Tue Apr 05, 2005 6:29 pm  
Greyhacking Finishes N2 - Starts N1

Part IX.

Notes:

Post refers to two sessions. The second was more role played, resulting in a longer post.

Using N2 in the non-canon location of the Nutherwood.

This is sometimes copied to some of the player's, so there are little spoilers save the module number and ex-post-facto discovery.

-------- Last Week --------

Last week the party makes it back to Rinaldo (N2) who was waiting for them as planned.

The party meets up with Rinaldo and declines his help as a guide, they're going to attack Olot the Ogre on their own.

They get past the Flesh Golem without any fuss, having taken the cue from the Gypsies regarding whom it will attack. They had considered teasing it but thought better of it.

They negotiate the traps as well, although Thanos and his sidekick each fell into the corner pit trap filled with water while wearing his armor. The rest of the party pulled him out. The Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark rolling stone was easily avoided.

That remained Olot the Ogre which the party dispatched without further ado.

However the division of the spoils took hours especially the coin. Special thanks to the agreement to return the Pegasus, they would have fought over that too.

The party decides they need to go to school again so they make their way towards through The Phostwood to Redspan in the Duchy of Tenh, The Pale not being too hospitable anytime soon.

The party was then accosted by a hundred or so Bandits. Oh what the hell, I tell the party they're in the service of Iuz looking for a Cleric of Tharizdun and rumored to have passed through the Phostwood. Oh what a coincidence! They're looking for him too! Thanos' Sidekick just happens to be a Cleric of Iuz. What another coincidence! They haven't had religious services in a month so she holds an Iuz service for them. The rest of the party minds their own business or looks the other way.

They arrange to scout the Phostwood and report on the other side. So the Bandits break up into small groups to accomplish that. Meanwhile ...

The next day they run into a Tenha patrol who were looking for Jack Slade. (The Thief who stole Thanos' magic sword earlier. The patrol tells them that Jack has stolen an item and from the Duke and is a fugitive. (The party is not quite aware of the war going on, and I gloss over the fact only Jim the Thief speaks Flan.) Anyway both sides are suspicious of each other and request the other side take of their shirts to find Jack's birthmark. Satisfied both parties go their separate ways.

Another two days and the party runs into native Phostwood Orcs, but using their superb negotiating skills on the evil side, get by without combat. They learn from the Orcs they are also looking for a Cleric of Tharizdun, who attempted to recruit them from their normal worship of He Who Never Sleeps but the cleric escaped. They admit they're looking for him too but do not accompany the Orcs.

Lastly another random encounter at the end of a week scouting the Phostwood. They are accosted at night and every party member has a sword at their throat by the time the guy on watch knows what is going on. He is approached by a Jackal headed men adorned in Japanese style armor, and is told to surrender! Which he does.

Yes I rolled up Samurai Jackals. Why not, lets make them seven.

Making the most of it, the Samurai say they're bound by honor and writ to find Jack Slade and request the party to remove their shirts (except the female.) As the party also is after Jack, they talk the Samurai into joining them. The Samurai are sure of the trail so they party lets them lead.

This was the end of that week.

Second week:

They leave the Phostwood on the northern side and rendezvous with some of the Bandits from before. No sign of the Cleric. Jack's trail leads north to the Troll Fens.

The party leaves the Phostwood on the 30 mile stretch between it and the Troll Fens and come across a frozen Pryolisk in the middle of the path. (Another one of the stupid hints I leave behind to show the party they're on the right path to find Thanos' sword, which was a Heatcleaver.) They pluck the red tailfeather.

Next day they come across a migrating peasant family. Who warn them of the unpleasant nature of the village they just left, although they don't know why. (This is my unofficial lead-in to Module N1, Cult of the Reptile God.) The party then asks them if they have seen anyone else along the trail. Why of course! "There was an unshaven man going north towards where they came from." Then they ask "Well, was he carrying a sword?" Why yes, a very huge one strapped on his back. One of the party members, eager to get rid of 50 pounds, rewards the family 500 copper pieces for the information. Wow! The family is now rich (by peasant standards) and they have the family's undying gratitude.

The party approaches the Town from the South by the Carpenter's shop. The June-Bug (the Druid) and his cat decide to investigate the abandoned house on the other side of the street.

Meanwhile the Carpenter puts down his work, mosey's on over to the Harty and Seven Samurai Jackals, then asks, "What-you-a-be-doin'-here?"

The Jim (the Thief) responds that they're "Looking for a fugitive named Jack Slade who may have passed this way." and, "Have you seen anyone?" While quoting the Samurai's arrest order.

"Sure! A feller came by yesterday and turned left at the intersection."

They make the same inquiry of the lady and three kids from the house kitty-corner from the Carpenter's and get the same sort of response.

The party takes the hint, turns left and follows the street into the center of the village. One the way the party stops by the next house along the way and knocks on the door making the same inquiry. Since this happens to be the Mayor, he is quite intrigued that there should be a fugitive in his village. He asks to wait while he gets armed so they can all get the Constable and his Deputies.

(Note at no time, did the party ask what the name of the village was, nor the Mayor, nor anyone else.)

Next stop, the Constable. Who conveniently decides to take them to the Golden Grain Inn. There Montague (the Magic User) armed with the Constable and his lackeys, asks the innkeep about Jack Slade with complete description.

"Yep, that fella stayed here, last night then left promptly." was the response.

Then Montague asks "What room did he stay in?

"Up in Room 7." says the Innkeep.

At that point Jim decides to go upstairs all by his self and check out room 7. (He does so surreptitiously, so no one notices his disappearance.)

While upstairs, he tries door #7, it's locked, and he fails his open locks roll. So he tries to kick the door in and fails at that too. That brings the attention of the Merchant across the hall in room #13, the armed man in room #6 and the five armed men from room #11.

A short (two roll) fight ensues and our Thief is nicked by the sleep poisoned sword the man from room #6. Having bad luck with saving throws he succumbs quickly but not before he can shout "Thanos!"

The party rushes upstairs but leave the Constable and his lackeys to "guard the exits". When up there they find no one except the Merchant from room #13 and the armed man from room #6.

(As it was learned later so I can mention it now.) Jim was spirited away in a sack via the network of secret doors and past the complicit guards.

An exhaustive search reveals all the rooms yet a secret door search was only made in room #7. The party, true to the recent bad rolls, fail thrice on finding anything, but on a fourth roll, the Sidekick finally finds the secret door network.

Upon questioning, the Innkeeps said that the passageways were used for trysts between couples. The party sends him through the secret door but attempts close it behind him and is prevented from doing so.

At this point, Montague decides something is up and reads his ESP scroll. Detecting surface thoughts he discovers the cult membership among the Inn's occupants. (Jim is long gone and the Mayor had departed earlier.) He also detects the duplicity of the man in room #13 whose surface thoughts show he wants to help the party.

The Innkeep is confronted again, (having watched the scroll reading) at which point he'd tries to commit suicide rather than reveal more. He is taken prisoner then bound and gagged.

Since the party now knows the Constable and his lackeys are part of the cult, they decide to despatch them. Sidling up to them while engaged in conversation about the events they surprise them and a short melee ensues.

They go back to the Mayor's house and inform him of the cult. The man from room #13 is able to identify which village members are cultists and which are not. Offering further assistance he advises the party that Jim has probably been taken to the cult temple three days journey hence.

The party decides to chase after Jim via the cultist's path and leave the Mayor and the unconverted to deal with the cult.

Meanwhile Jim had woken up and had made an escape attempt out of the sack but being the slow Gnome that he is, was easily caught and bound again.

The party (not forgetting the Seven Samurai Jackals) catch up to Jim and his captors. But instead of fighting, they bring forth the idol that had been bagged in Module B5 and offer it to Jim's captors if they lead them to the Temple.

Three days journey is done and they make it to the temple dyke.

Session ends.

-------- Notes --------

Party Update cast of Characters:

Thanos: Level 2 Berserker Half-Ogre, munchkinized. He once was level 3 but got
level drained back to 1 and has now raised back to level 2.

Sable: Level 1 Cleric of Iuz, sidekick of Thanos acquired the first time he had reached Level 2.

June-Bug: Level 3/2 Ranger/Druid of Obad-Hai, munchinized.

Montague: Level 2 Magic User.

Remington: Level 2 Bard.

Jim: Level 1 Gnome Thief

(Party members mentioned in earlier messages are dead.)