Varg's Valiants - Recovering The Lost Map

Set Expectations

Set the expectations for the session and communicate any above table information FIRST before starting the session…

• Check your char sheets, please understand your combos/abilities
• Ask questions - we can take the time to ask questions in the flow of things
• Use the Player’s Handbook on the app - it can answer a lot of ruling questions or at least give you an idea (google is also a suitable approach to get an idea of the page number/chapter)
• Not as polished as our usual campaign but we’ll roll with it.

Recap & Re-Familiarize

Recap the previous session events with brevity, then reintroduce them to the world.

The 4 of you have each made your ways to Forest’s Edge for individual purposes, but throughout the past few days - you have each been approached by an endearing Half-Orc male named Varg. His lovely southern drawl almost had you convinced to help him recover something that was stolen from his gang; The Homestead - but the promise of gold or other rewards got you over the line.

He’s finishing some final preparations at All-On-Red - and has asked you all to meet him there by midday at the latest.

And that’s where we’ll pick up from… have them all roll D20s for the order of introduction (1-2-1)

The current day is Hymark, the 15th of Vaelorn, 920 PD. The weather is brisk; as coastal winds blow further inlands, you definitely notice skin tingle as you walk outside. It’s early morning; are there any preparations you all would like to make in this time?

Immediate Event

The immediate action for the Party to deal with.

Meeting Varg

• Will be talking to Carmen Flint about Caesar Plight before turning to the others
  • “Are ya’ sure?”
  • “That’s real concerning news, if Caesar Plight has abandoned The Rouge - that could spend danger for us and the surrounding towns as those there generals vie for control.”
  • “I’ll ruffle the feathers of the one I apprehended last night a bit more before I head off.”
  • “oh good! you’re here! welcome! I’d like to formally introduce y’all to Carmen Flint - she’s the boss around these parts.”
  • “follow me - I gotta rough up one of the hooligans who wasn’t quick enough to flee when I caught him red-handed.” Introduce Kezark

Varg will take offer Kezark a second chance - help him on this mission and all wrongs will be righted.

Plots Points/Paths Forward

Details about various plot threads that can be explored this session - with a subheading for each one.

The Road

Give them a few minutes to speak on the road - maybe have Varg charmingly ask each of them a question about how they ended up in Forest’s Edge.

By Forest or By Boat

Forest:

• 4 bandits - 35 HP each - 15 AC
• 2x 1d6 each round (they all go at the same time)

Boat:

• 1d12 gold / person
• need to make DC 13 athletics to keep rowing because the engine has stopped working (or get creative)
• 4 successes before 3 failures gets them a tidbit from the captain that he turned away two shady fellas running from Forest’s Edge
• They said some weird stuff like “the rupture is at the deepest point…” & “the rift should be opening soon…”

Ponderton

The town is rustic - with many buildings made of brick or stone.

• General Store
  • Run by an old Gnome lady (Granny Timbers) who will talk about wishing to hear from her granddaughter down south.
  • She’ll mention seeing a figure leather head towards one of the taverns - but not which one.
• Weaponsmith
  • Blaize Urfeln, a genderfluid Tiefling who sells basic weapons to adventurers but is mostly contracted to repair the tools for the miners.
  • They’ll remember seeing someone rush out of the larger tavern and towards the mining guild
• The Leaky Horn is a Dwarf specialised tavern that serves drinks out of the horns of cattle or otherwise.
  • Staff haven’t heard or seen anything about people in leather - but they heard some drama happened over in Forest’s Edge.
• The Digger’s Diner is a larger, more general purpose tavern that is run by a Goliath named Erk Rockmill
  • He (or staff idm) - will have served a man in leather a drink maybe 30 minutes ago.
  • Ordering drinks - a waiter will say a drink was paid for by a patron that Varg says he can’t turn down such a polite gesture.
  • A few minutes after drinking it - he’ll start slurring words and fall asleep on the table. DC 12 Med check to know he’s been drugged - not fatally, but the patron who purchased it has fled.
  • Male Water Genasi man who says he was blackmailed into helping them. He was just offered gold in return for making sure that the drink made it to that man (Varg)
• Mining Guild
  • Run by a tall Half-Elf woman named Emyra Syncor - she is not a fan of Isolda Menai and wants to replace her as the next Sheriff.
  • She will say she shooed a man snooping outside the guildhouse; and they ran off down the mineshaft without protective gear.
  • She’s not in the mood for conversation - she has to get back to solving the flooding problem.
• Town Hall
  • Isolda Menai is the Sheriff of Ponderton. She is an older Halfling woman who does not take kindly to sloth or lack of work ethic.
  • She will have seen two people in leather walk into town with a large map.
• Mineshaft
  • Chance for a short rest
  • Consecutive Survival or Perception checks to make there way down the correct paths to reach the bottom.
  • After two successes - they’ll start to notice larger puddles forming and some odd, damp smells.
  • After 4 successes they’ll reach a room where they’ll hear screaming and shouts from ahead - alongside the crash of waves.

Boss Battle

You immediately notice the echoing cries for help stop as you approach the mouth of the chamber in front of you. It’s there you see the two lifeless corpses of The Rouge members you’ve been tailing.

Before you can assess their health - your senses are overwhelmed by a loud crashing of waves. You eyes adjust and notice an towering, enraged Water Elemental standing nearby the two bodies…

Behind the Water Elemental is a strange glowing rift that suddenly starts gushing with a torrent of water. At first it seems formless before you notice it binding together; before a second Water Elemental is standing behind the second.

I need everyone to roll initiative…

Close

• Return to the Tavern with the map and the two corpses, Varg is awake and congrats them for completing the mission “I’d induct ya’ right here if I could…”
  • “We’ll sort your rewards when we get back to town… That’s where the ledgers are so I can track what I’ve given ya’…”
• Varg will suddenly turn panicked as he gets a mental message. He says to the others that Caesar Plight returned and kidnapped Carmen Flint without warning. He needs to return to Forest’s Edge to handle the command whilst she’s out so one of them needs to head after him instead.
  • He swears Carmen Flint will reward handsomely if she is rescued; just ask the previous group that did that.
  • “Oh i think they call themselves The Destined Seven or something like that - I’m not too good at ‘membering names…”
• He was seen moving roughly East on horseback before The Homestead lost his trail.
• Caesar Plight will reach out to Kezark around the same time and say “Thank you for distracting Varg - Carmen is now in binds. I have one final job for you at The Hollow Crypt.” SEND JON A FB MESSAGE