The following a retelling our newest OSE campaign Barrowmaze, I used a modified gonzo version of the Village of Hommlet as a starting point for the game. (as mentioned in my Campaign setup piece)
We started with my two daughters and have roped two of their friends in. We are many sessions ahead at this point so I will update this as I can, I do have some set piece photos I'll eventually add .
Chapter 1 The Road
Starting PC’s Malice- Elven Magic User. Nyx, -Half Orc Fighter
Traveling from the great
southern coastal city of Specularum , The caravan of the Silver Standard
Merchant Company makes its monthly journey from the coastal port city and its low lands thru the dangerous
forests and swamps of Duchy of Aerik, eventually arriving in the provinces foothills and its Capital,
Threshold.
The long trip makes many
stops along the way including the backwater villages of Hommlet, Bogtown,
Helix, and Ironguard Motte all resupply points and trading posts for the
Company. The danger of the trip thru theses lawless and rugged lands attracts
Adventurer, Mercenary and Explorer alike. Most common people rarely travel
beyond their place of birth. living out entire existence within the safety of
City or Village of which they are born. It’s only the rare and exceptional ones
who venture out to seek their destiny
where some find Fame, wealth or even both but most find a quick, grim end. The demand for trade goods and the need to
protect them is premise of the Silver
Standard Merchant Company’s existence and it pays handsomely for able bodied
men and women to travel various legs of it monthly journey to assure its merchandise
and important travellers get where they need to be safely and on time.
Malice the fledgling
Magic User and her long time friend and companion the intimidating fighter Nyx arrived in Hommlet at the southern border of
the Duchy of Aerik via one of these Caravans, hired on as two of the numerous
guards for the trip to Hommlet which was so far a surprisingly easy affair. A
group of bandits thought better of engaging the 4 wagon train and over dozen
mercenaries protecting it and merely followed the caravan from a distance for
the last day before reaching Hommlet.
Leaving Specularum under questionable circumstances our two starting PC’s left their jobs as a busy tailor and apprentice
armorer after Malice came upon a particular set of scrolls by accident while
cleaning the study of her Sorceress mentor- Zahara The scrolls told of an expedition to the
great northern swamp known as the Barrowmoor which Just south of the village of Helix lies huge
mass of ancient burial mounds which contain entrances to underground tombs and
passages centuries old. The dead of many
past generations or perhaps even the entombed rubble or a different
civilization was known to contain great treasure and powerful magic for the
taking by those brave enough to try.
Franzika writes of her own expedition there decades ago , she wrote of
crediting the great power and prestige she
now enjoys in Specularum to an ill-fated
expedition to this Barrrowmaze and that it still haunts her dreams these many
years later.
Malice’s obsession with
arcane arts and Nyx’s desire for gold
fueled with the tales of the Barrowmaze was all the incentive the pair
needed to leave their civilian trades and travel to Duchy of Aerik to see if
this place truly exists as described.
Chapter 2 Hommlet
The Village of
Hommlet seemed rather unremarkable by
most standards and looks to be a simple druidic farming community . The arrival in
recent years of Silver Standard has brought progress here and its appears it
may not be as welcome as some would like. Direct trade to the coast demanded
the attention of the Duke Aerik IV who assigned a Castellan to Hommlet to build
a Castle to protect the Duchy’s southern trade routes as well as its borders.,
The new construction brought many men from the north who worshipped the new
faiths here and a Church of St Ygg was quickly established along with new
residents and merchants to serve the
needs of the Castellan. The leaders of Drudic community grudgingly accept these
newcomers for the gold and safety they bring to the village but clearly not all
residents feel that way.
Malice and Nyx arrive at
the Wayside Inn, The only establishment in the village which serves as both a
travelers inn, and the villages social meeting place. They quickly book a room
for the week planning a week long investigation here as the next Caravan moving
north leaves in 7 days time. In the common room they eat, and meet a variety of characters both local and
passers thru like themselves who are
either fortune seekers or mercenaries.
Malice quickly finds hospitality among the local residents as elves are
the children of Silvanus, The Green Man, who is at the core of their Druidic
Faith, where both he and the Demi God, Herne the Hunter are worshipped together
in balance. Nyx meets the town
blacksmith (Brother Smyth) and they talk shop and they later meet a friendly
but clearly degenerate gambler , named Ned whose attempts to cheat are easily
caught by the eagle eyed Nyx, they use
Ned’s vulnerability to pump him for local information where they learn of an abandoned Moathouse
rumored to be a base of operation for humanoid gang of bandits making trouble
in the area. So much so that the Castellan is offering 10gp a head, literally
for Goblin Heads. Neds leads the PC’s to unsavory pair drinking alone in the
back booth of the common room. Hawkeye , a lean and well groomed fellow
sporting an eyepatch over his right eye and the hulking Kano, huge burly
bearded fellow, drinking an enormous beer,
Ned prompts the
discussion of putting a group together to relieve the bandits at these
Moathouse of their stolen loot as he heard that Hawkeye and Kano are looking
for similar work. The pair agree and say that Malice and Nyx seem to be exactly
what the pair are looking for help with such a task. Talk eventually comes
around to the Barrowmoor and the Barrowmaze and while its well known as a place
you don’t want to go to if you value your life they’ve personally never been
there but they do have an acquaintance that the PC’s should meet The towns recently arrived new Carpenter,
Lareth who is a currently retired adventurer and claims to have been into the Barrowmaze
numerous times. Other inquiries about the Barrowmaze are met with ghost stories
of the barrowmoor or a quick change of the subject. The innkeeper Olster
Gungidoot tells the PC’s that another guest of the Inn had mentioned he was on
his way to the village of Helix to do some “treasure hunting” and he staying upstairs
at opposite end of the hall from their room and he went by the name of Dirk
Ironside.
The next morning They
find Dirk Ironside at breakfast and approach him. He’s friendly and freely
talks of the Barrowmaze and he is headed to Helix to put a group together to
explore the burial mounds. He is open to traveling with the PC’s to Helix but
when the Moathouse side trek is mentioned , Dirk says he thinks Hawkeye and
Kano are thugs and drunks and doubts their ability…Should Malice and Nyx put
together a better group he might be interested in raising some cash before he
gets to Helix. Venturing into Hommlet to
walk around , Brother Smyth the blacksmith is working at the Smithy across the
road and waves the pair over. He asks
the pair to visit the Villages Druidic leader, Jaroo who has asked Smyth to
deliver the message they pay respects (tribute) to the Green Man and introduce
themselves as Elves willing to intermingle with
humans here are rare and Jaroo would like to meet her. (The Elves of
nearby Thornwild forest to the north are isolationist and tribal)
They oblige Brother
Smyths request and meet Jaroo Ashstaff in the great grove at the center of
village . Malice pays a generous tribute and Jaroo is friendly and welcoming,
he tells them of dangers of the Barrowmaze and how its not for pairs of
inexperienced adventures and they will need a large skilled group to hope to
succeed and survive. When discussion comes to the Moathouse, he agrees this is a
local problem and his friend , a Ranger named Black Jay is investigating a
continuous stream of missing chickens from homes all over the village and he believes
its goblins sneaking into the village at night. He suggests they speak to Black
Jay and if agreeable he will send Black Jay and Brother Smyth with the group to
the Moathouse. They ask Jaroo about Lareth, he tells them he knows little of
the fellow and he arrived about 6 months previous from the North and took up
the widow of the former town carpenter and became the new town carpenter. While
this seemed a bit odd, Lareth seems charming and honest as is quite popular
among the local folks, He believe he is a follower of St Ygg which is why he
doesn’t know him.
Following the road north
toward Black Jays home, they pass the Carpenters shop and see a tall , very fit
, shirtless man , with long flowing
blond hair sawing lumber in the side yard.
They realize this must be Lareth and engage him. Friendly and charming as described , Lareth offers
them refreshments and tells them tales of his adventures into the Barrowmaze
and how on his last adventure to the tombs he came back filthy rich only to be
waylaid and robbed, by the gang of Renata the Robber the most infamous bandit
in the Duchy. Viscount Kell Ironguard who rules over both Helix and
Bogtown for the Duke from his stronghold
in the town of Ironguard Motte has
placed a hefty reward for her dead or alive. Lareth had no recourse to go after
The bandit queen was basically penniless so he came to Hommlet on invitation of a young widower he had met
months earlier and took her up on a offer to take up her former husband’s carpentry
business. The two are now married and he’s given up his adventuring days. When asked about the Goblin bandits at the
Moathouse..Lareth says he’s heard rumor its more than Goblins but doesn’t say
what. He tells the PC’s the Hawkeye and
Kano are capable enough and since it seems the PCs are trying put a large group
together if they do manage it, He will volunteer to lead it (????) for the good
of the town.
Lareth’s (who they are
now calling “Larry”) bravado was a bit off putting to Malice and Nyx but he
seems like the most experienced of all the people they have met. So they are
thinking it he might be a good idea. After Leaving Lareth they head off to find
Black Jay.
Moving north the PC’s cross the river past the trader
and money lender with the Church of St Ygg looming on the hill above them.
They make note of both establishments and as they reach the church they find nearby the
small home of the Ranger , Black Jay.
Black Jay is interested in their plan as it coincides
with his own suspicious in regards to the missing chickens and as they soon
find out other larger farm animals.
The Ranger is cautious of the local company the PC’s
seem to be associating with however since the planned expedition has Jaroo’s
blessing Black Jay agrees to go to the groups initial meeting later that
evening at the Wayside Inn.
Stopping by the Trading Post on the way back to the Inn, They
meet Reeves and Hugo Grimwood, proprietors of the Trading post and examine
their somewhat clearly overprices stock. They say they are interested some
adventuring supplies and Grimwoods are friendly and full of questions and offer
their goods, pack animals as well as a
trained man at arms to accompany them while doing any local exploring. The PC’s
tell them they will return to make some purchases the next day and will
consider their offers. Oblivious that these two
are agents of the Necromancers of Set and hired Killers who have now
taken a keen interest in what they are
up to.
Chapter 3 To the Moathouse
Reconvening at the
Wayside early evening the details and organization of the group are
discussed. Malice and Nyx the PC’s with
their new friend, the gambler Ned who confesses he is an accomplished thief but
degenerate gambling always has him a step behind. Then the hired muscle of
Hawkeye and Kano. On advice of Jaroo the Druid,
The Ranger Black Jay and Cleric Brother Smyth agree to accompany the
group to oversee the towns interest in the eyes of the Grove and the locals.
Finally there is “retired adventurer and town carpenter” Lareth whos Bravado
alone seems to win over the support of Hawkeye and Kano. After some charisma
checks for the whole group, everyone involved seems to support Lareth as the
most experienced of the group, “I can
fight, I can heal, what more do you need?” he boasts. As drinks are consumed
and celebrate this new group Lareth suggests the head out first thing in the
morning but not too early, they should reach the Moathouse at mid day. Goblins
are nocturnal and they will surely be sleeping during peak daylight hours. Its
best to quick supply up with the basics and meet up at Lareths home. Malice and Nix want to bring an oxen cart,
the reward for goblins dead or alive is of interest to them, not to mention
treasure and weapons, it suggested they
get it one in the morning from the trading post. The group parts and goes their separate ways
for the evening, As the PC’s are about
to go to sleep for the night, there is knock on their door. It’s Dirk Ironside
from the previous evening. “quite the group you two have put together” . “I
thought about minding my own business here but you are walking into a trap. You
cant trust Hawkeye and Kano, and that Lareth character is a fraud if , I’ve
ever seen one. You need me along just to have someone to watch your back. No
one is coming to save you out there.”
There well debate about an extra member, Hawkeye already complained
about too many in the group , Malice recalls. Nyx is hesitant to Dirks offer
but Malice offers him her share of any gold, requesting only scrolls…and He
readily agrees.. Nyx follows suit.
The PC’s visit the
Trading Post as soon as its opens and resist the Grimwood brothers hard sell to
take along their Man at Arms…they rent the Oxen cart , It is in poor shape and
the oxen clearly pasts it prime but it can move at walking speed weighted down
and its roughly only 5 miles past the town’s borders to this Moathouse. The
grab a bare minimum of adventuring supplies, despite both being demi humans
with infravision, they purchases the basics, Food, Torches, Sacks, Ropes,
etc not know what the others will bring
, they are the last to arrive at Lareths, Dirk in tow…there is a bit of scene
about Dirk which almost leads to brawl between Dirk and Kano, when said he is
not taking a share but one of the PC’s. Lareth smooths things over and group departs they are:
Malice, Elven Magic User
Nyx, Half Orc Fighter
Ned , Human Thief
Lareth, Human
Dirk Ironside
Human Fighter
Hawkeye, Human Thief (Assassin)
Kano Human Fighter
Black Jay Human Ranger
Jay’s hunting dog, he just calls hound.
Brother Smyth- Human, Cleric
Traveling the weather
beaten track thru the lowland and what eventually becomes marsh the moathouse looms before them by Midday, a low fog still sit
heavy on the surrounding bog. The moathouse is dead quite and they approach the
gates splintered open, the metal portcullis laying over the soggy moat
replacing a rotten broken drawbridge. Black Jay the Ranger sends his hound in
to investigate as the group unpacks the cart
as the dog begins growling on the bridge. The hound is suddenly gone in
a flash grabbed by huge red tongue and swallowed, As 6 Giant Frogs leap from
the swamp and attack the party.
The Frogs lumber in and
mostly miss trying to chomp at the group.
Dirk and Nyx are slightly wounded,
Malice casts her Sleep spell and
three of the frogs fall, on the following round strong dice has Hawkeye , Nyx,
and Kano making short work of the remaining frogs, with ranged attacks from
Black Jay and Ned assisting , finishing the sleeping frogs after the fight is
Dirk job and he does so greedily finding a lucky gem in the one of the Frogs
gullet. Brother Smyth heals Nyx’s wound
, and Black Jay searches the remaining Frogs and finds it too late for his
hound who is quite dead. , Black Jay digs a quick hole, and the group slowly
crosses the make shift draw bridge into the courtyard.
End of part 1.