1.02 To Hell with Hallod Report

General Summary

Veerefel, Lucky, and Kalzium continue on from the cave hoping to find an exit. Lucky spots light ahead, but something isn't right. He sneaks up to get a better look at the open mouth cave. It is filled with boxes. It has a tree at the opening. By the tree were three bodies tied up and gagged. 'Go take a look' the other two whisper back up. As he crawls closer he discovers this cave is trapped. A tripwire awaits. Before he can relay this information, a hidden crossbowman fired into the sand beside Lucky's head. Queue the fight music. The party moves up into the first line of defense, carful to step over the line. Hallod fires again from above, perched in the trees. He has a good shot from his vantage point until lucky moves up to rescue the captives. Unfortunate for him as he didn't see the second, more hidden tripline. A spear sails into his side and he stumbles wounded. Kal summons Hawwwwk in aid from the forest, but not before Hallod drinks something and drops from the tree to face Lucky in melee, kukri in hand. Hallod's muscles ripple from the mutagenic effects of Juggernaut and he feels invincible. Veerefel attempts spell after spell on Hallod with little luck. Lucky, meanwhile, is able to trip with his whip and sap the brute. Gunnar, one of the captives, breaks his leg bonds and runs some distance to the opening. Hallod is unamused by Lucky's antics, dropping the half elf with a gut stab of the curved blade. 'Who's Next' he growled in gladiatorial zeal. Hawwwk harassed the fighter, but not enough to draw his attention away from Veer, taking cover nearby. A quick One Two move with a kukri and uppercut brought the stoic gnome down. Kal helped Canary get free and Hawwwk assisted Gunnar his bonds. Canary had palmed some reagents, enough for a poison, all she needed was a weapon. Fortune or fate had left Hallods armed crossbow at the base of the tree where he dropped it. A quick application of the poison and a lucky shot pierced the thug, sending poison through his system. Meanwhile Gunnar located Lucky and helped him recover some much needed health. Kal, seeing Hallod drop his new gnome friend, opted to leap from a barreltop onto the massive bastard in a grapple. Hallod was prepared. 'Don't Touch Me!' he yelled with a slam. Kal was delivered first to the ground, then flung into the air 20 feet away to the tree. Two people down, one close to death. Only healers remained and the orc fighter still bound. He was already planning his victory meal and how best to sell the bodyparts to his employer when the poison kicked in again. The Pain! Time to finish this and take his healing potion. Surely there was a curative amongst all this reagents. His employer would have something. Hallod rounded on Kal to dispatch him on his way to the bound orc. 'Que DEE Graw' he thought smirking. It was that moment that Lucky rebounded on the mountain. 'Lets have some fun!' he giggled, whipping the mans legs again and tripping him low. With a devistating sap to the brainpan, much more powerful than the kinderlike halfling should be capable of, Hallod was knocked out with a final 'Fuck you guyyyyys' The party, now newly reformed with more friends and renamed 'The Low Bar' bound the brute and search him and the cave. They find a fortune in reagents, some stolen from a mortician in Beachill. Krech, now free, opts the carry the massive man overshoulder for the 3 mile journey back to town. 'We are going to need a cart.' they muse together, hoping that is the end of their troubles with Plaguestone.

Rewards Granted

Loot:

2 everflame torches
1 runestone (unidentified)
+1 kukri
1 vial of Juggernaut Mutagen
2 gp, 7sp, 14cp (someone stole the rest of his purse in the tavern)
50gp worth of reagents. Half of that belongs to Morta of Breachill. Other half is unclaimed.
5gp each for returning Hallod alive to Eltran's folly, paid out by Rolth the Law Warden
a strongbox key, likely to a box somewhere in Hallod's complex.

180xp each player for killing Hallod at level 1
160xp each player for returning hallod alive to Rolth, Law Warden of Eltran's Folly
160xp each player for brining Bort's killer to justice.

Bonus XP & Quick Level

Leveling will use Quick Level threshold of 800xp instead of 1000xp until the first character reaches level 5
For the characters that played in the pregame, Ylandra, Lucky, Veer, & Kal, add a one time bonus xp from the GM to take your character to level 2

Missions/Quests Completed

You have apprehended Hallod and brought Bort's killer to justice However, you have more questions than answers. Who employes Hallod? Why are they stockpiling reagents? What does this have to do with the Blight around town?

Notes

Storyline Now that we have the party in place, I have left the story open to a decision. There are story hooks either way you go You can opt to find out what is really going on in Plaguestone. Hallod was working for someone. This path will take you down a difficult road of combat intensive battles, but there will be some rewards as well. Likely take us another 4 -5 sessons to finish plaguestone. Or I have laid a plotline to allow you to go to Breachill now. You have hallod in custody and you have the reagents. you can return them to Morta and move on to Breachill easily enough. Im good with either decision Rules Review I will do a rules deepdive tonight as a separate article. Send in any questions or discoveries you have made on rules as well.

Campaign

Age of Ashes

Protagonists