Sunday 16 December 2018

The Journey to Fort Rannick - Rise of the Runelords campaign session 27

In attendance were;

Kumak Morudall: Half-Orc Bloodrager

Susan: Human Universalist Wizard

Thaddeus Whisperheart: Gnome Bard

Tim: Halfling Ranger

Kronk: Human Haunted Life Oracle


Arriving in Turtleback Ferry a light rain has begun, the children all depart towards what is assumed to be the school house while Kumak finds the local smithy helmed by a dwarf with a metallic lower jaw named Ironjaw. Ordering a spiked gauntlet that will take one day to construct and a barbed vest which will take about a week Kumak purchases a local map and departs to find the others. Thaddeus finds an old biddy gossip and tries to get the low down around town. Kronk, Tim, and Susan attend the local tavern, "Bottoms Up" and secure some rooms as well as arrange to transport a cart laden with the monthly supplies destined for Fort Rannick since none of the Black Arrows have been down in some time to collect it. The proprietor tells them that once paid they can return with the money and split the proceeds. The cart will take several hours to load so the party spends the evening in Turtleback at the pub. A young lad star struck at the travelling group, musters the courage to sit with them and inquire about their deeds and current goals. Thaddeus encourages the child's bravado and learning that he considers himself a reasonable shot calls for an archery contest between the newcomer and the Redeemers resident crack shot Tim. Tim is uninterested in the competition even with Thaddeus calling for bets and Kumak willing to cover the lads wagers. The evening winds down and come dawn Kumak collects his gauntlet, Susan and Tim their donkey drawn cart and the Redeemers leave Turtleback ferry, headed north for Fort Rannick.

Having just crossed one of the rivers Tim hears the cry of an animal nearby. Telling the party what he has heard, but not from which direction since he wants to arrive there first, Tim leads them to a clearing where a bear is caught in a leg trap. Kumak and Orik free the creature from the metal jaws while Shalelu appears put off and appears to know this bear. There is no time to inquire further as from the bushes several ragged hounds appear and dart for the party. Kumak puts one of the dogs down as a hideously formed half man half ogre creature steps from the forest, seeing his prized pups felled the Ogrekin rushes at Kumak, trading powerful blows the half orc stands victorious and acquires an enchanted belt for his troubles. The bear, which Shalelu calls Kib starts pulling Kumak in a direction and taking the hint Tim hops astride the bear followed by Susan, Shalelu, Orik, Tim and Kronk. Thaddeus and Kumak look back towards the now abandoned cart and debate the merits of going, settling on there being a fair chance that the bear intends to fuck Tim to death the two agree that seeing that would be worth the trip and follow.

The first group arrives at the edge of a small farmhouse with a barn nearby. Just as they are surveying the area another orgekin steps out of the nearby woods to attack. Kronk hold him in place magically and in almost no time Tim downs the creature. Tim hearing voices coming from the nearby barn tells Susan he will go survey the area, and open a hole in the barn so she may throw a fireball in and incinerate any ogrekin before they can react. Kumak, Thaddeus and Maj Tiernay arrive just as Thaddeus is moving around the barn, as Susan is explaining the plan to the others Tim hears ogre voices and pretends to check inside before opening a small hole in the wall and giving Susan the thumbs up to proceed. Kumak and Thaddeus ask that since the bear is clearly trained and led the group here what if there are prisoners or valuable items inside that will be destroyed by Susan's devastating fireball but Susan seems nonplussed as she fires a magical bead through the crack made by Tim and the interior of the barn detonates and catches fire. Kumak sighs and moves to the front door to deal with any ogrekin escaping the inferno as Kronk rushes to the front door of the house.

Kronk announces "house inspector" as he kicks the door in, only to see his foot now impaled by a spiked trap, unable to move he is caught by several saw blades that shoot up through the floor boards as well. Kronk having already taken some damage from the earlier fight collapses and falls inward, the front door closing behind him. Kumak abandons the barn and having seen the deadly traps uses his Earthbreaker to make a door inside, Thaddeus rushing behind to heal Kronk, who promptly moves to the side, triggering yet another trap as the floor gives way beneath him, thankfully he manages to roll back to safety. Having seen too many traps for his liking Kumak picks a spot on the wall and starts smashing his way through the house. The group move through the first floor finding furniture made from bones and upholstered in the flesh of humans. Kronk heads upstairs and finding a chest manages to force the lid open, only to be wounded by the trap hidden within, poison wracking his body inflicting devastating damage to him.Tim arrives behind everyone else and choosing to explore the door at the end of a hall finds himself in the bedroom of the corpulent nightmare of the matriarch of the house.

"Mammy" invites Tim to join her but the halfling resists her magical compulsion and puts a few arrows into her while stepping back and calling for help. Between Shalelu and Tims arrows and Susans magic "Mammy Graul" is put down. The second floor is cleared by Kronk, and Kumak has one final room to gain entrance to as well as the as of yet unexplored basement and whatever can be saved from the barn.



Thoughts

Tim's player was getting a bit upset by the ogrekin towards the end, which was unfortunate because I was loving the visuals of a couch upholstered in man-flesh, the bones of all the daughters since "Mammy" wanted to be the only woman around for her sons, etc. But  oh well. The GM had to cancel the next game due to work and I am working the 3 following it so we will see when I am next able to post.

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