The Venga Campaign

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cinabro
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The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

It has been a long time since I posted in the Caron Campaign (viewtopic.php?f=22&t=2456). The reason for the stop is that I started a second game in Detroit, set in Venga where the action of the Caron Campaign had moved, and I did not want either group to get hints on what was going on behind the scenes. Now three and a half years, 11 players, and about 60 sessions later the Venga campaign has at last come to an end. This thread will document that.

The Caron Campaign also actually made some small progress, I get to Chicago a few times a year, when I manage to get together with the group there.

I will start with the initial Venga Campaign character back stories. Some of these will be a bit truncated as some secrets are still to be revealed and I still have some small thought of continuing the campaign in some distant future.

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cinabro
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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Backstory for Veritas Spike, Human Fighter
==================================
Spike is played by greenbadge who can be found on the boards. greenbadge is
the only player who was there from beginning to end.

No one knows how we came to this world from our old world.
The priests speak of the god's desire for their chosen people to
colonize and spread their worship to new places. Others talk of
a magic spell gone wrong. Whatever the case the boldest founded
the city of Mora on the Talian Peninsula which thrusts into the
Middle Sea. After meeting with the
Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, and the more horrible fell creatures
the founders of Mora made their own destiny and began to rule.
First they conquered the whole of the peninsula and then their
legions conquered all the regions around the Middle Sea. The
boundaries of the Moran Empire were the Western Ocean, the Wild
Mountains to the north, the Great Desert to the south on the
Southern Continent, and the rival Kanaran Empire to the east.

The Empire's glory ended 200 years ago in civil war and under
waves of invading barbarians who boiled out of the Wild
Lands. Finally its writ did not even extend beyond the
environs of the city.

North of the Peninsula are the plains of Lombard.
These have been depopulated due to the predations of the
barbarians. Further north are the Galban Hills where the
remnants of the Ninth Legion fled after being defeated
in the Barbarian Wars. Further north the City of
Venga guards the main pass leading to the Wild Lands.
The great river Nor runs from Lake Venga south through
the Galban Hills entering the middle sea at the great
port city of Marnor. All these places were once ruled by
Mora.

You are a sell sword from Mora, seeking your fortune
in Venga. Lots of riches from the unusual items from the Wild Lands.
It is a dangerous trip, that is why you are armed to the teeth.
You take ship to Marnor. With the recovery of Mora and
the return of peace to the Talian Penisula
vigorous trade between Mora and Marnor has recovered and the
journey is fast and uneventful. Marnor sits on islands at
the mouth of Nor, surrounded by a swampy delta. It seems
preternaturally gloomy to you used to the sunny weather of
Mora, but you also find that there is regular trade between
Marnor and Venga. Great river barges ply the Nor the best of
them relying on Dwarven steam engines to make the northern
journey against the river's current. You hire on, aided
by Moran agents, as a guard on one such barge.

You note that just north of the city the captain of the
barge demands maximum vigilance as the delta is infested
with "rebels, bandits, and undead". After a few days the
swamps give way to plains to the east and dense forest to
the west. The captain mentions that it is elvish country
to the west, and horse barbarians to the east. The guard
is relaxed during this portion of the journey. The barge
stops at the Elvish city of Nylo, which sits at the
confuluence of the Nor and the River Morn, about a week into the
journey. At least that is what is called, but all you noted
were immense trees with platforms and docks that are cunningly
hidden among the rocks on the river bank. You realize that
if no one had told you, you may have never have noticed the
presence of the city. The flat country gives way to forested
hills a few days north of Nylo. Maximum vigilence is resumed
as you are told that you have entered the Galban Hills. To the
east the Duke of Galba holds sway and you are told that his
Vale Lords are little better than bandits who either plunder
lightly guarded barges or demand ruinous taxes for safe passage.

The barge puts into Yggsburgh, an impressively walled town
on the east bank. Your are told that this is the second
city of the Duke's domain and a large toll has to be paid to
pass the city. The crew enjoys this stop as Yggsburgh has bars,
casinos, and brothels that are welcoming to those who ply
the river trade.


The barge heads north and east following
the Nor as it winds through the Galban hills. After a total
journey of ten days you see that the Nor passes through a
cleft in a mountain ridge, and beyond you can see the city
of Venga. The city surrounds the south end of a large lake
that stretches away to the north among snow covered
mountains. You note during the day that an immense pillar
of smoke rises from the lake shore of the city, and as night
presses on the smoke is replaced by a glowing white column.
The old hands tell you that it is the Beacon of Venga that
the Sorcerer's Brotherhood maintains to guide explorers coming south
out of the Wild Lands.

The barge puts into docks at the south side of the
city. The crew quickly collects their pay, and disappear into
the district near the docks offering the usual diversions that
attract sailors the world over. The captain warns you to watch
yourself, as the place is thick with thieves, sharps and women
of dubious morals.

Thorsted, a family friend, greets you warmly, and feeds you.
"Being close to the Wild Lands makes
mages more powerful than they are down in Mora. Some of
them go Mage Mad. My friend Radko went on an expedition
about six months ago, and no one ever came back.
The mages won't give me the time of day, merchants are
beneath them and they are very tight lipped about those
that might have gone Mage Mad. A thought is to go to
the Brotherhood's chapter house in the morning. They are
always looking for adventurers willing to track down mage's
who go rogue. Not for the feint of heart, but
you should not have a problem."


You spend a comfortable night in Thorsted's
home and the next morning make your way to the north end
of the city. You see a stone mole extending the city's
curtain wall into the lake. At the end of the mole you
see a fire burning on a covered paltform; the source of
the pillar of smoke. Where the mole meets the city
wall a tall tower rises. A sign with glowing letters
proclaims "Sorcerer's Brotherhood" above an open entrance.
You enter to see a stunningly beautiful women seated behind an impressive
desk. A cat naps amidst the papers on the desk.
"How can I help you?" she asks. You mumble something
about tracking down rogue mages, she smiles sweetly,
and directs you to a room saying that Master Ugo, will
be with you in a moment. She mentions that her name is
Chadara, and wishes you good luck.

You find yourself in a what looks to be a
class room. A dwarf, halfling, and elf, are sitting
within, also apparently waiting for Master Ugo. Just
as you settle into a seat, a man of indeterminate age
wearing a cliche mage's outfit enters and says, "I am
Master Ugo and I understand that all of you are interested
in helping us track down Rogue Mage's. We do have
a problem that I think you would be perfect in helping
me to solve..."

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cinabro
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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Backstory for Murga Wellfinder, Dwarf Cleric of Hephaestus
==============================================
Murga's player was the second longest serving. He dropped out near the
end to concentrate on finishing his PhD thesis. I was conflicted on this as
I am his PhD advisor.

The Servants of the Great Smith themselves do not know why
the people were brought from their home to this place.
Some say our ancestors delved too deep, and that in punishment
the people were sent here. Others laugh at this pointing
out that the Elves who only delve in the magical realm and
the Halflings who delve into nothing beyond the soil
and their next meal share
the "punishment." Punishment also seems to be an extreme
description. While this place is troubled by Fell creatures
that contest with the people for the under surface realm, it
is hardly worse than home where battle has raged from time
immemorial. The Elves claim to understand, but they talk too
much and do too little.

The Humans are a puzzle. They arrived only a few
hundred years ago, but they have come in a bewildering array
of sorts. Some are allies in the struggle with evil and chaos,
while others are evil and chaos incarnate. Initially we were
wary of them. The Elves taught them magic, as they did us
when we first arrived here. This
angered the Servants of the Great Smith, and harsh words and
even some blows were exchanged between the people and forest
dwellers. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed and all united
in the struggle. The Humans are energetic and in fact some began
to lead the fight. They ruled from the city of Mora and we
were happy to join their Moran Empire and work under their
leadership for the good. Eventually they fell to petty squabbling,
and to waves of Human barbarians who swept down from the Wild
Lands. The people were safe in their mountain holds.

The magic of the Elves is strange; shouting and gesturing
to produce something that lasts but an instant. The Servants
of the Great Smith have learned their own way. The making of
things and improving their function with magic is more suited
to our tastes. We have produced great engines that carry cargo
and people around our underground realms. We have weapons the
likes of which are unknown to the others. None can stand against
our armies. If only our underground homes were secure. Constantly
the Fell creatures attack from below as we mine for the resources
and secrets that we need.

Thus our lot is difficult. We need to dig, but digging
brings our enemies closer. All help is welcome, and the Servants
of the Great Smith seek knowledge and resources wherever they can
be found. Thus every Dwarf before he can claim his full place
must find something out or increase the resources available. Most
dig, some follow other paths. You are a gift from the Great
Smith, sharing his visage, and thus called to serve him directly.

You were an impressive student in the ways of the
Great Smith and at an early age as a Aprentice to Great Smith
you spoke before the weekly gathering of the people. As you
rose to the Anvil and began, at first
haltingly, but with increasing confidence you spoke on the
subject of productivity. You noted how unproductive the people
had become as they filled much of their time with trivial,
and sometimes even sinful pursuits. Much effort is
wasted in extramarital affairs, gambling, drinking to
excess, etc. Why if Elector Draven, who rules the Dwarves
of the Western Pelian Mountains, did not waste so much of his
time chasing after young girls, he would be a much more
effective leader against the Fell creatures...Your audience
meets your off hand remark with stunned silence. Your
Master, Stossden, rises quickly to bless the flock and
end your sermon.

Afterwards in the Smithy Stossden speaks to
you with exasperation. "Murga, that remark, even though
likely true, about Draven could well get you killed. It is
best if you leave Adrack, and the Dwarven Holds completely.
Perhaps you should go to the human city of Venga. There
is a large number of Dwarves there, and the humans
honor the Great Smith, who they call Hephaestus. It is
a city of vice, and your zealousness would be welcome.
Also I sense that you are destined for greater things
than preaching. You have the fire of the Great Smith
in your belly that few of his servants possess these days."
He writes you a letter of introduction to Brun, who leads
the Dwarven community in Venga, and sees you off on the
Steam Portage line running under the Pelian Mountains
west from Adrack, terminating west of the Dwarf hold
of Sudat near the surface where a well traveled stone
road leads to Venga. Your journey of nearly 1000 miles
takes only a few days on one of the glories of the
Dwarves, the Steam Portage line. There is vigorous
trade between the Dwarves of Sudat and Venga and you
are easily able to join a caravan traveling to the
city.

You see the city clustered about the southern end
of a great lake that stretches to the north among snow
covered mountains. Most striking is a great pillar of
smoke that arises from the city's lake shore. Clearly
it is meant as some sort of beacon. The Dwarves in the
caravan warn you to hold your natural tendencies, as
Venga is free city and they even tolerate Fell creatures
walking the streets of the city and one district
of the city is primarily populated by those enemies
of the Dwarves.

Once you arrive in the city, you are easily able
to find Brun; all seem to know him. He dwells in a great
house in the midst of smithery's and you note with
approval a well tended Temple to the Great Smith.
Brun is a large Dwarf, who seems to be jolly, but whose
brow furrows in contemplation when he reads the note from
Stossden. "Well, Murga, you seem to have gotten yourself
into quite a mess. Fortunately you are beyond Draven's
reach here, and there is a great service that you could
perform. It is perfect for your fervor. The greatest
danger in the surface world, far beyond the Fell Creatures
and the vices of the ordinary souls, are mage's who loose
control of their powers and are consumed by them. In the
Wild Lands just to the north mages find their power grows
beyond their wildest imaginations. They are often
consumed by their powers and delve into knowledge that
even the Great Smith should not know. A Dwarf of your
talents is invaluable in efforts to track them down
and punish them for their crimes. Go tomorrow to the
Sorcerer's Brotherhood and volunteer for this service.
If you acquit yourself well, I will be sure
that Draven never gets his hands on you."

You spend a comfortable night as Brun's
guest and the next morning make your way to the north end
of the city. You see a stone mole extending the city's
curtain wall into the lake. At the end of the mole you
see a fire burning on a covered paltform; the source of
the pillar of smoke. Where the mole meets the city
wall a tall tower rises. A sign with glowing letters
proclaims "Sorcerer's Brotherhood" above an open entrance.
You enter to see a stunningly beautiful women seated behind an impressive
desk. A cat naps amidst the papers on the desk.
"How can I help you?" she asks. You hand her a note
from Brun, which she reads quickly, and then
directs you to a room saying that Master Ugo, will
be with you in a moment.

You find yourself in a what looks to be a
class room. A human, halfling, and elf, are sitting
within, also apparently waiting for Master Ugo. Just
as you settle into a seat, a man of indeterminate age
wearing a cliche mage's outfit enters and says, "I am
Master Ugo and I understand that all of you are interested
in helping us track down Rogue Mage's. We do have
a problem that I think you would be perfect in helping
me to solve..."

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cinabro
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Posts: 210
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 7:00 am

Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Backstory for Celebrin, Elf Mage
===========================================
Celebrin's player got through about half the campaign before
getting a job in another state and moving away.

It is lost in the depths of time, even to the
long lived Elves, as to how and when they came to live
on this world. The oldest among you speak of their
ancestors telling them of a home world that is a paradise
that they were abruptly torn from by capricious gods.
For a while this world seemed a paradise. Elves shared the
world with beasts and fey creatures. The Elves call this
the Idyllic Age. This age came to a horrible end when
out of the Chaos Lands fell creatures ended the Elvish
idyll. There was a great slaughter among the Elves and
evil ruled the world. The survivors hid themselves
in the deepest woods and learned powerful magic which
was much easier to learn on this world than the old
home world. This age of defeat and seclusion is called
the Bitter Age.

After a thousand years of darkness the Elves were ready
to retake their place in the world and as they boiled
out of the forests led by their most powerful mages
they found that the evil creatures were already under
assault by Dwarves. They too had been ripped from their
home world by the gods, and they joined the Elves in
the War of Vengeance. The two races working together
were unstoppable, and the fell creatures were driven from
the fair places of the world. Not being satisfied with
this the Elves and Dwarves decided to cleanse the Chaos
Lands of evil. Great armies were outfitted and powerful
magics prepared. They marched off to great fanfare and
with hope of ridding this world of evil. They disappeared
into the Chaos Lands and for 250 years the world knew peace
and prosperity. The great armies may have disappeared,
but apparently they had succeeded as the Elves and Dwarves
worked together to build a world spanning civilization
untroubled by evil.

This rapturous time came to a horrible end when out
of the Chaos Lands armies of even more horrible fell creatures
descended on the forests of the Elves and the excavations of
the Dwarves. Most foul is that these evil armies were led by
the Elves and Dwarves who had years before entered into the
Chaos Lands to rid the world of evil. They had been twisted
into the Black Elves, the Red Dwarves, and things even more
foul. They are known as the Twisted Ones and they trouble
the world even to this day. The Mad Armies led by the
Twisted Ones were eventually defeated at great cost.
A second Idyllic Age dawned as the Halflings appeared in the
world. They also were ripped from their home by the capricious
gods.

The sages among the Elves and Dwarves studied carefully
the history of their people and aided by great magic came to understand
that this world waxes and wanes between chaos and
order. They surmised that after a thousand years of idyll, evil
would rise again out of the Chaos Lands to trouble the lives
of the Dwarves, Elves and Halflings. The Chaos Watch was founded,
being the Elvish Order of the Vigilant, the Dwarvish Unbreakable
Stone, and the Halfling Warders of the Bounds. They felt
prepared for the next horror to arise from the Chaos Lands.

To Elven, Dwarven, and Halfling shock and consternation, sowing
confusion that reins
until this day, at the appointed time rather than an invasion of evil
from the Chaos Lands, men appeared in
the world. They arrived on great oared ships telling stories
of being tossed by horrible storms and when the end seemed
near suddenly the waters became calm and they found themselves
in a world not their own. The capricious gods had struck again.

The Elves took pity on these refugees and taught them
much. The Dwarves mistrusted the Humans and became estranged from
their Elven allies. They were certain that the Humans were the latest
wave of evil, and counseled making war on them. The Dwarves left
the Chaos Watch and the Unbreakable Stone was abolished. Over this
issue the Elves and Dwarves disagreed and occasionally came to blows.
Finally they were reconciled when a wave of fell
creatures attacked the mighty Dwarven excavations from below. The Elves,
Halflings, and Humans rushed to help, but the Dwarves were grievously
lessened and many of their excavations were abandoned to evil before
the invasion was defeated. There followed a series of Human Barbarian
invasions from the Chaos Lands. The Elves came to learn that these
were ripped from the same world as the sea faring Humans but at
different times and brought here at the same time. These Barbarians
devastated the Elves and the Halflings in the forests and plains.
The Chaos Watch was broken. The sea faring Humans who built walled port
cities withstood the Barbarian assault, and in time after many bloody
wars came to conquer them and construct Empires that rivaled those
of the Idyllic Ages. The Humans, advised by surviving Elves,
even saw the wisdom of reforming the Chaos Watch. Humans, unfortunately,
are constantly restless and nothing they do seems to last. Eventually
their great Empire, centered on the city of Mora, descended into Civil
War and succumbed at the hands of yet another invasion by Barbarian
Humans, and the watch on the Chaos Lands sleeps again.

Young elves are tested to see if they have magical talent.
Those that demonstrate an afinity for magic are brought to special
schools and taught at the highest level. There are many paths
to follow. Some become scholars, some fashioners of magic items,
and a select few with quick minds and bodies join the Order
of the Vigilent. They defend the elvish lands versus the fell
creatures and other horrors from Chaos Lands. You followed
this path and spent many a cold night patrolling the Wild Mountains,
learning the ways of the kobold, goblin, orc, and worse.
On one rest period in the city of Sapir, you are summoned to
see Thorakil, who is the Ace, chief mage, of the Elves east
of the great ocean. Your mates warn you that Thorakil is
old beyond reckoning and probably mad.

Ace Thorakil is found in a well appointed
lab. He is a wizened figure and you think he may be the
oldest Elf you have ever met. He motions for you to sit
beside him as he hunches over a desk littered with
books and ledgers. A raven, who looks as old as its
master, eyes you balefully from its perch. Thorakil
waves his hand over a crystal ball and begins speaking
in a shaky voice, "Something is stirring. A large amount
of necromantic energy is gathering. Something stalks
our folk just west of the human city of Venga; normally
a safe area. Are they connected? Perhaps so. Necromancy
is fueled by death, but why go through all the trouble with
elves when Venga teems with much easier prey? And something
blocks my eye in Venga. I have sent on apprentice, but
he has disappeared. His name is Ingelt and I should have
been able to keep contact with him. He had one of these."
Thorakil hands you a silver leaf shaped token with
golden veins. "I should be able to know where he is.
He has either gone deep under water, deep under ground,
or something is being done to block the connection.
You have done well in the Wild Mountains, and you can
operate independently. Go to Venga, see Master Ugo who
heads the Sorcerer's Brotherhood there. He may know
what happened to Ingelt, or at least he may have
some idea about the gathering necromantic energy.
Give him this," He hands you a sealed envelope "and
he will help you. Go now. I tire easily."

When you recount the story to your friends they
opine that clearly Thorakil is loosing it. One of them has
a friend, Rireon, who is a Hunter of the Lady of the Woods,
who the humans call Artemis, based in Venga, and suggests
that you go there and see if he can offer any help or
further information.

You travel to the eastern border of the Elven
lands. You arrive late in the afternoon and see the ridge of the Jura Mountains
rising out of the Northern Forest. The Elves manning the border crossing
advise you to end your journey for the day here. "Night is coming and something
in the Mountains and creeping into the Woods is merciless with our folk. Stay
with us for the night, and push on to Venga first thing in the morning."
You take the advice and learn that over the last 20 years or so
Elves have been disappearing near the Jura. It started with single Elves
disappearing randomly, but in recent years it has grown into entire families
taken from their tree houses. No one has ever seen anything and the mages
council that the evil stems from something in the city of Venga, but all
efforts have failed to find anything and some of those brave enough
to try to find out what is going on in Venga have also disappeared.
They do not recall Ingelt.

The next day you crest the pass and see Lake Venga spread
below you glittering in the morning sun. You see the city clustered around its
southern end. You head down the pass, the forest
gives way to fields well tended by Halflings. You pass over the great bridge
over the River Nor and into the city. Despite what you have been told the city
is bright, clean, and bustling. While there are few Elves, no one bats an eye as
you ride through the town and towards the upper city where you find shrine
to Artemis in the shadow of the great Temple of Zeus. You find Rireon
and after joking about memories of your mutual friend, you tell him
that you are looking for Ingelt. Rireon's face darkens, "He said he
was trying to find who is killing our folk, but he quickly began spending
more time in the Wild Lands. He went on an expedition, probably to loot,
to the Crater of Umeshti, a well known source of chaos, chasing
after the Scroll of Natarus. No one is really sure what it is, but
it is rumored to be the key to unlocking great necromantic power.
I could never get a straight answer out of him why he might be seeking
the foul thing. He has been gone for months. He either found what he
sought or died at the hands of whatever lurks in the crater."

You tell Rireon that you have been sent to try to understand why
necromantic energy is gathering and see if it is connected to
whatever is killing elves. He does not venture a guess, but says,
"Elves are safe in the city. I too am trying to figure who or
what is killing our folk. I was certain it was Gornan Slan,
a Twisted One, this city tolerates fell creatures who do not break
the law, who operates a business importing exotic goods from the Wild
Lands, but unless he can be two places at once, it cannot possibly
be him." Rireon recounts keeping a careful watch on Slan's business
and home at the same time that elves were killed far from the city.

Finally you mention that you are supposed to contact Master
Ugo of the Sorcerer's Brotherhood. Rireon says that this might
be the way to head after Ingelt. Ugo regulary sends expeditions
to the Wild Lands to try to bring mages that go rogue to heal.
Very dangerous work.

Rireon takes you to dinner, and puts you up in his home
for the night. In the morning you make your way to the north end
of the city to see a stone mole extending the city's
curtain wall into the lake. At the end of the mole you
see a fire burning on a covered paltform; the source of
a pillar of smoke that acts as beacon for explorers returning
from the Wild Lands. Where the mole meets the city
wall a tall tower rises. A sign with glowing letters
proclaims "Sorcerer's Brotherhood" above an open entrance.
You enter to see a stunningly beautiful women seated behind an impressive
desk. A cat naps amidst the papers on the desk.
"How can I help you?" she asks. You hand her the envelope
from Thorakil, which she reads quickly, and then
directs you to a room saying that Master Ugo, will
be with you in a moment.

You find yourself in a what looks to be a
class room. A human, dwarf, and elf, are sitting
within, also apparently waiting for Master Ugo. Just
as you settle into a seat, a man of indeterminate age
wearing a cliche mage's outfit enters and says, "I am
Master Ugo and I understand that all of you are interested
in helping us track down Rogue Mage's. We do have
a problem that I think you would be perfect in helping
me to solve..."

User avatar
cinabro
Red Cap
Posts: 210
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 7:00 am

Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Backstory for Tilly Bungelton, Halfling Rogue
===================================
This player only stayed for a couple of sessions as he
decided to concentrate on college. Trying to get some one
to fill in the Thief role would occupy me for the first few
sessions of the campaign.

Most Halflings spend their lives tied to the
soil. We have a bond with the earth that we seem
able to take advantage of to get her to produce
in abundance. We honor the Earth Mother, who the
humans call Demeter, and She is good to us. Here
in the Venga Vale, the Halflings farm the rich
soil of the valley, and are partners in the ruling
of this city state. That partnership extends to the
seamier side of life.

West of the city of Venga, over the great
bridge over the Nor River is the Packet. It is outside
of the walls of the city and outside its already lax laws.
It is essentially run by Marden, a halfling, who is head
of the Vengan Customs Service. His headquarters is in the
gate house at the western end of the Nor Bridge.
His official duties are to collect tolls for passage over
the bridge, and tariffs on the boats that use Venga's docks.
Unofficially he is the head of the Venga's Thieves Guild,
with most of the ilicit activities based on the Packet.
Bars, brothels, and forbidden goods from the Wild Lands
are the main attraction of the Packet. Marden's muscle
is provided by the Fell creatures, orcs mainly, who
are forbidden from dwelling in the main city and live
in the hovels of the Packet. For more subtle activities
he relies on Halflings, such as yourself.

You were born in the Packet, the son of a working
girl, Strayl. She did her best by you, but you ended up
joining the crew and trained as a second story man. You
are known as Til. You
are very good at this and Marden uses you to punish those
businesses that do not pay him protection money. One
or two robberies are usually enough to get them to see the
error of their ways. If that does not work, then a visit
by the orcs almost always settles matters. Very few
end up taking a "trip down the Nor", but that is
the ultimate fate of those who do not cooperate.

There is another power center in the Packet.
Gornan Slan is an Elf who has been "damaged" by
spending too much time in the Wild Lands. His skin
is pure white, and his eyes are pink. He is rarely
seen during the day, and only then heavily shrouded
to ensure that sun light never touches his skin.
He seems to have business ties in the Wild Lands
as he is source for rare and unusual goods from there.
He too is based in the Packet with a headquarters
near the bridge. His home is a formerly disused
sanitarium, just north of the Packet on the lake
shore. It is rumored that he has an estate in the
mountains north of the city.

You still cannot fathom why Marden ordered
a crew including you to break into Slan's head quarters.
Perhaps Marden knew that Slan had just taken delivery
of something especially valuable from the Wild Lands.
Things went very wrong. Slan had an unexpected guard,
some sort of cold thing that was darker than the
darkest shadow, that fell on you after you had
broken into the building. Two of your mates died
screaming that they were freezing from the inside,
while the rest of you could only flee in terror.
The group scattered and you laid low in your usual
hiding place in the Packet, the Howling Owl's Alehouse.
Eventually word is passed to you that Marden wants
to speak to all of those involved in attempted
robbery. Your are advised to meet him at the Gatehouse
during day light hours, and to not be seen as yourself
on the journey there.

You arrive at the Gatehouse disguised as a goblin,
and manage to get to see Marden. You have met him
before, and you are shocked that he looks genuinely terrified.
"I am sorry that I got you into this," which is another first
from him, as you have never heard him express regret for
any of his actions, even the most vile. "Slan has demanded
that all involved in the break in be turned over to him. Fortunately
he does not know the streets here to track you down.
I suggest that you get lost in the city. Slan is not ready
to tangle with the Town Guard or upset the three families.
The gods help us all when he is ready for that.
Since he does not know who you are, you should be safe if
you stay out of the Packet. Bring this," he hands you
a sealed envelope, "to the Sorcerer's Brotherhood tower.
They can get you some work out of the city in the Wild
Lands that will keep you out of Slan's way."

You cross the bridge and enter the city.
You make your way to the north end
of the city to see a stone mole extending the city's
curtain wall into the lake. At the end of the mole you
see a fire burning on a covered paltform; the source of
a pillar of smoke that acts as beacon for explorers returning
from the Wild Lands. Where the mole meets the city
wall a tall tower rises. A sign with glowing letters
proclaims "Sorcerer's Brotherhood" above an open entrance.
You enter to see a stunningly beautiful women seated behind an impressive
desk. A cat naps amidst the papers on the desk.
"How can I help you?" she asks. You hand her the envelope
from Marden, which she reads quickly, and then
directs you to a room saying that Master Ugo, will
be with you in a moment.

You find yourself in a what looks to be a
class room. A human, dwarf, and elf, are sitting
within, also apparently waiting for Master Ugo. Just
as you settle into a seat, a man of indeterminate age
wearing a cliche mage's outfit enters and says, "I am
Master Ugo and I understand that all of you are interested
in helping us track down Rogue Mage's. We do have
a problem that I think you would be perfect in helping
me to solve..."

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cinabro
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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Party = Murga Cleric 1st, Spike Fighter 1st, Celebrin Wizard 1st, Til Rogue 1st

Friday Early April in Venga

Master Ugo comes in dressed like a cliche mage in dark blue robe
with stars and moons and tall pointed hat. He removes the hat and sits at
a desk at the front of the room. He tells them that the Sorcerer's
Brotherhood monitors the region for unusual magical activity. Murga
asks what unusual means. Ugo says that members of the Brotherhood are
supposed to report their major activity and thus unreported activities
are unusual. In the last two weeks or so they have detected something
going on near the village of Halder's Gap which is a long days
travel to the north in the Jura Mountains on the edge of the Wild Lands.
There have also been reports to the Vengan authorities that caravans
in the area have been raided by Fell Creatures. Unusually the Fell
Creatures were reported to be fanatical, rather than their usual
cowardly selves. The Sorcerer's Brotherhood partners with the
Vengan authorities and are sending a team, you folks, to investigate
this incident. Murga asks if the Brotherhood provides aid, and Ugo
says that no, typically not. Are you asking for something. Are we
just to gather information? No, you are left to your own discretion,
laws do not extend to the Wild regions and anything that you find you
are welcome to keep. Murga says that he looks on this as a way to
restore law and order. Spike says that he is in it for the money.

They ask about the town. Halder's Gap is small, a few hundred,
and the mayor is Parkad. It is the location of an iron ore mine, and
once a week caravans travel between the village and the city.

Murga urges them all to to the Temple of Hephaestus in Dwarf Town
to get the blessing of the gods for their mission. The
Journeyman there, Inburgh, blesses them, and after Murga gives a large
donation, gives Murga a Cure Light Wounds potion. Murga plans
to stay there and begins working on his armor evan though Spike
notes that it is essentially brand new.

Spike goes to the Waterman's Guild House. He meets Pressor
who tells them they have a constant need for sell swords. There are
four typical jobs 1) boat guards, 2) watchmen in the city, 3) caravan
guard, 4) expedition to the Wild Lands. They have a list of job
offers in these areas (lots in #1, fewer in #2 and #3, and just a few
in #4). A guild member pays a fee if he/she takes a job from their
list. Spike mentions that he is going to Haldor's Gap working for
the Sorcerer's Brotherhood. They note this as interesting and that
Spike may be a source of information on the Brotherhood. Pressor
suggests that The End of the Line Inn is good place to stay. Spike
goes there and finds a large place catering to boatmen, and books a room
for the night. There is cheap, good food, and possible female
companionship.

Spike and Murga visit the great bridge and see the impressive
bridge with statues of ancient Moran emperors. They also see the
heavily fortified gate house, and the slums of the Packet beyond.
Murga is especially disgusted by the goblins and orcs who live
there and who work as messengers and laborers in the city.
Spike gets a long winded history and geography lesson from
Murga. Spike wants to see the rest of the cities fortifications
and notes the tower where the two rivers meet, the customs
cutters that meet incoming barges, the serious curtain wall
on the landward side of the city to the east with the ditch
that can clearly be easily flooded to form a deep moat, and
the irregular wall on the south side of the city where there are
docks. He also notes the inner wall that surrounds the upper
city where the Temples and city administration buildings are.
He concludes the city can be formidably defended given time
to prepare. He visits Thorsted to talk.

Murga back at the Temple begins obsesively polishing
his armor, Inburgh asks about his plans, and is impressed
by his devotion. He gives him three more potions of Cure
Light Wounds for the other members of the party.

Murga and Spike plan to meet early the next day
at the Great Bridge to travel to Halder's Gap to be the by
the end of the day.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Emptied this out as I somehow posted the above twice.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

First session on 26 September 2007. Only two players turn up. Not good. It took a few sessions
to get this campaign to take off, thus the going was slow and not much happened in the first few
sessions. Murga established himself as an overbearing, know it all. He did this really well.
Spike played his part as a mercenary very well. He also did this really well, and the dynamic
between the two drove much of the character interaction at our session.

There is more to Spike's story, but I am editing it away as there is still some chance that this
campaign will continue in the future.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Party = Celebrin (Wiz 1), Murga (Cle 1), Til (Rogue 1), Spike (Fight 1)

Friday, Venga (continued)

Back to the meeting with Master Ugo at the Sorcerer's
Brotherhood Tower in Venga. The party is given a token
(star with a V) denoting that they work for the Brotherhood.
Til knows some kobolds in the Packet, and sends them a note
to have them meet him at the End of the Line where he is
staying. Bepo the kobold comes to see him. He knows the
kobolds of Halder's Gap. They are a source of things
from the Wild Lands that cannot be had any other way.
He has not heard from them lately, and them attacking
caravans does not sound right. They live in a cave
complex and Bepo opines that it would be insane to work
for a mage in the Wild Lands. He promises to have
a letter for the kobolds for Halder's Gap that Til can
deliver.

Celebrin speaks with Master Ugo. Ugo knows
Thorakil and welcomes him into the Brotherhood as
a Apprentice, 3rd Class. He gets an upgraded token
noting his status. He stays there for the night.

Celebrin knows that Koboldish does seem to
have some similarities with Dragonic, the language
of the Dragons. Some theorize that kobolds are
very devolved Dragons, but there is no real
evidence.

They ask more questions about the Halder's
Gap and the koblod raids. Learn that the kobolds
did not behave entirely rationally, were not afraid
of the dark, and did not do very well in what they
took (one horse with bulky low value cargo). No
guards in town who were in the ambush.

Saturday

Til finds a green leather envelope
waiting for him in the morning. He takes it.

They meet at the great bridge. Til
asks to ride in Mr. Spike's backpack as he
has to lie low in the Packet. The Packet is
bustling on a market day with halfling farmers
running a food market. The other Packet
businesses, gambling dens, bars, brothels
are also busy. While Murga is wary with
his weapons at ready, the mood is relaxed
with the businesses giving way to tenements
and small homes. The Packet is not walled.

They leave the city and find a vale
with well tended halfling farms. Til appropriates
a donkey at a farm and rides it for the
rest of the journey. It is a pretty good road
that rises into the mountains. They do see other
parties heading north into the Wild Lands as
exploration expeditions start in the early spring.
No one seems to pay them any special attention.

As they approach Halder's Gap, not
a very large place, Til goes to the first farm house
and gives away the donkey. The farmer, Ashas, is delighted
and feeds them a dinner and would be happy to let
them stay. They ask about the kobold raids, and
he does not know much. A few weeks ago the kobolds
stopped coming to the village, and a couple
of weeks after that the attacks started. The attacks
took place south of the village, while the kobolds live
in a cave north of the village. It is not difficult
to get around without going through the village,
but it is time consuming. The mayor tried to organize
the construction of a crude wall, but the effort has
kind of lost steam. The "wall" is incomplete
and does not look to be very defendable. If they
want to know more they should go to the inn, the
Iron Donkey. They hear stories of lots of
mages who live in the mountains to the north,
most of them incredible.

They go there and find a busy place for
a small village. There are farmers and miners,
and the fare is simple with ale being the popular
choice. Mostly humans, a few halflings, a couple
of dwarfs, no elves. The Mayor Parkad is there and
they speak to him. The only unusual event is that
the kobolds stopped coming to the village. They
have lived for some time in harmony with the village.
They picked off the occasional adventurer heading north
or coming back from the north, and bought food
and manufactured goods. Since the kobolds have
not threatened the village there is not much
interest in improved defence or an attack on them.
Everyone seems to know where the kobolds are,
follow the main road north out of the village,
there is an obvious path to the east, but no one
has been there.

The party take private rooms at the Inn.

Sunday

Murga, Celebrin, and Til attend a church
service. There is generic temple of Demeter,
but there is a shrine to Hephaestus. Mr. Spike
sleeps in. A Dwarf, Nimer the Blacksmith, approaches
Murga, and tells them that he hates the kobolds and
supports their effort to clean them out. He tells them
that the kobolds were fanatical and had patches of red
scales.

The party has breakfast at the Inn, and they
plan to explore the kobold caves today. They
ask the Dwarf Nimer to guide them such that they
do not have to follow the known path. Nimer agrees,
after they pay him some money, and they start out.
He leads them east out of town and following
trails, game and they note charcoal burner huts,
and then turns right to move around the mountain.
As they round the mountain they see the cave entrance.
Nimer declines to accompany them.

As they get near the cave Murga feels funny.
He and Celebrin cast Detect Magic. Murga detects
something he has never seen before. Unnatural.
Celebrin thinks it might be planar type magic, but
not from any plane that it would be sensible to
explore.

Til approaches the cave and hears the Ogre
bellowing to himself. Til tries to tell him that
he has mail, but the Ogre is not noticing. Til
edges into the cave, Mr. Spike starts running
towards the entrance, trailed by Murga and Celebrin.
The Ogre looses it and begins to attack. The
defeat him when Til hits him with a oil flask
and then a torch. Celebrin plugs him with
a magic missle. They gather his shield (+1 Large
Wooden Shield) which Mr. Spike starts to use,
and his treasure (300 GP in change). They note
his black skin, and pustiles.

In the large room beyond they easily defeat
the Stirgies, Celebrin's eyes are good, and note the
three exits. The leave some caltrops below the raised
entrance, and explore the others. They make mincemeat
of the Fire Beetles and note that their glowing glands
are in the shape of skulls and gather a bunch. In the
second they are attacked by the Darkmantle, and
again Celebrin's sharp eyes save them and they easily
kill it. Due to the lowering ceiling they do not
explore to the end.

They head up the last passage. Til peaks around
the corner and is greeted by a cross bow bolt noting
a few kobolds down the corrider. Mr. Spike charges
down the corrider, and begins to mix it up with
the foot men. He takes a hit and Celebrin is plugged
with a thrown javelin. Murga does launch a lightening
bolt, but fails to hit anything. Murga Shields of
Faith Mr. Spike and he and Murga begin felling Kobolds.
The last one remaining standing tries to flee and
is killed. Celebrin drinks a healing potion.

They note the red patches and extra long
canines on the kobolds. They cut off a head
and decide to leave the dungeon. They have no
trouble getting back to the village. They
are a bit surprised to notice that is late
afternoon. They thought it sould have been
earlier.

They send a note to the Sorcerer's
Brotherhood back in Venga by Pigeon. It says,
"We have found deseased monsters, ogres, strigies,
fire beetles, and kobolds at Halder's Gap. Evidence
of Planar Magic? Please advise."

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cinabro
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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

The first real session with all four players. It goes really well as we start on Dungeon Crawl Classic #2 Lost Vault of Tsathzar Rho. Gosh, I miss those coming out regularly and the way Goodman Games had them broken up by level with short descriptions. It made it really easy to pick adventures and slot them into a campaign as either distractions or integrating them into the story arc.

Campaign stalls for a month as Til's player decides to drop out. I work to try to attract more players.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by greenbadge »

Good job with the campaign recap Cinabro, I forgot how touch and go it was for a while in the beginning, Looking for new players and looking for a place to play.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Sunday Halder's Gap Continued

Back to the Iron Donkey Inn. Not much going on there on Sunday afternoon,
early evening. They hole up for the evening. Celebrin casts Identify
on claw pendants taken from Kobolds. They are not magical. Murga visits Nimer the Dwarf
Smith. He thinks the gold claw pendants are simply crude gold pendants.
Murga polishes his armor.

Monday: Halder's Gap

A reply to their note has arrived over night. "Keep up the good work.
Please find out more. What Plane? Ugo." Which they note is not very
helpful. They ship the kobold head back to Venga to Ugo.

They head straight back to the dungeon. Murga leaves a fruit
half at the Inn and takes half with him. They hit and dispatch the
two guards. They manage to sneak in and ambush the sorceror and
his guards. The only trouble they have is the with the rat
wrangler when Mr. Spike falls in a trap and is swarmed by the
rats. They are very successful behind Til's stealthiness, lots of
pain on kobolds from Mr. Spike, and spells from Celebrin.
They kill the sorceror who is reading a very unusual book and is
heavily mutated (twice normal size, covered with red scales, oversized
eye). They take his head.

Back to town where word has leaked out that they have killed
lots of kobolds. They tell the townsfolk that they found and destroyed
a tribe of deseased kobolds and show off the head of the sorceror
kobold, which is very impressive. They get free room and board,
but Mr. Spike is unsuccessful at gathering female companionship. They
ask about underground rivers, but the town folk do not know much.
They send another pigeon note "Found book in unknown tounge. Sample,
"@#$%^&" plus black candles and slew a kobold chieftain." Celebrin
was not very success at copying the sample, but they
send the message along anyway. It was a very short adventure and
they do not notice anything different with their two pieces of
fruit, but they do have the felling that it should not
have been so late by perhaps an hour.

They decide that Celebrin and Murga should hurry back
to Venga with the book and the bracers they took off the sorceror.
They have no trouble on a quick journey and get to the Tower
of the Sorcerer's Brotherhood late that night. They are met
and given a room, but Master Ugo is unavailable. Murga wants
to get to a forge to make lots of noise, but there is not one
in the immeadiate area. They rest for the night.

Tuesday: Venga

Master Ugo meets them in the morning, apologizing that
he was unavailable last night. He is very impressed with the
book which he cannot recognize. He turns it over to Master
Thritas, the lore master. He figures out that it is some sort of
nature guide to another plane and with the koboldish notes
he is able to begin to decipher it, but it will take some time.
The books is quite valuable and they give the party 2000 GP
for its recovery.

They also speak to Master Servor, a dwarf member of
the brotherhood, who is their Geographer about the underground
near Halder's Gap. He is not very helpful saying that the
area to the north is riddled with tunnels, some natural
and some constructed.

The brotherhood identifies the Bracers as +2 AC
bracers which Celebrin takes.

They get horses to travel fast back to Halder's gap
and discounted price on Healing Potions. They buy one.
Murga recharges his wand at a Hephaestus shrine.

Wednesday: Halder's Gap

Murga and Celebrin head back and get to Halder's
Gap uneventfully at lunch time. The whole party decides
to head back in.

They wreck one of the boats and use the other
to head down river. They see the web in front of them
and torch it. The spider escapes and remains in wait.
At the pool they are attacked by the snipers one of
which fells Til, but the others are killed by Mr. Spike
and Murga wielding the Thunder of Zeus wand. As the
kobolds fall into the pool they see the armored skeletons
hacking their bodies under the water. Til is revived by a
heal from Murga. The rest of the party manages
to restrain Murga from going to deal with the undead.
They march up the landing and see the corrider leading up
to the sniper spot. They decide not to continue
down the main corrider which is falling and u-turning.
They enter into the baracks and with a Sleep from
Celebrin dispatch the six kobolds. They continue
on and tangle with the Derro who has very bad
luck, as everything he tries (Darkness, poison,
Sonic blast, etc.) fails to even discomfit the
party who end up dispatching him easily with a
blow from Mr. Spike and a magic missle from
Celebrin.

They debate what to do next.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Third session with three players and Til being NPCed. They were quite lucky in that the Kobolds on the upper level are reluctant to report to below how bad things are up above, and they pull out a book that will be crucial for their allies to figure out what is going on. A good session, but we need at least one more player.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Party = Murga(1st Cleric), Spike(1st Fight), Celebrin(1st Wiz), Til(1st Rogue)
Balthazar(1st Spellsword), Darla(1st Fight)

Wednesday Halder's Gap continued

They decide to head out as the magic users are out of spells.
They have no trouble on the way out. They carefully tie up their boat,
using a knot from Murga who regales them about the history of Dwarven
knot tieing. When they get out they find it is late at night, much later
than they think it should be. They get to the Iron Donkey and are told
that two other adventurers arrived from Venga earlier this evening.

Thursday Halder's Gap

They meet over breakfast. Balthazar and Darla note that the
others are not paying for their breakfast and are being treated with
respect by everyone in the inn. They decide to join up and head
back in after telling the new ones that they are investigating
some sort of extra-planar evil out break that is mutating the
kobolds in the caves.

On the way in they fight some rock centipedes at the
first river crossing. The centipedes have a three pronged
red mark on their carapace. Murga takes a sample. Mr. Spike
was poisoned, but is healed by Murga. They
find their boat undisturbed and head down the river.
They duel it out with snipers and see skeletons enter
the pool and hack at the bodies under the water. Mr. Spike
again disuades Murga from going after the skeletons.

In the guard room they find that it has been cleaned up,
but the Dero room is undisturbed. They deal with the tunnel
guards with a sleep from Celebrin. Balthazar spends some time
arranging them as if they were fighting among themselves. The
party dons the gold three clawed tokens. As they enter the
finished section of the dungeon Balthazar, Darla and Til
experience disturbing hallucinations (red demon buzzing the
party, blood dripping from hand, itchy skin that when
scrathed reveals a red carapace beneath). Balthazar
notes that the whole place is radiating magic. Balthazar
triggers the Lemures in the first statue room, and the
party manages to dispatch them. They break into the
torture room dispatching the kobolds there. Balthazar
takes the heads in a bag, and gathers the hand torture
tools. They also gather some notes in koboldish on
torturing Dero. They cannot deciper it now as no one
reads koboldish. In the planes room Murga, with a protection
from the elements cantrip opens the portal
to the fire plane and gets singed. They are very disturbed
by the statues room concluding that they are stone
versions of real people. They decide to rest up, concluding
that do not want to stay in the finished section, and
head back to the Dero room.

While standing watch
Darla is attacked by a Darkmantle, her screaming wakes
the rest of the party minus Murga who sleeps through the
whole thing. They dispatch the Darkmantle, which cannot
score a hit to save its life. The magic users recover
their spells and they head back in. This time it is
Balthazar, Darla, and Murga experiencing the hallucinations.
They break into the library and fight it out with the
four kobold guards and the sorceror. It is pretty nasty
with Balthazar running from a Cause Fear and taking a
magic missle. Darla accidentally plugs and fells Til
while aiming at the sorceror. He is healed by
Murga. Between a magic missle from Celebrin, a stroke
from Mr. Spike and an arrow from Darla they take out
the sorceror. Balthazar felled three of the guards.
They each gather a book from the library. They
decide to head out having no trouble
getting out the dungeon. They come out and find
it is morning of the next day while it should have
been about midnight.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

For the fourth session we added two players, a couple, who unfortunately only showed up for one session. I never made back stories for them beyond the sketchiest of outlines. They wanted to try out C&C, being used to D&D 3.5, and I think they did not find it tactical enough. During this session both Til and Celebrin were being NPCed.
I think I added the Spellsword from Net Book of Classes from Simon Washbourne, but we did not use it for long enough to give it a real test.

greenbadge reminds me of our initial playing space. It was a FLGS with a bunch of play space in a suburb west of Detroit. As CK I hated it. It is loud and it tore up my voice to run the sessions as there were usually other games, RPGs and miniatures, going on near-by. There was an impossibly large D&D game, there were more than 10 people sitting around the table, that seemed to going on perpetually. One of the players in that game adopted us, and constantly came over, usually in the midst of a battle or during interaction with an NPC, to ask what we were doing. That drove me mad.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Party = Murga(1st Cleric), Spike (1st Fight), Celebrin(1st Wiz), Til(1st Rogue)
Balthazar(1st Spellsword), Darla(1st Fight)

Friday: Halder's Gap

Back to town and they ask the Nimer the Dwarf smith who might have had dealings with
the kobolds and are directed to Kirkby the trader. He tells them that the kobolds
mostly bought dry goods, but that there was the occasional luxury item and a steady
supply of writing paper. This went on for the last ten years and only changed
in the last few months. Kirkby translates the papers they got from the torture room,
telling them it is a treatise on torturing Dero. They sleep and Murga recharges his wand.

By mid-afternoon they are up and recovered and decide to head straight back into
the caves. As they enter the finished section only Murga is affected by the halucinations.
In the garden they gather a sample of mutated plants and fight it out with the kobold guards,
who give them difficulty. Hack through the brush to the structure, and then decide to
recover spells back in the Derro room. They rest comfortably for eight hours.

In the garden they encounter four elite guards, who are pure white, and fight
the exalted Dragonkin in the structure. They manage to kill all so no word is sent
below. On the bottom floor they spike the door to the breeding chamber, and overwhelm
the priestess. They try to cleanse the temple. They find the supply room, and Murga
gather's a sample of the sludge. They encounter the dead and tortured Dero.
They encounter the last of the white guardian kobolds
in the teleport trap room. It is a tough fight, they prevail, and decide to leave
to recover. They find that it is the end of the day on Sunday. They have
lost a day in the dungeon.

Saturday, Venga

Master Thritas deciphers the book. Guide to the Flora and
Fauna of The Eighth World. Not good. Its gods are inimical,
and apparently have some sort of bridgehead on to this world.

Sunday, Halders Gap

End of the day as the party returns. Essentially they have lost Saturday
in the Dungeon.

Back at the inn they find a message from Master Ugo. It says that
the caves are a portal to the Eighth World and that the gods there are inimical.
Help is on the way. They inform the local authorities (mayor and priest) and
the town takes it very seriously and begins to prep for something very bad.

The party plans to rest and try to enter again the next day.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Sorry for the gap, but I was at a conference and had no spare time.

Fifth session with only Celebrin, Murga, and Spike being played by live people. Good DCC, this one is. With lots to do and many weird things to deal with. Players are a bit worried about the time distortion. It seems to get worse as they go deeper.

After this I assign experience and everyone is raised to second level. I am getting them ready to move on.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Party = Murga(Dwarf 2nd Cleric), Spike(Human 2nd Fight), Celebrin(Elf 2nd Wiz),
Til(1/2ling 2nd Rogue), Balthazar(Human 1st Spellsword), Darla(Human 1st Fight)

Sunday 13 Continued

They debate what to do next and decide to sleep to recover spells
and try again in the morning.

Monday 14 April 980

Reaction of the Sorcerer's Brotherhood. Very fierce.
A master sorceror Ugo, Two Journeyman, a
Cleric of Zeus and a troop of ten guards arrive early
Monday morning. Plan is to gather the party and cuaterize the wound.
It goes very well. They methodically kill and
burn everything they encounter and seal the constructed tunnels. The party
is really a spectator. The party is rewarded handsomly for their efforts
and is asked to investigate the grave robbings in Venga.

Party is awoken by guards accompaning Ugo. They act as guides
as the Sorcerer's Brotherhood folks do the heavy lifting. They see
the growth room, the room of blood and the final fate of the Tzanthar Rho.
The worked levels are burned and sealed off. It takes the whole day, and
they spend the night at the Inn.

Tuesday Venga

They return to Venga. Master Ugo rewards them handsomely, and asks
them to investigate some grave robbings in Venga. He directs them to the
Temple of Poseidon and High Priest Pandor Dumas.

Back in the city they do some improvements (Murga learns some
spells). In the evening they go to the Temple or Posiedon. Dumas tells
them that this has been going on for about a month, but that he only
became aware of it about two weeks ago when there was a incident at
the North Venga Graveyard which is affilated with the Temple. He gives
them a list of all the incidents that he knows about and directs them
to the care taker of the North Venga Graveyard. He mentions that
he cannot get the city guard to pay attention as there has been
no disruption of commerce.

The caretaker tells them of two graves and that he noted a young
woman in white alone in the graveyard that evening. He has fixed the
graves.

They spend the night in the Temple of Posiedon's guesthouse.
This is usually devoted to orphans of the fisherman who form the main
part of temple's congregation. Murga stays up through the night watching
the Temple's mauseleum, but sees nothing.

Wednesday Venga

Investigate farm east of city. Learn from the child that his
grandfather "walked away".

Investigate rich estate south of the city. Find a tomb with
a smashed door.

Investigate the Fullet farm north of the city. The farm wife
is convinced this is caused by the witches that her husband was a juror
member for the trial about ten years ago. She recognizes two of the
other names on the list as members of the same jury.

They head back to the Sorcerer's Brotherhood and are directed
to Master Thritas. He says that there was a coven of witches active
in Venga. They did some good and bad things and a city magistrate,
Ulfas Borloch, trumped up the charges and had them executed. The Sorcerer's
Brotherhood thinks it was nasty business. Four members of the
coven were buried in a tomb north of the city, called the Witches
Tomb, and he provides them a map. The head of the coven is entombed
in the Mausoleum of the Temple of Poseidon. They are warned that Borloch
is now very powerful in the city.

Mr. Spike goes to the city center and tries to get a transcript
of the witches trial. He is rebuffed as he is not a lawyer or a member
of the city administration.

They plan to journey to the Witches Tomb.

Venga Valiant - Venga's leading Newspaper
(there is not a corresponding article in the local tabloid, The Packet Pulse)

Back page story
--------------------------------------------------------------
Prompt Action by Sorcerer's Brotherhood in Halder's Gap Routs Kobolds

Master Ugo of the Sorcerer's Brotherhood announced that
the Brotherhood had conducted an operation in the mountain village of Halder's
Gap just north of Venga on the edge of the Wild Lands. Over the
last few months a tribe of kobolds had taken up residence in caves
near the village. The kobolds had raided some merchant caravans
in the area, but little damage had been done. The Brotherhood sent
a covert team to investigate the distrubance, and their
information led to a larger operation led by Ugo himself. Over the
last fews days this operation was carried out and completed with
utmost prejudice. The kobold tribe was eliminated and part of their
cave structure lair collapsed. Ugo said that the kobolds had uncovered
something that made them more aggresive.
He regrets the loss of life, but said that it was necessary for
the protection of the locals.

The Mayor of Halder's Gap, Parkad, said that agents of the
Brotherhood had arrived in the village about a week ago, and made several
expeditions into the kobold cave complex. Just a few days ago these
agents informed him of the dire nature of the threat, and
the town had taken all measures to prepare their defenses. Fortunately
soon after this the Sorcerer's Brotherhood arrived in force. The expedition
was fairly large, more than ten, and made only one foray into the
caves that lasted most of a day. The mayor has been told that the
cave complex is now safe, but mining operations in its vicinity while
permitted are not recommended. Mayor Parkad was very thankful for the
Brotherhood's actions as he was not certain of the villages ability to
defend itself against "a large tribe of aggresive fell creatures". Other
citizens of the village echoed this sentiment.

This news paper commends the Sorcerer's Brotherhood for their
prompt action in defense of commerce in the regions around Venga. We only
wish that the city administration had similar wisdom to defend our peace
and prosperity by considering not only the security in the city, but
also in the lands around.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Sixth session with just Spike and Murga being played by real people, but we have a plan for the future. Next up will be another back story.

Finish up with DCC #2 as the Sorceror's Brotherhood decides to finish this. We start on the first part of the classic Witchfire Trilogy: The Longest Night. This will be the main driver for the first half of the campaign. Also first newspaper article for the campaign.

Reading the glowing reviews of the The Longest Night made me buy it, read it, and contemplate getting back into running a campaign, which I last did back in the early 1980's. I sat on it for some time until I discovered the D&D revival and the awesomeness that is Castles & Crusades. I decided to do it when I spent a sabbatical year in Chicago, re-connected with old friends, and they were excited to play again. See the Caron Campaign for that. When the year ended and I got back to Detroit, I found greenbadge on the forums, he plays Spike, plus some other folks and started this campaign.

I am a patient guy. I bought The Longest Night in 2001, and this campaign started in 2007.

What might be in your closet?

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Backstory for Neela Frangela, Human Rogue
===================================

Venga is blessed to lie at a cross roads. To the east
is the western end of the Dwarven underground realm that stretches
more than a thousand miles to the other end of the continent. To the
east is the Elven realm. Stretching away to the south is the River
Nor which is navigable from Venga all the way to the Middle Sea.
To the north are the Wild Lands where magic runs rampant and
fantastic things that can be found no where else.

Our ancestors who traveled up the Nor and found the
valley at the south end of a deep lake realized its ideal location.
The Dwarves and Elves had long ago declared the valley neutral
ground and had allowed it to become populated by the halflings who
had turned it into a bread basket. These humans founded the city
of Venga that became one of the main pillars of the Moran Empire and
its hold on the lands around the Middle Sea.

Venga flourished along with the Empire. Lucrative trade in
Dwarven manufactured goods, exotic goods from the Wild Lands, and
food from the productive farms of the valley was shipped down the
Nor to satisfy the apetites of the large cities of the Empire. The three
families that have a leading role in the life of the city rose prominence
during this time: the Frangela, the Fenkari, and the Calmoni. They did it by
dominating the commercial life of the city. During the collapse of
the Empire, which succombed to waves of barbarians form the Wild Lands
and internal strife, Venga avoided disaster through the efforts of
these families who spent lavishly to improve the city's fortifications,
maintain a large army, and attract magic users through generous support of
the Sorcerer's Brotherhood. While Venga was attacked repeatedly, it never
fell to the Barbarians.

Unfortunately with the collapse of the Empire, there were far
fewer outlets for Venga's trade. The fortunes of the city have declined
over the last few hundred years. The fortunes of the three families have
also suffered. Competition in the comercial sector has come from Gornan
Slann who arrived out of the Wild Lands some years ago, and has come to
dominate the trade in exotic goods from the Wild Lands and provides a
seemingly endless supply of goblin and orc slaves for labor in Venga.
The Sorcerer's Brotherhood has also grown far more independent with the
lack of large subsidies. The city's administration is also less
reliably under the control of the three families. It is becoming less
than obvious that members of the families will occupy the three most
important positions of power in the city, Mayor, Governor of the Venga Vale,
and Chief Justice.

The three families have grown very disturbed that an alliance
against them is being formed by Slann, the Sorcerer's Brotherhood,
and the city's bureaucrats. The goal would be to wrest power from
the families and break their dominance of the Nor River trade via
their lock on the granting of slots on the limited number of river
docks. This is especially disturbing as the river trade is starting
to revive. The city of Marnor at the mouth of the Nor has recovered
after falling to barbarians. Merchants from Mora, far Koda, and
other cities on the Middle Sea are starting to demand Vengan goods
again. This is not the time for the three familes to lose control
of the river trade.

Many measures are being undertaken to blunt threats to the power
of the three families. One line of inquiry is into who is sending expeditions
to the Wild Lands. Investigation reveals that the Sorcerer's Brotherhood
is very active in sending such expeditions, but that the fruits of these
explorations tend to end up benefiting Gornan Slann. The Brotherhood claims
that their expeditions are sent to blunt threats to the city, and that Slann
has been adept at taking advantage of locations that the Brotherhood has pacified.
The three families are skeptical, and you as a wild young scion of the Frangela
family have been asked to approach the Brotherhood and offer to join one of
their forays to try to understand the turth of the matter. The head of the
Frangela family, Stephano your great Uncle, has made it clear to you that certain of your
adventures that led to unfortunate encounters with the Town Guard would
be forgotten about if you spent some time in the Wild Lands. Another
one of your uncles and his brother Ronaldo is the Chief Justice and you realize
that it is an offer that you would be unwise to refuse. Your other option is
a stint working in the Dwarf mines to the east.

While your nuclear family, led by your mother Anna,
is not exactly thrilled with your behavior they
are supportive of this chance you have to make a contribution to the family's
fortunes. The advice from your close relations is to make the best of this
opportunity. Expeditions to the Wild Lands can be very rewarding. They
are also materially supportive of your activities. A final piece
of advice from you mother is to look for signs in those you encounter
that they are members of one of the three families. A nondescript
item of decoration or an uncommon phrase are clues that a person
you are encountering has common cause with the families.

You find yourself talking to Master Ugo of the Sorcerer's Brotherhood.
He introduces to an annoying Dwarf Cleric of Hephaestus (Murga), a haughty Elf
mage (Celebrin), and rather frightening looking man (Mr. Spike) who have had one
successful expedition to the Wild Lands, and are planning another.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Add a new player who is the wife of Celebrin's player, and, thank God, we move to playing at their house. This will be the group for a large number of sessions getting most of the way through the Witchfire Trilogy.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Party = Murga(Dwarf Cleric 2nd), Spike(Human Fight 2nd), Celebrin(Elf Wiz 2nd), Neela(Human Rogue 2nd)

Wednesday, Venga - Continued

Neela, who is introduced to the party by Master Ugo, mentions
that she can get a copy of the transcript of the trial. She will do so
tomorrow.

The party scatters for the night with Murga at the Temple
of Hephaestus, Mr. Spike visiting his contact, Celebrin at the Sorcerer's
Brotherhood, and Neela with her family. Celebrin carefully reads the
Brotherhood's report on the witches trail and notes that there are more
jurors besides the ones missing.

Thursday, Venga

Neela gets a copy of the trial transcript from her Uncle, and
Mr. Spike talks to a reporter at the Venga Valiant. They learn that
the witches were working for the fisherman community, and were implicated in
a death of a businessman that they were trying to force into working
with them. They were clearly guilty of practicing magic without a liscense,
conspiracy, and perhaps murder. Their punishment seemed disproportinate,
with all of them being executed. All seem to remember that Ulfas Borloch
whipped up sentiment against them, and that things got out of control
leading to the executions.

They spend a good fraction of the day looking up the 8th juror,
Philio Pizio and discover that he left town five years or so ago. They
decide to head to the Witches Tomb tonight.

They note that powerful magic destroyed the door and a gate.
They find the treasure in the barracks room. Neela notes that
there is token with the mark of Calmoni family on it. They fight and
defeat the squid and are puzzled by the boat which they move to
the barracks. Also they note the Moran seal in the officer's room.
They encounter Bork who tells them of the "witch girl" who messed
with the "smelly boxes" and "made some bones move". They let him flee
from the place via the cracks in the forge room. They fight and defeat the
skeletons, and note the broken coffins, needle, thread, candles, and glyphs
(copied by Celebrin). They head back to Venga as quickly as possible.

Friday, Venga

Party returns early in the morning and goes to the Sorcerer's
Brotherhood to see Master Ugo. He gets there around 7:30 and he is
distressed by their story. Murga suspects that Dumas may be behind
this, but Ugo does not buy this and points out the Dumas initiated
the investigation rather than hide it. Mr. Spike suggests that it
is a relative or friend of the Coven that is seeking revenge. They
decide to speak to Dumas to check on the fifth witch in the Mauseleum.

After hearing their story Dumas is shocked and tells them that
Alexia has gone missing. They check her room and find books leading them
to think that she is in the catacombs beneath the city. Mr. Spike suggests
that Alexia is preparing an undead army in the catacombs to strike at the
city. Ugo and Dumas both suggest that the Beltane celebration would
be an excellent time for such an attack.

They note
that the Mauseleum is undisturbed, and convince Master Ugo to look
in the sarcophagus of Lexaria Ciannor. He does with a spell and tells them
nothing is amiss. He puts a Magic Mouth on the tomb that will scream
if the body moves. High Priest Dumas posts guards on the Mauseleum.

The party plans to head into the catacombs after resting through
the day. They all agree that what they have is a mound of speculation
and circumstantial evidence that there is a threat to the city. Until they
gather more evidence in the catacombs they decide not to speak to the
city authorities.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Seventh session as we dive into the Longest Night. I have adjusted the plot a bit. The whole trilogy is really good with tons of game play in each of those little books. Spike is far closer to the truth in his deductions than it appears.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Party = Murga(Dwarf Cleric 2nd), Spike(Human Fight 2nd), Celebrin(Elf Fight 2nd), Neela(Human Rogue 2nd)

Friday, Venga Continued

Party reconvenes at the Temple of Poseidon in the early evening. They
have stocked up on holy water and oil flasks for a trip into the catacombs.
They head on in and encounter Alexia. Her trap paralyzes all but Neela and they
learn that she plans to take revenge on those who killed her mother. She mentions
that there is much to do and she plans to only punish the guilty. They try
to dissuade her, but she cuts them off and leaves. She morphs the exit, trapping
them in. They do find papers listing the jurors with check marks, something
mentioning Borlach, his friend with the "lightening eyes", Witchfire, asking
who the executioner was, and the Scrolls of Natarus. They also find some glyphs
and a key. They make their way through the catacombs easily killing the 7 skeletons,
they identify them as the Jurors, the plague skeleton, and a patch of cavewort.
Murga's turning of these low level undead is quite successful.
They are very careful not to disturb the tomb of an old high priest and the body
of a cleric they find near the monument which they try to entomb respectfully.
They also carefully gather items from the skeletons that looked as if they belong
to the dead jurors for returning to Dumas. They get out via the cemetary around midnight.

Saturday, Venga

They rush to High Priest Dumas and give him the stuff that they have
gathered from the catacombs. They convince him that there is a great deal of
danger and that they should warn Borloch that he is in great danger. They
decide to speak to Master Ugo.

They go to the Sorcerer's Brotherhood and ask after Ugo. He eventually
turns up and they all discuss what they have discovered and what to do. He
is distressed to learn that Alexia has consulted the Scrolls of Natarus. They
are rumored to be in the Crater of Umeshti, he has sent expeditions there and
none have returned. They are supposed to be a road to great necromantic
power. Alexia is probably quite powerful if she has consulted them.
The way to the Crater has recently become blocked by a tribe of
goblins. In any case it is a considerable journey there. Despite some misgivings
they decide to see Borloch first thing in the morning. No one knows anything
about "lightening eye". Ugo knows something about Witchfire. It was a sword
forged hundreds of years ago. It gathers the power of those it kills, and
was used to execute the coven. The idea was to prevent the witches bodies
from becoming some sort of focus. Unfortunately the sword went missing after
the executions.

Julian Helstrom, Captain of the Town Watch contacts High Priest
Dumas and asks for him to arrange a meeting with the party.

In the morning, Dumas gives Murga the prayer beads from the dead
priest in the catacombs (+1 on any healing dice he throws). He tells them
about Helstrom and they decide to talk with him before seeing Borlach.

Helstrom tells them that a few days ago Borloch ordered the Watch
to figure out what is going with the grave robberies. They managed to find
that a young woman in white was behind it. They followed her out of the city,
she used some sort of magic to get past the gate guards
yesterday evening and she went to Fort Rhyker. He is mistrustful of Borloch's
motive in this matter. Borloch seemed more interested in trying to prevent
anyone else from finding out more about what is going on. He is concerned
for his men at Fort Rhyker. Only one has returned. The party wants to meet
with him, and Helstrom will arrange it later today.

They meet with the watchmen. He tells them that they had a difficult
time following Alexia. She was moving unnaturally fast. Fort Rhyker used
to be part of the cities defense lines but a battle was fought there some tens
of years ago and the fort was abandoned for a smaller perimeter. The watchmen
says the place is frightening. It is a double tower with a bridge connecting
them. The area around it is bare, even though it is spring. He was sent
back to report to Helstrom while the other two watchmen planned to enter
the fort to see what is going on.

After some discussion the party decides that they will head out to Fort
Rhyker first thing tomorrow. They do not think the danger is imminent as
while Alexia may be fast her skeletons are not and she mentioned how much
work she had to do. Ugo, Dumas and Helstrom will work to prepare the
city for defense without causing panic. They will also provide some help to
the party. Helstrom promises two more pistols, six rounds of ammo, and two
small explosive charges. He notes that these are from the "evidence locker"
and won't be missed in the next few weeks. Ugo and Dumas will provide something
useful verus undead and/or something that will get them out of trouble if they
confront Alexia again. Perhaps some proof versus paralysis or some sort
of smoke screen.

After the meeting Celebrin rounds up some street people and pays them
to spread grafiti like this as some sort of warning to the people of the city
and in hopes of flusing out "Lightening Eye":

Beware
\ \ / /
_\ \ / /_
\ _\ /_ /
\ \ / /
\\ //
\ /
=========
= _-_ =
= | o | =
= -_- =
=========
/ \
// \\
/ /_ _\ \
/_ / \ _\
/ / \ \
/ / \ \

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Eighth session and the plot thickens after the party encounters Alexia, get stuck in the catacombs, and head out to her lair. I cannot say enough what a great module The Longest Night is. Tremendous of amount of game play in such a small package.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Party = Murga(Dwarf Cleric 2nd), Spike(Human Fight 2nd), Celebrin(Elf Wizard 2nd), Neela(Human Rogue 2nd)

Sunday 20 April 980 Venga

Master Ugo gives them the "Undead Burner" and "Blink Ring" and they have no trouble
getting to Fort Rhyker. They observe the bone gathering and take out a couple of groups.
As they advance on the gate house they fight and defeat a patrol of fighters. They enter
the gate house where Murga sprinkles holy water on the piles of bones there. They decide to
try to proceed stealthily. Neela and Murga are made Invisible to Undead by a spell from Murga
and Celebrin and Mr. Spike are Invisible via a scroll from Celebrin. They end up on the
top of the tower where Murga mends the bridge and they are able to cross to the main building.
Down in the courtyard they see Alexia and her 4 Zombie witches making skeletons and adding
to an army of many hundreds. They also notice a sprinkling of larger undead troll-like things.
After a quick debate they decide to use the explosive charges they got from Captain Helstrom
to try to blow up the upper and lower bridge to delay the army. They really have no trouble
doing this, but as they flee they encounter the assasins. Celebrin manages to
sleep them, and they bind up one and Mr. Spike carries him out and back to town. They have
no trouble getting back to town with their reticent prisoner in tow.

They go to the Sorcerer's Brotherhood and see Master Ugo. The assasin does not give
himself away and Ugo tells him that he is some sort of controlled person, which all find
disgusting. They quickly gather Dumas and Helstrom and try to figure out what to do. Examination
of the prisoner reveals nothing. Neela warns
her family of the impending attack. They decide to confront Borloch and see if they can find
a connection with Lightening Eye. They contemplate letting the assasin go in hopes that he will
lead them to Lightening Eye. Mr. Spike tries dressing like an assasin (black cloak etc.) and hang
out as a nuisance in the main square. The town guard eventually gathers him up as a harmless
drunk or stoner and bundle him off to a remote cemetary to walk it off when they come to town.

They meet with Borloch around noon. He gives the appearance of a corrupt city official (fat,
large fawning entourage, etc.). Ugo does
tell them that the sword, Witchfire, was forged to gather the power of those it slays, and thus
was used to execute the coven to have them not become the focus of some sort of magical cult.
Unfortunately the sword has been lost, but he perfectly well knows that it was entombed with
the head of coven and very heavily magically protected. They come
away disappointed and decide that it is best if they rest up for the impending invasion.

Monday Venga

Alexia invades Venga with the goal of recovering her mother's body and the Witchfire.

The town guard does a good job defending the northern wall. There is a general
exodus over the great bridge and out of the south gate which Neela observes. Many also seeking
refuge in the city. Alexia's army of undead sweeps into the lake and enters the city via
its western shore (no walls). Party notes that the army is converging on the Temple of Poseidon
and they rush there. As they get there they find Alexia and four flying about the Mauseleum.
The undead army falls to its knees, and a large bolt of purple energy flies from Alexia and
cracks open the Mauseleum. Alexia flies in and emerges with Witchfire. At this point Ugo
appears and attacks her causing her to drop Witchfire which slides in front of the party.
Celebrin launches a lightening bolt at Alexia (hitting and hurting her), while Ugo is
attacked by a large bunch of undead. Both stagger out and ask for the sword, Alexia saying
that she needs it to restore her mother to life and that she has it she will dismiss the old
bones. Ugo says that he needs it to protect the city from the obviously dangerous Alexia. Celebrin
is neutralized with magic missles by the four as he tried to continue to attack Alexia.
The rest of the party is confused, but decides for Alexia. She bows, the undead all collapse,
and Alexia and her four zombie witches all fly off. When the party looks to Ugo they find
him gone, with only an iron ligthening eye sign marking his last position.

Neela tells the party that her friends in town are one the leading family's and that
she was looking into Ugo and his interests in the Wild Lands.

Stunned the party is met by High Priest Dumas who comes out of the Temple.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Ninth session is the climax of the Longest Night. Ugo is revealed to be trying to recover Witchfire using Alexia, but things go wrong when the party gives the sword to Alexia. Ugo escapes.

The plot is twisted from the original module, which I again say is really great.

This betrayal of trust will be a continuing theme in the campaigns. The party will worry that anyone who works with them will turn on them. I do my best to exploit this during the rest of the campaign.

Next up will be to try to figure out what Alexia is doing with Witchfire.

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Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by greenbadge »

cinabro wrote:Ninth session is the climax of the Longest Night. Ugo is revealed to be trying to recover Witchfire using Alexia, but things go wrong when the party gives the sword to Alexia. Ugo escapes.

The plot is twisted from the original module, which I again say is really great.

This betrayal of trust will be a continuing theme in the campaigns. The party will worry that anyone who works with them will turn on them. I do my best to exploit this during the rest of the campaign.

Next up will be to try to figure out what Alexia is doing with Witchfire.

One is not Paranoid when it is true

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Re: The Venga Campaign

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Party = Murga(Dwarf Cleric 3rd), Spike(Human Fight 3rd), Celebrin(Elf Wiz 3rd), Neela(Human Rogue 3rd)

Monday, Venga

Mr. Spike suggests that the Sorcerer's Brotherhood tokens get hidden. He is
paranoid that Master Ugo can use them to track or spy on them. High Priest Dumas takes
them and holds them in the Temple of Posiedon. The party debates what to do about
the Sorcerer's Brotherhood. Celebrin is exceptionally worried about who will train
him. Dumas lets them stay at Temple to help guard and clean up the place. The Mauseleum
is a ruin, but as far as Dumas can tell it was only Alexia's mother's tomb that
was broken into.

Captain Helstrom turns up. After talking with the party he decides that Master
Ugo was complicit in the attack and decides to send a troop to the Sorcerer's Brotherhood
tower and try to track down Ugo. Ugo was supposed to arrange Mage's to help in the
defense of the city, but none turned up. He tells them that Borloch survived the attack
and is holed up in a city building. He was supposed to contact the Council of the Olympians
and arrange for clerics to help in the defense of the city. They did not turn up either.
He has sent an expedition to Fort Rhyker to check on it.

Mr. Spike visits the Sorcerer's Brotherhood and finds it being guarded by members
of the Town Guard. They tell them that things are confused inside with anger being
directed at Ugo. He asks after Chandara and is told that she is missing too.

Murga and Dumas head up to the Temple of Zeus and meet High Priest Youlden.
He is discombobulated. He says that the first they learned of the attack was a letter in
this morning mail telling them of the attack and requesting help. Obviously too late
for them to do anything meaningful. They ask him to look at Fort Rhyker and he promises
to do so.

Neela speaks to her family. They are very pleased at the out come. The Mayor
was also unaware of the attack until Monday morning. He is moving on Borloch, but it will
take time as it appears he was incompetent not treasonous.

Upon return Mr. Spike tells them about the Crater of Umeshti and the Scrolls
of Netarus and the Sorcerer's Brotherhood's interest in it.

Late in the day a message from High Priest Youldan who says that they can see
nothing but fog at Fort Rhyker. Helstrom's expedition returns and says the place is
empty.

Tuesday, Venga

Master Thritas comes to Father Dumas to try to enlist the party
to go to the Crater of Umeshti to try to figure out why Ugo was so interested
in the place. He is successful.

Mr. Spike goes to the Waterman's Guild to enlists a Ranger to accompany
them. Not successful in the short term. Neela via her contacts finds one
called Wulfrum to accompany them.

This day they see a troop of goblins and orcs working on clean up and repair
at the Temple.

Venga Valiant - Front Page Headline
---------------------------------
Undead Assault Does Little Damage

Yesterday morning a large group of undead attacked Venga. The Town Guard
estimates that about 1000 creatures marched out of the Wild Lands and
attacked the northern wall of the city. Apparently there had been advanced
warning of the assault as the Town Guard was manning the wall in force
and the assault made little progress. A large group of the horrors swept
into the lake and entered the city via the fish market docks and sewers.
A large group converged on the Temple of Poseidon and a smaller group
attacked a manor in the northern section of the city.

At the Temple reports are sketchy, but there was apparently
some sort of magical duel between the Necromancer leading
the assault and Master Ugo of the Sorcerer's Brotherhood. The Necromancer
is reported to have been a young woman dressed in white. She apparently
could fly and was accompanied by four cadaverous attendents. The Mauseleum
at the Temple of Posiedon was badly damaged in the ensuing duel. Apparently
she was badly hurt in the encounter as most of the undead collapsed and
she fled the city. We also fear that Master Ugo was seriously injured as
the Sorcerer's Brotherhood says that he is presently unavailable for comment
and it is unlikely that he will be able to comment in the foreseeable future.
High Priest of Posiedon Dumas speculated that she was after some item of
power that was in the Mauseleum, Ugo tried to sieze it from her, and that both
were badly hurt in the ensuing struggle. Other witnesses report that she was seen
carrying an oversized black sword as she fled. Dumas identified the White
Necromancer as a former resident of the Temple's home for fishermen widows
and orphans who had lost her mind and learned dangerous magical knowledge in
the Wild Lands.

The manor attacked belonged to Deputy Mayor Borloch. Here the assault
was more intense with 20 Town Guards and members of the deputy mayor's household
killed. The manor was left a burning ruin. Deputy Mayor Borloch had no comment
as to why his house had been singled out for attack. These undead did not collapse
when the White Necromancer fled and were eventually destroyed by the efforts
of the Town guard.

Elsewhere in the city we can confirm eight other deaths, mainly in attempts
by citizens to impede groups of undead from their goals. Besides the damage at
the Temple of Poseidon, the deputy mayor's home, and to some of fortifications
of the northern wall there was little other effect of the assault.

The whole incident is puzzling. The Town Guard clearly had advanced warning
of the assault, but did little to inform the citizenry of Venga. Apparently they
were confident in their ability to defend the city. The confidence was misplaced
and the city was only saved from serious death and destruction by the mysterious
motives of the White Necromancer who fortunately had something else in mind besides
conquering the city. We also note that besides the appearance of Master Ugo no other
prominent members of the Sorcerer's Brotherhood took leading roles in the defence of
the city. Also with an assault by undead where were the Priests of Zeus and the
other gods who would have been useful in turning back the attackers? Mayor Donal Fenkar
promised a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.
He claimed that his office only learned of the attack after it had started, adding
yet another puzzle to this incident.

No one had any comment about the prospects for further incidents involving the
White Necromancer.

The Packet Pulse - Front Page Headline
-----------------------------------
The White Necromancer Attacks Venga

The peaceful existence of the city of Venga was shattered
yesterday morning when a horde of undead horrors attacked the city.
The army was led by a beautiful and alluring young woman dressed in a form fitting
white dress, dubbed the White Necromancer. Note the eye witness drawing of her
on page 3. The host attacked the north wall
of the city and after a futile attempt to breach our stout defenses they
apparently took to the lake and entered the city via the fisherman's docks
and the sewers. There a desperate struggle ensued around the Temple
of Posiedon with the White Necromancer being driven off with her army left
behind as heaps of bones scattered around the city.

While there was little damage and little loss of life from
this incident this newspaper is aghast at the lack of preperation and
response by the city administration. How did an undead horde led by
a powerful and beautiful necromancer attack and enter the city? Perhaps
the city administration was blinded by the White Necromancer's good
looks, full breasts, and long, shapely legs? Whatever the reason we
demand a full investigation into how the institutions that are supposed
to defend our city including the Town Guard, the Sorcerer's Brotherhood,
the Council of the Olympians and Mayor Donal Fenkar's administration utterly
failed to provide for our most basic security needs.

Gornan Slan, noted Packet bussiness man, deplored the dereliction
of duty by the city administration and renewed his call for an immediate
election to choose a new mayor and city council that would include all
members of the Vengan community including citizens of the Packet and farmers
in the Vengan Vale. Slan generously provided a troop of workers to
aid in clean up and repair activities now going on in Venga. Mayor Fenkar
thanked Slan for his contribution to the city at this time of need.

Wednesday, Venga

The party works up some sort of recognition sign for their
communication with Master Thritas as they are concerned Ugo could
intercept them. Thritas also gives Celebrin a scroll of
Invisibility so that he can learn the spell while traveling.

Thursday, Venga

Celebrin recovered and party travels to Wildgate. Uneventful
journey and the party settles in at the Falling Star.

Friday, Wildgate

Up to the Goblin caves. The fake ogre humilates them as Celebrin
plugs it with a magic missle, Mr. Spike falls into a pit trap, Wulfrum drops
his bow, etc. Fortunately they defeat the three gate guards. They break
into the common room and fight it out with the nine goblins there, who
beat up Mr. Spike fairly badly. The shocker lizard adopts Mr. Spike.
Mr. Spike calls him Bud.

They tangle with the Shamen who sleeps Murga and Mr. Spike, but the rest
of the party chases him to the well where he dives in. Unable and unwilling
to follow they stop up the well with furniture and wood from the common
room and head back to town. They have the augery dice (not able to ID), some
change, 3 heals (easily ID'd) and the very fine snake motif battle axe head.
Mr. Spike gets the black smith to give it a simple shaft so that he can use
it.

User avatar
cinabro
Red Cap
Posts: 210
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 7:00 am

Re: The Venga Campaign

Post by cinabro »

Tenth session deals with the aftermath in Venga and right into the next adventure which is DCC #28: Into the Wild. Everyone levels up after finishing The Longest Night. First try at the goblin caves of Into The Wild are a complete failure for the party. It becomes during the rest of campaign, "that which never will be spoken of again."

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