Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for September 28, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team went to the Hook and Hatchet tavern to meet up with Sgt. Arthol.  They arrived and met a waitress named Prudencia who served them loop ring pastries and coffee.  After a while, the sergeant arrived and sat down with them to drink some beer and eat more loop rings.  They told him about Golthar and the Iron Ring.  He was unaware of the group but was no fan of slavers.  He informed them he discovered the woman they asked about had arrived in town a few hours before the party along with a few men.  They began asking around about the party and ended up meeting with a shady rat-faced human.  Katarina asked if he had any contacts with anyone on Fogor Isle, and he said he had some informants there.  They decided they could get some questions to the informant through him, although they did not come up with any specific questions to ask.  They then secured some logging at the tavern. 

The group then decided they needed to hire a guide to take them up into the Black Peaks.  After some debate, they headed to the docks to see if any mountain men were selling any furs to the river merchants.  They came upon a gnome named Selwyn Earthguard who lives as a trapper and huntsman up in the mountains.  After some discussion, they hired him to be their guide for 5 silver pieces per day.  They predicted a three week trip and sent him to buy provisions and clothing.  He agreed to meet up with them in the morning at the Hook and Hatchet. 

As they left the docks, they saw someone duck into an alley.  Some of the party was able to catch a glimpse of the character and could tell in the lamp light he had a distinct rat-like face. 

Game summary for September 21, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team went to the church library and spoke with Chaplain Raglev.  They showed him their Hutaakan scroll, and he found a fragmented scroll in the library with the same writing.   They explained to him what was going on with the Iron Ring and the danger they may pose to Threshold.  After trying to understand, he told them he felt they were sincere but that they really didn’t have anything of substance to rally anyone to any kind of action.  The team reluctantly agreed. 

The group went outside and saw an old woman fall down in front of a carriage.  Arminious ran forward and diverted the horses and saved her life.  The woman, Mafka, was extremely grateful and offered to read their fortunes.  She held Arminious’ hand and went into a trance.  She saw a tall man in yellow robes outside a building by the river.  She could see him entering in under a sign with crossed swords.  Others wanted their fortunes as well, and she saw a vision of violent men being hanged in the town square in the near future.  She also had a vision of people coming for the party for some kind of blanket or map.  This got the team talking about how to hide or store the map safely.  They asked Mafka if she had any ideas, and she suggested they make a deal with a local merchant.  She mentioned Fitel Cocos, a textile merchant.

The team went to Fitel’s mercantile operations and met with him.  They rented some storage space in his well-guarded vault.  They setup a password to be able to get the materials back.  They then put the tapestry and silver needle along with several jeweled treasures in a crate, boarded it up, and handed it over for safekeeping. 

Next they returned to the church and paid the priests to cast remove curse on Garadal and Katarina to break the curse of the phantom coins.

Game summary for September 14, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team arrived in Threshold and met with Sgt. Arthol of the town guard.  They turned over Hrothgar and the Scange prisoners.  He told them to come by the courts the next day to collect their bounties.  He also invited them to meet up with him at the Hook and Hatchet tavern for a drink and to talk about their inquiry about a dark-haired lady arriving in town recently. 

They then went over to Jeglic’s Junks, a boat dealer.  They sold the captured Blue Belle riverboat for 2,000 gp after Katarina haggled.  They then went to Faustina’s Fine Jewelry to shop for magic items.  They bargained a while and purchased a ring of protection +1, 5′ radius for Katarina.  They eventually came to an agreement to purchase gauntlets of ogre power for Levi and a pair of eggs of wonder. 

Game summary for September 7, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Grozzadeth Boulderback (Dwarf played by Kaliegh Belda), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team lined up along the gunwales to engage the closing brigands.  The Scange archers unleashed a flurry of arrows.  Some struck Garadal and some Grozzadeth.  Katarina and Koehan hit the Scange leader with magic missiles while Garadal started picking off archers with his bow.  The Scange kept trying to grapple the Mudlark, but the team kept cutting the lines.  Several volleys exchanged, but finally the Scange grappled and tried to swarm aboard.  The team put up a heavy resistance and fought their own way onto the enemy vessel!  Arminious hit several of the brigands with hold person.  Then, Koehan trapped several more using web!  The party pulled the ships together, crushing one of the brigands who had fallen into the river.  Soon the brigands were overcome. 

The group interrogated a couple and learned the Scange have a nearby camp.  Also, their leader, Hrothgar, apparently met with the dark-haired woman the previous day.  The party decided to take both ships and the captured bandits to Threshold to see if there is a bounty. 

Game summary for August 31, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

After reviving Byrnwyn, he asked them repeatedly about their plans for when they travel to the location on the Hutaakan map.  They were a bit nebulous about “stopping the Iron Ring” and such.  He posited if they have the map and the Iron Ring doesn’t know where to go without the map, couldn’t they just destroy the map and leave and thus “stop the Iron Ring?”  They scratched their heads a while, and accidentally made Byrwyn believe they were grave robbers.  He tried to flee with the map to save the historic value of the site.  However, his frail form was too slow, and the team blocked the door.  He began screaming for help.  They calmed him down and assured him they would document their findings for history, and he gave them a journal and travel writing kit.

The group decided they would ride up to Threshold on the far side of the river to avoid the road and bandits.  They went to Prestelle and bought riding horses for 90 gp each.  After some debate and conversation with the locals, they learned the terrain on that side of the river was too rough to make good progress on horseback.  Someone suggested they take a boat upriver.  They stabled the new horses and booked passage with Captain Scylla and the Mudlark.

The river boat headed out, and the first evening was uneventful.  The next day Katarina inspired the crew with her musical abilities, and they covered a lot more water than they otherwise would have.  Off in the distance, they spotted the elf Cardia and her magic carpet flying passengers North.  That evening, while on watch a body drifted up to the boat.  It was a woman slain by a trio of black-fletched arrows—a sign of the Scange!  The took the body ashore and buried her before moving on. 

Early the next morning they could see smoke on the water.  Katarina rigged a quick magical feat of engineering to see across a great distance and could tell there was a ruined flaming wagon on the bank surrounded by bodies riddled with black-fletched arrows.  They approached cautiously, and they could hear snarling and barking.  Koehan realized it was a language he spoke, gnoll!  The creatures were feasting on the slain, so the Mudlark drifted as far to the other bank as possible and tried to pass by.  On the shore, the gnolls noticed them and came yelling and taunting the party.  The blood-splattered beasts were fearsome but mostly harmless so far away.  They began howling in a wild frenzy, and in the distance, the party could hear answering calls.  The boat picked up speed, and they sailed away from the marauders.

A short while later, another boat came drifting out from behind a bend enroute to cut off their path. Along with gunwales stood numerous archers with black-fletched arrows.  A large black-armored man stood in the middle of the vessel, the leader of the Scange!

Game summary for August 24, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team took the ferry over into Rifllian and sold a horse to the ferryman on the way over.  Stephan took them over to the Silver Swan Inn, and they met his friend Stubbs Plattermann.  He brought them a fine meal and drinks, and in the conversation they learned that a dark-haired woman and a man named Gactus had been here looking for them.  Throughout the evening several elves came over, and the team sold two more horses.

The next day they headed over to Prestelle, the chief trader, and made a deal to sell the rest of the horses.  While Stephan and Taras finalized that deal and prepared for Taras to return to Sukiskyn, the team went to meet the elven historian, Byrnwyn. 

The old elf talked to the team a while about Xitaqa and their exploits.  He was excited to examine the sword Levi took from the minotaur.  He identified it as the elven blade Cellora, which gives sight to the sightless!  It was last seen in the hands of Ellomir, and elven captain who died long ago at the Battle of the Falling Sun fighting orcs. 

The group showed him the scroll fragment and the completed map.  The elf was stunned by the information and so excited he collapsed!  Arminious leapt to his rescue and revived him there on his floor!

Game summary for August 17, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group interrogated the Red-Blade goblins and the human captives.  They learned Golthar had fled to Kelvin and had groups scouring the countryside looking for the party.  The team then let the goblins go, nursed the wounds of the humans, and paid them for their “wild” horses. 

Determined to reach Rifllian soon, they headed out toward the gnomes’ ferry.  With little incident, they arrived and spoke with one of the hostel owners.  They agreed on a price for the ferry crossing and also paid him a bit extra to “have never seen the party.”  After making it across, off in the distance some of the team saw some lightly armored riders heading toward the hostel.  The group sped off and found a place to hole up for the night.  The next morning, Koehan scouted around and could find no signs of pursuit. 

Another couple days’ travel put the group right outside of Rifllian on the trade road where they encountered a wagon train and guardsmen.  They talked for a while until the main wagons arrived, and they got to meet with Ahiktos the merchant.  He traded some information to them in exchange for some gemstones.  He let them know Golthar had arrived in Kelvin and had a mysterious tall dark-haired woman with him who has been inquiring about adventurers who meet the party’s description.  He also told them of bandit activity North of Kelvin.  And to top things off, allegedly, the Duke’s daughter has run off with the captain of the guard!

Game summary for August 10, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Grozzadeth Boulderback (Dwarf played by Kaliegh Belda), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Grozzadeth and Levi caught up to the team and swept in to engage the Iron Ring!  The goblins sleepily emerged from the tent, partially blinded by the sunlight.  With a roar, the bugbear came rushing out as well!  Levi began backstabbing enemies while Valor and Garadal continued their tag-team of terror on the south side of the camp.  Grozz went toe-to-toe with the sword-wielding Reaver!  Meanwhile, the Reaver Cleric cast blight on some of the team, which served to strip some of the bless effect.  He also tried to blind Levi with a darkness spell but failed. 

The goblins swarmed into the team but were quite ineffective due to their limited ability and dazzled condition.  They did slow things down and landed a blow here or there.  One of the Hounds tried to get Levi to surrender by threatening to slay a helpless Katarina, but Levi didn’t even slow down.  The Hound tried to trip him up with Katarina’s held body but failed.  Grozz soon found himself surrounded by the Reaver, the cleric, and a goblin! 

The battle was fierce, but one-by-one the enemy leaders began to fall.  Their minions fell as well.  Finally victorious, the team freed their bound and held allies and went to investigate the prisoners.  They found nineteen captured humans and fifteen Red-Blade goblins. 

Game summary for August 3, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Arminious Ironkeep (Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team crossed the Volaga river and headed toward the gnome ferry. Off in the distance, they saw four horses on the Moors; they recognized them from their travels in the woods several weeks back.  After some debate, they followed and tracked the horses and came upon the centaur Loshad!  He greeted the party and asked about the white horses with them.  He approved of their plan to sell them to the elves of Rifllian.  He told them about a group of humans and goblins camped nearby who had other humans and horses chained up and were beating them.  After some discussion it became clear Loshad had somehow causes the horses to go wild, but now he believed the humans were going to kill the horses out of frustration.  The team decided to go and try and free the people and horses.

The group snuck up on the camp during the day (believing the goblins to be asleep) and came in from two sides.  They caught the slavers by surprise.  Things went well early on.  Arrows took down some slavers while the melee party members closed in and mopped up.  Valor even cut one slaver completely in half.  Then things went sideways.  The slavers had a cleric in their midst!  A single hold person spell froze four of the party in their tracks!  Several Hounds of the Iron Ring closed in and clamped on some manacles!  Obviously the slavers want as many taken alive as possible.  As the rest of the team came charging across the battlefield to try and save their friends, the first of the sleepy goblins began sticking their heads out of tents!

Game summary for July 27, 2021, Classic Quest campaign, Dungeons & Dragons BECMI / RC Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Garadal Davster (Halfling played by Parker Harmon), Grozzadeth Boulderback (Dwarf played by Kaliegh Belda), Katarina Magdanov (Magic-User played by Casey Scruggs), Koehan Rumisar (Elf played by Peyton Harmon), Levi Ackerman (Thief played by Andrew Renfrow), and Valor Eagleclaw (Fighter played by Preston Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group charged in to try and save the bear.  The group spread out a bit and unleashed arrows and began swinging swords.  They dropped one of the Hound of the Iron Ring who had a rope around the bear.  The bear spun about and mauled the other slaver behind it!  More heavily armed Reavers charged in, and one dealt a terrible blow to Koehan.  He fell back while Kalana began healing him.  Katarina blasted off a magic missile before getting hit with several hard shots.  She fell back and cast shield while Koehan cast web to imprison one of the Hounds.  Grozz and Levi tore into the enemies, and Valor’s mighty sword cut a swathe of destruction.  Garadal peppered the battlefield with arrows.  Eventually, the team was left around the webbed Hound.  Knowing he was a slaver, Grozz mercilessly lit the webs…