Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for October 19, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team closed ranks around their injured and prepared to resist the ghouls.  Arminious stepped forward and presented his holy symbol and channeled the might of his deities.  The power flowed through, and the ghouls were turned by his spiritual might!  The beasts fled off into the fog, and the team rushed off into the mist to try and put distance behind them.  Within moments, they could hear footsteps dogging their tail and gnolls barking back and forth with one another.  The gnolls spread out and started flanking the team.  The group realized the danger and decided they needed to get their backs to the river, so they darted back the way they came which confused the gnolls for a moment. 

The party lined up along the river and prepared to defend.  The gnolls closed in hurling spears and a shaman came in casting spells!  She cast hold person and paralyzed lots of party members!  Not to be outdone, Arminious cast his own hold person and paralyzed the bulk of the gnolls.  The shaman then cast darkness centered on the party and used it as cover to flee.  The team shoved the paralyzed gnolls into the river and threw their own helpless allies over their shoulders and sped along the riverbank. 

As the fog lifted, the team could see a war party of gnolls gathering behind them a couple miles away and in steady pursuit.  There was also another much larger creature with them carrying a small tree as a club.  They surmised it to be either an ogre or giant.  After debating they decided there must be a worse threat up ahead or the gnolls would go ahead and close in.  They decided to change course and head into the mountains and try to lose the gnolls.  They broke to the side and climbed into the wooded mountain range. 

As darkness fell, a pair of glowing-eyed dogs emerged from the darkness.  As they charged, flames rolled from their mouths and the beasts began to smoke and flame as they closed in.  The team’s melee fighters moved forward to intercept, and the monsters breathed flames on them and then ran around them into the back flanks!  The group then spent several moments chasing the canines back and forth as they breathed fire over and over.  The party was severely injured but was able to bring down the hellhounds! 

Game summary for October 12, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Grozzadeth Boulderback (Dwarf played by Kaliegh Belda), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team waited for dawn and met up with Selwyn.  He sketched out a map of the Black Peaks and the Foamfire Valley and told them roughly their travel plans.  Not far out of town they found numerous horse tracks and made the assumption they belong to Golthar and the Iron Ring.  After a day or so of travel, they began to hear drumming in the valley and the distant howls of gnoll packs.  Selwyn presumed the gnolls are probably on the trail of the horsemen.

The group traveled through thick fog and came upon a burned out campsite recently destroyed.  A trio of hunters had been there, their bodies dragged off into the fog.  All the team was able to locate were their severed heads on pikes.  Not too far in the distance they heard chanting from a gnoll and tried to sneak around.  Coming through the fog was a horrific sight.  A gaunt sallow-skinned dead man lumbered toward them.  His mouth opened to reveal a maw of razor-like teeth, and a long rough tongue lolled forward as he screamed into the fog and dropped into a loping charge.  Answering cries erupted around the team as more undead came ripping through misty landscape and hurling themselves into the party.  Grozz was bitten and paralyzed while Katarina and Koehan unleashed magic missiles.  Levi cut down one ghoul while Garadal finished off the one damaged by the spellcaster.  More slavering monstrosities hurtled out of the fog toward them, though!

Game summary for October 5, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team ran after the rat-faced man and chased him into a dead-end alley, but he was not there!  Levi used his larcenous eye to realize there was an easy way to use the various debris as a stairway up and over the wall, so he led the team across.  On the other, they could see the man fleeing into a warehouse, and they took up chase.  He fled through the warehouse and into another street.  He ran down a riverside street in full flight toward Northbridge.  The team finally caught up and Katarina tripped him up on the bridge.  They then hog-tied him and carried him across back to the main city.  Unfortunately, they very carefully tied him but did not gag him.  When a patrol came around the corner, he screamed bloody murder.

After being taken to the nearest guard station under suspicion of assault and kidnapping, the team was separated and put in holding.  A few hours later, Sgt. Arthol arrived and had them quietly released.  He tipped them off that the man was going to be released soon too, so the group went back to the tavern while Levi hung back and tailed the man to a house on Fogor Isle.  He crouched outside an open window and watched him talk to a woman removing some make-up and revealing herself to be much younger than she appeared.  The man called her Mafka.  He told her the party had been arrested for kidnapping him and was likely to be prosecuted.  With them in custody, she called off a planned ambush.  She told the man Golthar already had the map because the team fell for their ruse and handed the map directly to the Iron Ring by giving it to Fitel Cocos. 

Levi went back to the Hook and Hatchet to deliver the terrible news.  Realizing they had been duped but not able to set out without their guide for several more hours, they rushed over to the Crossed Swords to see if Golthar happened to be there.  Levi could hear something in the basement.  The team moved into the building, the floor creaking with every step.  They heard creaking coming from the kitchen.  Katarina planned to cast wizard lock on the door if it was an ambush.  Levi peaked through the keyhole and saw an eye peaking back at him!

A reeking troll burst through the door and attacked!  Katarina was mauled while Levi fled up the stairs and the team scattered.  The team made it out the front door where Kalani cast cure light wounds on Katarina.  Meanwhile, Levi nimbly climbed out a second-floor window down to the street.  The team then ran at full speed toward the bridge with the troll in hot pursuit.  It stopped to eat an inebriated man in an alley allowing the team to outpace it and retreat back to the Hook and Hatchet!

Game summary for September 28, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team went to the Hook and Hatchet tavern to meet up with Sgt. Arthol.  They arrived and met a waitress named Prudencia who served them loop ring pastries and coffee.  After a while, the sergeant arrived and sat down with them to drink some beer and eat more loop rings.  They told him about Golthar and the Iron Ring.  He was unaware of the group but was no fan of slavers.  He informed them he discovered the woman they asked about had arrived in town a few hours before the party along with a few men.  They began asking around about the party and ended up meeting with a shady rat-faced human.  Katarina asked if he had any contacts with anyone on Fogor Isle, and he said he had some informants there.  They decided they could get some questions to the informant through him, although they did not come up with any specific questions to ask.  They then secured some logging at the tavern. 

The group then decided they needed to hire a guide to take them up into the Black Peaks.  After some debate, they headed to the docks to see if any mountain men were selling any furs to the river merchants.  They came upon a gnome named Selwyn Earthguard who lives as a trapper and huntsman up in the mountains.  After some discussion, they hired him to be their guide for 5 silver pieces per day.  They predicted a three week trip and sent him to buy provisions and clothing.  He agreed to meet up with them in the morning at the Hook and Hatchet. 

As they left the docks, they saw someone duck into an alley.  Some of the party was able to catch a glimpse of the character and could tell in the lamp light he had a distinct rat-like face. 

Game summary for September 21, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team went to the church library and spoke with Chaplain Raglev.  They showed him their Hutaakan scroll, and he found a fragmented scroll in the library with the same writing.   They explained to him what was going on with the Iron Ring and the danger they may pose to Threshold.  After trying to understand, he told them he felt they were sincere but that they really didn’t have anything of substance to rally anyone to any kind of action.  The team reluctantly agreed. 

The group went outside and saw an old woman fall down in front of a carriage.  Arminious ran forward and diverted the horses and saved her life.  The woman, Mafka, was extremely grateful and offered to read their fortunes.  She held Arminious’ hand and went into a trance.  She saw a tall man in yellow robes outside a building by the river.  She could see him entering in under a sign with crossed swords.  Others wanted their fortunes as well, and she saw a vision of violent men being hanged in the town square in the near future.  She also had a vision of people coming for the party for some kind of blanket or map.  This got the team talking about how to hide or store the map safely.  They asked Mafka if she had any ideas, and she suggested they make a deal with a local merchant.  She mentioned Fitel Cocos, a textile merchant.

The team went to Fitel’s mercantile operations and met with him.  They rented some storage space in his well-guarded vault.  They setup a password to be able to get the materials back.  They then put the tapestry and silver needle along with several jeweled treasures in a crate, boarded it up, and handed it over for safekeeping. 

Next they returned to the church and paid the priests to cast remove curse on Garadal and Katarina to break the curse of the phantom coins.

Game summary for September 14, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team arrived in Threshold and met with Sgt. Arthol of the town guard.  They turned over Hrothgar and the Scange prisoners.  He told them to come by the courts the next day to collect their bounties.  He also invited them to meet up with him at the Hook and Hatchet tavern for a drink and to talk about their inquiry about a dark-haired lady arriving in town recently. 

They then went over to Jeglic’s Junks, a boat dealer.  They sold the captured Blue Belle riverboat for 2,000 gp after Katarina haggled.  They then went to Faustina’s Fine Jewelry to shop for magic items.  They bargained a while and purchased a ring of protection +1, 5′ radius for Katarina.  They eventually came to an agreement to purchase gauntlets of ogre power for Levi and a pair of eggs of wonder. 

Game summary for September 7, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Grozzadeth Boulderback (Dwarf played by Kaliegh Belda), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team lined up along the gunwales to engage the closing brigands.  The Scange archers unleashed a flurry of arrows.  Some struck Garadal and some Grozzadeth.  Katarina and Koehan hit the Scange leader with magic missiles while Garadal started picking off archers with his bow.  The Scange kept trying to grapple the Mudlark, but the team kept cutting the lines.  Several volleys exchanged, but finally the Scange grappled and tried to swarm aboard.  The team put up a heavy resistance and fought their own way onto the enemy vessel!  Arminious hit several of the brigands with hold person.  Then, Koehan trapped several more using web!  The party pulled the ships together, crushing one of the brigands who had fallen into the river.  Soon the brigands were overcome. 

The group interrogated a couple and learned the Scange have a nearby camp.  Also, their leader, Hrothgar, apparently met with the dark-haired woman the previous day.  The party decided to take both ships and the captured bandits to Threshold to see if there is a bounty. 

Game summary for August 31, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

After reviving Byrnwyn, he asked them repeatedly about their plans for when they travel to the location on the Hutaakan map.  They were a bit nebulous about “stopping the Iron Ring” and such.  He posited if they have the map and the Iron Ring doesn’t know where to go without the map, couldn’t they just destroy the map and leave and thus “stop the Iron Ring?”  They scratched their heads a while, and accidentally made Byrwyn believe they were grave robbers.  He tried to flee with the map to save the historic value of the site.  However, his frail form was too slow, and the team blocked the door.  He began screaming for help.  They calmed him down and assured him they would document their findings for history, and he gave them a journal and travel writing kit.

The group decided they would ride up to Threshold on the far side of the river to avoid the road and bandits.  They went to Prestelle and bought riding horses for 90 gp each.  After some debate and conversation with the locals, they learned the terrain on that side of the river was too rough to make good progress on horseback.  Someone suggested they take a boat upriver.  They stabled the new horses and booked passage with Captain Scylla and the Mudlark.

The river boat headed out, and the first evening was uneventful.  The next day Katarina inspired the crew with her musical abilities, and they covered a lot more water than they otherwise would have.  Off in the distance, they spotted the elf Cardia and her magic carpet flying passengers North.  That evening, while on watch a body drifted up to the boat.  It was a woman slain by a trio of black-fletched arrows—a sign of the Scange!  The took the body ashore and buried her before moving on. 

Early the next morning they could see smoke on the water.  Katarina rigged a quick magical feat of engineering to see across a great distance and could tell there was a ruined flaming wagon on the bank surrounded by bodies riddled with black-fletched arrows.  They approached cautiously, and they could hear snarling and barking.  Koehan realized it was a language he spoke, gnoll!  The creatures were feasting on the slain, so the Mudlark drifted as far to the other bank as possible and tried to pass by.  On the shore, the gnolls noticed them and came yelling and taunting the party.  The blood-splattered beasts were fearsome but mostly harmless so far away.  They began howling in a wild frenzy, and in the distance, the party could hear answering calls.  The boat picked up speed, and they sailed away from the marauders.

A short while later, another boat came drifting out from behind a bend enroute to cut off their path. Along with gunwales stood numerous archers with black-fletched arrows.  A large black-armored man stood in the middle of the vessel, the leader of the Scange!

Game summary for August 24, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team took the ferry over into Rifllian and sold a horse to the ferryman on the way over.  Stephan took them over to the Silver Swan Inn, and they met his friend Stubbs Plattermann.  He brought them a fine meal and drinks, and in the conversation they learned that a dark-haired woman and a man named Gactus had been here looking for them.  Throughout the evening several elves came over, and the team sold two more horses.

The next day they headed over to Prestelle, the chief trader, and made a deal to sell the rest of the horses.  While Stephan and Taras finalized that deal and prepared for Taras to return to Sukiskyn, the team went to meet the elven historian, Byrnwyn. 

The old elf talked to the team a while about Xitaqa and their exploits.  He was excited to examine the sword Levi took from the minotaur.  He identified it as the elven blade Cellora, which gives sight to the sightless!  It was last seen in the hands of Ellomir, and elven captain who died long ago at the Battle of the Falling Sun fighting orcs. 

The group showed him the scroll fragment and the completed map.  The elf was stunned by the information and so excited he collapsed!  Arminious leapt to his rescue and revived him there on his floor!

Game summary for August 17, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group interrogated the Red-Blade goblins and the human captives.  They learned Golthar had fled to Kelvin and had groups scouring the countryside looking for the party.  The team then let the goblins go, nursed the wounds of the humans, and paid them for their “wild” horses. 

Determined to reach Rifllian soon, they headed out toward the gnomes’ ferry.  With little incident, they arrived and spoke with one of the hostel owners.  They agreed on a price for the ferry crossing and also paid him a bit extra to “have never seen the party.”  After making it across, off in the distance some of the team saw some lightly armored riders heading toward the hostel.  The group sped off and found a place to hole up for the night.  The next morning, Koehan scouted around and could find no signs of pursuit. 

Another couple days’ travel put the group right outside of Rifllian on the trade road where they encountered a wagon train and guardsmen.  They talked for a while until the main wagons arrived, and they got to meet with Ahiktos the merchant.  He traded some information to them in exchange for some gemstones.  He let them know Golthar had arrived in Kelvin and had a mysterious tall dark-haired woman with him who has been inquiring about adventurers who meet the party’s description.  He also told them of bandit activity North of Kelvin.  And to top things off, allegedly, the Duke’s daughter has run off with the captain of the guard!