Sunday game from 11/15/15 (Discovering the Village of Holbek)

The party spent some time putting down roots this game.

The part floated with their recovered boiler down river. The swift current moving them some 12 miles from the ruins.

They finally put to shore when a local farmer offered to help them. The farmer named Klinen told the party he and his son had been watching the river as recently all sorts of interesting things had been carried past their small village.
He even took the time to point out two dead skaven laying on the beach that had apparently drowned and washed up the day before.

The part was taken to a small village known as Holbek.
holbek is a simple village made of of five farms living communally around a village square.
The square contains a small general store, a town common building, a temple to the earth goddess Geb, and  a few small barns. The five farms are each located on the outskirts of this village square with the river nearby to the west.

While moving around the town the party  noticed a large retaining wall and some old foundations just uphill from the  beach. Even though Johann is learned in history, he could not think of any forts historically  placed at this sight. Though he did know that the area was once the edge of the Alerian Empire and  small frontier forts were often built  to keep watch over local river traffic.
 When asked about the ruin there appeared to be a degree of superstition about the ruins. The farmer Klinen explained to them that the farmers of the village mostly stay away from them, and sometimes on the  days of the solstice even see strange lights near them. The people of the farming village had never attempted any interaction withe the ruins beyond harvesting stones from the top of the ruin for use in the foundations  of their barns and homes. (there is plenty of loose stone laying around from the  old structure at the ruin sight. The  village children play on top of the ruin all of the time but are strictly forbidden from playing on the  retaing wall section.

The party were offered, beds and a warm bath for the nigh by Klinen.

After a bit of discussion the party decided that moving the boiler back to traders Leap would be a bad idea, what with the angry skaven and assassins and all.
They ask Klinen about  purchasing the land near the ruins here in Holbek. He assures them that it's possible but not his decision. Klinen fetches the village's elder a man named Keler. Keller a priest of Geb and seemingly a respected voice in the community  told the group that as a commune they would have to pull all of the farmers together  before any decision could be made.
In the man time the Master checked out the local farm techniques looking for ways to improve the villages yield
Willhelm worked the whole night sharpening and mending the  towns various farm implements because as a dwarf he thought the tools were in terrible disrepair.

The next day they did exactly that.
The leaders of the  five farm families gathered in the village hall and had a moot concerning the  land near the ruins and the possibly of the party using it.

In attendance:
Klinen: The first farmer the party met. He lives with his wife Marta, his 9 year old son Ulgar and his 19 Year old Daughter Brylrn. He seems well meaning enough. He keeps his mind on his wheat crops and the security of his family.
(you have met his family)

Caldwell: A smaller balding man lives on he east most farm ins a very modest farm house. His wife and his  sister live with him. He seem to be most interested in what skills the party bring to the village.
(Married)
(three grown children)

Allarnd: A tall sturdy woman with a serious demeanor, her questions were measured and directed. She seemed mostly concerned with what the party planned on doing in the village and how it might effect her and the rest of the farmers.
(mid 30's)
(widow)

Narin Holbek: A young man and descendant of the towns founder. Narin wanted to know if the  party could help get the villages produce to market more efficiently. He did not seem concerned about any danger this band of wandering vagabonds might pose.
(married)
(infant daughter)

Oakly Klien: a large obese man who was already drinking early in the morning, he was quick to decide that he wanted nothing to do with the  party or the decision for the other farmers. He left the meeting early, making it clear he was not concerned one way or the other.
(Single are unknown, he could  be 30 to 60 hard to tell)


Keller: the village elder and  priest, he oversaw the meeting.
(Single mid 60's)

After a long session of questions and each  character stating a case, including the master promising help with crops, Guthar offering the blessings of Thodin, and Willhelm throwing a sharpened plow sheer on the table and telling all of them that, "they had been neglecting their tools and he fixed em already."
In the end it came down to Johann making an expert plea to the farmers reason and  divulging their plan to create a trading post where they woudl use their boiler to  build a very fine boat with which they could deliver the villages produce much more quickly and in greater volume than the villagers could currently.
In the end the villagers decided to allow the  usage of the ruins and the and around them in return for the promise of transport for their products and a portion of anything they pull out of the  hereto for unexplored ruins.

The end results:
Keller: In favor of the party because they can help the town with their skills.
Klinen: In favor of the party for financial reasons (better transport of his wheat in the future.)
Caldwell: In favor of the party
Allarned: against the party she is afraid meddling with the ruins will be no good an that they will bring undue attention to the village.
Narin: remains skeptical but is in favor of the produce transport agreement.
Oakly Klien: Unconcerned.

The party gets its land.

The party immediately goes to explore the ruins.
It dose not take long form them to discover air shaft and a buried entrance.
The  retaining wall after some cleaning the retaining wall revealed it's self to be made with a type of blue granite. Willhelm recognized the stone as not being local, but not exactly special either. It simply told him some one took some trouble to build these old walls. He also recognized the stone work as human, adequate but not up to his dwarven standards.

Once inside the ruin the party quickly realizes they are in the  basement and subbasement fo what ever structure was originally perched on top of the retaining wall. However they also found a rusted portcullis at one end of the basement chambers which leads to a vaulted Room covered in chalky stone dust.

After getting through the  portcullis they find a wall mural depicting a map showing what seems to be a massive mine below the village!

Using  comprehend languages, Johhan ascertains that they are on top of a vast and ancient limestone mine. It woudl seem Johann figured, that the mines predated even the Alerian empire and were perhaps the mines that produced the materials for all the  concrete involved in building the city of Careth. Regardless of why it was clear by the sheer scope of the mines that they had been worked for centuries then abandon and forgotten.

In a brief exploration Willhelm discovered the carapace of a large centipede and a skeleton trapped under a collapsed wall section. Willhem took the  boot buckles from the skeleton and rejoined the group.
The other party members found an area with more wall carvings these telling of bad air to the north, weak veins to the south and water in the mines to the west.

Their explorations were interrupted by the sound of an emergency outside.

The party ran to find three large skaven guards on a make shift raft had cornered Caldwell by the river.
The had seen the dead skaven that had washed up on the shore and stopped to investigate. Caldwell had been in the  wrong place at the wrong time and  looked to exact some revenge on a farmer that had nothing to do with their kinrats deaths.

The party came to the rescue and fought off the skaven who were for their part a strong trio of former guards. The fight was quick but brutal with Willhelm holding the rats away from Johann and the master as the used magic to good effect. Guthar engaged on fo the rats dancing around the large skaven missing but also being missed several times.
Willhelm took care of one skaven with mighty hammer blows, causing the second skaven to loose it's nerve and run.  Johann killed  that skaven as it retreated with a fire bolt.
Willhelm used Guthar as a distraction to get the drop on the last skaven and rip it's  throat out with his hook.

The villagers who saw the  fight were impressed and honestly a bit intimidated by the groups display of power.

The group now knows that the skaven have been displaced from most of the Careth ruins and are forming into roving bands of raiders. Not wanting to attract undue attention to the village they placed all five of the skaven bodies on the skaven raft and simply set it adrift back in the swift flowing river.

This is wherein the session ended.












a

10/23/15 Return to Careth.

The Party, after off-ing the scouts that were tailing them, decide to go back into the ruins and attempt to retrieve the  boiler from the  crashed Gnome airship.
One problem.
The  ruins thanks to the Master are known basicly a waist high grass, moss ridden, vine, and tree, covered rain forest. Not to mention  a group of rather ticked off Skaven setting up a refugee camp right in front of the building they need to return to.

The trip back to the location of the crashed ship was largely uneventful. After making some plans and resupplying the group led by The Master traversed the  difficult terrain. They did  (random encounter) stir up a very large snake that served as an example to the  group that it was not only the plants of the  area that were affected by the  masters release of earth magic back into the land, but some of the fauna as well.

Snake taken care of they moved on to the meet of the problem.

How to get past a bunch of Skaven and steal a rather heavy object.

For the  record it was determined that the  glowing blue ball that was found by the  party and could only be manipulated by someone wearing the  red gloves also found on the  gnome ship, was in fact a magical ballast.

The ballast acts like a gyroscope that will not allow a flying ships boiler to tip over once it is installed. The superstructure of the ship is then built around the  boiler and from then on the  ship is steady in the air. The effect of this ballast would also make the boiler slightly lighter, while not making it weigh less.

The plan became:

• Johann will Turn Guthar and wilhelm invisible.
• The master will turn into a small nondescript animal (mouse.)
• The  orb will be given to one of the invisible party members.
• Johann being a small gnome will hide in the weeds and distract the skaven using what else, fireballs.
• The others will sneak in, place the  orb and  get the hell out, with  the  master acting as guide and scout.

Easy peasy..
All went as planned with the  skaven including the  chief due to some  good holding off getting caught in the  fire balls.
The Skaven chief's mace broke open  revealing that it contained a  massive horde of rats, which only added to the chaos.
Several tents were set on fire.
A large cooking pot was toppled scalding a few scaven onlookers.

During this fracas Johann used the  high grass for cover to sneak to the other side of the compound.
Once the  boiler was secured, and the orb placed the  party came to a sudden conclusion.
"We can't move this thing without being seen."

Still invisible Willhelm and Guthar started pushing on the  boiler. As expected moving the large object it attracted the attention of the few Skaven guards who had remained inside. Willhem choose the road of dwarven diplomacy. He moved behind one of the skaven and  while invisible hit him in the  back of the  head with his warhammer, pushing the  back of the skavens skull to the front of the skavens face. Guthar who had remained invisible tried to make spooky  ghost noises but clearly the skaven were not having it. Now visible the gig was truly up. A quick fight ensued. The master having seen enough turned into a bear and the group quickly dispatched or dispersed the small group of very suprised skaven.

With that the party lashed the  boiler to the bear (the master) and using the brawn of the bear and Wilhelm's help they bolted for the doors. Having decided to  make a beeline towards the nearest large creek, the group was betting that the fires would keep the skaven totally at bay. The were wrong and a merry chase soon ensued.

The party made excellent time with the Master picking a good path and (still in bear form) doing the majority of the pulling. As fast as they were they were still soon set upon by the skaven As the party reached the water, groups of skaven started crashing through the  underbrush and attacking. Willhelm and the  master took the fore and attempted to hold back the  skaven while  Guthar and  Johann lashed together a crude raft to float the boiler way. It was a pitched battle with more skaven flooding the scene every minute.
Finally  Johann and Guthar were ready for launch but failed due to the weight of the boiler! It was not until the Willehlm and the bear *  lent their strength to the task that the  rafted was pushed into deep enough water to float away.

Just as more skaven jumped from the trees, Guthar unleashed the full power of his god Thodin killing several skaven and pushing back the host. The skaven horde was stopped just long enough for the party to cling the raft and float away.

Now the group has the plans for and the boiler from an ancient Gnomish airship. In time I' m sure they will begin reconstructing the vessel.

The story continues....


* "Wilhelm and the  Bear" should be the title of a podcast.

Older game synopsis (first 7 games)

Here are links to the  older game synopsis.

Games from 8/21/13 to 1/14/14

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3



Game 4

Game 5

Game 6

Game 7

Ruins of Careth Final.

Our band of  adventures covered a lot of ground in our last game concerning the ruins of Careth.

I am going to list things that I remember in  bullet point format. It's been awhile since we actually played and I am 100% certain I'm forgetting some things.

• Johann thoroughly explored the wrecked ship and determined it to be an old Gnome sky ship. He also managed to decipher some of the plans found with the ship, and to determine the strange glowing ball in the center of the  ship was a Gnomish "Gravity Ballast" that keeps a sky ship level in the air. Another Point that he discovered is that the  sky ship boilers had crashed out through the stern and were laying on the dirt in the Naga lair. The  boilers are sensitive and complicated gnomish inventions and an integral part of the  old ship. IF the players had any designs about salvaging the ship , that's their best start.
• The  red leather gloves that Were found in the ship are needed to move the gravity ballast.
• The  chamber that the Naga were using slaves to dig into contained a circular ritual sight with a
  
  vaulted ceiling surrounded by four large stelle that glowed a brown light  much like the  magical stones The master has been seeking.
• The master decided to use the  nut he was granted by the  last high druid and planted it in the middle of the  stones. The nut seemed to use the  earth magic in the Stele
• A great tree erupted from the  ground in the ritual sight, and vegetation began to spread in all directions. The vegetation threatened to trap the party (not the druid) with strangling vines if they did not attempt an escape. The group fled back the way they came, but not before the Master retrieved the mystical Walnut used to start the  process. 
• When the party emerged back into the open air outside the wrecked ship, the ruins of Careth was undergoing a transformation from a shattered shell of a city  to a verdant forest complete with massive trees, flowing springs and vines in every crevasse.
• The Skaven population was for it's part was being displaced by all this new growth and  not exactly pleased about it.
• After speaking with the Skaven chieftain, the party was basically told "you freed some of our
  
  people from the naga, good.
  You destroyed our home with your wretched plant magic, Bad." 
• Wilhelm asked the chief if he had ever seen the symbol emblazoned on the amulet given to him by Calvin Winchester's son. The chief said yes that it had been seen deeper in the ruins. They were told they would be given guide through the ruins to the location and allowed to leave in peace, if they promised not to return.
• The  guide set them on their way and showed them about 3/4ths of the way there before abandoning the party to their on device.
• After entering  (Via sick waterslide) the subterranean grottos and pools of this now swampy
  
  ruin the  party was set upon by a corruption golem , created by all of the corruption of the  ruins being pushed and  condensed by the druidic magic that was unleashed by the master.
• After defeating the beast they moved further into the subterranean area until they found the location of an importer who used the same symbol as the one on Wilhelms amulet.
• A down trodden Wilhelm considered the possibility that this might be a dead end, and a major roadblock in his quest to find who is responsible for taking his hand.
• The Party journeyed out of the  ruins and headed back to  Traders Leap.
• Along the way they caught word that there were men in traders leap asking questions about them. (I don't remember how you found this out? Guys?)
• The party did not go back to Traders Leap  right away they scouted for the people training them and eventually go t the drop on them in the  trackers camp.
• With the help of an illusionary Rehmoraz and some deadly cold steel the group quickly (surprisingly so) dispatched the  group. 
• After some examination the  group determined that the scouts were working for Varul who is still trying to get the key back from the  master and seems determined to put resources towards doing it.

If I missed anything let me know!

Rule Clarification. 5th ed (Concentration)

This is how I'm going to handle rule questions in the  future.
Decide at the table to keep the game moving then figure it out  and post here with any house rules being available for all to see.

The only real rule issue we had at the table  in our last game was concerning casting a second spell while maintaining concentration on a previously cast spell.

The situation.
Johann had cast illusion that required concentration to maintain (The Rehmoraz.)
Next round he wanted to use another spell.

My original thought:
Johann can't cast a spell while maintaining concentration on a previous spell, he can however do simple actions like move and attack. I was wrong, Johann cast his spell  and away we went.

What the  book says: (paraphrasing)
A caster may make actions while concentrating such as moving and attacking.
A caster can't maintain two spells that require concentration.

Decision:
Go with the  game as written.
No house rule needed.

A caster may cast any spell that does not require concentration, while maintaining concentration on a previously cast spell.

Naga cave 4/17/15

The main Naga has fallen:

The party Bravely fought the Naga inside their own lair.

After finding the Naga enslaving Skaven and making them mine a door seemingly locked into the rubble below the  ruins of Careth. The party took on the  Naga guards and their apparent queen. A hard fight ensued the larger golden naga leader proving with her magic and devastating attacks to be more than just another challenge for the party.
after the battle the party  searched the room and located three interesting objects.

A Book bound in leather leather: which they have not opened yet.

Book wood bound metal plates

 The party finds the plates contain construction plans written  in old gnomish , so they hold off on trying to decipher them until they can meet up with their friend Joohan.

Ivory container with map:
the party has not yet opened the container to view it contents.






Guthar attempted to speak with the spirit of the  now dead Naga queen and received his answers in vision, first he saw an apparent comet crashing into a vast inland sea, next he learned that the Naga were trying to return home.  Guthar having some training in history recognized the large inland sea as the location of city Keer Fallen capital of Orduth only his vision showed no sign of the great dark city.

These visions did not jive with each other as the Naga hidden under Careth  are hundreds of miles south of Orduth and the city fell generations ago.

The master completed unearthing the  doorway  that the  Skaven were being forced to mine out using a stone form spell. Though the party choose not to descend.

After the battle and the looting the party returned to the  top of the crashed boat to find the skaven celebration outside of the Naga lair and  dispatching the last few naga guards.
The party does not know if they have made a group of allies or if they have unleashed a skaven horde on the small town of Traders leap.

As for Willhelm's quest to find the location of the thieves guild which cut off his hand , he made no real progress towards this goal though he is now deeper into the ruins of Careth and fee to explore.

On to the next.

Ruins of Careth Game 2 (Dungeon World)

After defeating the initial three Naga the party had a small debate about whether to explore the Naga controlled ruins to the  West. Or return toe th eastern Skaven tunnles to see if thye could perhaps negotiate to make them allies.

Guthar used commune with dead to speak with one of the Skaven killed by the Naga and received this message.

Naga took Mushroom Fields. Fields beneath ship. Only a strong leader could convince the skaven to  confront the Naga directly.

Not much to go on, but enough to convince the party to  move west deeper into the ruins.

In the mean time  The master had been unsettled, and was feeling the the land they were walking in was tainted and spoiled. He used the wall nut  received from the spirit f the earth  to purify the area, and confirm his suspicions.

The party found strange runes scrawled on the debris with in the  ruins, which  were determined to mean they were near some kind of hatching ground.

The party was confronted by a pack of  Dire rats , which Johann cleverly distracted with rations as the  rest of the party  moved past. (random encounter)

A rough wooden gate made of lashed timbers was found blocking their path.
Willhelm almost fell into a pit trap which also summoned a naga guard.
The rest of the party hauled Willhelm out of the  pit then confronted the guard.
The master turned into an eagle to swoop in and  retrieve Willhelm's dropped hammer from the pit.
The naga guard smacked Guthar in the  face with a bag containing three 6 foot long centipedes. Guthar took a bite on the  face on the face, while the other giant centipedes scurried towards Willhem.

the master still as an eagle  snatched up centipedes and ripped them apart with  beak and talon.

Once engaged the Naga guard was quickly dispatched,

Willhem  dismantled the  wooden gate and  the  party proceeded.

They arrived at a Naga hatching ground, one of the rare areas where the sun warms the sandy ground enough to  incubate eggs.

Crossed this field of egg mounds are the remains of a large building with the walls mostly blown out and  a smashed ship crashed through the  roof.

The Master who has by this point figured that NAga are simply not  natural , starts smashing eggs and flinging naga fetuses around.

Understandably this pisses off the nagas in the nearby building and four of them come  rushing to defend the egg clutches.

Johann casts an illusion to make a pit appear before them, every one buys it, even Willhelm can not  bring himself to step over the  well crafted illusion.
One of the Naga throw a spear but miss, the other begins casting a spell , but gets interrupted by Guthar casting a light spell on its face.

The three naga stymied begin to fall back to  regroup, until the Master brazenly throws and egg at which point the  naga with the light spell on his face goes bezerk and  does every thing in it's power to kill the Master. After a bloody fight the naga's are dead or route back to the nearby building.

the Master turns into a small snake and  follows the routed Naga into the  building, the rest of the  party climbs the  ruined exterior to examine the crashed boat.

The Master finds:

• The three Naga that ran waiting for an ambush.
• He goes lower into the ruins
• Finds a the  bow section of the crashed ship and a cave  
• the bow is destroyed ripped to pieces.
• Several gnome skeletons are lashed to the ship with nooses, they have been here a long time.
• A ancient and strange apparatus ripped from the hull of the  ship, like a rune scrawled anvil with  several pipes coming out of it and rotted chair attached.
• A cave of giant mushrooms the naga harvest to feed skaven slaves they are making  dig in the ruins.
• Many more naga.
• One much larger naga with wings and several other snake heads growing from it's head, Medusa style.

The rest of the party finds:

• The stern of the  ship where ti crashed through the  building .
• Many dad gnome skeletons lashed to the   ship by nooses.
• A Naga guard they defeat.
• A sleeping Naga they defeat.
• Many  brass pipes that match the brass pieces Johann had found before.
• The  whole interior of the ship is gnome scale and glows slightly. (like a room where someone left an old TV on.)
• A sleeping Naga, which Willhelm smashed the brains out of.
• They found a lacquer box with a strange set of gloves made of leather and  having red chain mail backing. (Johann)

The master turns into a bat and flys upward to join the  party.

As a group they find:

• Several Skaven corpses the  Naga have been feeding on, raw.
• The desiccated corpse of a strange creature that matches the  skeleton that was found so many months ago in the  temple under the pond at Boyer's farm.
• A strange glowing blue light about the size of a lantern light that hovers in the air, and seems to exert it's own small gravitational field.

The party is now in the  belly of the  ship just aft of the ruined bow.
The naga know they are around, the  original three retreating Naga have reported their presence to the leader.
No place to hide at the moment.
No chance to rest at the moment.

They  must decide to move forward deeper into the naga cave or retreat and regroup.

Adventure 2 Dungeon world, exploring the skaven tunnels

A quick synopsis of the high points:
Short game.

The  Party descended into the  ruins of Careth, using an old sewer pipe that The Master had found  the day before.
The party soon realized that the ruins are quite literally a rat warren of tunnels and Piled debris, left over from what ever cataclysm befell the city.

Johann found two  brass pieces that had been mangled but still clearly  held engraving s of  very old gnomish runes.

The party found that the skaven are skirmishing  fairly regularly with a group of Nagga who seem to hold the  center of the  ruins.

The party also found that the skaven seem to be pretty  cowardly and malnourished.

Several skaven were easily overcome, including tow that were mauled to death by the master in bear form.

A cistern was crossed with  much difficulty and  one wounded Gnome.

The party followed sounds of battle coming form a group of skaven who had had caught three nagga in the unusual position of beingout in the open. The skaven were attempting to take the Nagga down when the party joined the fight on the side of the Skaven.
(The consensus is No one likes snakes so .. sides are taken.)
(The skaven for their part scattered when the party arrived, not wanting to risk fighting on two fronts.)

The  fight was not easy but the party took the three Nagga were defeated leaving the  Party to collect themselves and figure out exactly whats going on.