Chapter I: Damring Fortress, Part 1
Chapter I: Damring Fortress, Part 1
This is the first Action thread of the campaign - these threads will be organized into Chapters for ease of navigation, based on the adventure narratives themselves.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress
12 Brightmorn, 814 - Turn 1 - The Road Outside Estwatch, Bright and Sunny
A warm spring morning is a rough time to dive into dark places, but at least the sun is casting a steady light on you as you pass through the Old Road gate of Estwatch through the side entrance, the wide main gate which has never been opened looming tall above you. The recent history of the town is clear to the observant eye--bits of yellowed limestone rubble lining dim alleyways is the only remainder of the town's ancient original wall, tumbled down by the orcs a decade ago. Nearly all of the original stone was scavenged to help build the new wall, twice as tall and twice as thick as the old, in the hopes that it would hold if the orcs returned.
Despite the garrison of Gor mercenaries out of the north that patrol the streets and man the watchtowers night and day, the town of Estwatch hasn't seen a battle since Ailric the Red and his band of adventurers drove the orcs away and then disappeared into the wilderness, drunk with victory and eager for blood. In the aftermath of that battle, Baron Jack helped the farmers, merchants and tradesmen regroup, ordered the town rebuilt and brought in as many from the land in the valley proper as he could. Now the Old Road, leading east from Estwatch straight into the valley toward the old ruin of Damring, has become overgrown and treacherous, though it is seldom used except by the handful of remaining farm families that dot the stretch between the town and the forest's edge.
Looking out from the town's eastern towers, one can see all the way to the far side of the wooded valley some nine miles distant, at the great yellowed sore on the eastern valley wall that shows the old limestone quarry is not yet overgrown. Directly between, a few bits of broken gray stone peek out from the valley's perpetual mist and mark the spot where Damring waits. No one has entered the old fort since it was destroyed by the orcs, and only one person in that time has come within sight of the place and returned. Shrouded in the icy gloom, Gunter recalls, the the remains of the fort's outer wall were like a child's blocks tumbled by a careless adult's foot, the upper stories of the main structure largely demolished. There was no obvious sign of life, but Gunter swears that he felt slight tremors in the ground on occasion, as though the very earth shivered with the blanket of cold that had been laid across it.
That was several years ago, now, and it is rare that anyone enters even the forest from Estwatch. Animals hunted among the forest's gloom are mangy and haunted looking, fiercer than one would expect and their meat is often bitter to the tongue. This is the place you've agreed to go, in exchange for a pile of coins large enough to buy each of you a house in Caer Aven on the sparkling western shores, should that be your desire. Just bring back the crystal orb that will secure Estwatch once and for all against a return of the orcish hordes...
--
Party Status:
All characters are Fresh
-Once we have all character sheets posted, I'll ask everyone to lay out their Goal before they launch into any roleplay of the trip from town to the fort.
A warm spring morning is a rough time to dive into dark places, but at least the sun is casting a steady light on you as you pass through the Old Road gate of Estwatch through the side entrance, the wide main gate which has never been opened looming tall above you. The recent history of the town is clear to the observant eye--bits of yellowed limestone rubble lining dim alleyways is the only remainder of the town's ancient original wall, tumbled down by the orcs a decade ago. Nearly all of the original stone was scavenged to help build the new wall, twice as tall and twice as thick as the old, in the hopes that it would hold if the orcs returned.
Despite the garrison of Gor mercenaries out of the north that patrol the streets and man the watchtowers night and day, the town of Estwatch hasn't seen a battle since Ailric the Red and his band of adventurers drove the orcs away and then disappeared into the wilderness, drunk with victory and eager for blood. In the aftermath of that battle, Baron Jack helped the farmers, merchants and tradesmen regroup, ordered the town rebuilt and brought in as many from the land in the valley proper as he could. Now the Old Road, leading east from Estwatch straight into the valley toward the old ruin of Damring, has become overgrown and treacherous, though it is seldom used except by the handful of remaining farm families that dot the stretch between the town and the forest's edge.
Looking out from the town's eastern towers, one can see all the way to the far side of the wooded valley some nine miles distant, at the great yellowed sore on the eastern valley wall that shows the old limestone quarry is not yet overgrown. Directly between, a few bits of broken gray stone peek out from the valley's perpetual mist and mark the spot where Damring waits. No one has entered the old fort since it was destroyed by the orcs, and only one person in that time has come within sight of the place and returned. Shrouded in the icy gloom, Gunter recalls, the the remains of the fort's outer wall were like a child's blocks tumbled by a careless adult's foot, the upper stories of the main structure largely demolished. There was no obvious sign of life, but Gunter swears that he felt slight tremors in the ground on occasion, as though the very earth shivered with the blanket of cold that had been laid across it.
That was several years ago, now, and it is rare that anyone enters even the forest from Estwatch. Animals hunted among the forest's gloom are mangy and haunted looking, fiercer than one would expect and their meat is often bitter to the tongue. This is the place you've agreed to go, in exchange for a pile of coins large enough to buy each of you a house in Caer Aven on the sparkling western shores, should that be your desire. Just bring back the crystal orb that will secure Estwatch once and for all against a return of the orcish hordes...
--
Party Status:
All characters are Fresh
-Once we have all character sheets posted, I'll ask everyone to lay out their Goal before they launch into any roleplay of the trip from town to the fort.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Agrom's current Goal: "I will get everyone back alive, even if it means leaving the orb behind"
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Just as a question, is our goal supposed to be for the whole adventure (the quest to find the orb), or just for the 'session' from town through the woods?
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
This will be for the "adventure" of trying to recover the orb from the ruin--I don't imagine that the trip from the town to the woods will be super involved, unless you guys decide to do some random exploration along the way. This section is primarily to gain a bit more information about your destination and for you all to do a bit of characterization to start things out, before jumping right in.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
In which case, Raizenbrayne's Goal for the session: 'When we retrieve the orb, I will snatch it for myself and donate it to my Home's arcane archive (and thus one-up my Enemy in our ongoing competition to gain the most influence in our Home).'
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Sounds like we're going to have some fun PvP amongst the party once we secure the orb.
I may have to amend my Goal to "Get everyone back alive, unless I have to kill them myself when they try to steal the orb".
I may have to amend my Goal to "Get everyone back alive, unless I have to kill them myself when they try to steal the orb".
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
I'm going to get things moving a bit and Simon can jump in with his Goal and start participating once he's on.
--
None of the three companions feels especially hurried this morning, as the sun has just barely crested the eastern hills, casting its warm and reassuring light over the valley. The Old Road was clearly once a marvel of construction, built of solid limestone paving tiles wide enough for two wagons to pass one another going in opposite directions--but now the stones were cracked, tilted and occasionally buckled from the ravages of weather and the encroachment of the wild. Not far from the city gates, a tiny sapling no more than a foot tall had thrust its head up through one corner of a paving stone, crafting a spider's web of cracks and fissures around itself as it grew.
The Old Road runs for just over two miles before winding its way in among the shadowy bowers of the forest, and along that two-mile stretch one finds the last half-dozen farms that remain in the valley, quietly dotting the broad hillside. A lone hawk circles over the fields far off to the right, and further still in that direction a cluster of small figures works to get the land ready for planting, but otherwise a hush hangs over the countryside as the three travelers make their slow but steady way down toward the forest.
--
All characters are Fresh.
--
None of the three companions feels especially hurried this morning, as the sun has just barely crested the eastern hills, casting its warm and reassuring light over the valley. The Old Road was clearly once a marvel of construction, built of solid limestone paving tiles wide enough for two wagons to pass one another going in opposite directions--but now the stones were cracked, tilted and occasionally buckled from the ravages of weather and the encroachment of the wild. Not far from the city gates, a tiny sapling no more than a foot tall had thrust its head up through one corner of a paving stone, crafting a spider's web of cracks and fissures around itself as it grew.
The Old Road runs for just over two miles before winding its way in among the shadowy bowers of the forest, and along that two-mile stretch one finds the last half-dozen farms that remain in the valley, quietly dotting the broad hillside. A lone hawk circles over the fields far off to the right, and further still in that direction a cluster of small figures works to get the land ready for planting, but otherwise a hush hangs over the countryside as the three travelers make their slow but steady way down toward the forest.
--
All characters are Fresh.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Agrom the Warrior
"So what is it? Four, four and a half miles to our destination? Might as well enjoy the walk. This is likely the last time we'll be having fun on this trip. But who knows? No sign of orcs for a long time. It could be that there's nothing left to fear in mighty Damring. Gods willing..."
Agrom will keep an eye on the countryside. No ambushes on his watch, gods willing.
"So what is it? Four, four and a half miles to our destination? Might as well enjoy the walk. This is likely the last time we'll be having fun on this trip. But who knows? No sign of orcs for a long time. It could be that there's nothing left to fear in mighty Damring. Gods willing..."
Agrom will keep an eye on the countryside. No ambushes on his watch, gods willing.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Harlan's Goal for the Session: "With the help of my compatriots, snatch this silly orb and cash in so I can get Crobart off my back, hopefully without missing too many second breakfasts!"
Harlan the Burglar:I find these early morning constitutionals quite refreshing. And while I sincerely hope Agrom's correct, and that the orcs have long since left these parts, I suspect I hope in vain. We shall see. You chaps fancy a riddle? I find they pass the time wonderfully.
Harlan eyes the side of the road for fresh mushrooms that might substitute for a second breakfast he suspects he shall miss otherwise.
Harlan the Burglar:I find these early morning constitutionals quite refreshing. And while I sincerely hope Agrom's correct, and that the orcs have long since left these parts, I suspect I hope in vain. We shall see. You chaps fancy a riddle? I find they pass the time wonderfully.
Harlan eyes the side of the road for fresh mushrooms that might substitute for a second breakfast he suspects he shall miss otherwise.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Raizenbrayne, Who Is Unforeseen:
'Orcs or no orcs, I'm hoping there's a glowing orb out there worth 5,000 nuggets. I'd hate for this to be a wild goose chase, but chances are the orcs already destroyed it or ate it. Still, I doubt we'll be lacking in things to do out there; and whatever caused those tremors Gunter reported sound rather interesting. From the sound of it, I'd guess those tremors are the symptoms of a trans-essential vacillation of the ratios between potential and pragmatic energy, which doesn't sound like something that would be caused by the orb—though I could be wrong; I hope we can experience the tremors first hand, that would be exciting!'
Raizenbrayne ponders the conundrum in the back of his mind as he listens to Harlan's riddle.
'Orcs or no orcs, I'm hoping there's a glowing orb out there worth 5,000 nuggets. I'd hate for this to be a wild goose chase, but chances are the orcs already destroyed it or ate it. Still, I doubt we'll be lacking in things to do out there; and whatever caused those tremors Gunter reported sound rather interesting. From the sound of it, I'd guess those tremors are the symptoms of a trans-essential vacillation of the ratios between potential and pragmatic energy, which doesn't sound like something that would be caused by the orb—though I could be wrong; I hope we can experience the tremors first hand, that would be exciting!'
Raizenbrayne ponders the conundrum in the back of his mind as he listens to Harlan's riddle.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
The first part of the group's trip passes easily, Harlan teasing into his riddling with the halfling classic, "Why Does the Hungry Man Wash His Hands Twice?" and trying them further with a few about The Three Sisters when they prove clever enough to at least come close to a proper answer. As his companions consider their responses, and what might await them further down the road, Harlan merrily feasts on blackberries growing from tangled masses along the roadside and a few bits of mushroom he is able to pick out of the long grass.
After a time, the road becomes unsteadier as the slope accentuates and the forest suddenly seems to loom large before the trio. Thick with undergrowth, the branches of the trees interwoven into a dense canopy, its dim interior provides a stark counterpoint to the sunny fields they are leaving behind. There is an abrupt stirring in the undergrowth nearby which falls still just as quickly.
As the group peers along the roadway, a thin white mist appears to be wrapped about the trunks of the trees and cover the path up to knee level (on humans). Within, it looks like only dim light unless the road passes through a clearing further along.
What do you do?
--
All characters are still Fresh.
After a time, the road becomes unsteadier as the slope accentuates and the forest suddenly seems to loom large before the trio. Thick with undergrowth, the branches of the trees interwoven into a dense canopy, its dim interior provides a stark counterpoint to the sunny fields they are leaving behind. There is an abrupt stirring in the undergrowth nearby which falls still just as quickly.
As the group peers along the roadway, a thin white mist appears to be wrapped about the trunks of the trees and cover the path up to knee level (on humans). Within, it looks like only dim light unless the road passes through a clearing further along.
What do you do?
--
All characters are still Fresh.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Agrom the Warrior
"What say you all? Should we light torches before approaching? Or at least ready them?"
"What say you all? Should we light torches before approaching? Or at least ready them?"
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Without answering Raizenbrayne scuttles off to the treeline to get a close look at this strange mist, hoping it has some mystical properties.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
12 Brightmorn, 814 - Turn 1 - The Road at the Edge of the Forest, Shady Under the Outstretched Branches
Raizenbrayne scuttles forward to the treeline, peering into the gloom to get a better view of the mist. After a long moment, he gives an involuntary gasp. All spells leave a bit of "magical radiation" in the environment once their energy has been released, that is visible to one with the Sight, but it generally dissipates over a matter of minutes or perhaps as long as a day, as the Winds of Magic blow it about and cause it to mingle with the Aether once again.
This mist, however, appears to be the same phenomenon, but infinitely more concentrated and certainly more widespread. He's never seen anything like it.
This quality of the mist is so obvious to Raizenbrayne that the perception isn't considered a use of his trait for the session.
--
Party status:
All characters are Fresh.
Raizenbrayne scuttles forward to the treeline, peering into the gloom to get a better view of the mist. After a long moment, he gives an involuntary gasp. All spells leave a bit of "magical radiation" in the environment once their energy has been released, that is visible to one with the Sight, but it generally dissipates over a matter of minutes or perhaps as long as a day, as the Winds of Magic blow it about and cause it to mingle with the Aether once again.
This mist, however, appears to be the same phenomenon, but infinitely more concentrated and certainly more widespread. He's never seen anything like it.
This quality of the mist is so obvious to Raizenbrayne that the perception isn't considered a use of his trait for the session.
--
Party status:
All characters are Fresh.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Harlan scuttles closer to Raizenbrayne, barely able to hide his discomfort.
Don't recall anything about this in the job description...I think I much prefer orcs to this "Magical Radiation." The one I can put a slingstone through at a hundred paces. The other, well who knows? Aye, Agrom?"
Harlan then peers carefully into the brush where he heard the rustling, and carefully loads a good stone into his sling, ready to let fly.
About how far from the walls of Damring do we think we are at this point?
Don't recall anything about this in the job description...I think I much prefer orcs to this "Magical Radiation." The one I can put a slingstone through at a hundred paces. The other, well who knows? Aye, Agrom?"
Harlan then peers carefully into the brush where he heard the rustling, and carefully loads a good stone into his sling, ready to let fly.
About how far from the walls of Damring do we think we are at this point?
A little bit of damage is good for the system
-Tehching Hsieh
Harlan Wax, Halfling Burglar - Flickering Light (Torchbearer)
-Tehching Hsieh
Harlan Wax, Halfling Burglar - Flickering Light (Torchbearer)
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
You estimate that you're probably about two miles shy of Damring, based on the accounts of the townsfolk and your own observations from the town walls.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Agrom the Warrior
"We wouldn't be adventurers if we were afraid of every bush that blew in the wind now, would be? Let's check it out."
Agrom will draw his sword and walk toward the underbrush where they saw movement. He'll see what he can see without entering the bushes just yet.
"We wouldn't be adventurers if we were afraid of every bush that blew in the wind now, would be? Let's check it out."
Agrom will draw his sword and walk toward the underbrush where they saw movement. He'll see what he can see without entering the bushes just yet.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Agrom moves cautiously toward the bush on the right side of the roadway, his sword at the ready but not raised. As he approaches, he sees that the bush is of a type that sports dense foliage on the outside but is largely open space within. Peering out from a break in the foliage is the silhouette of a small raccoon. It blinks twice, slowly, at Agrom, and tilts its head slightly to the side as though considering him. While not aggressive, it certainly does not seem to be afraid of the warrior.
Re: Chapter 1: Damring Fortress Part I
Agrom the Warrior
"Bah! A waste of time! Let us proceed."
Agrom will return to the road, ready to continue when his fellows fall in behind him.
"Bah! A waste of time! Let us proceed."
Agrom will return to the road, ready to continue when his fellows fall in behind him.