[Dark Dungeons -- BECMI Retroclone]In Search of Adventure IC

[thirdkingdom]

This is the IC thread for "In Search of Adventure" a campaign based off the TSR module compilation "In Search of Adventure" and using the Dark Dungeons ruleset.

Thirdkingdom is the sole DM and will be making all rolls. We will be making extensive use of the wiki, found http://insearchofadventure.wikispaces.com/home. The OOC thread may be found here.

The current list of players is as follows:

[thirdkingdom]

1 Thaumont, AC 1000 (the first day of Spring)
Threshold, the gateway to adventure. At least that is what you have been told, either traveling here for your own reasons or itching to leave after a childhood spent within its walls.

You have, in the time you have been here, heard the following rumors:

• The merchant Clifton Caldwell has purchased the Old Antilles Castle, some 5 miles west of the town. He has been heard inquiring about "qualified eviction personnel".

• A group of wealthy merchants and town worthies have purchased the Old Mill on Fogor Isle, with the intent to turn it into a "mixed use development", whatever that is. Long plagued by giant insects, consortium is seeking those "brave and stout of heart" to clear it.

• An elven merchant name Sindar needs a package delivered to Selenica, far to the north

• A fearsome beast has been terrorizing the forests to the north of Threshold, severly reducing the amount of logging. The local logging companies have offered a handsome reward for the creature's head.

• Hakeem the merchant has been on the lookout for adventurers to take on an unspecified job

• There have been rumors of a temple dedicated to the evil gods to the northwest, just outside of Castellan Keep. The caves around the temple are said to be filled with the lairs of many loathsome humanoids.

• Goblins have been raiding along the border of the Black Eagle Barony. The Baron is suspected to be involved. Of course, the Baron is suspected to be behind every misdeed and ill omen.

• A local and very popular cleric named Aleena has gone missing and is presumed dead. The Patriarch of the Church in Threshold is offering a sizable reward for her safe return, or information about her death.

Spoiler

There you go. Think these over, discuss amongst yourselves. This will be a fairly open-ended game, with some broad arcs developing as choices are made. Keep in mind that I am tracking time, and some hooks will expire or develop as time passes. I will be making an effort to introduce new hooks whenever the characters enter a new town or village, or if they spend time and money seeking out rumors. I will be updating the wiki soon, with a partial map of the area surrounding Threshold and other information. I will be filling in information on Threshold itself as needed.

[Roland St. Jude]

Ganelon Gallifrey, Magic-User

Ganelon pours himself another glass of wine out of the flagon and continued to eye the door for a familiar face. There seemed to be a lot going on in this town and he was certain his associates would be along any time now to involve him in some of it.

[thirdkingdom]

Spoiler

If you guys need more direction or information from me, please speak up. All of the above hooks are equally valid; there is no "right" one to choose. Some are mini-adventures/dungeons, some longer. Some are the first parts to longer plot arcs.

[Zuh1]

Squire Gedeon, Fighter

The group had first met Ged when he was reciting epic ballads and romantic sonnets in exchange for ale at this very tavern. He had offered to travel with them saying that he was seeking out "new material." He enters now, as always, fully armored in his banded mail. Seeing Ganelon, he approaches and takes a seat. "When spring arrives, new winds blow from the north and rains bring up the shoots of green again, while brave men fresh emboldened sally forth in search of that rare prize - immortal fame." He recites the rhythmic lines to no one in particular and perhaps he is only working over some fresh inspiration out loud.

Now addressing Ganelon: "Do you favor the wine here? I suppose I shall have a cup. The news of goblin raids has me wanting for drink. And this so-called Black Eagle Baron is an insult to the very office of lordship..."

[Vesth]

Lanmolltar Tathvaul, Elf

A tall slender elf, well-tonned and well-tanned from surviving alone in the wild, strolled in, bringing along with him the smell of nature. His slightly dishevelled appearance, complete with twigs and leaves in his leather armor, is proof enough that he had been out tracking yet again.

Sighing, he sits next to Ganelon, and orders some elven mead to boost his spirits. He's been with party for a while - in fact, he knows most of the people who does their line of work, having to traverse the unknown to make ends meet.

"Here's some inspiration for you, Gedeon.

When heroes stand against the wintry blight,
When shadows burst forth and blinds the sight,
Who shall prevail, who had more might?

Anyway, I've heard not of the goblin raid nor the Baron, but of the disappearance of Aleena. Should we look for her? I hear there's a good bounty behind it."

[thirdkingdom]

Spoiler

Very nice, keep 'em coming. I keep making the mistake of assuming y'all know about Threshold and Karameikos and stuff. Anyway, the Barony is about a week or two walking time from Threshold. The Baron is the cousin of Duke Stefan Karameikos, the current ruler. Please ask if you need more in game detail and I'll do my best to fill you in.

[Volthawk]

Haldar, Dwarf

As Haldar approaches the others, he inwardly cringes upon hearing the others. Reciting again. Lovely. Ah well, what keeps them happy and motivated is their own business... He then takes a seat, ordering a strong drink.

"While I like to kill goblins as much as the next dwarf, that mention of the Baron being mixed up in it doesn't look good. I don't think we should get involved in that kind of business just yet. Don't want to bring the wrath of the ruling class down before we've got the experience, skill, equipment and allies to deal with it."

[Zuh1]

Squire Gedeon, Fighter

Ged smiles as the elf offers his verse. "A bit of the poet in you too? Your skills are always surprising. Shadows don't really burst, of course. Perhaps they fall like snow on endless nights? It fits with the imagery of winter winds and..."

Haldar saddling up to the table quieted down the young squire's erstwhile work-shopping. He knew the dwarf found his hobby a bit embarrassing, and not fitting of a warrior. With Haldar and Lanmoltar expressing their views, he considers briefly and says, "A grand quest needs grand preparations. Fair enough. Besides, the last time I tangled with goblins it did not end well. If we keep the goblins and the Baron " he adds in a whisper, "as a future goal, I'm all right with going after simpler fair for now."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Orliander, Elf

The next person to enter the tavern is a tall, fair-skinned elf, brawnier and stockier than Lanmolitar, clad in leather armor and sporting a sheathed sword at his belt and an unstrung bow strapped alongside a quiver on his back.
He listens to the deliberations with his pointed ears, his arms crossed, before speaking in a soft voice.
"I share my kin's concern for the missing priestess. We may yet be able to save her, and what cause is more noble than rescuing a damsel in distress? ...Or priestess, as it were."

[thirdkingdom]

Spoiler

Looks like there is a majority in favor of going after Aleena, the missing cleric. I'll give it a couple more hours till I post IC to give the rest a chance to jump in.

[Roland St. Jude]

Ganelon Gallifrey, Magic-User

Ganelon pours Ged a glass from the flagon and gestures to the others as they arrive. He is content to listen to his compatriots discuss the action and adventure this frontier town seemed to offer in abundance.

"A beautiful and powerful damsel at that. Seems a worthy endeavor to me, if we are intent on leaving the comforts of this charming little town."

[thirdkingdom]

The disappearance of Aleena has been one of the most talked about topics about town for the past couple of days. It seems that everyone has an explanation for her absence. Some claim she ran off with a young man she had been seen with around town, some local commoner with dreams of being a warrior. Others swear she didn't run off with him, but was kidnapped by him. Still others say she was kidnapped by orcs, or slavers, or worse. The more colorful theories maintain she is in fact a criminal mastermind, in hiding from the mysterious Veiled Society. Or she worhips one of the more evil and obscene Immortals. Or is a dragon in disguise. Ad infinitum, the adventurers have heard countless rumors about the cleric, all of the sources agree, is one of the most attractive women in Threshold.

With little trustworthy information the adventurers must establish how to proceed.

[CalamaroJoe]

Ervenor, Cleric

A lean and scraggy man enters the tavern and approaches the table. He is ready to travel and fight. He has his scale mail donned and brings his weapons, equipment and shield.
Ervenor is glad to see familiar faces and is glad to hear that they are talking about action.
"I hear that you are talking about the disappearing of Aleena. This very piece of news striked me the most this morning. Even if we worship different gods, I would like to try and help her and her church. I only hope that we are not jumping in something that is bigger than us. She is very famous; if someone made something bad to her, they are probably prepared for a great effort in searching her. "

[Vesth]

Lanmoltar grins at Gedeon, chuggin down another mouthful of mead.

"Yes, it does fit into the imagery. But I think replacing bursts with casts will do as well. But then again...yours does fit better."

Turning back to face everyone else, he contemplates the situation.

"I suggest we find The Patriarch of the Church first, and ask what they know. Not only will they have the most accurate information, we can probably get one of the priests there to contact their god for help."

Spoiler

Commune is a Cleric 5/ Druid 5 spell that the caster can ask 3 questions of their patron Immortal, which can be answered with a yes or no. They have loads of priests, so...

[thirdkingdom]

Spoiler

For future reference, who would you like to be the party "face" when dealing with others? I will be making reaction rolls, so a high Charisma modifier is always helpful.

[Zuh1]

Squire Gedeon, Fighter


Ged nods when Vesth suggests the church, taking a sip of the wine Ganelon offered him and finding it to his liking. "That seems a sound start. And you're right, Ervenor, this could be just as dangerous as going after the goblins. Is this priestess really so famous as to merit the intervention of the immortals themselves? Well, I'm ready when you all are, just as soon as I finish this drink. Let the adventure begin!"

Spoiler

I think the "party face" should depend on whom we're meeting with, rather than being set in stone. For example, Gedeon would be the natural choice in meeting with nobles and the like, given his knowledge of courtly etiquette. He's also a member of the Thayatian faith, but I don't know if that's help or hinderence here. Also, he's likable, but not clever. Vesth and Ganelon also have reaction bonuses, and it looks like Ganelon is both intelligent and has diplomacy training like Ged. Of course I'd want Haldar doing the talking with dwarves, or Ervenor appealing to his faithful, despite his lower CHA score. I think everyone should get to do talking rather than one person taking over, unless they don't want to.

That's my two cents

[Roland St. Jude]

Ganelon Gallifrey, Magic-User

"That's why I like this place," Ganelon offers in response to Ged's obvious appreciation of the wine.

"Well, that and the fact that they don't get touchy when you guys wander in here in full battle dress. How do you even walk through town in that get-up?" He grins and waves his hand to signal that he's teasing rather than expecting an answer.

Ganelon had only made a moderate dent in the flagon of wine, and hastily poured himself another glass at Ged's mention of leaving. Might as well squeeze all the enjoyment out of the evening before his friends dragged him off to toil.

[thirdkingdom]

Making their way through crowded streets, the adventurers soon arrive at the Church. A new and progressive town, the Baron declared that in addition to providing ample space between buildings that, where possible, all buildings should be built of stone with slate roofs, to cut down on fire potential. The Church is one of the largest such buildings in town, and strikes an imposing sight.

Upon entering the Church the group is immediately intercepted by a novitiate, who seems alarmed by the size of the party and their general appearance. When told of their gola, he stammers slightly and says, "Ah, the Patriarch is, well, not available at the moment. But, you see, I can take you to Father Varis, if you will just follow me and wait a few moments"

While the "few moments" seems more like "half an hour", eventually a harried looking older priest enters the room, grating hair slightly frazzled and a lopsided pair of new-fangled spectacles (of gnomish make, no doubt) perched on his nose. He sits down behind his desk and inquires, "Well, gentlemen, what can I help you with? Or is it that you wish to help us?"

[thirdkingdom]

Making their way through crowded streets, the adventurers soon arrive at the Church. A new and progressive town, the Baron declared that in addition to providing ample space between buildings that, where possible, all buildings should be built of stone with slate roofs, to cut down on fire potential. The Church is one of the largest such buildings in town, and strikes an imposing sight.

Upon entering the Church the group is immediately intercepted by a novitiate, who seems alarmed by the size of the party and their general appearance. When told of their gola, he stammers slightly and says, "Ah, the Patriarch is, well, not available at the moment. But, you see, I can take you to Father Varis, if you will just follow me and wait a few moments"

While the "few moments" seems more like "half an hour", eventually a harried looking older priest enters the room, grating hair slightly frazzled and a lopsided pair of new-fangled spectacles (of gnomish make, no doubt) perched on his nose. He sits down behind his desk and inquires, "Well, gentlemen, what can I help you with? Or is it that you wish to help us?"

[Zuh1]

Squire Gedeon, Fighter

As the group waits on the arrival of Father Varis, Gedeon takes the opportunity to admire the architecture of the Church and contemplate the frescos and stained glass depicting the deeds of the various Immortals. When the good Father does enter, Gedeon removes the glove on his right hand with a small flourish, and holds it in his left. He is not sure what effect this gesture will have on the clergyman, but the courtesy is accepted in court and elsewhere as a sign of peace and humility.

Clearing his throat and calming his nerves, he steps forward. "Good Father. My companions and I seek to help your Church, your faith, and the people of Threshold. Like all people of this town, the disappearance of the priestess Aleena troubles us. We hope to uncover her whereabouts and ensure her safe return to her place amongst the faithful." Assuming the Father took this offer of aid well enough, Ged would continue: "I know you are busy with your important duties, but it seems that every tongue has its own tale to tell of Aleena. We believe that there is no truer source of information than that of her fellows in faith. If you can offer anything on the priestess' habits and duties, or the events leading up to her disappearance, we can begin the task of serving you Church most capably."

[CalamaroJoe]

Ervenor, cleric

Entering the church, Ervenor looks around with a mixture of curiosity and enviousness for the impressive building and the number of priests and believers. Then during the waiting he remains a bit still, wondering how shall he regard this faith, as an enemy, as a distant cousin back from a journey, as an annoying brother... Then he rallies himself up and start to think about the motive for which they all are here.

Spoiler

Do we have any knowledge about official pronunciations from The Patriarch or from the Church on this matter?

[thirdkingdom]

Father Varis
"Ah," he says, clearing his throat, "I have seen you at services, have I not, my son? Most impressive, most impressive. Well, yes, it is true that Lady Aleena has gone missing, though we have tried to keep it quiet. She is, you know, the Patriarch's niece, and much beloved by all. She has been missing for five days now, and the Patriarch worries. Lady Aleena was always a free spirit, and would often disappear for days on one quest or another, but this is too long."

"I have been authorized by the Patriarch to offer a reward of 1000 gold pieces for her return. In addition, I would be disposed to look favorably upon you, as the Church is always in need of men with certain … abilities, shall we say, assuming you are successful."

"I can tell you what I know. Four days ago, the guards at Northgate reported seeing her leave, alone but well armed and armored. They also reported a short while later a young man, clad like a warrior, left by the same route. Are they connected? I know not. Aleena was also known to frequent the Owlbear's Head. Perhaps you would have more luck than I in talking with the patrons. The guard you should speak to is Quintas; he is most likely on duty now. The Owlbears Head is on Fogor's island and caters to an … earthy crowd. Good luck gentlemen."

Spoiler

I'm rolling on my phone so no link, but 2d6 reaction roll was a 7, +1 Cha, +1 Diplomacy, +1 of the same religion, for 10. A result of "Impressed". Any other questions? @CJ, there is an at times friendly rivalry between the two faiths. Any tensions are more often than not ethnic rather than canonical. Will post more OOC when I'm at my computer.

[Vesth]

Lanmolltar Tathvaul, Elf

"Thank you, father. We will strive to bring her back to the best of our ability," the elf said simply, a bit uneasy about the place. He was a man of the wild, and such places unnerved him, not because of any wrongdoing he has done, but rather simply because it lacked the simplicity of Nature, where he could simply do as he wish, without fear of causing trouble with his words or manners.

[CockroachTeaParty]

As the group leaves the church, Orliander speaks up.
"I have some skill at tracking, friends. Though the trail may be cold, perhaps I can follow the route they took a ways? In any case, let us proceed to the Owlbear's Head before seeking the guard. I do not wish to inconvenience him if he is indeed on duty."

[Roland St. Jude]

Ganelon Gallifrey, Magic-User

Ganelon whispered something chuckle-worthy to the barmaid before setting out after his friends. He lagged behind the group, stopping to have a friendly word with several of the locals along the way. He hurried a bit to join the group as the entered the church, and looked about absently while they waited.

He followed the conversation keenly, but didn't interject.

[thirdkingdom]

Crossing the bridge to Fogors Isle is like entering another world. Whereas in Threshold proper the houses are neat, prim and well spaced to allow plenty of light, the Isle is a mass of two and three storey dwellings, all wooden and listing drunkedly, with a maze of alleys and narrow streets criss-crossing willy-nilly. The party sees that most of the residents of Traladarn descent and that there appear to be more demi-humans than they are used to seeing.

The Owlbears Head is found after a short search; it is a well-known watering hole, even for the more prosperous Thresholdians, who will often journey onto the Isle to "slum it" at the Head or several other locations. Entering the multi-storey building, the party finds a large common room more crowded than one would expect on a workday afternoon It looks to be a mixture of fisherfolk just off the water, harried merchants having a three firewhiskey lunch, and the usual crowd of malcontents and ne'er-do-wells that one would expect hanging out in a tavern at two in the afternoon.

The patrons all look up at your entrace, conversations cease briefly, and then heads return to the tables before them. There is a long bar along the wall opposite the door. A bored looking man stands behind the bar, polishing a dirty mug with a rag only slightly less dirty.

[Roland St. Jude]

Ganelon's bemused mood faded as the party moved through the Isle. He always found this section of town a bit depressing, and he certainly wasn't dressed for it. Nothing for it, though, he'd have to press on and make the best of it.

Inside the bar, he sticks close to the others, trying to keep some muscle between him and any especially shady looking characters.

[Zuh1]

Squire Gedeon, Fighter

On leaving the church, Ged had mentioned that, yes he had been at services and that while the gold is certainly generous, doing the work of the Church of Karameikos comes with higher rewards. He left the place of worship in fine spirits, as nothing pleased him more than a clear and narrow path to follow. But as he crossed over onto the Isle he begins to feel uneasy with the stares and whispers his expensive armor and Thyatian looks and accent elicit. In the tavern, he is completely out of his element, and seems nervous and put off. "Shall we take a place at the bar?" is all he has to say to the others for now.

[Vesth]

Lanmolltar Tathvaul, Elf

"Why not?" Lanmolltar said with a shrug, warily keeping an eye out for any pickpockets or people looking for trouble.

"Unless you want to sing a crude ballad to get their attention. You'll be surprised at how a song insulting their mothers in general can be exciting to them."