SCOTT CASPER'S ULTIMATE GREYHAWK

SOUTH PROVINCE CAMPAIGN

 

Cast (expanded info):

Barada, Neutral male Flannish human mercenary (1st level fighter).  XP:  84. 

- Stripped of his possessions and left for dead by pirates, will Barada manage to rebuild his life or become consumed by vengeance?

Alexander Petrok, Lawful Neutral male Oerdian human templar of Zilchus (1st level paladin variant).  XP:  674.

Perpegilliam Brown, Neutral male Hairfoot hobniz rogue (1st level Thief).  XP:  860.

- Alex and Perri seem ready to sell each other out -- Perri to the templars and Alex to the thieves.  Will their personal conflict break up the party?

Vladamir Kostitov, Lawful Good male Oerdian human prestidigitator for the governor's guardsmen (1st level Illusionist).  XP:  482.

- Around family and friends, he's an ultra-polite momma's boy.  In a dungeon, he's cold and ruthless.  Which is the real Vlad?

Abraham the Radiant, Neutral Good male Oeridian human acolyte of Pelor (1st level Cleric).  XP:  582.

- Wanderlust threatens to consume Abe and force him to abandon his commitments to the shrine in Prymp.  Will he give up his responsibilities for his freedom?

 

Quote of the month:  "<gulp><glub><choke>"

~Barada, while being keelhauled by pirates.

 

Setting:  The town of Prymp, the lands around it, Relmor Bay, and the village of Vecheld Gesto.

 

Readying 17th, 581 CY.

 

Alexander Petrok was lost in thought, pondering the recent decision by the church of Zilchus to send its templars to deal with the threat at Skull Keep.  While wandering about the Old City, he found that his steps had brought him automatically towards home -- which for him meant Petrok Manor in the Wealthy District northwest of Town Hall.  When he realized where he had wandered, he decided to return home for the night.  While asking his father's manservant, Aaron, if his father was home, Alex was found by his brother-in-law, Franco Katerinov.  Franco had been anxious to find Alex, and reminded Alex of the dinner at the Laborer's Guildhall that Alex had agreed to attend.  Alex was suspicious of Franco, since Franco was being unusually nice, but Alex again agreed to attend and promised to meet Franco there.

 

Earlier that day, Vladamir Kostitov went about standard patrol with his colleagues in the Guard.  Again, it was a peaceful day in Prymp, though Vlad noticed during this patrolling that quite a few people about town seemed to be wearing purple hats.  Vlad's shift ended as the patrol reached the New Market, and there Vlad saw a middle-aged woman wearing an enormous purple hat at the carter's workshop.  Out of curiosity, Vlad stopped and asked her about it, but instead of answering, she pulled him into an argument over whether ten gold Ivids was too much to ask for repairing a broken axle.  Vlad agreed with the woman, and this immediately won her friendship.  Since she was talkative, Vlad quickly learned that she was Ingrid Bramov, godmother to Alexander Petrok.  Before learning anything else, Vlad found himself being invited to dinner that night at the Petrok Estate.  He was more than happy to accept.

 

Barada regained consciousness, to find himself washed up on a beach.  He remembered going up against those big green monsters outside of Skull Keep with Hristo, and how quickly those monsters had defeated them.  Barada next woke up on board a ship.  He was a captive to a group of pirates, and their leader, Captain Renspa, questioned Barada repeatedly about where he came from, and what he was doing at Skull Keep.  Barada had refused to talk, and was punished for his silence by being keelhauled.  While dangling from the side of the ship on a rope, Barada drifted in and out of consciousness.  He was battered against the hull and slowly drowning.  Yet, during this time, he was aware of someone being in the water with him.  And that was the last thing he remembered before waking on the shore. 

 

Now, Barada coughed water from his lungs, and struggled to his feet.  He had no idea where he was.  Looking about him, he saw that he had nothing on him but the padded fullcloth which had been beneath his armor.  It seemed pointless to remain there, but with no sense of where he was, he had no idea of what direction to go.  And it was while he was contemplating that when he noticed the sound of someone approaching the beach.

 

Perpegilliam Brown and Abraham the Radiant awoke in their campsite, pitched just outside the village of Vecheld Gesto.  They were soon joined for breakfast by their traveling companions, the mercenary Taver Royskov, and the shepherd who hired them, Demetaliph.  It was discussed between them whether to enter the village first, or head straight out to Demetaliph's ranch.  The ranch was still some distance to the west, and it was there that the three adventurers needed to go to look into the recent appearance of death dogs in the region.  It was agreed that it would be prudent to head straight to the ranch.  However, while packing for the renewed journey, Perry and Abe discussed privately that they both had reservations about this mission.  Death dogs sounded nasty, and neither thought they were really prepared to be facing any.  Although hesitant, they pressed on with the others.  Perry mounted his recently purchased pony and rode behind Demetaliph.  Abe followed on foot behind Perry.  And aways behind, slowed by his cumerbsome splintmail armor, Taver struggled to keep up as best he could. 

 

Alexander found Franco waiting for him outside the Laborer's Guildhall, and they were both admitted in.  Soon, Alex found himself in a richly decorated dining hall, as he might have expected to see in a manor house.  Everything was made from dark wood, and the furniture was upholstered.  Alex and Franco were far from alone.  A dozen other men were seated and waiting for them.  An end seat was reserved for Alex.  Across from him sat Domonkos Virtus, guildmaster of the Laborers' Guildhall.  The aging man was a lean, tall Suel, and dominated the conversation as he did the other men at the table.  Virtus was known to be one of the richest men in Prymp. 

 

 

Alex was asked about his party's success in Skull Keep, but the dinner conversation quickly came down to business.  The guildhall recognized Skull Keep as a valuable piece of property once the dungeon has been cleared of monsters.  The guild offered Alex 500 gold Ivids for a complete map to the dungeons beneath Skull Keep.  Alex shot questions back, such as why the guild had taken no interest in Skull Keep before.  Virtus calmly answered that they had taken no stock in rumors of these dungeons until now, believing that there was nothing but ruins there.  Virtus offered Alex time to consider the offer.  After the meal, Alex won an invitation to join the guildsmen in their lounge for some post-dinner entertainment.  The guildsmen played a card game called Kings & Priests -- a rich man's game that Alex had heard of but never seen played.  Alex chose to watch and learn the rules of the game.  The rules were complex, with different options for a King's hand and a Priest's hand, and for playing one versus the other.  Having no gaming experience, Alex knew he would be out of his league against these older men.  Instead, Alex tried to ask them more questions about the guild's interest in Skull Keep, but Virtus' gaze kept the others tight-lipped.  Frustrated by the silence, Alex bid the guildsmen good night.

 

TO BE CONTINUED  

 

 

SCOTT CASPER'S ULTIMATE GREYHAWK

SOUTH PROVINCE CAMPAIGN

 

Cast:

Barada, Neutral male Flannish human mercenary (1st level fighter). 

Alexander Petrok, Lawful Neutral male Oerdian human templar of Zilchus (1st level paladin variant). 

Perpegilliam Brown, Neutral male Hairfoot hobniz rogue (1st level thief). 

Vladamir Kostitov, Lawful Good male Oerdian human prestidigitator for the governor's guardsmen (1st level illusionist).

Abraham the Radiant, Neutral Good male Oeridian human acolyte of Pelor (1st level cleric). 

 

Setting:  The free town of Prymp, and its environs.

 

Readying 17th, 581 CY.

 

Vladamir Kostitov returned home to prepare for his dinner at the Petrok Estate.  He was excited about such a prestigious invitation.  His companion, Alexander, was a Petrok, so Vlad already had contact with this powerful and influential family.  However, Alex never socialized with the other party members except for meeting them at the Grinning Gargoyle Tavern. 

 

Although Vlad was in a good mood, it seemed no one else in the Kostitov household was.  Cassandra was angrier with Abraham the Radiant everytime Vlad saw her.  Abe was almost never at the shrine anymore, and Cass was spending all her time taking over his duties for him.  And then there was Vlad's mother.  Normally a fiery woman,  today Marian Kostitov would not leave her bedroom.  Vlad found her crying, and over financial difficulties that she was facing maintaining the house.  Vlad was surprised that she had been shouldering this burden alone without the help of himself or his brothers, and told her that he had money squared away he would gladly use to help.  This soothed his mother somewhat, though afterwards Vlad carried some of her troubles with him to the Petrok Estate.

 

Barada, having been washed up on the shore of Relmor Bay, stood braced for whoever approached him from over the rise.  However, it was a boy who appeared.  The boy was very curious about the burly, dark-skinned man who stood there in rags, and Barada was able to ask him many questions.  Apparently, Barada had washed up on shore not more than a few miles west of Prymp.  It had been two days since we was defeated at Prymp Keep by those big green monsters.  The boy, who's name was Jacob, had not heard of Prymp being attacked by pirates, as Barada was worried might have happened.  The boy's father was a farmer named Wendem, who's farm was only a mile from the beach.  The boy set out for home, with Barada limping behind as best he could.

 

Perpegilliam Brown  and Abraham the Radiant were closing in on Demetaliph's ranch.  Sheep were scattered about on the grassy plains, and men armed with short swords were in sight.  Demetaliph explained how these men worked for him to guard the herds, but the hired men had not even seen the death dogs yet, let alone stop one.  Perri balked at this, wondering aloud how Taver Royskov was going to stop the death dogs where others couldn't.  Demetaliph was puzzled, believing that he had hired three adventurers, but Perri claimed that he and Abe were just along for the ride, and that it was the mercenary Taver alone who the shepherd had hired.  Perri suggested that they waited for the slow-moving Taver to catch up and then ask him about it.  They did so, but just as Taver caught up, Perri shouted for Abe to run, and then took off on his pony, heading away from the ranch and back towards the village of Vecheld Gesto.

 

Alexander Petrok had left the Laborer's Guildhall with his brother-in-law, Franco Katerinov, in tow.  Alex confronted Franco outside the building, accusing Franco of having poor social skills, and suggesting that under Alex's guidance perhaps Franco could learn social graces enough not to embarass the family.  Franco, for the first time Alex could remember, was livid.  Franco replied angrily that, unlike Alex who had his templarhood handed to him by his father, Franco had worked to earn where he was.  Alex was more offended about the aspersion cast on templarhood, and Franco was increasingly angry with Alex's condescending attitude, and it appeared the two brother-in-laws would come to blows.  However, Franco backed off, suggesting that the evening had been too exciting and that both men were just worked up by it.  Franco left to cool off on his own, leaving Alex to walk home alone.

 

Barada was led to Wendem's farm, where he was warmly greeted by the agricultural patriarch himself.  Barada was fed a quickly-warmed supper by Wendem's wife, Kylli, while Wendem picked out an old cote and pair of shoes to loan the poor man.  Barada thanked them profusely, and warned them that pirates, and terrible monsters, were a close threat at Skull Keep.  Wendem soon shared this concern, and promised to give Barada a ride by cart to Prymp as soon as Barada had some more rest.  Barada needed it, and was soon asleep.

 

At Vecheld Gesto, Perri walked around the village with his human "shadow," Abe.  They passed the Governor's castle, a pewter & copper shop, a butcher's shop, and entered the Green Hawk Tavern.  This sleepy, but clean establishment had several empty tables, and the proprietor was at another table with a small group of friends.  He greeted the strangers, and proceeded to serve them a small dinner.  Perri made conversation with the locals, asking if any of them knew the shepherd, Demetaliph.  The locals didn't mind telling a halfling that Demetaliph was said to be half-elven,  though you couldn't really tell by looking at him, and this -- plus his seclusion on his ranch -- made them suspicious.  Perri was, after a sample of the local ale, also suspicious of Demetaliph.  Why invite adventurers from Prymp to fight these death dogs if he already had hired guards?  He shared these concerns aloud with Abe, who enthusiastically nodded and repeated ever idea that Perri shared.  The diminuitive hobniz sighed, turned his eyes from his larger, eccentric companion, and went back to eating his dinner.