Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for January 5, 2016, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Spirit Walker (Naci Human Assassin played by Andrew Renfrow), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team encountered a vicious sticky slurk that tried to entangle Standing Bison! The giant shrugged off the effect, and the team closed in. The slurk bit with its tusks, but it proved no match for the team. No sooner did it die than a creeping titanoboa surged out of the water trying to coil around Singing Mammoth! A second fight in moments erupted, with the same results. The team tried to salvage the spine as a collector’s item but destroyed it in the process.

The party discovered the ruined temple of Cueyatitahtli and delved inside. The found Runs-With-Deer’s broken necklace and a mangled pile of dismembered Kompache braves. Nearly half a dozen Keeper Warriors charged out of the dark tunnels, their feet splattered mud with every step and light glinting on their raised macuahaitls. The party braced for the charge and yelled to one another, “Never tell us the odds!” Behind the Keepers came five spear-wielding bullywug muckers! Blood flowed freely on both sides as the teams engaged. Singing Mammoth triple-shot volleys into the beasts as Spirit Walker began a stabbing flurry with his knife. Blazing Sun squared off with a warrior as Wolf Spirit and his wolf moved to flank. Standing Bison stood his ground in the corner, clubbing man and bullywug alike. In short order, the day was won! Now, the team prepares to explore the lair of the Frog Father, Cueyatitahtli.

Game summary for December 29, 2015, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Spirit Walker (Naci Human Assassin played by Andrew Renfrow), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party set out toward the Swamps of Woe to find Cueyatitahtli. Along the way, they were accosted by a band of beggars and lepers who wanted food and supplies. The team scared them off, but Spirit Walker and Wolf Spirit came down with the flu for a couple days. They picked up a tail, a scout of the Nightmare Company! After some clever maneuvering, they were able to lose him and head out of his range of vision. Once they arrived, they convinced some locals to give them some guidance to safer, solid ground in the swamp which allowed the team to travel well into the depths.

The group found the lacerated corpse of a black bear just as a pack of pristichampus crocodilians moved in to feed. The massive reptiles viciously mauled Spirit Walker’s horse, and it died in bloody tatters. Standing Bison was able to smash one of the pristichampus to death in a single blow. The fighting was quick, and the party got out with only the loss of one mount.

Soon, a horrendous thunderstorm set in, and the team had to scrounge around for shelter to ride it out. Following the storm, the group made camp and lit a fire. They realized they were surrounded by swamp gas and quickly stamped out the flames! The team contended with venomous cottonmouths, trench foot, and diseased mosquitos.

Deep in the swamp, the group came upon four bullywugs, man-like frog men. Spirit Walker moved up front and got flanked. The bullywug muckers stabbed him with spears, bit him, and slapped him with their club-like tongues. Before long, he lay on the ground unconscious and dying, but not before sinking his dagger into the chest of one of the bullywugs. A bullywug croaker closed in and unleashed its booming stunning croak! The sound stunned Standing Bison for several moments. With the giant staggering about and Spirit Walker bleeding out, things looked grim. However, the bullywug Spirit Walker injured dropped dead from the dagger wounds. The wolf tripped the croaker repeatedly while Wolf Spirit slashed away with his axe. Standing Bison shook off his stun, and Spirit Walker stabilized. With the upper hand lost, the team quickly dispatched the frog men!

Game summary for December 22, 2015, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Night Watcher (Ogre Martial Artist played by Casey Scruggs), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Beyond the doorway, the team faced off against Tocatlpilli and his Keeper warriors. Night Watcher got his macuahuitl stuck in the floor, and Singing Mammoth nearly shot him with an arrow. Tocatlpilli hurled numerous curses at the team, but they easily shrugged off the effects. It did not take long for the team to take out the warriors and square off against Tocatlpilli on a swinging bridge over a great abyss. Wolf Spirit’s wolf managed to trip the high priest, and Standing Bison hurled him off the bridge to his doom!

The group went into the next room where they were confronted with a riddle guarding two stone boxes. In one was the Dawn Seal fragment, in the other “death.” The team debated the riddle and eventually made their choice: they chose wisely! The group seized the fragment as the ceiling opened to reveal a massive gray widow spider! The group found their edged weapons of limited benefit against its chitinous exoskeleton, but Standing Bison and Night Watcher were able to do a lot of bashing damage to it. Eventually, they squashed the creature.

The group took the fragment and despite being led astray repeatedly by Standing Bison, they found their way out of Tocatlmayana. They learned their horses had been stolen, and they tracked down a group of gnolls with their mounts. After lots of posturing, and a bit of bribery, they secured their mounts and left. Along the route, they had to avoid the Nightmare Company raptor scouts, which they did masterfully.

Once home, they went through an initiation ritual in celebration to mark their full acceptance into the tribe. The grueling ritual left Wolf Spirit battered, but the team prevailed. After the celebration, they were tasked by Rides-the-Moon, elder and vidutana of the tribe, to travel to the Swamps of Woe and the Cueyatlahtli (cue-yacht-el-ah-tee) temple to retrieve the next fragment. They also learned Laughing Horse’s daughter had run off with several braves to try and get the fragment themselves and not returned. With nothing else to leverage, Laughing Horse offered his daughter in marriage if someone will return her safely. Rides-the-Moon agreed to perform a union ceremony but warned the fragment is far more important than the life of missing Runs-with-Deer.

Game summary for December 15, 2015, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Night Watcher (Ogre Martial Artist played by Casey Scruggs), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team followed the tattered map and advanced toward the first switch. Most of the team filed into the hallway with Singing Mammoth hanging back in the main room. Throwing the switch raised a platform into the room occupied by a great lasher spider! It sprayed webbing at Singing Mammoth who dodged it and then backed right into it. The team came running down the hallway, and Night Watcher got stuck unable to maneuver through the crowd. Standing Bison hit the creature, as did Wolf Spirit and his wolf. A few arrows sank in from Singing Mammoth, but it was the amazing blow by Blazing Sun that laid it low.

Next the team went down the middle hallway and threw the next lever. Doing so shocked Blazing Sun with a jolt of electricity. The ceiling in the main room rolled away, and a massive margoyle flew into the room to attack! The creature proved challenging to fight due to its ability to blend when motionless, but several of the team landed solid blows. Finally, Wolf Spirit’s wolf tripped it into the blazing coal pits where it died in flames.

The group advanced down the third hallway where Wolf Spirit and Blazing Sun plunged into a pit trap. They climbed out, and Standing Bison rushed in and fell in. The group threw the next switch and then went to the final switch. Once thrown, the barred doorway at the end of the hallway slid open!

Game summary for December 8, 2015, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Spirit Walker (Naci Human Assassin played by Andrew Renfrow), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party opened the next door and encountered an enormous fearsome ettin! Spirit Walker moved in and got bloodied by the creature’s spiked war club. The team closed in, but the brute unleashed a twin-headed scream that shook the team to its core. Several fled in terror. Singing Mammoth unleashed a barrage of arrows, and the same Kompache scout that assisted them earlier arrived and attacked! Some of the team shook off their fear and returned while Spirit Walker tried to keep from bleeding to death. At last, Singing Mammoth’s arrow pieced one of the skulls and killed the creature.

The team found it guarded a room with a paneled wall. After some investigation, they discovered the panels moved like a puzzle or riddle. Blazing Sun had no trouble figuring out the combination and unlocked a hidden panel! Within was a worn, tattered old map which the group assumes leads to the Dawn Seal fragment.

Arriving at the map location, the group engaged a mob of Keepers of the Gate along with their enslaved octorok guardians. A quick scuffle ensued, but the team mopped up the enemies very quickly. Now, they stand before a trio of doors and have a map to consult.

Game summary for December 1, 2015, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Blazing Sun (Kau Human Sage played by Kaliegh Belda), Singing Mammoth (Elf Soldier played by Taylor Averdick), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team proceeded down a hallway where Standing Bison sprung a spiked floor trap! He suffered minor injuries but pressed on. They went into another room and found four Keepers of the Gate who attacked with macuahuitls. It didn’t take long to cut down the foes and head down a flight of stairs.

At the bottom, they discovered a narrow hallway leading into a room guarded by numerous blue tektites! The leaping creatures slammed into Wolf Spirit and hurt him badly. In their wild frenzy, they accidentally killed one of their own! Soon the team was able to make headway as Singing Mammoth picked off some from the back and the team was able to advance on the rest.

Next the group found themselves trapped in a room with a mathematical riddle inscribed on the walls. Overhead a spiked ceiling loomed ominously promising a horrendous death if they chose the wrong answer and depressed the wrong stone. After some debate the party made a choice… and found the right pressure plate to open the doors!

From the other side of the door, a pack of hell hounds burst through and breathed fire all around. Fortunately, many of the team have armor providing some protection against fire. So outfitted, the group had little trouble dispatching most of the hounds. At the last moment, a wandering Kompache scout wandered in and killed the last hound before disappearing from whence he came. Just who was that guy?

Game summary for November 24, 2015, Savage! campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Night Watcher (Ogre Martial Artist played by Casey Scruggs), Spirit Walker (Naci Human Assassin played by Andrew Renfrow), Standing Bison (Giant Soldier played by Peyton Harmon), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache Human Priest played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The crept through Tocatlmayana avoiding patrols as best they could. They captured a Keeper and interrogated him. They learned of a tlamacazqui (lama-cause-kwee; a high priest) named Tocatlpilli who has offered a bounty of 10 slaves for the heads of the party! The team made their way through trapped corridors and avoiding falling boulders. Eventually, they rescued a slave boy named Hopping Dog and earned his trust. He informed them he has seen Tocatlpilli with a map depicting a sequence of levers to pull to open a secret chamber. However, the map is always guarded by a two-headed ogre! The group came to a ravine where they had to convince a pack of giant spider steeds to allow them to ride in precariously attached saddles to the other side!

On the far side, they entered a room and were soon attacked by a massive gray widow spider! Spirit Walker charged in and was nearly killed in a single blow! Wolf Spirit’s wolf companion dragged him to safety as the team fell in around the spider. Standing Bison landed a crushing blow, and Night Watcher reached in and ripped off its head!

Looking around the room, they found a lever, which Wolf Spirit flipped. It opened an overhead hatch that dropped a cobalt jelly onto the team! Its acidic touch burned, but it was quickly taken down. As the group proceeded through a doorway, a mob of ettercaps attacked! The team came back through and brought the fight to them. In short order, the spider men lay dead and twitching.

Game summary for November 17, 2015, Savage! campaign; PCs included Blazing Sun (Kau human sage), Singing Mammoth (elf soldier), Standing Bison (giant soldier), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache human priest).

The party followed Paqpopoca’s directions and found Tocatlmayana. Within they became trapped in a large mural-lined chamber filling with poison gas! They had to discover the correct combination of powders to pour into an altar to stop the trap. Fortunately, Blazing Sun speaks (but does not read) Tlacatecollehi and was able to puzzle through a word or two on the walls to help figure out the puzzle. The team struggled a bit and activated a fireball trap and sprung a pit trap in their efforts, but soon they were able to get free of the chamber.

The group found themselves in a large room with two additional exits. Going through one, the team fought against a vicious ettercap! The spider creature tried to poison Blazing Sun but ended up being skewered by Wolf Spirit. They found a wooden lever on the far side of a coal pit behind iron bars. They tried to use a rope to pull the lever and ended up singeing the rope instead. They went back through the other doorway and were attacked by a swarm of spiders. A quick but bloody battle ensued and no one was poisoned by the spiders.

The room contained a second lever, and pulling it raised the iron bars back in the previous room. The team went back used water from a fountain to quench the burning coals! They then pulled that lever and opened a secret passage guarded by a macuahaitl-wielding ogre! The creature bloodied Standing Bison but could not withstand the team’s onslaught of attacks. Beyond the slain ogre stood a door deeper into the complex.

Game summary for November 10, 2015, Savage! campaign; PCs included Blazing Sun (Kau human sage), Night Watcher (ogre martial artist), Singing Mammoth (elf soldier), Standing Bison (giant soldier), and Wolf Spirit (Kompache human priest).

The team made plans to ambush Paqpopoca and set a snare trap. They hid among the coverage and awaiting the approach. A Keeper warrior sprung the trap, but the knot failed! The party did have a surprise round though, and they tore into the warriors. Standing Bison clubbed soldiers viciously while Wolf Spirit scared off the enemy mounts. Blazing Sun rushed in to engage alongside Night Watcher as Singing Mammoth peppered the battlefield with arrows. The masked Keeper the party assumed to be Paqpopoca tried to flee, and Singing Mammoth fired and arrow at him. It lodged in the throat causing a quick, bloody, thrashing death. Night Watcher and a Keeper wounded each other grievously with macuahuitls, but the man was no match for the party’s combined might.

In the aftermath, the group discovered the masked figure was not Paqpopoca but a young lass! They found a Keeper who was mortally injured but capable of speech. The group learned they had killed Tepecot, Paqpopoca’s daughter! Realizing they could not get the information they needed here, the team traveled to the dreaded City of Bones!

Under the cover of darkness, the group crept in and found the home of the merchant. They interrogated him and found the location of Tocatlmayana. To make sure no one followed, they put an end to the miserable Paqpopoca and slipped back over the city walls to head toward the fearsome dungeon!