Friendly Fire

Once upon a time in a faraway land, a group of adventurers awoke on a deserted beach: a monk, an archer, a druid, a warlock, and, of course, The Bard. With nothing on the beach but sand and monsters, the group marched onward in search of honor and glory, guided by the “reliable” voices heard in the monk’s head. The group walked and walked and, as the sun fell, they came across a most friendly fire, its only occupant an aging hermit. While others would be hesitant, Milo Morstrum knew his reputation would carry them into the man’s good graces, and he approached the hermit and introduced his group. The hermit (tentatively named Remi the Second the Lesser, the Second of his Name), bewildered at his good fortune in meeting a celebrity, could scarcely keep his wits about him, but after a while the group was able to surmise that he was fleeing from “bad men” from the northwest. Continue reading “Session 1 — Tales from the Bard: The Violent Village”

This is the beginning of a remarkable group of six adventurers: Remi the tortle monk; Kaicho the firbolg rogue; Arden the wood elf druid; Milo the halfling bard and his mastiff Hank; Mav the high elf arcane archer; and Ragon the aasimar warlock. Some of the adventurers had shared histories. Kaicho traded in art with his assistant Remi. Milo performed with Arden’s support. In banding together, the adventurers hoped to explore the world while earning riches and fame. There were whispers of strange and unexplained events occurring in the Arka Islands. It was this lure of adventure that led the group to embark on a ship headed to Carcoasa, the smallest of the four Arka Islands. Continue reading “Session 0 — Castaways”

To be written, someday… For now, here’s my notes. Continue reading “Session 31”

As Argora lunged at Xavier, his shield—once pulsating with life—fell to the ground lifeless and cold as though the god Pholtus’s favor waned in that moment. His sword slashed at his target’s back, and Xavier let out a fierce bellow. Kerath recalled how Shagol compelled the others to attack one another and he fired an arrow at his friend, hoping it might bring him to his senses. Lyra saw her would-be-suitor strike at the good man she sought so long to restore and neutralized the threat by transforming Argora into a giant slug. Continue reading “Session 30 — Is That a Longbow in Your Pants, or…?”

Kerath took cover inside the Stagnant Pool and fired on a guard-turned-doppelganger through the window. When it closed the distance, he pulled out his not-so-trusty shortsword, attempted an attack, and clumsily stabbed himself instead. He retreated farther into the inn, but the shapeshifter followed and knocked him unconscious. Xavier emerged from the secret tunnel beneath the inn in his human form, cured of the curse that transformed him into a dragonborn by the restoration of the Founderstone. He ignored the doppelganger, poured a healing potion into Kerath’s mouth, and demanded to know where his family was. Kerath admitted they were left unattended outside of town. Angered and concerned for their safety, Xavier rushed out the door to find his wife and daughters. Continue reading “Session 29 — The Battle of the Founderstone”

The party needed to devise a plan for returning the chunk of rock they found around Lady Tiegen’s neck to the Founderstone, which they hoped would somehow help Xavier and his family. Jade remarked that the prospect of infiltrating the city, slipping past or fighting the many guards, and restoring the stone for an unknown payoff was both silly and suicidal. However, this did not prevent the rest of them from proposing one bad plan after another, hour after hour. Continue reading “Session 28 — The Worst Laid Plans”

The first in a selection of entries from Kerath’s private journal (1 of 4):

I’ve heard tell of a “bogeyman” that inhabits children’s nightmares, a demon known for hunting them in the night and spiriting them away to some torment. This is just a tale to frighten children into good behavior. Its power increases with belief in the thing, as though feasting on their fears strengthens it. Most children outgrow this belief, but I know the truth. Such creatures exist in this world, and their power is very real. Continue reading “Session 27 — The Broodmare”

With another blast of lightning, the kraken knocked out all conscious party members in the exit tunnel–Argora, Jade, and Keeva–where they fell next to Qeew. Amazingly, both Qeew and Jade jolted back to consciousness without the aid of a healer*. Qeew revived Argora, but not Keeva, who she could not see in the darkness. Continue reading “Session 26 — Lost and Found”

In the morning, the party feasted on bacon provided by Durgeddin and owlbear jerky remaining from a previous kill. They departed for the clearing where Zin and Jelsi stashed their gear but found the darklings had stolen most of it. They recovered a few important items, including the bag of holding and some armor and weapons, but Qeew was devastated by the loss of her shinies. Continue reading “Session 25 — ‘Ello Beastie”