Saturday, July 24, 2010

Erastus 8th 4708

Unrest grips the youthful Barony of Eternya, as the posts of Baron, Spymaster, and Magister are left vacant by the deaths of the charter bearers. A new group is sent by the Sword Lords to restore order. The priestess Maggy, ranger Zett, and wizard Nick O. Deemus arrive, and claim the posts of Baron, Magister & Spymaster. They order houses built, and an Inn erected. The Inn is named "The hungry Tatzlewurm", its sign a lizard chewing on a bone. Over the next year, more lands are claimed. Dwellings and farms spring up. A local artist erects a statue on the site of the town pyre, commemorating the deeds of the founding fathers. The gold mine becomes a source of revenue and taxes are levied. A scandal stirs the town, as Councilor Eudon and High Preist Kavken vie for the affections for local flirt Lily Teskertin. Farms are established, followed by a food surplus. The nobles of houses Surotova and Lodovka begin feuding over land rights.

Wanderlust affects the new rulers, so they set off to find the fangberry thicket. They discover it shrouded in webs, infested by chew spiders. Spymaster Zett uses his woodlore to calm the spiders long enough for him to gather a bushel of the berries. He is torn and frayed by the thorns of the berry bushes, but comes out with enough of the fruit to satisfy the needs of Bokken the mad. On the way back north, they stumble on the lair of Tuskgutter. A large and unruly boar, he is quickly slain by the group. They collect his head and continue north, exploring the abandoned Thorn River camp on the way. They deliver the head of Tuskgutter to Oleg's trading post, and the berries to Bokken at his hut.

They travel south then, to map and explore. They find a cache of Wizardly gear under an old claw like tree. At a ruined crossing, a shambling revenant of one of the Stag Lords victims rises. He demands the remains of the bandit king. They return to Staghome, because that's where the knaves head is on display. Upon arriving, they discover a Werewolf has eaten two of the townsfolk. They track and subdue him, intending to cure him. Wolvesbane is procured from Bokken, which after two painful applications cures Kundal the barbarian of his affliction. He grants his saviors a magical great axe, and pledges to become a responsible citizen.

They then travel back to Nettle's crossing and dump the head of the Stag lord in the river. The revenant, now freed and greatful gives them his enchanted ransuer. They explore more of the region, and spend time governing the young Barony.

Gozrah 25th, 4708

The brave charter bearers rest for a week after returning from their victory against the Stag Lord and his minions. A new charter is sent, declaring them rulers of a barony made of any land they may claim in the Stolen Lands. They dub this new land Eternya. They spend the next week mapping and exploring the hills connecting Oleg's trading post with the lair of the Stag Lord. During this time, they slay a giant spider in its nest, find an abandoned gold mine, a rickety old bridge, and a ford crossing the junction of the Shrike and Thorn rivers. At the Stag Lords fort, they discover that someone has been feeding the captive Owlbear in their absence. Down in the basement, they discover the lair of Nugrah the Decrepit. He is a mad and filthy druid, the father of the stag lord. He uses his divine power to meld into the wall, behind which he starts casting a battery of spells. The party pinpoints his location, and waits for him to emerge. He barrels out in the form of a Wolverine. He is summarily cut down by the assembled might of Phineous, Karasu, and Akir.

The new rulers of Eternya then found the capital at the site of the fort, naming it Staghome. They build a pier, a road, and appoint various local personalities posts in the fledgling government. The party, now Magister Phineous, Baron Akir, and Spymaster Karasu, set out to explore the nearby hills. There they encounter four of the rare and dreaded Tatzlewurms. They are defeated and partially devoured. Marshal Kesten Garess discovers the bodies the next day, and chases off the feeding wurms with the help of the watch. Their goods and possessions are recovered, and bodies burned on a funeral pyre just outside of town.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Pharast 30, 4708

The group, now made up of Phinneas, Karasu, and Ekir return to Oleg's trading post. There they meet a pair of new charter bearers, Eudon the Elvish cleric of Nethys, and Grathis the Half-Orc fighter. The new adventurers agree to accompany them to the Kobold lair to return their idol. The next day they set off for the lair of the Sootscale Kobold tribe. It lies within an abandoned mine, and with the help of Mik Mak (Karasu's second Kobold lackey) they gain audience with the Chief. They proceed to bargain with Chief Sootscale, wanting Svetlanas wedding ring in exchange for the idol. He directs them to the shaman, who is keeping the ring. When they meet the shaman, a purple Kobold named Tartuk, he demands the statue. The chief, looking bothered and excitable, snatches the idol and smashes it on the floor. He then orders the tribe to kill the shaman, which they dutifully do. The charter bearers are then given the ring, and the dead shamans diary (which reveals him to be a malicious poly morphed gnome). They then pledge an alliance and part ways.

The next day they travel to the bandit camp, swiftly dispatching them with their now increased numbers. Two bandits are charmed into revealing the location of the Stag Lord, king of the local brigands. The group loads up a cart with the bandits ill gotten gains and sets off back toward the trading post. En route, they stumble across four more trolls. They flee again, almost losing their cart in the action. Ekir is no cartsman.

Upon returning to the post, they spend a week relaxing. The Swordlords reward them for killing off so many bandits. Emboldened they decide to set off for the Staglords fort. On the route there, they come to a chasm crossed by a rickety wooden bridge. Fearing that their horses wouldn't make it across, they take the long way around the river. This takes them nearly a week.

When arriving at the fort, they decide to be subtle and sneak up from the back. Karasu soon discovers the back way is cursed, and infested with zombies. She regroups with the rest, and they decide to go the front way. They come to the gate and pretend to be bandits. They had the secret pass code from the bandits they charmed earlier. Upon gaining entry, it only takes them a few moments to start trouble. Inside the fort was a caged Owlbear, which Ekir set free. It tore into a bandit right off, starting a ruckus. In the ensuing battle, Mik Mak the Kobold is killed, Akiros the bandit turns coat and joins the party, the oafish brute Auchs surrenders, and the Stag Lord wakes from a drunken stupor only to be cut down by a hail of magic missiles. The party then returns to Oleg's trading post.