Tuesday, June 7, 2016

(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #41: Black Shield

General Fonzy "The Fonz" Schlepprock - Hero of the Siege of Akorros.  In reality a 1st level Gnome Titan fighter with a silver tongue.
Zorin Redrock - Gnome Titan Fighter.  Veteran of the Barbarian Wars, and hero of Marakeikos due to the retaking of Frandor's Keep.
"Whitey"  - Albino Halfling Priest of Yondalla.   Zorin's sidekick.
Janus Redrock - Gnome Titan Priest of Pangrus.  Cousin of  Zorin Gnome Titan of loose morals and a hero of Marakeikos.
Cecelia Darkspruce - Half-Elf Fighter Cleric of Sif.   Her previous sorority girl-styled ways had been hardened by weeks travelling the dusty trails of the Northern Mer Kasp completely alone, desperately trying to get back to Celsior.
Terval Sit - Half-Elf Mage
Gwendalyn Lorax  - Half Elf Druid.  Her trials alone in Mer Kasp did not last as long as Cecelia, but they were equally intense and damaging to her psyche. 
Ramsa - Mute Halfling Fighter - Gwen's Protégé.
Tywuelyn - Pixie Fairy Infiltrator - Gwen's sidekick
Coreena Ruddledater- 9 year old halfling torchbearer.

22nd of HepDec, 1135, Barthey City
Barthey ahoy!  After five long days at sea, the GCSS (Gnomish City State Ship) Triumph (named by Fonzy) arrived in the chaotic docks of Barthey City. The city was in complete pandemonium. Conscription of all able-bodied persons, regardless of race or sex, had been enacted.

The group decided to see the Church of Pangrus.  Their priests healed Janus. 

Realizing that the Master has something to do with the invasion, the Trogs offer their services to kill him, once and for all.  After a few inquiries, they are sent to an Imperial Office to speak with General Winters.  Alongside the General was a strange man with an Ispatlian accent who identified himself as Lorano, aide of Prince Jerik of Emron.

General Winters said that the Emronites claimed to predict the invasion, and that a group would come to him to ask to hunt down the Master. Lorano declared that the Master was already on the path to godhood, and that stopping him would be a multi-step process.

The Master's emissaries were travelling all around claiming they only want Barthey City, but Lorano and Winter knew that wasn't true.  All the other countries appeared to be appeasing him.

The Barthey government offered to give the Trogs 50,000gp and make them Ambassadors Spectacular and Extraordinary to convince other nations to fight alongside Barthey against the Master. 

Zorin returned to the Temple of Pangrus and asks for some divination from the High Priest to help them figure out their next move.   The High Priest's divining even confused the higher-up in the church.  Zorin and his allies were to do everything possible to avoid fighting in the war.  Given that this was from a god of war, it was a bit puzzling.

The Trogs bought new armor and spent the night in the officer's quarters.

 
23th of HepDec, Barthey City
The Trogs were escorted west of the city to a military camp.  They met General Winters and Lorano again, as well as a score of other military officers, including:
  • General Backares. 
  • Colonel Cassilius
  • Colonel Leonidas
  • Colonel Bright
The officers were in command of a unit of  480 heavy cavalry that would be traveling with the Trogs.  Their orders were to protect Barthey interests, unless specific orders were provided by the Ambassadors.

By the end of the day the cavalry had board a small fleet of sailing vessels and they embarked to their first diplomatic destination:  Emron

Fonzy, found some paint and changed the name of their lead ship, The Chelandia into the Triumph II.

32nd of HepDec, Emron City, The Principalities of Emron
The fleet arrives in Emron City.  They were impressed with the canal city, although most of the senior Trogs forgot that they had been there before.

Accommodations are provided to the Ambassadors and they prepare for a meeting of the Council of  Mage-Princes the following morning.

And with that we begin the epic final story arc of the campaign, super-module X10 Red Arrow, Black Shield.   Of course, we weren't playing in the Known World/Mystara.  Georic originally had  a similar geography, but I had ported everything over the Epic of Aerth with the start of this campaign (keeping all my names for the countries).  A land of desert people and monsters invading a weak and decadent empire?    Welcome to the First Fantasy Crusades...   

The Master's forces had poured out of Yarbay and Parthia and into Barthey and their Treibezond territory.  To keep track of this I set up my own map of the Empire and used the War Machine counters provided in the module.  As I had done many times before with the original map, I planned on running the battles solo, and referring to their results in dispatches.  

Let's just say that, regardless of the diplomatic maneuverings, the only thing that gave Barthey a chance would be it's difficult terrain.   For BECMI fans, the plains of Darokin are a walk in the park compared to Barthey. 

Here's hoping the Trogs can get some help in time.

Next: #42 - Diplomatic Imbecility

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