Making Cambodia Look Like Kansas-Campaign Log

[Kaveman26]

House Rules:
No Flying
No Ressurection
No Summon Monster
No Teleport
No Wind Walk, Air Walk, or other Aerial Travel Spells.



Character Creation:
30 Point Buy
Allowed Classes: Fighter, Barbarian, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Paladin, Monk, Ninja, Samurai, Bard
Starting Level 6: Capped at level 6
2 Bonus Feats granted at level 6
Starting Equipment: 1 MW weapon, 1 MW armor, 1 weapon, 250 gold as seen fit to spend as a group.

The Premise:

Exactly 99 years, nine months and nine days ago the world was shattered. All auspices of civilization and peace obliterated in the blink of an eye. Those whose abilities and powers once created marvels and enabled impossibilities were destroyed. In the following century the world was wrought with chaos and madness. Forces beyond mortal and immortal control ravaged the landscape forever altering the balance of power.

A single island, isolated and sheltered from the world at large endured. A barrier protecting it from the maelstrom beyond. This barrier the product of an age long lost is failing. When the century rings true and the 100th year is marked the barrier will fall, and the last vestige of humanity and brotherhood will become vulnerable to the savagery of what now is.

A small band of the strongest, cleverest, and boldest has united in a desperate quest to traverse a foreign continent. Their task is critical and their window for success narrow. A focusing gemstone, a diamond of perfect brilliance, will sustain and renew the barrier for a new century, but the path is long and the map unclear. Forty days and forty nights is the currency allotted to this band to retrieve this diamond. Forty days and forty nights more to return it and renew the majesty that is their hope of a continued peace. The expected destination is 1,000 miles west. Which means a 2,000 mile round trip in eighty days.

Some bits we digested from the initial premise:

*Assuming a standard eight hour overland speed at the standard ratio (avoiding difficult terrain) and a normal 30 feet per round movement speed, we would log 24 miles per day, or 960 miles one way.

*Horses with a movement rate of 40 feet per round pushes us to 32 miles per day or 1280 miles. So we could in theory slog in on foot if we get good terrain and hustle every so often, but mounts with a movement speed better than 30 will make a big difference.

*A survival check DC 10 lets a person feed and water themselves, with each 2 above the 10 mark you can feed one additional person. With a six person group a skill check of 20 means everyone eats free for that day, but it costs us half the movement speed of person foraging. To come out “ahead” we need to get three days of provisions from one day’s worth of foraging. So that means multiple foragers need to provide enough goods for a three day period in one day. Quick and dirty math says a level 6 ranger with max ranks and a halfway decent Wisdom has (6 ranks+2 wis+3+3 trained skill bonus ranger class level) a +14 skill check which means he can sustain the whole party everyday on his own more than fifty percent of the time.

*Buying all the rations we need ahead of time means carrying loads becomes an issue and our meager initial budget gets chewed up.

*We are getting a crude general map that may or may not be very accurate.

*For DM convenience purposes (everything he has planned is overland) we are ruling out attempts to go nautical.

*Healing is actually a big concern for us. No cleric, no druid, no oracle, limited access through paladin and bard provides our sources of magical heals. Downtime is a big factor for a campaign where the timeframe is a limiting factor. We also have little in the way of stat recovery.

The New Crew:

Spoiler: undefined

Show

Galen Stormaxe:Dwarf ranger str 18 dex 16 con 16int 14 wis 16 cha 5
1st: two weapon fighting
2nd rbf: double slice
3rd point blank shot
5th precise shot
6th rbf: greater two weapon fighting
Bf1 boon companion
Bf2 combat reflexes

Carrying Capacity: Light 100 Heavy 300
Equipment:
Masterwork Chain Shirt 25lbs
Masterwork Composite Longbow (+4 str) 3lbs
Dwarven Waraxe 8lbs
Dagger 1lb

Murgaltov: Gillman sorcerer elemental cold str 10 con 18 dex 12 int 10 wis 16 cha 18
1st spell focus evocation
3rd greater spell focus evocation
5th elemental focus cold
Bf1 greater elemental focus cold
Bf2 Combat casting

Carrying Capacity Light 33

Equipment:
Masterwork Light Crossbow 4lbs
Dwarven War Axe 8lbs
Masterwork Leather Barding For Dwarf Horse

1st: Burning Hands, Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Magic Missile, Obscuring Mist, Mount, Mage Armor
2nd: Scorching Ray, Bears Endurance, Spider Climb, Web
3rd: Phantom Steed


Willow Ashhaft: Human barbarian str 18 dex 16 con 16 int 10 wins 14cha 8
Human BF power attack
1st cleave
3rd greater cleave
5th improved sunder
Bf1 vital strike
Bf2 combat reflexes

Carrying Capacity Light 100
Masterwork Greatsword 8lbs
Composite Longbow (+4str) 3lbs
Masterwork Chain Shirt 25lbs

Musan:Half elf monk (unchained variant)
str 20 dex 16 con 14 int 10 wis 14 cha 8
HEBF: composite longbow
1st improved initiative
1st mbf combat reflexes
2nd combat expertise
2nd mbf scorpion style
3rd dodge
5th mobility
6th mbf improved trip
6th BF spring attack
6th BF whirlwind attack

Carrying Capacity: 133
Masterwork Composite Longbow (+5 str) 3lbs
Chained Kama 5lbs



Mist-StalkerHobogoblin zen archer 1/rogue 3/ ninja 1/ assassin 1 str 16 dex 18 con 18 int 10 wis14 cha 8
1st point blank shot
1st perfect shot
Monk feat dodge
3rd precise shot
5th rapid shot
6th Fleet
6th Fleet

RT: weapon focus longbow

Carrying Capacity: 76
Masterwork Composite longbow (+3 str) 3lbs
Rapier 3lbs


Lennix:Human bard arcane duelist 5 Barbarian 1 str 16dex 14 con 14 int 10 wins 14 cha 18
HBF 1st power attack
1st point blank shot
3rd precise shot
3rd BBF combat casting
5th cleave
6th expanded arcana
6th II
6th Disruptive

Carrying Capacity: 76
Masterwork Composite Longbow (+3 str) 3lbs
Rapier 3lbs
Masterwork Chain Shirt 25lbs


ClW, Grease, ER, Animate Rope
Blur,Delay poison, CMW, Invisibiliity

Group Equipment:
400 Arrows 120lbs 20GP
50 Crossbow Bolts 5lbs 5GP
Waterskin x6 24lbs 6GP
100 Feet Silk Rope 20lbs 10GP
6 Backpack 12lbs 12GP
6 Bedrolls 24lbs .6GP
2 grappling hooks 8lbs 2GP
Iron Pot 4lbs .4GP
480 Trail Rations 480Lbs 24GP
747lbs 80GP

Artisan’s Tools 5lbs 5GP
6 Spears 36lbs 12GP
5 Daggers 5lbs 10GP
3 Shortbows 6lbs 90GP
1 Greataxe 12lbs 20GP

5 Sacks 5lbs .5GP
Yak 25GP
200lbs of feed 1sp


Galen Stormaxe, Dwarf Ranger:

A brawny and somber woodsman at the peak of his middle years. Surly by cultural tradition remarkably compassionate by action. Spent the majority of his years in the thick of the island’s untamed terrain. The areas outside of town are unstable and prone to erratic circumstance, something Galen is all too familiar and experienced with. Never far from his horse or his bow he is an expert tracker and scout. Doc’s new character

Murgaltov Gillman Sorcerer:

The last of his race, his family now returned to the waves, his small clan hid in the rocks and tidal pools just narrowly protected by the island’s barrier, older and slightly unhinged he volunteered for a chance to leave the world and perhaps locate some other surviving members of his species. Hades new character

Willow Ashhaft-Human Barbarian:

His family and their relatives live on the edge of the communitys border, a part of the town and also apart from them. He is the running three time champion in the town’s annual log splitting and sparring competitions and his reputation with a greatsword is unparalleled in the town. Middle height and dark hair dark eyes. Pluto new character

Musan-Half Elf Monk (Unchained)

An agile powerhouse of speed and strength. Craves a good challenge and lives for situations where he is outnumbered. A bit reckless given his level of discipline. Bad joke teller. Ares new character

Mist-Hobogoblin Zen Archer/Rogue/Ninja/Assassin
An outsider and perhaps last of the island’s true natives. A very cynical and ruthless fighter who excels at stealth and ambush. One of the few islanders with knowledge of poison’s and their applications. My new character

Lennix-Human Bard (Arcane Duelist):

An absolute showman. Complete blowhard and Snake Oil Salesman persona. Azzie’s new character

Seraphim’s Player is the DM for this campaign.

Day 1-Down and Dirty

Spoiler: undefined

Show

The island is mostly uninhabited. A central town with some nearby farms and homesteads are the only civilized territory. The majority of the island is wild and erratic with strange magical and supernatural occurences. Emanating from a LightHouse Tower on the coast is a shield that protects the island from outside influences and calamity. The further from that lighthouse one travels the less protected one becomes.

A small assembly of monks, and scholars has tracked and attempted to decipher the full workings of the tower and discern the notations left behind. They have pinpointed that the focusing diamond at the center of the tower is failing. If it is not replaced in due time the barrier will fall and this last refuge of civilization will become vulnerable. It is from this position that a call to arms and expedition is sounded. They seek six volunteers to venture forth and locate the replacement diamond.

As the barrier has failed so too have the crops and stores which sustain the township. All resources are stretched remarkably thin and the allowance of 250GP which we were given as a group represents a sacrifice from the town that puts them on the brink of starvation. Anything they provide to us is leaving them hungry, unarmed or freezing. So our success is paramount. Should we elect to take the full eighty days worth of trail rations we are basically bankrupting the town’s reserves for winter.

If we don’t take them and foraging causes us to miss the window they could just as surely die. The scholars who oversee the tower provide a map that should give us a means to reach our destination. In essence we are faced with a few tough choices right out of the gate. For geographic intents think of our island community as Cuba and the main coast is Florida. After a brief open water crossing we will be faced with immediate thick forest and eventually mountain passes. Through the woods and over the hills we will face an open terrain, further mountains and our eventual destination a valley beyond the second mountain range. There are three main paths we can use to reach the valley.

Path 1: The High Road

A straight line path directly from the coast at shortest distance to the Valley. Takes us over two mountain ranges with rough terrain. Shortest distance…highest probability of impossible terrain.

Path 2: The River Run

We follow a river through the first mountain pass and then use it to bypass the second range, A longer path by 150 miles but less chance of getting caught in a mountain pass with no way through.

Path 3: The Desert Marathon

With this option we make landfall further south and then have to skirt the edges of the first mountain and take a long flat path through seemingly endless desert.

Our initial group huddle rules out the desert path. We anticipate supplies being a problem as such a big deal is being made out of them before we even take the first steps. So discussions mostly center around the High Road or the River.

Galen: We know the map is unreliable and where the passes are marked for the mountains could be wrong. A river is a river even if it has dried out or diverted there is the shell of the bed to follow. If we make a good raft then we travel all day and all night. Alternate taking turns to rest and we can make more progress by raft then even by horse.

Murgaltov: If the raft shatters in rapids, or is broken by lizardmen then we are back to walking and now the long way.

Musan: If a horse is eaten by giants, or has it’s legs shattered by falling rocks we are back to being on foot and stuck in the mountains. Rather be stuck near the river than in a mountain.

Mist: Depending on the geography near the river we can have Murgal on a summoned mount and Galen on his actual horse scouting ahead on either side, give us a chance to avoid things like rapids, and maybe a heads up for raiders too. Harder to range ahead in a narrow mountain pass.

Willow: I am for the river. Hopefully we can construct a raft or most of a raft while taking the trip across the bay. Don’t want to burn what time we do have on boatcrafting. Still need to figure out a way to lug all the gear we need while maintaining an adequate pace. Horses are expensive and a decent light horse can carry about 225, we have 480lbs in rations alone.

Lennix: We are going to need more than that….we need to feed the animals too. Every horse we take will need 800 pounds of feed for trip.

Mist: Carrying 800 pounds of feed negates any benefit from taking them as a source of storage. Then we are back to the foraging problem.

Willow: Can we disperse everything and keep the whole party under light capacity?

Murgaltov: Not counting our weapons and armor we are looking at 900+lbs of gear and we can carry a shade over 700 without going to heavy capacity. So frankly no. We need at least one beast of burden and a means to feed it.

Galen: Then we need to press the Yhaldun family to give up one of their Yak’s.

Musan: A yak?

Galen: Long haired filthy smelling beast, strong as hell though and not too picky on it’s diet. They can carry shade over 1,000 pounds on their own. One Yak can carry enough to feed itself for a few weeks plus our heavier garbage. Should reduce our foraging dependence.

Murgaltov: We can take it one step further. We can deposit caches with supplies for the return trip that we can come back to. If we lose the Yak halfway through or run into any incidents we have reserves to come back to.

Mist: And if the caches are stolen?

Murgaltov: Then we are back to foraging. We at least have contingencies and failsafes though.


So the gameplan is to make landfall in near the delta of a river system that will run through the first mountain pass and bypass the second it lengthens the journey from 1,000 miles to 1150, but the hope is that overnight 24/7 river travel will let us make up the difference. We also all have a base movement of 40ft or better provided Galen is mounted. So we can make 32 miles a day under normal conditions. We expect a day or two through swampier terrain, followed by more of an open river route.

With provisions distributed, a Yak press ganged into service for the greater good and a small vessel to bring us ashore we set out to reach the Diamond Valley and explore the strange and unpredictable unknown. As the glorified fishing boat, bursting at the seams with adventurers and a throat gagging yak reach the landing spot, the water is unnaturally still and fetid. The brackish water is greenish brown and amplifies the stink of the hairy beast.

As the unloading process is begun a swarm of mosquitoes closer in size to small birds begin to buzz around us. The fact that they are flying formation and scouting us in organized patterns is immediately alarming. None makes an attempt to land…they simply fly in sync and watch us before returning to the thick reeds at the water front. The raft is the last thing unloaded and by the time we get it fairly well loaded it is immediately apparent the water is too boggy and shallow, our Yak and gear are weighing it down too much. We end up slogging the majority of the gear and put the Yak by herself on the raft as we end up pulling the damn thing ourselves in an effort to reach deeper water that won’t run ashore with the added weight of the group.

A healthy dose of grumbling is meted out as we become the workhorses pulling the raft. Galen and Murgaltov set off on their animal companion and summoned mounts respectively to patrol and scout ahead. As we grit in and try to get out of the boggy river mouth the mosquito swarm rises up from the weeds once again and this time splits into five separate squadrons. Each battalion dive bombs an individual party member and then pulls up at the last second to swerve away. The fifth group seems to vanish. No one feels a thing. Musan ends up doing a touch check of his back and neck and pulls out a tiny almost needle like dart. It is very small and hollow…the apparent whittled spine from a sea urchin, he passes it to my character Mist who sniffs and sighs.

Mist: Poison…mild naturally occurring numbing agent. Very similar to what a normal mosquito secrets when drawing blood from a target, this is a bit more potent and fast. Nothing that will harm us so to speak, but the fact that mosquitos have organized and weaponized sea urchin spines is scary.

A second dive bomb occurs…this time they swarm everyone in a frenzy and then dissipate. Musan thinks they actually came back to remove the darts this time, as he had felt at least three but all three are now gone.

As we shout back to each other over the river Willow gestures to the yak…we see the fifth missing battalion of mosquitos rise up from the beast and fly off. They had landed and hidden amidst the hair…hair that has now been cut away to leave a message in the shorn fur…

TRSPASR LEAF

Lennix: I think it should be spelled Leave.

Willow: Don’t criticize the mosquitoes spelling.

Mist: We should try communicating. “WE ARE TRYING TO LEAF!”

Musan: IF YOU COULD POINT TO THE FASTEST WAY THROUGH THE SWAMP THAT WOULD BE GREAT. WE WILL HAPPILY LEAVE YOU ALONE.

A great buzzing sound comes in response, followed by a larger swarm revisiting the Yak. A flurry of buzzing wings and a whirring sound like hair clippers precedes a new message shaved into the Yak’s other side.

SNDBAR IN WAY LEAD TO FASE

We assume SNDBAR is a sandbar and FASE might be a pidgin of SAFETY, we weren’t sure how to exactly translate mosquito.

Mist: GALEN! MURGAL! WE NEED YOU BACK!

The ranger and sorcerer come back after some short minutes and reconvene with us.

Galen: Mosquitos? Like flying blood suckers? And we are listening to them?

Lennix: Seems like they are trustworthy. Better than a lawyer at least, they don’t bother to numb you before taking your blood.

A twisted pathway sees us straining to drag our Yak on a Raft along as we trail a swarm of mosquitoes deeper into the bayou/swamp. It is unnervingly quiet and still. After several hours and a great deal of effort we arrive at a fetid bog where a host of forty pound bull frogs adorned in crude bone armor circle a tree stump. From the tree stump emerges a long serpentine figure with a woman’s face. Her scales seem to shine with an unnatural light and we estimate her to be at least fifteen feet long. A salamander scurries from the roots of the tree with a piece of bark holding several of the mosquito’s urchin spines.

She assesses our group from a distance, something we are perfectly fine with as virtually everyone is an archer. She sways from side to side silently examining us and finally she speaks in a clear and legible voice.

Naga: No creature with blood such as yours has come to these lands in decades? Why do you seek to invade us?

Lennix: We are not invaders, simply travelers. We mean no harm and seek no insult, simply a way to the wider river so that we may follow it’s route to the mountains west of here.

Naga: That way is too dangerous. Return to the shore and seek a different path. We can’t risk your presence.

Willow: Time is vital for us. Returning to the shore and taking a different path is something we can’t afford to do. What dangers await? And how are you concerned for our well being if you have never seen us before?

Naga: I don’t worry myself with your lives only your body fat. You are large and meaty all of you and the Sandbar is desperate. We are in a precarious position and if you end up a meal to him that will tip the balance against us.

Mist: Uhm…a sandbar can eat us? Are we talking about the same thing? A rise in the riverbed where a ship or boat can run aground?

Naga: Sandbar is the name we have given to the crocodile who chokes off Lake Taupau from the rest of the swamp. Alone we kept a tense truce to keep peace. Last fall a female, still too young to breed, arrived and together they have abandoned the truce and begun a full scale takeover of our home. We have worked tirelessly to shut off their access to food and attempt to force them out. If they manage to acquire a significant meal she will soon mature to the point of bearing eggs and if those eggs hatch we are done for. I can’t risk you finding a way into the crocodile or his soon to be mate’s belly. That is why you must leave this territory immediately.

Musan: We could assist you in overpowering this crocodile. Better to eliminate him for certain than chance his leaving.

Naga: You trying to kill Sandbar is little different than you being eaten. The end result is the same.

Mist: What would you do if it attacked you right here and right now? You would have to fight. If we are the ones taking the first attack we will be better prepared for success. Only now you have added assistance.

Naga: My battletoads and I will accompany you to the Lake. Perhaps in unison we can succeed, in driving off the beast.

Galen: Battletoads *snicker*

We hesitantly leave the Yak and the better part of our supplies behind and follow a company of armor laden frogs and the Naga to Lake Taupau.

Galen: Where does the reptile normally hide? I know they are tricky buggers and hard to spot.

Naga: He frequents the center of the lake.

Galen: Near that island?

Naga: He isssss the island.

As one we focus a bit closer on the “island” sitting at the center of a small lake.

Murgaltov: That has to be sixty feet from snout to tail…maybe bigger.

Galen: Where is the mate? The Sheila?

Naga: We don’t know.

Mist: How far from the edge of the bank to the croc itself? I mark it about 200 feet.

Galen: Seems about right.

Mist: Might be able to get two or even three volleys off before it reaches the shoreline.

Lennix: That is a big lizard. Not sure that even that many arrows will hurt it.

Murgaltov holds his action while the rest of us prep for a full volley of bow attacks. Lennix uses a performance for Bladethirst, granting 50 projectiles +1 enhancement bonus for 6 rounds and we loose a full volley of arrows in a hail against the croc. Of approximately 20 arrows, about eight find their mark without glancing off the thick back of the beast. Like a whip crack the “island” snaps into action and begins approaching at a breakneck speed. The Sorcerer hits it with a magic missile as it is nearly upon us within a few seconds. A second volley lands but the pincushion of arrows doesn’t seem to be slowing it much at all.

As Sandbar reaches the shore we all scatter, the frogs burst from cover and make flying headbutt strikes with spiked bone helmets…each attacks once and then retreats to the reeds. The mosquitoes swarm in a dive bomb fly by attack then disperse. The Naga launches her own magic missile and then it is snapping jaws and a whole big pile of angry reptile. Much slower on land everyone tries to shoot from the hip and move out of the way…thick foliage and poor footing make it tricky. Willow abandons bow for greatsword and takes a hearty swing, and as he slashes we catch sight of a smaller but still sizeable crocodile slipping into the water.

Before we can react Sandbar snatches Willow with a lurching bite and the greatsword goes flying as the barbarian is dragged into the shallows for a death roll. Murgal and the Naga both hit it with a second round of magic missiles and we put in another off balance volley of arrows. Willow manages to get free and snatch the dagger from his waist as he tries to pull himself back to the shore, he is in real rough shape though. Galen snaps off an arrow, drops his bow and advances ahead of Willow with both axes drawn. Willow shifts to set up a flank against the crocodile and I put in a rapid shot sneak attack bolstered duo of arrows that find their mark…one penetrating the sweet spot at the base of the skull that puts the lights out against Sandbar. I am rewarded by being dragged beneath the murky water by the female mate where I get taken for a death roll of my own. Willow goes into a rage and throws himself dagger leading to the head of the female dire crocodile. He and Galen manage to distract it enough to get me free and then the female does something unexpected…with a show of strength terrifying she disengages and pulls the corpse of the male into the deeper water where she vanishes from sight.

Naga: That is very bad.

Mist: The Male is dead…she can’t reproduce. We can track her down and finish her off.

As Lennix disperses what meager healing we have available we watch as the pair of crocodiles surface in the middle of the lake. The male is disoriented but very much alive.

Galen: What kind of witchcraft is this?

Naga: Actual witchcraft…the female is a witch. She revived her mate.

Mist: That would have been useful to know before we started.

The two crocodiles circle in the water for a minute then both submerge, we backpedal from the water’s edge and take up perches in the highest trees waiting for them to come up for air. The Female pokes just the tip of her snout out of the water and a hail of arrows, many of which miss falls around her. As the arrows sink into the water the male comes to the surface and the female opens her mouth to reveal a good sized boulder…the male slashes his tail through the water and like a fifty foot long crocodilian Tiger Woods drives the boulder using his tail like a golf club into Galen’s tree…nearly severing the trunk from the force.

Galen: Yikes. Didn’t see that coming.

Mist (in a whisper to Willow): I say we kill the Naga and offer the corpse to the crocodiles for safe passage. I’ll take my chances with the frogs over a witchadile.

Willow: Think you and I can take her in an ambush?

Mist: If I am within 30 feet sure.

The barbarian who has managed to retrieve his greatsword lands the first ambush a full attack and as the sword cuts both air and scale a duo of arrows pierce the Naga’s throat.

Lennix: What the hell was that?

Willow: Alternate Plan.

The barbarian hacks off the head of the naga and holds the body on high.

Willow: We want to talk! This is our offering of good faith.

The female gets within shouting range and in a bit croaky Common asks what we seek.

Willow: You can keep the body and the bodies of any frogs we encounter in return we only want passage through the lake and into the river beyond. Safe passage.

Witch-A-Dile: Return before the sun sets and we will allow you passage through, unmolested so long as you provide us the body of the Naga.

Galen: Could have discussed this before assassinating the Naga, she made no hostile move towards us.

Mist: Not like we have time for diplomacy, we have already damn near burned an entire day and made virtually no progress. Need to get past this crocodile blockade and this was a way of doing it. Made an executive decision.

The slog back to the Naga’s pond is uncomfortable. Mosquitos harass every step of the way and when they arrive back to the pond the Yak is dead and disemboweled. In the course of events they manage to kill four very large bullfrogs which are taken as rations. We end up loading up Galen’s heavy horse with as much as we can get it to carry and Murgaltov summons a Phantom Steed for the slower dwarf to ride. A good chunk of our rations are left behind as a result. On the plus side, most of us can now ride the raft.

The crocodiles hold true to their word and allow us to pass through the lake untouched. The water begins to clear up almost immediately and we begin pushing upstream, but still making much better time. By the end of day 1 we clear a total of 8 miles. Not an inspiring start.

[Inevitability]

KAVEMAN HAS STARTED A NEW CAMPAIGN LOG!

In case you didn't notice, I'm excited.

[Kaveman26]

River Living:

Spoiler: undefined

Show

The second day we try to put out every possible means to accelerate the journey and make up for lost time. With everyone rowing and a pair of summoned mounts doing their best to aid in pulling us from the sides of the river we start eating up miles. Galen continues to patrol looking for any and all potential threats.

We continue to observe…well disturbing nothing. There is very little wildlife, and virtually no insect noise or bird calls. It becomes a point of concern owing to our now need to eventually forage for food.

Lennix: Mosquitos aside I saw no fish, no turtles, no gnats…nothing. Just the crocodiles, naga and toads.

Willow: I’ve been watching the water for fish and nothing, not even a splash.

Late in the second afternoon we spot a lone squirrel jumping from branch to branch. Almost out of desperation four arrows leap to bowstring as everyone on the raft takes aim for the squirrel who squeaks and drops an acorn throwing his hands into the air.

Squirrel: Don’t shoot!

Musan: The squirrel is talking.

The hesitation is all the opening the furry tailed critter needs as he makes a swan dive from the branch and seems to vanish into the knot of a tree.

Mist: Is it worth stopping the raft to investigate?

Willow: Not for a single squirrel.

Throughout the afternoon we all keep a sharp eye for additional wildlife, bows constantly in hand. Galen and Murgaltov basically report in the same things…no movement, no animals. As dusk approaches there is a shaking in the tree branches hanging over the water’s edge and we see a handful of squirrels watching us from good cover. As we pass them we spot what looks like tiny bows and some kind of rudimentary leather armor. They don’t make any outwardly hostile action but we hear them chittering to themselves….in Common.

Everyone is getting a bit creeped out by this point. As the sun is fully setting we light some crude torches to help with the light…bolstered by cantrips from the bard and sorcerer. A cracking sound alerts us to a large oak tree falling to block off the river. We damn near crash into the falling tree and have to scramble to avoid our raft being swept away. Galen gets a rope to us from the shore and uses his mount to pull us in. As they check for damage and make sure nothing was lost I scan the area for any ambushers then scan the tree.

Mist: There are tool marks on the tree. It was cut down. I think it’s a trap.

Willow: We didn’t see anyone near the tree.

At the faintest edge of the torchlight I barely make out the tiny shape of a stone hatchet.

Mist: Whoever cut down the tree was very small.

From the other nearby trees acorns start tumbling around us. As they hit the ground they begin to smoke…and continue to smoke spitting out thick hazy clouds to block vision. A dozen diminutive voices take up a call and before we can react there are squirrels all over the place…launching bolas at our legs and shooting arrows at our eyes. Everyone is flailing around trying to find a target or stay their feet. A triumphant rodent shout goes up.

Squirrel Raider: JACKPOT BOYS! Fall Back.

Just as fast as they were on us…they are gone. Murgaltov in aggravation launches a magic missile at a fleeing squirrel and it is like a cannon sending the instantly prone body twenty feet in the air. As the smoke clears we find ourselves not too bad off. No one took more than one of damage. Galen is the first one to spot their target.

Galen: Furry little bastards stole some of our rations. Why would a squirrel steal our rations?

Lennix: It is mostly dried nuts, dehydrated fruit and some seeds. Squirrel cuisine.

Musan returns with the deceased squirrel and we examine it more closely. It is wearing crude leather armor, has vambraces from what we are guessing is some kind of bone and a tiny bow with arrows and a few acorn smoke grenades. There is mud and berry stain breaking up the shape to aid in camouflage and there are unmistakably opposable thumbs.

Musan: Squirrel Commando.

Mist: Everything we have encountered so far is intelligent. The crocodiles, the squirrels, the frogs, even the mosquitos.

Lennix: We were told to expect strangeness and irregularities.

Mist: This is beyond irregular.

Galen: They are mostly harmless.

Willow: Until they drop a tree on us instead of in front of us. Or until they slit our throats in our sleep. Coordinated ambushes and weapons implies they are capable of exactly that.

Mist: Let’s get back on the river and keep moving.

We continue on through the night and go unattacked. As dawn cracks we see subtle signs of gathering squirrel forces. Shaking branches and fleeting glimpse of brown fur and the occasional “squeak” that seems out of place in the silence.

Lennix: I think they are organizing for an attack.

Musan: Then let’s give them a reason not to.

The monk goes into his backpack and pulls out a pouch of trail mix he tosses the bag overhand to the shore and repeats the process on the other side. A chittering of excitement goes up on both sides. We see a lasso come from the brush and the bags on each side are dragged from view.

Every hour or so he tosses loose handfuls to either side…expelling three day’s worth of a single PC’s rations. By late afternoon of the third day we see them coming out openly. As dusk approaches we spot the trail ration bag hanging from a branch that hangs over the river, something inside is weighing it down. Willow snags it and checks the contents. There is a note written on some bark.

“Our Wise Ones say it is polite to return Kindness. Here is more of the strange Not Wood you seem to like”

Inside the bag is a brass hinge, a single silver coin, and a magical ring. Murgaltov identifies it as as ring of protection +2. Willow happily accepts it’s use and we salute the mounting darkness and thank the squirrels for their Kindness Returned.

Day 1: 8 Miles
Day 2: 42 Miles
Day 3: 48 Miles

This will be a far shorter overall posting. I think 15-20 Posts in total.

[Inevitability]

Tucker's squirrels? Yes please.

[FocusWolf413]

This is going to be fun. Woot woot.

[Kaveman26]

The Big City:

Spoiler: undefined

Show

Day Four goes smoothly. A lone Harpy spots us at once point and it circles us from a great height for most of the day. We take a few pot shots at it from longbows and it eventually goes away on it’s own. As the hours tick by the forest starts to thin out and the ground gets more open. Early in the evening we make the decision to pull up as the territory is changing and as the moon comes out from the clouds we spot what we think might be a city. Camp is made for the night and cautiously tuck in to sleep.

The morning of Day Five confirms our initial suspicion. There is a medium sized town built around the river and outwardly it appears abandoned. Having cleared another 48 miles on day four we figure this is as good a place as any to forage and spend a few hours searching. We pull the raft to the river bank and walk the last several hundred yards into the expanse of town. A sign greets us with:

Welcome To The End of the Rainbow

As we creep along the streets a rocking chair sitting on a porch starts to rock back and forth on it’s own and a taunting chuckle seems to emanate from multiple places at once.

Voice: Awful strange looking folk wouldn’t cha say Liam?

Second Voice: Oh aye Owen, I doubt their kind been seen in these parts for a solid decade.

Lennix: You have the best of us unseen friend. We are travelers. Might we have the honor of seeing our new acquaintances?

Liam: He wants to see us Owen? How’s that for a laugh?

Owen: It’s a real side splitter Liam. Mighten could be we pop out for a pint and a smoke, but not while you are hefting those widowmakers.

Mist: The bows?

Liam: Aye laddie. You got a touch of the goblin in you make no mistake. Just let them find the ground and we will be happy to take in the morning with yer company.

With some hesitance, but charmed by the local twang, we concede and put our bows down…walking away slowly with hands raised. The unoccupied rocking chair is suddenly occupied as a small man in cheerful green with a long grey beard seems to appear. A Puff of smoke reveals a second little old man sitting on an empty barrel as he taps the dregs from his pipe.

Lennix: I’ll be damned Leprechauns.

Liam: Oh you are familiar with us fine folk? Surprises abound eh Owen?

Lennix: Only from story.

Owen: What’s brings you up the Rainbow?

Murgaltov: The river?

Liam: No fooling these boys Owen, aye the river. Around these parts The River is called the Rainbow.

Musan: We come from a island a few hundred miles east of here. Our village tasked us with locating a diamond in a valley far beyond here. Our map is a bit suspect so if you could help us to clarify or correct it’s information…

Owen: Oh a dodgey map is a sure boon for getting lost. Mighten could be that we peep your cartography for the stray miscalculation but we fine folk don’t work for free, nor are we cheap.

Mist: What exactly do you wish for in payment?

Liam: Well if you have heard the stories you certainly most have heard about the pot of gold?

Lennix: Yes…

Owen: Well we got too much pot and not enough gold.

Liam: There is an old saying “aint got a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of” we got plenty of pot and lately piss is all we got to fill it. You figure out a way to get us some gold and we will fix you up right.

Galen: You have a lead on where we might find some gold?

Liam: Oh you betcha. See we had ourselves a nice tidy pile of the yellow. Them damned gremlins sodded off with it when we got a little too deep in the bottle. They won’t come this close to the water and we aren’t keen on getting in those creaky old houses to go after them. But some strapping young lads like yourself could give them a taste of the old iron.

We bid the leprechauns good day and give them a wide berth in announcing we are retrieving our widowmakers. Bows firmly back in hand they salute us with their pipes and vanish from sight again.

Mist: We know anything about gremlins?

Lennix: Kid’s stories, nasty little humanoids with sharp teeth and a load of mischief. They like causing trouble.

We start doing a house by house search looking for the leprechauns lost gold and seeking out the offending thieves. The farther we get from the river the more “clues” we pick up. Disturbed dust, creaking floorboards and tufts of hair left behind. We reach what we think used to be a blacksmith’s home and Galen takes one step inside when the floorboard flips up and knocks loose a rope. An anvil at the end of a rope comes swooshing through the air Home Alone style and while Galen manages to dive for safety it takes Murgaltov square in the chest. From the rafters we hear a hoarse snicker and then a crate of pilfered kitchen knives all crudely sharpened is shoved over sending improvised cutlery everywhere.

As we pull Murgaltov to his feet and check for busted ribs we all start scanning the roof for any targets to shoot at. As the anvil swings to a standstill we hear wood scraping and the rope holding the anvil is severed…as the anvil drops Musan snaps off an arrow that transects the eye socket of a hairy little beast holding a sharpened butcher knife. It goes limp and falls to the ground dead as a stone. The anvil crashes through to the basement of the building leaving a big gaping hole. I pick a second target well hidden (but not good enough) in the rafters and put two arrows into it’s chest…it too satisfyingly falls to the ground.

The next building Galen enters alone…the rest of hanging well back. He wounds a gremlin trying to trigger a similar deadfall type trap and the barbarian and sorcerer peg a runner coming from the back.

We scurry from building to building killing nine gremlins in total when we arrive at the town square where a darkened and bordered up church awaits. Entering the church doors triggers an extended brawl with almost a dozen gremlins all hurling themselves at us with a frenzy. We tear them up, taking several small but not life threatening wounds in the process and route them. Hidden below the alter is a cold iron safe covered in spikes. The metal is cherry red hot from where the gremlin chief was holding it.

Murgaltov: Heat Metal is one of their abilities. I can freeze it, but that make might it explode.

Mist: Then let’s wait for it to cool off.

After a while we figure it is safe enough to pick up and despite our best efforts to unlock it, we are unable to. We elect to bring the whole thing back to the Leprechauns.

Lennix: Tread carefully. Most of the stories say fairy folk like the leprechauns are vulnerable to cold iron.

The leprechauns are over joyed at our return…and the severed gremlin heads we retrieved as proof of their destruction. Liam stares at the safe and then spits in his hands rubbing them together, he begins shaping a big sledgehammer from thin air and with a clap of his hands a real hammer appears.

Liam: Alright big fella, smash it open.

As Willow tries to smash the lock off the safe Owen appraises the gremlin heads and eventually shrugs his shoulders…a club appears out of thin air and he starts smashing the teeth out of the twisted decapitated heads. Willow smashes the lock off sending gold spilling into the streets which the leprechauns cheerfully scoop up.

Liam: They came through on the level Owen. Our lovely yellow has come home.

Owen: Aye brother. I think we owe them a bit more than just the map deciphering.

Owen shakes the still bloody teeth of the gremlins like dice in his hand and when they spill out they are now razor sharp arrowheads.

Owen: You will get service from those lads.

Liam: Owen you daft codger…has the color taken your wits?

Owen: Mind yourself Liam, you knows I am the older by two minutes.

Liam: Gremlin teeth weapons? Tis dangerous lore you are dispersing with a liberal hand.

Owen: Don’t mind me brother, he is prone to theatrics. We looked over your map and we spotted one big problem. The river spills out to a lake about eighty miles from here and that’s its beginning. Twon’t take you through the big mountains, that path is gone.

Liam: Aye. Beyond that we are lacking in knowledge but that correction will save you a rough piece of trouble.

Owen: You done us a boon favor lads. We are grateful for that.

Liam: Ack! If you are being so liberal I suppose I can’t appear miserly.

Liam rolls up his sleeves and waves his hands over the shattered cold iron crate…the metal painfully twists and Liam is visibly straining with effort…but the metal reshapes itself into the form of a hefty greatclub.

Liam: Tis a noble shillelagh friends and a deft stroke it will deliver to the fairy folk.

Farewells are exchanged and we part ways with the leprechauns.

We reach the end of the river the following evening.

Day Four 48 Miles
Day Five 24 Miles
Day Six 48 Miles

[GnomishPride]

Yay a new campaign journal!

[oshi]

You're back at it again already Kaveman?
You are tireless! Thanks! :D

[halfeye]

I am looking forward to reading more.

[Traab]

Heh dang, at first I was thinking we were about to run a nightmarish version of redwall. Tossing in leprechauns and gremlins makes it a bit more complex though. This is an interesting story and I cant wait to see where it goes from here. A nice time crunch in addition to everything else. I cant wait for the return trip. There is no way the mosquitos and other crew they betrayed wont be preparing for them.

[GrayDeath]

Interesting, if a bt of the type of campaign I usually have made bad expierences with (granted, I only played in two "emergency overland Campaigns", but both were really really not to my tastes).

Good luck (well, better luck, as you already met leprechauns^^).

[Kane0]

Aaaand subscribed

[Demon 997]

This is excellent, really enjoying it. A lovely change of pace from the Necrorancher too.

By my tally, they've got another 2082 miles to go round trip, with 74 days to do it. That's an average of 28.13 miles a day. If they can spend a few days on the river making good time it'll help. A pity about the yak though, that'll hurt.

[Traab]

This is excellent, really enjoying it. A lovely change of pace from the Necrorancher too.

By my tally, they've got another 2082 miles to go round trip, with 74 days to do it. That's an average of 28.13 miles a day. If they can spend a few days on the river making good time it'll help. A pity about the yak though, that'll hurt.

Obviously the solution is to capture a thousand of those mosquitos, tie them together, and use them as an air ship to get to their location. /nod

[Algeh]

I cant wait for the return trip. There is no way the mosquitos and other crew they betrayed wont be preparing for them.

Assuming the situation doesn't radically change by then, that'll be an interesting point for them to debate as they get closer to their goal: should they take the same route back, which has the advantage of them knowing where it is and how to traverse it, or one of the other two potential routes they rejected on their way in since they now know exactly how messy it would be re-crossing the river-route territory and have a much clearer idea of how long it would probably take them to get back that way. I'm not sure if their presumed need to rendezvous with the ship on their way back means they've already committed to the same return route or not.

[Demon 997]

Obviously the solution is to capture a thousand of those mosquitos, tie them together, and use them as an air ship to get to their location. /nod

I mean, you're not wrong.

The logistics and planning on this are pretty non trivial though. Hmm, everything they've met has been sapient, that makes acquiring packhorses either much harder or much easier.

Assuming the situation doesn't radically change by then, that'll be an interesting point for them to debate as they get closer to their goal: should they take the same route back, which has the advantage of them knowing where it is and how to traverse it, or one of the other two potential routes they rejected on their way in since they now know exactly how messy it would be re-crossing the river-route territory and have a much clearer idea of how long it would probably take them to get back that way. I'm not sure if their presumed need to rendezvous with the ship on their way back means they've already committed to the same return route or not.

That's a tricky one. They might improve in gear and power, but not in level right? On the other hand, the river boost speeds significantly, and only the mosquitos are hostile, and they're not a huge threat on their own. I suppose it sort of depends on the storytelling, do you have have final boss of the people you betrayed (or the huge crocodile) or is it purely the race against time?

EDIT: As of now, assuming a constant speed of 32 miles a day they have just under 9 and half days to spare. They'll likely spend another few days on the river, which might help with giving them more time to play with.

Kaveman, any chance you could scan and post the rough map you have? And is the campaign currently happening, or has it wrapped up?

[Michael7123]

finally had a chance to start reading this. Can't wait to see more!

[Traab]

I mean, you're not wrong.

The logistics and planning on this are pretty non trivial though. Hmm, everything they've met has been sapient, that makes acquiring packhorses either much harder or much easier.



That's a tricky one. They might improve in gear and power, but not in level right? On the other hand, the river boost speeds significantly, and only the mosquitos are hostile, and they're not a huge threat on their own. I suppose it sort of depends on the storytelling, do you have have final boss of the people you betrayed (or the huge crocodile) or is it purely the race against time?

EDIT: As of now, assuming a constant speed of 32 miles a day they have just under 9 and half days to spare. They'll likely spend another few days on the river, which might help with giving them more time to play with.

Kaveman, any chance you could scan and post the rough map you have? And is the campaign currently happening, or has it wrapped up?

Well, mosquitoes, who apparently have numbing poison darts, which I assume with enough of them could incapacitate a person, plus the "battletoads" and anyone who knows the naga who they betrayed. So far they only have two potential known threats on the route back, the killer croc and the side they betrayed. If they level up like, at all, the current threat will be minimal, but that only applies if the enemy remains static as well. With those bugs im getting nasty flashbacks of the baby ice spider dragon creatures from the necro rancher campaign. They might get a lot tougher by the time the party returns.

[Demon 997]

Well, mosquitoes, who apparently have numbing poison darts, which I assume with enough of them could incapacitate a person, plus the "battletoads" and anyone who knows the naga who they betrayed. So far they only have two potential known threats on the route back, the killer croc and the side they betrayed. If they level up like, at all, the current threat will be minimal, but that only applies if the enemy remains static as well. With those bugs im getting nasty flashbacks of the baby ice spider dragon creatures from the necro rancher campaign. They might get a lot tougher by the time the party returns.

I believe part of the idea here was that they started at the level cap. So it's only gaining gear and allies to improve power.

[Traab]

I believe part of the idea here was that they started at the level cap. So it's only gaining gear and allies to improve power.

Yep, didnt notice that. Wow, thats going to make things tough. Eh, upon rereading the whole scene, it actually looks like the mosquitos were no threat to them at all even though they were clearly ticked. Im thinking what will happen is they have to fight sandbar and his mate, because they have now upset the tentative balance between sides and allowed the crocs to take over. I dont think they will be willing to let them pass through twice.

[Inevitability]

I just realized the cleverness of having this be a two-way trip. Other than the previous dungeon, where the party could just keep pushing deeper to avoid enemies, here they'll actually have to go back the same way (technically they could take another path, but that seems far too risky). Now every person they betray and every disaster they cause will actually have consequences!

[Joe the Rat]

I believe part of the idea here was that they started at the level cap. So it's only gaining gear and allies to improve power.

If they are going in true e6 fashion, they can pick up more feats per however many XP. But I think this one was a set power game.

[RazorChain]

That's some heavy arrows you're carrying. I hope it is a typo as 750 grain arrows, which are VERY heavy are 9 to pound.

[Kaveman26]

Plain Wild:

Spoiler: undefined

Show

So in six days we have covered 218 miles, putting us just about 18 miles above our quota. So despite a few setbacks the group has recovered to get back on track. Without being able to continue the river route we abandon the raft and start trekking on foot.

Galen: We are now off track and the advantage of 24/7 travel is gone. Need to start putting in the hard miles.

The alarming trend of seemingless empty country continues. Wildlife continues to be sparse and virtually unseen. We can see the first mountain range in a distance over an area of rolling plains. We press the pace hustling all day and as we come to nightfall half the group is exhausted. Full paranoia mode kicks in as we light a fire and place our bedrolls around the fire….then move about thirty feet from the fire where we sleep in the tall grass, alternating night watches.

The following morning turns eventful quickly. As set out a stream of shadows hits the ground all around us. The call to arms is sounded and we scan the tall plains for any attackers. The attack comes from above. A flock of griffons begins circling overhead. They swoop in and out shrieking at us and diving. The snap of bowstring and whistling of arrows sends them back to a healthy distance. We keep a watchful eye on the skies as the griffons continue to follow us from beyond bow distance. Just before noon a griffon bursts from cover of tall grass and pouncing on the trailing party member…Me. I take a full array of talons, snapping beak and rear claws. The beast snags an arm and starts to drag me up into the air. Murgaltov snaps a freezing ray at the lion/eagle beast and it lets me loose, taking flight and eating an arrow to it’s flank for the trouble. As Lennix examines my wounds to determine if they are heal worthy two more griffons swoop in with snapping beak and slashing talon. A full swarm of eight begins attacking aggressively, daring us to trade bow for talon. We manage to kill three of the eight and not a single one leaves unharmed. We get shredded in the process, what healing magic available from Lennix keeps us in double digits, but the damage is severe given our resources.

We make a snap decision to get the heck out of their territory. Murgaltov summons himself a Mount, and then burns all his third level spells to provide phantom mounts for the rest of our party. We put heels to horse and hustle out of their turf. They harry us for miles, trying to knock us from the horses. When murgaltov is knocked from his summoned horse a pair of large males snatch the horse and fly off with the beast. Murgal summons a new one and we ride until we collapse.

We hear distant shrieks from what we assume are angry griffons at losing their “meal”, but thankfully the pursuit has ceased. We manage 40 miles but spend the whole night in strung out shape. Everyone is still nursing wounds the following day. A half pace is the best we can manage the following day without further exhausting ourselves and we clear about half what we have been averaging. News worsens when Galen rides back in from scouting to report what could be some hostile forces.

Galen: Few miles west of here is a camp. Several log cabins, a fence, and a central loghouse. I didn’t see inhabitants but there are smoking ashes and hides hanging on lines. Not sure who is there, so let’s be cautious.

Mist: Can we swing wide around it?

Galen: It’s situated nicely in our path. We can go around but it’s going to burn at least half a day.

Willow: So it’s a question of time vs risk.

Murgaltov: I say we skirt fairly close to the edge of the camp and be ready to hightail it, if the natives are less than friendly.

Mist: I can live with that.

The group gets in tight together, with arrows at the ready and we start to hustle as we approach the confines of the lodge and camp. We skirt past the camp and run into no outwardly hostile advances. A mile or so past the encampment we hear running water and voices coming from the other side of a small hill. We commando crawl to the edge and find a small pond being fed from a stream, inside the pond are multiple men and women all frolicking and clearly enjoying themselves. Outwardly it looks like a co-ed high school skinny dip, only the ram’s horns curling around the heads of the swimmers tips off their lack of humanity. There are three of the ram’s horn people (satyrs) sitting outside of the water playing pipes. Almost unbidden the music carries a message to us…

Join Us
Come Play
Give in To Your Desires

The music carries with it a magical charm and suggestion…Not a single one of us makes a saving throw, and before we know it weapons are falling to the ground along with clothes as we cheerfully shout out to make room in the water. A red haired male satyr named Auburn welcomes us in. A brown haired female named Autumn swims to Willow and wraps her arms around him chuckling. Murgaltov notices that some of the males are less than enthusiastic at the sight of their ladies sizing up our group.

Murgaltov: Perhaps we shouldn’t intrude…

Autumn: You aren’t intruding you are enhancing our day. We love new friends.

As a hobogoblin I am not exactly embraced with open arms. So much for diversity amongst fairy goat people.

Murgaltov: Still we have urgent affairs that need to be attended upon.

Auburn: Yeah friend. If you have urgent business best be about it.

Willow being indirectly threatened is given a new saving throw, and he botches it poorly. Sweeping the female satyr up and carrying her around in the pond. Musan, Galen and Lennix all follow suit as they get more into the spirit of things. Murgaltov whose paranoia is kicking in does detect the subtle threat and he along with myself pass the saves needed to come to our senses. He and I start exiting the pond and try to act natural as I backtrack towards my quiver and bow. Murgaltov does his best to prod the rest of the group out of the water with little luck.

Auburn: Autumn…I think our new friend might have a better time if we got to mingle with some of the less attached women.

He accompanies this suggestion with a nudge at Willow…who again botches the save and misses all indication that he might be flirting with the wrong girl.

Willow: Why don’t you baaaaaack off.

A horrible pun that throws himself into hysterics.

Mist: Did he just make a sheep joke at the alpha goat man?

Murgaltov *sigh*: Yep.

Like a camera focusing the sight of daggers at the pipers belt’s and shortbows along with other serrated blades at the water’s edge alerts us to the potential danger at hand. Auburn produces a dagger that was not visible beneath the water and the focusing of his eyes and tightening of the blade in hand is enough for me to act. I put a duo of arrows into his chest and watch as they barely penetrate the skin. That shatters the peace as everyone scrambles for a weapon. Lennix and Musan get clear pretty quickly, while Galen and Willow find themselves grappling against satyrs. Murgaltov hits the heaviest concentration of satyrs reaching the bank with a web, while I scramble for a plan B.

Murgaltov: Use the gremlin toothed arrow heads. See if that helps.

The next arrows that launch have a much bigger impact…MUCH BIGGER. The wounds they inflict are affected by invisible teeth, gnawing at the hole to enlarge it. The screaming from Auburn is enough to let Willow back track to the bank where he snatches up the cold iron greatclub and he begins to wreck house against the fey creatures. When they see the greatclub and the wounds being inflicted from the arrowheads they scatter and run. Willow has Auburn bleeding badly and he is set to deliver the coup de grace against the jaded bachelor when Musan snatches the club from his hands with his chained kama and shakes his head.

Musan: Right now there is bloodshed, but no death. They are panicked and running. We don’t need to escalate this further.

Willow: He tried to gore me! He pulled a dagger on me.

Musan: Yes. You were cozying up to someone he has feelings for, now with the haze cleared that is obvious. Alive he a hostage for ransom or barter, dead he is simply the fuel for igniting a blood feud.

Willow begrudgingly lowers the club and we then try to salvage the wounds which are still eating him apart. A cure light wounds stops the progress of the arrow wounds and slows the blood loss. We bind him up and redress ourselves while Galen and Lennix look for any returned attackers.

Musan crouches down to eye level with the wounded by stable Satyr.

Musan: We sought no conflict. I understand things went badly but we are ready to free you. If you press against us such mercy will not be afforded a second time.

Auburn: I understand. I will speak with my kin. They can understand such a mistake. We are partially at fault…the music is compelling and I was carried away at the sight of the barbarian holding the woman who will one day bear my fauns. You must understand something as well. The weapons you hold are taboo. To our kind they are evil and unclean. I know not where you found them, but they will mark you as enemy to all our kind. Tread carefully no matter where your road leads. I will convince my kin to leave matters as they stand, but should they see you again…they will shoot first.

As we move out in a hustle everyone silently makes sure a few of the goblin toothed arrows are in their quiver. Willow covers the greatclub in a sack and ties it off behind his cloak to keep it hidden from sight. We ride silently for some time…

Day 7: 40 Miles
Day 8: 16 Miles

8 Days 274 Miles

[Traab]

And there is enemy group #2. This return trip is going to be FUN.

[Demon 997]

Also losing their buffer of spare time. Given that the river isn't as going as far, would a different route home make more sense?

[Traab]

Also losing their buffer of spare time. Given that the river isn't as going as far, would a different route home make more sense?

The river path wasnt that much longer overall, and they have already covered more than that extra portion before leaving the stream. The other paths MIGHT make sense, except they cant be sure they are any better. They dont know for sure where the mountain passes actually are and if they are passable, plus the fact that its mountain territory means the terrain will be much rougher than dashing across plains and such like they are mostly doing now. So its a shorter route, but they will likely average less miles per day even without trouble. And the third path is a desert route where supplies, which are already a slight issue, could get even worse. Compare that to at least being aware of the dangers behind them on this route, and its probably better at this point to come back the same way. If they had picked the necromancer cattle drive scorched earth policy making everyone hate them it might be a different matter.

[Talakeal]

Awesome start to another great Kaveman26 campaign log!

Thanks for posting these.

They simultaneously make me want to post campaign logs for my games and not post campaign logs for my games because they won't be nearly as awesome...

[Inevitability]

They simultaneously make me want to post campaign logs for my games and not post campaign logs for my games because they won't be nearly as awesome...

I know that feeling.

[Kaveman26]

Never Let Them Feed On You After Midnight:

Spoiler: undefined

Show

On the ninth day we pick up the pace and try to hustle as much as possible. The mountain ranges are in sight and we press on in the evening to reach the base of the pass before camping for the night and getting a fresh start at dawn. Everyone except for Musan is fatigued by nightfall. As we hunker down the baying of dogs grabs our attention. On something of a rise in the ground we see torch lights deep onto the plains and heading our way.

Musan: There are definitely dogs, a lot of dogs and judging by the number of torches at least twenty pursuers. Hard to think they are after anything other than us.

Mist: Well they have to come uphill to reach us. Let’s fill their face with broadhead arrows and make em bleed to reach us.

Within an hour they have crossed the last few miles and we are able to make out some shapes amidst the torchlight. A series of gremlins much like we fought at the Rainbow’s End are mounted on what look like viscious fey-poodles. Being driven ahead of them are smaller and much uglier gremlins, like dogs walking upright.

Galen: Switch to the gob teeth arrows.

We unleash a barrage of missile attacks that drop the smaller lead gremlins like flies…but there is a ton of them and we get swarmed by masses of tiny dagger wielding gremlins all hacking at our knees and calves. That’s when we get our first surprise, as some of us switch to melee weapons we are told to double up on the d20’s, apparently these little bugger radiate an aura of bad luck that makes you roll each attack twice and take the worse result.

They are squishy, most fall to a single greatclub stroke or arrow, but it’s the bigger nastier ones that are wrecking us. They are circling on their evil little poodles from the fringes and sending darts and shortbow arrows in plenty to the middle. There is no regard for us or gremlin, the firing is indiscriminate. Their damage output is low, but the number of attacks is adding up against us. Musan and I manage to clear the pug gremlins from our area and we step back and begin sniping against the bigger boss gremlins. Once a few of them are dropped from their poodles the attack begins to break off.

We chase them clear out of bow range and then drop to the ground now exhausted and badly hurt. I make a round of all the corpses smashing out teeth with the butt of a dagger. We may not be able to make the nice fancy leprechaun ones, but hopefully a sharpened tooth will still overcome damage reduction.

Galen: They are regrouping. Not attacking again yet, but they are holding their ground a few hundred yards out.

Musan: We need an hour’s rest, maybe they will give us that much.
In the dead of night and relying strictly on Musan and Galen to navigate a mountain ascent with no light other than the stars and moon we make a trek into the pass, hoping the gremlins will delay until morning. They don’t.

As we make the painstakingly slow ascent arrows begin to ricochet off rocks and stick in the dirt around us. The bigger gremlins are taking pot shots from behind boulders for cover. The last of their pug fodder and their poodles charge us in mass. The poodles seem to be in two places at once as if there is some displacer beast in their blood. We mockingly refer to them as Blink Poodles. They take a further toll on our dwindling HP’s and then fall back as Willow smashes the last blink poodle. Murgaltov is down to his bloodline abilities, Lennix is completely out of spells and Galen has the most HP with 21 remaining. We end up shifting the club to Galen as Willow is down to 12.

The night trek becomes a 4/2 cover and clear. Two of us track any potential targets and send arrows at anything peeking out while the other four move. Two of the four who moved then set up to track targets while the bottom two move up. We leapfrog each other in this manner, step by step, round by round for what feels like hours. As dawn approaches everyone is spent. Once again exhausted we can no longer even draw back our longbows, the strength penalty outstrips our ability to draw the composite bows and we are forced into our emergency shortbow supply. Not what we intended when we packed them but a fortunate bonus.

After clearing a tricky vertical face we collapse and try to recover. If they attempt to climb after we can have them helpless. We hear their scrabbling as they look for alternate routes or paths up, but they are blocked. Galen and Musan bid the rest of us to get further ahead.

Galen: We are going to hide and wait for them to come up. Hopefully if they see you guys move they will try to follow thinking it’s clear. The monk is going to trip them up and I am going to knock them clear off the mountain. We need to end this.

The four of us travel a few hundred yards further up and soon after the remaining gremlins take up the tough vertical climb. As they reach the surface and help each other up the monk and ranger burst from cover and Musan puts the chained kama to work, wrenching the feet out from the smaller and weaker gremlins. Galen lays them low for eternity with bone crunching swings of the cold iron club and they finish off the pursuers.

The sun is cresting as we regroup and collapse.

Day 9: 40 Miles
Day 10: 16 Miles