Episode 1: Let’s get this party started
Campaign Date: February 5, 1430 AY
Characters:
Sigbrand, human (Northron), barbarian-2, neutral (Bob)
Brother Punchy, human, mystic-2, neutral (Chuck)
Split-tongue, elf, enchanter-2, neutral (Marlon)
Astrodelto, Nobiran, wonder-worker-1, (Robert)
Murderface Jack, dwarf, fury-1 (Jason)
Judge: Dave
LOG:
The noted Portchester bounty-hunter named Wigred the Keen decided to dispatch one of his squads of henchmen to hunt down a notorious bandit named Franclaf the Dread, for whom the merchants of Portchester had offered a modest bounty. Wigred himself was busy with some Bugbear trouble and sent Sigbrand, Brother Punchy, Split-tongue, Astrodelto, and Murderface Jack on their first solo mission to root Franclaf out of his lair beneath the ruins of a Ardean soap-works outside of town.
Encounter 1: Die Mumford!
The team creeps down the stair case and discovers an intersection, with several doors opening into the hallway. Brother Punchy listens at the first door and hears someone inside counting money. Murderface Jack tried to force the door, but fails. Then Sigbrand breaks the door in. Murderface Jack rushes the man inside and cuts him down instantly. It was Franclaf’s partner, a mage named Mumford. They scoop up the gold Mumford was carrying and then search his temporary bedroom next door. There Split-tongue finds the mage’s spell book and spare clothes. They never did search Mumford’s body, so missed a wand and scroll he carried.
Searching further, the team stumbles into the barracks of a squad of seven goblins who were working as Mumford’s guards. Split-tongue kills one with a choking grasp spell, and the others are quickly chopped to bits by Sigbrand, Murderface Jack and Brother Punchy.
Encounter 2: Stinking Zombie Chest
Nearby, the break into a room containing 4 zombies. A stiff battle ensues with Astrodelto throwing his magic missile spell, and with Sigbrand and Murderface both being slammed hard before the zombies are dispatched.
There is a large iron trunk in the room. As Split-tongue and Brother Punchy are searching the room for secret doors, Sigbrand opens the trunk, releasing a narcotic gas. Sigbrand, Brother Punchy and Split-tongue all fall unconscious due to the gas, but Murderface resists its effects. Astrodelto was on watch in the hallway.
Sigbrand and Brother Punchy awaken in about 10 minutes, and then they collect the treasure from the trunk. Split-tongue, however, remains asleep awhile longer. The team then debates what to do next. They haven’t found Franclaf, but have a man down, and several injuries. They decide to keep on with the expedition.
Encounter 3: Let’s Split the Party!
Figuring that leaving an unconscious low-level wizard in the safe hands of another low-level wizard who has already cast his spells, while the fighters go off, the team leaves Astrodelta in the zombie room to guard the unconscious Split-tongue.
Sigbrand breaks into another chamber, down the hallway, containing the 11 kobold scouts used by Franclaf and Mumford to spy out their ambushes. Sigbrand, Brother Punchy and Murderface Jack tear through the kobolds with great violence and no ill-effect to themselves. Murderface Jack bites a chunk out of one kobold, breaking their morale, at one point in the fight.
At this point Franclaf returns from a passage deeper into the complex. When the kobolds don’t answer him, he calls out his 7 orc soldiers from across the hall. The eight of them, luckily are closer to the fighters than two the wizards. Sigbrand rushes to engage Franclaf and the two exchange mighty blows doing great injuries to one another. Murderface kills one orc but then is wounded into unconsciousness, due to previous injuries from the zombies. Brother Punchy first applies first aid to Murderface, then holds the line against the orcs. A slow battle grinds on until finally Sigbrand kills Franclaf and he and Brother Punchy finishes off the orcs.
After the battle, Murdeface is awakened, but is in no condition to do anything but stumble around. He also suffers permanent gruesome scars to his face. Split-tongue has, in the meantime, finally awakened and he and Astrodelto rejoin the fighters. In the orc barracks, they find a door that is all chained closed. They take about a half hour to break it down and discover some treasure and a magic ring within. Split-tongue takes the ring and then cuts off Franclaf’s head as proof of his death, and the party returns to the surface to report to Wigred.
Epilogue
Astrodelto and Murderface Jack receive enough experience to reach 2nd level. Murderface Jack must rest in bed for one week, until the 12th of February.