Adventure Log, Session 1 Elitheris Gets to Port Karn
General Summary
Elitheris woke up before the sun crept over the horizon. It was predawn, and twilit, and from her bedroll laying up against a fallen log, she could see the small lake that she had camped beside. Mist curled off of it in the gloom, the tendrils of fog filtering through the rushes that surrounded the water's edge. She could hear the occasional plop of a fish, jumping to grab some insect for its breakfast. Surrounding the lake was the jungle, although the spot she chose for her campsite for the last eightday or so was a grassy clearing. She suspected the soil beneath her wasn't very supportive of jungle plants, otherwise there wouldn't have been a clearing at all, only more jungle.
Despite the peaceful beauty of the lake, it was time to move on.
Elitheris broke camp at the pretty lake. Her snares had netted her three meals: a rabbit, and a nutria. She kept the rabbit skin. She traveled eastward, but by evening found herself traveling west. Odd, she thought, but shrugged, figuring she somehow got turned around in the dimness of the jungle. She made camp, and slept.
The next day she headed east again. She could hear wolves howling in the distance, and she strung her bow.
Suddenly, one leapt out of the undergrowth, biting her leg. Her layered linen gambeson armor protected her, however, and she took no damage; the teeth bit into the fabric, but didn't fully penetrate. She felt the strength of its jaws, though. But now there were more wolves bounding out of the undergrowth towards her, and she scrambled up into a tree. The wolves leapt up to get her until she climbed high enough for them to realize they couldn't get her any more. They milled around at the base of the tree, hoping that she will fall out of it.
Unfortunately for them, Elitheris had other plans, and she started loosing arrows at them. The alpha male took one in the chest, but it just pissed it off. The second one pierced the brain pan, killing it. Seeing the leader die, slumping in a heap in the dirt, the other wolves fled off into the forest. Looking around, she could see a pile of stacked stones covered in vegetation in the distance. She headed off that way, taking the "high road", climbing along the branches from tree to tree, until she got to a ruined tower.
As she was approaching, she saw two wolves run into the opening that used to be a front door. Monkeys lived in the top of the tower, and they were not happy that she was there. The monkeys, tiny, dexterous animals, threw nuts, sticks, small stones, and poop at her. They were annoying, but not particularly dangerous. A brave monkey leapt onto her back, but she grabbed it, yelled “NO!” into its face, and set it down. It ran off in a panic, glad the big monster didn’t eat it.
Elitheris hopped from the tree branch to the ruined wall, looking down into the second floor study. Ruined furniture, debris, and vegetation was what mainly caught her eye, but she hopped down into the study to explore. The monkeys were still howling at her, but aside from the occasional shower of thrown items, they stayed out of her way. She could also hear wolves down below, growling, on the first floor.
She found ruined books, and saw a liquor cabinet and a locked cabinet. She gave the locked cabinet a solid kick, and the weathered wood broke open, revealing the mage's important books. Most were unreadable, but she learned that most involve Mind Control and Necromancy. All of them had the name “Magus Goradyn” written in the inside covers. Two of the tomes are still usable: both are spell books; Major Healing and Disorient. She also found a ruby, enchanted to be a 4pt powerstone. She examined the liquor cabinet; most of the bottles had sludge in them, but two were in good shape. She took the fine apple brandy and the fine gin. Both were old, and very potable.
Next she moved into the other room on this floor, the alchemy lab. It was mostly a mess of broken glass; the monkeys had been here and trashed the place when they kept getting hurt by the broken glass. Now they simply avoided it. In the cabinets she found a wooden box with some alchemical preparations in it. Useful stuff. She also found a magic medallion (it gave the wearer immunity to the disorientation effect of the area around the tower, although technically Eli didn’t know that yet).
The stairs down were blocked by vegetation, mostly grown into the space, but also augmented by the debris the monkeys put there to keep the wolves from harassing them. She cleared enough to start down the stairs. There were four wolves down there, and when she moved down the stairs enough to be visible, they sprang to the attack to repel the invader who was coming into their den. Two immediately run up the stairs; Elitheris backs up through the space in the branches she made. The first wolf attacked, and bit onto her arm. She stabbed it with the arrow she was about to nock, and it let go. The second wolf was now through the branches, and Elitheris jumped up to the ruined wall, attempting to get out of the area where she could be attacked. The second wolf jumped up and bit into her boot, but its teeth failed to get a good purchase. Then she was above them, and while they attempted to jump up high enough to get her, they repeatedly failed. Meanwhile, the alpha female and her cub were moving up the stairs. Elitheris slammed an arrow into the first wolf, killing it. The alpha female arrived, and tried to get at her as well. She put an arrow into the alpha’s foreleg, crippling it, and the alpha slunk off down the stairs, hobbling on three legs, whining softly. Elitheris put another arrow into the remaining wolf’s forelimb, crippling it badly, and it wasn’t able to hobble off. She followed it with another arrow to the head, killing it. She recovered three arrows, and could see downstairs as the alpha female and remaining cub run out the front door and into the forest.
She searched downstairs, finding the living room/kitchen, the jakes, and the closet. She almost missed the trap door, since it was well hidden by a pile of wolf fur-covered debris. She opened it, lit an oil lamp, and went down the stairs. It led to a root cellar, complete with what used to be food, several hundred years ago. She found a wine rack, with 8 unbroken bottles on it. One of them had a label she knows is top shelf stuff. But she was already encumbered, and left them. She discovered a hidden latch that opened up the wine rack, exposing a secret door. That led to what appears to have been an interrogation room (or some kind of experiment room), three locked cells (one with a skeleton in it), and a room with a pentagram inscribed on the floor (summoning room).
Not finding anything else of value, she left. She was still trying to get to Port Karn after all. By the end of the day, the disorientation effect had her moving south instead of east, so she made camp. She would head east, and since she was far enough away from the mages tower the disorientation effect shouldn’t affect her any longer. The next day she was attacked by a pair of flickerbugs: insectoid puma-like creatures with an extra pair of striker limbs at the shoulders that can displace their image off to the side; this image lasts for a second or two before flickering to another location.
She climbed a tree, but not before one of them smacked her on the ass with its striker, doing no damage (the gambeson protected her). The two flickerbugs start jumping up trying to get her. She cast Create Fire, using the ruby for power, and the flames cascade over the flickerbug, and it panicked and ran away. The second one attacked her, but due to a critical failure in its attack roll, its striker limb embedded itself into the tree trunk, trapping it. Now knowing about where it is, she put an arrow into its chest, doing significant damage, and when the flickerbug extricated its limb, it ran off too.
During a night camping, Elitheris noticed something growing on the tree across from her, on the other side of her campfire. It was crystals, growing out of a tree, and they were growing rather quickly, and spreading some kind of crystalline spores. It was like a crystal infection. She used fire to kill the spores, but worried that if she set the tree ablaze, it would start a forest fire, which was something she didn’t want to do…again. So she chopped the tree down (above the crystal growth) to limit the fire, and set the stump (and crystals) ablaze. They “died”. She watched the fire to keep it from spreading. She also noticed, carved in a tree off to one side, a face. It was much like the “green man” faces, rather crude, but Elitheris got the impression that whomever carved it did it with purpose and determination, not just to deface a tree. Examining the tree, she noticed some glass beads scattered at the base of the trunk, under the face. She surmises that it might have been some kind of offering (but for what…?)
Elitheris continued traveling towards the city of Port Karn. Finally, she emerged from the forest, and could see the miles of hedgerows and fields that surround the city. But it was late, and she went back a ways into the jungle to make camp.
That night, she awakened to find some guy rummaging around in her pack. She shouted at him, and he bolted off into the woods, more or less following the treeline between the jungle and the fields. She checked her gear, finding nothing missing. In fact, the man had left a bloody knife. She packed up her camp, and took off after him, tracking him in the darkness by following his tracks. Her night sight was better than his, and she eventually caught up to him, sneaking up to him and putting the knife he left at his throat.
A scuffle ensued, starting with him slamming his elbow into Elitheris’ face, interspersed by some basic questions to try to figure out what was going on. At the end, Elitheris was left with a bloodied nose and lip, a bruised face, and 3 hp damage. He had a major cut in his leg, making it temporarily useless, two lumps on his head from her knife pommel, and a bloody scalp wound from the second strike that knocked him out. She tied him up, bound his wounds, and dragged him to a pasture where she found a not unfriendly Orcish sheepherder (Grumsh), who, for a silver piece, would help her drag the perp’s sorry ass to town.
Grumsh dumped the guy on the boardwalk outside the Rural Watch office in Smokebury, one of the farming hamlets that support the vast area of fields that support the population of Port Karn. He was dragged into a jail cell by the Goblin officer (Tejakkis) and Elitheris. The other officer (who I mislabeled as a Human, forgetting what time it was: he is actually Orcish) made some notes in his ledger about the incident. Apparently they had been looking for someone who had stabbed and killed a lady named Lysette.
Despite the peaceful beauty of the lake, it was time to move on.
Elitheris broke camp at the pretty lake. Her snares had netted her three meals: a rabbit, and a nutria. She kept the rabbit skin. She traveled eastward, but by evening found herself traveling west. Odd, she thought, but shrugged, figuring she somehow got turned around in the dimness of the jungle. She made camp, and slept.
Suddenly, one leapt out of the undergrowth, biting her leg. Her layered linen gambeson armor protected her, however, and she took no damage; the teeth bit into the fabric, but didn't fully penetrate. She felt the strength of its jaws, though. But now there were more wolves bounding out of the undergrowth towards her, and she scrambled up into a tree. The wolves leapt up to get her until she climbed high enough for them to realize they couldn't get her any more. They milled around at the base of the tree, hoping that she will fall out of it.
Elitheris hopped from the tree branch to the ruined wall, looking down into the second floor study. Ruined furniture, debris, and vegetation was what mainly caught her eye, but she hopped down into the study to explore. The monkeys were still howling at her, but aside from the occasional shower of thrown items, they stayed out of her way. She could also hear wolves down below, growling, on the first floor.
She found ruined books, and saw a liquor cabinet and a locked cabinet. She gave the locked cabinet a solid kick, and the weathered wood broke open, revealing the mage's important books. Most were unreadable, but she learned that most involve Mind Control and Necromancy. All of them had the name “Magus Goradyn” written in the inside covers. Two of the tomes are still usable: both are spell books; Major Healing and Disorient. She also found a ruby, enchanted to be a 4pt powerstone. She examined the liquor cabinet; most of the bottles had sludge in them, but two were in good shape. She took the fine apple brandy and the fine gin. Both were old, and very potable.
Next she moved into the other room on this floor, the alchemy lab. It was mostly a mess of broken glass; the monkeys had been here and trashed the place when they kept getting hurt by the broken glass. Now they simply avoided it. In the cabinets she found a wooden box with some alchemical preparations in it. Useful stuff. She also found a magic medallion (it gave the wearer immunity to the disorientation effect of the area around the tower, although technically Eli didn’t know that yet).
The stairs down were blocked by vegetation, mostly grown into the space, but also augmented by the debris the monkeys put there to keep the wolves from harassing them. She cleared enough to start down the stairs. There were four wolves down there, and when she moved down the stairs enough to be visible, they sprang to the attack to repel the invader who was coming into their den. Two immediately run up the stairs; Elitheris backs up through the space in the branches she made. The first wolf attacked, and bit onto her arm. She stabbed it with the arrow she was about to nock, and it let go. The second wolf was now through the branches, and Elitheris jumped up to the ruined wall, attempting to get out of the area where she could be attacked. The second wolf jumped up and bit into her boot, but its teeth failed to get a good purchase. Then she was above them, and while they attempted to jump up high enough to get her, they repeatedly failed. Meanwhile, the alpha female and her cub were moving up the stairs. Elitheris slammed an arrow into the first wolf, killing it. The alpha female arrived, and tried to get at her as well. She put an arrow into the alpha’s foreleg, crippling it, and the alpha slunk off down the stairs, hobbling on three legs, whining softly. Elitheris put another arrow into the remaining wolf’s forelimb, crippling it badly, and it wasn’t able to hobble off. She followed it with another arrow to the head, killing it. She recovered three arrows, and could see downstairs as the alpha female and remaining cub run out the front door and into the forest.
She searched downstairs, finding the living room/kitchen, the jakes, and the closet. She almost missed the trap door, since it was well hidden by a pile of wolf fur-covered debris. She opened it, lit an oil lamp, and went down the stairs. It led to a root cellar, complete with what used to be food, several hundred years ago. She found a wine rack, with 8 unbroken bottles on it. One of them had a label she knows is top shelf stuff. But she was already encumbered, and left them. She discovered a hidden latch that opened up the wine rack, exposing a secret door. That led to what appears to have been an interrogation room (or some kind of experiment room), three locked cells (one with a skeleton in it), and a room with a pentagram inscribed on the floor (summoning room).
Not finding anything else of value, she left. She was still trying to get to Port Karn after all. By the end of the day, the disorientation effect had her moving south instead of east, so she made camp. She would head east, and since she was far enough away from the mages tower the disorientation effect shouldn’t affect her any longer. The next day she was attacked by a pair of flickerbugs: insectoid puma-like creatures with an extra pair of striker limbs at the shoulders that can displace their image off to the side; this image lasts for a second or two before flickering to another location.
During a night camping, Elitheris noticed something growing on the tree across from her, on the other side of her campfire. It was crystals, growing out of a tree, and they were growing rather quickly, and spreading some kind of crystalline spores. It was like a crystal infection. She used fire to kill the spores, but worried that if she set the tree ablaze, it would start a forest fire, which was something she didn’t want to do…again. So she chopped the tree down (above the crystal growth) to limit the fire, and set the stump (and crystals) ablaze. They “died”. She watched the fire to keep it from spreading. She also noticed, carved in a tree off to one side, a face. It was much like the “green man” faces, rather crude, but Elitheris got the impression that whomever carved it did it with purpose and determination, not just to deface a tree. Examining the tree, she noticed some glass beads scattered at the base of the trunk, under the face. She surmises that it might have been some kind of offering (but for what…?)
Elitheris continued traveling towards the city of Port Karn. Finally, she emerged from the forest, and could see the miles of hedgerows and fields that surround the city. But it was late, and she went back a ways into the jungle to make camp.
That night, she awakened to find some guy rummaging around in her pack. She shouted at him, and he bolted off into the woods, more or less following the treeline between the jungle and the fields. She checked her gear, finding nothing missing. In fact, the man had left a bloody knife. She packed up her camp, and took off after him, tracking him in the darkness by following his tracks. Her night sight was better than his, and she eventually caught up to him, sneaking up to him and putting the knife he left at his throat.
A scuffle ensued, starting with him slamming his elbow into Elitheris’ face, interspersed by some basic questions to try to figure out what was going on. At the end, Elitheris was left with a bloodied nose and lip, a bruised face, and 3 hp damage. He had a major cut in his leg, making it temporarily useless, two lumps on his head from her knife pommel, and a bloody scalp wound from the second strike that knocked him out. She tied him up, bound his wounds, and dragged him to a pasture where she found a not unfriendly Orcish sheepherder (Grumsh), who, for a silver piece, would help her drag the perp’s sorry ass to town.
Grumsh dumped the guy on the boardwalk outside the Rural Watch office in Smokebury, one of the farming hamlets that support the vast area of fields that support the population of Port Karn. He was dragged into a jail cell by the Goblin officer (Tejakkis) and Elitheris. The other officer (who I mislabeled as a Human, forgetting what time it was: he is actually Orcish) made some notes in his ledger about the incident. Apparently they had been looking for someone who had stabbed and killed a lady named Lysette.
Rewards Granted
A couple of bottles of old, fine liquor, some alchemical potions and unguents, a 4 point powerstone, and a pair of spell books.
4 character points.
Missions/Quests Completed
She explored an old mage's tower, now engulfed by the jungle.
Character(s) interacted with
Smokebury's Rural Watch night crew (Tejakkis and Tegurr). An Orc shepherd named Grumsh.
Player: Erin
Notes: I rolled crappy damage for the foes; none of the wild animals (wolves or flickerbugs) managed to get past the gambeson. The perp managed to elbow Elitheris in the face, where she had no armor, and did a whole 3 HP of damage. She did well, overall, and managed to control the combats in her favor. She got a chance to use quite a few skills: Acrobatics, Hiking, Running, Climbing, Survival (lots), Navigation, Armory, Bow, Fast-Draw, First Aid, Knife, Naturalist, Stealth, and Tracking. She even used Ignite Fire and Create Fire, and most likely Guide Smoke, although we didn’t specifically name that one (although since she was having a fire each night she likely needed to use it).
Report Date
01 May 2021
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