Saberstrath Campaign, Session 4: Twenty Minute Defrost Setting

November 4-6, Caudex Annales, 70 AUP

While moving through the settlements around the fortress of Hemmelmark, the party began to attract unusual interest from the local peasants. Even without the dismissed skeletal army, the presence of two modestly sized dragons of a usually chaotic alignment was not a routine occurrence, and guards eyed the weary caravan warily. As the caravan pushed up the road toward the gates of Hemmelmark, guards detained the party members for more information, allowing the carts of hungry refugees to proceed on ahead.

As a moderately sized city with tens of thousands of inhabitants, the local markets were better equipped than the village to handle mundane requests like food, but still not well supplied with magical items beyond simple potions. Additional supplies beyond the stores of Hemmelmark were requested by dispatch to the mainland along with official notification of the "angry drow situation", and should arrive in the usual 3-4 weeks shipping time.

The leader of Hemmelmark, Duke Johann Zaiser (who seems to be either ZEYE-zer or Zeye-ZAIR

depending on my mood, though the former probably makes more sense for a place called Hemmelmark!) requested an audience. His keep was a well-fortified four-level structure, a "dungeon" in the classical sense of having rectangular construction. Upon their arrival in the receiving room on the third floor, the duke demanded a full account of all the recent adventures, complicated by the fact that many members of the party were recent additions and many of the older ones had recently departed. He then made his own petition for aid against invading giants who typically timed their arrival with the first snows of winter (frost giants, naturally).

The party spent the next day shopping, but it didn't take much longer before they were called into action as expected. A party of goblins led by two giants and an ettin were rampaging through the countryside, smashing buildings and looting granaries and stables. The party brought along the archers for some initial volleys, but the north wind had risen the point where archery was nearly impossible. The dragons unloaded frost attacks on the goblins, until a barrage of enormous stones from the giants grounded them. Fortunately, the giants fared horribly in melee, missing almost everyone while the goblins succumbed quickly to sweeping sword strikes.

After reporting back to the Duke, the party was authorized to track the giants back to their lair. The Duke had little money to offer, but promised them substantial land holdings and a patent of lesser nobility in exchange for success.

Roster

• Zelmar Krackiss, 5th level fright knight
• Viserion, 4th level white dragon
• The very young white dragon, Namazu
• Oin "Dirtface" Orinson, 5th level dwarven sapper
• Frigodria, 5th level paladin
• Sir Robin Silverblade Silverfall, 5th level spellsword

Off talking to the local trees or something like that:

• Tu'a'than, 5th level spriggan

And featuring a special guest appearance by Zach's mom, as a spy with a vorpal blade!

Casualties

None, aside from summoned dwarves. Namazu dropped with a direct hit from a giant boulder but walked away without a scratch.

Treasure

2 barrels of preserved fish, each worth 5 gp and weighing 8 stone.
8 ingots of common metal, each worth 1 gp and weighing 1/2 stone.
10 thousand copper pieces.
A piece of jewelry constructed from fine wood worth 500 GP.
A piece of jewelry constructed from bone worth 27 GP.

Total value: 645 gp

Total gold per member: 92 gp

Experience

Killed: 2 frost giants [2x 850 xp = 1700], ettin [850 xp], goblin sub-chief [15 xp], 10 goblin champions [10x10 = 100 xp], 50 goblins [50x5 = 250 xp], 15 dire wolves [15x140 = 2100 xp]
Total: 2915 xp

Total experience from treasure: 645 xp
Total experience from kills: 5015 xp
Total experience from exploration: 0 xp
Total experience: 5660 xp
Total experience per member: 808 xp

Saberstrath Campaign, Session 3: The Hell Out O' Dodge

October 24 - November 4, Caudex Annales, 70 AUP

The party decided the flee the valley. Everyone back at the tower formed into a giant caravan and set off for the tunnel. At the tunnel, the occupying skeleton crew constructed traps to slow down any pursuing drow.

The caravan descended through the mountains, avoiding encounters and keeping to the path, in the interest of getting to civilization before everyone starved to death. Reaching the forest beyond, they parlayed with a group of novice adventurers to learn the locations of the nearest village and city. They went to the village of Mitterfels first, to get some emergency rations, and then moved on to the fortified city of Hemmelmark.

Along the way they beat up some chimeras and a ton of ogres. Actually about 10 tons of ogres, if I'm estimating their mass correctly.

Roster

• Zelmar Krackiss, 5th level fright knight
• Viserion, 3rd level (4 HD) white dragon
• The very young white dragon, Namazu
• Oin "Dirtface" Orinson, 5th level dwarven sapper
• Frigodria, 5th level paladin
• Sir Robin Silverblade, 5th level spellsword
• Tu'a'than, 5th level spriggan

Note: The "old" characters (including Conan, Zeggzinu, D, etc) are officially along as well in an emeritus capacity, but didn't participate in battles and won't get a share of treasure/experience. At this point I'm assuming they'll return to civilization and make their own way in the world.

Casualties

No party members, although a number of the NPC civilians rescued from the pirates did starve to death

Treasure
Ogre sacks containing 18,300 gold pieces

Seriously, wandering ogres have massive amounts of gold. The rules state that every ogre carries a sack with 1d6x100 gp at all times.

They're like mobile atms. That smell terrible.
Total gold per member: 2614 gp

Experience

Killed: 3 chimeras [3x1300 xp = 3900], ogre chieftain [600 xp], 4 ogre sub-chiefs [4x380 = 1520 xp], 7 ogre champions [7x260 = 1820 xp], 33 ogres [33x140 = 4230 xp]
Total: 12,070 xp

Explored: 84 miles [84x11.5 = 966 xp]

Total experience from treasure: 18,300 xp
Total experience from kills: 12,070
Total experience from exploration: 966 xp
Bonus experience for rescuing 117/195 civilians: 585 xp
Total experience: 31,921 xp
Total experience per member: 4560 xp

Saberstrath Campaign, Session 2: Any Port

October 23-24, Caudex Annales, 70 AUP
After checking out the eastern entrance of the High Pass tunnel (rune-encircled as well), the party backtracked through the tunnel in search of the intimidated Drow sentry-post, hoping to leave no survivors. The post was abandoned, apparently with great haste -- and presumably through the west entrance from which the party had originally arrived.

Just before rushing out in pursuit, the front rank noticed that the light filtering in from the valley had turned a pale orange. A test skeleton sent into the entrance erupted in a plume of fire, the apparent victim of activated ware runes.

Falling back, the party cleared out of the eastern entrance nervously into an unfamiliar country, encountering an odd woodland observer watching them from the trees -- a spriggan. The spriggan provided a bit of advice about the comings and goings of caravans in the area, and offered to stay with the party.

Meanwhile, the flying members of the party -- the two dragons and Zelmar -- took to the skies to fly over the mountain pass and attempt to eliminate the ward runes from the outside. A few attempts at reading or guessing the password proved fruitless.

Instead they continued pursuit of the missing Drow, scrying them through a crystal ball to discover them in a wooden building. The only wooden buildings within a days walk were at the pirate camp, so this seemed like a plausible destination. The pirates greeted them warmly if a bit suspiciously, and after a bit of internal deliberation they seemed receptive to the offer to betray the dark elves; admittedly, pirates don't need much coaxing to attempt acts of treachery.

Alas, the formidable reputation of dark elven magic and the fury of House Eilserv's promised retribution led to a stand-off situation. The pirates were unwilling to risk their lives entering the building, a death-trap of heavily armored elves. The elves, for their part, had little interest in exiting to fight under the sun. Eventually Zelmar had to land personally and request permission to smoke them out by setting fire to the building, with his usual charm. The elves waited until the last possible moment to storm out and mount a fierce defense, plugging a sleep bolt into Zelmar, downing Namazu with blades, and chasing the dwarven sapper underground. Finally, they were beaten into submission as the pirates cheered at the spectacle (without offering much assistance).

Pirates being pirates, there was another shorter stand-off after the battle, as the dastardly Captain Slaughterbucket (don't ask!) pondered the option of eliminating the weakened party with his crossbowmen. After a bluff by Zelmar ("dwarven skeletons, burrowing under the walls even now!"), they laughed off the brief tensions as a joke.

Meanwhile, the remaining party members on the far side of the mountain enjoyed a non-restful night, as a bask of basilisks stormed into the camp and produced dozens of skeleton statues before finally being put down.

Art: Goran Josic

Roster

East-gate team:

• Zelmar Krackiss, 5th level fright knight
• Viserion, 3rd level (4 HD) white dragon
• The very young white dragon, Namazu
• <new Dwarven sapper>

West-gate team:

• Herrohnin, 5th level summoner, and his scads of spooky scary skeletons
• Sir Rock Boulder Fist, dwarven 5th level summoner
• Sir Robin Silverblade, 5th level spellsword
• Kilor Graniteback, 5th level machinist
• <new spriggan>

Casualties

Kilor Graniteback and a gazillion skeletons, turned to stone by a basilisk

Treasure

None, aside from some drow bedclothes and linens

Experience

East-gate team (Zelmar, Viserion, Namazu, dwarven sapper):
Killed: 7th-level drow priestess [1490 xp], 5th-level drow fighter [500 xp], 8 3rd-level drow fighters [8x80 = 640 xp]
Total: 2630 xp

West-gate team (Herrohnin, Robin, Kilor):
Killed: 6 basilisks [6x980=5880 xp]
Total:  5880 xp

Total experience from treasure: 0 xp
Total experience from kills: 2630 xp or 5800 xp
Total experience from exploration: 0 xp
Total experience: 2630 xp
Total experience per member (East): 750 xp
Total experience per member (West): 1680 xp