Tag: ludmerea

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DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Exploring Ludmerea

Sessions 7 to 9, March 10, 17, 24, and April 1

After defeating the Vegepygmies, the PCs decided to continue to Fort Augustaberg, where they passed along a warning about the dragon attack on the lizard people. After some concerned discussion, the Fort basically agreed to watch the skies, but remains understaffed.

The PCs split – the bard got up a few hours early and set off in advance, looking for trouble and locking in the destination as Base Town. When the remainder of the party awoke, they rushed out on his trail, to save him from his foolish solo venture.

They met him just in time to avoid an encounter with a goblin band.

A Muhner noble and a small party of retainers crossed their path heading west. They were aiming for a long fallen city with a map to investigate the treasures; they got a “good luck” and both groups continued on.

The PCs reached Base Town and complimented the Dvaerg on their excavation; unfortunately, the aunt of the guard still at Fort Augustaberg had been discovered dead – the PCs would be the bearers of bad news.

After exchanging stories and hearing more about the disaster, the PCs helped out for a day. At the end of the day, the local guard leaders thanked them and asked them to take care of a group of hyena people that were prowling the area. The PCs agreed and set off in the morning – again trailing after the early rising bard. They trailing group decided not to skip breakfast, and set out later in pursuit.

They stumbled on a slaughter at a local farm and put the family to rest, rejoining. Then they followed the bloody trail and wreckage of the hyena group, catching them by surprise while they lazed in the late afternoon. There was a brief fight; the bard got pincered mercilessly, but their barbarians smashed down the lead cultist, and the broken hyena people fled.

On their way back to Base Town, the PCs saw a patrol of lizard people marking trees with symbols of “The Hunger”, a demonic patron of several historic warlocks, a few miles from base town. The PCs spied the markings being made and decided not to engage.

The PCs returned to report their victory over the hyena people and were praised by the Base Town excavation team.

The next morning the bard snuck off early again and got to the Lizard People perimeter guards. He disarmed and turned on his charm, winning an audience with the leaders. They led him to the leaders, who asked for tribute from the nearby Base Town. He offered to relay the message to Base Town. On his way to inform Base Town, he crossed paths with the Silver and Jenna.

Silver and Jenna decided to spend their day hunting animals for a feast for the Matriarch to fulfill the negotiated deal, while the bard returned to the town and explained what he’d arranged.

After the feast, the lizard people asked for twice daily feasts to be delivered. The fleet Jenna raced the request to Base Town, where the guard chief agreed to follow her back to cement the deal.

[Session end]

The Heroes:
Bastra, a Drow sorcerer from another plane,
replaced by Silver , a streetwise centaur barbarian from Sigil.
Jenna, a Tibaxi psychic rogue from the feywild
(Jenna swapped to a Heregon Druid/Rogue for a session, then back)
Lucas, a Mikpos wizard from cosmopolitan Cratais
(Lucas disappeared and was replaced by a Half Elf Bard, )
Oren, a Druid from the local wilderness

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DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Exploring Ludmerea Session 6

[3/6] PCs: Bastra, Jenna, Lucas, Oren, Stone

We picked up in the immediate aftermath of the fight with the shadows. In the small cellar, they were confronted with two (obvious) doors – one large brass door with faces and symbols, magically locked. The other wood door was to a small bedroom, abandoned ages ago – with a skeleton still in the remnants of a mattress in a crumbling bed, a small table, and a bookcase.

Ironically, the first trio that headed into the bedroom was Jenna, Oren, and Stone; the bookshelf mostly interested them for the small brass chest on the shelf. After a careful look, Jenna managed to work the chest open and found a few old gold coins and a vial still containing liquid.

In the center room, Bastra & Lucas puzzled at the door and the waxed ball in the “mouth” of the door. They worked the bronze ball free and examined the four slots, debating whether they should try placing the ball at random. They were interrupted, however, by Oren calling out from the bedroom that they had found books, catching Lucas’s attention.

Many of the books showed signs of damage and neglect – mold along the edges, a few fully crumbling. Of the best remaining, one was quickly identified as the spellbook of a Goblin Enchantress, the second was a popular (but centuries old) treatise on business and partnerships, while the third was a journal.

Lucas decided to take the spellbook up to daylight for easier reading. Calling for guidance, Oren thumbed through the journal and stopped “randomly” on a page with cryptic words… that the PCs quickly put together as corresponding to the brass door puzzle.

Lucas was called, but stayed up in the sun, reading. As he read the enchantress’s spells, he wished for a victim to try them out on… but the remote wilderness and lack of traffic (along the road to the buried town) denied him the opportunity.

Beyond the brass door was a larger chamber with a green summoning circle in the center of the room, a few shreds of old robes hanging from hooks, and against the wall items in niches. Detect magic quickly identified the symbol on the floor as conjuration, linked to the door by an abjuration. Near the symbol was a corpse, apparently unmarred (though also quite old).

A few scrolls, some coins, and a cold enchanted javelin were fetched out of the niches. Then everyone exited and “don’t enter” signs were posted on the door, in hopes of preventing accidental summoning of whatever the symbol conjured.

Opposite the brass door, the PCs noticed that many mud tracks approached a blank wall. They investigated and found a tunnel heading left and right. Left turned 90 degrees after 40′, and trended up towards faint daylight. Right meandered into the distance; Bastra felt far more comfortable suggesting they follow the slight descent into earth. About 300′ later, the tunnel ended in a cavern that was flooded a few inches deep with water, and dripping water sound from the far wall. The pool was empty other than tiny finger length fish; after a pause, they decided to backtrack and try the route to the surface.

They emerged from the hollow of a tree, bursting loudly out. The sound drew small bush-like creatures to repel the invaders; after a brief battle, the vegepygmies were defeated.

[Session end]

The Heroes:
Bastra, a Drow sorcerer from another plane
Jenna, a Tibaxi psychic rogue from the feywild
Lucas, a Mikpos wizard from cosmopolitan Cratais
Oren, a Druid from the local wilderness
Stone, a Dragonborn paladin

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DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Exploring Ludmerea Session 5

[2/28] PCs: Bastra, Jenna, Lucas, Oren, Stone

The PCs began at the ruins of an old complex of three buildings, a few hours after sunset. An investigation and analysis identified the buildings as a likely inn, stable, and perhaps a small chapel. Oren began a ritual detect magic, while the others scattered to investigate the site.

Around 10 minutes later, Oren neared completion of the ritual, while Lucas and Stone were investigating the foundations of the small chapel building. Careful investigation revealed a hidden trapdoor and counterweight, leading to some kind of concealed basement below.

There was some testing and analysis from the rim; Jenna and Stone dropped into the pit, with the idea that Jenna would jam the mechanism open from the counterweight below. Before they could place the brace, they were swiftly attacked by hungry unliving shadows that flowed into the room! Stone’s armor and training evaded most of the deadly cold shadow touches, but Jenna was less successful in dodging the deadly claws.

Stone scooped up Jenna and leapt up through the trapdoor, clearing enough to catch the rim, with Jenna rolling to safety nearby. The counterweight began closing the trapdoor, though screeching and slowed by rust.

A pair of shadows slipped into the abruptly lit night above (thanks to dancing lights by Lucas), and a swiftly lit torch added both light and its own flickering shadows. After a brief fight, the shadows were slain. The heroes decided to lick their wounds and sleep, setting watches and building a bright fire.

At the end of the second watch, Bastra and Stone heard a disturbance in the bushes, waking Jenna (who was next with the dawn watch). Bastra’s keen eyes picked out the bodies of plant-like people; Jenna threw a lit branch into the nearby non-animate winter-dry scrub. It lit, and the two short bush creatures retreated from the sudden flame toward the road, then circled east into the forest. Jenna’s watch proved quiet, during which she crafted a quick ladder from a pair of ropes and sticks.

Everyone rose near dawn to contemplate the hidden chamber under the trapdoor. Dancing lights were sent ahead and weapons were unsheathed as they descended again. The shadows pounced, apparently unable to resist the warm lifeblood that intruded; the Shadows were swiftly destroyed, though they landed a few strength sapping hits before the hero attacks and magics shredded the remaining shadows. The next chamber, through the rotten door was revealed, but we ended before the scouting continued.

[Session End]

The Heroes:

Bastra, a drow sorcerer from another plane

Jenna, a tibaxi psychic rogue from the feywild

Lucas, a Mikpos wizard from Cosmopolitan Cratais

Oren, a druid from the local wilderness

Stone, a dragonborn paladin

Categories
DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Session 4

[2/21] PCs: Bastra, Lucas, Oren

This session, Oren, a gnome druid, wanders out of the wilderness, visiting Fort Augustaberg.

Relaxing after the eventful journey, Bastra and Lucas ate, drank and discussed local events at Fort Augustaberg, soon joined by Oren. Details were shared about the fatal storm, the shattering of Cathedral Nijmegan’s grand overlook, and its fatal tumble down the mountain, great boulders cracking off and triggering avalanches, all of which crushed and buried Base Town at the foot of the mountain.

Associate Bishop Sture and Captain Marjan spent hours discussing logistics in the dining hall, occasionally getting reports and calculations from the quartermaster and other experts left in the fort.

The PCs asked about local threats, and the Captain discussed the three main threats that the fort was established to shielded base town and its associated farms. The first was the already familiar goblin raiders, but the other frequent threats included a large Lizardperson tribe of perhaps four dozen, living in a stilted village above the swamps near the lake, perhaps 10 to 20 miles northwest, and Hyena People raiders [Gnolls] that roam the plains to the southwest.

Other discussion and listening to the dining soldiers confirmed that the fort was on short watches and limited patrols, since half of the fort was involved in the excavation of Base Town. Lucas, visions of guilder glittering in his eyes, investigated a few potential lines of investment – introducing consistent resupply (or playing the market) for the fort, a PC expedition to wipe out the Lizard People encampment along the lakefront to the northwest for a reward, or investigating Base Town and making a good profit from salvage in the wake of tragedy.

The PCs had the Captain dip into the good stash of spirits to celebrate the relief mission, secretly in hopes of getting the Bishop to share more. Oren was able to resist the liquor’s effects, but Bastra, Lucas, and the Bishop- perhaps due to exhaustion from the day’s long march- weren’t able to steer the conversation into fresh territory. The balance of concerns seemed to be well established – with Base Town smashed, the fort might be too expensive to maintain as it stood before the tragedy.

(As an aside, it became clear that Lucas is not a devotee of Light; he worries that they are a large, dangerous cult. As Fort Augustaberg is maintained by Cathedral Nijmegan (of the Light), future detailed discussions with Bishop Sten might be best avoided.)

With so many soldiers absent at the Base Town rescue excavations, the PCs were pointed at vacant bunks and encouraged to sleep.

The next morning the PCs discussed their options, and decided to investigate the Base Town disaster. A graveled road ran to the east, serving the frequent supply wagons from Base Town. Despite a late start, the PCs made good time on the nicely maintained road. In mid-afternoon, perhaps a half-dozen miles west of Base Town, the PCs spotted a very large group of Lizard People along the lake front to the north also heading east. It looked like a whole village – elders and children, screened by a scouting force to the south that engaged the PCs.

With powerful spells, a dire wolf shaped Oren, and far superior equipment, three of the five Lizardmen fell in just seconds of combat. To the great surprise of Bastra, Lucas spared the last pair and initiated discussion. The Lizard People told their tale of disaster in poor and broken common – the previous day, their settlement was struck from the sky by a great acid spewing dragon, Varothrek — a terrible betrayal. Many of the stilted huts slumped into the water, chewed by acid or smashed by the Dragon’s powerful tail. Ejected by their former ally, they fled east along the lake front, seeking to resettle.

With that clarification, the PCs allowed the remaining Lizard People to flee. After brief consultation, the PCs decided that they had to return to Fort Augustaberg to warn them about the new threat. They headed back along the road, and kept marching in the twilight. As true darkness fell, Bastra’s keen night vision caught sight of orderly foundations, perhaps of the ruins of an inn to the south of the trail. Intrigued, the PCs left the trail to investigate the ruin…

[Session end]

Categories
DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Sessions 2 and 3

[2/7 and 2/14]

Session 2 added a pair of characters for the evening; a wizard Alastair and a half-orc fighter, Thakk. We were also minus Jenna.

The day began with the 5 PCs transitioning from watch to making breakfast and getting the caravan ready for the day. As agreed, Dory’s group would path find today… and it didn’t go so well.

The PCs guarded the caravan and subtly investigated the bishop’s unspoken concerns, identifying the mule laden with pay and other cues, amongst their duties to keep an eye out for ambush. Just before noon, a dozen goblins ambushed Dory’s scouts a few hundred feet ahead of the caravan. Abilo was killed in the first volley, but the PCs immediately raced to the rescue, quickly turning the tide. Several goblins were ensorcelled into sleep, and the others slain during their retreat.

The PCs threatened and asked the goblins why they ambushed them; the goblins claimed the territory was theirs. In the end the goblins agreed that the caravan was too deadly and they wouldn’t mess with it again, and they’d pass the warning on to their people. The PCs sent them home.

In the afternoon, Thorum joined Dory’s group in searching out trails, but had difficulty navigating. While he was out front, the remaining PCs guarded the backtrail. In late afternoon, a couple of PCs heard a humanoid slip behind them; they hid just behind a ridge of a hill and kept an eye out for pursuit. Which came in the form of bandits!

The bandits were strung out very widely; a few were killed and the rest fled.

[Session 2 end / begin Session 3] PCs: back to 4 – Jenna, Bastra, Lucas, Thorum

After the skirmish, Jenna and Thorum went ahead and sought a defensible dry campsite, as it had begun raining. They found a great location along an undercut hillside, which provided cover from the rain.

After dinner, they settled in for the night. The PCs split watches, with Thorum settling deep into meditation. A large group of bandits struck in the night, though the keen vision of Bastra had the PCs in motion while the bandits were still strung out and crossing the stream.

The battle was hard fought; the bandits successfully killed one of the donkeys and wounded a few others. Over the course of the fight Dory was badly clobbered, and Thorum took some blows that had him wobbling, but the caravan managed not to lose any people and only the one donkey.

Bastra incapacitated one of the bandits with a hyponotic effect. Under interrogation, thought detecting and threats led the caravan to understand that the whole bandit fighting gang had fallen; a few dependents had been left a few hours west to convalesce from sicknesses.

In the twilight of false dawn, Bishop Sten got everyone up and told them that if they pushed, they should reach the fort by nightfall. The PCs led the way, making their way down to the River Grevelingen, and making good time through the afternoon. In later afternoon they spotted Fort Augustaberg ahead, and verified that it was still in friendly hands. Then they doubled back and led the caravan to the gates, where the Bishop was recognized and the caravan welcomed inside.

Captain Marjan thanked them, and the supplies were promptly taken for inventory. The Bishop paid each of the escorts the agreed on 10 guilders per day, plus a 10 guilder bonus for successfully escorting them with so little loss against such danger. (So each PC was paid 40 guider.)

Several items were rapidly revealed. The nature of the devastating disaster that befell Base Town (and will make supplying the fort much more complicated going forward) — the shearing of Nalatan Hall (of Mount Nijmegan), the hall plummeting a mile down the mountain and crushing Base Town, then burying it under triggered avalanches. Half of the fort’s population is on site (at Base Town) digging for survivors.

[End Session 3]

Categories
DnD Ludmerea Shop stuff

Session 1 [01/31]

Session 1 [01/31] PCs: Jenna, Bastra, Lucas, Thorum

  • Jenna sells handcrafted wreaths and necklaces, and has become friends with the widow Dona Amerlias.

  • Bastra paints and works on developing a patron; the town is neutral toward him.

  • Lucas arrives to teach wizardry, but finds the village is small and education level is not what he’s used to. No students are ready to pay him to study yet.

  • Thorum has been working as a wilderness escort and developing a reputation as a hard worker. Many of his clients were once Nerik’s – while Nerik is currently under deep suspicion after his charges died in a goblin ambush.

03.12: Sten Sture, associate bishop of Cathedral Nemijen arrives in the early afternoon, with two dozen donkeys and two animal handlers, Rooiakker and Mieke.

Sten discusses disaster with quartermaster, posts up notifications for assistance at a rate of 10 guider per day as escorts for the caravan in the wildlands. Rooiakker and Mieke handle sign ups for PCs + Dory’s group of Muhner (Dory, Luiz, Abilo, and Juliana). Meanwhile, Sten buys up every supply in town, paying above market, and has them loaded on his donkey train.

03.13 Caravan sets off for Fort Augustaberg. Escorts divided in two; PCs scout ahead for the best path guided by Jenna’s map of the region. Dory’s group is close guard for the caravan; tomorrow they’ll switch.
After a full day, filled with fording icy streams and tamping down the last snow clinging from the 03.07 storm, Thorum and Jenna lead the laden caravan to an excellent campsite about 15 miles west and 18 north of Redewall.

Dory’s group takes first watch; near watch turnover lean wolves rush the campsite making for the hobbled donkeys. Basta and Thorum shake off their meditation and rouse the PCs; several arrows, psychic morningstar, and flame bolts scorch the wolves; one dies to a dagger thrust at the base of the tree guarded by Lucas, with Jenna poised above.

(Session end.)

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DnD My Game Ideas Roleplaying

Reclaiming Ludmerea

Images flicker: Moldering gems in skeletal hands; stone ruins ransacked, rebuilt, storm broken and resurgent.

Storm drowned lands, Mikpos wagering in Tavern Debina, goblin lairs in Kuopio’s sandstone ruins, Giants striding from a howling Maelstrom, adventurers sharing reconnaissance over wine, Kithkari stretching 8’ tall, stern Dvaerg dodging Rakshasha claws, a mail gauntlet grabbing a verdigris helmet, magenta rain rebounding from golden light, elegant silver Mikpos nails clutching a copper stylus, shadows spilling from a cracked Iron door, a pair of savage hobgoblins circle with bronze headed axes, a Kithkari calf boiling blood into ironjaw wolf trap, lifting an ancient skull clad in gold runic mask remnants, Tyhlos the White breathing icy frost at a leaping Vikari warrior, a mail clad giant strides through swirling and eerie mists of limbo, firelight glimmers through a storm cracked tower, barbarous Lizardmen feasting on long pig, iridescent plants floating in a candy yellow river that flows uphill, grand Mount Rättvik melted by a Chaos storm, iron and copper exposed and gleaming; heroes returning to Redewall laden with antiquities.

A scene: A cunning Vikari warrior pauses in the deep shadow of Mount Nijmegen’s iron topped peak, living bow taut in his left hand, darkwood arrow nocked. The breeze shifts, blowing from the purple bruise of cloud ahead, carrying the scuffing sound of claws on worn basalt, ascending the narrow trail. From behind, Gwendolyn Goodge calls out in a voice tinged with nerves and laughter, “Orm, are you posing or…” but her voice quiets at his gesture. Janssen marches forward, joining the pair in the rattle of chain, loud in the sudden still. 

Janssen’s bushy eyes raise in silent question. Orm’s answer to the implied question is low, “Two threats.” A gesture at his feet, showing scuffed trail dust and a patched boot mark, “Goblins, a day old, maybe. Heavy mark; not furtive, they’re probably lairing nearby — Umeå’s ruins, at a guess. But… hear that?” Birdsong cut off sharp as Orm pivots smoothly, his arrow pointed at the claustrophobically close treeline. The acorn arrowhead caught the wolf in the shoulder as it burst from the brush; with a howl of chilling fury it raced forward, the wound shrinking in an eyeblink as it lunged towards the ranger.

At Gwendolyn’s incanted gesture, the beast was thrown sideways; reeling from the spell’s force its claws scrabbled across the bare rock, then cartwheeled into the underbrush and vanished. The trio scanned the trees, ready for the renewed assault… but answering howls downtrail underscored their poor position. Janssen’s stubby finger stabbed out at the streaked sky. “Chaos storm hits in under an hour; we get clear of the beasts and the storm’ll scour our trail.” The patter of stinging rain, burning like lye, pursued them as they reascended the stony trail. Behind them the undergrowth melted like cotton candy in the acrid rain…

Setting Overview

Redewall is balanced at the western edge of Civilized World of today – but seven empires, most long fallen, bestrode the chaos wracked lands to the west.

Storms of Chaos sweep from World’s End in the extreme west, changing the very stone and soil where their transformative rains fall and mists drape. When the mist clears, wonders and beasts from elsewhere are often stranded in the storm’s wake.

Redewall serves as a base camp for explorers of wild Ludmerea. A few hundred townsfolk support a local garrison that defends the civilized kingdoms of the east from Chaos Peoples, their warbands… and stranger things stranded by Chaos Storms.

The small town also supports a mix of peoples unlike any other in the world – dreamers of great fortune rub shoulders with practical “exploration companies” that methodically probe the plains, sifting the wreckage of fallen empires for powerful artifacts and odd commonplaces of previous days. Idle soldiers swill beer alongside loremasters, antiquarians, and factors for the great merchant Bank of Aglaia and the many political houses of Civilization. The small powers of eastern Ludmerea fence with agents of the Winter Kingdoms and distant Zakynthos, all keeping an eye on the adventuring bands that journey into the wildlands and return with wonders of ancient days and beguiling baubles of Chaos – tiny ripples at the edge of the civilized world that can shake even the Kingdom of Rogaland, or the bustling metropolis of Cratais.

Scholarly researchers seek famed artifacts and chaos imbued reagents to enhance their research – or ancient spell formulae they can rediscover or “invent” for prestige. Grifters, conmen, and petty thieves seek to redistribute fortunes from those who brave the wastelands.

While many civilized people sneer at the wildlands, many kingdoms- even empires- have arisen from those monstrous peoples. Wave after wave of Chaos sweeping the land has deposited countless humanoids- some appearing a dozen years ago after a Chaos Storm stranded them, while others have bred in the swamps and pristine mountains for millennia – ever since Ludmerea was anchored into existence by the Worldloom that the ancient Vikari used to pattern Chaos into today’s known but ever changing lands.

Races of Ludmerea

The five civilized races who call Ludmerea home are the Vikari, Kithkari, Mikpos, Dvaerg, and Muhner. From a great distance, they can be described so:

Vikari are Elves with a viking flair. Play a Vikari if you want to be a character from a long lived and patient people with a cruel past.

Kithkari are renowned as cunning pranksters, savage shapeshifters when their back is to a wall. Play a Kithkari if you want to play an heir to wild magic, with inherent size shifting as only the most notable trait of a very unusual people.

Miklos are urbane halflings, the first to write and early masters of trade. Today they’re best known as bankers, confidence artists, and wizards — but always trendsetters.

Daverg are dwarves, with a history of respected rulers and breakthroughs in metallurgy and storm breaking. Play a Daverg to come from a dependable, respected people known for their strength and wisdom.

Muhner are humans, able to commit to specialization early in life with an intensity that no other race can match. Thanedoms founded by Muhner lie shattered in Ludmerea’s west; today most Muhner in Ludmerea rove in kin groups.