The Last Stand

The characters decide to make one last stand against overwhelming odds.  It is expected that the opposition is numerically superior, better armed, and better trained.

The farmer sends his children off on horseback to bring in support from the nearby farms and the characters begin to take up position against the expected force.  The farm is semi-fortified, with a good wall running around it.

The game begins:

• Dubbo is sent to stand watch at the hilltop to give advance warning.
• 2 new characters ride up on horseback, one a Catholic priest called Augustine (played by Graham) and the other a farmer armed with a crossbow.
• More farmers arrive.
• Augustine casts a blessing on the group
• Shortly after, Dubbo returns with news that their captors are starting to come over the hill to the farm and there are more of them than originally thought.  In particular, the wizard has 4 zombies from drowned slaves as carriers. [play Ride of the Valkyries]
• The enemies come closer and the battle is started by Castor sending a devastating fireball smashing into the wizard and disabling him. [Conan battle music]
• The enemies are taken by complete surprise and a rain of arrows manages to injure many of the attacking mercenaries.
• The warriors hiding in the barn attack, led by Farron causing even more damage.
• The sailors and several mercenaries begin to flee.  The mercenaries are cut down on the run.
• Farron pins a mercenary for questioning, Ruby runs to grab the little girl who was with the group.
• The zombies, without a master, begin to gouge out and feed on the flesh of the downed mecenaries while they still live.
• Dubbo leads the charge to attack the zombies, aided by Joshua and Ruby, the zombies are downed.
• Farron's questioning of the merc reveals that the characters were being taken as human sacrifices for a dark ritual.  Castor then kills him.
• Movement is then spotted, as the wizard is begins to rise from the dead.  [rousing music from Stardust / Well Tempered Klavier ... this is so tense]
• As the music climaxes, the characters manage a concerted attack and finally sever the wizards head.  GM manages to bash his own head in the excitement, inflicting 1d - 1 damage!
• The girl, named Anastasia, reveals that she is a magician and appeared to the characters in their dreams and put the ship's watchman to sleep so that the ship would crash on the rocks.  She also caused the guard to throw them the keys as the ship was sinking so that they could escape.
• The characters were being shipped as sacrifices to a wizard's lair.  The wizard, El Baalzar is attempting to become an undead mage (lich).  To achieve this, he needs to sacrifice many people and needs Anastasia as part of the ritual.
• If El Baalzar achieves this, he will turn the entire world into a graveyard full of undead corpses.  He also has a wealth of gold and powerful magical artifacts to tempt the heart of the greedy characters!

 The PCs are probably going to go to the nearest town in the next play session, scheduled for Sat July 3rd.

Track Battle & Farm Rescue

This session started arguing rules but ended really well.

Dubbo was played by GM.

Track & Rescue 28 May 2010

• Characters follow the track through fields and forest. Ruby & Joshua take advance positions.
  
• After 1h walking, hoofbeats are heard behind and 2 horsemen are seen to be approaching.
• After several seconds, it is apparent that they are mercenaries from the slave ship and they draw their swords.
  
• After a terrific battle, 2 NPC slaves are killed and several characters are seriously wounded before the mercenaries are finally defeated.
  
• While looting the bodies, a small child is heard crying. It turns out to be the little girl from the farm house.
  
• After some attempt at communication, it is believed there are two guards at the farm holding the girl's family prisoner or possibly have killed them.
  
• The characters decide to attempt a rescue. After healing, they begin a brisk march back to the farmhouse.
  
• When they arrive, after scouting around they split up and some NPCs led by Farron guard the front. Castor, Joshua, and Ruby go around the rear. Dubbo pre-empts everything by sneaking up to the side and climbing over the wall.
  
• As the other characters work into position, Dubbo starts hammering on the door.
  
• After a bit more hammering, Dubbo attempts an acrobatic leap into the roof. Unfortunately, he ends up smacking his head on the gutter and lying prone on the ground. Much hilarity ensues.
  
• The front door opens and a guard is about to attack the still-prone Dubbo when the rear party opens the door. Castor manages to hit the guard with a fireball and then a battle breaks out.
  
• Although Joshua is seriously wounded, the guard is killed and the farmers rescued.
  
• It appears that the other guard left some tome ago to go back over the hill, almost certainly to the encampment on the beach.
  

The characters are debating whether to leave the farm or make a stand.

The Forest & Farm

This was the second session. The encounter at the farm was utter chaos, with some characters wanting to exterminate the farmers and others to befriend them.

Forest & Farm 21 May 2010

• The 2 NPC slaves who ran are beaten by 3 guards. 2 continue to search for more escapees.

• Characters run into forest but are slowed by exhaustion. Some can barely walk.

• Guards split up and characters successfully ambush one. After a melee, guard is killed but he manages to call for help.

• Farron attacks second guard and with some help the second guard is killed.

• Characters flee into the forest towards a large hill in the distance.

• Upon reaching the peak, they see a farm house and rest for an hour in a small cleft.

• The characters approach the farm and as they get closer, dogs start barking.

• Dubbo immediately decides to attach the dogs. Ruby attempts to stop him but he successfully dodges.

• When Dubbo reaches the wall surrounding the farm, he realises it is topped with spikes and so he waits.

• Confusion ensues while the characters decide whether to kill the farmers, rob them or run away. Dubbo plans to jump over the fence and kill the dogs but is finally dissuaded by the GM. Eventually they try to negotiate, which all but 2 (bar Dubbo) disarming and approaching.

• After a short parley in pidgin Anglaise (the farmers speak another language), Ruby is taken in and the door is bolted behind.

• Ruby gives the farmer money and is given a food and blankets for all, they are allowed to sleep in the barn.

• After a restful night of sleep, the farmers girl brings food and the characters leave the farm via a track.

First Session: The Wreck

This is the very first session. The characters are:
Ruby: Woods(wo)man Healer
Farron: Dwarvern warrior
Castor: Mage
Joshua: Woodsman warrior
Dubbo: Debonair thief

Recent Events

• Fierce looking man in a cloak walks to the viewing area and picks out 20 of you. Walks away without a glance back.

• Slave market guards come and bustle you into wagons held by chains. From their comments, it seems like the ones going to the mines got the lucky straw.

• Wagons rattle through the streets, driven by rough looking mercenaries.

• Mercenaries push & prod you onto a large boat, notwithstanding the black ominous clouds in the sky.

• Shoved into the hold, with barely enough room for the 20 to sit in. No windows, one door with a small window letting in a small patch of light. By it, you can see a small trough.

• “Get comfortable, you'll be here for a while” snarls a guard. The door is slammed shut and locked.

The Voyage

• Some time later, you feel the ship set sail

• No way to mark the time, lose track of day or night

• Every so often, a bucket of slop is passed through the door to eat. Other than this, no one interacts with you at all. You are all shackled together and occasionally sleep.

• Time passes, the sea is incredibly rough. Somehow the ship survives.

• The dream: fall asleep and dream of a little girl with golden hair and shining blue eyes. She implores you: Please help me, tonight the ship will be wrecked. You must escape and save me. If you don't escape, you will die.

And so the characters begin:

The Wreck 15 May 2010

• The boat crashes on the rocks

• Crew evacuate

• Our heroes manage to escape when a crewman throws them keys

• Keys are lost, Farron intimidates scrum and retrieves them

• Dubbo steals a snuff box and attempts to pick pocket

• Heroes manage to swim to shore, avoiding guards landing

• Castor attacks NPC who wants to run to guards

• Heroes agree to let them run

• Ruby leads characters into forest

To be continued.

Campaign Introduction

I am running this RPG campaign using Gurps 4th Edition after not having GMed for ~15y. Cue expensive RPG book purchases!!!

The game worls is that described in Gurps Banestorm.

I finally worked out a campaign setting, plot hooks etc, so I am good to go :-)

The World of Yrth

• Technology of the middle ages

• Many intelligent races humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, …

• Magic is real

• Many deities, and their effects are seen. Most humans are Christian and see the other deities as demons.

• Megalos is the greatest empire of Yrth

Your Situation

• Each of you was condemned to slavery for various reasons

• Bad behaviour led to being sold to the mines of Ekhans

• Most slaves don't last 6 months

• Waiting in holding pens of the slave market to be shipped to the mines

• Delayed due to black storms, most sailors won't leave port.

First Post

After ignoring my facebook page for years, I thought I'd set up a blog to write down various things. At the moment, the main thing I'll be writing about is my new role playing campaign.

The first couple of posts will be backdated to synchronise them with the actual campaign sessions.