Session Report: Wolves Upon the Coast 03: Comrades and Quantum Bandits
Party resumes at the moment of escape from the Woken King's undead. They are not pursued, and follow their fleeing thralls to the boat. Hemingr passes his death save and is restored to 0HP. They tell the other ex-thralls guarding the boat - who are redubbed 'comrades' - that their comrades (abandoned where they fell in battle) are alive and ran away. One of the comrades suggests they go and rescue them, or at least wait for them to show up. This is vetoed as too dangerous and the karvi departs immediately for Dorbog. Sped by the current, it arrives in the evening.
Cerball boasts that she will rescue or avenge her fallen comrades, gaining HD. Tinus Winus gives solemn prayers in Latin for the preservation of their comrades left upriver. Their combined efforts succeed in resurrecting the comrades' rock-bottom morale.
They rest for the night, next morning going to lord of the city, Donnagh, and reporting their findings. Enemy numbers are inflated about 2x and the battle is described as far more lengthy and meet occasion then the desultory reality. Consequently Donnagh will send 20 of his mercenaries upriver to investigate/deal with the issue, while remaining himself in town and preparing the rest of his men for purposes unknown. (Purposes unknown, indeed, to the DM; I wanted to justify not sending more people, and allude to something more significant happening. Perhaps Donnagh believes another of the cities on Ruislip is behind the poisoning?). The mercs will depart aboard their own karvi, accompanied by the party, early tomorrow. The party is promised rich but unspecified reward if the problem is as dire as they report and is resolved by them.
I recollect that I didn't give them the details for their loot from the manticore cave last time and do so now. They investigate the Library Flagstone item, a grimoire, and I have them feel the spark of magic within it and explain how one of them can study it in camp for weeks to learn a spell. They bring the Fairypenny to Mis the druid, who obligingly identifies it.
Leaving the castle they set to purchasing equipment for themselves and their comrades (which after explanation I have done in the background text chat while we proceed with other RP) - they set to drinking, and meet Dorbog's Norseman Hrafnkel who expounds upon the utility of horseblood to deflect magic, then is prompted to reveal that skeletons are in fact highly resistant to piercing weapons but he knows of some who had better luck with maces and so on. The party abruptly declare he must know nothing further and ceases to pay for his drinks, departing to refit themselves and their comrades with maces.
I had pre-rolled weather and encounters for the next few days: For this day, I had a merchant and guards. In their purchasing they therefore come across a merchant who speaks of being waylaid on his way from Culmwarden: Many of his goods and thralls were taken, but he escaped on horseback with some of his men. He says that he will pay handsomely for the recovery of a specific item of his - I resolve to roll on &Treasure for something suitable, and also that he was waylaid by the same bandits who the party encountered. The party tells the merchant they're already booked, but if he's still around when they come back it's a maybe.
The party speculates on doing detective work to try and find the faceless man's missing 1000sp bounty, but decides they don't have time and may do it later.
Night passes, morning comes. Warm weather, and the two karvi journey upriver. Around midday while traversing the depopulated areas of overgrown farm they espy the smoke of a camp a kilometre or two north of the river: The obliging captain of the mercs, Niall, asks them if this is connected to the undead malefactors: No. Nevertheless they jointly resolve to land and investigate. I had in fact rolled another bandit encounter this day. Two of Nialls scouts are dispatched and do not return. When they are sufficiently overdue, the the boats are left guarded while the combined group marches inland toward the smoke. I rapidly produce a very coarse (100m x 100m cells) battlemap depicting a handful of ruined crofts, overgrown fields filled with chet or head high grasses around fallen stone fences, copses of trees and a hill.
Six comrades are taken with the three PCs, two assigned to each. Tinius+2 moves stealthily though the grasses then along a stone fence to approach the camp, while Niall+Cerball+Hemingr (14 combatants all told) march straight for the encampment. About 20 bandits can be seen there: Some climb atop the wall of a ruined farmstead and overlook the party. When a hundred metres distant parley opens (presumably at incredible volume): The bandits are asked what become of the two scouts, their leader Ultran says the joined him willingly, but are indisposed, and invites with wheedling claims the party to join them. He say there's a pig being roasted. The party rejoins that there's a bigger, better pig being roasted at their ships at the river (key intelligence to blurt out, though readily inferrable). Ultan insists that, being resident here, hospitality in fact obliges him to offer and the party to accept - before he is brought to 0HP and kocked prone by an arrow from Tinus Winius, who tired of the exchange.
The rest of the party opens fire looses arrows, and Ultan is killed within the round. His creepy demeanour is unavoidably compared to the bandits encountered session 1, and in a bit of a quantum ogre situation I decide 50% they're the same group and land on yes: One of the men from the standing stones is visible in the crowd.
Niall+Cerball+Hemingr+company spend 6 rounds marching towards the homesteads, Tinus Winius +2 hear rustling from their flank - bandit lookouts were earlier spotted, but lost - and makes to rejoin the party. The 6 rounds are spent in pure movement and ranged combat, and four bandits pelting the party from the roofs are killed with only one comrade downed in return (his shortbow is immediately taken up in a 'man with the rifle gets killed, pick up the rifle and shoot' manner, there having been insufficient funds or will to equip all comrades with ranged weapons).
Three flanking bandit lookouts burst from the grass in pursuit of Tinus: In a running bow battle, one is killed before Tinuus rejoins the rest.
The bandits have arranged their spearmen on either side of a homestead and stand to receive the players who array themselves appropriately (Niall and company as combatants, all except battle-hungry Hemingr hanging back) and charge. Before the first blow is struck, we call the session, having come up at two hours forty minutes.
The players more becoming more proactive. I value having two independent parties in the same world in different situations, because they encounter different situations so I learn different things from them and can iterate quickly. Each is exposed to only half the problems! I've become better at tracking big combats, though the real test will be when melee combat is fully joined.
My handling of Donnagh was quite week: I didn't game out his motivations and schemes ahead of time, so I improvised vaguely when they interacted. I think having a factional track system would be useful and will do so. Hrafnkel I handled quite well I think, though he was mainly a font of exposition he was amusing and demonstrates to the players that they should seek out info by talking to people. Especially weird ones.