I series/Bergholt Campaign Log

[Metal]

Hi All,

I've copied these out of my I3: Felsentheim Keeper Question thread and retitled it. I'm keeping a campaign log of our trek through the I series then Bergholt. Note that I'm running 3.5 d20 in Inzae, will probably convert to 4th (boo, hiss), but am slavering over an Inzae boxed set or Bergholt 2.

Don't hate me for the rules I'm running, love me for the setting I love..

Is it ok for me to post a whole summary like this?? I'm somewhat giving away the I series content. I'm sure someone will nuke my post if not.

New additions at bottom..

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:52 am

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When we last heard of our heroes, they were heading to Dzeebagd for the dual purpose of appropriating a large payment from several of von Beck's men who were depositing it there temporarily, and, the contract killing of some blue lizard men. Upon initial approach of the fort, they spotted the Zjerd goblins guarding and rebuilding it, as well as several groups engaged in a heated argument over a blone girl and small Kydzj. The party immediately split up and started doing things in a haphazard fashion.. one character running around the side screaming warcrys (I'm not kidding), one character sneaking up to the side, one character charging the front gate, one sneaking up to the pallisade to dig a hole. After several rounds of battering with Zjerd arrows and very accurate shots by the humans inside, the fort is on high alert and the party is retreating bloodied very badly. [groan]

Several stay back to create a false camp to attempt to ambush any counterattack. Two of the more arrogant characters are one-hitted by someone who they don't even know snuck up on them - they are warned to stay away from the von Beck's.

[Now considering Dzeebagd to not be a safe place to leave their ransom, Klaus and Tindle head directly to Bergholt with Evanna, the Magdoles in tow.]

The party decides to try working together instead of running around like idiots. A diversionary attack on the wall allows a group to break in through the front gate, while a stealth group moves in through a hole in the pallisade. The Zjerd don't even stand up for 6 rounds.

However, the humans, nor the blonde girl, are nowhere to be found.

They explore the dungeon below, getting hit by just about every possible hazard, including the whole party eventually contracting the lung disease. Eventually the Tan Meths are discovered hiding in their hole. Barely, through rough negotiation and fortunate spell choices, the story of the Tan Meths of Imfal is discovered, and the tables turn on the Krung Thep. The party leave the dungeon, alongside the Tan Meths.

They walk right into an ambush by the Krung Thep - who are none too happy about not having the Tan Meths handed over.

Unfortunately the Krung Thep don't even prove a challenge for the characters.

Having sacked Dzeebagd, the characters head north to a warmer region of the Dampfrat, where Me'Enup can begin erecting a temple, to live with his kin in seclusion. Then, on to Felsentheim, back to civilization.

Several miles away, while crossing a glade, several Zjerd scouts are spotted following the party........

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:21 am

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[CK stuff:

I've started reading Bergholt, and again, am completely blown away with the depth of the setting and the germanic flavour. However, now I'm at a loss for what to do with Klaus (whom the characters now consider a villain, and know is a pirate) and Evanna (whom the characters let walk away). Perhaps Evanna will be delivered to Baron von Savil, forced to marry him, and kept quiet with threats, as was alluded to in I3. Evanna will sponsor the characters for citizenship for their actions at Felsentheim (one of the nobles there will become subjugate to the Rotenheimers).

In case you can't tell I highly recommend this series - it's a campaign setting and story arc and mythos all in one, for a low, low price.

Where the adventure's been left off, the characters have just started to be chased to Felsentheim. They will encounter the Chazrim next session, the numbers of which I'm going to increase, because they're not quite dangerous enough to the characters. The battle at the ford I'll run by the book, though I have a feeling they'll do something to outskirt the ambush, or find the Zjerd tracks in the mud.

Ranged weapons will be used to maximum effect - and with 45 Zjerd firing, there had better be some good maneuvering done by the characters. Mwahahaha.

Before the characters get to Felsetheim I'm going to re-read, then re-read again all the NPCs, and get a feel for how I want to play their characters. The role playing during the siege will be very theatrical.

I've decided that Ingram, the tax collector from Bergholt, will be at Felsentheim, collecting, before the characters arrive. They can exchange said coins above to trade bars for merely 10% tax to Bergholt. (Thanks Moriarty) This might also give an in to the next adventure.

For the siege itself- (this is the part I talked about writing here in my first post)

I've drawn a map of the town to use as a reference while running the siege. I've also photocopied sheets of stats of the town residents to hand to the players (just visible descriptions and statistics). For myself, I've made up stat cards of all the various elements of the Zjerd force, and a disposition sheet which lists what parts of the force are on what side of the town. So, for example, if the characters have waves of arrows pelted on the west force, I can note down their losses.

I'm seeing the attack in scenes.

1: Welfenzjerd are approaching fast - get the villagers inside and get the gates closed - chase sequence.

2: Feign negotiations

50 Zjerd elite will move up with a Warlord

3: Flaming arrow attack, Diversion on gate, then attack rear of longhouse with torches

4: Spider riders attack over the longhouse, battering ram at front gate

5: 4 waves of arrows, whatever's left charges

Each of these can be run almost independantly - eg the fight with the spider riders by the long house, being pelted with arrows, shooting at the battering ram.

The characters can allocate the townsfolk as they choose, though they won't be drones. I'll have to try and keep up with the roleplaying.

Basically the characters are going to have to provide the initiative, or the Zjerd will break into the fort easily.

Will report after next session...

]

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:24 am Post subject:

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Having spotted Zjerd scouts, which scattered when approached, our heroes continues to make haste to Felsentheim. The druid speaks with a muskrat and learns that the creatures of the swamp are hiding in fear of the approach of the pillagers from the south. Brutes on pigs have been crossing all through this area.

A third character discovers that they're starting to suffer from a lung infection. The first of which to discover this has been coughing and hacking horribly for some time. They consult the mage for some knowledge beyond their means and learn that they acquired it from the rat cave in Dzeebagd, and that yet another character is ill without knowing it. [I have some plot ideas for what this disease is going to unleash. Mwahahahahaha. Mwahahaha. It's amazing the plots you can spin off of one sentence someone threw into a description]

After a further day of travel, they're charged by a hulking Chazrim who spies them across a glade. With 6 character actions to his one, he doesn't even last 3 rounds [disturbing given that I gave him 2 extra levels of HP]

The druid, who's been flying high in eagle form trying to gauge the distance out of the Dampfrat, spots more Chazrim attacking from all directions. The characters have but a few minutes to prepare [changed for sake of drama]. They cut down small trees and quickly fashion longspears, to break the charge [unexpected but smart!]

The Chazrim, roaring their terrible war cries, race in, to find their charge broken by a wall of spears. Their mobile hit and run battle is turned into a grinding melee, in which the half orc and mage are beaten rather badly before the tide of battle turns.

Finishing off the survivors, they manage to tame and heal several of the elothere [unexpected again!!! they did legitimately make the rolls to do it too, also unexpected!]

Further haste is made to the Hiitenford. Little attention is paid to the surroundings, and in the middle of attempting to get several angry, poorly trained and poorly behaved boars across the river, black fletched arrows begin to rain...

[Slower session tonight.. next time: The Ambush, and Felsentheim pt. 1]

March 24th (skipped St. Patty's day hehehe) : The battle of the Hiitenford

With Zjerd arrows raining in from the western bank, the ranger struggles to control his panicking elothere in the middle of the Ford. The mage, with use of Protection from Arrows, fends off the whole western flank with flaming spheres.

The druid summons a giant eagle and dire wolf - who take off to attack a group of zjerd shooting from the southeastern treeline. The barbarian, fighter, and rogue charge into the northeastern treeline and break it quickly. The ranger recovers the elothere, brings it back to the shore with some incredible luck. With a lot of arrow fire the southeastern group is broken, and the Zjerd attack mopped up. The characters take special note of the military insignia worn by the Zjerd..

Our heroes finally reach their destination.. Felsentheim. Where they are greeted with some trepidation, but, ultimately make friends. Schildea, Olaf, Tattiana, and Friilof take to the characters. A strange old hag pesters them with dire prophecies of unknowingly being kindred, and having to band together under a standard if they're to not be 'taken by Inzae in the final fight'. They ask where the heroes of Felsentheim are.. the hag states that "they're" here already.

[CK101: Vague prophecies are great ways of *suggesting* party uniformity]

In the longhouse the characters meet Ingram. Ingram is a tax collecter en route to Halpveg. He is more than happy to exchange the characters loose coin for Halpveg certified trade bars, for a mere 10% tax.

[Little do they know Bergholt puts a 15% tax on Halpveg currency BWAHahahaHAhahAhahAaaa]

The characters give warning to Olaf and Shildea that the Zjerd are marching for war towards Felsentheim

[break from the module plot here.. in an earlier session I inadverently broke to the druid through a network of other druid's he's in contact with that Felsentheim would be attacked by the Zjerd. This will be of later use: There is more going on behind the scenes of the druids warning him of the attack.]

Olaf and Shildea have large concern about Zjerd being outside of the Shatten Escarpment.

The barbarian elects to -finally- try on the enchanted girdle found in a previous adventure. And BAM.. becomes a female.

March 31st

Several days are spent resting in Felsentheim, healing, crafting, and other tasks. The fighter in the group manages to garner the admiration of a local girl - Carla Rotenheimer.

The druid hunts for elk, which the ranger cooks for the town in a shindig, and the cleric uses the leather to make saddlebags for the elothere.

The druid assists with the agriculture of Felsentheim, using a few choice spells. The rogue gathers some information on how far Isenborg and Bergholt are via the Kambria.

That night the whole party shares a communal dream.. where they stand together, back to back, in darkness, with a few other unrecognized faces, weapons out. They're fighting the Dark Dragon in the shadows. Discussions occur and it's decided to head to Bergholt in search of a lost tome, after resting in Felsentheim.

First, the defences are bettered. The fighter and ranger improve the skills of the militia in swordplay and archery. The cleric teaches first aid. The barbarian repairs the pallisades and digs pit traps. The druid, along with Tattianna, disperses animal scouts.

Animal scouts locate a corpse in the woods north of the town. No trail is visible whatsoever - just - a corpse in black robes left in the woods, killed by a single dagger blow. No possessions are on his person, just a double crescent moon tattoo.

[Markus from Vakhund.. which I didn't run.]

The village gong sounds. Howls of wolves are heard from the south. Welfenzjerd pour in.. but.. some of the villagers are still in the fields!!