Highfell Journals Session #10 (2 DECEMBER 2024)

    Well, it's been a gap in play which always means this session is going to be bumpy as folks get back into character. Remember what we were doing and for those in multiple campaigns separate which campaign they are playing in this week from the last game they played. Picking up in Woodvale they attempt and discuss at length how to sell and to whom to sell the loot from the Sacern caverns where they encountered and fought the Hidden Dagger Orc Clan. Between session they Magic-User Talen-Zin was arrested by the town watch under the direction of Handel Bjornson. Oddly no one questions what becomes of the architect of the Orcish raids out of the Fargonne Forest. A definite zero-fucks attitude which changes into an obsession about getting all of the weapons out of the Sacern Caverns to sell in Thatchum. This is pretty much the entire discussion for the first 25 to 35 minutes of our session. Scylenta The Serpent is particularly keen on getting the weapon cache for future hirelings.

    Bristerhahn offers up the Tapestries to Magnus & Marge of the Flaming Faggot Inn and they offer a 25GP for the lot and are refused. The PCs opt to travel to Thatchum and use the gemstones recovered to possibly acquire Plate Armor for Bristerhahn & Hjort. The party travels to Thatchum and stays at the Inn of the Wanton Wench. Inquiries are made where to sell gems and they head over as a group to The Silver Nugget where they have their gems appraised, a gem is kept as payment for appraisal as they were lacking in coins to pay and Nyx takes a minor dislike to the adventurers. They sell the tapestries as well as the golden statuette and make haste to The Gleaming Sword and begin negotiations for sizing of armor for Bristerhahn & Hjort. Silver tipping are added to Alaric's staff and a Silvered Two-Handed Hammer is ordered for Hjort as well. Returning to the Inn they spend an evening in revelry and drinking learning redundant rumors and that the Mystics of Matowb are the primary sponsors of adventuring groups going to HighFell, for a price. 

    On the following morn they travel to Adderon's Alchemy Shop and have several potions identified by the drowsy middle aged elf that runs the shop. The party picks up a few Vials of Holy Water as well. The Gnomish Illusionist Buzz is travelling around Thatchum inspecting a few points of interest while the party takes care of the mundane stuff. Eventually being making  their way back to Woodvale the PCs stop over and investigate the Henge of lost Souls. The Henge of Lost Souls is a series of standing stones in three concentric circles with a central dais made of stone. The stones mark the compass directions and have well-worn glyphs inscribed by the Ancient Archaians. Plans to make rubbings in the future are made and they return to their travels. The Postulant Alaric gives a brief theory that they are a type of teleportation ring used by the Ancient Archaians to which the Illusionist Buzz & Magic-User Ravithor concur. This after allowing the Intelligence Checks. The party is knowledgeable on learning but weak on practical experience with things at this point of the campaign. 

    After spending another day marking the end of an in game week of time they make it back to the Glade and then leave the Cart to travel into the Sacern Hills and into the Caverns. Arriving they find small footprints and that the foliage is dead and fading not concealing the entrance as well as before. Lack of maintenance even Orcish maintenance is obvious.  Torches are lit and they enter, a horrible odor greets them and the rotted partially devoured corpses of the Orcs they defeated last session still remain, mostly. Fat giant rats waddle about "indifferent" to the party's presence. I make a note to make a gm roll macro for Monster Reaction Checks as the PCs can see the rolls. Even small META stuff irks me at times. They push on to the cave where all of the weapons were and I make a quick roll, they still remain so they gather  them up and plan to make a few trips to load up the cart with them. On the way out I roll a Wandering Monster Check then consult a generic Wandering Monster List and its a group of 8 Kobolds, no big deal right ...

    I roll for Surprise as the PCs are carrying large loads of equipment and the Torchlight would be shaky at best. The Kobolds get surprise and after a volley of sling bullets several rush forward to melee the lead figures, Bristerhahn & Scylenta. Both are wounded in this initial rush and then Initiative is rolled, of course the Kobolds win and Scylenta is slain while Bristerhahn escapes with another minor wounding. They could have both been slain in the opening round. Immediately the PCs are in panic mode and the Barbarian Rork announces going into a rage while the Magic-User Ravithor at the back oft he party begins casting Sleep for a group of 8 Kobolds ! Winning Initiative the PCs make quick efficient progress with the Kobolds with one fleeing. I think that one should have been asleep but it was chaotic. None had treasure as Wandering Monsters and the PCs are shell shock. There is some chuckling as a PC is rolling another character and instead of trying to get supplies form deeper in the caverns they return to Woodvale and I introduce the new PC at the Flaming Faggot Inn and we end on a Funeral Pyre of the fallen PC.

    It was a frenetic evening of half decisions and when I went to clarify on definite course of action there was silence. Its all part of getting back into the groove I guess, but can suck the momentum out of a session. Next week they plan to sell the intelligent sword to the Mystics of Matowb to gain means to travel to High-Fell. This time of the year is stressful, hectic and confusing as we all have tons of family stuff going on and I know allot of Campaigns simply abstain from playing in December. We are going to try and push forward since its a Monday evening group.

    Game Well, Game Often Y'all