Our story begins unlike any other, in a bar, in a cheap, dive bar. Not for adventurers, for the local working folks. You know the type of local regular folks with a d4 hp, a few coppers to their name, a few modest skills like turnip farming, cheese making, apprentice pig herder, that kind of bar. Not the type of bar where undead, recently murdered most foul, traveling Illusionists, burst in, set on vengeance from beyond the grave, in search of the quiet little little kid in the corner.
I think that makes this band's origin story unique, OK, if not unique, unusual and their next 24 hours of life and death help move the normal-o-meter to the unusual. In less than 24 hours our band of 15 local folks who so confidently set out on a "easy treasure hunt" find themselves lured, blasted, envenomed, and nearly drown in a well. But the five who survived may yet become something special.
Let's hear their stories from their mouths..... (this is where I invite you to tell your story).
The Misadventures of a Portal Mage and his Friends through the Wells of Worlds
The Misadventures of a Portal Mage and his Friends through the Wells of Worlds
Wow, Another Natural One! You guys are a sink hole for luck. Stay away from my dice.
Re: The Misadventures of a Portal Mage and his Friends through the Wells of Worlds
No good story is complete without at least one time hoping entry; here is a post from our future:
Temple of Elemental Evil Campaign - History of the Temple of Elemental Evil
The Temple of Elemental Evil was an unholy structure located far from the city-state of Verbobonc. In 566 CY, (15 years ago) forces of evil from the Wild Coast constructed a small chapel outside the nearby village of Nulb. The chapel was quickly built into a stone temple from which bandits and evil humanoids began to operate with increasing frequency.
In 569 CY(12 years ago) , a combined force was sent to destroy the Temple and put an end to the marauding. This allied army clashed with a horde of evil men and humanoids, including orcs, ogres and gnolls, at the Battle of Emridy Meadows. Men-at-arms from nearby cities with dwarves from the Lortmils, gnomes from the Kron Hills, and an army of elven archers to face the threat of the Horde of Elemental Evil, consisting largely of savage humanoids such as orcs, ogres, and gnolls. The arrival of the elves from the shadows of the Gnarley Forest turned the tide of battle, trapping the savage humanoids against a bend in the Velverdyva where they were routed and slaughtered.
After dispersing the Horde of Elemental Evil, the allied forces laid siege to the Temple of Elemental Evil itself, defeating it within a fortnight. Spellcasters loyal to the goodly army cooperated on a spell of sealing that bound the demoness Zuggtmoy to some of the deepest chambers in the castle's dungeons.
The site itself remained, however, and over the following decade rumors of evil presence there persisted. The Viscount of Verbobonc and the Archcleric of Veluna became increasingly concerned, and cooperated to build a small castle outside the Village of Hommlet to guard against the possibility of the Temple rising again.
For the next five years, Hommlet gained in wealth thanks to adventurers who came to the area seeking out remnants of evil to slay. Things quieted down for another four years as the area returned to peace and normalcy, but in 578 CY (about a year ago) evil began to stir again, with groups of bandits riding the roads.
Session 1 Recap (Jan 19, 2024)
Characters arrive via teleportation at the Yawning Portal Inn in the City of Verbobonc in the World commonly known as Greyhawk (on the world known as Oerth). As far as you can tell, this world appears to be much like your home world.
Bort the Bartender gives the party a brief update as to where they are and what has been happening in the region.
The Party is as follows: Jordi, Sass, Bloodbeard, Alaric, Midge
Bort has been granted authority by a wealthy local merchant to hire a party of hirelings to guard a caravan of supplies from the City of Verbobonc to be delivered to a spellcaster named Burne, in the neighboring Village of Hommlet -about three days south. Bort negotiates with the party on behalf of the local merchant Rory Findlestone for each member to be paid 8 GP per day (24GP total each). ½ Down Payment and the remainder to be paid by Burne when the goods are delivered to him safe and sound in Hommlet. The party also negotiates horses and three days of rations for each party member for the duration of their trek. The horses are to be returned to Burne in Hommlet. The party leaves early the next morning. The first two days are relatively uneventful save for a few travelers on the road.
On the morning of the third day, the party sees a wounded merchant laying in the road with a blood-soaked cloth bandage wrapped around his head. Another crimson stained bandage is wrapped around his left thigh. He sees your group and attempts to flag you down before seemingly passing out. As the party approaches, they realize that it is an ambush. The “wounded” traveler pulls out a dagger and attacks. The party notices four other bandits in the trees on both sides of the road. The bandits all wear face paint plus brown cloaks adorned with leaf litter. One of the bandits nearest to the road throws a handaxe and charges for melee with his spear. The remaining bandits are armed with crossbows and fire ranged attacks from the treeline. After several rounds of combat, the bandits are all killed. However, Midge suffered a severe injury during the battle but was healed by Bloodbeard before he bled to death.
A search of the bandits revealed that the leader had a seemingly magical dagger. None of the bandits carried any coin. However, upon a search of their bodies, you discovered that each carried a smooth, flat river rock inscribed with an eye and a tear hidden in their boots. Additionally, each bandit wore leather armor, two had light crossbows, and one had a heavy crossbow. The party kept these weapons.
The party manages to make it to Hommlet without any further incidents and head for the Inn of the Welcome Wench, a local well-known tavern in the center of town to collect their loot. The party meets up with Burne the spellcaster, (the person you were to deliver the caravan contents to). After checking that the contents of the caravan were intact, Burne pays the remainder of the gold owed to the party.
Over the course of the evening, the party shares a few drinks with Burne and several bar patrons, hoping to find out more about the goings on in the town, the nearby Temple, and the problems plaguing the surrounding area. Many of the patrons believe that the source of the trouble may have something to do with the nearby Ruined Moat House. A few of the old-timers fear that the uptick in the presence of orcs, gnolls, and bandits in the area could mean that the minions of the demoness Zuggtymoy (who was defeated in the sack of the Temple ten years ago) could be on the rise again. Burne suggests that if the party wanted to make a name for themselves (and likely some financial gain) they should head to the Moat House and find out what they can regarding if this is the source of the trouble in the region. Who knows, you may even find some coin and treasure along the way.
We ended the session with the party deciding their next course of action in the Town of Hommlet.
Experience Each party member receives 85 Experience Points (Based on Traditional Castles & Crusades method) for Session 1.
In addition, each character will start Session 2 with Three Hero Points.
Let me know if i missed anything or if any edits should be made to the recap.
Thanks and see you all tomorrow!!
Dan The Dungeon Master
Temple of Elemental Evil Campaign - History of the Temple of Elemental Evil
The Temple of Elemental Evil was an unholy structure located far from the city-state of Verbobonc. In 566 CY, (15 years ago) forces of evil from the Wild Coast constructed a small chapel outside the nearby village of Nulb. The chapel was quickly built into a stone temple from which bandits and evil humanoids began to operate with increasing frequency.
In 569 CY(12 years ago) , a combined force was sent to destroy the Temple and put an end to the marauding. This allied army clashed with a horde of evil men and humanoids, including orcs, ogres and gnolls, at the Battle of Emridy Meadows. Men-at-arms from nearby cities with dwarves from the Lortmils, gnomes from the Kron Hills, and an army of elven archers to face the threat of the Horde of Elemental Evil, consisting largely of savage humanoids such as orcs, ogres, and gnolls. The arrival of the elves from the shadows of the Gnarley Forest turned the tide of battle, trapping the savage humanoids against a bend in the Velverdyva where they were routed and slaughtered.
After dispersing the Horde of Elemental Evil, the allied forces laid siege to the Temple of Elemental Evil itself, defeating it within a fortnight. Spellcasters loyal to the goodly army cooperated on a spell of sealing that bound the demoness Zuggtmoy to some of the deepest chambers in the castle's dungeons.
The site itself remained, however, and over the following decade rumors of evil presence there persisted. The Viscount of Verbobonc and the Archcleric of Veluna became increasingly concerned, and cooperated to build a small castle outside the Village of Hommlet to guard against the possibility of the Temple rising again.
For the next five years, Hommlet gained in wealth thanks to adventurers who came to the area seeking out remnants of evil to slay. Things quieted down for another four years as the area returned to peace and normalcy, but in 578 CY (about a year ago) evil began to stir again, with groups of bandits riding the roads.
Session 1 Recap (Jan 19, 2024)
Characters arrive via teleportation at the Yawning Portal Inn in the City of Verbobonc in the World commonly known as Greyhawk (on the world known as Oerth). As far as you can tell, this world appears to be much like your home world.
Bort the Bartender gives the party a brief update as to where they are and what has been happening in the region.
The Party is as follows: Jordi, Sass, Bloodbeard, Alaric, Midge
Bort has been granted authority by a wealthy local merchant to hire a party of hirelings to guard a caravan of supplies from the City of Verbobonc to be delivered to a spellcaster named Burne, in the neighboring Village of Hommlet -about three days south. Bort negotiates with the party on behalf of the local merchant Rory Findlestone for each member to be paid 8 GP per day (24GP total each). ½ Down Payment and the remainder to be paid by Burne when the goods are delivered to him safe and sound in Hommlet. The party also negotiates horses and three days of rations for each party member for the duration of their trek. The horses are to be returned to Burne in Hommlet. The party leaves early the next morning. The first two days are relatively uneventful save for a few travelers on the road.
On the morning of the third day, the party sees a wounded merchant laying in the road with a blood-soaked cloth bandage wrapped around his head. Another crimson stained bandage is wrapped around his left thigh. He sees your group and attempts to flag you down before seemingly passing out. As the party approaches, they realize that it is an ambush. The “wounded” traveler pulls out a dagger and attacks. The party notices four other bandits in the trees on both sides of the road. The bandits all wear face paint plus brown cloaks adorned with leaf litter. One of the bandits nearest to the road throws a handaxe and charges for melee with his spear. The remaining bandits are armed with crossbows and fire ranged attacks from the treeline. After several rounds of combat, the bandits are all killed. However, Midge suffered a severe injury during the battle but was healed by Bloodbeard before he bled to death.
A search of the bandits revealed that the leader had a seemingly magical dagger. None of the bandits carried any coin. However, upon a search of their bodies, you discovered that each carried a smooth, flat river rock inscribed with an eye and a tear hidden in their boots. Additionally, each bandit wore leather armor, two had light crossbows, and one had a heavy crossbow. The party kept these weapons.
The party manages to make it to Hommlet without any further incidents and head for the Inn of the Welcome Wench, a local well-known tavern in the center of town to collect their loot. The party meets up with Burne the spellcaster, (the person you were to deliver the caravan contents to). After checking that the contents of the caravan were intact, Burne pays the remainder of the gold owed to the party.
Over the course of the evening, the party shares a few drinks with Burne and several bar patrons, hoping to find out more about the goings on in the town, the nearby Temple, and the problems plaguing the surrounding area. Many of the patrons believe that the source of the trouble may have something to do with the nearby Ruined Moat House. A few of the old-timers fear that the uptick in the presence of orcs, gnolls, and bandits in the area could mean that the minions of the demoness Zuggtymoy (who was defeated in the sack of the Temple ten years ago) could be on the rise again. Burne suggests that if the party wanted to make a name for themselves (and likely some financial gain) they should head to the Moat House and find out what they can regarding if this is the source of the trouble in the region. Who knows, you may even find some coin and treasure along the way.
We ended the session with the party deciding their next course of action in the Town of Hommlet.
Experience Each party member receives 85 Experience Points (Based on Traditional Castles & Crusades method) for Session 1.
In addition, each character will start Session 2 with Three Hero Points.
Let me know if i missed anything or if any edits should be made to the recap.
Thanks and see you all tomorrow!!
Dan The Dungeon Master
Wow, Another Natural One! You guys are a sink hole for luck. Stay away from my dice.