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Oliver D. Bernuetz's Campaign Chronicles

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Chronicles of the South - Part 3

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13) Sea/Harmony/Winds 1615 : There's a New Lord in Town...

Party: Hallelujah Harnsdottir (Barbeester Gor warrior)(Doug St.), Dorian Tavish (Zola Fel fisher)(Darryl), Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.) and Durnfal Slipspear (Yemalio farmer)(Gary).

Early on the morning of Sea/Harmony/Windsday a new Storm Kahn arrives in Pavis-Sax Bolderson (Hallelujah Harnsdottir's brother). He has come to Pavis along with a retinue consisting of a half-dozen initiates and a sorcerer. His intent is to gather what initiates he can and then get permission from the Lunars to set up a temple to Storm Bull in the Rubble. He's here because a vision from Storm Bull told him to come to Pavis to set up a new temple in the Rubble. He's not sure why but his is not to reason why, etc. The first step is to get official permission from the Lunar government. There are a lot of people in Pavis who would like to be in the room when that meeting takes place.

The party visits the solicitor of the Ingilli family to ask his advice about the document they found in the ogre's lair. His scribe makes a copy of the document for the party as they have decided to return it to the Lhankhor Mhy temple. Lou and Durnfal return the document to the temple and get offered 5 hours free research. Durnfal and Lou visit the Sun Dome temple in Pavis and Durnfal and a local initiate discover that the cryptic site mentioned in document refers to Rabbit Hat Farm in southern Sun County. The group decides to equip Dorian's boat and travel south to Rabbit Hat Farm. The trip is uneventful. After a unfriendly reception at Chomoro the party spends the night with the fisher folk who inform them that Rabbit Hat Farm was raided by Bison riders and then occupied by Broos half a season ago.

Sea/Harmony/Clay 1615

The party travels across country avoiding the two intervening hamlets. The party arrives at the Farm and discovers that the place seems deserted. A krarshtid burrow is discovered beside the village wall. After inspecting roughly half of the fertility stones the group moves into the former headman's house. Here they are attacked by the ghosts of the former occupants who were bound into a room by a Broo shaman. The group manages to fight off the ghosts and decides to spend the night in the top floor of the building. They find a book (the local tax records) in the arms of one of the corpses. The party beds down for the night...

14) Sea/Harmony/Windsday 1615

Party: Hallelujah Harnsdottir (Barbeester Gor warrior)(Doug St.), Tamerlan (Waha noble)(Stephanie), Durnfal Slipspear (Yemalio farmer)(Gary), Dorian Tavish (Zola Fel fisher)(Darryl), Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.), Gerhardt Frei (Orlanthi warrior)(Arne) and Svart Ulfsson (Humakti warrior)(Henry). Party also includes Zeena a Chalana Arroy High Healer married to Svart Ulfsson.

The four party members who had bedded down for the night continue the next day to excavate beneath the fertility stones after burying the corpses from the farm house. Around midday a lookout spots a four humans approaching. The group identifies themselves as the other two party members and Gerhardt Frei's cousin Svart Ulfsson (once removed on his mother's side) and his wife a Chalana Arroy High Healer. After some discussion the original party decides to include the newcomers in on the action. The rest of the fertility stones are dug up and it is noted that five are missing. The party decides to investigate the krarshtid burrow. Descending by means of a rope down the deep (25 m) shaft the party arrives at the bottom. Investigation uncovers a natural cavern with a stream flowing down the middle. The stream widens in the middle into a large pool. While investigating Dorian falls into the pool where he is attacked by a dragonsnail and one of his legs is bitten off. In the ensuing fight Tamerlan also has his leg bitten off after he falls in. A doughty blow by Svart nearly finishes the dragonsnail and a disrupt from Lou and a spear blow from Durnfal finishes off the beast. While investigating a krarshtid tunnel the party discovers a jack-o-bear which manages to harmonize three of the group. Swift action by Greystone with his dispel magic manages to unharmonize enough of the party to enable Durnfal and Dorian to kill the beast. Investigation of the end of the tunnel uncovers the jack-o-bears lair where five dead Yemalio militiamen are found as well as the five missing fertility stones and the treasure. Taking the treasure the group decides to return to the surface in order to decide what to do next. After some discussion the group decides to give the Crown of Yamsur to the local Sun Dome temple in return for some good will. They decide to rest for the night before heading for Sun Dome. During the third watch that night the Krarsht acolyte sneaks up on the watchmen and befuddles the two of them. He gags Greystone and drags him off. When the befuddle wears off Tamerlan alerts the rest of the party and the chase is on. The group tracks the villain back to the underground lair and eventually finds the temple. He attacks the party by means of his net and crossbows. He manages to wound two party members (Lou and Gerhardt) and snare Durnfal in a pratzim smeared net while his familiar manages to wound the Chalana Arroy priestess. The familiar is killed and suppressing fire manages to keep his head down most of the time with the occasional shot wounding someone. Durnfal and Dorian race off to find another way up to the balcony and manage to find two krarshtids, one dead and one very much alive which manages to destroy Dorian's helmet and spear before being killed. By the time they return to the temple the acolyte has been knocked unconscious by an arrow to the head. Tamerlan throws his javelin up into the balcony and by means of a rope attached to the javelin clambers up over the balcony and finds Greystone bound and conscious. He tosses the still alive acolyte over the side and discovers some loot. Taking the items that they want the group returns to the surface where they are arrested by a patrol of Templars under the command of Vega Goldbreath.

15) Sea/Harmony/Fireday 1615 "You're in the army now." (January 29th, 1994)

Party spends several days helping the Yemalios clean up Rabbit Hat Farm before being escorted to Sun Dome to face the judgment of Solanthos Ironpike, Count of Sun County. The Yemalios eventually decide to ignore any imagined misdeeds and even offer to hire the party as mercenaries. The party readily agrees (especially Durnfal Slipspear as he is 12 weeks behind in his cult service duties). Some of them are less than pleased however to find out that they are now going to be cavalry. Everyone is given a zebra to ride except Hallelujah who is presented with a alticamelus. They are accorded the status of mercenary auxiliaries on detached duty to the 1st militia (the "Victors") under Vega Goldbreath. Their first mission is to ride to Pavis to retrieve the mounts of Greystone and Tamerlan. On the way there they meet up with Carylon Squally, Champion of Garhound and his wife the incredibly pregnant Melisande (the goddess had blessed their union!) The Orlanthi, the Chalana Arroy and the Humakti spend a night of drunken revelry with Carylon and the missus. The next day the party rides into Pavis. Dorian spots Harnval, his arch-nemesis leaving the city and has the Lunars arrest him. The next morning Dorian heads to the pokey where his inquiry about the ogre is greeted by, "Who?" This surprises no one. The group then heads back to Sun Dome via Garhound (and more drunken revelry) where they await their new orders.

16) Sea/Fertility/Windsday

Group swears elaborate oath to Solanthos Ironpike-obedience unto death, etc as part of the "Solar Provincial Survey". Three weeks of training ensue for group-riding and lance attack for most and R/W Fire Speech for Durnfal. (Until Sea/Illusion/Windsday). A group of NPCs also swears obedience to Solanthos as the northern half of the Solar Provincial Survey. The group is then ordered to Chomorro to begin their patrolling. They uncover two farmers growing hazia and earn 100L as their share of the fines. (They patrol for 22 days). On Fire/Harmony/Fire the group travels to Chomorro so that Durnfal can attend the Yemalio Holy Day services. There they discover that the local contingent of Chalana Arroy healers have learned that a plague has broken out in the Grantlands (Duke Raus' domain) to the south. The healers have been forbidden by the local militia leader (Coriander) from leaving until the next day because he refuses to let them go unescorted and none of the militia can leave until after the holy day is over. The group volunteers their services as escorts (except Durnfal because he attends the service). They discover that the River Folk refuse to let them borrow any boats because of Coriander's orders. After the service ends and just before the big feast and booze up in the market place the group approaches Coriander for permission to escort the healers which he gives. Durnfal is sent along (much to his chagrin-missed another booze-up). The group sails down river all night and arrives in Ronegarth early in the morning (Fire/Harmony/Wildday) where they learn that the Duke's wife has died of the plague. After sitting around a while the group is asked by Daine, Duke Raus's chief of mercenaries to come and see the Duke. The Duke asks the group to travel up the Vilinar River to Weis and beyond to investigate reports of broos up there causing the disease outbreak. The group agrees and travels up the river with a group of newtling boatmen. At Weis they discover that most of the people have died. They find an old mad woman who tells them about Muriah and her vengeance on Weis. The group boats up river to the head waters where they discover the cave that the river flows out of. They enter the cave where they are ambushed by three broos who barrage them with some ineffective arrow fire. The group engages the broos and quickly kills one (Hallelujah and Svart engage it and Hallelujah chops it in half). Dorian and Durnfal engage another and flail ineffectually away at it until Durnfal manages to cripple it and render it incapable of defending itself. Tamerlan runs up and engages the third broo and swings at it ineffectually before being run through the abdomen and killed. The broo is then engaged by Greystone and the two exchange ineffective blows before Greystone disengages and the broo flees. The party decides to retire from the cave with their slain comrade and the deathly ill Svart (who managed to catch the shakes from the broo he was fighting). The Shakes potion Daine gave them managed to heal him before too many DEX points were lost. Just before they leave Dorian manages to swim over to a nearby riverbank and fetch a weapon that had been buried in the sand there. He barely manages to swim across but avoids drinking any of the contaminated water fortunately. The group returns to Weis for the night...

17) Fire/Harmony/Godday 1615

The party spends the night camped outside the village of Weis. During the last watch just before dawn, Daine-chief of Raus' mercenaries arrives and sneaks up on Greystone as a test of the party's alertness. He tells the group that he has arrived to find out what has been done about the broos. After hearing their account of the previous day's fight he offers his services to the group. Zeena says she'll be going along as well. Daine scouts out the trail to the cave and waits for the party there. The party cautiously enters the cave and finds four broos waiting there for them. After a short fight three of the broos are killed while the other broo (who had killed Tamerlan the previous day) escapes down a tunnel. The party proceeds along the tunnel avoiding the pit Daine spots. They come up to a narrow, slippery bridge across the warm branch of the river. On the other side wait four broos including the one from the first fight. Three of the broos have bows. Daine leads the charge across the slippery bridge and immediately falls in. Dorian who was standing right behind him drops his spear and jumps in after him. Durnfal then slips and falls in and Tamerlan decides to run across and attack the broos. He would have made it across except for the sneeze spell cast on him which causes him to fall in. The remaining party members begin to exchange archery fire with the broos. While crawling forward to get out of the way of the archers Greystone slides into the river as well. (No one in the river other than Dorian has a better than 5% chance of swimming because of their armour). A fairly lengthy exchange of bow fire results in the deaths of three of the broos while the fourth broo (a female flees back into the cave). Meanwhile, the group in the river manages to escape the river, mostly due to Dorian's skilful swimming as he manages to save the rest including the unconscious Tamerlan. Zeena and Hallelujah arrive back at the entrance and with a Heal Body spell manage to heal Tamerlan. Several members of the group have lost weapons but with some weapon redistribution they manage to rearm everybody. The party returns to the bridge which Svart has cleaned up a bit and they send Dorian on ahead to dispose of the broos. He casts a detect magic and the group acquires a crystal, a spear with a bladesharp two matrices, a salve and some potions. They proceed along and discover a locked box with a dagger inside. Farther along in the cavern they come across another bridge across the cold branch of the river. Dorian starts across and is met with a hail of arrows. He is dropped by two impales and lies in a slump at the end of the bridge. There are four broos at the end of the bridge-the female from the last fight, another female and a male and a Malia rune priest. They start exchanging arrows with the party, three of the broos using Speedart. Due to the advantage of the rocks the broos manage to hold their own. Dorian yells for the party to cross over and help him. The broo priest calls forth his shade which moves forward and attacks Dorian demoralizing him and doing a point of damage to his head. Daine is hit by one impale and a critical and is badly wounded. Zeena begins moving towards him to help him remove the impale. As she gets there he is hit by another impale and killed. He successfully d.i.'s and decides to cross over and attack the broos in melee. The group follows. The shade meanwhile has crossed the bridge and attacked Gerhardt doing no damage. Gerhardt and Svart manage to easily kill the shade. (One of the broos has by this point succumbed to missile fire). Daine, Gerhardt, Hallelujah and Durnfal cross over followed by Svart, Tamerlan and Greystone. Daine and Hallelujah attack the female broo and Hallelujah kills her. The priest ignores Daine and Durnfal and attacks Hallelujah after his allied spirit has befuddled her knocking her down by reducing her head hit points to zero. His allied spirit casts a befuddle on Svart and Tamerlan keeping them out of the fight. Daine and Greystone kill the other broo (Greystone having clambered over a rock to attack the broos from behind). Tamerlan does the same and joins them soon after. Daine is knocked down by getting zeroed in the abdomen and Tamerlan is befuddled. Zeena dashes across and heals Hallelujah while Daine heals his abdomen. Greystone is knocked down and killed. The broos is eventually knocked while Daine is out of the fight and before Durnfal and the now healed Dorian can kill him his allied spirit heals him up again. He gets up again and manages to hold Daine, Dorian and Durnfal off (by this time Tamerlan and Svart are no longer befuddled, in fact Tamerlan spends some time trying to heal the dying Greystone who has been lying under the broo priest's feet). Hallelujah comes up behind Daine and tells him not to resist her spell. He doesn't hear her but she wins the power struggle anyways. The broo turns to run and Daine hits and kills it just before Dorian and Durnfal disrupt it. The broo does not d.i. The group returns to Ronegarth where Duke Raus rewards them with all the loot they have recovered. The group returns to Sun Dome (reaching it by Fire/Death/Waterday) where Solanthos rewards them with all the crystals and magic they recovered. They stay in Sun Dome for two weeks to rest and train. Dorian decides to try out the crystals. Despite vague feelings of unease (Are you sure you really want to do this Darryl?) he persists. The first one he attempts is a magic supporting crystal and nothing bad happens. He gets the same vague sense of unease after he says he wants to try another crystal. This crystal is a MP storage crystal with a twist. That night as he sleeps Dorian has bad dreams and he feels terrible when he wakes up. Durnfal who was in the next cot wakes up and sees a monster in Dorian's bed. Dorian has gained a random chaotic feature of 12 pt metallic scales! (In this case aluminum ones!) Durnfal calls for the guards and two templars arrive. The monster surrenders. The chaos tainted monster that was formerly Dorian is dragged before Solanthos Ironpike for judgement. The judgement is swift and merciless-death by immolation. Dorian tries to get his deity to intervene but the attempt is fruitless. Just before he is to be executed his old nemesis Harnval Threefingers and his two surviving sons show up under the escort of the Lunar Provincial Survey. He claims that Dorian is his son and that he will take him away. Harnval says that Dorian's mother successfully plead with her goddess to remove the taint of chaos from her new-born son after learning he was an ogre. Dorian is given a brief count of ten to make up his mind before Invictus sets his pyre alight. He hems and haws and Harnval "begs" him to come with him but eventually he decides he'd rather burn and burn he does. Durnfal attempts to d.i. for him but is not successful. Thus dies the man known as "Ogrebane". (On Fire/Death/Windsday).

18) Fire/Death/Fireday 1615

Party: Hallelujah Harnsdottir (Barbeester Gor warrior)(Doug St.), Tamerlan (Waha noble)(Stephanie), Durnfal Slipspear (Yemalio farmer)(Gary), Greystone (Waha herder)(Doug Sh.), Gerhardt Frei (Orlanthi warrior)(Arne) and Svart Ulfsson (Humakti warrior) (Henry). Party also includes Zeena a Chalana Arroy High Healer married to Svart Ulfsson. New members: Targan Bash (Storm Bull warrior from Sartar) (Darryl) and Peracles (Sorcerer from Ralios)(Jeff).

The party travels to Pavis to have the remaining three crystals identified at the Lhankhor Mhy temple. They report that one is a mp storage crystal, one is a variable spell enhancing and the third is a spirit protection crystal. Hallelujah travels into the Rubble to see her brother where she discovers preparations under way for an expedition. Her brother asks her to take a sorcerer's apprentice (Peracles) under her protection while he is gone. A Storm Bull initiate is also sent along to help protect the "sorcerer". The group returns to Sun Dome to train until Fire/Stasis/Clayday before heading back out on patrol. While back at Sun Dome Hector offers the group 2 points of spirit magic each plus 1750L worth of knowledge skill training total to the group for the scrolls found in the broo's lair at Weis. Group patrols until Fire/Movement/Windsday when they arrive in Chomorro to discover that Vega has ordered them to find out which village is mentioned in Gaumata's vision. Coriander suggests that the village must be Black Rock from the description. The group travels to Black Rock the next day arriving there by evening. The group soon suspects that something strange is going on there. (The children are extremely violent, there are very few adult males, too many pregnant women, the Earth priestess is mad, and none of the other elders are not senile). On top of this Targan Bash detects Chaos somewhere in the village. The party is treated to a pathetic welcoming feast before bedding down in Fethal the headman's hut. Targan, Svart and Gerhardt go out at night to snoop around. Gerhardt overhears a couple of the strangely violent kids talking about someone named "Granpa". The next day the group decides to go to the Old Sentinel in order to climb to the top to see whether they can spot a nearby lake. Thosah Strongspear, militia head suggests that the climb is beyond the group. They decide instead to check around and visit the Shaman. She is missing and no one seems to know where she is. All of the group except Hallelujah decide to go check out the crops. Everything seems normal except for the fact that the crops are not very well tended. The group then decides that they do want to go climb the Old Sentinel. Thosah is sent by Fethal to guide them to the Old Sentinel. The group arrives at the Sentinel and Peracles casts a projected vision that enables him to look around from the top. Thosah insists of leaving the group and after some reluctance on the part of the party he is allowed to leave with Gerhardt going along. Gerhardt follows Thosah to the village. On the way there Thosah tries to lose Gerhardt who notices that the militia has formed up. He turns to return the party and Thosah starts shooting arrows at him. He escapes with no problem. The sorcerer has noticed a huge field and pond about 8 km away from the Sentinel. They travel there reaching the field and a nearby barn before dusk. The fields are hazia and the barn is full of hazia (800,000L worth!) and some gruesomely mutilated and cannibalized corpses. The group decides to burn the crop and barn when they see lights off in the distance. The militia and the older ogre children arrive (plus the Mistress) too late to save the barn. A brief exchange of arrows ends quickly when both parties put out their torches. The group returns to the village by dawn where they try and find out what's going on from one of the small children. (Greystone, Zeena and Tamerlan keep a look out for the returning militia). Hallelujah grabs one of the little boys who bites her and flees to one of the grain storage tunnels where six young lamia are hiding out. Hallelujah, Svart, Durnfal, Targan, and Gerhardt pursue. The lamia bewitch Durnfal and Gerhardt who attack Svart and Hallelujah. Svart's arm is cut off and he is down and out. Durnfal is unable to hurt Hallelujah who quickly kills two of the little lamia and is swarmed by the rest. Targan battles Durnfal and Gerhardt for a while with the help of the sorcerer who blinds Gerhardt. He shouts for the rest of the party to come help and they race over. The battle sways to and fro. Hallelujah knocks more of the lamias down with her fists while Gerhardt and Durnfal knock Targan down. The pair turn their attentions to Hallelujah but are unable to hurt her with their aimed blows. Tamerlan shows up and demoralizes Gerhardt while Zeena heals first Svart and then Targan. Svart kills Durnfal with a mighty blow. Gerhardt loses his compulsion when the lamia who bewitched him is slain. By this time the militia has returned and is approaching. The party exits the tunnel and starts shooting arrows and casting spells at the militia. They befuddle Fethal and demoralize Thosah and injure several of the militia. The loss of their leaders causes most of the militia to drop their weapons and flee. The few who stayed are no match for the group and they are knocked down. The group subdues Fethal and Thosah (fatally so). Thosah was attempting to flee but he is hit with a Sleep spell after which Hallelujah kills him!...

On to the Chronicles of the South Part 4

Last updated January 01, 2017

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