North of Lemuria, Episode 3 (Untold/BoL)

Episode 3: a PLAGUE of RATS

This time using a combination of Clues, Mythic, and Prehistoria cube sets.
This episode features the sidekick, Manda.

A Dangerous Dilemma

Meanwhile in a desolate barren dune, Manda (now lost and on her own) comes across an area of a recent skirmish. There, a throng of scavenger uzegs and a young drakk screech and squawk, fighting over the remains of several fallen warriors. Marro, the duplicitous druid suddenly sidles up to Manda in her crouched hidden position, startling her.

“Any sound you make will bring that winged terror to us!” he warns. “This area is full of the dead. Fell scavengers lurk everywhere.”

Cautiously, the two back away unnoticed. Manda finds the man’s company unwelcome. But being alone in the vast untamed tundra is worse. She continues with him, and tries to put him at ease through idle conversation, but he is too clever. “Quiet your loquacious tongue!” he warns. She tells Marro that Asara knows him and demands answers as to what he’s doing out in the wilds. Marro reveals he seeks the identity of one among the dead who is important for a spell that will aid his master. Manda promises not to let that happen if it leads to anything awful.

The Plot Thickens

Little do the two know that the scruffy, inconsequential uzeg vermin are multiplying more than has ever been seen before in the north. Behind them, the multitudes won their duel against the drakk who is forced away by the sheer overwhelming numbers. However, the two come upon thousands of little bolt holes tunneling under the earth. From these, dozens of others scurry every now and again.

Manda screams. She remembers a time as a girl in Satarla, far to the south. She played in the sprawling villa her father owned outside the city. “Manda, stay away from the old barn,” her father Osmond had told her. The old decrepit zannibal outbuilding had been unused for ages. Needless to say, the young Manda was curious and liked to explore. Wandering within, she fell through a rotting grate into an uzeg infested pool. She was terrified, but her screams eventually summoned her father. The horror has never left her mind.

Now, in the barren hills, the vermin continue to come in droves as though they are being directed by some otherworldly force. In one larger such burrow comes a strange light.

An Heroic Undertaking

Into this larger hole Marro and Manda continue after much bolstering of courage. Winding through the earth are various tunnels and vents carved out by primordial forces, through which they labor until they come upon a lake of fire deep under the ground. There, they spy an altar and evidence of sacrifice.

Suddenly, from a side tunnel lunges a bestial inhuman thing. This creature is clearly from beyond the void. Somehow Manda and Marro get separated. The Satarlan minstrel tries to hide from the thing in a craggy dark corner. Lava bubbles and churns about noisily. Eventually, an inhuman hand falls upon Manda’s knee. She screams.

The druid uses the opportunity to flee, sacrificing Manda to the horror from the void. The beast tries to mesmerize Manda, but miraculously, she shakes off the attempt in her madness. Surprised, she thrusts her dagger — her only weapon — at the thing and darts away. However, she is magnitudes slower than the loping inhuman thing over an open stretch.

Desperately, she turns and fights. Miraculously, she scores several slices into it’s rubbery hide while avoiding the lumbering attacks. Her luck runs out and she is dropped with a single heavy blow. She blacks out.

The Truth Revealed

When Manda comes to, she is strung up within the volcanic lake. She sees that the high temperatures and other alchemical experiments under way serves to foster an elaborate breeding program. Thousands of young vermin fill various surrounding bolt holes.

Manda sees that the demon follows a peculiar man carrying vials and odd accoutrements of an alchemist around. The two pay Manda no mind.

The Final Showdown

Manda watches helplessly as the evil looking alchemist and his demonic boon companion load their few belongings onto a wretched but sturdy looking raft able to float upon the fiery surface of the lake. “You almost ruined this plan with your bumbling intrusion,” the man says to Manda. “No matter! Soon, I’ll be gone, ready to unleash this plague of vermin upon the north and you’ll be dead! Their first feast.”

Manda thinks quickly. From the corners, she sees the glowing red eyes of the uzeg multitude, ready to make good on that promise. Secretly, she tries to undo her restraints. It was no good. Her bonds are too strong.

“Do you know who my companion is?” she boasts. “You best know who you’re dealing with before you sail off to your sure to be short-lived victory.” She tries to lure him in by sucking him into a lie. The man stops. I have him! she thinks. She goes through her lore to come up with a name from legend falling upon the songs she learned in Satarla.

“You’ll untie me when you know that Soren Telbrey is my companion!” she lies. She can hardly believe the name that comes from her lips. Soren was a powerful sorcerer that once was a tyrant on the south but is no more. She keeps fast talking hoping the name drop is enough to fool him. To her amazement, the alchemist turns and unbinds her. Nonetheless, the uzeg horde begins closing in around them.

“Are you going to do something about them?” she says, indicating the approaching hungry mob. The man and the demon turn to look. Without hesitation, Manda leaps away and onto the raft laden with alchemical components. She takes them by complete surprise and kicks off from the banks. It’s too late for the man as they are overwhelmed by ravenous mad uzegs.

With a pole, Manda steers to safety to an exit vent. She also finds a number of invaluable relics among the stash including some potions of unknown substance and purpose. She hears the man’s dying screams in the distance. Now she has to find Asara once again.

To Be Continued

Who was the mysterious alchemist and who does he ultimately work for? What further complications will arise due to the horde of uzeg vermin? What secrets will be revealed from the weird alchemical tools and preparations?

• Manda ends with 3 out of 5 LB

North of Lemuria, Episode 2 (Untold/BoL)

Continued from here, is the second episode from my North of Lemuria series of Untold: Adventures Await #UntoldBG and Barbarians of Lemuria mashup.

Episode 2: DEATH from ABOVE

This time using a combination of Fright, Prehistoria, and Voyages cube sets.

A Dangerous Dilemma

The episode begins in the court of King Kalvar in Vintergart where raiders have captured someone or something. Asara has come seeking answers about her blade, and more about the druid Marro, but has found nothing but a vacant area of yurts and buildings with signs of a recent skirmish everywhere they look. Among the bodies are some of the raiders — scantly clad hardy barbarians from further north who are pocked by some pestilence. Manda begins picking through the bodies for more detail while Asara wants to be far from them. The Satarlan girl is at a loss as to what transpired.

Asara quickly picks up a trail of survivors and possibly captives. She follows the clear trail, setting a brisk march to catch up. After a daunting march leaving Manda behind, Asara catches up with the host. The area is clearly marked by the circling of carrion beasts high above in a no man’s waste.

The Plot Thickens

There, Asara finds a dastardly wizard of some sort who commands the throng of pocked northmen. The poor captives are kept in cages awaiting some terror to befall them. In a large tent nearby come the cries of men as they are taken one by one for the sake of some cruel experiments. Asara watches in horror. When the Valgardians emerge, they are similarly pocked as their captors and behave in a mechanical, almost zombie-like state. Asara sees Marro among the men alongside the wizard. Although the distance from her vantage point is too great to be certain, the barbarian woman is almost certain she recognizes Dark Warlord Tolech, the villain who swept down from the north to terrorize and wage war with her people.

Like a dream, Asara remembers serving as a physician, tending to the wounded during that horrible time in her young life. Savages of unknown motive driven by their warlord descended upon the people of the White Bear clan with supernatural ferocity and relentlessness. She remembers seeing the warlord upon a beastly steed of shaggy fur and dread fangs and saw into his eyes. Waves of fear swept over her. She knows the man in the distance that she now looks upon is he.

An Heroic Undertaking

The episode continues near the cages of Tolech’s camp by night where the warlord’s bestial guardian raises an alarm at Asara’s approach. She quickly moves to silence the source of the horrific shriek, finding a squat ill-tempered reptile bred and altered through sorcery to survive in the harsh northern clime. Red eyes glitter and a maw filled with razor sharp fangs bares to her. It hisses and growls. With a terrific effort, Asara evades the behemoth’s clumsy advances and slays the nasty reptile after several well-timed strokes of her blade. However, between the terrible noise of the beast and pleadings of the distraught and desperate captives now aware of her presence, the minions of the evil warlord rouse themselves in confusion, groping for their weapons.

Thinking quick, Asara runs to the nearest cage that has the most number of men hale enough to put up a worthy resistance. She toils with the lock, being somewhat proficient in disabling shackles and locks. However, she is too beleaguered to finish the job before her challengers descend upon her. Soon three pocked savages fan around her, cutting off escape. She downs one and takes a gash from the axe head of another. She finishes the other two in rapid succession and searches quickly for the keys, opening the cages.

Among the men is an aged man she recognizes from her clan, Draghan, who is a healer and wizened man — she is surprised to see him. The two embrace, but soon the entire camp is roused.

• Asara spent 1 Hero Point, having 3 remaining
• Asara took 3 LB damage

The Truth Revealed

Suddenly, chaos erupts as the airborne scavenging beasts, a handful of fearsome drakks, swoop out of the night air, attracted by the scent of the dead guardian beast’s blood. The minions go wild with terror as friend and foe alike are snatched up into the air by the formidable pterodactyl-like terrors.

The Final Showdown

The final showdown takes place along a darkened valley leading away from the encampment where the snatching drakks pursue Asara and the fleeing Valgardians because, in their enraged state made worse by Tolech’s aura of fear, they will attack anything. At the same time, some remaining savages give chase to the throng in desperation, commanded by their warlord.

Asara spurs on her kin, urging them with her force of presence. This gets the slower of them more motivated. She seeks a narrow choke point through the tundra valley or shelter — but there is no such place in this blasted land. Knowing the drakks are fueled by the scent of blood, Asara veers from her people, attracting a small horde of minions to attack her. She taunts them and suddenly she is thronged by a dozen mindless savages. She begins heaping bodies about her with bloodied sword despite the many wounds the crazed pocked minions inflict upon her. Then, seeing that their attention is turned to the winged horrors in the sky, she evades them, pressing forward with all her passion. However, her foes are as driven as she, and now the fell things from the sky begin snatching at the men and bodies as she is mobbed once more. She slays more and barely dives aside as a massive talon nearly impales her.

Free at last from the wild throng, she flees as fast as she can. No longer dogged by Tolech’s minions, she has only to lead her terrified and famished people from the crazed flying beasts. At last, the Valgardians are no longer pursued by man and flying beast. However, their ordeal leaves a tremendous and devastating toll. Many of King Kalvar’s finest have died this day.

• Asara ends with 6 LB remaining and 3 HP

To Be Continued

Asara is heralded a hero of unparalleled bravery after her actions. Once the remaining folk return to Vintergart, Asara is heaped with such jewels and baubles as they have to offer — what little remains that was not hauled off in the raid. A fractured people now bears a great sorrow, and Kalvar, now safe in his court, plots vengeance against Tolech and asks Asara to help lead the men. He is, after all, an aging king less vital than the days of his youth. She is intrigued, for she would welcome the chance to avenge herself against Tolech and Marro.

Still interested in the riddle of her blade, she finds a moment to reminisce with Draghan, paying him kindnesses and what gold she has so that he can recount the story of her father’s blade. Draghan only replies that she should seek out her father’s lover who is said to have journeyed south beyond the mountain passes into the steaming vastness of Lemuria. Khala is her name, and she alone knows the sadnesses that were bound to the blade. Where she may be now is anyone’s guess.

Asara has a tough choice ahead of her…would she take up Kalvar’s cause in the name of vengeance? Or seek to discover the secrets of her ancestry? What other plots do Tolech and Marro prepare to unleash upon Kalvar’s remaining men?

• Asara receives 3 Advancement Points
• She raises her Appeal to 1, and her Thief career to 2, thus spending her points

North of Lemuria, Episode 1 (Untold/BoL)

I haven’t posted for such a long time! I still dabble with solo gaming, but more casually without preparing for public posts. However! ...It is that time of year again. Yes, Solo Gaming Appreciation Month is here! A number of categories exist (in addition to “just play something, dammit!”), including New and Shiny.

Well, it’s not exactly new with its release last December/January, but I still hold Untold: Adventures Await in one of my top “New and Shiny” acquisitions. I really enjoying playing it, either in its native state, as well as coupled with another rpg to handle task resolution. It also has a strong board game quality to it, so it covers that spectrum of SGAM this year — to incorporate board game features into a solo rpg session. Two in one!

For this one, I’m utilizing Rory’s Story Cubes (original set) and joining with one of my favorite lite systems out there, namely Barbarians of Lemuria. Going with character generation first, rather than the standard (set the scene and then introduce characters), here’s some info on our heroine. Inspired by some Larry Elmore old-school art, I found a piece for a fantasy Xena and Gabrielle analogue.

ASARA the BLUE

Attributes. Strength 2, Agility 1, Mind 1, Appeal 0

Abilities. Melee 2, Ranged 1, Defense 1, Initiative 0

Careers. Barbarian 2, Blacksmith 0, Healer 1, Thief 1

Origin. Valgard

Languages. Axian, Lemurian, Valgardish

Hero Points. 4

Lifeblood. 12

Traits. Battle Harness, Can’t Lie, Feels the Heat, Quick Recovery, Trademark Weapon (Valgardian Long Sword), Tundra-Born

Trappings.

• Chain Mail Bikini (2)
• Sword (d6)
• daggers, 2 (d6L)

Backstory.

Asara was daughter of the mighty Thagric, chief of the White Bear clan, and lived and warred among them for many years. (Barbarian 2)

Thagric had no sons and taught Asara the basics of forge and tongs, telling her, “Through steel, you shall pass on the lore and traditions of the White Bear clan should our people die out.” (Blacksmith 0)

When war tore apart the clans of the Volgar vale when the Dark Warlord Tolech swept down from the north, Asara aided the healers, doing her part to save the dying. (Healer 1)

When the survivors enlisted with King Kalvar’s army when Valgard united to push back Tolech and his bloodless minions, a vengeful and wayward Asara held nothing in Valgard in reverence and became a cutpurse and burglar. (Thief 1)

Since that time, she has picked up a sidekick, a prisoner she freed from a despot in Nelheim who was from the south named Manda.

Minstrel 1, Thief 1

Mind 1, Appeal 1

Ranged 1, Defense 1

LB 5

Dagger (d6L)

And, without further ado…

Episode 1: CURSE of the BLADE

A Dangerous Dilemma

The episode begins near a ford along the Frozen Tyr where a group of bloodless are attacking some of the King’s elite champions. The champions are being overwhelmed and are screaming out desperately for help. Asara has no intention of helping, but she is taken by surprise by a handful of the bloodless when she is spotted.

Asara fights valiantly through the throng like a fiend, taking some minor scratches. The champions hail her and she rushes to their aid before more bloodless reach them, for only through unity is there hope to win. She faces three more of the things. Asara destroys them and rallies the men to repel the rest. Some survive, but despite the heroine’s efforts, many perish. She leads the scant remainder to safety.

• LB remaining 12 after healing (took 1)
• HP remaining 3

The Plot Thickens

When they reach refuge, Asara and Manda find a mysterious man among their midst who tends to other wounded and sick allies. The man is dressed in strange robes and tends to a sick champion offering a blessing to the returning warriors. Asara recognizes the man…

…The man is a charlatan who begged for favors among her father’s people and who deceived them all. His name is Marro Mhune, and he was banished by the White Bear clan, but not before terrifying Asara as a girl. They believed the man was some sorcerous druid. Whether Marro recognizes Asara is not immediately known.

However, Asara’s contempt cannot be concealed and she lunges at the man. Asara is restrained, and the group takes a vote as to her fate. Marro claims only to be a healer and to want their friendship. Asara and Manda are sent away.

An Heroic Undertaking

The episode continues near the ominous Witch’s Teeth where a horde of bloodless pursues Asara and Manda. The barbarian woman had intended to circle around the tundra to follow Marro and his men, but instead gets inexplicably turned around, and now the two are hunted.

Manda is scared, but Asara keeps her cool, finding a narrow choke point through which only two can assail her. Asara prepares fire to keep them at bay, but she is taken by surprise and Manda is hauled off by fiends. Heedless of danger, Asara leaps after, loosing her advantage.

She slays the foul undead, whittling them down one by one while tailing them and taking a few scratches in the process, but eventually frees Manda. Some sorcery had been the cause of driving them off track toward an elaborate trap. Whatever the power, Asara gets lost in the Teeth, with a peculiar disembodied cackling following them everywhere.

• Due to TWO calamitous failures, Asara now has 5 Hero Points
• Asara still has 12 LB

The Truth Revealed

It is discovered that an Old Crone who resides in the witch’s teeth was after Asara’s ancestral blade all along. It seems there is much more behind the old sword forged by her father than the barbarian girl knew.

The Final Showdown

The final showdown takes place in the necropolis of the witch’s teeth. The undead continue to dog Asara’s steps because they are ordered to do so by their master — the old crone. At the same time, the old crone herself, a ragged and ugly hag behind a mask, accuses the barbarian girl of bearing a curse that affects the north.

As the bloodless descend upon her, the barbarian rips through their ranks with renewed vengeance, successfully obliterating the eight that stand around her. Six more of the fiends threaten Manda, but Asara leaps into action, destroying all of the dusty cadavers.

Asara denies being the source of any curse that might affect the old crone. In response, the witch cackles, mocking her. Asara takes Manda by the arm and attempts to leave, but they are rooted in place.

Instead, her barbarian rage wells up within, and she leaps with sudden ferocity at the old witch. The witch blasts her with sorcery, but the minor spell does little to stop the raging barbarian warrior. The witch draws a wicked blade, and the two spar. However the old woman is no match for the young taut barbarian warrior. Asara defeats her.

• Asara takes 5 damage, but heals 4, ending with 11 LB
• She has 2 HP remaining
• Asara is in the middle of her saga, so does not earn any Advancement Points

To Be Continued

The witch is dead. Yet there is some concern surrounding Asara’s ancestral blade. What could possibly be attached to the blade? What is its significance? Furthermore, what is the significance of the druid charlatan’s appearance? He has infiltrated the kings ranks! What did he get from the old crone? Knowledge? Wealth? Or something more devious still?

Asara must discover what importance lays within the tempered steel of her sword, and she must hunt down her old nemesis, Marro Mhune, before he can cause any more mischief to Valgard.