Five Tower Keep Session 4: 08/23/2018 Ecology of a Manticore

We begin this week’s session in the late afternoon, after averaging 3 map hexes each day; our travel

through K1 is also accompanied by continual signs of swamp trolls as we continue our general course SW into K2 where a change of terrain follows. Stoutwood and Ginger provide aid to each of the group during the exploration (survival or perception check) phase of our journey. It is during this exploration Stoutwood is able to sense the presence of a swamp troll within relatively close range. The further south we travel the swamp is beginning to shallow even more.

In the distant sky, Alaric will see a couple of flying creatures circling but getter steady closer. Our characters find a place to hunker down until the threat passes. At about 100 years the creatures decend to 60’- a manticore. We fight them for a while before they fly off NW toward a steadily descending sun but not before a dire warning that something will return. We then begin to look for a place to camp straight west to divert from our previous path.

We are then set upon by an advanced Manticore and after some tense moments we fell the alpha female. After the battle lions emerge, including two male dire lions who come and feast on the unusually large female manticore. This occurs throughout the night, the two other ‘sons of’ Manticores do not harry us further. K2 is explored and does not yield a manticore lair. 

We continue SW to K3 and spend the fiveish hours exploring; Stoutwood is able to see the unexplored adjacent K4 area to contain a swamp troll lair. The area in K3 proves to be more jungle with little change to the swamp quality. Eventually three trolls bum-rush us but we are able to drive off two and just kill one.

Wandering Monsters II, The Deserter

Skutt the Exile

The half-orc Skutt slipped the magical ring on a pale finger and briefly closed his eyes feeling the tingling magic take hold. The half-orc resembled a vague human but with jaundice skin but was riddled with green freckles that gave the humanoid a spotted look. Tusks jutted out from his bottom jaw. When he opened his eyes he could see a golden path before him, a trail that no one but the ring bearer could perceive.

Around him, others of his small band were tending wounds from a previous encounter with some lizardmen; all but Sneak, the group’s kobold scout. Finishing a short respite from the jungle travel Bangor was trading sword swings with his shadow brought forth from the blade, a sparing technique to keep his prowess sharp. Bangor was a large tiefling whose lineage ties Bangor to an arch-duke of Hell, which made him royalty. A fact he did not let many people forget. Meditating nearby, unfazed by Bangor’s dangerously close swordplay, was the summoner Elsa- a vile adventurous Harpy who delighted in bloodshed. Finally there was Drump, an uncomely human priest of greed and political corruption.

Looking across the jungle canopy from the top of a wide flat mesa Skutt could too make out the golden path glittering its way north east, he could still not see where the trail ended but trusted the ring and the path it showed him. A thunder clap echoed across the jungle startling a myriad colorful birds from their perch as it started to rain.

“I have found a way down the mesa,” Sneak said to Skutt in his diminutive croaked voice.

“Good,” Skutt replied. “the path before us is clearer to me up here above the boughs.”

The promise of treasure was closer now and anticipation was hastening the group’s travel but unraveling their patience.

“How soon?” Drump asked, the priest was anxious as was Elsa who took to the air with her beautiful wings. "I will not suffer any further delays." the priest finished. 

To those who it chose the magic ring revealed a path to the one’s greatest wish. For Drump it was power and to ensure undying loyalty from his underlings; for Sneak it was to be a full dragon, resplendent and terrible; Bangor wanted to inherit his birthright, a territory in Hell; Elsa also desired power as well as an ice castle to rule from; but for Skutt he wanted reclaim his homeland for his people, that in-turn would grant him power.

“This route over the mesa gives me a clear vantage of where our path lies." Skutt said menacingly and after a moment said, "I would say by the new moon we shall each have what the ring has shown us." 

The River Marshalls

Five Years Ago…Lowport

Arnil Garrod

The meeting was being held at The Bitters, an old tavern that had gone out of business the previous year.   A dozen rangers had gathered, called there by their leader and senior member Arnil Garrod.   Collectively the rangers were referred to by the locals of Lowport as the River Marshalls.  The River Marshalls had come to hear everything Arnil, or A G as they called him, had to tell them regarding his study of the Dragon King Kazzurog’s newest soldiers, creatures the Marshalls called Draconians.

“As many of us travel with an animal companions, the Draconians I have followed have anywhere from one to a half dozen small chameleon lizards they travel with.  The chameleons appear to be trained to destroy the tracks of Draconians and also seem to have the ability to mask or eliminate any scent the Draconians would leave behind.”  Worried glances between members were exchanged as Arnil provided his report.  “At our previous gathering, some theorized that some dark sorceries must have transformed lizard men from the swamps to create this new threat. I don’t believe that to be the case, although I do believe arcane ceremonies were used to create this new draconic race, I now worry and strongly suspect that the disappearance of many kobolds and wizards from our region over the last decade is behind this new threat.”

Draconians

Several discussions broke out at once as Arnil’s words faded.  The stoic ranger had expected this and allowed a few moments of discussion before continuing, “I believe that each Draconian is connected to a chromatic dragon, as the ones I’ve followed have similar skin patterns.  Some of these hulking brutes reach heights of nine feet, but the majority I’ve seen are slightly above seven feet tall.  They have exhibited both martial and arcane capabilities along with many resistances similar to their dragon patron.  In short I believe that King Kazarog is somehow using the wizards he captures to transform his kobolds into a these new creatures.  None of our members should engage these Draconians alone, for now we will practice stealth and study, learning all we can of this new threat who appear to be many in number.”

Five Tower Keep Session 3: 08/09/2018 Welcome to the Jungle

We begin this week’s session as our characters arrive to Swamplands Thorpe. Our characters quickly assess the small community which is now empty and mostly in ruin. We spend a few hours making minor repairs, scavenging, and in Stoutwood’s case gathering some sentimental items. Our search reveals that multiple groups rampaged through the Thorpe, perhaps 5-10 groups of no more than five heavily booted feet. We also find how much property was destroyed and discover five individuals who fell in defense of the thorpe. Our characters gather the deceased build a funeral pyre.

Stoutwood works with Ginger on picking up the orog’s scent to try and track the brutes early the next day. Mesha and Drake concentrate on how the groups move, how they entered the Thorpe and how these brutes are not the quiet travelers we encountered early on; but barbarians too stubborn to leave what ever was causing the exodus from Horcton. We post a watch between ourselves in a simple house after setting up some noisemakers to alarm us if there are any trespassers.

Around the midnight hour when we hear the noise of the broken crockery under heavy booted feet. Outside the small house were two horcling archers and three orogs. After combat we find the orogs carried 3 javelins, each wielded great axes, and wore half-plate piecemeal Horcton armor. They had 15 gold pieces among them. Finally one of them wore a magical heavy iron crown covered in runes. Melderon appraises it with a 13. However before long our characters return to rest. Through the night, during Drake’s shift, he hears another group pillaging the thorpe. Drake elects to remain silent and allow his companions some rest.

The next morning Stoutwood works with Ginger and hunts for food for our adventure gaining a boar in the process before leading the characters out into the un-mapped and untamed jungle. We first head SW into H1 (relative to our player map) and are able to fully explore the area after just three hours finding nothing much except an elephant carcass, complete with tusks intact. Our characters continue to follow the orog tracks and head south into H2 and on into H3; both territories we fully explore. We eventually rest and continue our exploration SE into H4 where the terrain becomes more featured and where Ginger and Stoutwood soon discover swamp troll tracks.

Our characters continue south into K1 where the terrain becomes thick jungle over swamp and as we continue Stoutwood becomes certain there is a swamp-toll lair located in this region. His suspicions are confirmed the hard way. The two swamp-trolls fight fiercely but eventually retreat from us as we learn these cowardly creatures almost never fight to the death.

Wandering Monsters

Olf pulled his great axe free with a wet sucking sound. It came with a spray of blood as well as glistening dark red clumps of whatever served as a brain for the former lizard-man. The orog Olf and his horcling team had been tracking a deserter from the hoard, his treacherous half-orc brother, for two nights when the six brutes came across the vile lizard-folk.

Olf the Orog Barbarian

Something had the lizard-folk riled up because the chieftain was scampering about inciting the other lizard-folk. Olf was convinced that it was the half-orc who must have passed near their territory that had worked them into a frenzy. Olf placed Ogg to task and commanded him to go to the lizard-folk camp and report back.

Less than an hour later the information that came back to Olf was that there was a single lizard-man chieftain- large and of great stature waving about a sword, a smaller lizard-man an acolyte; and a harem of five lizard-folk females- each one as comely as a hag. Olf and the horclings brought their weapons to the lizard-men with bloodthirsty vengeance; the orog treating this as a training exercise for the horclings.

“Olf,” Togg called out to the barbarian orog and handed him the spoils from the lizard-men’s filthy nest. Among the salvage, Olf was surprised to find was a branded exotic sword, an obvious relic from Horcton. What was his brother up to and how did this chieftain end up with such an ancient relic?

Olf wandered about the camp, stopped and looked to the sky, he guessed it would be dark in a few hours. The orog barbarian sheathed the branded sword, closed his eyes and breathed deeply of the warm jungle air trying to pick up a scent.

Around Olf his team cast the camp about and pulverized everything and anything to uselessness, he was oblivious to it all as he focused on the traces in the air.

Then the orog had it- a scent! But it was not his brother- something else. Olf looked towards where he believed the scent was originating and in the distance saw a wide flat mesa covered in thick green foliage. It was disguised among the feature-riddled jungle, hunkered down but it was obvious once you saw it. Olf thought he saw a fracture in the base of the mesa that could be a way to the top.

                                                                                                                                                 

“Ogg, gather the others. I want to make that mesa by nightfall.”

Five Tower Keep Session 2: 08/02/2018 Dunlap Thorpe Attack and Return to Five Tower Keep

We begin with our characters arriving at Dunlap Thorpe just as evening draws near. Our characters see people working the fields and being wary, mayhap they have already heard the danger about Five Tower Keep. Stoutwood hails some old fruit harvesters who recognizing us as representatives from Five Tower keep and inquire as to the nature of our visit.

The subject of the moving orog and Horcling hoard is brought up and our characters learn they were in fact seen just the night before. Melderon surmises that the in-season farms are likely under the most danger and to get everyone, farmers and the like, to the relative safety of the Thorpe and away from danger. We include a way for the local Dunlaps to signal us with fire if danger should resolve itself during the forthcoming night.

Our characters spend time escorting the farmers and their kin to Dunlap Thorpe before heading out beyond the community and to a farm we are told is in-season and is likely in danger. We come to a trio of square buildings, empty of people to hold up and observe the horde's movement. Stoutwood lights a small fire in an outside fire pit as a way to attract attention. Melderon detects a nearby ley line for power and leans the line in question is an extension of the line from Dunlap to Five Tower Keep.

Eventually we see shadowy orogs in the night; one in old masterwork half plate Horcton armor who appears to cautiously investigate the small bonfire; they don’t immediately see our characters. Eventually combat breaks out and we defeat what turned out to be orog barbarians. Among their equipment are composite longbows with 40 arrows, and three great axes; finally strapped to a chain is a light crossbow that is matched to the Horcton armor- both are magical and both are leavened. Stoutwood stores the magical crossbow and Mesha takes interest in the armor.

With this location sullied we decide to move to a different farmstead where we come across tracks and decide to follow in haste. It is by now 4ish in the morning when our character arrive to Dunlap were we find the community had been under attack. The attackers fled before the days first light.

We arrange a report to be sent to Five Tower Keep as well as a message to Golden Oaks to update those folk of the moving horde. We decide to rest and the next morning following the tracks in hopes to find camp sites.

We arrive to Golden Oaks by 10 pm. And receive a message from Five Tower Keep that the orogs and barbarian attack is worse that once believed and Swamplands Thorpe is now overrun. Our characters decide to load up all available wagons with farmers and enough food and escort them to Five Tower Keep where we eventually discover the local countryside is being plundered. 

After resting Inskipp meets with us and asks us to explore the largely unmapped areas of the jungles as we head out to look for the ruins of Horcton and what has risen there to incite these monsters.

We pick up next session as our characters arrive to Swamplands Thorpe before our delve deeper into the swamps and the ruins of Horcton beyond.