2016-01-28

Grand Duchy 74

Grand Duchy of Adventure

Session 74
December 3, 2015


A Precarious Path

Moldain 21 Yarthmont

The Grey Company continues along the ancient road through the mountainous Black Peaks. This leg of their journey would present some difficult challenges for the intrepid adventurers. Instead of evil sorcerers, ravaging beasts or bloodthirsty hordes, the companions would face the mountains themselves. 

The first obstacle encountered is a stretch of broken road. The ancient roadway seems to have just crumbled from the side of the mountain, leaving a rugged and rocky gap to cross. Not wanting to take any chances, the Company unloaded each animal and made numerous trips back and forth, using two people to help each horse across. The process took several hours but in the end it paid off as everyone made it across safely.

A little further along the road, another obstacle rears its ugly head. This time, a rock-slide has covered the road. Careful study of the situation leads the Company to believe that this is not as dire as the missing road from earlier in the day. The members of the company dismount and carefully lead their own mounts across the jumbled rocks and make it with no troubles at all except the extra time taken to step carefully.

The final obstacle to cross came in the form of a very narrow path that hugged against the cliff wall to the right and dropped away to the Foamfire River valley to the left. The ledge itself was no more than a foot or two wide at best and became even more narrow in many places. The horses would not even approach the ledge on their own and had to be coaxed by Griffin and Iris and blindfolded before they would even make the attempt.

It was getting late in the day and it was decided in the interest of time that the horses not be unloaded for this crossing as that would no doubt lead to trying to cross at least half the horses in the dark. The first six horses went over easily but something happened on the last crossing and Firewild, Griffin's mount, took a bad step and went stumbling off the ledge. They young Thyatian tried with all his might to hold the lead rope as his mount slipped away but he could not maintain his grip. Griffin watched as his mount, the second one he had lost recently, died on the rocks below.

After an emotional moment, Griffin readied his long climbing rope and went down to try to salvage any gear he could. Draven, using his magical boots of levitation, joined him. Most everything was salvageable, though some of the food supplies were smashed beyond use. 

With night falling soon, the Company moved forward and found a decent place to camp for the night. They could also see, further up along the trail, past several loops and switch-backs, a large high bridge that would need to be crossed sometime in the next day. While camp was being set up, several large and hungry Fire Beetles ambled into camp and made aggressive moves toward some members. They glowing bugs were squashed quickly and efficiently by the companions.
A quartet of Fire Beetles assaults the Company

Nytdain 22 Yarthmont

The rain starts falling a few hours before sunrise making everything just wet enough to ruin a decent night's sleep. Soggy and groggy, the Company rolls out of camp and continues quietly along the ancient Hutaakan road. Though none says it aloud, some in the Company are beginning to doubt the viability of the current mission. Supplies are low, transportation is low, energy is low and no one even knows if they are close to their destination.

By mid-day the Company arrives at the bridge they had seen the night before. It is a long, wide expanse stretching across a deep gorge between two of the Black Peaks. Carefully, the Company begins to cross and right as they are about halfway across, shrill cries come from above and two large, dark shapes come swooping in. Griffons! The horses immediately panic and several bolt as the eagle headed lions lunge for horse flesh. Half of the Company quickly adopts defensive postures while the others try to wrangle the horses. Crossbow bolts fly and Remar sends bolt after magical bolt into the flying beasts. After just a few moments, the Griffons are driven off and the horses are brought back under control and led to the far side of the bridge. Someone makes an attempt to joke about being attacked by a Griffin, but the rain has nearly washed everyone's sense of humor away.
Griffons attack the Grey Company as they cross a desolate bridge in the Black Peaks.


Cast of Characters: 

Garrett "Griffin" Constantine, a Thyatian rogue of a gambler from Penhaligon rolled by +Arne Jamtgaard 

Marcel Maasa homely but sincere wielder of spears aspiring to cooking greatness commanded by +Christian Blouin 

Draven Rickart, a Thyatian Acolyte of the Church of Karameikos ministered by +Jason Packer 

Iris Vardaa Thyatian explorer and historian searching for answers and adventure guided by +Alex Safatli 


and +Jason Woollard as The DM



Precis - The Grey Company faces challenging terrain along their path through the Black Peaks. One wrong step sends a valued member of the group to death far below. If that wasn't enough, the next day brings dangers from above as well!

1 comment:

  1. I know the exact Module you are using for this,great module,complicated in some parts.

    ReplyDelete