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Session/Game: Marches 3e #15

Date:3/18/01

 

Campaign Date: Wap 10th -- Wap16th, Imperial Year 469

 

Characters:

Kronin, dwarf, fighter, level 9, LN  Dave Hanley

Whitefire, human rogue-1/ wizard-8, CN Charles Fleurie

            Brother Frankie, cleric level 4, LN, cohort

Rannos, human fighter, level 8, CG, Bob LaForge

            Melvin of Stinktown, human, lackey, commoner-1, N, hireling

Ragnar, human rogue level 8, CG Shaun Sipple

Ostler, human cleric level 7, LN, Joe Fryar

Angus "Mr Fabulous" McNasty, gnome illusionist level 6, N, Dave Nelson

 

Log:

Wap 10th

Ragnar returns to Blacksword after checking in on his shop.  On the return trip, he meets a fine noble gnome who goes by the monicker of "Mr. Fabulous".  "Mr. Fabulous" puts on a big show for Ragnar, demonstrating to his newfound friend that he is in fact, the king of the gnomes.  Ragnar is unimpressed. 

 

The two travellers arrive at Blacksword on a sullen day for the heroes.  Ostler has returned from burying one comrade, only to find that he must bury another.  After laying Isaac's ashes to rest near his family home in Weston, Ostler presides over a small service over Garl's grave -- behind the barn.  "Garl was mighty.  Garl was strong.  Garl was mighty and strong.  We shall miss our dear damage magnet very much.  May Bor take his soul to paradise."

 

The service is interrupted by the singing of an entire choir of gnomes.  Kronin runs out to check on the noise.  "Mr. Fabulous" has arrived in high style, with a chorus of his "followers" and an unseen horn to announce his presence.    Kronin and Ragnar both scratch their heads and wonder at the strange little gnome.  "Mr. Fabulous" is reunited with his long-lost cousin Dorgo.  The heroes of Blacksword welcome "Mr. Fabulous" into their group and a little celebration ensues.

 

Wap 11th

Sven awakens the master of Blacksword to meet with a strange peasant named Spang.  Spang warns Whitefire that the cultists of the feaster have laid siege to his little pastoral town of Heathton.  He then gives Whitefire a silver dinner fork with an inscription on it daring the heroes to travel to Blacksword and face the feasters.  Spang mentions that the feasters are under the command of one highlord Appetite.  He begins to continue on with a warning when unexpectedly, a gibbering mouther tears itself free from Spang’s body – killing the poor peasant in the process.  Stunned, Whitefire backs away and starts flinging magic missiles at the beast.  After being almost completely drained of blood, the other heroes arrive and Ostler vaporizes the beast with a well placed ray of holy light. 

 

The heroes decide to rest the remainder of the day until travelling to Heathton.  Brother Frankie appears at the doorstep of Blacksword, there to fufil Bor’s duty in Whitefire’s service.  Kronin and Ragnar brave the cold, wet weather to travel to Ludwig for supplies before the journey.  Rannos makes the trip for a taste of Granny Holdbean’s stew.  Ostler aids Whitefire in his healing.

 

Wap 12

The heroes leave for Heathton under a grey, drizzley sky.  They make it to the Monastery of the Mailed Fist before sundown.  There they meet the underexcitable (but nonetheless not humorless) Father Silfkin.  The good father takes the heroes in and listens to their stories, but can provide none of his own concerning Heathton.  He also tells the heroes the story of Sualc Atnas, the first great war against the serpents, and the rusty chainmail gauntlet left behind that is the relic that is the monastery’s namesake.  In the night, Ragnar catches Silfkin engaged in a curious position over Rannos while the mighty fighter sleeps, but nothing comes of the encounter.

 

Wap 13

The heroes are greeted by Bailiff Epler, the steward of Heathton.  He insists that the town is not besieged by feasters at all, but by one particularly stubborn druid.  Apparently, this individual is out slaying sheep – Heathton’s chief source of income and food.  The heroes are involved in a meeting detailing the plan to try and catch this druid in the act.  The heroes agree to the plan, but publicly put Rannos in charge.  Rannos makes the acquaintance of the tavernmaid Brinn.  Ragnar is warned by the village idiot not to eat any of the food.  The heroes do just that with the exception of Ostler who uses his holy magic to cleanse the food before eating. 

 

That evening, the heroes wait under cover of illusion in the middle of a flock in the cold, light, Wap rain all night.  The druid comes looking for them, but Petey throws her off the track and she does not meet up with the adventurers. 

 

Wap 14

The heroes sleep off their nightime sitting in the rain while Whitefire visits the pine wood to the North looking for the druid.  Despite the fact that several wandering monsters were sorely tempted to tear the unaccompianed master of Blacksword limb from limb, White fire returned safely to Heathton with no success.  At noon, all the characters set off for the pine wood and contact of sorts is made with the druid.  Against her better judgement, she explains (via Petey) that the sheep are being poisoned with gibbering mouther eggs which are then being consumed by the villagers.  After an incubation period, the villagers then have one of these monsters growing uncontrolled within them.  At any time, the monsters can be set free by the cultists of the feast.  What’s more, in order to support the fighting to the North, the residents of Heathton are planning on driving their livestock to Storm Eagle for slaughter.  She refuses to work any more with the characters until they help her kill all the sheep and the infected townsfolk.

 

The adventurers return to find the townsfolk in general drowning a young girl accused of associating with the druid.  The heroes save the young girl, and Rannos drives them all off single-handedly.  The village idiot tells the adventurers that the feaster cultists are all holed up in the sunken graveyard to the Northwest.  The heroes kill Bailiff Epler in a sort of experiment to see if the towns folk can be cured.  Instead, the cure disease spell forces the gibbering mouther inside the bailiff to tear him apart as it is stillborn.

 

The girl Allouette is returned to her family who is very grateful.  The heroes see to it that those families sympathetic to the druid leave the town and settle in Blacksword.  Each able-bodied man is promised a parcel of 25 acres. 

 

The heroes then return to Heathton and lie in wait disguised in the illusion of the druid-sympathizers out in the open.  They do this well into the night until they hear the sound of sheep being killed by wolves.

 

Wap 15

The heroes follow the sound to where the druid is doing her best to kill all the sheep and shepherds she can.  The adventurers help her, and in doing so she tells the adventurers where the featser’s lair is – in an abandoned mithril mine to the North.

 

The heroes rest for another day, and several of the adventurers go back to the Monastery to check that all is well there.  Later, the heroes adventure to the mine to find the cultists. 

 

The adventurers get into the mine with no troubles, as there is only a token defense.  However, after killing the mouther monsters they hear the village idiot arrive – only to find that it is highlord Appetite himself – and he has brought friends!  The adventurers quickly find their hands full fighting off Luscious, the messy eater as he spring attacks his way into the heroes.  However, several well-placed fireballs, a charmed troll, two hold person spells on Luscious, and a final charge by Rannos all bring Appetite’s plans to an end.