Action Thread (Year 1153, Day 108) KEEPERS & CLAN

[NJWilliam]

Sebastian

After his early morning walk Sebastian inquires of the clan where the others have gotten to and then makes his way down toward the storage room.

[Bluetongue]

Bogarde

Not surprised to find skeletal remains. The bars were built to last and seem to have weathered the attempts to raise or breakthrough them. He takes the team exploring to the storage room and opens the secret door to the winch.

"We should still exercise care. I know the cellar rooms were built as a defence not just a store. There may be traps that the blueprints I saw in the templar archive do not reveal."

He searches the store room, bludgeoning any rats that scuttle about.

[Stirling]

Phaeus

Very interesting.

I am assuming that the info given has been shared perhaps by Bogarde in ooc comments as we explore, save for the secret temple complex.

The dwarves and gnomes among the Clan could certainly feel more at home here in a subterranean level if we can make it liveable.

I will check out the lever and winch. Pouring lantern oil on the mechanism to help grease the cogs so that it lessens any grinding and squeaking. When Bogarde and others finish a search of the first area I will use the lever to raise the bars once again.

Check weapons and armoury (West) area first?

[Rex]

Aari

Aari will take a central position that he can use to act as a reserve, able to move to whoever needs his aid.

[Dram]

Grakluse- If I didn't know better. I would say that rat standing there has a little more intelligence than the others we may have more problems with them rats. Grakluse moves slowly going down the steps hoping that he is wrong about the rats.

[atpollard]

So this game was not intended to be a "dungeon crawl" but more of a "behind enemy lines" type of combat adventure involving guerilla actions against a numerically superior force while building up a "resistance". The focus on the keep is my fault. So rather than drag out the exploration of a complex that has minimal treasure and even fewer monsters, I am going to pick up the pace and deal with the keep as just getting the "big picture" details out of the way.
Updated Maps (from Reference)





Year 1153, Day 108: 12 Noon [Keep]
By noon the group has explored the Keep and identified all of the rooms.

Creatures within the Keep to live with or deal with include:
Alligator in moat
Giant Frogs in pond (#1)
Hawks in tower (#4)
Bees in room #11
Wolves in room #12
Rats in storage room (#13) run up and down the stairs and wander the BASEMENT and have a nest in room #24.

BASEMENT:
Here is a rundown of the basement. The group made its way through the secret door by the stairs (#8) in the Great Room and down to the basement temple that appeared untouched. The Templar warned you about the trap with door #25 and led you through one of the empty guard bedrooms (#26) and through a secret door that connected to another bedchamber (#22) that had been ransacked. All of the bedchambers (#22) and the commons (#19) east of the bars by the stairs had been trashed. The corpses of the Trollkin that had done the damage lay scattered about, their bones picked clean by the rats. The rations in room #24 have all been eaten by rats or rotted beyond edibility. The rats scamper about the empty and almost empty boxes and barrels. A well hidden secret door located behind a stack of barrels provided access to the lever that unlocked and the crank that reset the trap (#18) at the bottom of the stairs.

Once the trap was reset, the well by the stair holds clean cold water that can be hauled up by bucket and rope. West of the stairs, the commons (#19) and bedrooms (#22) are all untouched by looters and ready to occupy (as soon as the rats, rotting rations and corpses are disposed of).
Room #20 contains stores of armor.

• 26 Shields = 8 x Large; 9 x Medium; 9 x Small
• 20 Padded (rotted with time)
• 15 Leather (5 GP, AC 8, 15#) = 3 x Large; 8 x Human/Elf; 4 x Halfling/Dwarf
• 11 Studded Leather (15 GP, AC 7, 20#) = 3 x Large; 7 x Human/Elf; 1 x Halfling/Dwarf
• 14 Ring Mail (30 GP, AC 7, 20#) = 3 x Large; 7 x Human/Elf; 4 x Halfling/Dwarf
• 9 Scale mail (45 GP, AC 6, 25#) = 6 x Large; 1 x Human/Elf; 2 x Halfling/Dwarf
• 7 Chain mail (75 GP, AC 5, 30#) = 0 x Large; 4 x Human/Elf; 3 x Halfling/Dwarf
• 5 Splint mail (80 GP, AC 4, 35#) = 1 x Large; 2 x Human/Elf; 2 x Halfling/Dwarf
• 1 Banded mail (90 GP, AC 4, 35#) = 0 x Large; 1 x Human/Elf; 0 x Halfling/Dwarf
• 1 Plate Mail (400 GP, AC 3, 40#) = 0 x Large; 0 x Human/Elf; 1 x Halfling/Dwarf

Room #21 contains racks of weapons:

• 2 x Dagger (2 GP)
• 3 x Hand Sickle (2 GP)
• 9 x Light Axe / Hatchet (1 GP)
• 16 x Light Hammer (1 GP)
• 18 x Light Pick (2 GP)
• 16 x Hand Flail / Sap (1 GP)
• 6 x Short Sword (10 GP)
• 3 x Scimitar / Cutlass / Sabre (10 GP)
• 4 x One-Handed Axe / Hand Axe (3 GP)
• 16 x Horseman’s Pick (5 GP)
• 12 x Horseman’s Flail / Ball and Chain (3 GP)
• 6 x Club / Cudgel / Shillelagh (1 GP)
• 7 x Horseman’s Mace (4 GP)
• 16 x Short Spear (3 GP)
• 10 x Battle Axe (5 GP)
• 7 x Warhammer / Sledgehammer (4 GP)
• 8 x Footman’s Flail / Ball and Chain (8 GP)
• 12 x Quarterstaff (1 GP)
• 5 x Footman’s Mace / Morning star (8 GP)
• 2 x Heavy Spear (5 GP)
• 7 x Two-handed Sword / Great Sword (30 GP)
• 2 x Great Hammer / Maul / Polearm: Hammer [Lucerne Hammer] (10 GP)
• 18 x Polearm: Pick [Bec de Corbin] (10 GP)
• 7 x Great Flail (10 GP)
• 9 x Polearm: Spear [Pike / Spetum / Ranseur / Partisan] (10 GP)
• 10 x Polearm: Blade [Fauchard / Glaive] (10 GP)

The Priest Chamber in the Basement Chapel (#28) has a secret closet that contains the sacred items used for worship services on the chapel (incense, vestments, holy symbols).

There is a collumn in the center of the Chapel (#29) that contains a secret door. Behind the door is a ladder leading down into the Crypt.

[atpollard]

The Crypt

The ladder from the chapel (#29) leads to a crypt (#30) where the heroes of the order were to be burred. So far only 4 crypts are occupied (no undead, just martyred heroes of old).

A double gate separates the Crypt from something more interesting to the party ... a secret stable. There are 5 stalls for mounts (#31) and a storeroom with some tack and harness and tools for maintaining and repairing horses and their fittings. A ramp (#33) slopes down and leads to a hidden entrance near the edge of the forest. The exit is concealed by a large rock, some shrubs and a thick hanging vine. Inside the entrance is an iron gate that is locked in place by a lever on the inside. A valve in the stable appears to divert water to the exit tunnel to allow it to be flooded in case of an emergency. There is no sign of any activity except for a groundhog sleeping in one of the stalls.

[atpollard]

So at this point, just let me know what part of the Keep you want to clean and occupy and I will just have the "Clan" do it. The more you want to clean and fix, the longer it takes and the further I move the clock forward and say "It is done." The sooner it is done, the sooner you can begin to explore the world around the Keep.

If you want to mess with any of the animals, we can roleplay that. If you just want to kill the rats, then just come up with a plan. (I am confident that 30 "people" can defeat a pack of normal rats).

[Dram]

Grakluse would like to use one of the cells #23 as his study and to store his spell components he has collected. He votes to clear the rats as they bring unwanted diseases.

[Rex]

Aari

A simple plan to clear the rats is a good idea. After that Aari will focus on maintaining patrols/sweeps of the surrounding area.

[atpollard]

Year 1153, Day 108: 1:00 PM [Keep]

Father Hadrian and Edralt Vedrigan are called away on a quest and depart immediately.

Just bookkeeping to move PCs whose players have left to NPC status and out of the way. If life changes and the Player returns, so will the Character. A theme of my games is to play with whoever shows up and allow players to drop in, drop out and drop back in as the circumstances of life dictate.

The REST of you are now in charge. Natural Clan leadership (based on Charisma 15) is a 3-way tie between Phaeus (thief), Ivan (Barbarian), and Sebastian (Halfling Druid). Form a council or pick a leader from ANYONE. The masses will follow the direction of the three of you.

[NJWilliam]

Sebastian

Sebastian seeks some time aside with both Phaeus and the mysterious Ivan the Barbarian.

[Bluetongue]

Bogarde

Very satisfied with the results of the exploration, the templar sets about restoring the chapel area and claims the priests room (#28) as his personal chamber.

He stables his horse and suggests also the goat shepherd halflings use that also for their herd.

After the stock-take of the armoury is finished he suggests, "One of you committed fighters ought to be guard over that and set up a training regime for the Clan members. Archery practice in the courtyard and weapons familiarity." perhaps Ivan or Fergie takes that forward?

I think leave the crypt as is, the stable needs little attention. The rest of the 'cells' area taken over by Clan and characters. Humans with no infravision may prefer a personal room in the Ruin ground floor.

Bogarde busies himself during the main day with the restoration, broken up by periods of prayer and study. In the evening he meets with PC's to listen to their suggestions and experiences.

[Stirling]

Phaeus

During the cleanup, the rogue sits around a table sharing a quiet word with the two new characters, Sebastian and Ivan that he has not fully acquainted with yet.

"We are an eclectic bunch of characters living in community here. Each with gifts , skills and ambitions which should be put to best use.

With Edralt the templar and Father HadrIan committing themselves elsewhere we should not drift as 'sheep without a shepherd' if you get my meaning.

Though administration and pastoring people is not really my skill. I have suggestions for various objectives but I would value to hear your opinions first."

[Dram]

Grakluse will setup his study in the cell. He will offer aid to anyone the needs it with his spells.

[NJWilliam]

Sebastian

Sebastion will daily reconnoiter the surrounding woods, making note of species of plants and wildlife and locations, and search for a location to set up a small druidic grove, hopefully with a pool of water of some sort.

[Bluetongue]

Bogarde

"So who wants to go scout out the local village and who wants to search for a troll-kin hideout?" he asks.

[Rex]

Aari

"I am probably better suited to looking for the troll-kin hideout."

[Stirling]

Phaeus

did I understand correctly that you wanted the charismatic trio to discuss Clan leadership in the absence of Father HadrIan leaving?

"I suggest we approach the templar Bogarde and appoint him to the task. He is forthcoming with ideas and it seems this ruin was a previous stronghold to various faiths.

Not that I think leading is a big issue. We all have skills to contribute and have areas we gained more experience in."


As far as the suggestion to explore further, Phaeus makes himself available to any group, whichever goes first, to a hidden place in the forest or to find a local village.

I will also take a suit of studded leather from the finds and one of the daggers and spears (added to inventory ).