Our heroes, hedge wizard Hugo Swam'Pas, halfling Beula Cragmuffin, beastly warrior Slothina Hoppler, and new friend Friar Barry Manaslow, a man with a war-torn past, were conducting a half-day patrol outside of the village of Mere, as penance for messing with the legendary Baronial Guard. Right before they were to turn around, they saw smoke and frantic folk asking for help.
It was Swam'Pas Manor, the home of Hugo's family, and it was engulfed in flames. Hugo had encountered his mother, Hollatta, who frantically begged him to retrieve his father from the swamp. He had organized a counterattack and pursued the lizard men back from which they came from.
26 Mai 534, Swam'Pas Manor, Barony of Gulluvia
Lady Hollatta was relieved that her son and.... friends.... had come to rescue them, and that her beloved nephew Spencer did not go to far before finding help (he was the young man last episode who alerted them of trouble.
Lord Richard Swam'Pas was a beast of man, known for shrewd deals and shrewder revenge if the deals went south. If he dared venture into the swamps beyond the manor, Hugo almost felt pity for the lizard men.
Lady Hollatta ordered her best bodyguard, a certain Ascink Eukeaverk, to accompany Hugo.
Ascink wore still shining Plate Mail, had a crossbow strapped to his back and a longsword at his hip. After a quick discussion that Hugo would lead the expedition, but Ascink would go first, they departed.
Quickly, the forest turned into a brown murky swamp. The heroes could only stay dry by remaining along high ridges of land that criss-crossed part of the mire.
With Ascink leading (and making great time). Something emerged from the mud, flung its humongous tongue at little Beulah and wrapped her up, knocking her out in the process.
Most of the party kept going, unaware of what occurred, but Barry jumped back and hugged the unconscious halfling, keeping the giant lizard hiding in marsh from eating her whole. Ascink and Slothina came to the halfling's rescue, quickly beating the creature to death.
Friar Barry was able to revive the young halfling, although he was not powerful enough to bring forth divine healing.
Not much later, they walked through the remains of a large battle. Men, horses, and lizardmen corpses were slowly sinking in the morass.
Among the lizardman, was the body of a tremendous beast that defied description, even when compared to the giant lizard that nearly at Beulah. Hugo knew these were Thunder Beasts, twenty-foot long reptiles the lizard men used for hauling things through the swamp, almost like a horse, but Barry, with his experience in the Lizardman War, called these things Muck Dwellers, viscous creatures with a taste for human flesh, and an explosive flatulence that could not be curtailed.
Beulah uncovered a set of tracks of another one of these beasts, regardless of its name, as well as other tracks that could be lizardmen. She had never seen a lizardman before today, much less one's track, but in a group of such experts, she boldly held her own.
Hugo's find was far more grim. He discovered the body of his father, half sunk in the mud. He had been stabbed in the back by some sort of spear. His signet ring, a prized possession within the manor, was still on his hand, but his legendary gauntlets he traveled with were nowhere to be seen.
"I must avenge my father's death. Who is with me?"
The rest of the party could only meekly nod.
Traveling even further into the swamp the ridge they were following continued in the mud and reeds to the left, but the right side met with open water, an uncharted lake of some sort.
Soon, a group of eyes could be seen just above the water.
Lizardmen.
The heroes looked around nervously, put their hands on the weapons, but did not flinch. Still enraged, Hugo pulled out a measly dagger, pointed it at the five or six lizardmen in the water and said, "I am Hugo Swam'Pas. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
The lead lizardman slowly moved to the fool and his shaking dagger, emerging from the waist high water. It gently waved its clawed hand around in the air, and clearly asked, "Could you say that again please."
Hugo repeated himself, with a lot less confidence, and the lizardman almost chuckled.
We didn't kill your father, the Blue Feather clan did. We have red feathers.
The lizardman, a shaman by the name of Redeye, explained the Blue Feathers were probably upset by the Swam'Passes dumping their waste directly into their side of the swamp.
"I have no issue with the Blue Feathers, but your fight is with them, not us."
The two sides parted amicably, and before dusk, the heroes spied the few surviving Blue Feather members resting in small clearing, gleefully rummaging through the spoils of the raid.
The heroes looked at each other, ready to plan a surprise attack on the unsuspecting lizardmen, but Hugo just rolled towards them, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "I am Hugo Swam'Pas. You definitely killed my father. Prepare to die."
There goes the element of surprise.
Hugo quickly jumped on his Broom of the Mountain Lord to gain the high ground.
Beulah still reeling from the giant lizard incident, charged forward and waylayed the first lizardman she reached.
Barry fought back urges from the war, but soundly thumped another with his staff.
Hugo managed to cast magic missile from his steady, elevated position, but it was still too close for the lizardmen's javelins. One hit him squarely, nearly knocking him off, but he held on and gained altitude.
A lizard man club avoided Ascink's fancy armor, and dropped him in one blow.
Finally Slothina killed one.
The Barry pummeled another to death with a rage a normal man can not obtain.
Finally, Beulah dispatched hers, forcing the remaining ones to flee into the open water.
However, something inside Barry snapped and scooped up some mud, used it as war paint on his face, and chased after them. Despite their ability to dive under the surface and quickly swim away, Barry got chest deep into the water and kept fighting creatures that were no longer there. A couple stumbles and mouths full of water and he stumbled back towards the swallow edge and crumpled up into a tear strewn heap.
The war doesn't leave a man, even a man of faith.
Hugo flew back to the ridge and got Barry out of the water. Once he compose himself, Barry was able to stabilize Ascink's wounds.
Ascink was surprised to be alive, staring at Barry mud and tear soaked face.
"What happened."
"A lot of death has happened in this war.... It never leaves a man."
"I know about the war, Barry, what about this one battle?"
"Oh, we won."
The spoils of the raid were nothing too valuable, but Hugo knew some of the items had emotional attachment for the family. They packed up the treasure and weapons and armor stolen off the bodies.
The guantlets of Hugo's Father were no where to be seen.
They managed to get back to the manor, with the help of the distant but concerned Red Feather tribe of Redeye.
Hollatta was devastated by the news of her husband's death (they did manage to retrieve it from the swamp for a proper burial).
DM Notes: We've expanded on the Swam'Pas name, and even killed off the patriarch. A bad day for Hugo indeed.
Barry's managed to hold his theatrical PTSD in searching the remains of the massacre, and kept his cool when others dealt with Redeye & Company, but once he was allowed a chance to attack the Blue Feather, he scored back to back Nat 20's on his attack roll, and a 19 on his Wisdom check to keep it together.
The party has left Mere, at least temporarily, and gained an ally in Ascink (the first time our player Sean played this campaign with us. Usually when we cancel 5e, we jump into IOU or Canadian Call of Cthulhu.
Hugo's family's signet ring is actually a Ring of Fire Resistance.
Where do they go now? For once I have no clue.
Next: #14 - Carya and Pogart
It was Swam'Pas Manor, the home of Hugo's family, and it was engulfed in flames. Hugo had encountered his mother, Hollatta, who frantically begged him to retrieve his father from the swamp. He had organized a counterattack and pursued the lizard men back from which they came from.
26 Mai 534, Swam'Pas Manor, Barony of Gulluvia
Lady Hollatta was relieved that her son and.... friends.... had come to rescue them, and that her beloved nephew Spencer did not go to far before finding help (he was the young man last episode who alerted them of trouble.
Lord Richard Swam'Pas was a beast of man, known for shrewd deals and shrewder revenge if the deals went south. If he dared venture into the swamps beyond the manor, Hugo almost felt pity for the lizard men.
Lady Hollatta ordered her best bodyguard, a certain Ascink Eukeaverk, to accompany Hugo.
 |
| Ascink |
Quickly, the forest turned into a brown murky swamp. The heroes could only stay dry by remaining along high ridges of land that criss-crossed part of the mire.
With Ascink leading (and making great time). Something emerged from the mud, flung its humongous tongue at little Beulah and wrapped her up, knocking her out in the process.
Most of the party kept going, unaware of what occurred, but Barry jumped back and hugged the unconscious halfling, keeping the giant lizard hiding in marsh from eating her whole. Ascink and Slothina came to the halfling's rescue, quickly beating the creature to death.
Friar Barry was able to revive the young halfling, although he was not powerful enough to bring forth divine healing.
Not much later, they walked through the remains of a large battle. Men, horses, and lizardmen corpses were slowly sinking in the morass.
Among the lizardman, was the body of a tremendous beast that defied description, even when compared to the giant lizard that nearly at Beulah. Hugo knew these were Thunder Beasts, twenty-foot long reptiles the lizard men used for hauling things through the swamp, almost like a horse, but Barry, with his experience in the Lizardman War, called these things Muck Dwellers, viscous creatures with a taste for human flesh, and an explosive flatulence that could not be curtailed.
 |
| A "Muck Dweller" |
Hugo's find was far more grim. He discovered the body of his father, half sunk in the mud. He had been stabbed in the back by some sort of spear. His signet ring, a prized possession within the manor, was still on his hand, but his legendary gauntlets he traveled with were nowhere to be seen.
"I must avenge my father's death. Who is with me?"
The rest of the party could only meekly nod.
 |
| Rest in Peace, Richard Swam'Pas |
Soon, a group of eyes could be seen just above the water.
Lizardmen.
The heroes looked around nervously, put their hands on the weapons, but did not flinch. Still enraged, Hugo pulled out a measly dagger, pointed it at the five or six lizardmen in the water and said, "I am Hugo Swam'Pas. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
The lead lizardman slowly moved to the fool and his shaking dagger, emerging from the waist high water. It gently waved its clawed hand around in the air, and clearly asked, "Could you say that again please."
Hugo repeated himself, with a lot less confidence, and the lizardman almost chuckled.
We didn't kill your father, the Blue Feather clan did. We have red feathers.
The lizardman, a shaman by the name of Redeye, explained the Blue Feathers were probably upset by the Swam'Passes dumping their waste directly into their side of the swamp.
"I have no issue with the Blue Feathers, but your fight is with them, not us."
The two sides parted amicably, and before dusk, the heroes spied the few surviving Blue Feather members resting in small clearing, gleefully rummaging through the spoils of the raid.
The heroes looked at each other, ready to plan a surprise attack on the unsuspecting lizardmen, but Hugo just rolled towards them, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "I am Hugo Swam'Pas. You definitely killed my father. Prepare to die."
There goes the element of surprise.
Hugo quickly jumped on his Broom of the Mountain Lord to gain the high ground.
Beulah still reeling from the giant lizard incident, charged forward and waylayed the first lizardman she reached.
Barry fought back urges from the war, but soundly thumped another with his staff.
Hugo managed to cast magic missile from his steady, elevated position, but it was still too close for the lizardmen's javelins. One hit him squarely, nearly knocking him off, but he held on and gained altitude.
A lizard man club avoided Ascink's fancy armor, and dropped him in one blow.
Finally Slothina killed one.
The Barry pummeled another to death with a rage a normal man can not obtain.
Finally, Beulah dispatched hers, forcing the remaining ones to flee into the open water.
However, something inside Barry snapped and scooped up some mud, used it as war paint on his face, and chased after them. Despite their ability to dive under the surface and quickly swim away, Barry got chest deep into the water and kept fighting creatures that were no longer there. A couple stumbles and mouths full of water and he stumbled back towards the swallow edge and crumpled up into a tear strewn heap.
The war doesn't leave a man, even a man of faith.
Hugo flew back to the ridge and got Barry out of the water. Once he compose himself, Barry was able to stabilize Ascink's wounds.
Ascink was surprised to be alive, staring at Barry mud and tear soaked face.
"What happened."
"A lot of death has happened in this war.... It never leaves a man."
"I know about the war, Barry, what about this one battle?"
"Oh, we won."
The spoils of the raid were nothing too valuable, but Hugo knew some of the items had emotional attachment for the family. They packed up the treasure and weapons and armor stolen off the bodies.
The guantlets of Hugo's Father were no where to be seen.
They managed to get back to the manor, with the help of the distant but concerned Red Feather tribe of Redeye.
Hollatta was devastated by the news of her husband's death (they did manage to retrieve it from the swamp for a proper burial).
DM Notes: We've expanded on the Swam'Pas name, and even killed off the patriarch. A bad day for Hugo indeed.
Barry's managed to hold his theatrical PTSD in searching the remains of the massacre, and kept his cool when others dealt with Redeye & Company, but once he was allowed a chance to attack the Blue Feather, he scored back to back Nat 20's on his attack roll, and a 19 on his Wisdom check to keep it together.
The party has left Mere, at least temporarily, and gained an ally in Ascink (the first time our player Sean played this campaign with us. Usually when we cancel 5e, we jump into IOU or Canadian Call of Cthulhu.
Hugo's family's signet ring is actually a Ring of Fire Resistance.
Where do they go now? For once I have no clue.
Next: #14 - Carya and Pogart
No comments:
Post a Comment