How not to investigate a haunted village...

So, while our campaign has been moving a-pace, the blog has been neglected due to my busy (I use the term loosely) schedule.

The party, having recovered from their minor debacle against the flying beasties. Our intrepid, cool-headed fighter, Lysimakos has decided to return to the main road and search for sign's of the kidnapped maiden's passage while the rest of the group forge ahead into the village of Vue.

Over the space of half an hour the party emerge from the forest, their sense of unease deepening, while the party Druid (Shoohey, played by the ever-inquisitive Tamara) feels dark magic and tastes death in the air.
The village itself is relatively small, the buildings are lined along one street, with a large manor at the head of it, a windmill crudely built onto the side of its eastward wall. Only a faint glow emanates from the windows of the houses, given off by small votive candles sat on the sills. Some have only one lit, while others have up to 3 or 4. Only glimpses of the villagers can be seen before curtains are pulled too and shutters closed over. Night has fallen, and the residents seem reluctant to emerge out of their homes.

While Tez seeks out a platform from which to announce the groups arrival in stunning and charismatic fashion, the rest notice 2 figures outside the manor arguing over something. One is a prtly fellow with a moustache and wearing fine clothes, the other bedecked in the manner of a ranger or woodsman. After a few moments the two stop talking, share angry looks and the woodsman wanders off into the forest. The village Marshall (or militant Mayor) finally notices the party, smooths his clothes and approaches them giving them a very warm, but obviously fake smile. Before he reaches them though, Tez breaks into his speech:

"Behold, people of Vue! Listen to my words! My name is Tezlastazex, and these are my friends! We're Heroes, so everyone stop being scared right now! We'll sort out your problems, because that's what we do!"

Stirring, as I'm sure you'll agree.

Silence is the only response. After a few moments, Ethanuel (the devious and thieving warlock played by Jory) resolves to find the nearest inn, The Green Man, and finds the place empty but for a barman cleaning glasses. Looking surprised he leaps up before scampering into the kitchen behind him. As Ethanuel approaches the door, the innkeeper returns, smoothing back his hair and is closely followed by his daughter, Kira.

Meanwhile outside, the Marshall has finally reached the party, only to be greeted by a very blunt Tez (played by the word-gifted Rob):

"Hey, you! What's going on in this village? This placwe has a bad feel to it!"

Startled for a moment (by both Tez's greeting, and the fact that Shoohey has begun sniffing him [out of habit]), the Marshall goes on to explain how a witch has been plaguing the small hamlet for some months, stealing citizens in the dead of night and taking them away, though he is unsure as to where. When the local guard move to explore the forest proper, they are chased out by undead creatures.
The woman the Marshall describes fits the description of the noblewoman Elena that they've been sent to look for, and the Marshall confirms her by name. Before he goes any further though, he casts about him with worried looks.

"Out here is no place to talk. Quickly, inside the inn. We can speak further there."

With that, he quickly ushers the party into the Green Man. Inside the inn, Ethanuel has already been trying to question the innkeeper and his daughter to no avail. The innkeeper seems reluctant to say anything except "D'you want a drink?" while his daughter keeps silent, though her eyes call out to Ethanuel. As soon as the Marshall enters, the innkeeper shrinks back against the wall as if afraid of the man, or possibly the huge Dragonkin behind him.

"Terol, some privacy please. Shut up the doors. We may have the help we've needed in these folks."

Quickly the innkeeper moves to the door, dropping a large beam across the brackets on the frame, and closes all the shutters. , all except for one with a small votive candle sitting on the sill.
Terol, the innkeeper then takes his daughter by the arm and leads her upstairs but not before she glances back at Ethanuel, pleading silently with her eyes.

"What's with all the candles?" blurts out Ethanuel.

"Those are a...personal thing. The families here believe that their loved ones may return if they see the light in the darkness, guiding them back like a beacon of sorts."

The party continue to press the Marshall for information which he all-too freely gives up. He explains how Elena came to the village around 4 months ago, trying to escape her court life.

She befriended a local miller boy called Simin. The two were constantly together before Elena returned to her city life, leaving the poor lad heart-broken. She returned some weeks later, though something had changed in her. The two had an argument and Simin disappeared shortly afterward. She seemed much colder, harsher, even assaulting a guard when he asked her about Simin's whereabouts. Slowly more folk disappeared, whether it was the guard she assaulted or women in the street who gave her funny looks. Indeed anyone who displeased her mysteriously vanished into the forest. While they had no proof that she was taking these poor townfolk away, they all felt it. Except for the Sheriff - the man the Marshall had been arguing with. The only reason he hadn't been locked away was because he was popular with the people. He thought that Elena was innocent, that some other force was driving these people to wander into the forest.
With that, Tez stood up and proclaimed (in true cheesy, paladin fashion*):

"We must find the source of this evil, and end it, no matter what form it has taken! I smell mystery here, and nothing is what it seems! No fear! The light of justice will illuminate the truth!"


*GM Note: There seems to be some unwritten rule that, no matter what sort of person you are, you character always reverts (at least at the beginning) to it's basic stereotype as seen here. Paladins are seen as glory-seeking, evil-smiting charming-machines. Rules-wise this works, but every person playing it feels the need to play the daring, glorious Prince Charming acrchetype. In a similar vein fighters are always either foolhardy vets with a deathwish or sensible vets who are very taciturn and suspicious, while bards are often gloryhounds who run to the back at the first sign of trouble.

The Marshall, introduced as Uther Kryp, then asks the players help in ridding the village of this witch, happily compensating them for the rooms they are bound to hire for the night (oh what little did I know what these guys would have in store for me later...). He also introduces the absent Terol (innkeeper) and Kira (daughter to Terol/barmaid), pointing out that the candle is for Kira's mother who disappeared several days ago.

While the Marshall gives the party directions to the Sheriff's abode in the forest (roughly) but explains that man also lives rough, constantly moving round the forest and keeping a weather eye on poachers, adn more recently undead. Ethanuel, for the meantime moves upstairs hoping to speak with Kira in private.

Larisse (the image-obsessed Tiefling warlock played by the equally beauteous Sophie) asks for the nearest bath in predictable fashion, to which the Marshall chuckles and advises it's located in the mansion where he currently resides (*cue porn-jazz*).

While the group enquire about Stefan (the Sheriff) and his dubious loyalties, Ethanuel locates Kira on the 2nd floor of the inn. Stepping into her room, he tries to question her about the goings-on in the village. She confirms her mother has recently gone missing but she seems certain it isn't the accused noble Elena. She had always been a gentle soul and can't see how the woman could have committed any of these kidnappings. She can see how it all fits with Elena's appearances but is sure that the Marshall is somehow involved. He seems too eager to prosecute the woman. her father is also trying to keep her quiet for fear that she may be next. as Kira takes consolation in the arms of Ethanuel, he hears a creak outside the door. Before the two can share a tender moment, Ethanuel moves uickly to the corner of the room as Terol violently opens the door.

"Where is that half-elf, Kira? I know he's in here! You know you shouldn't be speaking to these people, they'll fill your head with dangerous thoughts! How do we know that evil hag hasn't sent them here to finish off?"

Following this is possibly the best line I've heard in this context:

"I was just asking for a towel," says Ethanuel, stepping from behind the door.

The innkeeper spins round, and scolds the young half-elf, wagging an accusatory fingfer at him:

"Uther may have paid for your rooms, but if you come near my daughter again, I'll beat you like a child! I don't rust your friends and you even less so."

He quickly grabs Kira by the arm again and stomps out.


- Meanwhile downstairs, the discussion gets heated as Tez becomes furious at the Marshall's lack of conviction. There have been no clues as to the identity of the witch except the wild accusations of the Marshall, no bodies of the missing have been found and now the village seems content to simply hide away and wait till they are all taken, one by one.

"Look here, dragonchild, you may have led a wide and strange life outside, but here among these forests we have no one! No trade routes bring patrols here, no wandering knights come to our rescue! I have watched families mourn over empty graves, for loved ones they may never see again! I'm doing everything in my power just to keep these last few people alive!"

The group then puzzle over the reasons why Elena (if it is Elena) is snatching people at random - rituals? practice for animating the dead? The lot of them seem at a loss.

At this, Marshall Kryp bids the group goodnight, leaving the inn. Tez lowers the beam over the door again after he leaves.

after both sides recap their stories, there is some discussion as to who should take first watch in the inn that night.

Then this happens:

Tez - "I say we go into the forest and see what is REALLY there!"*

*GM Note - never underestimate the party or indeed individuals in the party. Specifically their nerring ability to run off into areas that as a DM you haven't mapped/written/even considered for role-playing purposes because you thought they may do the sensible thing and not wander into a haunted forest in the dark when a witch is wandering around with undead minions kidnapping people. But there you go...

They decide to leave one member (Larisse) in the inn to keep watch and bar the door behind them. Meanwhile, Shoohey, Tez and Ethanuel make the short journey into the forest, in the direction Sheriff Stefan went. Shoohey quickly shifts into the form of a wolverine and leads the trio into the woods, her animal senses immediately picking up the fact that something is deeply wrong with these trees, something evil is lurking in the soil beneath the peasoup fog that clings to the muddy earth. As the group comes to a stop to get their bearings, Ethanuel decides now is the best time to *ahem* relieve himself against a tree. Oblivious to the rustle of armour and snapping of twigs which both Shoohey and Tez have picked up on. As Ethanuel continues to soil the soil, so to speak, 5 skeletons emerge behind him bearing rusted blades and beaten bucklers.

Tune in next blog to find out what happens!

Will Ethanuel realise the doom headed his way? Will the fighting fit Lysimakos (the ever-dramtic Phill) make glorious entrance? What tomfoolery will Larisse get up to while the rest of her friends are away? Will Tamara roll a successful score for a skill check?

You All Meet In An Inn...No Wait!

I hate computers. Technology and I do not seem to get on well. Let me explain.

We began our first gaming session in high spirits. Using a mix of Skype, MSN messenger we rendevous at our agreed time and my eager victims sat at their computers, fingers poised over their favourite D20s. Meanwhile I was desperately trying to figure out technological faff like opening router ports, dropping firewalls and wondering why I couldn't host our game. That and trying to write the scenario. Starting your first session the day after you return from your honeymoon and your first day back at work seemed like a stupid prospect, and everything was going wrong.

In the end I threw in the towel. The program I had chosen, since it was simple to use, was Gametable. And it seemed my router didn't like it, the swine. After an hour the party-to-be were getting restless and I shared their discontentment. A few quick messages and we were all on Skype. And Jory had a faulty keyboard*.

*GM Note: For the majority of the night Jory's accent changed from West Country to French much to everyone's amusement. A prime example was when we, for a brief and shining moment believed he was playing an ALF elf warlock.

'Guys - introductions.'

Our motley crew consists of:

Rob -My name is Tezlastazex, the Dragonborn Paladin, and I fight on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. I am blue and enjoy smoking cigars, long walks on the beach and smiting evil. (GM - An honourable, glory-seeking hothead with his heart in the right place)

Sophie - Good Evening, my name is Larisse, a Tiefling Warlock. Red sking, d/blue hair, feline eyes. I am a complete snob, so if you think you are good at something then I am ten times better (or at least i think I am). Not easily impressed and I have a sueductive nature. (GM - An arrogant, looks-obsessed Warlock with a mean repetoire of spells)

Jory - I am a Half-elf Warlock. I am nimble and sneaky and strangers may want to check their pockets when I'm around. (A cocky, roguish Half-Elf who has displayed feelings for Larisse, though he has a dark past and possibly a dar future ahead)

Tamara - A logical though isolated Eladrin Druid dubbed Shoohey. (GM - A lonely Druid despite spending her last five years training with these people, who feels more comfortable in animal form than as her true self)

The group began in the bar of the Guild, celebrating their recent initiation into their roles as fully registered Heroes. Over the last five years the young warriors were trained and then put into their current Cadre, their mentors seeing that their natural abilities and personalities complimented each other well. The party are toasting their recent victory in the Trials (a sort of graduation test) against their obligatory rivals, The Brotherhood of the Sword*.

*GM Note - A title stolen with love from another campaign in which this group featured prominetly as the unseen rivals to the party. I'm sorry and thank you Alex.

A quick background note - The Guild is falling into disrepute. Over the last two decades it has been hiring out its sword arm to the highest bidder rather than upholding the values for which it stands. Due to this the publice view many of the Heroes that come its halls with wary eyes. Much like Spiderman, they love them when they are saving the day but once they've done the job then they're dubious, untrustworthy individuals. At best. King Voltera, a handsome, charismatica and all-round nice guy had just recently come to power under dubious circuimstances. While he is an alright gent, his court is full of sycophants and schemers.
The Guild Master, Thorne, had signed over to the King, the strength of the Guild as his standing army for a very handsome of money.

Cut back to the party, sat at a table commenting on their final test with the Brotherhood, playing 'Save the Peasant' which uses real peasants. Our noble Players were of course the rescuers, the snobbish Brotherhood playing the role of raiders. Now sitting round the table they make comments about how they feel the battle went (it seems Larisse did little more than fix her hair 'so the enemy may know I am a respectable warrior', much to the frustration of Lysimakos). Unfortunatley they wer shouting and getting raucous, especially when berating the damnable peasants who didn't seem very pleased about being used in the Guild's tests. Go figure. Three tables away the peasants from the test began to get a dark look in their eyes, and the images of broken furniture and shattered bottles seemed an iminent possibility.

Luckily in the nick of time the esteemed Taskbearer, Crux entered the bar. A quiet and hermitic man, Crux's only duty is to collect and distribute missions to the Heroes who have residence in the Guild halls.

'GM: A human with one leg, he walks hunched using a cane to support himself, his head bald, his face gaunt and thin like a blade, his eyes in shadow.

"Greetings Cadre 245. " said Crux, holding to his chest a large page of parchment.

"Good day to you Taskbearer," replied Lysimakos, before returning to his pint of ale.

"Greetings Crux! Do you have a mssion for us yet?" Tez stood up abruptly, squaring off with the Taskbearer, his form towering over the robed man.

The human seemed to bristle at the informal use of his name but bit his tongue despite it.

"It would be about time," muttered Larisse, sulkily holding her small glass of wine and leaning back on her chair.

"The Guildmaster and I have deigned to grant you your first mission, in the land of Meadowvale," snapped Crux, "And we shall do so as and when we decide Mistress Tiefling!"

"Now calm down friend." Ethanuel stood from his seat beside Larisse, placing himself between her and the Taskbearer.

Sneering, Crux quickly passed the parchment to Tez then spun on his heel and strode quickly through the parting crowd in the bar.'

With this opening interaction it seemed the party had been put immediately into the Taskmaster's bad books.*

*GM note - And because of this I'll be giving them a series of crap missions, reflecting Crux's attempts to deny them glory! Enjoy guys!

Tez quickly reviewed the sheet's instructions:

"Cadre 245,

Dire news has reached us from Lord Ely Bach that his daughter, the lady Elena Bach has disappeared. Travelling to a village named Vue in the realm of Meadowvale, she seems to have gone missing. No correspondence of any form has been received and the trade patrols confirm she reached her destination. No evidence of attack on the roads in the area has been discovered. Lord Bach has donated a significant sum to the Guild treasuries in return for the quick and safe return of his daughter.

Make haste to Vue and find Elena."

Tez quickly made an oath to find the young maiden to no one in particular before being reprimanded by his more sensible comrade Lysimakos. This lead to a five mionute debate as to when was the most appropriate time to make an oath and how much information you should ahve about a situation before swearing one. Meanwhile I recounted to the party what information and gossip they are aware of, regarding the fair Elena.

"A young and often flirtatious lady, Elena was seen with many men, and never the same one twice. Most men wanted to be with her, and most women simply called her tramp. She was known for disappearing for a few days at a time but never for as long as two weeks, which was the current case. What was strange was, as much as she flirted with the men at court, she never did more than that. None ever saw the inside of her bedchamber and there were rumours she was in love with a lowborn miller in Vue. Others thought she simply enjoyed the chase rather than the kill. She had few enemies, and the same could be said of her father. Though he was one of the wealthiest nobles, he was a libertarian and had little influence in the politcs of the court."

Upon reviewing their mission and their knowledge, Cadre 245 debated on the best methods to track down the girl's whereabouts. Three groups became evident. Lysimakos and Larisse wanted to trace Elena's journey (Lysimakos thought it was prudent, Larisse didn't want trees in her hair). Ethanuel and Shoohey wanted to make as much speed to Vue as possible through the forests. Tez was simply eager to get there. In the end the woods won out. Trade patrols had not seen any wreckages by the roadsides, and it was assumed that Elena had reached her destination. The group quickly snatched their belongings and leapt astride their horses*.

*GM note - Horses I felt they were obligated to name. Its much more difficult for them to ditch their steeds or forget about them if they've named them.

Tez - a mighty Destrier named Platelet

Larisse - a sweet-tempered and pampered mare called Passionfruit. That had tassles on its saddle.

Ethanuel - Pannowa, a strong and sturdy black stallion.

Shoohey - a light brown mare called Brina

Lysimakos - a compact, stocky gelding called Tragedy. No, seriously.

Trusting to Shoohey's preternatural sense of direction, the Cadre left the mighty walls of the Guild and rode to the forest edge. Still some debate raged between the party, unsure of having to sleep rough and fight wild beasts in the forest. Despite Lysimakos misgivings, they ventured into the thick foliage.

Two and a half days of travel passed uneventfully, as they Cadre journeyed through the forests and vales of the land*.

*GM note - I like the idea of the country being similar to Tolkein's fantasy world, and I felt particulary about combining the hills of the Shire and the thick forests of Fangorn.

Finally coming to rest on the early evening of the third day, they reached the edge of the forests that border on the village of Vue, having reached the land of Meadowvale. Though the village was only a short ride away, Lysimakos and Ethanuel felt it prudent to camp in the clearing before journeying to the village the next morning. The others, particularly Larisse who was becoming increasingly distressed by the absence of a bath, wished to press on and finally get a good night's sleep in a bed rather than on the dirt. Finally it was decided to risk the forest at night and they pressed on into the trees. Shoohey was the first to sense it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she felt a strange and sudden emptiness in her as if she had lost her connection to the land around her. Thick fog rolled across the forest floor, smokey tendrils wrapping around the players' ankles and obscuring the ground they rode across. The animal noises they had become so used to in their journey had stopped and all was silent save the clumping, trotting noises of their steeds' hooves. The ground itself seemed soft, as if the land itself was slowly decaying and rotting away. Dismounting quickly and drawing arms, they continued to lead their steeds on, now on the lookout for the first sign of danger. All that is except Larisse who was desperately trying not to let her fine quality boots get sucked into the mud. Slipping for a moment, she squealed as her hair suddenly was tangled in the bare branches of a nearby tree. Her allies looked round, frustrated at her lack of commitment and priorities. Her vanity would be her downfall. Distracted, the player's failed to hear the flapping of wings in the night approaching quickly.

'Initiative!'

The group ware suddenly beset by a swarm of Stirges, seven large bat-like creatures with noses that were long and pointed like a mosquito's. Thankfully the players reacted quickly and set about the flying creatures with abandon. Both Tez and Lysimakos stepped forward and swatted the winged beasts from the air with mighty strokes of their swords; Larisse (whose hair was finally free of the dastardly tree) flung blasts of eldritch energy at her foes though her shots went wide; Ethanuel cursed one of the creatures, throwing a blast of energy at it as he did so. Unluckily it managed to dodge his attack, wrapping its leathery arms around his thigh and piercig his clothing with its razor sharp beak. Shoohey morphed into her panther form, leapt into the air and became a flurry of fur and claws, beating several of the monsters from mid-air and leaving them stunned on the forest floor. The creatures on the ground struggled to get airborne again, while their companions made futile attempts to attack the party. The one attached to Ethanuel's leg found itself feeding on nothing as he teleported his body a few feet away and blasted the creature to the ground. Lysimakos put himself between one of the airborne beasts and the desperate Larisse and knocked it from the air as it collided with his steel shield. Tez dispatched one of the creatures with a final slash of his sword. Shoohey, reverting to her Eladrin form, sent a massive gust of cold wind racing through the branches, flinging the remaining creatures into the trunks of the trees, their broken bodies littering the ground.

Brushing themselves down and checking their equipment, the party took sock the situation. They had come out of their first unmonitored combat with only a few scratches and no serious wounds to speak of, something to be proud of and hopefully an indicator of their combat successes in the future. Taking a hold of the reins of their horses, they continued to push for the village of Vue, realising that this mission may be more than just a case of a missing damsel and her lover.

Week 1 drew to a close, the scenario not even halfway through*.

*GM note - it is a true testament to the skills of any party that they are able to draw out a 3 hour scenario over a much longer period. Combined with my rusty skills at force-railroading them along the plot and it seems this first mission may go on for much longer than intended. Not that it's a bad thing. The more the players draw it out, the more inventive I need to get. Expecially if I can find some way to make their arsing around turn round and bite them in the...uh...arse.

OMG and other such acronyms.

Well, here it is. My first blog. I'm not sure whether I should feel excited, worried or simply meh.

But anyways, my motivation for starting this little script 'o' words is my first online role-playing experience. And no I don't mean World of Warhammer Ultima whathaveyou Online. I mean pens and paper and dice and books. Through the internet. Crazy, I know but bear with me here, it gets stranger. It'll be with people I know. Or with people who know people I know.

I've played MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) and can't help but feel a strange sense that I'm disconnected from this fabulous game world that the developers have so lovingly crafted. This, I feel, is a fault on my part, not the developers.

Unless some DM is actively describing the colour of the local shrubbery or there are some form of hijinx a-foot with the party clown, I generally lose interest. Quickly. That and stupid side quests that have no comedy value. Dammit, if I'm going to collect mushrooms for the local shaman because of some vague reason, I want some motivation other than a shiny pair of boots. Boots don't really do it for me. The fact that the local fauna attacks me everytime I'm halfway through collecting said mushroom simply gets my metaphorical goat.

At least in a pen-and-paper game, you've got in-game comedy in those filler missions when the GM has decided he had to play Halo 3 instead of write this week's scenario. You'll be facing off against a Saturday morning villain with the voice of Brian Blessed and the evil moustache of Fu Man Chu. Because, what players and GMs lack in preparation, we make up for in pure entertainment, or something resembling it anyway.

But anyway, on to the game. In theory, it begins 9th July 8pm GMT. In theory, we have myself as GM and 5 other players. And in theory it's dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition. I say in theory because as I've mentioned already, preparation is a rare thing in role-playing games, and the players and games masters that are actually prepared are the ones that you should be wary of. This is because they know the Rules, and this is a gift that is never to be underestimated, especially when they have a smile on their face, despite no one telling a joke (or making a deplorable pun).

Our basic backstory is somewhat inspired by my recent travels through the Fable games by Lionhead Studios and Microsoft, for which they should be rightly proud.
Envision the world of Varasana. A land of green fields, forests, villages and cities.
Here there is a fair amount of peace after the War in the Skies, in whcih the ancient Gods defeated the Hag Goddess Morai and her evil spawn (through which the orcs and goblins are descended and are thus reviled and are second-class citizens). After the War, the Gods departed the lands and left for other realms. In their final decree, so there might always be a balance, they had their mortal Champions set up the Guild. Here young men and women would train to be part of the Order of the Skies. They would venture into the world aiding those who needed it.

Of course over time, the Guild became corrupt. Initiates would help those they saw fit, whether it be altruistic or for personal gain, and the majority of it's members became mercenaries after a sort. Those who remained with the Guild were paid to prevent a migration of its members into freelance business, but it restricted the actions of its members so that they served only the Guild's interests. In the end they became overly-glorified hired muscle.

Cut to present day - our players are part of the Guild, forming a Cadre (a party). They have just been fully initiated into the Guild and are therefore given more responsibility like escorting the members of state and running after influential nobles who may have the Guild's interests at heart.

Meanwhile, across Varanasa, the orc tribes are growing restless, attacks on trade routes are becoming more frequent and vicious, and there is news that a dark force is rising within the noble houses of Varanasa.

So, fun!

next blog shall be a run down of our cast of characters, who they are, what they do and possibly their first adventure.

Watch this space!