Against the Darkmaster Player’s Handbook now available

As I’ve written here before, I’m a big fan of Against the Darkmaster. It's my favourite FRPG since Mythras. But the core rule-book, while magnificent, is rather huge and unwieldy, and includes a lot of material unnecessary for players.

 

So I’m delighted that Open Ended Games has published a Player’s Handbook version of the game. Moreover, it should be more widely accessible in print form than the core rules, given that it’s available via print-on-demand at DrivethruRPG.

 

If you were ever a fan of MERP (Middle-earth Roleplaying), or simply are curious about a fun, low-powered FRPG with lots of entertaining critical hit descriptions, then check out Against the Darkmaster. 

 

(Running a heavily modified version the old ICE campaign module The Court of Ardor with Against the Darkmaster is a future goal of mine.)

Crypts And Things had gone Platinum

Kudos to D101 Games on the platinum status of Crypts and Things at DrivethruRPG! 👍

 

 

First Visit to Hommlet (Greyhawk Classics Campaign)

PART 3: ARRIVING IN HOMMLET (Flocktime 578 CY)

[Part 2 here]

 

3.1 First Night in Hommlet (Flocktime 5^th)

 

After a difficult journey from Verbobonc, the doughty adventures— Erik (the mountain dwarf fighter from the Lortmils), Althaea (the high elf wizard from the city of Tringlee), and the brothers Godric (the human rogue from the Barony of Shiboleth) and Cedric (the human cleric of St. Cuthbert)—arrive at Hommlet.

 

The party pauses on a small ridge above the village, which now lies to their south and southeast. To their left (east) stands an impressive Church of St. Cuthbert. It is finely crafted and its two stories peer down upon the village. Cedric forms a plan to visit the church the next day. The only taller structure that the party can see is a tower to the southeast, also on a hill, that stands several stories high. A swiftly flowing stream divides the village in two. South of the stream the party spies a large two-story building that they infer must be the region’s famous inn, The Welcome Wench.

 

Descending from the ridge, the party passes a trading post, a moneychanger, a smithy, and a couple of other commercial establishments, as well as a few farmhouses. Althaea is puzzled by the presence of a moneychanger in such a small settlement. Erik, though, is uninterested in anything other than the inn, so the party soon finds itself within The Welcome Wench.

 

 

Scattered about the common room are over a dozen customers. Among them are many farmers and other locals, as well as some merchants and their guards. The party notices a rough looking individual drinking alone at the bar. They suspect that this might be Zert (the swordsman mentioned by Gurth and Twick back at The Electrum Eel in Verbobonc). By the fire sits a young pale blond man dressed in blue; he is reading a book and trying to ignore the noise around him. Behind the bar work the innkeeper and his wife—the party already knows their names from Gurth and Twick: Ostler and Glora Gundigoot. Also working in the common room are three young serving women.

 

The party sits down at a long table. Althaea is suspicious of the young pale man reading the book and tries to keep an eye on him. Glora comes by the table to take the party’s order. Erik, in his usual spendthrift way, orders several rounds of the “Ghostpale Ale,” as well as fine meals of porkbelly and mushrooms for everyone.

 

Erik also orders drinks for the swordsman, who subsequently joins the party. He is indeed Zert, who chats amiably with the group. Erik enthusiastically relates the tale of the ambush south of Verbobonc to Zert, as well as the party’s goal of “finding adventure.” Zert offers to help the party in any of their future endeavours for an equal share of the loot. He is keen to use his blade “Betty” again soon. He also suggests that the bands of brigands plaguing the region likely are operating out of the Gnarley Forest, and is dismissive of the notion that anyone might be using the nearby Moathouse as a base. According to Zert, the Moathouse was utterly ruined following the Battle of Emridy Meadows a decade ago, and its rubble is unlikely to be habitable now.

 

After finishing up the first round of drinks, Erik switches to “Umberdeep Ale.” The shadowy brew packs a decent punch, much to the dwarf’s delight. Zert thanks the dwarf for his hospitality and retires for the evening. As the party discusses their plans, a tall pale man dressed in fine brown clothing descends into the common room. His jet-black hair is tied into a ponytail and his bright blue eyes indicate partial elvish heritage. Noticing the unusual group, he approaches the table and greets them in Elvish and then switches to Common.

 

Chatting affably, he explains that his name is Furnok, and that he is an accomplished “treasure finder.” With a brilliant smile, he produces some knucklebones and cards. Godric loses a game of knucklebones; Althaea subsequently loses a game of cards (“Emperor’s Folly”). Following the games, Furnok explains that he is in need of additional coin—more than he can ever hope to win off travellers in the inn—and offers his services as a treasure finder to the party.

 

Althaea asks if Furnok knows the young book-reader. He does, and somewhat amused by the elf’s suspiciousness, calls over Spugnoir. The young man explains that he is an aspiring mage who was accompanying a group of merchants through the Kron Hills when they were attacked by bandits. In his ensuing flight, Spugnoir lost his spellbook, and is currently working on replacing it while staying in Hommlet. His current efforts involve inscribing the few spells he has memorized into his new book, but he remarks that he hopes to find others to add, if possible. 

 

After a couple more drinks, the party decides to retire. They rent a private room on the second floor. It only has two beds, along with a table and a couple of chairs, but the party wishes to stay together in case the mysterious mage (from the ambush between Verbobonc and Hommlet) seeks revenge. Althaea cautiously casts “Alarm” on the door and window. Bedrolls are placed on the floor to provide sufficient sleeping places for all.

 

3.2 Preparations in Hommlet (Flocktime 6^th – 7^th)

 

The party starts the day with an elaborate breakfast. Afterwards Cedric and Althaea go to the Church of St. Cuthbert. There they are greeted by the aloof priest Calmert. When shown the letter from Bishop Haufren, though, Calmert’s tone becomes unctuous, and he asks Credric and Althaea to wait in the church’s pleasantly decorated audience chamber. Calmert then goes to fetch Canon Terjon, who arrives shortly afterwards.

 

Cedric describes his dreams of an evil rising in the region—a mysterious ancient nemesis of St. Cuthbert—and the information he gained from the Shrine of Istus (the shrine told him: “Travel to Hommlet, near the city of Verbobonc; those who follow St. Cuthbert there will aid you in your efforts”). Shaken by Cedric’s words, Canon Terjon mentions the increasing troubles with brigands and humanoids near the village, as well as the disappearance of Canon Y’dey (the previous head of the Church) a couple of months earlier. When shown the pebble with the symbol of the eye, Terjon remarks that he can recall no such symbol associated with the forces of the Temple of Elemental Evil a decade ago. Nonetheless, he surmises that it likely is used by some kind of secret organization. At the conclusion of their meeting, Terjon gives Althaea and Cedric a flask of holy water to assist them in their endeavours.

 

Before departing the church, Cedric visits the altar room. A life-sized statue of St. Cuthbert, holding a cudgel in his right hand and beckoning visitors with his left, stands behind the altar. The altar itself is a carved from a single piece of bronzewood and is decorated with an image of the saint’s crumpled hat, as well as smaller images of billets and star bursts. Cedric casts some of the church’s holy sticks on the altar and discerns the following two sayings of the saint:

·       “Evil which cannot be removed must be eliminated.”

·       “Preach quietly but have a large cudgel handy.”

Now infused with zeal and holy fervour for his cause, Cedric leaves the church. Althaea discretely rolls her eyes and follows. They return to the inn.

 

While Cedric and Althaea are at the church, Erik strikes up a conversation with a local named Elmo. The dwarf buys the villager a pint. Elmo seems to know the area around Hommlet quite well. Erik hires Elmo to guide the party to the Moathouse, offering him two gold pieces in advance, and another two gold pieces after they return.

 

Later that morn, the party goes to the Trading Post. Outside of the establishment’s door a shield and lantern hang from chains. On the shield is displayed a sword and a wedge of cheese. Inside. the party is greeted by two merchants, a sluggish obese fellow named Rannos Davl, and a tall, wiry individual with bulging eyes named Gremag. Erik and Althaea purchase some rations; Godric obtains a suit of studded leather armour.

 

Shortly afterwards, the party meets up with an armoured and surprisingly well-equipped Elmo. The villager guides the party along the eastern “High Road” out of Hommlet. After several hours of marching through the low hills and rough terrain beyond the village’s farmlands, the party arrives at the ruined Moathouse.

…

 

 

Art credits: 

- Pictures by Dave Trampier (from the original Village of Hommlet module).

- Hommlet map by Lavernius Regalis (from here).
 

 

 

 

David Warner, RIP

David Warner was a very accomplished actor. 

 

But I’ll forever associate him with the character “Jon Irenicus” of the computer role-playing game, Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn.

 

Anyone who has ever played that game will recall his work for the lead villain. The opening lines will echo in my mind’s ear throughout the rest of my days:

Ahhh, the child of Bhaal has awoken.

It is time for more experiments...

RIP, Shattered One.

Trailer for Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Here’s the poster for the forthcoming Dungeons and Dragons movie: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

 

 

As you might note, it looks like there’s an owlbear, mimic, brain devourer, displacer beast, and probably a mind flayer (or something with tentacles) in the movie.  

 

And here’s the trailer.

 

Some of the monsters mentioned above (owlbear, mimic, and displacer beast) appear in the trailer — plus a gelatinous cube and, of course, some dragons (black and red).

 

It looks rather heavily loaded with CGI. I guess that’s to be expected. The trailer is a bit too “busy” for my tastes. But the tone seems irreverent, which is good. And I quite liked the bit with the lute at the end. It could be a fun fantasy romp. I hope it is! 

 

If you have twenty minutes to kill, here’s a breakdown of the trailer from Chris Perkins and Todd Kenreck, focusing on the monsters and some of the locations for the movie. Unsurprisingly, it is set in the Forgotten Realms (Sword Coast region).

Addition (22 July 2022): Here's a list of the main characters and their D&D classes:

• Chris Pine is Elgin, a Bard. Elgin notably wears a Harper pin in several scenes in the trailer, hinting that he might be part of the famed organization.
• Michelle Rodriguez is Holga, a barbarian.
• Rege-Jean Page is Xenk, a paladin.
• Justice Smith is Simon, a sorcerer. 
• Sophia Lillis is Doric, a druid. Doric notably is a tiefling and even has a tail.
• Hugh Grant is Forge, a rogue. An early report from the movie described him as Forge Fletcher.

(From here.)

My Top 10 Fantasy and Science-Fiction Films: 2001 A Space Odyssey (#10)

I thought it would be fun to write a brief post on each of my ten favourite science-fiction and fantasy films. All of these films are at least fifteen years old (most much older). I do think that there have been some excellent films released more recently (e.g., Rogue One, last year’s Dune). But if I still really think highly of a film after more than a dozen years or so, then this stability gives me confidence in the soundness of my judgement regarding its quality. Moreover, my sense is that over the past decade or so television has supplanted film in producing high quality, innovate works of fantasy and science fiction (e.g., The Game of Thrones, especially its first four seasons, Watchmen). In any case, since this is a list of my preferences, the fact that I first watched a number of these films during my late childhood and adolescence means that they invariably shaped my later tastes and views. I make no claim of objectivity here (although I do think that, with one noteworthy exception, the films that I will post about are objectively good).

 

Okay, enough with the preamble. Without further ado, here is my number ten: 2001: A Space Odyssey.

 

I think most film buffs, and not simply fans of science fiction, would agree that this is a classic, and rightfully so. It’s my second favourite Stanley Kubrick film (after Dr. Strangelove). I love that the aliens are truly alien and incomprehensible (enigmatic black monoliths). And it’s the first major film (that I’m aware of) to portray artificial intelligence (supercomputer HAL) in a plausible and compelling way.

 

As a youngster I found it a bit slow moving and the ending greatly frustrated me. Nonetheless, I appreciated even then its visual greatness and sweeping ambition. Fortunately, upon seeing it again later as a teenager (and subsequently as an adult), I came to appreciate its pacing and ultimate incomprehensibility.

Forthcoming Númenor book and some thoughts on the Second Age of Middle-earth

 

I’ve always found the Second Age of Middle-earth intriguing. One reason is that, unlike the First and Third Ages, it is not a period during which any of Tolkien’s primary stories occur, and hence remains somewhat mysterious. Unlike the First Age, human civilization matures during this time and becomes more than a mere imitation of that of the Elves. Also, unlike the Third Age, it’s not a kind of twilight era of slow decline: human civilization reaches its peak with Númenor, and even after its fall its successor kingdoms Gondor and Arnor successfully secure a future for the most virtuous survivors of the lost island realm. In addition, during the Second Age there remains vital, active, and important Elvish realms (Lindon and Eregion in particular).

 

The Age’s overarching themes of time and mortality greatly appeal to me as well. The latter theme can be seen most vividly in the rise and corruption of Númenor. The fall of the mighty kingdom, its turning away from the Valar and the Eldar, is primarily because of the Númenoreans’ bitterness with respect to the “curse” of mortality. This theme also appears in the temptation that the nine rings of power have for mortal men. Time afflicts the ageless First Born as well. It is during the Second Age that Elvish efforts are made to render the realms in which they dwell as timeless as themselves – indeed, such power was a primary motivation for the three rings of power forged by Celebrimbor.

 

Finally, Sauron is a rather intriguing antagonist during most of the Second Age. He’s a fair deceiver – “Annatar,” the Lord of Gifts – capable of fooling both men and (some) elves, rather than simply the hideous powerful creature he becomes following the fall of Númenor.

 

For these reasons (among others) I’ve long thought that the Second Age would make an excellent role-playing setting. It’s “open” enough to give game masters a lot of room to create new stories and adventures – especially on the main continent, outside of the western Elvish realms – but nonetheless firmly embedded in the amazingly rich history and mythology of Middle-earth.

 

So, when I first learned that the forthcoming television series (Amazon’s “Rings of Power”) would be set during the Second Age, I was cautiously excited. Alas, my excitement has cooled quite a bit. But it looks like we’ll be getting a new book – The Fall of Númenor – this fall, probably because of the series. (I suspect that the publishers were at least in part motivated to produce and release this book with the event of the Amazon series.)

 

Here's the blurb (taken from the Tolkien FB page):

We are proud to announce the publication in November 2022 of The Fall of Númenor by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by writer and Tolkien expert, Brian Sibley, and illustrated by acclaimed artist, Alan Lee. Now available to pre-order: https://smarturl.it/TheFallofNumenor

 

Presenting for the first time in one volume the events of the Second Age as written by J.R.R. Tolkien and originally and masterfully edited for publication by Christopher Tolkien, this new volume will include pencil drawings and colour paintings by Alan Lee, who also illustrated The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and went on to win an Academy Award for his work on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

 

J.R.R. Tolkien famously described the Second Age of Middle-earth as a ‘dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told’. And for many years readers would need to be content with the tantalizing glimpses of it found within the pages of The Lord of the Rings and its appendices.

 

It was not until Christopher Tolkien presented The Silmarillion for publication in 1977 that a fuller story could be told for, though much of its content concerned the First Age of Middle-earth, there were at its close two key works that revealed the tumultuous events concerning the rise and fall of the island-kingdom of Númenor, the Forging of the Rings of Power, the building of the Barad-dûr and the rise of Sauron, and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

 

Christopher Tolkien provided even greater insight into the Second Age in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth in 1980, and expanded upon this in his magisterial 12-volume History of Middle-earth, in which he presented and discussed a wealth of further tales written by his father, many in draft form.

 

Now, using ‘The Tale of Years’ in The Lord of the Rings as a starting point, Brian Sibley has assembled from the various published texts in a way that tells for the very first time in one volume the tale of the Second Age of Middle-earth, whose events would ultimately lead to the Third Age, and the War of the Ring, as told in The Lord of the Rings. 

Despite the possibly mercenary motivation for producing this book, it should be a solid scholarly work. It’ll be great to have the history of the Second Age presented in a coherent unified single work. And I’m always happy to see more of Alan Lee’s artwork!

Foreboding (and Hope?) regarding The Rings of Power series

I haven’t been following the various announcements concerning the forthcoming Rings of Power series lately, given my disappointment with the “time compression” that will be used for the series (that is, compressing about two millennia of events into perhaps a century or even a mere decade).

 

But I did watch the "Hopes and Fears" video from the “Nerd of the Rings.” I think that I largely agree with the mix of hopes and fears expressed by “the Nerd” (although I’m probably a bit more pessimistic overall). If you’re also a Tolkien fan, and both interested in and concerned about the forthcoming series, I recommend checking out this video.

 

(By the way, I’ve watched a few other “Nerd of the Rings” videos on various topics concerning Middle-earth. They’re generally of high quality and impeccably researched. I recommend them.)

Goodman Games to release The Caverns of Thracia

After Goodman Games releases their updated version of Dark Tower (scans of the original plus a 5e or DCC conversion, along with "The Chosen Sons of Set" addition) they will turn their attention to another Jaquays classic: The Caverns of Thracia.

Here's the announcement from Goodman Games:

Goodman Games Announces Caverns of Thracia for 5E and DCC RPG

Continuing in the tradition of bringing classic adventures to new life for the next generation of fans of role-playing games, Goodman Games is proud to announce the acquisition of the acclaimed adventure The Caverns of Thracia from Judges Guild, and will republish it in fully converted 5E and DCC RPG editions with a targeted release date of 2023.

Coming on the heels of the acquisition of Dark Tower, The Caverns of Thracia is the second acclaimed adventure from designer Jennell Jaquays to join the Goodman Games stable. Both were originally published by Judges Guild.

The Caverns of Thracia is a beloved adventure module and rightly hailed as a classic. It was originally designed for parties of levels 2-6, and the 5E conversion will be balanced for similar play. The DCC conversion will also be for higher level characters. We will post additional information as the project continues!

Steeped in Greek Mythology, The Caverns of Thracia pits several factions against each other, with the PCs caught in the middle. The module is set among an intricate dungeon and lost city that were once the haven of lizard folk, before it was taken over by evil cultists. Now it is home to the slaves who have revolted against the cultists, and the lingering members of the cult trying to keep control for their own means. From angry Beastmen dwelling beneath the ground to a Cult of Thanatos living above them, dangers await around every corner and down each passage.

Jaquay’s use of factions and flexibility in running such a complex adventure has even garnered the nickname of “Jaquaying a dungeon”. Goodman Games plans to keep this tradition alive and well as we bring The Caverns of Thracia to a new audience. The details and historical background provided in the text create a rich setting from which you can build the foundation for many of your own adventures, and one that Goodman Games will use to enhance the setting in the updated release.

“My designs for Caverns of Thracia were born from the union of several themes: the three-dimensional nature of large cavern spaces, ancient Greek architecture, and a faction of beast men united together. Much of that can be seen in the cover art that I originally created for the adventure,” stated creator Jaquays.

“When I think back on my initial work on Caverns of Thracia, three images or concepts come to mind: the warriors in the cumbersome tubular Mycenaean bronze armor, the haunting figure of the death god Thanatos floating through the halls, and the rope bridges on level one that spanned the higher reaches of caverns whose floors were on the lower levels.”

This book will be a fully updated homage to the The Caverns of Thracia, crafted by Jennell Jaquays and originally published by the Judges Guild in 1979. Goodman Games will publish high-quality scans of the original first edition adventure module, plus commentary by tabletop role playing gaming legends and luminaries. Included will be a full fifth edition conversion of the entire adventure as well as a conversion for DCC RPG.

The temple and surrounding caverns and tunnels forms not just a fantastic adventure, but a mini-campaign with many hours of classic-style old school fun! Can you survive what waits inside The Caverns of Thracia?

For more information, please contact info@goodman-games.com.

From Fort Endurance to the Village of Hommlet (Greyhawk Classics Campaign)

PART 2: FROM FORT ENDURANCE TO HOMMLET (Coldeven – Flocktime 578 CY)

[Part 1 here] 

 

2.1        Rest and recovery at Fort Endurance (Coldeven 8^th – 14^th)

 

Our intrepid adventurers—Erik (the mountain dwarf fighter from the Lortmils), Althaea (the high elf wizard from the city of Tringlee), and the brothers Godric (the human rogue from the Barony of Shiboleth) and Cedric (the human cleric of St. Cuthbert)—spend several days resting and recovering at Fort Endurance. During this time Cedric begins to teach the Draconic tongue to Althaea. Godric earns a couple of gold pieces by gambling with his special “lucky” cards.

 

The merchant Gareth Owlfeathers approaches the party in The Hideous Hydra during the evening of the 12^th. Gareth explains that he is a merchant employed by the Gnomish trading house Zacklington Jewelry and Exotic Goods (based in Hookhill). While travelling from Hochoch through the Dim Forest he was waylaid by brigands. Sadly, most of the merchant’s goods were lost along with his two guards. However, Gareth escaped with some gems in his backpack, which he still hopes to still deliver to Zacklington. He now is looking for some doughty warriors to protect him over the remainder of his journey. Since the party has to travel in that direction anyway, after some discussion they agree to guard Gareth for the fee of 50 gold coins each.  

 

2.2       Treachery en route to Hookhill (Coldeven 15th – 21^st)

 

The party sets off for Hookhill with Gareth Owlfeathers on the morning of the 15^th. After a day’s travel the group reaches the edge of the Dim Forest. Gareth mentions a campsite nearby used by regular travellers, and the group sets up camp there for the night.

 

Shortly after midnight the party is ambushed! The wererat Illyana Tatranova seeks revenge—and is in league with the duplicitous Gareth Owlfeathers! Two other brigands join in the ambush. Gareth reveals that he is a spell-user and launches an acidic chromatic orb at Althaea. Illyana utters some eldritch words at Godric, but her enchantment apparently fails. In response, Althaea blasts Illyana with some magic missiles. Godric stabs Illyana with his magical dagger of radiant energy. But it is Cedric who manages to finish off the malevolent lycanthrope with a bolt of holy energy. Gareth is rapidly slain as well, and the two remaining ne’er-do-wells flee into the darkness.

 

The groggy Erik rolls out of his sleeping sack only once the conflict is over.

 

The party recovers two symbols of Syrul (one bronze and one iron) from the corpses of Illyana and Gareth. They also find a silvered dagger and another dagger with an opal in its pommel. Althaea places Gareth’s battered spellbook into her backpack for future study. 

 

[Symbol of Syrul]

 

The party completes the rest of their journey to Hookhill without incident, arriving on the 21^st.

 

2.3       Hookhill to Thornwood (Coldeven 24^th – 28^th, Growfest festival [7 days], Planting 1^st)

 

While staying at The Bored Basilisk in Hookhill, the party is approached by a charming half-elf. Sporting navy blue clothing, a grey cloak, and a closely trimmed blond beard, the half-elf introduces himself as Everetto. He claims to be associated with the Order of Istus of Bissel and produces the holy symbol of Istus—a golden spindle—in support of this claim.

 

[Istus and her golden spindle]

 

After buying the party a round of drinks (to the delight of Erik), Everetto explains that he has learned of their recent visit to the ruined Shrine of Istus from a travelling merchant. He asks the party for information concerning the shrine’s precise location. In return for this information, Everetto will give the party a set of maps that cover the Flanaess, as well as five rough cut diamonds (which he claims are worth about 100 gold coins each). So charismatic is the half-elf that the party readily agrees. Afterwards, Everetto produces a lute and sings the “Ballad of the Rain of Colourless Fire” for those assembled in the common room. At the end of the song there is not a dry eye in the place, and Cedric exclaims, “What a great guy—I really respect him!”

 

The following day the party visits the Zacklington Jewelry and Exotic Goods trading house. There they meet with Zack Zacklington, the gnomish head of the mercantile operation. Zack explains that he has no knowledge of Gareth Owlfeathers. The party sells two of their diamonds to the gnome for 50 gold pieces. Althaea and Erik purchase some silk rope, while Godric obtains some studded leather armour. Althaea also purchases some ink and paper and spends some time transcribing the spell “Silent Image” from Gareth’s spellbook into her own. She then tries to sell Gareth’s spellbook but finds no buyers in the town.

 

The party plans the next stage of their journey. Godric asks Erik about travelling through the Lortmil Mountains via a dwarven route in order to save time. Shame-faced, Erik confesses that he has been exiled from the clans there, and so the party must travel along the highways instead.

 

During their journey to Thornwood (the capital of the March of Bissel, also known as “Littlemark”) the party passes a dozen mounted Knights of the Watch.

 

2.4 Thornwood to Veluna City (Planting 1^st to 15^th).

 

Despite being the capital of Bissel, Thornwood is not much more than a fortified town. The party plans to spend little time there. Nonetheless, Erik discovers that the inn, The Tears of Luna, serves a potent liquor with the same name. Moreover, the innkeeper—the halfling Aldwin “the Tall”—mentions that the inn will offer free room and board for three nights to anyone who can drink six “tears” and walk in a straight line for four yards. Confident that he can succeed in this task, Erik chugs down the tears, begins to walk, and immediately stumbles about. Despite this blow to his pride, the dwarf is delighted with the drink and purchases a bottle for later “practice.”

 

After a couple of days of rest the party leaves the town, travelling along the highway that connects Thornwood to Veluna City. En route the party joins a band of pilgrims, followers of Rao (deity of peace, reason, and serenity) who are journeying from Keoland. Rao’s formal holy symbol is a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression, and is worn Brother Dolphus, a pale Suel priest from Niole Dra. The other pilgrims wear simple white hearts crafted of wood. 

 

[Symbol of Rao]

 

The party, and especially Cedric, learn more about Rao from the pilgrims, primarily from the erudite Brother Dolphus. According to the holy book of the followers of Rao—The Word of Incarum—in ancient times humans respected the wisdom and reason of Rao. Alas, the “Dark God” came and tempted humans with false promises. Rao took away the light of his soul when humankind turned away from him, and the world was plunged into darkness. Some humans repented, however, and Rao gifted the moons Celene and Luna to the peoples of Oerth to light their way during the night and to help guide them away from darkness and evil. Rao then sent his celestial champion, Incarum, with the Crook of Rao to drive away the fiends of the “Black Sun” (the Dark God). Rao returned the light to the day, but according to The Word of Incarum, true peace will not come until there is a night when neither moon appears in the sky.

 

Since Rao is an ally to St. Cuthbert (and, according to some legends, transported Cuthbert from another world to Oerth in ancient times), Cedric is keen to learn from Brother Dolphus. In return for a copy of The Word of Incarum, Cedric gives Brother Dolphus one of his copies of St. Cuthbert’s Sayings of the Wise Foole.

 

On the 15^th day of Planting (the month that the Elves call “Blossoms”) the party reaches Veluna City.

 

2.5. Veluna City to Verbobonc (Planting 15^th – Flocktime 2^nd)

 

Veluna City is part of the Archclericy of Veluna, a theocracy devoted to Rao. It also is the largest city that the party has visited hitherto during their journey. Althaea finally succeeds in finding a buyer for Gareth Owlfeathers’ spellbook; she earns 400 gold pieces from the sale.

 

During an evening at The Purple Worm inn and tavern, the party is approached by a hill dwarf with rosy cheeks, a broad smile, and bright purple hair. The dwarf introduces himself as Yorvick, the “Master of Riddles.” He offers the following wager to the party. He will ask them seven riddles: for each riddle the party answers correctly, he will give them one gold coin; for every riddle that the party fails to answer correctly, the party will give Yorvick one gold coin. Moreover, Yorvick offers to gift the party a magical electrum ring if they manage to answer all seven riddles correctly.

 

Temped by Yorvick’s offer and confident of their collective wit, the party accepts. To the dismay of the purple-haired dwarf, the party succeeds in answering all seven riddles! The dwarf glumly turns over seven gold pieces along with the electrum ring. The ring has etched upon it the image of a shooting star or comet. Althaea casts “Identify” on the ring and learns that it grants the wearer darkvision. The rogue Godric accepts the ring, as it no doubt will prove to be a boon for his roguish endeavours.

 

The party then leaves Velnua City and spends the next thirteen days walking the well-travelled highway to Verbobonc. They arrive on the first day of “Flocktime” (which the Elves call “Violets”).

 

[Electrum Eel # 31. Temple of St. Cuthbert # 41]

The capital of the Vicounty of Verbobonc, the city of Verbobonc is even larger than Veluna City. The party stays at the inn The Electrum Eel [#31 on the city map] a famous—or perhaps infamous—hang-out of adventurers and sailors. While enjoying the service of the innkeeper Flavus, the party meets two mercenaries who recently have travelled from Hommlet: Gurth, a sturdy swordsman, and Twick, a tall but skinny archer. Erik buys several bottles of expensive Celenese green wine and shares the drink freely with the grim mercenaries. In response to this generosity, Gurth and Twick convey the following bits of information:

·       “The mercenary Zert is staying at the Inn of the Welcome Wench. He is between jobs, and his sword arm is for hire. He seems like a decent chap.”

·       “Some great beast is stalking travellers along the High Road. Travel it with caution!”

·       “Burne and Rufus are nothing but lackeys for the Crown of Verbobonc. Once they complete their castle—'Burne’s Folly’—they will reveal their true motivations, and the village will be under the thumb of Verbobonc’s despotic rule.”

·       “Travellers give wide berth to the Ruined Moathouse. They report strange noises and lights at night. Perhaps that forsaken ruin is haunted!”

The party thanks Gurth and Twick for this information (but are uncertain as to how reliable it is).

 

On the second day of Flocktime, Cedric and Althaea travel to the Temple of St. Cuthbert in Verbobonc [#41 on the city map]. As a member of the Church, Cedric succeeds in gaining an audience with Bishop Haufren. Cedric explains his dreams of a rising evil, his visit to the Shrine of Istus, and his current journey to Hommlet. The Bishop is impressed with Cedric’s story and writes a letter of introduction for him to Canon Terjon. In addition to seeking out Terjon once they arrive in Hommlet, the Bishop recommends that Cedric contact the wizard Burne, who is a member of the Church. The Bishop also gives Cedric and Althaea four potions of healing to help them in their fight against evil.

 

Satisfied with their meeting, Cedric and Althaea return to The Electrum Eel. The party prepares to set out for Hommlet the next day.

 

2.6. Verbobonc to Hommlet (Flocktime 3^rd – 5^th)

 

The party departs from the fine city of Verbobonc during the early morning of the 3^rd day of Flocktime (“Violets” according to the Elves). There is a light rain, but the weather otherwise is mild, and the party makes good progress. Godric and Erik take the lead, walking fifteen feet ahead of Cedric and Althaea. The day passes uneventfully, and the rain stops by the evening.

 

Midway through the following day (the 4^th) the party spots a man lying on the road ahead. He appears to be badly wounded, with a bandaged head, and gestures limply at the characters, seemingly imploring them for assistance. While Cedric wishes to run to the man’s aid, his brother tempers his zeal and proposes scouting ahead first. Althaea agrees and proposes using her “message” cantrip to communicate with Godric after a few minutes to learn what he has found.

 

Stealthily maneuvering behind several trees off the road, Godric sneaks ahead of the group for about 40 yards and discerns four bandits hiding on platforms within the trees around the man lying on the road—no doubt ready to ambush any considerate travellers. Godric communicates this information back to Althaea, who in turn tells Cedric and Erik.

 

The party moves into action. Godric ambushes one of the bandits, while Althaea and Cedric target others with their spells: magic missile and holy bolt. Erik moves forward to the man lying on the road. Realizing that his ambush has been undone, the man on the road gets up and attacks as well.

 

Suddenly a large troll appears out of the trees and gestures menacingly at Godric! It is hit by a holy bolt from Cedric and disappears—thereby revealed to a mere illusion, much to the party’s enormous relief.

 

The bandits eventually are slain by the party, but Erik is held motionless by some kind of spell. Apparently, there is a mage amongst the bandits. With the death of the others, though, the mage seems to disappear—indeed, he or she is never spied by the party. There are signs, though, that the mage was not human, as his platform was much smaller than those of the other bandits. Althaea suspects a gnomish illusionist, although there is no evidence to rule out a halfling or dwarf (or perhaps goblin or kobold). In any case, the party recovers some coins from the bodies of the brigands.

 

On the body of the brigand who had attempted to lure the party into the ambush, Godric discovers an odd item: a smooth stone with the image of an eye and teardrop on it.

Weary and somewhat battered from the fight, the party makes camp. Worried about the mysterious spellcaster from the ambush, Althaea casts “Alarm” (as a ritual) to help protect the party as it rests. A light rain falls as the sun sets.

 

The next day the party attempts to track the spellcaster but fails. They cautiously continue their journey.

 

Near dusk of the 5^th day of Flocktime the party reaches—at long last—the Village of Hommlet.