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DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Exploring Ludmerea Session 6

[3/6] PCs: Bastra, Jenna, Lucas, Oren, Stone

We picked up in the immediate aftermath of the fight with the shadows. In the small cellar, they were confronted with two (obvious) doors – one large brass door with faces and symbols, magically locked. The other wood door was to a small bedroom, abandoned ages ago – with a skeleton still in the remnants of a mattress in a crumbling bed, a small table, and a bookcase.

Ironically, the first trio that headed into the bedroom was Jenna, Oren, and Stone; the bookshelf mostly interested them for the small brass chest on the shelf. After a careful look, Jenna managed to work the chest open and found a few old gold coins and a vial still containing liquid.

In the center room, Bastra & Lucas puzzled at the door and the waxed ball in the “mouth” of the door. They worked the bronze ball free and examined the four slots, debating whether they should try placing the ball at random. They were interrupted, however, by Oren calling out from the bedroom that they had found books, catching Lucas’s attention.

Many of the books showed signs of damage and neglect – mold along the edges, a few fully crumbling. Of the best remaining, one was quickly identified as the spellbook of a Goblin Enchantress, the second was a popular (but centuries old) treatise on business and partnerships, while the third was a journal.

Lucas decided to take the spellbook up to daylight for easier reading. Calling for guidance, Oren thumbed through the journal and stopped “randomly” on a page with cryptic words… that the PCs quickly put together as corresponding to the brass door puzzle.

Lucas was called, but stayed up in the sun, reading. As he read the enchantress’s spells, he wished for a victim to try them out on… but the remote wilderness and lack of traffic (along the road to the buried town) denied him the opportunity.

Beyond the brass door was a larger chamber with a green summoning circle in the center of the room, a few shreds of old robes hanging from hooks, and against the wall items in niches. Detect magic quickly identified the symbol on the floor as conjuration, linked to the door by an abjuration. Near the symbol was a corpse, apparently unmarred (though also quite old).

A few scrolls, some coins, and a cold enchanted javelin were fetched out of the niches. Then everyone exited and “don’t enter” signs were posted on the door, in hopes of preventing accidental summoning of whatever the symbol conjured.

Opposite the brass door, the PCs noticed that many mud tracks approached a blank wall. They investigated and found a tunnel heading left and right. Left turned 90 degrees after 40′, and trended up towards faint daylight. Right meandered into the distance; Bastra felt far more comfortable suggesting they follow the slight descent into earth. About 300′ later, the tunnel ended in a cavern that was flooded a few inches deep with water, and dripping water sound from the far wall. The pool was empty other than tiny finger length fish; after a pause, they decided to backtrack and try the route to the surface.

They emerged from the hollow of a tree, bursting loudly out. The sound drew small bush-like creatures to repel the invaders; after a brief battle, the vegepygmies were defeated.

[Session end]

The Heroes:
Bastra, a Drow sorcerer from another plane
Jenna, a Tibaxi psychic rogue from the feywild
Lucas, a Mikpos wizard from cosmopolitan Cratais
Oren, a Druid from the local wilderness
Stone, a Dragonborn paladin

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DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Exploring Ludmerea Session 5

[2/28] PCs: Bastra, Jenna, Lucas, Oren, Stone

The PCs began at the ruins of an old complex of three buildings, a few hours after sunset. An investigation and analysis identified the buildings as a likely inn, stable, and perhaps a small chapel. Oren began a ritual detect magic, while the others scattered to investigate the site.

Around 10 minutes later, Oren neared completion of the ritual, while Lucas and Stone were investigating the foundations of the small chapel building. Careful investigation revealed a hidden trapdoor and counterweight, leading to some kind of concealed basement below.

There was some testing and analysis from the rim; Jenna and Stone dropped into the pit, with the idea that Jenna would jam the mechanism open from the counterweight below. Before they could place the brace, they were swiftly attacked by hungry unliving shadows that flowed into the room! Stone’s armor and training evaded most of the deadly cold shadow touches, but Jenna was less successful in dodging the deadly claws.

Stone scooped up Jenna and leapt up through the trapdoor, clearing enough to catch the rim, with Jenna rolling to safety nearby. The counterweight began closing the trapdoor, though screeching and slowed by rust.

A pair of shadows slipped into the abruptly lit night above (thanks to dancing lights by Lucas), and a swiftly lit torch added both light and its own flickering shadows. After a brief fight, the shadows were slain. The heroes decided to lick their wounds and sleep, setting watches and building a bright fire.

At the end of the second watch, Bastra and Stone heard a disturbance in the bushes, waking Jenna (who was next with the dawn watch). Bastra’s keen eyes picked out the bodies of plant-like people; Jenna threw a lit branch into the nearby non-animate winter-dry scrub. It lit, and the two short bush creatures retreated from the sudden flame toward the road, then circled east into the forest. Jenna’s watch proved quiet, during which she crafted a quick ladder from a pair of ropes and sticks.

Everyone rose near dawn to contemplate the hidden chamber under the trapdoor. Dancing lights were sent ahead and weapons were unsheathed as they descended again. The shadows pounced, apparently unable to resist the warm lifeblood that intruded; the Shadows were swiftly destroyed, though they landed a few strength sapping hits before the hero attacks and magics shredded the remaining shadows. The next chamber, through the rotten door was revealed, but we ended before the scouting continued.

[Session End]

The Heroes:

Bastra, a drow sorcerer from another plane

Jenna, a tibaxi psychic rogue from the feywild

Lucas, a Mikpos wizard from Cosmopolitan Cratais

Oren, a druid from the local wilderness

Stone, a dragonborn paladin

Categories
DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Session 4

[2/21] PCs: Bastra, Lucas, Oren

This session, Oren, a gnome druid, wanders out of the wilderness, visiting Fort Augustaberg.

Relaxing after the eventful journey, Bastra and Lucas ate, drank and discussed local events at Fort Augustaberg, soon joined by Oren. Details were shared about the fatal storm, the shattering of Cathedral Nijmegan’s grand overlook, and its fatal tumble down the mountain, great boulders cracking off and triggering avalanches, all of which crushed and buried Base Town at the foot of the mountain.

Associate Bishop Sture and Captain Marjan spent hours discussing logistics in the dining hall, occasionally getting reports and calculations from the quartermaster and other experts left in the fort.

The PCs asked about local threats, and the Captain discussed the three main threats that the fort was established to shielded base town and its associated farms. The first was the already familiar goblin raiders, but the other frequent threats included a large Lizardperson tribe of perhaps four dozen, living in a stilted village above the swamps near the lake, perhaps 10 to 20 miles northwest, and Hyena People raiders [Gnolls] that roam the plains to the southwest.

Other discussion and listening to the dining soldiers confirmed that the fort was on short watches and limited patrols, since half of the fort was involved in the excavation of Base Town. Lucas, visions of guilder glittering in his eyes, investigated a few potential lines of investment – introducing consistent resupply (or playing the market) for the fort, a PC expedition to wipe out the Lizard People encampment along the lakefront to the northwest for a reward, or investigating Base Town and making a good profit from salvage in the wake of tragedy.

The PCs had the Captain dip into the good stash of spirits to celebrate the relief mission, secretly in hopes of getting the Bishop to share more. Oren was able to resist the liquor’s effects, but Bastra, Lucas, and the Bishop- perhaps due to exhaustion from the day’s long march- weren’t able to steer the conversation into fresh territory. The balance of concerns seemed to be well established – with Base Town smashed, the fort might be too expensive to maintain as it stood before the tragedy.

(As an aside, it became clear that Lucas is not a devotee of Light; he worries that they are a large, dangerous cult. As Fort Augustaberg is maintained by Cathedral Nijmegan (of the Light), future detailed discussions with Bishop Sten might be best avoided.)

With so many soldiers absent at the Base Town rescue excavations, the PCs were pointed at vacant bunks and encouraged to sleep.

The next morning the PCs discussed their options, and decided to investigate the Base Town disaster. A graveled road ran to the east, serving the frequent supply wagons from Base Town. Despite a late start, the PCs made good time on the nicely maintained road. In mid-afternoon, perhaps a half-dozen miles west of Base Town, the PCs spotted a very large group of Lizard People along the lake front to the north also heading east. It looked like a whole village – elders and children, screened by a scouting force to the south that engaged the PCs.

With powerful spells, a dire wolf shaped Oren, and far superior equipment, three of the five Lizardmen fell in just seconds of combat. To the great surprise of Bastra, Lucas spared the last pair and initiated discussion. The Lizard People told their tale of disaster in poor and broken common – the previous day, their settlement was struck from the sky by a great acid spewing dragon, Varothrek — a terrible betrayal. Many of the stilted huts slumped into the water, chewed by acid or smashed by the Dragon’s powerful tail. Ejected by their former ally, they fled east along the lake front, seeking to resettle.

With that clarification, the PCs allowed the remaining Lizard People to flee. After brief consultation, the PCs decided that they had to return to Fort Augustaberg to warn them about the new threat. They headed back along the road, and kept marching in the twilight. As true darkness fell, Bastra’s keen night vision caught sight of orderly foundations, perhaps of the ruins of an inn to the south of the trail. Intrigued, the PCs left the trail to investigate the ruin…

[Session end]

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Books

Recent Reads

Recent reads for early February.

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DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Sessions 2 and 3

[2/7 and 2/14]

Session 2 added a pair of characters for the evening; a wizard Alastair and a half-orc fighter, Thakk. We were also minus Jenna.

The day began with the 5 PCs transitioning from watch to making breakfast and getting the caravan ready for the day. As agreed, Dory’s group would path find today… and it didn’t go so well.

The PCs guarded the caravan and subtly investigated the bishop’s unspoken concerns, identifying the mule laden with pay and other cues, amongst their duties to keep an eye out for ambush. Just before noon, a dozen goblins ambushed Dory’s scouts a few hundred feet ahead of the caravan. Abilo was killed in the first volley, but the PCs immediately raced to the rescue, quickly turning the tide. Several goblins were ensorcelled into sleep, and the others slain during their retreat.

The PCs threatened and asked the goblins why they ambushed them; the goblins claimed the territory was theirs. In the end the goblins agreed that the caravan was too deadly and they wouldn’t mess with it again, and they’d pass the warning on to their people. The PCs sent them home.

In the afternoon, Thorum joined Dory’s group in searching out trails, but had difficulty navigating. While he was out front, the remaining PCs guarded the backtrail. In late afternoon, a couple of PCs heard a humanoid slip behind them; they hid just behind a ridge of a hill and kept an eye out for pursuit. Which came in the form of bandits!

The bandits were strung out very widely; a few were killed and the rest fled.

[Session 2 end / begin Session 3] PCs: back to 4 – Jenna, Bastra, Lucas, Thorum

After the skirmish, Jenna and Thorum went ahead and sought a defensible dry campsite, as it had begun raining. They found a great location along an undercut hillside, which provided cover from the rain.

After dinner, they settled in for the night. The PCs split watches, with Thorum settling deep into meditation. A large group of bandits struck in the night, though the keen vision of Bastra had the PCs in motion while the bandits were still strung out and crossing the stream.

The battle was hard fought; the bandits successfully killed one of the donkeys and wounded a few others. Over the course of the fight Dory was badly clobbered, and Thorum took some blows that had him wobbling, but the caravan managed not to lose any people and only the one donkey.

Bastra incapacitated one of the bandits with a hyponotic effect. Under interrogation, thought detecting and threats led the caravan to understand that the whole bandit fighting gang had fallen; a few dependents had been left a few hours west to convalesce from sicknesses.

In the twilight of false dawn, Bishop Sten got everyone up and told them that if they pushed, they should reach the fort by nightfall. The PCs led the way, making their way down to the River Grevelingen, and making good time through the afternoon. In later afternoon they spotted Fort Augustaberg ahead, and verified that it was still in friendly hands. Then they doubled back and led the caravan to the gates, where the Bishop was recognized and the caravan welcomed inside.

Captain Marjan thanked them, and the supplies were promptly taken for inventory. The Bishop paid each of the escorts the agreed on 10 guilders per day, plus a 10 guilder bonus for successfully escorting them with so little loss against such danger. (So each PC was paid 40 guider.)

Several items were rapidly revealed. The nature of the devastating disaster that befell Base Town (and will make supplying the fort much more complicated going forward) — the shearing of Nalatan Hall (of Mount Nijmegan), the hall plummeting a mile down the mountain and crushing Base Town, then burying it under triggered avalanches. Half of the fort’s population is on site (at Base Town) digging for survivors.

[End Session 3]

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DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Session 1 [01/31]

Session 1 [01/31] PCs: Jenna, Bastra, Lucas, Thorum

  • Jenna sells handcrafted wreaths and necklaces, and has become friends with the widow Dona Amerlias.

  • Bastra paints and works on developing a patron; the town is neutral toward him.

  • Lucas arrives to teach wizardry, but finds the village is small and education level is not what he’s used to. No students are ready to pay him to study yet.

  • Thorum has been working as a wilderness escort and developing a reputation as a hard worker. Many of his clients were once Nerik’s – while Nerik is currently under deep suspicion after his charges died in a goblin ambush.

03.12: Sten Sture, associate bishop of Cathedral Nemijen arrives in the early afternoon, with two dozen donkeys and two animal handlers, Rooiakker and Mieke.

Sten discusses disaster with quartermaster, posts up notifications for assistance at a rate of 10 guider per day as escorts for the caravan in the wildlands. Rooiakker and Mieke handle sign ups for PCs + Dory’s group of Muhner (Dory, Luiz, Abilo, and Juliana). Meanwhile, Sten buys up every supply in town, paying above market, and has them loaded on his donkey train.

03.13 Caravan sets off for Fort Augustaberg. Escorts divided in two; PCs scout ahead for the best path guided by Jenna’s map of the region. Dory’s group is close guard for the caravan; tomorrow they’ll switch.
After a full day, filled with fording icy streams and tamping down the last snow clinging from the 03.07 storm, Thorum and Jenna lead the laden caravan to an excellent campsite about 15 miles west and 18 north of Redewall.

Dory’s group takes first watch; near watch turnover lean wolves rush the campsite making for the hobbled donkeys. Basta and Thorum shake off their meditation and rouse the PCs; several arrows, psychic morningstar, and flame bolts scorch the wolves; one dies to a dagger thrust at the base of the tree guarded by Lucas, with Jenna poised above.

(Session end.)

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Books

Recent Reads

December and January

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Books

Alien Echoes and Neuromancer

Alien Echoes by Mira Grant was an interesting take on the alien universe. The first half of the book was an excellent and gritty story about the struggles of colonies, with fascinating extrapolated biological issues.

When the aliens come crashing down, it’s clear that they’re trouble of a wildly different scope — too perfect to be accidental. Olivia offers fascinating viewpoints — she explains what’s expected and what’s really unusual (from an amateur Xenobiologist’s POV), which proves to be a fascinating breakdown of plausibility for the various alien traits.

Neuromancer by William Gibson is a classic; I think I’ve read other Gibson novels, but this was unfamiliar enough that I think it’s a first encounter. Case is our sole POV, but his interactions with Armitage and Molly, and the interestingly textured characters that they run into at each stop, really lend the gritty feel of a complex world that’s ground on with interlocked histories, at national and personal levels.

It gets very ambitious, with a lot of travel to different interesting places, including orbit by the end.

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Books

Recent Books 11/19

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh was excellent, and very subtle in a few ways. Our POV character, Kyr, is a young woman from a defeated humanity, raised to gain glory for her fallen people. The society that’s she’s raised in has added some blinders – as has Kyr’s self image. As the book continues, and the way the universe expands, Kyr finds herself reevaluating what she has always known… it’s a rough road.

The book features quite alien societies – definitely more than humans in funny suits – and weird universe changing technologies that are hard to understand for everyone. There’s interesting simulations and temporal variations… Kyr doesn’t get a smooth path, but it’s a fascinating read, and the Kyr who emerges is so different but still grounded in the girl we first encountered.

Spear by Nicola Griffith is a powerfully Welsh retelling around the edges of the round table. Celtic myth and gods patrol the edges, but it’s a very human scale. Some of it was familiar, or familiar at a slant from Hawk of May, but Peretur comes from a very different, not nobly raised background that renders the political largely invisible to her.

The world isn’t particularly rough or cruel, though it’s a lot closer to the bone, and the nobility’s share is a sizable bite. The story as a whole feels very concise – it doesn’t mess about with multiple viewpoints, or try to handle multiple big events. It’s not the end of Caer Leon – it still feels like summer, and Medraut isn’t in the picture yet. This tale comes to a firm ending about Pereteur’s storyline – if not that of the companions that Peretur is joining.

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Books

Recent Reads

(As of 9/21/2023)

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. Set in the world of today, it’s mostly an excellent story; the primary POV was Katrina Nguyen, a young violin prodigy on the run. She’s very much a modern youth, who interacts oddly with Shizuka Satomi, a violin teacher with a dark past. In parallel, Lan Tran, a starship captain in disguise runs a donut shop. I had to push past the “you’re putting peanut butter in my chocolate” for the melding of modern, fantasy, and space opera; fortunately, the strong characters keep you riveted and moving through.

The River Road by Karen Osborn. Another book set in the world of today, without any fantasy to relieve it. It’s mostly about how two families deal (and fail to deal) with tragedy. There’s a lot of confused memory, glorious flashbacks and unbridled youth. It’s a very nicely textured deep look at a rural near town friendship, and the slices we each see of each other.

Crip Up the Kitchen is a book filled with excellent advice about how to work around disabilities and conserve spoons, with careful and detailed explanations for the various tools and their uses. The recipes are similarly carefully detailed and thoroughly explained — even new cooks, and cooks exploring new tools are setup for success. The stories of adaptation and perseverance are excellent and inspiring; the gatekeeping lectures preceding each recipe that the author has a personal cultural connection to were wearying and repetitious.

Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018, N. K. Jemsin Editor. A very broad mix of short stories, most relatively short and well crafted. I’d come across a few stories in other collections, and they run the gamut from quite familiar to entirely unique. Not every story was a great match for my taste – but the majority were, and craft was evident in them all.