, The Canons of Restenford and Pelltar are in attendance as well. Davon having a positive CHA modifier makes their case and explains their actions and Baron-Champion Grellus is sympathetic to their cause being a former adventurer himself in his early years, the Baroness is advised by Yalta and is favorable to the party as they managed to save him from being devoured by the Ghouls and Pelltar is noticeably irritated as he was aware of the party's investigations into the the Burnt Guard House but had not mentioned it to the Baron-Champion either. Pelltar mentions the magical trinkets the party recovered from the Hidden Complex to which Grellus casually dismisses as the spoils of adventure but fortunate the foul place was discovered. The Baron-Champion Grellus advises the party not to travel to the Western side of Restenford as the Fisherfolk are furious about the death of Jack & Jill so may wish to do them harm. HE orders them held in the dungeons for three days while he contemplates recompense.

   After three days in the dungeons the PCs are released and then bathed by the guards roughly before their equipment, armor and weapons' are returned to them as well as anything that was at the Inn of the Dying Minotaur. HE offers them the opportunity to redeem themselves in the eyes of the court, he glances at the Baroness Fairwind and Pelltar explaining that the North Eastern Road is trouble by banditry of late and that at the mid point between his realm and another barony was an old stronghold sacked by his grandfather that was called Falcon's Peak for the Bandit Lord Falcon that laired there. They are to explore the ruins to see if it is being used as bastion of these raids which Pelltar assures him it is. There are also Hobgoblin deserters from the Duke's forces there as well. Some rumor of Orcish bandits that appear to not be apart of the rabble disrupting the Xerbal Mountains trade. Pelltar informs the party they will be given supplies for their journey and after inquiring for aid Yalta has agreed to travel with the PCs as an advisor and representative of the court. 

   I will start granting more Quest XP I believe as progression is slow. Minor 50 XP to 150 XP Rewards and Major victories or quests being 250 to 500XP Bonus. I go ahead and award 50 XP for doing the honest explanations for the actions and another 50 XP for aiding in eliminating the Giant Rat Problem by getting the Guards involved. The PCs discover some interesting tidbits of local knowledge and information, are given a quest to get them out of town so a mob of fishermen doesn't set them on fire or burn down an Inn trying to get to them and Grellus commits to rebuilding and repairing the Burnt Guard House for greater protection on the Western side and an additional jail is needed in the opinion of Pelltar and Baroness Fairwind. It was a fun but confusing session and we are gonna have another in a week instead of running SHotB.