Hey all, i know i have been blowing up the forums about my game lately, i hope it wasnt too annoying. But, i was just super psyched about finally taking the leap and joining the ranks of some of my favorite GMs in this community, as running a game for my fellow lumpy heads. Here is the after action report for some courageous commoners, who are becoming epic adventurers! Fair warning, there is spoiler material in here for folks who may be interested in trying out this game for themselves. Also, the adventurers are not finished with this mission, we called it a night at about the half way point.
Dreamless in Dormirville:
It all started as many stories such as this do… in a tavern. the Penny Whistle to be exact. After a long day of work many of the Folk of Dormirville like to head down there. Some of the local sailors even like to sing about the place.
When your throat’s got a tickle
Like you swallowed a thistle
And you’re looking for a trickle,
Go wet your whistle
At the Penny Whistle
So the folks step inside to have themselves a drink, the bar seems strangely empty for this time of the night. Rondo Shaw, a sailor on the Sea Sprite (some call it the Sea Spit as a joke due to the fading paint on the bow), bellies up to the bar and asks why it’s so quiet tonight. Bart Ender, replies that folks have been going missing, a bandit by the name of Benedetto has been kidnapping folks and ransoming them back to their families. if they dont pay up by dawn they dont get their loved one back.
after some great “getting to know ya” roleplay, the crew hears a young boy shouting and crying while running up the town’s road. He is horribly out of breath and keeps repeating " they got Pa!" “Benedetto is gonna kill my Pa if he doesn’t get his money”. The local townsfolk are sick of this deplorable action and decide to take matters into their own hands “Benedetto will find his coin on the head of my hammer” bellows Hardorlim Firetoe, the local blacksmith.
Over the River and Through the Woods:
The angry villagers head up the old disused town road, making their way to Benedetto’s hide out, an decrepit tower at the toll bridge at the second of two rivers outside of town. First, they had to make their way across the remains of an ancient set of stepping stones. With some trepidation they finally crossed, only to find some foul beasts, known colloquially as Devil Dogs. After some thrilling combat, the local farmer Vulmar really showed some feats of strength and courage, they beat back the vicious pack and made their way forward to the toll bridge.
For Whom the Bridge Tolls:
The final room of the night. The party Steels themselves and confronts Benedetto, but instead of his usual band of brigands, he is surrounded by terrible chattering skelemen. Benedetto himself looks a bit different too, he is a lot paler than usual, and he had nasty looking stitches along a slit in his throat. after a briefly attempted ruse about having the ransom, the group unleashes their pent up fury.
During the scuffle Benedetto sends his men away, taking many of the hostages with them in the carriage. This is when the real devious actions occured. this left one of the hostages swinging by their neck. the other skeleman on the beam lassoed the shepard (Anghar’s) Pachycephalosaurus mount as well. The clock was ticking quickly, and some real important decisions had to be made. Hardorlim used his hammer in conjunction with some well placed time magic from the group’s fortune teller Jourdemayne, allowed the Blacksmith to destroy his target. not the ropes around the necks of the victims, or even the skelemen themselves… but the support beam, loosening the tension and allowing for sparing the dinosaur’s life.
At this point, things got a little crazy, The farmer used one of his magic seeds to entangle Benedetto, and the party completely smashed him to bits. The scramble to save the hanged prisoner began, and Rondo threw a bottle of firewater onto the skelemen. one was completely enveloped in flames and transformed into a burned man. Then, the other Hanged Skeleman lassoed Anghar, nearly choking him to death, but some more well timed magic (pun intended) allowed for the splitting of the rope right in the nick of time. With the Skelemen defeated, the final frame of the comic book the newly appointed heroes catch their breath as their eyes rolled on down the road, the skeletal horse carriage taking the prisoners to the old abandoned prison at the top of a hill. This is where we will continue next time on The Nobility of the Rope!!!
If you are interested in trying this game out for yourselves, feel free to let me know. i would be happy to run this adventure for more of you lumpy heads if there is enough interest.