Here is the full write up of session one...(in parts)

The briny seawater was spat out as one by one the PC's woke up on a hot sun drenched shore where violently curious giant crabs were investigating them as a possible source for dinner.  Taking stock of their surroundings along with being pinched and struck by the serrated edges of nasty claws, the PC's discern that there is a life boat craft floating listlessly along the shore and what appears to be a larger slowly sinking ship into the sea (or is it a wide river)?

A call to arms is summoned as the PC's manage to defeat the crabs with no one suffering a fatal injury.  One PC repeatedly bashed and split open one said crustacean creature splitting its exoskeleton with the lifeboat as he didn't know where his weapons were upon waking.  At last victorious the PC's begin to take stock of where they are.  It appears they are on a land mass split by a sea or inlet or perhaps a large river.  They can see a land mass further on past the watery impasse, but can't discern where they are yet.  Looking around they see the land they are on as having a mountainous region splitting and gathering their attention whilst on either side of the craggy peaks prehensile forests exist fighting for whatever scraps of land they can claim from the rock.  Foreboding woods exist both sides split by peaks, with salty seawater behind them they converse as to what to do...

The paladin of the crew decides to quickly dispose of the dead crabs and hide the signs of fatal violence and the secretive necromancer stays with him to keep watch over the woods in case of threat.  The cryomancer, runegraver, bard and ranger brave the waters to investigate the ships.  In the smaller boat they discover the gruesome remains of a fellow traveler whose flesh is currently being consumed by a strange fish man creature.  After giving a malevolent hiss, the creature dives overboard leaving its human smorgasboard not entirely consumed.  The larger ship contains many thing yet.  It definitely shows signs of a large battle, but no bodies or remains of one side of the conflict can be seen...  Further investigation is required...  Continued in the next post!

Last edited by MrManowar (6/24/2018 8:10 pm)

A great start to a campaign! It's dripping with mood and flavor. Fantastic job, Mr Manowar! Tell us a little about the player character choices your crew went with!

Final segment of part one...  The barbarian was uneasy hearing the wild simian cries and the group began to assume strategic posts around the grisly totems and firepit.  At that time a swarm of monkeys gnashing teeth and howling wildly came into view running rampant around the camp.  Shortly thereafter an ape-man in a crude fashion of a human warrior with clumsily donned armour came out to present himself in dominance.  Following that a larger ape creature came out silently sniffing the air for intruders.  The bard spoke with a falcon to learn about them and found out about a "crow-man" and his "raven" observing the group.  Soon after the gig was up as the apes discovered who was present in their hunting grounds!

A melee ensued with savage blows being exchanged on all sides!  The runegraver fell unconscious after being struck hard as the barbarian, paladin, bard and others whittled down the swarm and with a mighty strike killed the smaller ape-man.  The ranger took a wild shot into the combatants dance of weaponry (rolled a natural 1) and shot the paramour in the back on accident as she unloaded one of the sulphur and brimstone (to their eyes) fired rounds into the large ape creature.  Apologies abound! Then the necromancer summoned the recently slain to unlife to destroy the totems resulting in a frenzy from the remaining ape creatures.  With more than half of the crew almost slain, they managed to defeat the larger ape creature and dispersed the smaller monkeys to the depths of the forbidding forested area.  The crow man then appeared and "healed" the runegraver giving him a task to find a book hidden in the caves below.  The runegraver arose "seemingly" well and told the group about caves underground. 

With more cries, distant drums and a very large bird flying high overhead, the party quickly entered the massive skull for some shelter from prying eyes.  They soon discovered some "stairs" and ground that had given way to a level below once inside the gigantic beak.  The stairs had a large trap door partially opened as the way descended into darkness.  The party descended as then one went to ignite a torch to aid their hampered sight.  The last thing they saw was a grayish mottled and scabbed grinning human like creature holding a chain that would pull the trap door closed.  Once they were all inside bloodied and weakened, the creature cackled gleefully and pulled the chain slamming the door closed on the group inside the ominous cavern!  That's where we left off and where we'll begin session two!  Hope you enjoyed.

Last edited by MrManowar (6/26/2018 11:29 pm)

Session 2 part two!  The drums and noises from above had abated as the PC's re-entered the main chamber with the ranger and barbarian noting that fresh bipedal tracks had traversed where they were yesterday (according to their reckoning).  Then the procession downward began as they noticed the decline ever leading lower.  It was hard to tell if there were stairs that were damaged from water erosion or natural sloped declines.  The path then twisted around to a low platform along with another three ways they could pursue.  They elected to go to the left (again relatively speaking as they weren't sure of direction).  They came to a small room that had a sculpture of a beautiful lady with hands extended and the palms in a cupping shape.  They noticed various coinage about and other organic material long since wasted away barely leaving traces of existence.  The barbarian placed a gold coin into the hands of the statue, at once the coin relocated gleaming into the pool with the others and the statue's unreadable expression upended to a smile.  Beyond that, no sign was forthcoming.  Weighing options between the other two paths, they opted to go straight forward as the tracks revealed equal traffic in either direction.

This time the slope was steeper and cautious maneuvering was required.  They began to hear scurrying sounds and the patter of many small feet but also saw some more tracks of heavier pointed marks along the floor of the cavern.  After descending even more they noticed various larger cracks in the wall and narrowing passageways.  Soon thereafter, the path abruptly ended as the floor below appeared to be at least 15 feet down, the apparent after effects of seismic activity.  The cryomancer, paladin and barbarian climbed down on rope to discern further passageways when furtive squeaking gave way to hundreds of small feet as rats both giant and swarm filled the lower region!  The bard brought instrument to hand to counter and cause confusion as the rats filled in, now with some of them seemingly bewildered and bereft of initial purpose.  Then, from the passageway they came from, hundreds of rats poured forth to a massive swarm hemming the runegraver, ranger and bard in at the top of the ledge whilst their comrades fought below.  A hacking affair soon followed with the PC's taking some bites and getting weaker.  The barbarian felt himself succumbing to disease immediately before sucking and spitting out the almost surely fatal substance of sickness the rats bestowed on his body!  After more burning from the runegraver who had taken on an almost eager expression at seeing foes burn, the PC's were able to defeat them all, but by then all had gone to the lower chamber.   Then the PC's went off to the smaller region of passageway thinking to have luck like an earlier upper level.  As they traversed on, they noticed large holes that appeared to be burrowed out like larger creatures had created a network of travel.  Dread and uneasiness gave way to uncertainty as giant ants curiously emerged antennae moving as this sudden disturbance of humanity intruded into their home.  At the fading field of vision torch light provided a giant centipede began to wind its way out of a depression as more ants began to seemingly deliberate if they PC's were threat or prey.  The PC's elected to run and then fast!  After catching their breath they weighed options. At first some thought was given to try to climb back up to go the unexplored section of cavern they had omitted, sounds of water moving from lower chambers and the slight smell of brine and the feel of an ever cool breeze led them to think that perhaps a way out might be lower still.  And that is where they departed to, deeper into the stifling cavern, eschewing further side paths in favor of a possible escape!

End part two, part three coming.

Session 2 part three!  So the PC's descended as cautiously and silently as they could.  Soon the grimy ground gave way to sturdy platforms they could regain confidence in without the threat of shaking foot giving way to slippery slope.  At once they saw various sources of light at what appeared to be islands.  These islands were set up in the macabre facsimile of monuments meant to replicate a human environment!  There were various tables and chairs, stools, a liquor cask, bookcases, weighted die for gambling and more.  However they were still "islands" as the high water mark clearly left its imprints on the shorelines they could see.  Baffling to them were the candles flickering weakly at table spots as if they were entertaining non present guests.  The PC's began spreading out, simultaneously sharing light and communicating what they saw.  One thing that stuck out was a large artwork pattern depicting a monstrously huge eight legged creature.

At the same moment torch light illuminated said crest, the surface of the waters broke in multiple locations as many gray mottled humanoids wielding crude weaponry burst out with hateful glances at the PC's and then in unison began chanting in various languages, some of them not permitted for sane folk to hear.  The only things the PC's could decipher was this,
"The God of Eight, the God of Eight!".  The PC's quickly grabbed a few bits of ephemera from various tables and things and then switched to weapons to combat a potential threat!  A long haired muscled opponent of garbled speech began to shout a cry to this mysterious god.  Melee ensued from various points of environs as the PC's dispersed to try to cover the vast cavernous region that clearly held seawater.  The runegraver, bard and ranger spotted clumsily constructed stairs that led to structure that held something vaguely resembling a podium with a book on it.  The runegraver emitted communication that the crow man "Costigan Bran" wanted it.  (You clever readers might figure out where that combo of names comes from ).  As melee ensued, the large image carved into the floor began to split.  At the same time, the PC's found a well with various glowing gems in it.  Soon the gleam of the gems diminished as a giant praying mantis commenced its climb from the depths.  The bard poured half of the contents of the lotus powder onto the mantis as the others fought the gray mottled degenerate men.  Soon, one large hairy leg protruded from the malevolent symbol and dragged one of the degenerates who had strayed too close and was then consumed.  "God of Eight!" the remainder cried as this vast gargantuan spider hoisted itself to the ground mandibles and jaws crunching down the humanoid, eight eyes surveying its next meal!  At the same point in time the giant praying mantis emerged thrashing wildly and soon giving way to death throes as an insect being would when exposed to a deadly poison limbs flailing around in frantic jerking thrusts.  The runegraver hauled up a small bucket of gems from its lair and hunched low looking for an avenue of retreat.  With no time to carry on combat, the ranger and bard shouted loud the intent to flee to get to a small boat moored comfortably at a dock beyond, precious daylight tantalizing them all with the taste of escape.  After a few more downed gray mottled man, book in hand, they sloshed to ship side, boarded and began to celebrate their escape.

Soon thereafter as their ship emerged from watery cavern, they saw the other side of the island they were on.  Various simian creatures were at the ready and launched all manner of missiles at them.  Within seconds, half of the PC's were falling to unconsciousness wallowing in their own life blood.  The weakened barbarian attended to the paladin first who even in his own revived state was incredibly feeble laid hands on the others to restore them to a shuddering limp wreck of conscious reality.  The ship soon faltered away from the island.  After lowering all four anchors at a considerable distance from shore the various rooms of the boat were examined.  Weaponry, armor and riches were found, some useful, some gaudy and some outright worthless.  The mess hall and privy (literal poop deck as the players called it) were discovered as well as valuable maps and journals.  Based on that literature, they discovered that to the best of their reasoning skills they were off shore of the Isles of the Ape Men.  Next, they perused the "book" the crow man wanted them (especially the runegraver to acquire).  They couldn't make it out, but the pictographs showed a large amount of crows almost doing obeisance to an even larger raven.  The little bit they gleaned almost made them think this old tome was merely fairy tales, not some kind of magical document the crow shaman or devotee of esoteric arts would have wanted.  Shortly thereafter a thunderstorm brewed and as rain lashed the assaulted ship they pondered what to do next.  Try to return the book?  Try for landfall when apes would fall upon them?  Or hide out here and plot?  They now had almost two weeks of consumable provision along with other potions and armaments they discovered as they began to recuperate.  What to do indeed!

End of Session 2, hope you enjoyed!

Last edited by MrManowar (7/30/2018 12:44 am)

What up JT!

I agree with your assessment, and am happy to report.....that this game is even more fun to play in!

This is also a great resource to go back and re-read what happened in between sessions! (since none of us are getting any younger) 

Thanks for putting all this on here, Cory! I can’t wait till our next game night!

I apologize most sincerely to the readers awaiting an August write up, the schedules didn't work out.  However, September 29 is our next game day so Session 3 will be coming then.  In the meantime, I thank everyone who has read this and I would love to see your commentary of the write ups.  I'll keep doing this because as far as I know only one player reads it, "Big Shiny" here's your props!  In the meantime, if you are registered for this game at Gamehole or thinking about it for Evercon, some things are the same, some very different!  Feel free to drop some commentary about it.
Thanks,
Mr. Manowar, aka Cory

Session 3 part one!

The blackness and haze slowly began to dissipate from the eyes of the necromancer who had no idea where he was or what happened to him... Steady beating drums and low guttural humming laced the air as mad dancing quadrupeds focused in to be ape-men were dancing with wicked looking shamans vibrating and convulsing in the frenetic energy of the beats.  A soft sound of a woman crying was discordant among the benighted rhythm.  The necromancer was bound, arms over a log and legs fastened tight to another as he lolled his head over to see Theresa in the same predicament.  A high cackling voice permeated the otherwise persistent beats.
"You know what you are?  Bait!"  A gaunt man appeared with a large crow headress along with myriad crow feathers resembling an inky black garment of a cloak about his thin frame.  "So bait, which do you wish to be a sacrifice for, them or mine?"  Such was the tenor of the conversation between the mad esoteric crow man and the necromancer.  The grim visage of the crow man emphasized the fact that a book was taken off the island, and that he coveted it very much.  A bargain was struck wherein the crow man gave the necromancer a dubious talisman of a missing finger that the crow man cut off from his left hand to "point" out an unerring path to the comrades of the necromancer along with the promise of freedom of shackles and bond should the necromancer agree to forfeit the book to him.  The necromancer parleyed not only for his own freedom, but that of Theresa as well.  The crow man then cut the bonds and slew the ape-man guard and started consuming the corpse in grisly carrion fashion while it sent the two away.  The severed finger then acted as a horrendous compass to guide them through mosquito ridden night and wood away from the ritualistic dancing of the ape-men and its nefarious leaders.  Hour after hour on the run, exhausted, and Theresa's arrow wound festering with sick, they collapsed on the beach in early dawn seeing hope, a ship, too far away...

(Cue to rest of party):  Four days later.  Four days on the ship.  Four days of pacing, recuperating, walking, enduring the storm, but anchored going nowhere.  The barbarian, used to solid earth beneath his feet could not take the continual motion and gave way to vomiting feverish fits and was bedridden as the others tried to assist him through his personal ordeal.  (NOTE: the player who had the barbarian couldn't make this session.)  After the four days, the storms abated and by now a course of action was decided.  At THIS time it was determined to fulfill the crow man Costigan Bran's request and return the book.  As anchors were lifted, a large body of a dead aquatic creature floated by, body hungrily attacked by sharks.  As the PC's were distracted by said happenstance, fish-men began scaling the sides of the boat, eager to slay and kill!

As a trident thrust went wide, the PC's reacted to the new threat as the fish-men boarded with malicious intent followed by a sub chief of theirs!  Combat ensued as the chief threw a poisonous substance aboard sickening most after the PC's landed several hard blows to the fish-men.  Soon the ranger, runegraver, paladin and bard were hacking down the fish-men as the cryomancer concentrated on the sub chief.  With the spillage of guts and internal organs soon decorating the ship and the PC's still standing, the wounded sub chief dived overboard, not wishing to partake in this combat any longer.  The ranger and paladin, then lowered a dinghy to survey the shore.

Once ashore they found the forlorn forms of their necromancer comrade along with the sagging and ill Theresa looking bedraggled and worse for wear, not to mention malnourished.  Once aboard the ship, conversation ensued.  What to do with the book.  The "finger" talisman began to react and the paladin was able to discern that the book was evil.  He then persuaded the group to leave this place so he could get other brethren of the faith of Apollo to destroy this thing.  One particular indelible image was this monstrosity at the back of the book depicting a creature with large crow wings, a crow skull for a head and a crude mockery of a giant man for a body with a large singular horn protruding out its back.  The bard tried to recall what he knew of spell form and language from far flung locales, but to no avail.  At this point it was agreed to leave the island.  An ill omen shaped like a large pterodactyl was circling overhead.  Without further adieu, the PC's under the supervision of the ranger (only one who had any kind of sailing and navigational ability) they quested northward toward a curious landmass the charts identified as "the Cape of Calencia".

*** Out of game - GM Notes ***  At this stage the PC's since they had a ship, ventured off of the what I thought they would do, so what follows is ad lib, made up on the fly, assisted by a pizza break as I hastily pulled out new minis and such.  As a GM you have to do what you have to do right?  So part two coming next!

Edit-- changed earlier post which said "warlock" for some odd reason to "cryomancer" which is the correct PC class.
 

Last edited by MrManowar (9/30/2018 10:19 pm)

Sounds great! Always fun to have a wild-haired crazy man get the party started! Haha!

Session 4 part one: An Illusory Tale!

A week has gone by in Calencia, one where high above in the stilt built fortress the PC's began to recover, until a food experiment gone wrong sickened the runegraver and necromancer and left them bed ridden to let the illness(es) pass.  The remainder of the party quickly grew restless.  Sheltered in a side shed of one Rianorix, they occupied a small cramped space barely large enough for habitable living quarters in the fortress town.  So then, our paladin, ranger, cryomancer, bard and barbarian could take their confines no longer and began to converse and imbibe with the citizens of Calencia.  Rumors and tales abounded as the party began to take stock of happenstances around the abode of the city.  They learned of multiple things.  First of all, the Black Cult of Khalk-Xu.  Mysterious bald headed androgynous worshipers of the Kraken god led by a luminous figure known as Xu-Thanidon!  The cult whilst not openly acknowledged in the city does offer its support in the fending off of the ape-men who raid from time to time.  Some of the cult members have shown themselves visibly for the party to see at inopportune times to converse with but still showing they are aware of the party's presence.  They seem amicable, but their demeanor can be misleading. 

The second rumor entails the shushed conversation around the Abandoned Tomb of Argach Lahr.  This fabled necromancer who existed long before even the most aged venerable citizens has excited the folk with mysterious tales of undead leaving the locales of Lahr's reputed burial place amidst his own manor house.  This house even seems to be built on top of ruins that predate even the stilted town of Calencia.  There have always been whispered tales of haunting and malaise but now fevered conversation has started without a sensible goal of pursuit.  What is clear is solitary undead brought down, seemingly departing from Argach Lahr's manor location.  Is this true?  None can say for certain.

Thirdly, the dire tales of the Doom that Befell Xik Tannas.  A strong warrior of Calencia called Xik Tannas organized a war troop to waylay a mysterious sorceress known as the Lady of Chains as she traversed to the Cape well north of the town.  He was never heard from again.  Only one straggler was found from that unfortunate war band, a bloodied and clearly madman named Sorinstargos.  He was convulsing and gibbering on about creatures and madness while alternating between complimenting the Lady's hospitality.  In between invective launched at creatures fawning praise from drool parted lips exclaimed her goodness.  The perplexed folk of Calencia were unnerved by the recent happenstances along with recent arrival of the party that suspicion and antipathy was thrown their way as if a shadow of a crow had send dire omens.  The party converged in hushed tones to decipher which path they should choose.  Their choice and ensuing chronicles of their deeds to come in part two!