Post by Bruce on Jun 29, 2017 20:22:33 GMT
GM’s Observations
- Rook and Griffin wait for the bandits to realise that their tribute collecting force has been wiped out. In the meantime, there are preparations to be made and alliances to be forged.
Part 1 - The Enemy Camp (Day 18)
- The next morning, Rook (Grant) and Griffin (Ethan) meet early for breakfast. There are very few early risers in the aftermath of the previous night’s celebrations, but the two friends are keen to discuss the next steps. Rook’s priority to pursue the bandits back to their base, figuring that a force with six rock giants should be easy to track. He asks Griffin to take command of the Bloodstone forces until he gets back.
- Rook heads north shortly after sun-up, and follows the tribute collection force’s trail back to an encampment two days march from Bloodstone in the Galena Mountains. He takes extreme care in approaching the enemy camp given that he is almost certain that they will have normal and supernatural sentries.
- The bandit army is better equipped and better organised than he had imagined. They have hundreds of orcs, wargs (he wasn’t expecting cavalry), a large number of giants and ogres, a number of black-clad assassins operating as commanders, at least one wizard, some sort of invisible ‘eye in the sky’, and even two wyverns - primitive dragon-creatures with scorpion stings for tails. He watches them for a time, being careful to mask himself (GM’s note - he has had a lot of practice doing this) and then withdraws and returns to Bloodstone.
- On the three hour flight back, he mulls over whether to attack the bandits in their base, but decides not to do so as the enemy would probably see them coming and the Bloodstone forces would be at a significant disadvantage. He also wonders if this is the only bandit encampment. The force he discovered was larger than he expected - he considers it possible that what he has discovered is only part of a larger whole.
- By the time Rook returns, it is well past midday. He finds Griffin drilling the villagers hard - he has half of them digging pits outside the walls in accordance with Rook’s plans and the other half working on on the walls which have been recently repaired and upgraded. Rook thinks Griffin is driving them a bit too hard, but decides to let Griffin continue for the time being. He convenes a council of war with Baron Tranth, Stephan, Quillan, Abbot Aldric, Captain Olric (of the Royal Dragoons) and Lady Aelfwynn and shares what he has learned. (Griffin is not included as he still supervising the work around the village) The council agrees with Rook that they would wait for the enemy to come to Bloodstone - the enemy does not appear to be aware that first bandit army sent against them has been destroyed but all expect some sort of punitive attack to be sent when they are declared overdue.
- Rook decides to send Griffin back to the centaurs to request their aid. He takes over command of the army from Griffin (much to the villagers’ relief) and sends Griffin out again. Olric sends two of the Royal Dragoons with Griffin as an escort.
- As the day draws to a close, Rook wonders pensively if waiting is the right course of action. He uses Umbral Sight from time to time to see if anyone is spying upon the village, but sees no one.
- In the Inn of the Clowns that evening, everyone is tired from digging pits and bolstering the wall defences. No one seems to want to dance or listen to music. Stephan pours drinks quietly but even he seems to be tired today.
* Image for Stephan (the Innkeeper) sourced from Google Images
- A peasant named Brus (GM’s note - Brus, get it? Bruce. Yes, I’ve decided for a self-insert, but it’s hardly a Mary Sue, trust me) decides to tell a story of the battle, but the audience is tired and his storytelling ability is woeful. He doesn’t even get through the story - some of the patrons call it an early night, others continue their conversation and eventually Brus gives up in dismay.
Part 2 - More Fortifications (Day 19)
- Rook doesn’t like waiting. He organises battlefield drills, and directs the villagers to keep working on the pits. He uses Umbra to break up some of the larger boulders on the battlefield so that any giants that the bandits send against them will have no missiles to throw. He begins working on plans as to how to deal with more rock giants, and the two wyverns that he saw.
- The stockpile of metal that the village has been able to gather from the dead orcs is significant. Olaf has been working hard to turn it into usable material. He has made a number of crude iron stakes to make it difficult and dangerous to climb the walls. Rook thinks over what more he could be doing - he is thinking beyond the next wave. What happens after that? Will the bandits throw everything they have at Bloodstone, and what more could be done to improve the defences? He wonders about diverting the river.
- A morning conversation with the Abbot gives Rook pause. Rook answered one of the Abbot’s questions, telling him that he wanted to make the village self-sufficient such that it could protect itself in the future. Aldric interprets this to mean that Rook won’t be staying and this alarms the Abbot far more than Rook expected.
- The day drags on. Rook contacts Griffin and finds that he has still not reached the centaur village. Griffin explains simply that there are other bands of orcs in the valley and he’s been busy hunting one of them down. Rook doesn’t pry further, but wishes him success with his meeting with the centaurs.
- Late in the day, Griffin reaches the centaur village once more is welcomed by the Council of Elders. He explains the situation and their chief Valon invites Griffin to stay while they deliberate. Griffin can do nothing but wait politely, but he finds company in Vikos, the young centaur whose leg he healed. Vikos is particularly interested in the broader world, and he and Griffin talk for hours.
- That night at the inn, Rook plays a little and Brus decides to try again. This time he is better prepared and he tells the story of the village from ‘olden times’ through to the current day, which he refers to as the ‘Great Bloodstone Saga’. His tale is entertaining enough, and Rook chips in with a little mood music to help the story flow. But once the story is over, Rook’s thoughts return to his friend, and also when the bandits will realise that the tribute collectors won’t be returning. He figures that tomorrow the bandits will declare their force ‘overdue’. He wonders what will happen next, and decides to inspect the village perimeter in owl-form.
- To his surprise, he spots someone moving outside the village walls, heading towards the village. Shadowing the cloaked figure, he decides to give an owl-like hoot to attract the individual’s attention - and to his surprise he finds that it is Aelfwynn. He has no idea why she would be leaving the village in the middle of the night, without an escort and probably without telling anyone.
- Frustrated and a little concerned, Rook contacts Griffin via Icon and asks if he knows where Aelfwynn would be going, but Griffin has no idea. Rook is even more frustrated that the centaurs are still deliberating whether to help or not. He suggests that the dwarves of the Orothiar Clan might be willing to help and asks that Griffin return to Bloodstone in the morning if the centaurs do not make a decision.
Part 3 - Alliance with the Centaurs (Day 20)
- In the morning mists, the chief Valon and their priestess Shinar agree to return to Bloodstone with Griffin to see for themselves if what he says is true. If it is, Valon swears that they will have an accord. Vikos volunteers to come too - he wants to learn more about humans.
* Image for Chief Valon sourced from Google Images
- In Bloodstone, the preparations for war continue. Morale is high. The defenders have all of their grain stores which will be vital for the coming winter months. Their walls are high and strong, and the enemy has been beaten once. Rook continues to keep them busy so that they will not begin to worry or question what might go wrong.
- One of the biggest concerns Rook has is that if the war becomes drawn out, Bloodstone has almost no gold reserves. The Barony is effectively broke and cannot afford to maintain the fighting force that is needed to protect it. By killing the Midai monster, he has opened the possibility of fishing in the lake once more - that will improve the food supply but is unlikely to resolve the Barony’s financial problems. The only option seems to be to reopen the Bloodstone Mines which were shut down years ago due to a mine collapse. But that will take time. A solid alliance with the Orothiar dwarves seems to be in the Barony’s long term interests.
- Rook receives an Icon contact from Griffin with the good news that the centaurs have joined them. They talk about Aelfwynn leaving the village - Rook speculates that given she practices ‘old magic’ that perhaps there is a grove or other natural sacred place nearby, but he can’t afford to have the Baron’s daughter heading into danger and potentially being killed or taken hostage. Rook also asks ask to whether Griffin can tell (via divination) whether the bandits are mobilising once more. Griffin tells him that he did a divination whilst waiting for the centaurs to make a decision. He believes that they know something is wrong. Griffin asks if there have been any messenger falcons of late, and Rook admits that there have not.
- Following the conversation, Rook discusses with Baron Tranth about an edict forbidding anyone from leaving the village. The Baron agrees and the villagers are informed. Rook also addresses the villagers to tell them that the bandits will know by this point that the tribute collectors have been destroyed, and they will be sending more. He announces that the centaurs have joined them, and others will too. This raises their spirits.
- That night, the talk in the inn is positive, but Grant is a little tense. He checks the perimeter more than once, and talks with all of the sentries about the importance of being vigilant. At last he checks in on Jamison’s cell, but once more he is advised that no one has tried to visit the prisoner.
- (GM’s note - Grandfather, the Lord of the Bandit Army, worked out on Day 20 that something was very wrong. Judging that Jamison had been compromised somehow, Grandfather sent scouts in the evening to observe the village.)
Part 4 - The Tale of the Lost Princes (Day 21)
- Rook sends out scouts the next morning, and takes to the air himself to see if the bandits are on the move - but there is no approaching army. In the late afternoon, Griffin returns with his Royal Dragoon escort and three centaurs. Valon, Shinar and Vikos are reacquainted with the Baron, and they meet the rest of the council. Shinar is put under Lady Aelfwynn’s protection, Valon remains with Rook and Baron Tranth.
- Griffin is almost immediately asked to head to the dwarves hold of the Orothiar Clan. Rook presses upon him that if the bandits are on the move, they will arrive in two days. Rook thinks it unlikely that the dwarves will be able to make it in time, but he will pull Griffin through the Icon if the fighting begins before he is back.
- As Griffin organises a fresh horse for the journey, Captain Olric seeks him out and again insists that he travel with an escort. Two men travel with Griffin, and they are joined by Vikos who wishes to meet the dwarves.
* Image for Captain Olric sourced from DeviantArt. This one is by Podzadpinator
- The rest of the day is like the previous - preparing for war.
- That evening, Brus is encouraged to tell more of his ‘Bloodstone Saga’ but he admits to not being ready. Instead he decides to tell the legend of the Lost Princes, much to the bemusement of Rook. Brus tells the story of two Princes, one from the north, one from the south, neither of which have a kingdom for both have since been lost. They travel near and far, seeking adventure and fame, but never for wealth or fortune. One has hair of red flame, the other does not. One is tall and strong, the other is not. Brus enthrals the audience as many in the audience acknowledge the tantalising possibility that Rook and Griffin are those legendary two, but Rook says nothing to confirm or deny and no one in the audience dares ask the question.
- At last, the story is done and Rook calls for some music and dance. He plays a little, before excusing himself.
- That night, Raquel and Carlotta ask a lot of questions of Rook. They seem intoxicated with the possibility that he might actually be Prince Grant, and Rook says nothing to deny it.
- (GM’s note - A trio of assassins from the Grandfather’s army observed the village’s defences from a distance on Day 21. They were not detected. They would have attempted to enter the village, but their leader considered it too risky and besides, it was very obvious that substantial improvements in the defences had been made..)
Part 5 - Punitive Force on the March (Day 22)
- Preparations in village of Bloodstone continue. Griffin has been performing more regular divinations and he contacts Rook to advise him that the bandit army is on the move. Rook heads out to perform an aerial inspection of the enemy force. He finds them easily and counts 300 men, 120 warg riders, 120 goblins and 6 stone giants. Their leader is a giant of a man who is flanked by four black ogres. The force is smaller than he expected so he wonders what else is present that he is not seeing.
- Rook turns to Bloodstone and the planning begins again, this time with the centaur war master Valon also joining them. Rook contacts Griffin via Icon and Griffin explains that the dwarves are only too eager to join. Half of their number (60 dwarves) are already arming themselves under the command of Captain Gailan, and they’ll ‘run’ to Bloodstone. Rook asks if they will make it in time, but Griffin confidently says that he’ll help them (implying that he’ll use Eidolon to keep them going).
…. the session actually continues to Day 23 where the bandit army started burning outlying farms, but it’s better for the narrative if I leave that to Session 113.
- Rook and Griffin wait for the bandits to realise that their tribute collecting force has been wiped out. In the meantime, there are preparations to be made and alliances to be forged.
Part 1 - The Enemy Camp (Day 18)
- The next morning, Rook (Grant) and Griffin (Ethan) meet early for breakfast. There are very few early risers in the aftermath of the previous night’s celebrations, but the two friends are keen to discuss the next steps. Rook’s priority to pursue the bandits back to their base, figuring that a force with six rock giants should be easy to track. He asks Griffin to take command of the Bloodstone forces until he gets back.
- Rook heads north shortly after sun-up, and follows the tribute collection force’s trail back to an encampment two days march from Bloodstone in the Galena Mountains. He takes extreme care in approaching the enemy camp given that he is almost certain that they will have normal and supernatural sentries.
- The bandit army is better equipped and better organised than he had imagined. They have hundreds of orcs, wargs (he wasn’t expecting cavalry), a large number of giants and ogres, a number of black-clad assassins operating as commanders, at least one wizard, some sort of invisible ‘eye in the sky’, and even two wyverns - primitive dragon-creatures with scorpion stings for tails. He watches them for a time, being careful to mask himself (GM’s note - he has had a lot of practice doing this) and then withdraws and returns to Bloodstone.
- On the three hour flight back, he mulls over whether to attack the bandits in their base, but decides not to do so as the enemy would probably see them coming and the Bloodstone forces would be at a significant disadvantage. He also wonders if this is the only bandit encampment. The force he discovered was larger than he expected - he considers it possible that what he has discovered is only part of a larger whole.
- By the time Rook returns, it is well past midday. He finds Griffin drilling the villagers hard - he has half of them digging pits outside the walls in accordance with Rook’s plans and the other half working on on the walls which have been recently repaired and upgraded. Rook thinks Griffin is driving them a bit too hard, but decides to let Griffin continue for the time being. He convenes a council of war with Baron Tranth, Stephan, Quillan, Abbot Aldric, Captain Olric (of the Royal Dragoons) and Lady Aelfwynn and shares what he has learned. (Griffin is not included as he still supervising the work around the village) The council agrees with Rook that they would wait for the enemy to come to Bloodstone - the enemy does not appear to be aware that first bandit army sent against them has been destroyed but all expect some sort of punitive attack to be sent when they are declared overdue.
- Rook decides to send Griffin back to the centaurs to request their aid. He takes over command of the army from Griffin (much to the villagers’ relief) and sends Griffin out again. Olric sends two of the Royal Dragoons with Griffin as an escort.
- As the day draws to a close, Rook wonders pensively if waiting is the right course of action. He uses Umbral Sight from time to time to see if anyone is spying upon the village, but sees no one.
- In the Inn of the Clowns that evening, everyone is tired from digging pits and bolstering the wall defences. No one seems to want to dance or listen to music. Stephan pours drinks quietly but even he seems to be tired today.
* Image for Stephan (the Innkeeper) sourced from Google Images
- A peasant named Brus (GM’s note - Brus, get it? Bruce. Yes, I’ve decided for a self-insert, but it’s hardly a Mary Sue, trust me) decides to tell a story of the battle, but the audience is tired and his storytelling ability is woeful. He doesn’t even get through the story - some of the patrons call it an early night, others continue their conversation and eventually Brus gives up in dismay.
Part 2 - More Fortifications (Day 19)
- Rook doesn’t like waiting. He organises battlefield drills, and directs the villagers to keep working on the pits. He uses Umbra to break up some of the larger boulders on the battlefield so that any giants that the bandits send against them will have no missiles to throw. He begins working on plans as to how to deal with more rock giants, and the two wyverns that he saw.
- The stockpile of metal that the village has been able to gather from the dead orcs is significant. Olaf has been working hard to turn it into usable material. He has made a number of crude iron stakes to make it difficult and dangerous to climb the walls. Rook thinks over what more he could be doing - he is thinking beyond the next wave. What happens after that? Will the bandits throw everything they have at Bloodstone, and what more could be done to improve the defences? He wonders about diverting the river.
- A morning conversation with the Abbot gives Rook pause. Rook answered one of the Abbot’s questions, telling him that he wanted to make the village self-sufficient such that it could protect itself in the future. Aldric interprets this to mean that Rook won’t be staying and this alarms the Abbot far more than Rook expected.
- The day drags on. Rook contacts Griffin and finds that he has still not reached the centaur village. Griffin explains simply that there are other bands of orcs in the valley and he’s been busy hunting one of them down. Rook doesn’t pry further, but wishes him success with his meeting with the centaurs.
- Late in the day, Griffin reaches the centaur village once more is welcomed by the Council of Elders. He explains the situation and their chief Valon invites Griffin to stay while they deliberate. Griffin can do nothing but wait politely, but he finds company in Vikos, the young centaur whose leg he healed. Vikos is particularly interested in the broader world, and he and Griffin talk for hours.
- That night at the inn, Rook plays a little and Brus decides to try again. This time he is better prepared and he tells the story of the village from ‘olden times’ through to the current day, which he refers to as the ‘Great Bloodstone Saga’. His tale is entertaining enough, and Rook chips in with a little mood music to help the story flow. But once the story is over, Rook’s thoughts return to his friend, and also when the bandits will realise that the tribute collectors won’t be returning. He figures that tomorrow the bandits will declare their force ‘overdue’. He wonders what will happen next, and decides to inspect the village perimeter in owl-form.
- To his surprise, he spots someone moving outside the village walls, heading towards the village. Shadowing the cloaked figure, he decides to give an owl-like hoot to attract the individual’s attention - and to his surprise he finds that it is Aelfwynn. He has no idea why she would be leaving the village in the middle of the night, without an escort and probably without telling anyone.
- Frustrated and a little concerned, Rook contacts Griffin via Icon and asks if he knows where Aelfwynn would be going, but Griffin has no idea. Rook is even more frustrated that the centaurs are still deliberating whether to help or not. He suggests that the dwarves of the Orothiar Clan might be willing to help and asks that Griffin return to Bloodstone in the morning if the centaurs do not make a decision.
Part 3 - Alliance with the Centaurs (Day 20)
- In the morning mists, the chief Valon and their priestess Shinar agree to return to Bloodstone with Griffin to see for themselves if what he says is true. If it is, Valon swears that they will have an accord. Vikos volunteers to come too - he wants to learn more about humans.
* Image for Chief Valon sourced from Google Images
- In Bloodstone, the preparations for war continue. Morale is high. The defenders have all of their grain stores which will be vital for the coming winter months. Their walls are high and strong, and the enemy has been beaten once. Rook continues to keep them busy so that they will not begin to worry or question what might go wrong.
- One of the biggest concerns Rook has is that if the war becomes drawn out, Bloodstone has almost no gold reserves. The Barony is effectively broke and cannot afford to maintain the fighting force that is needed to protect it. By killing the Midai monster, he has opened the possibility of fishing in the lake once more - that will improve the food supply but is unlikely to resolve the Barony’s financial problems. The only option seems to be to reopen the Bloodstone Mines which were shut down years ago due to a mine collapse. But that will take time. A solid alliance with the Orothiar dwarves seems to be in the Barony’s long term interests.
- Rook receives an Icon contact from Griffin with the good news that the centaurs have joined them. They talk about Aelfwynn leaving the village - Rook speculates that given she practices ‘old magic’ that perhaps there is a grove or other natural sacred place nearby, but he can’t afford to have the Baron’s daughter heading into danger and potentially being killed or taken hostage. Rook also asks ask to whether Griffin can tell (via divination) whether the bandits are mobilising once more. Griffin tells him that he did a divination whilst waiting for the centaurs to make a decision. He believes that they know something is wrong. Griffin asks if there have been any messenger falcons of late, and Rook admits that there have not.
- Following the conversation, Rook discusses with Baron Tranth about an edict forbidding anyone from leaving the village. The Baron agrees and the villagers are informed. Rook also addresses the villagers to tell them that the bandits will know by this point that the tribute collectors have been destroyed, and they will be sending more. He announces that the centaurs have joined them, and others will too. This raises their spirits.
- That night, the talk in the inn is positive, but Grant is a little tense. He checks the perimeter more than once, and talks with all of the sentries about the importance of being vigilant. At last he checks in on Jamison’s cell, but once more he is advised that no one has tried to visit the prisoner.
- (GM’s note - Grandfather, the Lord of the Bandit Army, worked out on Day 20 that something was very wrong. Judging that Jamison had been compromised somehow, Grandfather sent scouts in the evening to observe the village.)
Part 4 - The Tale of the Lost Princes (Day 21)
- Rook sends out scouts the next morning, and takes to the air himself to see if the bandits are on the move - but there is no approaching army. In the late afternoon, Griffin returns with his Royal Dragoon escort and three centaurs. Valon, Shinar and Vikos are reacquainted with the Baron, and they meet the rest of the council. Shinar is put under Lady Aelfwynn’s protection, Valon remains with Rook and Baron Tranth.
- Griffin is almost immediately asked to head to the dwarves hold of the Orothiar Clan. Rook presses upon him that if the bandits are on the move, they will arrive in two days. Rook thinks it unlikely that the dwarves will be able to make it in time, but he will pull Griffin through the Icon if the fighting begins before he is back.
- As Griffin organises a fresh horse for the journey, Captain Olric seeks him out and again insists that he travel with an escort. Two men travel with Griffin, and they are joined by Vikos who wishes to meet the dwarves.
* Image for Captain Olric sourced from DeviantArt. This one is by Podzadpinator
- The rest of the day is like the previous - preparing for war.
- That evening, Brus is encouraged to tell more of his ‘Bloodstone Saga’ but he admits to not being ready. Instead he decides to tell the legend of the Lost Princes, much to the bemusement of Rook. Brus tells the story of two Princes, one from the north, one from the south, neither of which have a kingdom for both have since been lost. They travel near and far, seeking adventure and fame, but never for wealth or fortune. One has hair of red flame, the other does not. One is tall and strong, the other is not. Brus enthrals the audience as many in the audience acknowledge the tantalising possibility that Rook and Griffin are those legendary two, but Rook says nothing to confirm or deny and no one in the audience dares ask the question.
- At last, the story is done and Rook calls for some music and dance. He plays a little, before excusing himself.
- That night, Raquel and Carlotta ask a lot of questions of Rook. They seem intoxicated with the possibility that he might actually be Prince Grant, and Rook says nothing to deny it.
- (GM’s note - A trio of assassins from the Grandfather’s army observed the village’s defences from a distance on Day 21. They were not detected. They would have attempted to enter the village, but their leader considered it too risky and besides, it was very obvious that substantial improvements in the defences had been made..)
Part 5 - Punitive Force on the March (Day 22)
- Preparations in village of Bloodstone continue. Griffin has been performing more regular divinations and he contacts Rook to advise him that the bandit army is on the move. Rook heads out to perform an aerial inspection of the enemy force. He finds them easily and counts 300 men, 120 warg riders, 120 goblins and 6 stone giants. Their leader is a giant of a man who is flanked by four black ogres. The force is smaller than he expected so he wonders what else is present that he is not seeing.
- Rook turns to Bloodstone and the planning begins again, this time with the centaur war master Valon also joining them. Rook contacts Griffin via Icon and Griffin explains that the dwarves are only too eager to join. Half of their number (60 dwarves) are already arming themselves under the command of Captain Gailan, and they’ll ‘run’ to Bloodstone. Rook asks if they will make it in time, but Griffin confidently says that he’ll help them (implying that he’ll use Eidolon to keep them going).
…. the session actually continues to Day 23 where the bandit army started burning outlying farms, but it’s better for the narrative if I leave that to Session 113.