Tale of the Black Sword 1 – Beautiful and Terrible As The Dawn

August 13

Ivy Almyr sets out for the Caves of Chaos, accompanied by her retainers.

Our… Heroes?

Ivy Almyr, Fighter 3

Ambrosius Blackcloak, Cleric 3

Nogi of Firedeep, Dwarf 2

Mothclaw, Orc 1

Nogi, Gimwort, and Flarkin usually end up sharing a drink together between adventures, so Ivy’s party heard about the successful raid on the hobgoblin cave. Their new target is the cave of the bugbears, on the other side of the Gorge. Nogi is unhappy to be traveling with an orc, but he is rather cowed by Ivy and Mothclaw seems servile enough.

Ambrosius is the evil priest from the Shrine of Evil Chaos. He escaped the PCs destruction of his cult with a potion of gaseous form, so nobody has actually seen him (although his vestments and wargear are extremely suspicious). Having made his lair in Rivior Blackstar’s tomb and animated the dead king’s body as a wight, he knows exactly whose spirit is bound to the raven-winged helm Ivy wears.

The party's route (they didn't miss much)

TURN 1 – Cave H Entrance: “There are signs beside the entrance cave in kobold, orcish, goblin, etc. Each says: "Safety, security and repose for all humanoids who enter WELCOME! (Come in and report to the first guard on the left for a hot meal and bed assignment.)"

The party reads the suspicious sign at the cave mouth. “Don’t you believe it, my lady,” whispers Ambrosius. “‘Tis but a ruse that these beasts employ to catch their suppers.” He draws out his Scroll of Silence, 15ft Radius. “The creatures are canny, but I have a certain spell that will put them off their guard.” After hearing the spell’s effect, Ivy issues her orders: “Follow me. Leave none alive.”

I decide that the party will get automatic surprise on the first combat (effectively 6-in-6), with a -1 for each subsequent encounter until they hit the standard 2-in-6 chance. They are operating without a light source in the dimly-light cave. Nogi and Mothclaw can naturally see well in low light, and the dark power of Ambrosius’ faith and Ivy’s cursed helmet allow them to see in the dark the way that OSE monsters can.

I wonder if anyone has ever been fooled by the bugbears' welcome signs...

TURN 2 – H35: Guard Room: “3 bugbears… lounge on stools near a smoking brazier which has skewers of meat toasting over the coals.”

TURN 3 – Combat

The party makes short work of the surprised bugbear guards. Ivy and Mothclaw do most of the killing, as Nogi’s bad luck on attack rolls continues. They loot the bodies of 37 gp.

...maybe it's a bad plan b/c of how much catnip they've been smoking

TURN 4 – H36: Chieftain’s Room: “The furnishings of the room are battered and crude, but severa I pieces of silk a re mixed up with the bedding”

Another brief but furious combat ensues. Ivy strikes the killing blow against both the bugbear chief and his wife, but sustains 12 points of damage in the process.

TURN 5 – H36: Chieftain’s Room

They search the room, uncovering a key and the chieftain’s personal treasure hoard, including two healing potions and a rune-scribed hand-axe. Ambrosius convinces Ivy to drink one of the potions, and she hands the axe to Mothclaw – his first reward in her service. They move on.

TURN 6 – H37: Spoils Room

Ivy unlocks the door with the chief’s key. Mothclaw receives a shield +1, and Ivy makes a mental note of the high-quality foodstuffs stored here.

TURN 7 – H35: Guard Room

TURN 8 – Cave Entrance

The party retraces their steps, burning two turns of the Silence spell in the process.

TURN 9 – Hallway

TURN 10 – H38: Common Room: “There are piles of bedding and old garments here and there”

The party achieves surprise once again and dispatches another three bugbears. Mothclaw opens the combat by hurling his new magic axe at a bugbear. Nogi finally starts connecting with his massive great-axe, but takes wounds that reduce him to 1 HP.

Nogi is a little bit like if Gotrek Gurnisson sucked at his job

TURN 11 – H38: Common Room

Ivy gives Nogi the other potion to drink (Ambrosius can’t use his Cure Light Wounds spell in the radius of silence) while the others loot the room. They find a tarnished silver urn and a few coins.

TURN 12 – Hallway

TURN 13 – H39: Guard Room: “There are bedrolls, a bench, a long table, a water pail, and sacks of meal scattered here and there in the chamber.”

Two standard bugbear guards and three grey-pelted old prison wardens keep watch over the prisoners here. They are also surprised, and are quickly overwhelmed and slain.

TURN 14 – H39: Guard Room

The Silence spell wears off. The party searches the room, discovering some more gold coins and the key to the slave pens.

TURN 15 – H40: Slave Pen: “The iron door is secured by a bar, chain, and heavy padlock. Inside is a litter of straw, a bucket, and the following slaves: 1 kobold… 1 goblin… 3 orcs… 2 elves, 1 dwarf, and 2 humans” 

Ivy marches into the pen with the spirit of King Rivior Blackstar roaring triumph inside her head. She announces to the huddled prisoners that their captors are dead at her hand and that their lives belong to her now. She offers them a choice: swear fealty to her and have an honored place as members of her warband, or repay their debt as thralls.

The offer is not particularly well-received, but as the prisoners are chained to a wall facing armored warriors with dripping blades, they all agree to serve. She strikes off their chains with Blackstar and the prisoners kneel before her and swear the ancient oath of the old kings of Eveningstar, unheard for a hundred years.

TURN 16 – H41: Slave Pen: “Another barred, chained, and padlocked iron door keeps safe the following slaves: 3 hobgoblins… 1 (rebel) bugbear… and 1 huge human – a seeming wildman, with mighty muscles, shaggy hair and beard”

Ivy makes these prisoners the same offer, with one dramatic exception: one of the two gnolls chained here snaps at her and she hacks his head off rather than his chains. The second gnoll quiets down at this. When he is freed, Ivy hands him the severed head and tells him to return to his master with this message: the gnolls of the Caves may either join her or die. The gnoll scampers off, eager to rejoin his clan.

While this act of brutality does not inspire confidence from her new followers, it must be said that nobody who had to share a cell with the cannibal gnolls mourns the death either.

Ivy is decided. She will not return to Eveningstar until she comes with fire and sword to unseat the usurper Tessara Winter and reclaim her ancient throne.

THE TALLY

• 9 Bugbears – 450 xp

• 1 Bugbear Chief – 125 xp

• 3 Bugbear Wardens – 75 xp

• Treasure – 1,083 xp

Ivy’s party receives 433 xp each. Ivy achieves level 4! She rolls well for her stat increases, getting +2 Constitution.

Now I need to stat up the former prisoners and decide how I want to handle her new warband and her plans to conquer Eveningstar. While I suspect that she’ll need to remain near the Caves for a while securing weapons, food, and shoring up her defenses against the remaining inhabitants, I’ll also need to write up some defenses and decide in greater detail what a less-organized, powered down version of Lady Winter and her Purple Dragon Knights look like...