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.