Log

[Rem-13]

Adventure 0: Prequel; Ants in a Wizard's Pants.

Its started out as a mundane mission: dig up some survivors. After body parts started to show up in the rubble things went down hill... literally.

-Gear + Hexx Collapsed into tunnel system
-Wandered and fought small dog-sized insects
-Found Shinno
-Found Talyn
-Puzzled over a strange voice in head
- Battled with a Warrior breed of the ant-like people. Pony sized and centure like blend of ant and man.
-Found a Taskmaster breed, that spoke in your mind. Took survivors of the collapse and enslaved them mentally. Enslaved most of the party.
-Sionaas arrived and freed them, then collapsed from exhaustion.
-Party battled Taskmaster and won
-Interrogated Sionaas, but he would have none of it
-Returned farmers to home

Important Characters met:



Sionaas An old and as far as you could tell powerful wizard. Contracted your help to dig up survivors of a collapsed wall for his mage tower, under special favors owed to him by the Red Company. Apparently he saved Pheare Rubai many years ago, before she was even leader.

- Prone to bouts of exhaustion after magic use.
- Absent minded, constantly muttering
- Seemed to care about the villagers and farmers of Poissan.
- Rude, abrasive
- Sense motive checks reviled equal measures of annoyance and worry, in addition to some degree of secrecy.

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Clarification:

Remember that any info here was gathered by you, nothing new is placed. If you think it is, you missed it.

This means if you gather false info what is posted here is false. Also not all important info is necessarily posted here, nor is all info necessarily important. This is merely an Aid, mainly for those who miss a few sessions, it cannot be a crutch.

I will update this after each 'adventure'(mission/job/encounter/whatever), or if there is no clearcut end, when I feel appropriate.

[Rem-13]

Adventure 1: Debt Collector

The group was told of two men guilty of owing large sums of money to Bar's General Store. They either had to get the money or the items back.



Deri was first on their list, a 17 year old boy who had failed to pay for a suit of armor. Not risking a beating the party beat down the front and back doors, taking the home by storm. The standoff ended without bloodshed thanks to, or maybe in spite of, their aggressive tactics. He was quickly tackled and made to cooperate. He didn't have the money so he handed it over, apparently he was going to give it back anyways after he "dealt" with some thugs that were harassing his kid sister. Regardless the company took his armor and left. Their fate is unknown.

Gaff was up next for the shake down. This time they decided to knock first. ironically it was this time they were surrounded by three hired thugs. In the middle of the struggle an half-elvish archer began sniping from he roof with twin hand held crossbows.


Talyn would have none of this. With his superior agility he hopped the fence and began climbing to the roof the quick way, while the more direct Havoc smashed his way in via the front door.

During all this snippets of conversation were overheard, revealing that this demielf and his yet unseen partner 'Rex' were hired by Gaff, and the thugs below were not approved of on their ends. Rex was told to ready a spell for when the Company made it to the roof. Talyn was first thanks to his acrobatics.



Rex veiled the entire roof in an obscuring mist. The fog confused things enough that when all things were settled Gaff was in Company hands and the two mercenaries were gone. Gaff claims to have had the money, and only wanted to make a profit by buying the horse and leaving town, because he was going to do so anyways. The mercenaries, Azure Blades, where for protection on the road to Dost, currently in Anvil hands. He eargerly payed the money and made to leave Federation territory.

All was solved and the Company received their meager payment, with promise of larger sums to come.

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Intermission 1, part 1: To Travensburg!

Their first true mission complete the band has set their sites on some more lucrative missions. There was some debate on whether or not to take the less risky mission in Travensburg or the almost C Rank mission in Lavender Grove. In the end they decided to head to the 'burg and decide on the way, as the 'Rusty Rooster' in that town was a company establishment and would reward the same as the Rose.

Red Rose D rank missions

100 GP(per member) Food shortage is almost unheard of anywhere in the agriculturally heavy Federation. Travensburg is the exception to the rule. They get by on the nearby southern farms, but they are close to the Gukor Wood, and the tree patched land they inhabit isn't as suited to farming. Supply lines have been interrupted, three shipments have gone missing so far. Head off the latest wagon, and make sure it gets to town, while preventing any further disappearances.

250 gp(per member) Not much is known. People and animals have been going missing, and if anything is left over its bloody. The entirety of the village's gold is going out to the removal of the unknown threat.

Another decision is quickly squabbled over, the safety of the road or the speed of the countryside. Speed is eventually chosen. On their way they encountered an Ogre exiting a farm house. Opting not to strike immediately they questioned the Giant, and discovered he killed the family there for farming on his mushroom picking lands. He was let go, the reasoning being he was justified in his own mind, and in thanks he handed them a pillaged ceremonial battleaxe, gilded and engraved with elvish writing. The party explained to him why he was wrong, and put faith in the fact he would show more discretion in his killing.

Writing Revealed:
I hunt for the golden stag.
You may smile, my friends, but I
pursue the vision that eludes me.
I run across hills and dales, I wander
through nameless lands, because I am
hunting for the golden stag.

The party continued until sunset and then began to set up camp. Relaxation was short, as a 200 pound Dire Bat that hunted in that area heard them. Talyn and Gear leaped at the winged beast, the latter dragging him to the ground. The bat's advantage gone they made quick work of it and prepared for a peaceful sleep. Tomorrow they planned to reach Travensburg by mid afternoon.

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Intermission 1, pt. 2: To Travensburg!



The first highlight of the final stretch to Travensburg was the meeting with a group of eight hobgoblins. Like with the Ogre past diplomacy was chosen first. The leader seemed more concerned with his men's lives than with killing humans, though others in his party obviously disagreed. Apparently Gukor Wood had become too dangerous for them, several of their warriors going missing. Hexx overheard one mutter something about "Ghouls" in goblin. Whether this band was one of many or a rouge group was not discovered. These ones either way seemed to be interested in heading to Rookfield, the very town the party had left, and going mercenary. They left on neutral terms, the hobgoblins not fully trusting the Mercs and likewise.

Travensburg!

Thier stay was brief. The town seemed to have hired Dhurnese Gnomes to construct a wall around the town, a first for the peaceful country folk. The party met up with Rimidool at the Inn, who found using his illusionary tricks on them very amusing.



The Mercenaries received information on their next mission in Lavender Grove, including caution and a clay bottle of holywater each. The last was given up when Hexx mentioned Ghouls. It seemed to set the keep off kilter a bit, but for the better. Aware that this mission could very well kill them or set them apart from the rest of the 'D' mercs they set off. Rimidool, always looking for adventure, joined up.

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Intermission 2 pt. 1, Gukor Road



It wasn't long into the hilly countryside when somethign odd was noticed. No farms. This was a deep contrast to the south in which they came from. Instead it was all hills and tall grass. From the grass came the arrows of Orc Brigands, hoping for an easy haul. No such haul was given up. The party did battle fiercely, Illusions and gallant charges up the hill breaking the orc moral. Unfortunately the cleverly hidden Ogre behind them was not so easily routed. The Ogre's club had broken the summoned bodies of two celestial creatures before succumbing to the mighty assault all around him. His distrust of magic did him in, despite the anomaly of him bringing a shaman with his raiding party. Bodies were duly pillaged, from the gold in their pockets to the chains of jewelry around the orc shaman's neck. Diplomacy wasn't even an option in this battle, but besides some nasty wounds dealt to Talyn they made out just as well.

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Intermission 2 pt. 2



Reaching the Wood itself was only part of the trouble. The forest was large, and the town almost a quarter in. It was a long way with undead among the trees. They found a dead cleric, clearly mauled by a ghoul or more, and collected some potions from him. After a proper burial they moved on, with Shinno stopping for a one sided chat with a fleet of Crows in a tree. A river was soon found with no way across but a small two seater boat. Ignoring the oddity of such an inconvenient way to a town they ferry over two by two plus gear, killing a water ghoul rather quickly that tried to feed on the separated group. The Lacedon behind them the troupe marched on with sunlight dwindling. Then they found an odd house, proportioned like a common two story, but nearly twice as large. It turned out a half-Fire Giant resided there and through his hospitality they were afforded a place to stay the night.



It turned out the scholarly giant was actively, and conveniently, investigating the Ghoul infestation himself, and imparted what knowledge he had onto them. His info and deductions were:

-The infestation is unlikely to be from Ghoul Fever alone, with the numbers growing faster than the incubation period.

-Their influence was mainly northward of the town but is slowly spreading south

-The hobgoblins were hit as hard or harder than the humans and began evacuating their ancient homes in the north Wood.

A map of the attack sites were found in his notebook, with the concentration of the attacks being mainly in the northeastern quarter. Apon learning of the lacedon they faced earlier he set out to collect the body, saying he never studied one before. During his absence no less than four ghouls attacked and where fought off, and when he returned the demi-giant claimed he killed five himself and never found the body of the water ghoul. Morning came and he gave them his blessing. The townspeople didn't trust him anymore, not since this outbreak and his wife had died from the Red Death epidemic months past. Knowing they were in a better position he gave them a heath potion (Cure Moderate Wounds) and wished them luck. Suspicions still lingered in the group, particularly with Gear, due to his fascination with the ghouls and his literature on mummification. They departed on good terms nonetheless.

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A Ghoulish Grove pt. 1

Lavender Grove proved to be a lively yet altogether depressing town. There was some astonishment as to the fact that they even made it to their settlement, which had been without outside contact for months. They were pointed straight the the "adventurer's shop" Arms and Armor where the dual mayor and blacksmith Girkin Rothfell, the Red Company's contractor for this mission.



Rothfell thanked them vigorously for coming and set informed them of the situation which the company were already aware. He could offer little in the way of information but did put out a vote of confidence for the Half-Giant, whom he called Grad. What he did tell them is when it all started. The first victim clearly not a death of the Red Death was a enigma of a man called Denjin. The blasphemous drunk, not well liked, exhibited no suspicious behavior he could tell. They burned his hut as a precaution, same as each death after the ghoul outbreak, dampening any hopes to find evidence at his residence.

Not to be discouraged the group split into two. Shaggy and scooby, I mean, Gear and Rimidool went to where Denjins hut used to be, while the others went to the northeastern section the most attacked section. The Gnome and Construct found a medallion in the form of a small iron tortoise shell with a magical aura among the ash, but nothing else. Shinno, Roga, and the others questioned the 'Ghoul Guard', which were in reality two young teens.

Jeff and Scott mentioned at length how they had scared off a ghoul earlier, (to the derision of shinno) and the fact that one's father was sure it was the Giant, and the ones mother was sure it was the witch in the north.

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A Ghoulish Grove pt. 2

Shinno and Hexx discovered a father hiding his daughter to prevent her from being lynched and his home destroyed. He learned this is the norm for anyone with the Ghoul Fever, which she had. Shinno promised to help, and remembering the potions obtained from the dead cleric they found earlier, he headed to the mayors shop. It was there they discovered that the lady in the north would be able to identify their potions, but he could not, because all of his potion supplies and abilities were diminished without the local Cleric (once a good friend but fallen to ghouls) to mix and identify them for him. Gear joined Hexx and Shinno on their trek north. Rimidool stayed behind, preparing magic to identify the items he uncovered.

The road there was not overly long, only a half an hour's march, but it was in the most ghoul infested area of the forest. It was no surprise when four ghouls showed up and had to be dealt with.



They found the lady's hut and knocked on the door. A young woman who called herself Era answered. She invited them inside where talked over the potions and other more mundane things. She identified the potions as one Remove Disease and two Cure Moderate Wounds. Shinno, over come by some odd sense of duty took it apon himself to head back alone, despite his friends protests. As aid Era sent him off with a few special berries, which were good more minor healing.



Hexx and Gear enjoyed her hospitality while Shinno went alone ready for the inevitable fight. It came in the form of two more ghouls. After a difficult struggle and many wounds he prevailed, moving forward to save the girl.

Meanwhile Rimidool and Roga were doing things of thier own. Rimi was finishing up his identifications just as the warrior made it to a tavern, and attempted to recruit a network of information gatherers. There reluctance to help was disheartening, but it stemmed from an intangible fear from putting your nose to far into trouble. Indeed even as Roga made a riling speech some one showed at the bar to demonstrate the origin of their fears. A girl was bit, and a mob to burn her alive was forming. Rather than face the sensible, but hard to listen to truth of Roga's words most hurried to join in. Everyone accept a man to drunk to care and a sympathetic, yet gruff, bartender named Grate.



Grate incriminalized Rothfell as the source of the towns woes. Rothfell, in his opinion, is orchestrating the the threat of ghouls as a grab for power. Roga is skeptical but tales of people who research the ghouls getting attacked, Rothfell's cleric friend Gaius was among the earliest, and incidentally the most successful in combating the ghouls and the one to push for the hiring of mercenaries, with many others following. Seemingly convinced, Roga handed the ranger turned barman an axe and took off to deal with the mayor.

Meanwhile Rimidool had taken tot he streets, and made his way to the mob of people ready to lynch Gerald's daughter. Girkin Rothfell was at the forefront, riling the mob and shouting out the father. Rimi's persuasiveness and even magic charms failed him. Thankfully Shinno arrived to stall the fiery onslaught. He refused to lower his hood or cloak, fearing his wounds would incriminate himself, but argued with mayor extensively. The mayor said would not let the fate of his town in the hands of a suspicious character and intended to get his way. He was close to it too, until another interruption. Roga and Grate charged up the road. The warrior took a far more aggressive stance, letting his sword accent his talking points. While the confrontation between the fed up Rothfell and near murderous Roga escalated Rimidool hatched a plan. Under cover of chaos they slipped into the house unnoticed. Shinno gave the girl the potion and consoled the father, leading them out a back way and planning to make for the friendly Giant's abode, while the wily gnome weaved illusions to fool Rothfell. Posing as Gerald himself, he exited, acknowledged his 'families' destruction and faded into the crowd, giving the mayor all the excuses he needed to burn the building down.

In the north Gear and Hexx were enjoying come sandwiches. Well, Hexx was enjoying them, Gear was agonizing over letting Shinno go on his own. He wandered outside, contemplating going after him, while Hexx looked around the house for Era. The boy wizard was upstairs seeing the rows of beds in her guest room when he heard gears shouts. There was trouble.



Hobgoblinoid Ghouls, brutish and stronger than the human variety, and complete with old armor and weapons had flanked Gear. Through quick thinking and a bit of luck they prevailed, though not unscathed.

[Rem-13]

Because I had written up this nice juicy log and it all got baleeted in my bitterness I'm doing a point by point rundown.

- Shinno took Gerald and his Daughter to the Giants, and killed many ghouls getting there. The Giant offered to protect them, voiced his suspicions that the Red Company was being hunted specifically by the ghouls, and teleported Shinno to Era's house.

- Roga and Rimi did a good deal of talking and headed to Eras to reform the group.

- They all arrived at the same time and entered to investigate the house with Geat and Hexx.

- They discovered a magically protected hatch leading somewhere. Rimi figured out a way to open it.

- One through it they found Era controlling the Ghouls though a magical machine and her son Denjin, a half-ghoul half-human fiend at this point, amongs a pile of blood and bones.



-While a prisoner sans his legs and eyes whimpered in the corner they did battle, and the company slew the pair while Gear rushed back to town to aid the villagers.



-Rimi and Roga went further down and found a pristine looking ritual room, with a pool of blood, a archway with a corpse hanging form it, and a monolith with a green fire burning at the top.

Curious/Unique/Magical items found so far (entire campaign)

- Gilded Axe
- Staff of Knowledge
- Tortoise Shell Buckle
- Marine Life themed Dagger and Longsword
- Glass Eye
- Glass Rod

[Blue]

You forgot the belt buckle.

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I remembered it in the first draft! D=<