Skyfell - Rise of the Glutton : Session 26
Introduction
A little while back I started a once-per-month Dungeons and Dragons campaign in my Skyfell setting that I call The Rise of the Glutton. I wanted to provide my players with a log of their adventures and then realized that such a log might make for fun blog posts. See Rise of the Glutton in my Session Index for a complete listing.
The cast is:
Session 26 - The Heroes of Moss Creek : Gnome, Sweet Gnome
Preparation
I have a general idea of where I want this arc to go and what it needs to reveal as its story unfolds but I have not yet worked out the concrete details for each session. So, unlike the current arc in my Clockwork Files campaign, I’ll likely need to prepare for each one as time goes on unless I get inspired during the Christmas and New Year holiday to get it all done at once.
So, for this particular session I needed to plan out how the party’s visit to Moss Creek burrow would unfold and prepare the first combat encounter we would be having after a couple of sessions of mostly role playing. It was during this planning when it occurred to me that I had made a mistake somewhere along the way with the experience point awards. I clearly awarded way too much at some point. Initially I believed that it was because I had forgotten to divide the experience award and instead had given each character the total amount. But I later discovered that the mistake was due to how I was calculating the session award. I've since updated the my Dungeons and Dragons homebrew rules page to reflect the changes. Ultimately, since the campaign is experience based and not milestone based, the mistake has no real lasting impact other than the characters jumped from level 8 to level 9 rather quickly. It's no big deal.
But this mistake does highlight a shortcoming of mine as a dungeon master. To be honest, while I have a lot of experience running Dungeons and Dragons games for low level characters, I have none running games for higher level characters. I haven’t even really played a high level character except for maybe Theo in the Infinity Tower campaign on Time2Tabletop a few years ago. I’m adventuring into unexplored territory here. I am bound to make mistakes as I adjust to characters who are a bit more powerful than what I'm used to.
Because of that, I wanted to use the encounter in this session as a means to "test” the characters' abilities so that I could recalibrate my plans. Ironically, I shared this goal with the big-bad-boss I was planning for the conclusion of the arc. The NPCs would want to understand just what they were dealing with before trouble arrived on their doorstep and what better way to do so than to throw a challenge right at them immediately. The challenge I had in mind meant, of course, that I’d have to pick up a few extra minis and paint them. (Oh no. Poor me.) And then I would have to paint them. (Man, the life of a DM can be ssssoooo hard sometimes. Hahaha!) Here's a closeup of the final result.
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| They're just a Couple of Shamblin' Guys |
I also needed to work out the surviving members of the Moss Creek burrow and their relationship to each other. Not that I had a particular plan for any of the NPCs, but rather I simply wanted some details available should the need arise. I also needed to refresh my memory about and flesh out any gaps regarding what exactly happened at the burrow regarding Grease-hair and The Necromancer. (Man, that really sounds like a goth band.) There were not many survivors to create so the task was not difficult at all. I’ve added the complete set of notes at the end of this blog if you want to get to gnome them a little better.
And finally, I wanted to build out the map for the encounter. Of course, I used the Heroscape tiles.
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| The Map |
Pre-game
We gathered and chatted a while as we usually do. The start of the game is always a nice time to catch up with everyone before we get going. Laura (Meribore's player) hesitantly asked about the sudden level bump, wondering whether she had missed some event or whether I had artificially leveled up everyone so that they were of a more proper strength to meet the challenges that were ahead for their characters. I was honest and said it was just a mistake. They seemed to mostly believe this...mostly. (A later discussion in Discord clarified what the new rules were going to be.)
In a nice quirk of like-minds, almost everyone wore their Unimpressed shirts that Dan had given out a few sessions back. This shirt, as I mentioned before, is my new "dungeon-master shirt" for this campaign and is a reference to a hypothetical live-stream show where a couple of wiseacre hurl insults and crack jokes while they watch a Dungeons and Dragons game unfold. So, we gathered for a quick photo.
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| The Gang's All Here, with Shirts |
When I had picked up my daughter from college for her holiday break, we swung by a local game store. There, I picked up a copy of Dungeons and Dragons MadLibs. During our pre-game chat, I broke out this gem and we did the first page. Everyone immediately reverted to "adolescent humor" as we went through and provided the verbs, adverbs, etc that were requested. The result, as I'm sure any gamer can imagine, was twisted and funny and definitely reflective of our general sense of humor in the game. It was a blast.
As a side note, my daughter was in her room playing Dungeons and Dragons over Discord with her friends. It just tickled me to no end to hear her (with her group) having as much fun (and humor) as we were having in our group. Funnily enough, both groups were having fun in the exact same way. Both groups were making the exact same kinds of jokes. People really do bond during a roleplaying game (when the group is right). It's a wonderful experience that I am particularly grateful for during this holiday season. I hope that everyone reading this is lucky enough to have a gaming group to which they feel they truly belong.
In-game
Meribore, Bronte, and Drekzhar followed Sil-T'sinia from the lookout tree up the hill to Moss Creek burrow. Along the way, Sil-T'sinia explained that the five infected dryad had withdrawn to Moss Lake (the lake in the saddle between the three peaks of the island) where they were able to consolidate their power and grow in strength. This was possible because the lake was a place where magic from the Feywild seeped into Skyfell. That essence sustained the dryad on the island; it's what made the flora and fauna on the island so vibrant and diverse. Now the infected dryad were using it for their own ends, to consume and destroy that life, to make it into an unliving abomination.
Our heroes assured Sil-T'sinia that they would do what they could to help. This might mean killing the infected dryad but they would certainly do their best to find any other solution before resorting to that.
Meanwhile, Tauffae and Oma were being "greeted" by a small contingent of warriors at the entrance to the Moss Creek burrow. After a tense moment, the burrow defenders realized that our adventurers were the great Heroes of Moss Creek. Tauffae explained that they had brought extra supplies for the burrow.
It was about this time that the others caught up with Tauffae and Oma. The entire group then entered the burrow, led by the captain of the defenders, a stalwart man named Flan-jan Stone-heart. He took them past the barracks and to the main dining/meeting hall. The adventurers were greeted with cheers and applause as a young female gnome (whom they would later learn was named Enn-var Shroom-groomer) conducted a choir of campestri in a cacophonous but heart-felt song.
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| Map of the Moss Creek Burrow |
Flan-jan Wrinkled-toe, the last surviving burrow elder, invited the group to sit with him. As he recounted the events that led to the near destruction of the burrow. He also explained that there were only fifteen gnomes left all of whom except one were currently in the burrow. The absent gnome, a ranger named Pin-din Swift-leaf, had been spending the last few weeks exploring the island looking for survivors. She had found none thus far but it had been a few days since her last stay at the burrow so there was still some small hope that others would be found.
While Wrinkled-toe talked, our heroes were served what at first seemed meager portions of food. It only took a moment for them to realize that they were, in fact, being given a feast compared to the portions the gnomes were eating. This spurred the group to explain that they had brought supplies (fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and some dry goods). The gnomes cheered as they excitedly prepared and served a second meal from the supplies. (It was about this time that the party learned that Marnib's first name was actually Glitter-broth; Mar-nib was her clan name. Her primary job had been to prepare burrow meals before her abduction. She was more than happy to get back to that task, especially since it meant she would be cooking for her saviors.) Soon, a celebration was in full swing that included a lot of mushroom ale and many stories as our heroes got to know the surviving members of the burrow and the burrow folk got to know them.
Bronte and Meribore started up a conversation with Sil-t'sinia about Thel-alessa, the evermore tree whose remains were back on the Dead Isle. (See the Session 25 summary.) Sil-t'sinia explained that the Thels were similar to what might be called grandmothers of the Sils. They were very ancient and it saddened Sil-t'sinia to hear that one had passed away. She went on to say that she herself was only a few hundred years old and had never left Moss Creek and so had never met a Thel. She only new of them through stories passed down through the dryad and other sentient flora and fauna on the island.
Meribore also asked about how they might restore the Dead Isle to health. A few farmers and Shroom-groomer joined the conversation, offering their advice. Shroom-groomer promised to give them an assortment of mushrooms to help in the effort. Some nearby campestri were eves dropping in on the conversation and excitedly volunteered to take up residence on the Dead Isle as well; it sounded liked a grand adventure to them. Perhaps most touching, Sil-t'sinia offered to provide a crate of soil and compost from the heart of her own tree. The material would not only be full of important nutrients and fauna that were critical to restoring life to the island, but it also contained a small bit of the Feywild essence that helped to sustain the dryad. This would provide a extra boost of vitality to encourage wilderness growth.
Drekzhar provided music and other entertainment for a time and then afterwards met with Sil-t'sinia to discuss the Elfey and Elfeyash. He shared with her the book that he had found among Hungryfang's possessions (see the Session 24 summary). She explained that there were a handful ruins scattered around Moss Creek all connected to the Elfey, including what she believed to be a small temple to Solonor Thelandira. She explained that the extinct Elfeyash language was related to Sylvan, the language that she spoke. She knew only a few words and phrases. She could recognize only a handful of the characters depicted in Drekzhar's book. She helped with pronunciation as best she could. She also recognized some of the gods in the book as being depicted in the ruins on the island, including Corellon (whom she believed was the head of the Elfeyash pantheon), Angharradh (consort to Corellon), Rillifane Rallathil (a nature god), and, of course, Solonor Thelandira.
Oma spent his time chatting up Enn-var Whisper-saurus, a female gnome responsible for raising and training velociraptors as guard-dinosaurs for the burrow. The particular breed she raised were velociprocyon, an unusually intelligent and mischievous breed that was known for its deft skills of subverting just about any obstacle that the civilized world set up to keep the scavengers from getting into trash, food stuff, supplies, and valuables. Oma knew the breed to be the divine animal of the gnome god Baervan Wildwanderer, the primary god of the feral gnomes. While they chatted, the pack of velociprocyon she had been handling were gathered around her chair, yipping and chirping for attention and for any table scraps they could get their hands on. It took only a scolding cluck from Whisper-saurus to return them to an obedient and calm state.
Tauffae spent his time talking with Flan-jan Stone-heart (the captain of the burrow defenders). They discussed combat, defensive strategies, and weapons. As the evening went along, and the mushroom ale and home-grown herbs continued to be served, their talk turned to the responsibility of leadership and the loss of those under their command. The final assault of the Moss Creek burrow had been a blood bath that still haunted the captain's dreams. Three quarters of his people had been killed, most of those just in the initial moments of combat. His failure had left the burrow open to the slaughter that followed. Tauffae shared his own stories of combat, including the senseless deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in the Shadowfell (see the Session 11 summary) and the construct rebellion on Clockworks of Carnage (see the Session 21 summary). They drank for fallen comrades and toasted to peaceful times.
During the evening, the group also visited the temple of Baervan Wildwanderer to pay their respects. Here, a memorial had been set up where the surviving members of the burrow had attached dozens of ribbons to the desecrated statue of the feral-gnome god in memory of their loved ones. Tauffae added a ribbon for Orryn (the gnome slave he had accidentally killed during their fight against Hungryfang and his followers (see the Session 23 summary)) with a brief apology. He also attached a ribbon for Bronte's arm. Oma used an artificer infusion to create a talking memorial that said the following whenever someone was near: "This statue is dedicated to those who gave their lives in the battle of Moss Creek. May their sacrifice be forever remembered." Meribore also used stone shape to better repair the statue and restore the stonework to look more like Baervan.
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| Baervan Wildwanderer, God of the Feral Gnomes Source: Dungeons and Dragons, 1e |
As time slipped passed mid-gloom, the gnomes and our heroes retired. Before going to bed, Bronte found a secluded area outside of the burrow to pray to Hiatea for guidance. More and more he had been feeling alienated by the goddess and he didn't know why. He was feeling that his faith was slipping, or worse, that it had been mismatched because of some deep fault in his own personality. All the other firbolgs in his clan worshipped Hiatea, so why was it that Bronte's faith should feel misplaced. To aid in this ritual, he burned the straw doll he had made and had been carrying with him.
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| Bronte's Doll |
He then posed a simple question to his god. "What have I done wrong."
The answer that came back was, "Nothing." As he fell asleep, he was blessed with a vision of Hiatea coming to him to comfort him as a mother would comfort a child. And as he slipped into that warm embrace, he became aware of three other entities gathering around them. One he recognized as Stronmaus, a firbolg god. The other two he did not know, though he recognized that they were deities of some sort. One was a winged, female being with pointed ears whose features were similar to those of Solonor Thelandira. The second was a dragonborn.
The party awoke the next morning, refreshed and re-supplied for their journey up the hill to the lake where the infected dryad had retreated. Sil-t'sinia accompanied them for a part of their journey. Along the way, the forest grew denser and more vibrant and first Meribore and then the others became aware that they were being watched. Sil-t'sinia explained that they were being followed by chwinga, forest spirits, who were taking an interest in the party. The presence was a good sign that the forest, in this area at least, was healthy. The little spirits flitted from branch to branch, giggling and pointing at our heroes. One of them paid special attention to Drekzhar and placed a blessing on his eyes.
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| Tree Spirits Follow the Party Source: Princess Mononoke |
As the party continued up the hill, the forest began to transform from a vibrant ecosystem to a threatening wasteland. There were no more forest spirits. The canopy cast ominous shadows onto the forest floor. Tangles of thorny vines and prickly shrubs were invading a rapidly failing undergrowth. The multitude of forest noises were being pushed away by an oppressive silence.
Eventually, Sil-t'sinia had to turn back. They were approaching the infected area and she could not follow the party any further. She once again thanked them for their aid and then headed back to the burrow.
Soon after, the group reached a relatively flat area that smelled of decomposing flora and ailing soil. Piles of rotting vegetation were scattered here and there, colonized by mushrooms and other fungi. What plants were still alive were broken and sickly. This shift in the health of the forest was worrisome and the party fanned out so that if they should be attacked then they would not be clumped together.
And that's when the forest floor came to life. Clusters of vines and other rotting material swarmed Oma and Bronte, lashing out and trying to restrain them as two mounds of detritus rose up into a vaguely humanoid form. Each had a small cohort of infected campestri riding atop its "head" that cheered on the hungry vegetation while taunting and berating the party.
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| The Forest Floor Comes to Life Source: Monster Manual, 5e |
The others quickly closed in on the monstrous flora, hacking, slashing, and slinging fire-based spells. A few of the campestri dove into the creatures' "mouths," restoring a bit of health to their large allies. In spite of these devious efforts, our heroes eventually destroyed the mounds and their fungal friends.
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| Fighting the Plant Monsters |
During the fight, Meribore and Drekzhar noticed a dryad jumping from tree to tree, observing the combat. She was clearly one of the infected. As the combat ended, Tauffae called out to the dryad to parlay. The dryad stayed just out of attack range, hiding among the trees, as she answered his call. She instructed them to meet her at the bottom of the lake, where they would all certainly see the wisdom in what she and the other dryads were doing. Once our heroes understood the purity of the dryads' plans, they would no doubt surrender themselves to the effort and the greater good toward which the dryads worked.
With the specter of underwater travel looming, Bronte ritually cast water breathing on the entire party. During this delay, the dryad disappeared deeper into the infected forest.
End session 26
Experience earned:
Bronte - 2157 (53,076 total)
Drekzhar - 2129 (51,025 total)
Meribore - 2143 (50,592 total)
Omagoshno - 2102 (52,221 total)
Tauffae - 2129 (50,878 total)
Supplemental Materials
Moss Creek Survivors
Burrow Dwellers
- Enn-var Cold-nose (male herbalist, brother to Laugh-stone and Shroom-groomer, uncle to Whisper-saurus and Sparkle-pot)
- Enn-var Laugh-stone (male herbalist, father to Whisper-saurus and Sparkle-pot, brother to Cold-nose and Shroom-groomer)
- Enn-var Shroom-groomer (female mushroom farmer and campestri trainer, sister to Laugh-stone and Cold-nose, aunt to Whisper-saurus and Sparkle-pot)
- Enn-var Sparkle-pot (female, child daughter of Laugh-stone)
- Enn-var Whisper-saurus (female velociraptor handler, daughter of Laugh-stone)
- Flan-jan Green-branch (male forester, grandson of Wrinkled-toe)
- Flan-jan Other-talk (female historian and diplomat, sister to Stone-heart, aunt to Green-branch)
- Flan-jan Yoked-bloke (male burrow defender, grandson of Wrinkled-toe)
- Flan-jan Stone-heart (male burrow defender captain, uncle to Green-branch)
- Flan-jan Wrinkled-toe (male, last surviving elder, grandfather of Green-branch and Yoked-bloke)
- Hed-pall All-watered (female farmer, sister of Deep-root)
- Hed-pall Deep-root (male farmer, cousin of Foot-finder)
- Hed-pall Foot-finder (male hunter/tracker, friend of Swift-leaf, cousin to Deep-root)
- Marnib Bright-stumble (male, child son of Stone-knuckle, nephew to Glitter-broth)
- Marnib Glitter-broth (female chef, cousin to Greasehair, sister of Stone-knuckle, aunt of Bright-stumble)
- Marnib Stone-knuckle (male burrow defender, brother to Glitter-broth, father to Bright-stumble)
- Oaen-chik Hot-pants (male tailor, husband to Ginger-sprout, father to Wood-teeth)
- Oaen-chik Ginger-sprout (female farmer, wife to Hot-pants, mother to Wood-teeth)
- Oaen-chik Gloom-waker (female burrow defender, sister to Wood-teeth)
- Oaen-chik Sweet-pie (female forester, wife to Wood-teeth)
- Oaen-chik Wood-teeth (male burrow defender, husband to Sweet-pie)
- Pin-din Swift-leaf (female hunter/tracker, sole survivor, friend of Tree-finder)
Dryad
- Sil-T'sinia
- Sil-!aiya
- Sil-ɠeeta
- Sil-Ch'hu
- Sil-Kǂai
Misc
- Springeye Reece (male rock gnome artificer, original engineer from the Howling Wind)
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