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mattie_p
2018-01-07, 03:53 PM
This journal is brought to you by the DM of this game. I present for your entertainment the ongoing saga of the 5 silver darts as they are currently named.

The PCs are currently level 6 but I will endeavour to reconstruct their activities from the beginning and catch up to their current situation.

They began at level 1 as humans with class levels, all of them new to D&D 3.5. I allowed significant changes that retroactively applied as they learned the world and the game. Here are the dramatis personae as they retroactively were:

Mapleleaf: A female elven warlock. The player strongly desired a companion so I permitted the PC to take obtain familiar at level 1 - Slappy the squirrel.

Graskatoon Pertagulator: A male gnome rogue commonly known as Gus. Also imo the face of the party.

Kain: A male half elven ranger. Note that I swapped animal companion advancements for rangers and druids so I simultaneously provided for Sasha, a female wolf companion.

Yonk't: a male dwarf cleric. He passionately abhors undead so took the ACF from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft to destroy rather than turn undead.

Daisy: a female half orc barbarian. Daisy's player desired a PC that is opposite in most characteristics from their persona, thus solves problems by punching them.

mattie_p
2018-01-07, 04:59 PM
Our story begins in the Hamlet of Mistmarsh, a tiny population in the country of Breland in the continent of Khorvaire, within the world of Eberron. Mistmarsh is well on the frontier of the kingdom and is fairly isolated from Wroat and Sharn. This occurs within the standard timeline of Eberron, shortly after the conclusion of the last war.

Our party assembles in the nameless tavern within Mistmarsh (my apologies to all of you readers who's games do NOT start in taverns). They make each other's acquaintance and decide to look for trouble collectively.

Graylen makes an appearance there and inquires about their desire to investigate an abandoned hill fort from the days of Galifar. Graylen reveals few personal details but expressed an interest in exploring this location for future occupation. This fort is a brief journey north of Mistmarsh.

The unnamed (at this point) Darts are game. After receiving a down payment for their services they commit and depart.

While near the frontier of Breland, the territory is relatively peaceful and they arrive unmolested. While traveling a storm gathered and thunder, lightning, and rain are imminent. The party takes shelter in a hill cave. Unbeknownst to them (mostly due to the rangers unbelievable and persistent ability to fail the simplest survival/navigation checks) it is their destination.

They enter a large stone chamber and try to rest for the evening. But the world has other ideas. (Yes, I used a public adventure for the first session, so shoot me).

A flash of lightning and rolling thunder shook loose a couple things in the hall. A closed door falls open and releases a few rats on the group. They were dispatched fairly readily by all, and the warlock especially appreciated crispy critter crisps as a snack.

With the door now open the Darts now elect to further investigate the caverns. They travel down the passageway and discover a crossroads. Five cardinal directions intersect, up, but not down. Gus, the rogue, elects to climb up, and finds a ruined fort atop the hill. He finds some evidence that unknown creatures have been descending a former well and utilizing the Chambers.

Forewarned at this point, the Darts travel down one of the tunnels and encounter a screaming demon winged thing. A couple of arrows and Eldritch blasts dispatch it readily, and they happily loot the area. They return to the former well and choose a different path, one that seems less used.

As they attempt to pass the door there they are ambushed by a giant spider looking for it's next meal. They barely avoid getting a dose of poison and don't get trapped in webs. The Darts kill the spider and find some interesting items wrapped up in webs from previous victims.

At this point a slight argument breaks out. There is one remaining passage. Gus believes that the mission has been accomplished because the hill fort is apparently cleared, but the others persisted and "persuaded" him to look at the final tunnel.

Good news is that none of them died. Bad news is that it was close. They enter the hallway and proceed into a room that had a corpse laying on the table.

They DO check for traps before trying to loot the room, but a zombie ain't a trap, at least not where I come from. Zombie stands up and attacks the nearest party member, probably Yonk't because he's lucky like that.

After a fierce and epic battle for level 1 characters they managed to re-deadify the undead hobgoblin zombie. I could try to replay all the punches, blasts, sword and axe swings, but I'm sure whatever you come up with in your imagination will far exceed my ability to write (plus my notes from that era are gone).

The 5 Silver Darts have now explored the fort in it's entirety and decided to return to Mistmarsh. Although they encountered a few additional giant spiders on the trip, it was not a tremendous challenge.

Triumphant, they returned to the Hamlet as Level 2 characters. Graylen enters the tavern and confidently approached them. He is not yet willing to reveal his story, but says he has another, but more challenging assignment, if they are willing.

mattie_p
2018-01-07, 06:13 PM
We now enter into a non published adventure path.

Graylen asks the 5 Silver Darts to travel to the kingdom of Darguun and retrieve a package from the House Orien enclave in the capital city of Rhukaan Draal. Graylen states that he can't reveal the package but that if they are successful in returning he would meet them in Sterngate, reveal his patron at that point, and explain his motivations.

Of course they agreed. I need to either A) treasure these players as always following the clue tree when it drops leaves or B) wonder what the catch is and figure out how to restart the campaign.

I chose A but with the caveat that I'm going to drop a lot of other stuff in the realm and make them figure it out. And adapt as needed.

They did, in fact, start traveling to Sterngate. While on the way they found an unmapped Hamlet Being attacked by Goblins from Darguun.

The players did about as well as expected. But they also encountered readied actions for the first time, a resident decided to shoot her crossbow at "the first thing" that came into her house. OOps. Totally not my fault. It missed tho, so that's a plus?!?

They eliminated the goblin threat at least temporarily. And resolved to figure it out when they get to Darguun. (They forgot to figure it out).

Ok so they get to Sterngate yay!

But there are issues. Argonth is delayed. (That's the floating fortress). They don't know why. Nor do they apparently care, let's roll!

mattie_p
2018-01-07, 06:59 PM
(Ok y'all just jump in whenever).

Yeah so they just accepted a mission to invade a foreign country. This is apparently a thing. They get to Sterngate, Argonth is late, by about 2 weeks. But they are all like nah, let's do this thing. So they did.

As I previously said, they passed through Sterngate. On the goblin side they encountered a group of goblins. They don't care. I mean they do but they don't. People got going. Daisy decided to arm-wrestle Garlen. He's a hobgoblin guard, she's a half orc barbarian. Did I mention she invoked rage? She did.

Daisy broke his arm. He was pretty cool about it, and gave them his banner. The banner gave free passes in his clan area.

As they travel through Darguun, they enter a more and more troublesome place. They get to the Gathering Stone. Seems legit.

But it's not.

mattie_p
2018-01-07, 08:19 PM
The Gathering Stone is a location where armies of Goblins would accumulate in the past ages, and possibly again. Well, there was a gathering when the Darts got there. (They never really did find out why).

This locale is north of the capital city. And the goblins there were itching for a fight. The Darts encountered a bare chested hob goblin who questioned their presence. Gus attempted to bluff his way through and utterly failed, leaving the fate of the party in Daisy's hands. While the hobgoblin fought unarmed, as did Daisy, it was noted that he did Lethal damage with his unarmed strike.

A couple of hits from the barbarian half orc Daisy took care of him but trust me that there has never been a closer duel between a barbarian and a monk. Daisy didn't kill him, and in fact when he was revived, he gave the party banners representative of the other 2 clans in Darguun and went to a bar and drank the night away. (He was low level...... Had not yet achieved the qualifications for Drunken Master).

They marched on to the Capital at that point. None of them were human and they had banners that represented all of the 3 factions in the kingdom. So it was quiet.

Until they arrived at Rhukaan Draal, the capital.

mattie_p
2018-01-08, 05:55 PM
In case I wasn't clear up above, I welcome questions concerns and discussion about this story. I am trying to get my players here to contribute as they can. Feel free to chime in with whatever you want to pursue.

So The Five Silver Darts enter the capital city of Darguun. And they have no clue where to go. They wander around for a little while and see the sights. I'm pretty sure they bought a few magic items there too but it's not in my notes. It's a little bit of a free place, money is more important than the police.

Gus is able to make a successful gather information check, I'm guessing it's after Kain the ranger failed to track down the Orien compound on his own (he probably rolled a 1).

So they knock on the door to the House Orien compound, state their business, and that Graylen sent them.

Well to be honest, that caused a little ruckus. The house got busy right away and started shouting that Roger was needed at the front door. Roger appears, he/it is summarily kicked out the front door, gate slamming behind it, good riddance.

Roger is a male presenting Warforged, and announced he's ready to depart whenever. The party is confused, they expected an item and got a guy, but at this point they are willing to roll with it.

They proceed down the main boulevard to the first inn they find with a vacancy and check in. Roger tries to go down to the common room but is forbidden. Roger opens his chest and pulls out a keg and proceeded to drink. I do believe that Kain joined him in libations while everyone else discussed. Roger proclaimed that his name and designation was Roger Danger 22 (bonus internet points for catching that reference and my sources for him).

Bottom line. Roger stays in his room, everyone else stays in their room. All is quiet right?

mattie_p
2018-01-08, 08:54 PM
I've been informed by one of the players that Roger was in a House Sivis enclave. Not Orien.

That is all.

mattie_p
2018-01-12, 07:17 PM
So Roger is in the male room, along with Kain, Gus, and Yonk't. Daisy and Mapleleaf are in the female room. The rooms are on opposite sides of the hallway and there are prowlers afoot.

Suddenly the prowlers break into the room and it's the males under attack. They're coming in the windows and through the door. No one knows exactly what's going on. There are lots of arrows and crossbows going around, I wish I had killed a character here but alas they all survive and kill the attackers.

At this point it's approximately 2am, and the party is no longer comfortable at this in. So they elected to leave both in and city. Problem, the city gates are barred. They are questioned closely upon attempting to leave, but the guards decided that upon "certain consideration" they could depart, that consideration being in hard gold.

Gus, most likely, decided that the cost outweighed the benefits of leaving town, and convinced theDarts to attempt to escape. The Darts end up in combat with the guards. Daisy lifts the portcullis and enables an escape into the wilderness.

At this point the pursuit begins.