OLD SKOOL CAMPAIGN DIARY: THE ROAD BACK TO HOMMLET

The Heroes:

• Anton Loyalar: Oeridian Paladin of Heironeous
• Coppyr: Halfing Monk
• Eli Pendar: Flannish Cleric of Pholtus
• Tharn: Dwarf barbarian of the Fireforge clan

After exchanging the Moat House loot for items they need, the heroes hit the road back to Hommlet.  As they near the town, they reach a crossroads and encounter two of the people they saw in the Welcome Wench a few days earlier – Zert and Furnok.  The two offer to tag along with the group offering their “protection” from bandits on the road, for a price.  The heroes decline the offer and the two head on down the road towards the town of Nulb.

The heroes continue on towards Hommlet and as it starts to get dark, they see what appears to be wagons on and off the road ahead of them, but no people around them.  They approach the wagons and spot movement in the brush off the side of the road – AMBUSH!   Zert and Furnock fire crossbows at them from one side of the road, while two others – also from the Welcome Wench, Kobort and Turuko – charge them from the other side of the road!

Zert and Furnock focus on the cleric Eli, while Kobort and Turuko attack the other three.  Eli holds the two off for a time, but is taken down.  Zert steals the cleric’s pack and boots and runs into the brush.  Furnock joins the fight against Coppyr, Tharn and Anton.  Turuko managers to kill the halfling Coppyr and turns his attention to Anton.  He manages to knock the paladin senseless, but not before Anton helped Eli back up.  Furnok is killed, which makes Turuko reassess their situation.  He tells the heroes that if they want to see their friend, the wizard Spugnois alive, they’ll let he and Kobort go.  He tells them that the wizard is being held at the Moat House.  Eli, angry at Coppy’s death, kills Turuko.  That causes Kobort to go mad with grief and he continues his attack against  the remaining three heroes, but goes down fighting. 

The group takes the body of Coppyr to Hommlet and to the church of St Cuthbert.  There, Calmert the priest says that Cannon Terjon could perform a Raise Dead ritual, but that it would require a 500gp diamond (which they don’t have) and would have to be done within 10 days.  Calmert prays for Coppyr to preserve his corpse and the heroes take him back to Verbobonc, trade some of the loot they got from the road fight in for money to buy the diamond, then find a Heironeous temple in Verbobonc to perform the ritual.  They then rest a few days in town, allowing the restored Coppyr to shake off the effects of being brought back to life, and then they head on back to Hommlet.

End of session.

OLD SKOOL CAMPAIGN DIARY: THE VILLAGE OF HOMMLET PT. 3

The Heroes:

• Anton Loyalar: Oeridian Paladin of Heironeous
• Coppyr: Halfing Monk
• Eli Pendar: Flannish Cleric of Pholtus
• Tharn: Dwarf barbarian of the Fireforge clan

Upon finding Eli Pendar seemingly dead under the giant spider that sprung upon in him the ruins of the tower, the rest of the group move in to save their companion.  Between their attacks of steel, fist and magic, they drive the spider back up into the shambles of the collapsed 2nd floor and set the webbing on fire.  This allows them to pull Eli's inert body out of the tower, but it also drives the spider out and it tries to escape along the top of the adjoining wall.  Anton skewers the spider with a javelin and it falls upon a pile of rubble, dead.
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​The heroes decide to take Eli out of the moat house to see if he can be revived, and they move to safer ground some distance away.  After an hour or so, Eli recovers and the group use this time to tend to their wounds.  Then they returned to the moat house, only to come under fire by unseen assailants firing crossbows from the arrow slits of the interior buildings.  The group rush inside the opening and confront the bandits holed up within.  The fight ends with the heroes taking two prisoners.  They search the ruins and find a few items of interest, a large snake and a large lizard that they must deal with.  But they do manage to locate the bandit's loot chest, hidden under a pile of rubble, and an older chest in one of the rooms.  
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​While deciding what to do next, they question the one conscious bandit and learn that there is a master of the moat house, named "Lareth the Beautiful", and the bandit claims that he is a priest of Lolth and her "chosen one."  The bandit seems certain that Lareth will exact his vengeance upon the heroes for killing his pet spider and daring to invade his moat house.  
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​The heroes decide to leave the moat house, taking the two bandits with them, and go back to Hommlet to decide what to do next.  En route, they encounter a town guard, whom they give the bandits to for proper handling, and then they go back to the Welcome Wench Inn.  There they divide up their findings and decide to go back to Verbobonc to sell some of their acquisitions before returning to Hommlet.  The wizard Spugnois decides to stay behind to see if anything happens in the moat house or with the bandit activity while the heroes are gone.
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​Back in Verbobonc, the heroes sell their items, do some additional shopping for themselves, and learn that one of the items found - the very fine broadsword - belonged to a knight of a minor noble family, the Taberts.  This information came from a representative of the Knights of the Hart, who informs Anton and also asks him to see if he can learn the fate of the Tabert son, who went missing at the same time that the beloved Prince Thrommel did, nearly a decade ago.  The prince was to marry the Noble Ladyship of Velune, Jolene, which would benefit the knighthood and strengthen the defenses of both nations, but that marriage has been postponed due to the princes' disappearance, supposedly at the hands of the agents of Elemental Evil that escaped their defeat at both the Battle of Emridy Meadows and the subsequent Battle of the Temple of Elemental Evil.  
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​End of session.

OLD SKOOL CAMPAIGN DIARY: VILLAGE OF HOMMLET, PT. 2

The Heroes:

• Anton Loyalar: Oeridian Paladin of Heironeous
• Coppyr: Halfing Monk
• Eli Pendar: Flannish Cleric of Pholtus
• Tharn: Dwarf barbarian of the Fireforge clan

Our heroes spend the evening hours in the Welcome Wench.  Anton Loyalar retires early to get a bath and the others go to the dormitory later.  Prior to this, however, a few of them hung around the common room to try and gather information.  Eli spoke with Ostler Gundigoot, the proprietor of the inn, and learned that the structure being built is a fortress that is being funded by the viscount of Verbobonc to try and stabilize the area.  Eli also learned that any attempt to start up a temple in town would probably meet fierce opposition by the local chief cleric of St. Cuthbert, Terjon.  flaming eye symbol belonged to a cult of “elemental evil,” which caused trouble a decade or so ago that culminated in the Battle of Emridy Meadows.  That costly battle resulted in the army raised by the cult being destroyed and the cult’s leader’s driven back to their headquarters, a temple near the town of Nulb.  The Knights of the Hart called in powerful wizards and priests to lock down the temple to prevent any from entering or exiting, and such has it been for the past 12 years or so.  The news of bandits bearing that symbol concerned Ostler, who summoned the town council for a meeting that night at the inn.  Eli tried listening in, but heard only concerns and skepticism on the validity of the claim with no affirmative action being decided.

The following morning, the heroes arise and meet Spugnois in the common room.  They eat breakfast and Eli hits up Ostler with the idea of hiring adventurers to look into the bandit/cult connection, but Ostler said the council wouldn’t pay for such an effort without more solid proof. 

The heroes finish their meals and hit the trail to the moat house, following Spugnois, who had already done some research on the place.  Just outside of town, the moat house was an outpost used by bandits and brigands and caused much trouble to Hommlet, but it was basically destroyed and the bandits scattered when a connection to the Temple of Elemental Evil was made.  It has been a crumbling ruin ever since, but Spugnois believes it to be the likely hideout of the brigands troubling Hommlet currently. 

They travel through some woods and some bog, finding prints along the way suggesting recent traffic to the moat house.  A trail leading up to the structure comes into view and Coppyr tries sneaking up to get a better look.  The moat house looks very dilapidated and unlikely to host any groups within, but the heroes approach to check it out.  As they near the moat house, several giant frogs emerge from the moat surrounding the structure and attack!  The heroes manage to fight off and kill the frogs and then enter through the front opening.  Eli checks out the dark tower at the entrance and is confronted by a giant spider, who gets the drop on the cleric and poisons him with a bite!

End of session.

OLD SKOOL CAMPAIGN: VILLAGE OF HOMMLET PT 1

It is a time for adventure!  An eon after the Twin Cataclysms reshaped Eastern Oerik, referred to as the Flanaess, opportunity abounds!  Ruins of old are being discovered, ancient treasures unearthed and the spirit of exploration has been rekindled.  As a tentative peace is maintained across the central Flanaess, adventurers take to the hills, valleys and mountains searching their fortunes. 

One such group gathers in Verbobonc.  Drawn together by happenstance, the group find common ground in a tavern, where so many such compacts are formed, and together they hit the road to learn what troubles the village of Hommlet. 

Anton Loyalar, Oeridian paladin of Heironeous and member of the Knights of the Hart

Eli Pendar, Flannish cleric of Pholtus

Coppyr, Halfling monk, and

Tharn, dwarf barbarian of the Fireforge clan

Together, this group travels the trade road from Verbobonc in to the Kron Hills and towards Hommlet, but they encounter a group of brigands in the road, intent upon relieving them of their purses.  The heroes quickly show them the error of their ways.  Though one escaped the scuffle, the others will harass travelers no more.  Hidden upon one of their number was a strange parchment bearing a symbol of a flaming eye.  Not knowing the significance of this, the group tuck this away for future reference and continue onward to Hommlet.

Upon reaching the village, they are immediately accosted by a member of the local church.  Calmer greets them upon the road, hands full of the writtings of St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel, and attempts to lure them into the nearby temple to fill the offering bin.  The heroes bypass the cleric and continue on into town towards the large inn. 

Outside of the large structure, a sign bearing a smiling, buxom young lass and the words The Welcome Wench Inn, greet them.  They enter the structure and find a few patrons partaking in food and drink.  They are welcomed by a young lass who escorts them to a vacant table and takes their orders with a smile.  They survey the room and see a number of locals and a few others that appear to be passing through as they are.  A couple of Flan or Baklunish  travelers speaking in a tongue none of them are familiar with, give them an unfriendly glare before returning to their private conversation.  Another fellow seems to be trying his luck in convincing the serving girl to return to his chambers.   Another sits alone dining in the center of the room, casting glances back towards the heroes’ table. 

Eli, skilled in reading lips, tries to discern any interesting conversations, but abandons that for a more direct approach and goes to the bar when a couple of locals speak animatedly with the barkeep.  Near these three, a stranger watches and listens to that conversation with great interest as they speak of the financial troubles of Hommlet due to the reduction in traffic thanks to a rash of bandit attacks on the roads. 

Eli and the stranger, who introduces himself as Spugnois, talk and the latter reveals himself to be a mage seeking adventure so that he may grow in his magical prowess.  He tells Eli of rumors of activity in a structure on the outskirts of town that the locals call the “moat house.”  Apparently, some time ago, the moat house was used as an outpost for a cult of evil doers, but that cult was wiped out and the moat house has been abandoned ever since.  Spugnois believes it to be a perfect hideout for the bandits that have been plaguing town and has been looking for others to go check it out with him.  Eli takes the mage to meet the others and as a group they agree to accompany Spugnois to the moat house.  The group agrees to meet at first light, and the mage excuses himself to study and to get some rest.

End of session.

OLD SKOOL CAMPAIGN: VILLAGE OF HOMMLET PT 2
https://dndmw.blogspot.com/2017/11/old-skool-campaign-diary-village-of.html