| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

FR - 5E - Hunters

Page history last edited by Jon Goranson 3 years, 9 months ago

Hunters

 

May 28, 2020

 

The group checks around and finds tracks but keeps heading south to find the ruins.  They find other tracks that aren't goblinoid and wonder at that.  Several of them see smoke coming from the south and they head in that direction. Rolen does find some strange tracks.  Padded paws with claws but too many for a wolf.  At one point, Dio thought he saw a wolf shape observing them but didn't get a good view of it.  

 

Eventually, they can tell that it is a village but several buildings have collapsed.  Villagers are working in the rubble and others are herding chickens and goats.  This matches up with the grazing area and goat tracks they saw.  When they get close and start asking question, the villager they are talking to is literal and they aren't getting the answers they want.  Another villager, short and gaunt, comes over and introduces himself as Bradley.  The group talks to Bradley and while he offers them hospitality, Dio gets a strange feeling about the village and doesn't want to stick around.  They ask about the goblins and the weird vibe goes up to eleven when Bradley says they want a goblin.  Bradley keeps pushing for the group to bring some goblins back, bring some goblins back.  When asked why, Bradley says quite earnestly, "they taste good."  

 

The women nearby tending the animals all say, "Mmm.  Goblins."  

 

Even one of the men digging through the rubble pauses to say he finds goblins a tasty treat.  

 

The group quickly takes their leave, after a failed attempt at directions involving Yana's tree, Lana's tree, Georg's rock, and Lena's tree.  Dio hides long enough to call upon Moradin to better understand the aura he is feeling from the villagers.  There is definitely a corrupt feeling to the place and Dio can't wait to leave.  He does want to come back and understand what is happening with them.  

 

They head west and find some more tracks.  They find small clusters of scrub trees, pine and others, and up ahead, Dio and Kaji feel the ritual that is happening.  Even though they are still over a hundred yards apart, Dio feels the need to do something about it and so bangs his hammer and shield while shouting.  The rest of the group just stare at him.  So much for surprise or sneaking closer!  

 

The goblins don't seem to have much of a plan.  A few are trying to flank from both sides but many are just hurling themselves at the party as fast as they can go.  Rolen takes out a few before they get too close.  Gorstag hits a few but there is a shaman and some of the goblins are healed up!  Rolen targets the shaman with his attacks.  It turns out there is another shaman, using the connection to Kossuth's realm that Kaji felt, that sends balls of exploding fire at the group!  Only two thirds of the charging goblins make it to the group and while they do manage to pelt Dio and Gorstag and cut at them with their weapons, the group sticks together, is able to heal each other when one of them goes down, and soon it's only the far shaman left.  He tries to get away but Kaji is able to call upon the fire the shaman was using to blast him with flames and then Rolen struck him down with an arrow.  

 

At this point, the wolf like creature bounds out from the trees and starts eating the goblin shaman that was using the fire.  Dio is not happy about that and approaches this creature with the rest of the group.  The creature just wants the goblin to eat.  Rolen keeps calling him Bradley, although the creature denies it.  Dio wants to track this down later but doesn't think they should do it just now, so backs down.  The creature finishes his meal and leaves.  

 

The group decides to rest before burning the bodies.  They wonder if they should have waited or not, even though they were all tired and needed it.  However, Bradley led a group of villagers onto the battlefield and they leave with maybe ten goblin bodies?  The group doesn't want to think about it.  

 

They know they need to rest and decide to stay there, as it's already an established camp.  They do a bit of hunting for fresh food and cook and eat.  In the morning, as they are getting ready, owlbears attack!  It is a family of three owlbears and when they hit, they hit hard!  However, Kaji tried out a new ability to levitate even unwilling creatures and managed to keep one owlbear hovering in the air for them to pelt from a distance!  While Gorstag and Dio took some bad hits by the beak and claws, they take down the other two.  Rolen also got some good shots on the owlbears with his bow.  The group decides to spend the day getting meat, pelt, feathers, and organs from the owlbears.  They think they can get some good crowns for it all!  

 

The group loads up on owlbear meat and then heads back and gets weapons that they think Kristoff will like for the guards and head back to town.  They get back late and barely say much.  They just go up to their rooms and collapse.  The next morning, they see that Aznela moved the meat to her cold storage.  She's interested in buying it all and they get a fair price for it.  Dio then insists on getting the first steak from the meat, which he has for breakfast.  It's gamey but Anzela, or her cook, know what they are doing because it is good.  While they are there, they see Kristoff is there and they start talking about the contract they had with him.  Kristoff stops them before speaking about their proof, so they don't put anyone off their meals, and says to come see him in his office.  They agree.  

 

The group had asked who might like some of the owlbear parts, and find a local herbalist and apothecary, Siobhan, and go to see her.  Siobhan is pleasant enough and soon they are making deals with her for the liver and the neck parts they got.  She trades some crowns and potions for them.  They don't order any but say they would buy more potions and she says she will start some.  They also find out what kind of plants to find, or other fauna she might want, in case they see it while they are out.  

 

They go see Kristoff and he is happy with the progress they made.  He didn't know how many goblins were out there but gladly pays them the remainder owed on them having killed over thirty.  Kristoff says that even if it's not all of them, it should dent them well enough. Kristoff knows of Riverside and was hoping it was in ruins.  He had been told by some trappers that it was but they must have built up.  Kristoff explains that he knows what they do but they haven't made trouble and no one has complained about them.  He grumbles that he will have to resume patrols up there.  The group then talks a bit about what else is in the area they could check out.  Kristoff knows of some ruins to the north but says he has no jobs for them up there.  He suggests a few towns, mining and herding, that might give them better directions.  They thank him and head back to the Sleeping Giant.  

 

When they get there, they are approached by a human.  He introduces himself as Rickard and says he wants their help in something.  He takes them to an out of the way table and says he wants their help taking out Riverside.  All of it.  Rickard then goes on to explain that they are actually ghouls and while he hasn't heard of them going after humans, dwarves, or elves, he says it's only a matter of time.  Dio wants to try and save who he can and Rickard is fine with that.  They discuss it and agree at first light the next day to head out with Rickard and see about the village.  

 

500 xp

 

GM Notes

  • I really liked the directions given.  Makes sense to the local, to describe it via Georg's rock!
  • I'm glad the creepy vibe of the village was there.  "Mmm.  Goblins." 
  • I was better with accents. 
  • I'm still not so sure they aren't getting a bit much magic and gold.  I may have to watch that. 
  • I do find these fights interesting when they start a long range.  It really makes things interesting for more front line fighter builds.  
    • Had I known I was going to make such big maps, I would have said so at the beginning.  It might have changed up the builds of characters.
    • I'm still planning on having dungeons, though, so not having everyone use ranged is still a good thing.   
  • I thought it was a good mix of role playing and combat and worked well.   

 

BACK

 

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.