Dark
Sun. Session held 24 Apr 2020 (online). I'll talk more about the system/campaign in my monthly round-up post.
Second
session of an on-going campaign. Edwin
joined. Spencer’s character having been killed, he introduced a new one. Some
players from the previous session were unable to attend.
Dave
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Game
Master
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||
Edwin
|
Garrok
|
Wandering
Mul Druid (Lv.1)
|
|
Spencer
|
Geo
|
Half-Giant
Ranger (Lv.1)
|
Follower: Hardy.
Dwarf.
|
Ian
|
Frib
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Halfling
slave Psionicist (Lv.1)
|
|
Aengel
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Gre’kkt
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Thri-Kreen
Druid Trader (Lv.1)
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Follower. Kreekit, her nephew.
|
 |
| Ian's map (messed about with) |
The
party was camping at the site of the fight with the giant hornets.
Two
hours into the night, they were joined by travellers Garrok and Geo,
introductions were made and the newcomers agreed to join the quest. Some members of the party remained at the
camp, recuperating.
Tracks
of the renegades were found, leading to the SW, these were followed (leading
into Hex 1, sandy wastes). As we did so, we observed a cloud of dust – a
large group of humanoids travelling as speed.
Knowing that this was likely to be a party of elves, and fearing that
they might be hostile, we decided to avoid them and diverted to the W (moving
into Hex 2, stony barrens). The elves passed without incident.
We
now observed a number of strange structures, which we assumed to be the nests
of giant hornets. Some debate was has as
to whether to destroy them or to open one to discover what was inside. However, we decided that to tamper with one
risked awakening all the hornets nearby, and no-one had the appetite for that. We resumed our pursuit of the escaped slaves.
Day 4 (Day)
(Hex 3, sandy wastes, oasis). We discovered that the tracks of our quarry
had been obliterated by the passing band of elves. More importantly, we found an oasis,
surrounded by mud and fringed on one side by trees. It was decided that we should rest here
during the heat of the day. Two mekilots
were watering at the oasis, so we took up position away from them.
Geo
found the trail leading out to the SW.
While
the rest of the party were resting, Frip observed a robed Thri-keen come out of
the trees and perform some ritual at the water’s edge. He reported this to Gre’kkt and the rest of
the party. An additional mekilot had
turned up.
Day 4 (Night)
As
the party were rousing, four mud-covered humanoid figures rose from the
mud. Too late, these were recognised as
banshees (undead dwarves, cursed to roam the earth because they had died before
completing their focus). They uttered
piercing screams.
Garrok,
Hardy and Kreekit entered into a frenzy and rushed into an attack on the
banshees, to no effect. Two of the
mekilots fled, but the third also suffered a bout of madness. Fortunately, the Thri-keen emerged and used
his powers to banish the banshees.
Garrok was able to shake off the effect of the cry, but Hardy and
Kreekit weren’t. Frip levitated out of
the way and those in their senses retreated to the shelter of the trees as the mekilot charged.
Kreekit
made an ineffectual attack on Gre’kkt.
Hardy took his flint spear and made a foolhardy charge on the mekilot. Although the ex-gladiator managed to find a vulnerable spot
and drove his spear into the creature’s skull, it was an uneven contest and he was trampled and killed. The beast
stampeded off.
As
his companions retrieved what was left of Hardy’s body, Gre’kkt exchanged
formalities and gifts with the druid. He
was able to tell her that the elves we were tracking had been captured by
dwarves from the nearby settlement of Kled and gave her directions to get there. Geo gave an eulogy for his companion.
Gre’kkt
and Garrok had both previously been to Kled.
They knew that the dwarves there were employed in excavating the ruins
of their lost city of Kemalock and were in constant conflict with a settlement
of elves to the north (in part, over rights to this oasis).
Travel
(through Hex 4 and Hex 5,
both sandy wastes). We came across a
large patch of cacti resembling writhing brains. Those who knew the wastes advised that these
contain worms which, when the plant is cut, come out and attack, entangling
their targets. We moved on.
Entering
the rocky badlands (Hex 6), we came to Kled. On Gre’kkt’s advice, we waited until daybreak
before entering the settlement, under the watchful eye of town guards all
along.
Our
first stop was the market, where Gre’kkt enquired of trader contacts (there
were none present) and bought some Esper Weed (which when chewed would grant
psionic effects) and a broken short sword (made of some form of metal!).
We
then presented ourselves to the headman, Barrunas. A venerable dwarf, he had founded the
settlement over 150 years ago. Although
known to Garrok, he was reserved until he heard that we were intending to trade
for his captives. He drove a hard
bargain: his preferred option being a rich reward, he also offered us the option of
instead entering the mine and defeating a Sand Golem (and anything else that we
might encounter). After some discussion,
we offered him Garrok’s monkey paw (which had the power to curse one’s enemies)
and a hefty payment from Gre’kkt’s reserves. Fripp gave Garrok his animating oil to replace the paw.
Barrunas
led us to the captives, warning us that the woman was ‘trouble’. Frip confirmed that this was indeed our
quarry, Aspis, allegedly abducted by renegade elves.
This
is where the story began to unravel.
Aspis ordered that her slaves be freed and that we immediately proceed
to the elvin stronghold, where she would begin negotiations for the freeing of
all her father’s slaves and the other elves held captive in Urik. This caused some consternation. Frip hastened to obey, but Gre’kkt pointed
out that our employer was her father, who had contracted for the return of his
daughter, and certainly not for a slave rebellion.
Aspis’
haughty attitude decided the matter.
Garrok and Geo bundled her in a cloak, while Gre’kkt administered a
paralysing bite. She was bound and
gagged. While this was happening, the
elves affected an escape. One was
killed, but the others fled. Barrunas
demanded that the party leave the settlement.
The
party was now faced with the prospect of the three-day journey back to Urik
with a prisoner who may have arcane or psionic powers, and also the chance of being intercepted by an elvin warband.
Nevertheless, it was decided that we needed to camp and rest-up, so in
order to be fresh if we did encounter trouble, and to give absent members of
the party a chance to rejoin us.
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