Session 10: Arriving in Orlane

PCs:

Causticas the elf, F2/MU2

Korin Clubfoot, dwarf, F3

Dodecatheon, MU3

SESSION REPORT:

    After the dangerous encounters of the group's previous attempt to reach Orlane, they employed 3 horsemen to accompany them in their journey. They began on Planting 14 and they reached Orlane on Planting 22. They passes through various cities on their way like Verbobonc and Veluna but didn't stay on them too long, because they wanted to start the investigation about Lorath's gang.

    In this small village, their first impression was that it was full of suspicious and wary villagers. They met the mayor and he informed them that the village's population is declining. Many villagers just abandon their houses without having notify someone prior, leaving a message that they have to visit a distant cousin or something like that. Some come back after a month or so but some don't. With the mayor's permission the group will investigate some abandoned houses to see if they can find any clue.

    In one of these abandoned houses, the group will meet troglodytes. They defeated them and took one of the monsters back to the mayor's house as evidence. This move earns them the trust of the mayor, who reveals that in Orlane there is a secret order that is behind the disappearances and he suspects that they use the Golden Grain Inn, a local tavern, as their base. He also suspects the clerics of the local temple of Merikka. Also, he informs them of two elves that were his comrades in his adventuring days that came in the village to assist him. So, they surrendered the imprisoned troglodyte to the local constable and during the night, the group and the two elves will scout on the inn to see if there is any suspicious movement.

    As they await to see if any monster comes out of the inn, the constable's office, that is near the tavern, opens and the troglodyte leaves unharmed. They follow him and after he makes a circle he enters the inn. The group silently investigated the Golden Grain Inn, entered the cellar and found a secret door that leads to the entrance of an underground cave. They decide not to go any further and instead they choose to charge against the main hall of the Inn, where the troglodyte most probably is.

    Indeed, they find there 9 cultists and the troglodyte. They manage to overpower them, losing unfortunately one of their hirelings in the fight. The took the guy who seemed to be their leader back to the mayor's house and not knowing who to trust, they slept keeping their guard up, always having someone watching for movement outside, in case someone comes to the rescue of their prisoner.

LOOT AND KILLS:

Loot:

7 pp

416 gp

370 ep

933 sp

889 cp

5 gems worth 100 gp each

Kills:

3 troglodytes

9 cultists

DECEASED PLAYER CHARACTERS:

Urikas the elf, F1/MU1, Readying 25, 576 CY, eaten by ghouls

Zyla the elf, C1, Readying 25, 576 CY, eaten by ghouls

Jack, F1, Readying 28, 576 CY, killed by the evil cleric named Lorath

 

THOUGHTS AFTER THE SESSION:

    N1 started really nice and the atmosphere was exactly as it should be. After a session where the PCs interacted with many important figures of Orlane, they knew that a cult was working and didn't know who to trust.

    A strange thing in this module is that the players don't have a safe base. It doesn't take too long to realise that many villagers are fanatic cultists and that will cause you to always be on edge. They have yet to meet some important people and this is were things will start to get even more interesting!

    A mistake that I 've made, and realised it later during the game, was how I handled the hirelings situation. I used the 1e DMG hirelings tables and had the party employ 3 horsed archers. However, I didn't just use them as simple hirelings who accompany the group and takes watches etc but as henchmen. They follow the group in every aspect of the adventure and they only take a insignifact fee per month. In future sessions, I will use hirelings to do only minor work, like accompanying the group in its various travels, guard the horses as they delve into dungeons etc. Only henchmen will enter the dungeons alongside the group and they take a full share.

    So, N1 made a promising start and it's about to get even better!