Session #81 - The Gang Pushes Its Luck - 1/21/2023 - Campaign Days 918-921

 First Session of the New Year

The players decided among a bunch of rumors around Fort Weskfen, the base of an order of LG paladins and cleric. Previously the Stormbringers got their first big victory in the swamps against a VietBeastman horse and a mysterious pyramid dweller. Now, the place is a stable center of peace for humans and a growing community of halflings called Hobbitvale.

Local map of the fort and swamps. 1 hex = 1 mile

To the north is a village of tribesman led by Tim the Druid.

He's like, in charge, man.

One of the players has a druid named Errol who tames wild creatures and treats them his personal friend-slaves, which is suspicious to me but that's AD&D. Of all the rumors (generated by previous events and filtered by circumstance plus the regular drumbeat of domain events via wilderness encounter rolls), they selected a lead on an old tower complex on the top of a hill where the tribesmen reported an awful stink.

With almost 40 or so hirelings in tow, the small army of PCs, henchmen, and baggage waddled through the woods up to the top of a bald. There they found that the trees and woods had been cleared as if cut down, though the buildings appear to be in a state of ruin. That and awful skunky smell drifted to them.

Ruins. Totally safe and not infested.

Not taking the hint, the players proceeded to scour the hillside and carefully poke about the ruins. They soon discovered scat within the tower and several 2' wide tunnels dug into the place. Then, the screaming started.

WTF

A pack of feral, 4' long squirrel-beasts (codename: SKRATS) emerged from one of the holes and made a beeline for a group of hirelings. Unfortunately for the beasts, the party was well prepared with spells like entangle and phantasmal force, plus a good number of missile troops. Entangled beasts were cut down. The losses amounted to a few hirelings and 2 horses. 

Within the ruins, the party found a crumbling chest with 4000cp and 2500ep. Players had a good laugh when they corrected my mistake of rating the worth of an electrum peace as 2gp to 1/2 gp. Good times!

Not satisfied with their murderous rampage, the players began to pack up the coins. A wandering monster check came up as "screw the players time" - and I consulted the matrices... which a d20 confirmed a 1st level monster, and then checking the Fiend Folio... I found the suggested monster. I described the woodline populated with screaming and hooting humanoids' with weapons, like something from Planet of the Apes. All the hirelings have to make morale checks, they are spooked.

No idea what these are, do ya?

The players push the strange wood beastmen away, and start back to the tribal village. As they are relating their finds to Tim, the entire mountainside is filled with hoots and screams. Scouts report that HUNDREDS of these things are on the way. The players fled to Fort Weskfen, and Tim the Druid is left to hide the tribe (all but 10 warriors were out hunting afar). The horizon glows as the village is burned down.

I have no words.

At this point, it's late in the session. Surely the players will cash in here, right? NO. The players know there was a rumor about giants attacking merchants in the hills to the NE. The players debate using a spell - reflecting pool - to scry the giants exact location. The druid player mentioned this spell will also involve a potential psionic encounter, and that's a big risk. They decide to roll the dice anyways. The spell succeeds and they are not devoured an hour later by a lich. They know the exact giant camp location and head that way.

Unfortunately, they are surprised by the giants when closing in in the camp. Despite multiple segments of giant missile fire, the players small army of men survive. Again, entangle is a killer spell, and the giants are routed. The player loot the camp, which is quite empty of treasure except for a terrified merchant. The merchant agrees to pay a rescue ransom of 1000gp, and clutches a small chest to him, calling it his "precious cargo". The players take him back to the fort and gather the ransom. They ask the merchant about the chest, and he reveals he wanted to head to Burmstone, where it is said that His Grace, Lord Kel, often pays top coin for magic items.