AAR: Finders' Keepers

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etherial
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AAR: Finders' Keepers

Post by etherial » Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:00 am

Mission: Finders' Keepers
GM: etherial
Date: 2018-03-15
Difficulty and circle rating: Circle 2 Medium

Player Rewards:
Dubhan: 3 TIPs, 800 Legend, 230 Silver
Fliver: 3 TIPs, 800 Legend, 80 Silver, Desperate Spell Charm
Osahar: 3 TIPs, 800 Legend, 230 Silver
Robert: 3 TIPs, 800 Legend, 230 Silver
Whyr'wyndyl: 3 TIPs, 800 Legend, 55 Silver and 1 dose Keesra

Downtime Actions Available:
Dubhan: Alchemy 7 (Rank 3, Per 7, Kit -3) : Booster Potion
Dubhan: Research 20 ( Rank 3, Per 7, Speed Read +6, Karma +4)
Fliver: Mapmaking (Rank 1, Step 8)
Fliver: Research (Rank 3, Step 10)
Robert: Item History 15 (Rank 4)
Robert: Research 19
Researchers may spend 20/2 Silver for +3 Steps

Further Information:
A coup has taken place in Bog Gopolis and they are now on a war footing.
Fortune Fields Industries has opened up a smugglers' den in the Ruined Tower in 44.13.
Last edited by etherial on Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

ender3rd
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Re: AAR: Finders' Keepers

Post by ender3rd » Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:03 am

Kurt Beck of Fortune Fields Industries is looking for a place to act as a smuggling base. They have their eye on a place south-southeast by south from Throal, just northeast from Borgin's rest. For some reason we decided to support the smuggler in his efforts.

We went to durgin's Rest because we always do. This time my caligraphy wasn't that great, but I got in on a second try. Then we went to a ruined tower *UP*stream of the town.

There we found some mentally communicating winged raven things and talked out way past them, convincing them to potentially act as scouts for our sponsor. The leader named itself as "Goldenwing the Chakta Bird".

Then into the basement (Finally got to use Levitate!!). We ran into some killer rabbits. They went down nicely. With Whyr'wyndyl up front, Fliver providing displaced images, myself and Dubhan attacking minds and setting them up for Osahar to hunt rabbits with great efficiency.

Returning from the basement we were confronted by some bog gobs. We attempted to parley but Fliver did not impress, causing violence to begin. We took 3 captives. Lawrence was able to translate them. Apparently there are two camps: kill namegivers and torture namegivers then release. These were from the latter group, whose leader had just been killed. We left under the impression that this would need more attention in the future.

ChrisDDickey
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Re: AAR: Finders' Keepers

Post by ChrisDDickey » Fri Mar 16, 2018 8:50 am

Fortune Fields Industries, a small trading outfit, is looking to open a small trading post outside of Throal. Somewhere secluded and far from competition and other prying eyes. They chose the basement of a small ruined tower. It was described to us as near the headwaters of the coil, but it turned out to only be about 3 hours march from Borgin's rest. We went first to Borgin's rest to interview the town drunk Lawrence, who knows the location of the tower in question, having fought a Bog Gob Nethermancer there. We got the location from him and set out.

We found the tower with no difficulty, and observed a small flock of birds upon it. At first we did not know what they were, but when I cautiously approached, one flew up and spoke to me telepathically! He identified himself as being named Goldenwing, and that his flock were Chakta birds. I spoke flatteringly to him, and he seemed quite friendly. He asked about this wonderful substance he had heard of called "bread" and I fed him the remains of a 4 days stale loaf I had in my pack. He seemed quite impressed by it. I asked if he would object to anybody occupying the basement of the tower, and he said he would not. I suspect that FFI might make a deal with the Chakta birds very easily if they made the least effort.

Goldenwing told us that the basement was currently occupied by "murder rabbits", so we were very careful as we entered. We dug out the entrance a bit so the larger party members could enter without crawling. I redid my spell matrixes so that Displace Image was active, and had it cast upon Whyr'wyndyl the windling warrior and Robert the wizard as we entered.

The "murder rabbits", looked exactly like normal hares, if a bit big. However when Dubhan made a noise, they attacked us savagely. The warrior and I both concentrated upon protecting everybody, I concentrated upon keeping Displace Image up on the leaders, so despite the ferocity of the attacks, they hardly damaged us at all. The two wizards cast many mind daggers, and Osahar slew a murder rabbit with every arrow he fired. When there were but two left I stopped concentrating upon my defensive spell, and blasted the last two rabbits with my bolts.

We examined the basement and found it suitable in every respect.

When we returned to the surface, there were 5 very aggressive Bog Gobs, which attacked us. We slew two and knocked two unconscious before the last surrendered. We roused the two unconscious ones and took the three survivors most of the way back to Borgin's rest were we made a brief camp a quarter mile away, while I and Dubham entered the hamlet and brought the mayor and the drunk troubadour out to interrogate the Bog Gobs. It turns out their was recently a coup, and the old Bog Gob leader "RasaeC" was assassinated. The 5 Bog Gobs who attacked us were loyal to the old leader. The new leader wants to be more aggressive and raid riverside communities (like Borgin's rest).

Our two immediate ideas are to ether attempt to infiltrate the Bog Gob camp and kill the new leader, hoping to put another moderate in his place, or to look to the defenses of Borgin's rest. Help them plan their defenses and train a militia. We have spared the 3 Bog Gob as we ponder what to do about these developments.

Fortesque
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Re: AAR: Finders' Keepers

Post by Fortesque » Fri Mar 16, 2018 10:34 am

Journal Entry 1 - Finder’s Keepers

My mentor told me Windlings will not be taken seriously, but that Warriors always are. This puts me in a unique position. I’ve been both laughed at, and offered “friendly advice” about how adventure is too dangerous for someone so small. I’ve been looking for a week now.

Turns out, people who live in the spaces between society are the ones desperate enough to enlist me for work. I’m not picky. They promise me “access” in return for security. You know, I scratch their back, they buy me some (redacted).

His name was Kurt Beck. And just by the way he spoke, his tongue must wear a cloak; one with a very deep hood. He told us of a ruined tower to the south, near Borgan’s Rest. Something about no land-holders deed on record, perfect proximity to roadways, lush forests for privacy...yada yada, you get the picture.

So I meet them at the gates of Throal, finally ready to cross the dweller and face my deepest, darkest fears head-on. And the wizards want to go back to the Great Library; ponder ethical principles of banditry and expound upon social architecture. - What? I’m not allowed to know big words? - These adventurers wanted to start the adventure with dusty tomes and candlelit whispers.

Now I know why my mentor insisted I learn patience.

The Archer, at least, showed spirit. Osahar is his name. An elf, with a fine bow crafted of flowers. A bit self-deprecating, but quite dangerous in a fight, as it turns out.

Borgan’s Rest is a snoozer of a dirt hole. Barely worth mentioning.

We arrived at the ruins. A round platform of fitted stones with a wall the size of an ork in heavy mail. A fat ork...in heavy mail. And the first thing we find there are horrors.

These horrors were black as tar and shaped like birds. The leftover bits of the orichalcum they consume clinging to their illusory fletching. Blood on their wingtips from when they dance over the corpses of the name-givers they’ve tortured. And then they spoke. Not words. Not even sounds. They projected directly into our minds. Such clever horrors they were, too, mimicking the politeness of the best trained Troubadours.

What possessed Fliver to carry on with them? Damned if I know. Maybe he courts Raggok. Or maybe he’s simply dumber than me. - Hey! It could happen! - Apparently, they call themselves chakta birds. And the leader one is called Goldenwing.

It is decided we do not need to fight the bird-thing horrors. They will not impede others from claiming the ruins as their home so long as they bring bread. And the bird-thing horrors even gave us a head’s up about the murder rabbits in the basement. Oh, and they heard about a leader of a nearby bog gob town was assassinated.

I had thought the basement was a trap set by the bird-thing horrors. Turns out, it was just as they had said. Murder rabbits.

There was a fight. We won. Most agreed they are not edible due to disease.

I guess I should mention we never would have gotten access to the basement without Robert moving all the heavy stones out of the way. Robert, son of Paul, the wizard. I think I could beat him in an arm wrestling competition. He used a thick book to do it. No, I don’t have a better explanation than what I’ve already said.

The trap was when we came back out of the basement. The chakta bird-thing horrors had recruited some other horrors to ambush us. These did not fly. They were humanoids made of crap and smelled like a compost heap.

And, again, Fliver wanted to talk to them. I’m beginning to understand why no one takes us Windlings seriously.

This conversation didn’t go so well. They preferred aggressive gesturing. I can sympathize.

More fighting. More winning. This was a bit trickier since the crap these horrors are made of is really sticky; our weapons would not simply slice through them. Arrows and magic were the most useful tools against this enemy, something we had in abundance.

We accepted surrender from one of the horrors, forcing two others into submission. Then we casted our votes and it was decided to escort these things back to Borgan’s Rest so they could be interviewed by the mayor and his village idiot, Lareth and Laurence respectively. To their credit, the humanoid crap horrors remained honorable to their surrender during the brisk walk back.

If Laurence is to be believed - or, for that matter, the crap horrors he spoke with - these things are called bog gobs. I expected bog gobs to be more...impressive...from the stories I’ve heard. These three represent the “old guard” of their society. A real humane lot, with a program of catch and release, with a lot of torture between the catching and releasing. Their new leader is into systematic extermination.

Sounds like the future of this region about to get more violent.

But the ruins are clear and Kurt Beck made good on his promise of payment.

Now I have just a few small matters to clear up. Dubhan, the dwarf wizard that traveled with us, offered to make me a few booster potions. I need to meditate on the talents that underperformed on that adventure so that they prove more useful. And I need to find out what happened to my wine. I remember pouring a bit for each member of my first successful adventure. Then a second pour for me. And a third. I don’t remember much else before waking up this morning with no bottle.

My head is screaming at me like a gahad induced ork. Meditate later.

- Whyr’wyndyl Evenflame, Warrior of the 1st Circle.

CodexDragon
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Re: AAR: Finders' Keepers

Post by CodexDragon » Fri Mar 16, 2018 7:54 pm

Notes submitted by Osahar

Kurt Beck of Fortune Fields Industries needed some Adepts to make sure that a prospective place for business outside of town did not have any dangerous creatures already residing there. He hired myself, Fliver, a Windling illusionist, Rober, a Human wizard, Dubhan, a dwarf wizard, and Whyr'wyndyl, a Windling warrior to check it out. He had a specific ruined tower in mind with a basement he though would be useful.

The ruined tower was near Borgan's Rest, so we headed there first to see if we could pick up any rumors or information about the tower. Larry was able to give us enough information for us to find the tower. When we got to the tower there were some large birds that could speak into our minds and called themselves choctaw birds. They didn't have any issue with us being there or others moving in, but did warn us of dangerous killer rabbits in the cellar. One of the wizards used a spell to move some rubble out of the way of the entrance and we headed down. There were indeed a handful of large hares with big sharp teeth; we killed them all handily.

When we came back out of the cellar, we found that five bog gobs were waiting for us. We attempted to communicate with them, but the instantly moved to attack. We killed two and took the rest prisoner. We had heard a rumor about the assassination of some bog gob leader, so we marched our three captives back to Borgan's Rest in hopes that Larry could communicate with them. We found out there is some unrest among the bog gobs and there could be further skirmishes, if not an all out attack by them.

We went back to Kurt and let him know the cellar he was interested was now cleaned out of vermin.

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BattleChad
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Re: AAR: Finders' Keepers

Post by BattleChad » Fri Mar 16, 2018 8:13 pm

The Great Library of Throal thanks Robert, Fliver, Osahar, and Whyr'wyndyl for their contributions.

Journal Rewards: 40 Legend Points and 57 Silver

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