The 9Qs: Questions 4-6
Q4.
infiltration
The two roused themselves after an hour or so, and found their way to the populated tunnels again. Most of the pirates were now sleeping, collapsing where they sat with a jug of something still clutched in their hands. Thedric filched a few boiled eggs, some papayas, and a jug of fortified wine. The two refreshed themselves after a quick meal, then continued on their expedition.
Presently, their path took them far wide of the main port area, but still close to the dungeons. Hogar’s Harbor was a wide harborage protected by sheer cliffs and jagged reefs, but there were other inlets beyond the east-facing main harbor. Soon, they came upon one of these where there was room for only two or three ships. They looked down from their high vantage atop a ruined tower.
One of the three ships below was a carrack rigged with an extra mast. It was a high-castled slender ship, and the closest the two could see to meet their needs. It also bypassed the main harbor, making the two ships beside it the only contenders for short-distance pursuit. A plan began to form in Tengrym’s mind.
“We could fight through to this harbor,” he said to Thedric. “It’s not heavily manned. If we could sink those two junks, we could have a fighting chance of getting away.”
Thedric nodded in agreement. “Do you think that ship will bear a heavy load?” the young rogue asked.
Tengrym frowned, beginning to understand his brother’s mind. “I’m sure it will — but we aren’t here for loot.”
“I’m just saying…”
scary shadow, raven, bounding down stairs
Suddenly, a flock of noisy crows circled overhead cawing noisily. Thedric turned and screamed in alarm, spooked by something. He tripped backwards and fell over the low wall. Below was nearly a thousand feet of free fall onto the rocks and churning waters of the narrow and dangerous inlet.
“Thedric!” cried the half-elf.
Tengrym leapt forward to grasp his brother’s hand. Due in part to the half-elf’s quick actions and Thedric’s dexterity, the two clasped hands. Gripping the stones with sweat, Tengrym suspended his brother above the deadly drop and began to pull him up.
The crows noisily cawed as Thedric was hoisted. From far below, the pirates of the small anchorage looked up in curiosity.
Once safe, Tengrym gasped, “What happened?!”
“I…I thought a saw a figure standing behind you.”
“There’s no one here now,” answered Tengrym. “Let’s get out of here. More pirates will probably investigate up here…”
The two made a stealthy and circuitous route down into the tunnels again, avoiding any patrols, and finding their way quickly toward the dungeon areas. It was mostly quiet as many pirates were sleeping.
Q5.
revelation, betrayal, open book, butterfly in net, angry accusation
Tengrym and Thedric quieted their footfalls as they approached the cells of their comrades. It was time to enact Tengrym’s plan of action and free the crew while the pirates were less active. If he had to deal violently with the few guards, it was something he was prepared to do.
They two stopped around the corner from the dungeon. Tengrym peered in, and to his astonishment, saw Captain Cauhlath sitting outside his cell at the table alone while the crew still huddled together in irons behind bars. There were no other pirates or guards.
The two stepped out of concealment and entered. “Captain? What is going on?” the half-elf asked.
The captain turned to face them with strange milky-white eyes, and two red sores about his temples.
With a word, an illusory wall dissipated, revealing a number of waiting men. Mesh was thrown an the two were netted in stout and heavy cord. A larger man with a thick beard, a wide-brimmed hat, and numerous golden trinkets about his fingers and neck strode forward. He had an evil twinkle about his eye.
“Hiding about the halls of pirates and plotting against the pirate king will get you hanged or worse,” said the man. “It’s written so in pirate law! However, the masked ones are most curious about you. You may be of value to them as hosts or barter.”
“Captain?” shouted Tengrym.
The man only stared back blankly.
“Quit you’re yappin',” said the pirate. “You’ve got a trial with the masked ones. Answer their questions satisfactorily, and ye might live a bit longer, or at least die less painfully!”
A score of spear and cutlass wielding pirates closed in about the two trapped heroes. Tengrym felt a helpless rage. He had to get free!
With a primal growl, the half-elf ripped his sword free from his scabbard and slashed through the thick and heavy cords of his net just as the throng got within arm’s length.
A fierce melee erupted, confusion and chaos manifesting in ringing steel, screams, and spilt blood. Possessed by a unquenchable thirst for vengeance, Tengrym tore through the numbers, severing limbs and disarming pirates one by one. Most were running in terror, until the bearded leader organized another front to face the enraged half-elf.
The fight continued until none dared face the white-haired warrior-witch with the bloody blade. The bearded pirate growled and drew his own cutlass to meet his opponent.
The two met and clashed, trading killing blow for killing blow, checking each on one another’s blade on his own. Tengrym began wearing down on his opponent, who gave up ground, but it was then that many remaining pirates toppled Thedric who still struggled to ward off those facing him with a single knife through his net. Down he went and was disarmed and hoisted as a thrashing mass.
“No!” cried Tengrym who intensified his onslaught.
Steel continued to skirl. However, the pirate leader refused to give up ground, grinning hideously with effort. His own pride swelled. He was a skilled swordsman, lacking the half-elf’s grace in favor of brute force and dirty tricks. However, one of the escaping pirates bearing the cell door keys was grabbed by one of Cauhlath’s men. Men screamed and hands groped for the iron ring of keys as the man was choked.
More blows were exchanged and Tengrym missed a step. A cruel hack of the cutlass found its opening, and Tengrym was knocked prone by a powerful blow that have sliced him in two but for his elvish corselet. The pirate didn’t stay longer and instead, rushed out of the room with his men and the flailing Thedric.
The pirate with whom Cauhlath’s men were grappling broke free and followed after the leader. By the time Tengrym recovered, they were gone.
Tengrym took Captain Cauhlath in his arms and shook him. It was no use. He was under some sorcery or possessed.
Q6.
combat, pursuit, light bulb, ray gun, igniting fuel
Tengrym recovered his wind momentarily. The other crewmen from the Sea Spray cried out in cacophony to be released. The half-elf considered it, but realized, despite their plight, there would be no chance of seeing his plan through, as little hope as he now saw in that. Besides, the fate of the men lay in whatever hideous rituals awaited them in the evening, which bought them time rather than running wild among the bloodthirsty pirates for the immediate present and falling one by one.
Tengrym assured himself of his initial course. Despite Cauhlath’s condition, he wouldn’t abandon him or his men — but he also wouldn’t leave without his brother. He couldn’t leave poor Thedric to the likes of the foul illithid.
Leaving the screaming men behind, Tengrym ran into the passages after the pirates. In the meantime, their leader directed Thedric’s bearers forward. The man summoned more men around him. He stood on a stone and addressed them. He was, after all, the infamous Captain Baldogorf, self-proclaimed King of the Pirate Isles, a title he had kept for many years despite numerous coups and plots to overthrow him by many a capable man.
“Find that white-haired half-elf swashbuckler,” he screamed, “and put a blade through his heart and feed his corpse to the sharks! And take that squirming pile of fish food to the masked ones. Now go!”
The pirates, lusting blood in the wake of their hangovers, snatched up their weapons and took torches and ran en masse screaming after any would-be heroes. They cursed and screamed to their patrons and gods, calling on Talos and Umberlee.
Tengrym hastened along the track down which Thedric disappeared. He stopped suddenly when he heard the distant din of voices. Ahead, flickering torchlight illuminated along a bend in the passage. Then, a mob of angry pirates appeared, shouting taunts and curses.
“There he is!” one shouted, and the throng pressed forward.
Tengrym’s eyes widened as he grasped the new situation. He abruptly turned and fled down an adjacent connecting tunnel. Crossbow bolts ricocheted and clacked on the walls about him as he ran, covering his head with his arms.
Steadily, Tengrym pulled away from the angry procession, but found himself at the end of the passage, in what appeared to be a watchtower. There were no other connecting ways, and three gaping windows looked over a rocky drop to churning blue waters far below. Behind came the sound of yells. He was trapped!
Heart pounding, the half-elf controlled his thoughts and recalled a spell. He spoke a few words and produced some dried fish scales from his pouch. He sheathed his sword. As the pirates poured into the watchtower base, Tengrym perched himself in one of the windows and leapt to the waters so far, far below.
The pirates came to a halt in silence and disbelief. Then, they ran to the windows, crowding themselves together to see the fate of the suicidal madman. They watched the long, seemingly slow dive until, with a splash, the figure was swallowed by the waters of the rocky inlet to disappear. They watched for long moments for any sign of a body. It was impossibly long. Anyone holding their breath so long would have suffocated.
At long last, one of the pirates announced, almost with disappointment, “He’s dead!”
The congregation finally dispersed, and the waters continued to churn.
Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of “The Freeing of Cauhlath”…
The 9Qs: Questions 1-3
Q1.
new goals, aggressive action against the heroes, masks, amoeba, cough
17 Mirtul, Year of the Shadows
Thedric and Tengrym wandered the torchlit halls of the strange mountain ruin in their pirates’ garb. They passed numerous groups wandering this way or that, most of whom were rum-soaked misfits. The disguises held up, and the two were taken for regular pirates.
They wandered further along the confused labyrinth until they came to more heavily trafficked areas and living spaces. The number of pirates inhabiting the places, they discovered, could have truly filled a small city; and so Hogar’s Harbor seemed to be.
Upon one of these ways entering onto a larger street of shops, festhalls, and brothels, the two fell in behind two pirates, a brutish fellow clearly with orc blood, and a fiery-haired wastrel.
“It’s no good,” said the smaller lad with a pubescent crack of the voice. “There’s no medicine in the cargo hold of that ship out of Ravensbluff!”
His half-orc companion grunted.
“The masked ones continue to ail and rot, Darchon,” the young one chirped, answered by another grunt.
“I know what you’re thinking, Darchon, but who knows? The crew of that ship would make fine slaves and fetch a pretty coin, but for the masked ones’ tempers. They are to be sacrificed tomorrow nightduring the full moon. Until they get their prize, they still chant to the dark ones and repeat their old rituals… When will we get our share, eh, Darchon?”
Tengrym pulled Thedric aside into an alley. Nearby, a noisy brawl broke out with a shatter of glass, roars of anger, and taunting laughter.
“This is no good, Thedric!” the half-elf whispered. “We have to find a way to free Cauhlath’s men!”
Thedric reflected a look of shock on his handsomely roguish face. “You were serious with the captain?! We are free, and you should thank Tymora for that! We should think about stowing ourselves aboard one of these ships… Save yourself!”
Tengrym shook his younger half-brother firmly. “Think about what you’re saying! I gave the man my word, and I cannot give it back nor condemn twelve more men to die. We must save them and soon — I have a bad feeling about these ‘masked ones.’”
Thedric’s face wrinkled up. “Well, alright,” he said reluctantly at last. “At least let us walk away with some booty. I’m sure this pirate haven must be full of gold.”
“Stay focused, brother! Do not jeopardize our efforts. Let us map the least traveled way from the dungeons to the docks. I have low hopes for escaping a fleet of pirates. We also have to mark the lightest, swiftest vessel in the harbor.”
The two kept their stolen hats low above their features and worked their way surreptitiously through the throng of revelries and duels. They avoided all attention, but for a colorful parrot that perched on a broken wall top, intrigued by a familiar hat that bobbed through the crowd.
Q2.
intrigue, octopus, commercial building, reading
The heroes continued their trek through the pirate hideout. They had lost all sense of direction, trying to make their way down to water level where they expected to find the harbor.
At one point, they wandered into an area with few pirates. “This is the wrong way, Tengrym,” Thedric muttered, examining one darkened corridor.
Suddenly, Tengrym stopped and listened. His half-brother did the same, and the two heard some sort of unison song or chant. The half-elf was inexorably drawn to the sound, finding a passage from which the sound seemed the strongest.
“Tengrym!” whispered Thedric. “What are you doing?!”
The half-elf did not answer, but continued down the passage. At the end, a strange light seemed to pulsate, first green, then lavender, then red. Closely, his brother came after, drawing his two knives. The passage stopped abruptly at what looked like a balcony overlooking a strange subterranean courtyard or amphitheater of some sort — round with stairs raised around its edges. At the center of the chamber a dais of five steps was raised upon which was some altar.
Five tall and gaunt figures in strange dark robes and large masks chanted in a strange tongue. At the center within their circle lay another similarly garbed figure was still and positioned along the altar. The light seemed to be sorcery of some sort, coming from nowhere specifically. The two peered down at the scene in horrific fascination, watching as the ritual unfolded. Thedric touched his brother’s shoulder to urge him away from the scene, having been too much a part of such diabolical rites since he was abducted from Hillsfar so many tendays gone. However, Tengrym wouldn’t be moved.
The chanting continued, but one of the figures stepped forward and removed the prone figure’s mask. The shock and horror the two felt caused a gasp to escape their lips. The figure’s face was all but human, appearing like some twisted sea-inhabiting nightmare. Four slimy tentacles writhed from a bulbous face looking like an octopus or squid. Two luminous milky white eyes stared vacantly up. A whiskered maw opened and closed beneath the tentacles like a fish’s. Still fascinated, Tengrym looked closer. The slimy flesh of the thing glistened, looking a sickly color, and was splotched by gray-white masses. The thing appeared to be sick or incapacitated.
Suddenly, a group of three men appeared below, entering the amphitheater. Two escorted a third, who wrestled against their brawn, screaming in horror. “Stealing from the pirate king will not go unpunished, Lod,” said one man with a grunt of effort.
The circle of chanting horrors parted, and one of the creatures lifted its mask, letting its facial tentacles writhe. Suddenly, the protesting man went stiff, and eyes went blank. The creature quickly replaced its mask and ushered the spellbound pirate into the circle. He was directed to lay directly on top of the sickly creature, whose tentacles found the head of the dazed victim. The tentacles bore into the man’s skull until the top of his head gave way, and with a sickening sound, the man’s brain was ingested, with very little blood. The lifeless body rolled to the ground, pooling blood on the stones.
Thedric pulled himself away, sweaty and panting. Tengrym, too, turned away from the horror and retreated some steps.
“What…what was that?!” stammered Thedric.
“The illithid,” answered Tengrym uneasily. “They are sometimes known as mind flayers — terrible monsters of the underdark. They probably have the pirate isles under their control, and seem to be seeking some medication or sorcery to help one of their kind.”
“I don’t care!” said Thedric. “Let’s get out of this place!”
Tengrym nodded. “Let’s keep seeking the docks…”
Q3.
combat, betrayal, shooting star, low fuel, hide and seek
18 Mirtul, Year of the Shadows
The two withdrew and wandered more tunnels leading away from the illithids’ chamber. Their chosen path took them into more populated areas again, and an exit onto a rampart overlooking the bay. Lights twinkled from the many anchored and moored ships under a blanket of stars with a few low clouds.
“It’s late,” remarked Tengrym. “We must make a plan to escape during the day. Come!”
The two found a stair that descended to the quays. They passed several bleary-eyed pirates and made it to the piers. They looked around cautiously. Many ships were inhabited by crewmen — many more so than the two would have liked.
They took in the vast navy of ships, seeking a small swift vessel that might serve as their escape craft. They found none, and spent too much time wandering. The eastern horizon began to grow more luminous with the approaching morning, and the two were both weary.
The two were about to turn a corner, when they heard voices approaching. “At least one, perhaps two escaped from yesterday’s capture aboard the Sea Spray,” said one in a crude voice.
Quickly, Tengrym and Thedric flattened themselves against crates of stacked cargo.
“Ned and his two foolish friends ought not to have been napping!” snapped another.
“They can’t have gotten far!” said a third.
The heroes remained quiet, waiting for the group to pass their location, when a loud squawk pierced the silence. Tengrym started and looked up. There bobbing gleefully was a colorful bird.
“Squawk! Ned’s got a felt hat! Ned’s got a felt hat!” it repeated.
Tengrym was mortified, realizing he was wearing the hat to which the parrot was referring. He tried to shoo the bird away, but that only encouraged it further as it noisily gave away the heroes’ position.
Four mean pirates turned the corner to see what the hubbub was about, torches in one hand, and cutlasses in the other. The shortest, a fat man with one good eye, looked up at the hat one Tengrym’s head. That’s when the scene erupted into chaos.
With word and a wave, Tengrym let a brilliant spray of color to fan from his fingertips. Meant to knock them senseless, the four pirates fanned out failing to work on all but the short and far one. Thedric had his knives out as one advanced with a toothless grin. One knife flew out end over end, dropping the man.
In the meanwhile, the two remaining leapt toward the half-elf. “He’s got magic!” one warned needlessly. Tengrym whisked his sword out with a flourish. The blade gleamed vengefully along its naked length.
There was a blindingly fast exchange and the skirl of steel. Two pirates fell to the half-elf’s steel in but moments.
In the meantime, the parrot continued to squawk, “Ned’s got a felt hat! Ned’s got a felt hat!”
In the distance, more pirates gathered and drew arms. Intrigued by the disturbance, they approached. Thedric had retrieved his knife, and then the two sped away with an angry mob of cutthroats in tow. Tengrym tossed away his black felt hat and followed after his brother, gleaming sword in hand.
The two leapt and ran through confused streets, through taverns, and through barracks, and finally lost their pursuit. However, Tengrym dropped when they were in a quiet dark tunnel from exhaustion, slumping against a wall where he stood. Thedric was also tired, but was more hale than his half-brother.
“We will stop for a while,” Thedric said. “I’ll keep watch while you rest.”
“Not long,” Tengrym managed to say between gasps. He didn’t stay awake long.
The two had a short respite while the pirates sought the escapees. Time was running out, and in short time, the sun peered into the cracked walls of Hogar’s Harbor.
Stay tuned for the next chapter…
Chapter 2: “The Freeing of Cauhlath”, the next in my Drowsbane solo campaign
Heroic Motivation: Tengrym after freeing his half-brother escapes aboard the Sea Spray bound for Turmish, only to be boarded by pirates and captured, taken back to their lair in the Pirate Isles. He and Thedric must escape and rescue Captain Cauhlath’s men and ship.
For this one, I have added Actions and Voyages Cubes to the mix.
Some NPCs that find their way in this adventure. This uses the Freeform Universal (FU) rpg rules:
Baldogorf, Pirate King
Descriptors: Expert Character, Pirate, Dangerous with a Blade, Cutlass
Captain Cauhlath
Descriptors: Expert Character, Experienced Sea Captain, Lore-wise, Skilled in Magic, Independent
Conditions: Larva Controlled
Pirate
Descriptors: Basic Character, Decent Seaman, Cutlass or Belaying Pin
Thedric Drowsbane, aka Feldor
Descriptors: Basic Character, Street Thief, Good With a Knife, Agile, Naive, many knives, cutlass
BESTIARY
Illithid
Descriptors: Expert Monster, Genius Intellect, Brain Eater, Psionic (Mind Blast, Mind Shield, Telepath), Sorcery, Poor Hearing
PRELUDE
After their last adventure, Tengrym escorted his newly found half-brother, Thedric, on a long journey aboard the Sea Spray bound for Turmish. Perhaps it was fate that deviated the ship’s course, altering the heroes’ reality. Pirates from the isles amid the See of Fallen Stars had attacked and boarded her, imprisoning her crew and captain, as well as the two heroes that were originally bound for the journey much further south.
The combined crew from both the Wicked Dragon and the Foul Hag had attacked suddenly, stealing up behind thick morning mist and taking the Sea Spray by surprise. Captain Cauhlath put on as much sheet as possible to try and outrun the pursuit, but the enemy was light and fast, and the captain of the Sea Spray surrendered to save his crew, ship, and valuable cargo of grain, fur, and iron from the Vast and Moonsea.
The crew was shackled and the Sea Spray taken as a prize and sailed into Hogar’s Harbor, a shanty town built on the rocky and mountainous shores of Braghor’s Isle, a small but impenetrable volcanic island amid the vast chain of islets and guarded by sharp reefs and monstrous sharks. Built into the rocks upon the ruins of a mysterious and still largely unexplored fastness, the crew was escorted into the bowels of the mountains, their weapons and gear taken for loot. Blindfolded, they were pushed and prodded by the crude drunken pirates into the fortress to a dungeon where they were locked behind bars and guarded by a loutish trio of toothless mariners.
Although his white locks and apparent elvish heritage marked him as unique in the group, Tengrym was careful not to draw attention to himself as a capable swordsman or a clever practitioner of magic. The half-elf waited until the pirates were at their most inebriated state and then cast a slumber spell on them. Thedric quickly unlocked the door to the crews’ cell and they quietly exited and retrieved their gear on the tables where they had yet to be sorted and divvied. Tengrym retrieved his ancient longsword and admired it in the torchlight.
He turned to Captain Cauhlath, the experienced southern mariner with three joined circles on his forehead, marking him as a man of learning, wealth, and magic. “I shall have need of this, Captain,” said Tengrym in his characteristic monotone. “If we shall return to the sea and to Alaghôn, I shall return it to you as agreed as compensation for our delivery there.”
The captain eyed him keenly. Thedric in the meantime stuffed two knives in his belt. “We will fight our way free!” said the mariner.
“Wait!” said Tengrym, stopping the man with a wave. “Your disappearance from here will not go unnoticed for long! An escape will take careful planning and thought more than a sharp blade and a willful determination.”
“Stay here,” the half-elf continued. “One must scout this citadel and learn its secrets and numbers. If the pirates here live up to their reputation, we haven’t the numbers to face them, else we should have risked such chances at sea. I will go with my brother and find a way to free you all and escape, perhaps still with your ship and any cargo we can recover. You have my word, Captain Cauhlath, that I will find a way for us all to leave here…”
The captain was a difficult man with which to bargain, but in the end he relented. Tengrym had the feeling that he was the type of capable man that might find a way to free himself at need whenever he wished. So, Tengrym donned his corselet of elvish mail and he and Thedric cloaked themselves in as much of a pirates’ guise as they could find. The crew remained within their confines for the time being, and the two padded away before the three guards could wake.
My particular play patterns are quite chaotic. Whenever I can grab a moment or two, I try to make some use of it. I try to do a little every day. Sadly, I can’t commit to any realistic minimum — sometimes I scribble down a scene, and other times just a portion of one during moments in between appointments. I can’t remember the last time I played face to face with anyone, but it’s just not an option for me. Needless to say, I place all my creative energy on playing solitaire and how to improve my solo experience.
Today, I was finishing a scene that had a largely social aspect to it. While I was doing it, I had an exciting (for me) epiphany!
Allow me to digress.
In my current solo Drowsbane campaign, things are heating up in a fun way. Before, using the 9Q’s system, I always did have somewhat of an idea where things were headed. In the current adventure I’m running, “Mystery of the Burned Man”, it’s turning out to be largely about riddle-solving and plot building, only I really have no idea where it’s going and what it’s about. In other adventures, like “The Rescue of Cauhlath” (which I’ll post next), it’s a pretty straightforward premise: the characters are caught by pirates. They must escape. This is an extension of having a clear heroic motivation to follow. The motivation of the current adventure is less defined and tangible, leaving more gray areas for development, where even five scenes into it, anything could happen. This is exciting new territory.
One question I see arising frequently in discussion is “What do you do in a solo game? Like, how do you do actual roleplay?” This common question admittedly represents a significant stumbling block and weakness of solitaire rpg’s. What does one do? I find that some form of journaling is important and necessary, personally. I need to set it down, or it’s as if it never happened. If it’s written down, it’s documented. It really happened. If not, I was just thinking about it, but didn’t really participate in the exercise.
But what about the roleplaying element? What about issues of social interaction between PCs and NPCs? That’s another one. Can one really create a social interaction in a solo environment? Of course, knowing what a dialogue might be about, it’s easy to summarize how it might go. That’s storytelling. Using non-critical dialogue or banter to portray details, themes, or to set the scene has its place too. Having some social mechanism in the system to determine with some uncertainty which way a conflict may go helps make it more of a gaming experience. One still has to know where everyone stands in order to make a conflict out of it. But is there something more?
Today, I had a basic scene setup in mind and knew who the NPCs involved were, but I knew nothing about their true motives or their interconnections. As I wrote down the protagonist’s questions, I decided to give the NPCs 9Qs (now an included modular attachment to the 2013 version of the Nine Questions system) a try to fill in unknowns. I skipped around and adapted the questions to try and answer such things as the NPCs’ knowledge and attitudes of each other, determine particular alliances, past events that may have influenced these alliances and attitudes, and vague notions of their motivations. Whether those motivations are the real ones or not can only be determined by further development, which still keeps me guessing as a player.
Using a random idea generator (Rory’s Story Cubes are my personal favorite), I answered the protagonist’s questions one by one. I literally had no idea what the NPCs would reveal next, and each throw of the die revealed a new truth. My epiphany was the approach by which I answered these questions one at a time, using context as my only internal influence, that yielded consistent yet unpredictable and exciting results. It was a fun moment, and gave me great hope that the “social element” between characters can be handled well. This may not be mind-blowing to anyone else, but it was an “aha” moment for me.
What have you discovered that can provide fuel or direction for social interactions in you solo rpg’s?
…and now for the exciting conclusion of “The Rescue of Thedric”, continued from here.
The 9Q’s: Questions 7-9
Q7.
an act of heroic infiltration
Scene: A busy port, a tangle of cargo, a high amount of watchful guards
The two furtively made their way down to the docks where just the night before they had made their hurried escape from the warehouses. Even in the morning, dock hands were busy loading provisions and cargo to the quays where they were to be hoisted into the cargo holds of their respective transports. Netted and crated cargo was piled everywhere, making the docks a veritable mess. Tengrym also spied a large number of guards patrolling the ways in groups of four—no doubt from last night’s disturbance.
From their vantage, they spied a good number of dock hands handling a large load into a sizable caravel—likely one due soon to depart. Tengrym pointed. “We need to get on board. This may be messy…”
Like rogues, the two stole closer to the departing ship, the Sea Spray—a coster out of the far South. It’s dusky-skinned crew was at work lashing cargo into place. Some had one or more blue circles tattooed to their foreheads in the manner of the men there.
Tengrym waited until two dock hands approached and spoke a few words of magic. The two fell where their stood in deep slumber, and were close enough that Tengrym and Thedric could catch them before they fell with a noise. Quickly, they stripped to two hands of their workers' clothes and corded their hands, dragging them to a hidden shadowed corner. They dressed as the laborers. Tengrym’s elvish mail was light enough that the corselet was invisible under the loose tunic. His sword and scabbard he stuffed into a few packs of sailcloth, took a load and walked toward the gangplank of the Sea Spray. Thedric did the same.
They boarded without problem and went below decks to the hold. They dropped their load and quickly found a dark closet to hide within.
pointing man
Just then, Zuzala appeared on the dock throughway. A host of guards escorted her. The strange light was about her eyes again, through which her goddess granted her true sight. She pointed to the Sea Spray.
“There!” she said. “Search that ship and you shall find last night’s perpetrators.”
Quickly, the guards fanned out and approached the ship. They hailed the captain, a white-haired sturdily-built experienced seaman with three circles about his forehead.
“You, sir,” called the captain of the guard. “Are you the captain of this ship?”
“I am,” the man said. “Captain Cauhlath is the name.”
“This ship is not to leave port without a search.”
The captain scowled, but relented. He could not deny their authority.
It was then that Tengrym realized something was wrong. Many booted feet creaked on the planks above their head. “Company,” Tengrym said grimly. He threw off his disguise and strapped his sword back to place. Thedric made his way to the galley and found two long filleting knives.
Q8.
phone, Zuzala nears the completion of her goals
On this occasion, Zuzala has also enlisted the help of the drow to waylay the city guards in case they are successful in subduing Tengrym and Thedric
Scene: tight quarters aboard the ship, teeming with guards and crewmen, lots of line and beams
Booted steps on wooden planks approached. Tengrym understood that a search was underway. In a hushed whisper he said, “Be ready! We can’t be caught below decks pinched with no way out.”
Together, they sought a way out through a porthole or small hatch. There were none but the main hatch and the cargo hatch. Just then, the gangway hatch opened and soldiers poured down one at a time.
“Hang on!”
Just then, Tengrym grabbed onto Thedric and spoke a word of magic. Suddenly, Tengrym sprang up as if he were a giant grasshopper, his half-brother grasped about his midsection. They burst through the cargo hatch cover, splintering it into pieces, and arced over the astonished heads of the crew and searching city watchmen alike to alight gracefully on the quay.
They were not free yet. Guards scrambled from the ship and there were still those forming a line across the entry to the pier. These drew weapons and set themselves for the approaching two. Tengrym now had his sword in hand and Thedric wielded his two knives. However, they were trapped on a narrow quay between two fronts of soldiers. Their chances for escape looked bleak. And watching all this from relative safety, Zuzala smiled, seeing success come within her grasp—as long as she could trust her dark elf contacts.
The situation was dire. “Stay close!” Tengrym warned.
The half-elf charged the quay toward the docks against the wall of waiting men. He uttered two more words of magic and from outstretched fingers, blue-white electricity crackled in build up for a powerful release. Suddenly, a hatchet was tossed from the deck of the Sea Spray by the captain of the ship. Tengrym’s shirt of mail stopped the axe from cleaving him. His spell was interrupted, fizzling in a mild display of light.
Suddenly, dark figures appeared out of nowhere along the docks. Guards, deckhands, and crewmen all cried out in warning. Dark elves cloaked in black appeared, wielding dark blades and handheld crossbows, surrounding Ravensbluff watchmen and crew alike.
Chaos erupted, and most men turned their efforts from Tengrym and Thedric to the drow that engaged them in battle. Captain Cauhlath called out to his crew to release the moorings of his ship. He planned to depart amid the chaos. Watchmen began pouring down the gangplank or toppling over the ship’s rails into the water in an effort to flee or confront the new supernatural enemy. Cries of battle went up along with the ring of steel. The drow quickly began cutting a swath of destruction toward their goal—Tengrym and Thedric. Even now, the Sea Spray caught some wind in its jib and began to pull away.
Still dazed from the hatchet, Tengrym called to Thedric. “Make a grab for any of those lines! We have to get away aboard that ship!”
Still with sword in hand, Tengrym dove off the pier and made a grab. Despite such daunting chances, he grasped a dangling line one-handed. Thedric, too, managed the grab and still had his two daggers clenched in his teeth. Around them, bolts from the dark elves' crossbows splashed. The pier fell away as the fighting grew more intense. With effort, the two clambered over the rail of the ship to the deck to face a ring of angry crewmen.
The two plopped to the deck, drenched and panting. Captain Cauhlath came to stand over them, blocking out the sun.
“I can explain,” said Tengrym in gasps.
Q9.
tree, the enemy grows in its efforts to retrieve Thedric, and to discover the identity of Tengrym
The Sea Spray sailed away without further mishap or encounter. Likely, Ravensbluff had enough on the docks to deal with than to send pursuit after the southern caravel.
Aboard the ship, Tengrym had to do some explaining, careful to use the names of Veldis and Feldor. In the end, Captain Cauhlath agreed to take the two as far south as the crew intended to travel, and it was bound for Alaghôn. The captain was a shrewd businessman, and it came to Tengrym offering the man his magical blade, a priceless sword of considerable magic. The half-elf had no regrets…he still owed the southern mariner their lives, and the Deep South would offer some time and separation for him to come up with a plan.
In the meantime, Zuzala of Waterdeep met a slow and painful death. Likely, her goddess would have found it a worthy death, but not before her drow captors pried all knowledge of Thedric’s lineage and past from her tortured skull. The dark elves of Kasdarehk'an were cunning researchers and conspirators, with connections far (and deep), and slowly a plot grew to recover the last of the Drowsbane and destroy his accomplice, whoever that was. New eyes watched for the whereabouts of their new prey.
In far away Alaghôn, a trap would await Thedric and his rescuer. The Sea Spray’s destination was the easiest thing to discover.
The officials of Ravensbluff also inquired of their contacts regarding the destruction of a dockside warehouse and the death of at least one watchman. They would not so easily abandon the search for these perpetrators, Sir Trevor would see to that!
In the meanwhile, the two half-brothers learned much about one another on their long journey south to Turmish. Tengrym lost much of his fey outlook with fresh hope that he saw reflected in the young eyes of his kin. He was not the last Drowsbane. Perhaps Selûne’s prophecy would come true.
After this adventure, I picked up on some of the hooks from the new NPCs, and made a pirate adventure featuring another daring rescue from the infamous islands of the pirates on the Sea of Fallen Stars. Stay tuned…
The 9Q’s: Questions 4-6
Q4.
defiance
Morning broke and the city awoke to its normal bustling frenzy. Merchants set up shop in the open markets, hawkers sang of wares from across the realms, and farmers brought their vegetables in ox-drawn carts. Ravensbluff, even after the break of day, was truly a major player on the Sea of Fallen Stars.
“Where are we going?” asked Thedric as they turned a corner, taking refuge in the shadows of a merchant’s tent when a group of guards came into view.
“We need help,” replied Tengrym. “And you need healing after your ordeal. The priests of Selûne have always been supporters of the Drowsbanes. Perhaps they can help get us through this phase.”
Together, they found the Maiden of Moon, a large domed structure near Raven’s Square bedecked with moonstone mosaics. The doors, naturally, were closed, but Tengrym knocked persistently on the door.
At long last, an aging and wizened man opened the door. Age slowed his movements, wrinkled his skin, and snowed his wispy hair—but the immediate quick-to-anger twinkle of his eye showed he was far from feeble-minded. He wore a rough-spun habit of blue-gray.
“My apologies, high moonmaster,” said Tengrym with a bow. “We are in need of help…”
The two were admitted to the lofty temple. Tengrym introduced himself and their plight, begging for the aid of the healing arts to fully revive Thedric from his life-draining ordeal.
To their relief, the Drowsbane name carried the clout Tengrym had hoped. In moments, High Moonmaster Edenton had Thedric fully revived through a brief rite and the use of unguents.
“My thanks, your illuminance,” said Tengrym.
shooting star
Scene: Sir Trevor has been led to the temple
Suddenly, a younger acolyte came to the door of Edenton’s study. “Master, there are knights surrounding the temple and are demanding entry. One is none other than Sir Trevor, the young knight who has gained favor among the folk through the games.”
Tengrym looked at Thedric. “No doubt Zuzala led them here.”
“Come!” said Edenton. “I know a secret way…”
Quickly, he scrawled something on a page and sealed the rolled up parchment. Next he gave them a key, and opened a secret opening behind a shelf of books. “Follow this passage straight. You will come to a door. Enter with this key—it will take you to Guldan Gildsheld’s manse, a wealthy merchant sympathetic to all Selûnutes. Give him this writ—he will get you out of the city with no questions asked. Now go!”
“Our thanks again,” said Tengrym grimly. “We hope to repay you one day…”
“You shall,” responded Edenton. “When you fulfill the prophecy and retake Sullaspryn. Go with the blessings of the Moon!”
Q5.
an evolution of the threats featuring betrayal, and revelation—arrow
What Happens? They arrive and determine that Guldan Gildsheld is in the employ of the drow themselves!
Scene: in a palatial stronghold teeming with guards
The two traversed the tunnel. At its end, Tengrym felt for the keyhole. He fitted the key and turned, opening a doorway disguised in the stonework.
They were in a sub-level, and presently a surprised guard came out and shouted a challenge.
“I am Tengrym,” the half-elf said. Handing him the scroll tube, he said, “Get master Gildsheld. This is urgent.”
The guard did as he was told and summoned four more to watch the two intruders. It was considerable time before the guard returned. No doubt master Guldan was sound asleep after reveling throughout the night.
They were ordered to follow; and the guards led them above to a great room decorated with tapestries of hunting and trophies. However, Guldan didn’t look the part—he was fat and dozy-eyed. He wore silk and cloth-of-gold finery and a cap of crushed velvet.
“So, a Drowsbane, eh?” the man asked with a sneer.
Tengrym flinched. It was not a name he wished to be repeated too loudly. Had Moonmaster Edenton put that in the missive? If so, he was careless.
Nonetheless, Tengrym bowed. “At your service, your most esteemed excellency. And Moonmaster Edenton said you may offer your assistance.”
“Perhaps. As a businessman, I come across offers all the time. I always weigh them—to determine what will most benefit me—sooner or later. I always choose the most profitable option!”
“I doubt not your business saavy, lord Gildsheld. Are you able to help us then?”
The merchant sat for some time examining the two before answering. “I am afraid not…”
He tossed the rolled missive to Tengrym’s feet. He picked up the parchment and read the words. He was at a loss. In them, Edenton had explained the whole situation and the Drowsbane’s worth to the dark elves. It would be to your advantage to make a deal with the drow before the priestess of Loviatar does, were the last words.
Guldan observed Tengrym’s face with growing amusement. “It helps to have several spies magically bound to my service throughout the city—it’s highly profitable!” he said to the two with a snort.
“You’ll make no deal with the dark elves,” promised Tengrym. “They’ll take what they want and leave you with nothing—perhaps not even you life!”
“We’ll see about that—guards!”
With that, more armed servants entered the room. Before Guldan could give the order to seize the two, Tengrym exploded into action.
With a word, the fireplace behind Guldan’s seat suddenly exploded with sparks and smoke, filling the room with a choking veil. Guldan coughed and cried out to seize the intruders. Tengrym and Thedric had not stood still. Although winded by the effort from concentrating the spell into a single word, Tengrym grabbed his half-brother by the wrist and led him toward the only unblocked doorway.
The two burst through to a pantry area with no servants. Tengrym barred the door behind him and the two sped through narrow ways. “This way!” he said, indicating a stairway leading up a flight, but from which light and fresh air flowed.
They took the stairs and came to an open bailey with a clear exit, but at a warning call, the gatekeeper began lowering the portcullis.
Tengrym paused to cast another spell. Reddish motes of light appeared around the gate, freezing the gates fast, but then the wall-mounted guards began firing from their crossbows.
“Run!” cried Tengrym as bolts clacked on the pavement around him.
The two ran at top speed, escaping through the open gateway, but not without Tengrym getting clipped in the shoulder by a bolt. Down he went just under the magically held portcullis. Thedric turned and helped him up again. They fled down a narrow alley, escaping the palatial keep.
Q6.
a worsening of the threats beyond anything that had been conceived before in an encounter featuring pursuit and combat—parachute
What Happens? The two are caught between a rock and a hard place as Sir Trevor’s men descend upon them while Guldan’s men give chase.
Scene: just outside Guldan’s manse
The two stopped to catch their breath several blocks and twists away. Thedric looked with concern at the arrow in Tengrym’s arm and his haggard appearance.
Tengrym plucked out the arrow. “The spell to hold the gate cost more of me than the bolt,” he said. “It’s a shallow wound and shouldn’t bother me much.”
Before he said more, the whinny of a horse drew their attention. Suddenly, Sir Trevor, the knight Zuzala had employed, appeared before them with a full contingent of footmen coming from several ways at once, pinching them.
“Bane curse them!” Tengrym spat. “Come on!”
With effort, he righted himself and led Thedric the way they had come. Suddenly, Guldan’s men appeared blocking their only means of escape from the narrow, vine festooned alleyway.
Both forces eyed one another with surprise and there was a moment of indecision. Tengrym wasted no time before the moment was lost to action. He uttered an incantation aloud and reached to his pouch for a pinch of silvery dust. In a flash, a wall of ice materialized, penning the two against an alley wall but shielding them from the now charging assailants.
“Climb!” Tengrym yelled to his half-brother, grabbing a handful of climbing growth.
The two clambered up as the attackers struck against the frozen firm barrier. They hoped the foliage would hold their weight. “Grab for the thickest vines,” said Tengrym.
Quickly and surprisingly easily, they pulled their way up and found an open window into one of the attic flats of the building. “Across the rooftops!” said Tengrym as he crossed the room to an opposite-facing window that opened upon a roof of slate. They leapt and ran along narrow beams, making their way from block to block. There was no sign of pursuit.
They made their way down a drain pipe and entered a crowded market square. They had escaped… or so they thought until the clip-clop of a horse alerted them. They turned and saw a scowling Sir Trevor glowering under a shining helm. He rode into the square and stood atop his stirrups to get a better view. He hadn’t seen the two of them yet, but he had a good vantage point.
The two still had their beggars' disguises. They quickly donned their hoods and waddled, bent and hobbled, into the thickest part of the crowd to cross the market. They continued forward, Tengrym leading the way, ducking through the odd tent flap on occasion to loose any potential pursuit. When he was furthest on the other side of the market, he risked a glance behind him. There was no sign of pursuit, and the sound of horse receded into the distance.
“After me!” whispered Tengrym. “Let’s make our way to the docks. Stowing aboard a ship I think is our best bet out of here…”
