Session Report: Wolves Upon the Coast B: Wander Along the Beach
Having defeated the manticore last session, the party resumes on the beach. A man issues from the forest, wearing makeup: An entertainer, DB. With one language point he barely speaks Norse. He is added to the party. The party overnights and finds that morning brings a continuation of storm. Debate and delay follows and more is learned of the various ex thralls who vary considerably in their dispositions and competence: Ultimately the PCs decide to abandon their very valuable boat to make their way overland towards Borg (which is established to be the origin of their erstwhile master), or perhaps Grindheim. Bjorgulf is abandoned as a contact, his determination to pursue a one-man war versus all ghouldom deemed idiotic and doomed, and he is last observed departing into the woods. I roll 2d4 to determine how many ex-thralls are willing to abandon the boat to trudge overland: Six go, six stay.
In the afternoon, the party reaches 47.09 - a river cutting through the beach. In the shallows, a beached whale, watched by six or so companions offshore. It is labouring to breathe and, I decide, 2d20 metres - it comes to 24 metres - from deeper water, so neither trivial nor especially onerous. DB declares almost immediately they will roll the whale to sea, Hallr's player opines that this is the worst possible thing to do as it risks matter entering the blowhole (A new fact for me) but jovially joins in, the action having been declared already: A few rolls in the whale is in obvious distress and coughing sand from its blowhole, which is subsequently wrapped in a bandage for protection and the remainder of its roll occurs without undue hardship: It rejoins its companions in the water.
I roll reaction for the whale and give +2 for their good deed: 12. The whales seem to loiter in the relatively shallow water, and the PCs realise they are offering passage over the river to the other side. I thought a bit of wimsy would be fun. The players accept, though certain ex-thralls nervously discuss their whale hunting pasts which they fear may be uncovered by smell or their discussion being overheard. But they credulously accept the argument that whales do not have ears and consent to be ferried across.
The party encamps in wretched misery on the other side of the river and awakes, on day 3, to fog. They chuckle to image the stay-behind thralls stymied in their efforts to leave and perhaps being eaten by ghouls. (I resolve to roll randomly when relevant to determine if they got out).
They make it further wesst along the beach to Kilen, entertainment is offered the grim townsfolk, sufficient to earn room and board for the PCs while the ex-thralls are obliged to aid in chores the remained of the day to earn their keep. Their loredumping hosts discuss over supper the sending away of siblings to family in Borg, as a consequence of the ogres further west.
Day 4: Fog persists. The party moves along the road NW, bypassing the ogres and passing some soldiers on the the road, enroute to Kilen and thence the ogres, which they aim to slay in pursuit of glory in the eyes of distant King Vagn. There are nine of these adventurers, jovial enough but not apprehending their self-appointed mission is overoptimistic and sure to be fatal. The party briefly entertains the notion of using them as an in to the Kings good graces, but does not consider their mission likely enough to join, and they continue on their way.
Day 5: Crossroads, the party finds a sign with a human face depicted with horizontal lines on its teeth. They head south and pass by Torpa, a temple for heroes (must have 3HD+ to enter) - after extended discussion on the cultural relativity of 'heroes' the Cut-Teeth guards are declared to be nutters and bypassed. Making camp later that day, they find a the dead body of a soldier. I improvise: Empty scabbard, abraded hands, muck all over, an arrow in the neck: He seems to have died crawling a fugitive in the underbrush. Wearing maille, not a Cut0-Tooth, a few days dead.
Day 6: The corpse is wrapped in its tattered cloak and taken with, it will be used (somehow) to enter the good graces of the King or authorities. The party reaches Grindheim and the session has to be ended.
20260319 Players: 2 PCs
- Hallr
- DB
Session: Approx 3.5 hours, had to end suddenly for external reasons.
No combats or major events, really. My annotation for daily tracking and weather improved, and I late in the session realised I ought to roll wx, wind, and encounters days ahead of time so I could prepare, which I did during gaps in activity and will do in future. This would also let multiple days without encounters - which improbably occurred - to be fast forwarded through rather than slow things up.
In the pre-rolled week to come, three days involve encounters with a dozen or so ghouls each, and the other days are split between skeletons and (if they enter range) orcs. I am very interested to see how this will go.
I was fairly pleased with my depiction of amusing NPCs, especially the Cut-Teeth, but will get myself a simple list of personalities and a frameowrk, probably in the mould of this, to aid in future.