People and Places: Hobb



Hobb:

A tiny hamlet located at the place where the Dawn Way descends out of the Howling Hills, Hobb grew up around a walled inn known as the Cross-Eyed Beholder.  The folk of Hobb grow apples, pears, and chestnuts in orchards sheltered below the hills, while shepherds and goatherds keep their flocks up in the heights.  Most of the inhabitants are human, but smattering of the other common races make their home here as well.

The Dawn Way:

An important east-west trading route linking the more densely settled heartlands of the Old Kingdom of Yvony (West of the Shaelastran River) with rich mining settlements dotting the Spine of the World such as the great mountain city of Overlook.

The Cross-Eyed Beholder:

A fortified, walled inn on the Dawn Way, this sturdy structure was built as a haven from brigands and from the outside looks as though it could withstand the attacks of anything short of an army if properly defended.  Despite this sturdy exterior, the interior of the inn feels warm and hospitable, and is filled with the warm smells of stew and freshly baked bread.  The Cross Eyed Beholder is named for its most eye-catching feature: amid the heads of more mundane game trophies hangs the rather grisly, dessicated stuffed trophy of a beholder (a legendary creature comprising an enormous, disembodied eye surrounded by individual eyestalks; in this case the eye-stalks are 'cross-eyed'). 

Mallie Marchess

The proprietor of the Cross-Eyed Beholder is a broad-shouldered, middle-aged woman with smiling green eyes wavy auburn hair shot through with silver, who looks as though she would be just as comfortable splitting firewood or stringing a hunting bow as she is baking a loaf or serving her clientele.

Mallie owns and runs the Cross-Eyed Beholder inn, where she seems to fill most roles as manager, bartender and host herself.  She comes across as a tough, capable, frontierswoman who is respected as something of a spokesperson and leader for her community.  Along with Arvel (see below), Mallie is responsible for commisioning the construction of a log palisade to defend Hobb, and for sending out the call for adventurers to discover what is causing the goblins sudden aggression and hopefully putting an end to their threat.

The Seven Suns Trading Coaster:

One of the many organized trading coasters which trades with the communities of the Dawn Way, bringing goods backwards and forth between the Old Kingdom of Yvony in the West and the great city of Overlook in the Worldspine Mountains to the East.  The trail-glyph for the Seven Suns Trading Coaster is seven discs, and Seven Suns caravans fly a russet flag with seven golden disks arrayed upon them.

Arvel Durgoden

A proud, powerfully built dwarf in his middle years, magnificently well-groomed and oiled black beard falls in magnificent curls to cover his impressive paunch.  While he is clothed in the characteristicly practical and sombre garb of the dwarves, his attire is of exceptional quality and his belt buckle, thick chain of office and rings glitter with gold.

The wealthy Arvel Durgoden not only runs the Seven Suns trading coaster from a fortified warhouse and base straddling the hill overlooking Hobb, but serves as the hamlet's money-lender.  Along with Mallie (see above), Arvel seems something of an unofficial leader and spokesperson for the hamlet, and was instrumental in organising the construction of the log-palisade and raising the reward for adventurers to end the goblin threat. 

The Shrine

This large building's unpainted exterior clearly shows it to be a recent construction.  Outside, the carved wooden symbols of many gods await their first coat of paint and identify it as a place of worship.  Inside, one large room features shrines honoring different gods spaced evenly along the walls.  Though currently maintained by a novice cleric of Pelor, this temple is dedicated to no single deity and appears to honour most of the good and neutral gods honoured in the Umbrian Marches.

Listra

This willowy, delicate, novice speaks in hushed tones from with the voluminous folds of her pale yellow robes, and keeps her large dark eyes demurely to the floor.  Her robes are clasped by the golden sun-disc of Pelor.

Hobb's only resident cleric, Listra is an aspiring cleric of Pelor, but tends to the shrines of all the deities and sees to the spiritual needs of the locals when they call upon her.  She also serves the community as a healer, and when informed that adventurers would be seeking to end the goblin threat to Hobb she offered them her healing services as well. 

Adventurer's Journal (Howling Hills): Session 1

Day 1:

The adventurers set out along the Dawn Way in response to rumours of troubles in the small hamlet of Hobb.

+- Midday:

·         They chance upon the ambush of an itinerant tinker’s wagon by a band of goblins. 

·         After slaying the foul creatures and saving two of the wagon’s fallen guards from death, the adventurers discover the wagon’s owner, the halfling Garret Goodriver, hiding amid his spilled wares.

·         Garret is seemingly shocked at such goblin aggression on this well travelled portion of the Dawn Way, and begs the adventurers to help him right his wagon, recover his horses, and escort him and his injured guards back to the safety of Hobb.

·         While Garret initially seems almost as terrified by the Accolon’s rather forthright demand for reward as of the goblins, Carrick manages to to smooth tensions and arrange for suitable compensation for the adventurers to act as guards.

+- Dusk:

·         The adventurers escorting Garret’s wagon come upon the scene of an even larger ambush: Accolon and Pharnos notice ravens and other carrion feeders circling overhead, alerting them to bloodshed before them and enabling them to approach the site stealthily.

·         They come across the remains of four merchant wagons, the corpses of horses and about ten human warriors and coachmen, riddled with black goblin arrows and javelins.   The humans obviously sold their lives dearly, at least double that number of fallen goblins litter are carrion for the birds.

·         They recognize the tabards and flags of the destroyed caravan as being those of the Three Suns trading coaster: 3 Golden Disks on a russet field.

·         The adventurers battle a goblin straggler searching for loot remaining in the wreck: bedecked in strange bones and totems and protected by a mangy wolf, the goblin battles the adventurers with dire magics but he is cut down by Pharnos’s twin blades and his beast felled by Accolon.

·         Pharnos is able to find the prints of several more goblins, more humans, and some heavier, deeper prints leading south from the Dawn Way into the hills.  The adventurers consider following the tracks straight away, but eventually give in to the pleas of a very frightened Garret Goodriver to get his wagon and his guards back to Hobb.

+- Nightfall:

·         The adventurers arrive in the small, quiet, orchard and waystop hamlet of Hobb, sheltered amid the hills.  Garret and his rescuers immediately notice that all is not well in the normally sleepy hamlet – several outlying farmsteads are blackened and burned, an earthen and log rampart is under construction and the locals faces are drawn with anxiety and light up at the site of adventurers with strong sword arms.

·         Garret directs the adventurers to the ‘Cross Eyed Beholder’, a local homely but defensable inn, and a meeting with the hamlet’s unofficial authorities: Mallie Marche, a stout, middle aged innkeeper with a frontierswoman’s eminent competence, and one Arvel Durgoden, moneylender and owner of the Three Suns Trading Coaster, who did not take news of his caravans’ loss kindly.

·         Mallie and Arvel reveal that, while there have always been the odd sighting of goblins in the remote hills and occassionally they have stolen sheep and cattle from shepherds and cowherds, the goblins have never before attacked in such numbers and with such ferocity.

·         They say that over the past four months, the goblins have increasingly attacked travellers, shepherds, cowherds and even raided Hobb itself, culminating in news of the current attacks on Garret’s wagon and the Three Suns trading coaster.

·         The adventurers accept the promise of a reward to track the goblins back to their lair, discover what is organizing and driving their sudden aggression, and put an end to the future threat.

·         The heroes seek healing at Hobb’s tiny shrine from the local novice cleric Listra, and are joined by an adventuring cleric of Pelor named Braydon.  They take their rest at the Cross-Eyed Beholder Inn.

Day 2:

First Light: Accolon, Pharnos, Carrick and Braydon head back to the sight of the ambushed 3 Suns Trading Coaster.

+-Mid-morning:  Phanos leads his companions after the goblin tracks, which wind away through the wooded hills to the south.  At points along the way they come across the grizzly corpses of three humans in the tattered garb of the Three Suns Trading Coaster, their legs loosely bound, along with the broken casks and chests they appeared to have been carrying for their captors.  Their heads are set upon black goblin spears.

+-Midday:

·         After about three hours of travel and tracking through the stifling, still woods, the companions begin to hear an eerie wailing sound for which the ‘Howling Hills’ are locally named.  While Carrick has heard tales of the hills being haunted, Pharnos and Accolon dismiss the notion, recognizing the eerie sound as that of the wind through many tiny fissures in the rock.

·         The tracks lead to a small cave, brooding in the rocky face of a hill.  Phanos spies foul goblin guards within, and he and Carrick move silently forward to begin the assualt with a surprise volley of arrows.  One goblin flees further into the cavern screeching warning, while the remaining sentries and a fell mastiff stand to repel the adventurer.  Accolon and Braydon charge the cave mouth, and battle ensues in a cavernous cave mouth.

·         Battle ensues in a gloomy cavern mouth illuminated only by the light of Carrick’s lantern.  The goblin sentries and their rabid dog are quickly silenced, but five more goblins burst from an ancient oaken doorway in the caverns rear.  They rain black feathered arrows and javelins down on the adventurers from the shelter of a rocky ledge; Phanos and Accolon repeatedly hurl themselves at their foes atop the rocky shelf only to be driven back by the goblin line.  Accolon and Braydon’s shields are quickly covered in black arrows, and Carrick falls to the floor unconscious from loss of blood.  Finally, backed by Phanos and Braydon, Accolon is able to cut a path onto the rocky shelf, black blood spraying with every blow, and the remaining two goblins flee.

·         The adventurers fall back below the ledge to  briefly regroup: Braydon calls on the sun god Pelor to close Carrick’s wounds, Phanos sheathes his handaxe to fight double handed with his longsword and the adventurers prepare to press on after the fleeing goblins.

·         Accolon kicks in the oaken door to reveal a guardroom of sorts, in an ancient chamber of well cut stone.  Here they are confronted by the two fleeing goblins returned and the aid they must have sought: a hulking, seven foot goblinoid, all muscle and sinew with hidious fangs and cruel red eyes, armed in black leather with an ornate, beautifully painted wooden shield upon which a red dragon curls amid gouts of hand.  The creature belows a hideous warcry and battle is joined.  Accolon flies into a savage rage and hurls himself at the foes, while Phanos deftly dances along a solid table, jumping out of the foul goblins’ reach and striking out with his longsword.  The lesser goblins are quickly cut down but the seven foot beast wields its wicked morningstar with deadly abandon, backing into a corner to prevent himself from being surrounded and contemptuously warding off the blows of the adventurers.  He deals three mighty blows to Accolon, and the raging barbarian seems about to fall, when he uses his last strength to strike the brutal goblinoid.  Snarling with hate, both mighty warriors collapse together, first to their knees, then to the ground.  But only Accolon has comrades standing to tend his wounds, and his brutal foe’s lifeblood flows black on the cold stone floor.  

Rules Update: Rangers and Two-Weapon Fighting

Some clarifications of rangers and two-weapon fighting from our last session:

Rangers and Two-Weapon Fighting:

A ranger gets the benefits of Two-Weapon Fighting AND Ambidexterity feats provided that they are wearing light armour or no armour.  They do NOT need to take these feats to get this benefit.

Drawing Weapons:

Rules for drawing weapons have already been discussed here.  If you have the two-weapon fighting proficiency (or are a ranger with light or no armour) you can draw TWO light or one-handed weapons in the time it would normally take to draw one.  Because rangers have a +1 attack bonus from lvl 1, in practice this means that 1st level rangers can draw TWO weapons as part of a move action.

Attacking with 2 weapons:

Attacking with 2 weapons counts as a 'Full attack'.  Essentially, whenever you have more than one attack per round, either with the same weapon, with two weapons or because of a feat, you can only use the extra attacks if you take a full attack: that is, you don't get ANY movement other than a five foot step, no charging, etc.

Extended Example: The ranger Pharnos is confronted by a vile goblin sentry beneath the Howling Hills.  He uses a MOVE ACTION to close with the goblin (30 ft, 6 squares), reaching behind his back with both hands to draw his longsword and hand-axe as he strides forward.  Because Pharnos's base attack bonus is +1, he can draw a weapon as PART of his movement rather than an EXTRA move, and because he has the TWO WEAPON FIGHTING ability (he is a ranger in light armour) he can draw TWO weapons at once.  After his MOVEMENT ACTION (30 ft. move + draw weapons) he still has a STANDARD ACTION to make an attack - however, because this is not a FULL ATTACK, Pharnos can only attack with his longsword (MAIN HAND WEAPON).  In the next round, if the goblin is still standing, Pharnos can use a FULL ATTACK: he swings with his MAIN WEAPON (longsword) and cuts the goblin down, then takes a FIVE FOOT STEP towards the next foe, and swings with his OFF-HAND WEAPON (handaxe).

Sunless Citadel: Updated Quests

Contracted (Tam and Gregory, shared with Lareth and Oreth):
Another party of adventurers, locally based, delved into the Sunless Citadel a month past.  They have not been seen since.  Two human members of adventuring party were brother and sister, Talgen Hucrele (a warrior) and Sharwyn Hucrele (a wizard).  They are part of an important merchant family based in the town of Oakhurst.  Kerowyn Hucrele, the matriarch of the family, offers salvage rights to you and your companions if you find and return with the two lost members of her family – or at least return the gold signet rings worn by the missing brother and sister.  She offers a reward of 125 gp per signet ring per adventurer.  If you bring back the Hucreles alive and in sound mind and body she offers to double the reward.

Solving a Mystery (Lareth and Oreth, shared with Tam and Gregory):
The goblin tribe infesting the nearby ruins (known as the Sunless Citadel, though no one knows why) ransom a single piece of magical fruit to the highest bidder in Oakhurst once every midsummer.  They’ve been doing this for the last twelve years.  Usually, the fruit sells for around 50 gp, which is all any of the townspeople can bring themselves to pay a goblin.  The fruit, apparently an apple of perfect hue, heals those who suffer from any disease or other ailment.  They some-times plant the seeds at the centre of each fruit, hoping to engender an enchanted apple tree.  When the seeds germinate in their proper season, they produce a twiggy mass of twisted sapling stems.  Not too long after the saplings reach 2 feet in height, they are stolen – every time.  The townsfolk assume that the jealous goblins send thieves out to ensure their monopoly of enchanted fruit.  You are interested in piercing the mystery associated with how wretched goblins could ever possess such a wonder, and how they steal every sprouting sapling grown from the enchanted fruit’s seed.

To Rescue a Clan Dragon (Tam, Gregory, Lareth, Oreth) - Completed
Impressed by Gregory’s zeal for retribution and Lareth’s draconic eloquence, Yusdrayl offers the adventurers a reward for the safe return of Calcryx, the clan’s dragon abducted in a devastating surprise goblin raid.  Lareth and Yusdrayl leave the exact nature of the reward unspecified, though the key or some combination of items from the altar are discussed.  Meepo is designated as the kobold’s representative amongst the party and ordered to guide the adventurers to the ‘back way’ from which the goblin attack came.  While not specified by Yusdrayl, the adventurers get the impression that she rather gleefully assumes this task will involve considerable death and destruction for the 'wretched, thieving goblins.'

Hunting 'the Hunter' (Tam, Gregory, Lareth, Oreth)
While Yusdrayl never specified the slaying of any particular goblins when sending the adventurers to rescue Calcryx, the fact that the much feared 'Hunter' Belsag was not accounted for amongst the goblin's dead has considerably dampened Yusdrayl's elation at the defeat of the Durbulak goblins, and her cooperation with the adventurers along with it.  Or perhaps it is just the kobolds' nature not to offer any more assistance then they promised, no matter how much more they have benefited from an agreement than they might have hoped?  Regardless, an exasperated Oreth (trying to stave off brewing conflict between Gregory and the 'Dragon Queen') pointed out to Yusdrayl that the best chance of bringing her the Hunter's head would require her continued cooperation.  Yusdrayl, for her part, seems willing to concede that the adventurers have destroyed the Durbulak when, and only when, they bring proof of the Hunter's demise.

Rules Update: Session 7

I made a few notes after the last session which we should remember in future:

Drawing/Readying Weapons and Shields:

AT FIRST it is a MOVE EQUIVALENT action to do the following:

• draw a weapon
• ready a shield
• loose a shield

HOWEVER, once you have a +1 base attack bonus (this currently applies to Tam, Gregory, and Oreth, but not Lareth), then you can take any ONE of the above three actions in CONJUNCTION with another move action, to reflect your combat aptitude.  Dropping a weapon remains a FREE ACTION.

For example:

1. Tam is covering the party's retreat before an overwhelming horde of goblins.  On his turn, he decides to (STANDARD ACTION) hurl his spear at the first oncoming goblin, then takes falls back 20 feet (MOVE ACTION), drawing his bastard sword as he does so (as part of the MOVE ACTION) in preperation for the onslaught.
2. Oreth has been hurling sling bullets into the fray but notices an opportunity to flank the bestial warrior battling Tam.  On his turn, Oreth drops his sling (FREE ACTION) and darts forwards (MOVE ACTION), drawing his scimitar (as part of the MOVE ACTION) and slicing into the foe (STANDARD ACTION) in one graceful movement.
3. Gregory sees a blasphemous cleric of a dark power and is filled with righteous fury.  Trusting in St. Cuthbert to shield him as he charges (MOVE ACTION), Gregory flings aside his shield (included in MOVE ACTION) and raises his mace above his head two handed as he brings it crashing down on his foe (STANDARD ACTION, deals one and a half times the strength bonus due to two handed fighting).

Standing Up from Prone

This has been bothering me since last session when, despite being surrounded, Belsag 'the Hunter' stood up from prone (after incredibly being tripped by Marrok!) without you guys getting any attacks of opportunity.  Now according to the letter of the 3.0 Edition Rules (see page 128), standing from prone does not provoke attacks of opportunity, BUT, given that movement THROUGH threatened squares provokes an attack of opportunity, it seems ludicrous not to allow this.  Also, I have noted that in 3.5 Edition Rules they make this change.  So while I am normally loathe to mix editions/house-rule unless there is a very compelling reason and I've checked out its other implications for the game - I say that standing from prone counts the same as moving through a threatened square in terms of attacks of opportunity.

Accumulated Treasure: Session 6

Below is the updated 'treasure list' from session 6, including the loot from Balsag as well as the details of the scrolls which Lareth and Oreth identified using their spellcraft ability.  I can't remember if you ended up divying up the loot, and which bits you decided to leave in Balsag's cave (I seem to recall the scale mail and weapons being left there).  I will look over your character sheets before the 19th and try and figure out what went where, but thought you might be interested in knowing what sort of things you have available at the moment.  Lareth will be able to figure out which arcane scrolls he would like to save to copy into his spellbook, and which he is happy to use straight off the scroll as a 'once off.'  Gregory and Oreth can figure out who should carry the divine scroll, and how best to use it.  Don't forget the usefulness of detect magic!

Item	Identified?	Value?	Weight
3 ancient crossbow bolts (recovered from skeletal archers)	Enchanted (Invocation)		1/10 lbs. each
Single jade figurine of a dragon	Not enchanted		1/10 lbs.
Leather scroll case bearing what appears to be a fang-like rune		25 gp (paid Yusdrayl)	1/10 lbs.
Leather scroll case bearing what appears to a be a fang-like rune	Arcane (Spider Climb)	25 gp (paid Yusdrayl)	1/10 lbs.
A worn leather scroll case	Divine (Faerie Fire)	25 gp (paid Yusdrayl)	1/10 lbs.
A verdant green feather		25 gp (paid Yusdrayl)	*
Small flask		25 gp (paid Yusdrayl)	1/10 lbs.
Vial of glowing red, viscuous liquid, sponged up from Draconic fountain which read ‘Nainarya’ ‘Let there be fire’ in Draconic			1 /50 lbs.
Candle on serpentine, draconic candleholder with eerie green flame	Everburning candle		1/10 lbs.
Whistle made of transparent metallic substance, in shape of dragon curled like a snail.  Inscribed with dwarven runes.	Enchanted (Necromancy), made of nephelium (properties of iron but transparent)		1/10 lbs.
Tapered glass vial decorated with dragons breathing flame, contains liquid with peppery taste	Enchanted		1/50 lbs.
6 peridots, each carved in likeness of a dragon, in a little chest	Not enchanted		1/10 lbs. each
9 draconic burial ornaments/precious stones	Not enchanted		1/10 lbs. each
Gold ring with inscription – ‘Karakas’			1/10 lbs.
Karakas’s 5 daggers			1 lbs. each
Karakas’s studded leather armour			20 lbs.
Karakas’s shortbow			2lbs.
Karakas’s quiver (6 arrows)			1 lbs.
Karakas’s vials (tiny spherical ceremic gourd) – 1 full, 1 empty			1/50 lbs. each
Karakas’s sack with waterskin, ration, bedroll, flint and steel, 5 torches			12 lbs. (total)
3 rose quartz			1/10 lbs. each
Angular goblin key			1 lbs.
Silver vial of dwarven make, featuring stylized bearded dwarven head, filled with vial goblin liquor			1 lbs.
Elegant gold band set with blue gem			1/10 lbs.
Larger dragon carved jade figure			½ lbs.
Crystal goblet			1/10 lbs.
24 pieces of silverware			1/10 lbs. each
Sealed scrollcase carved of bone, with dwarven runes carved down the outside	Ancient, brittle series of scrolls, much of the writing lost.  No arcane symbols but what looks like the dwarven runic script, and a portion of what may be a rather stylised map.		1/10 lbs.
2 onyx gems			1/10 lbs. each
2 small dark glass vials			1/10 lbs. each
Leather scroll case containing	Arcane scroll (knock) (Lareth cannot attempt to decipher till lvl 2; Oreth was able to decipher but cannot use arcane scrolls.)		1/10 lbs.
Leather scroll case with a faded reptilian eye	Arcane scroll (cat’s grace)		1/10 lbs.
Warchief Durnn’s Black horn composite shortbow			2 lbs.
19 black arrows (Durnn)			3 lbs.
Gold Signet Ring with Stylized Tree Bearing Apple’s motif	Talgen Hucrele’s signet ring		1/10 lbs.
Balsag’s javelins (6)
Balsag’s black scale armour			30 lbs.
Balsag’s backpack, bedroll, sack,			2 lbs. + 5 lbs. + .5 lbs.
Balsag’s elegant, finely balanced morningstar			8 lbs.
Balsag’s  deep red/maroon flask.			1/50th lbs.
Balsag’s weapons rack (2 spears, six javelins, one longsword, one bastard sword, all in the angular, black iron style of the hobgoblins			2 x 9lbs, 6 x 2lbs., 4lbs., 10 lbs.
Balsag’s Great coat of patchy black fur			10 lbs.