As readers know, I've begun asking the players in the D&D game I run for my daughter (using the 1981 Moldvay Basic rules, which I still have from when I learned to play, supplemented by the excellent Old School Essentials) to write the recaps after our sessions. Our last session was held back on July 12th, just a few days after my daughter's 12th birthday. This time, the only adult player in the group, John (the dad of my daughter's best friend dating back to when they were infants at daycare together) offered to write the recap instead of one of the younger players. I happily accepted his offer, as did the two remaining younger players who have not yet had the chance to write the recap (and whom appear to be stalling for who can be last...).
Due to the circumstances of our daughters growing up together at the same daycare and preschool, and being in Girl Scouts together, I've become friends with John and his wife. John is part of Cocktail Cadre, a blog and social media presence we created with another of our friends to showcase our amateur cocktail creations and techniques, and he also joins us on our Record Store Day quests every year, and at Free Comic Book Day at my local shop. John is an archaeologist by trade, which has a fun impact on the way he wrote his recap.
John plays a cleric in our game, Bartolo the Seeker, Acolyte of the Thrice-Great Kule. In John's role as an archaeologist, he has discovered and studied a variety letters that were written by Spanish missionaries in California who frequently reported on their accomplishments to their church superiors back in the Old World. It was because of these letters that John knew there was a rudimentary mail service pre-dating what most people think of when it comes professional mail carriers, at least here in the U.S. (the Pony Express). He used them as inspiration for writing his recap, under the pretext that Bartolo is required to report on his adventures to his superior in his faith. I loved this idea, and John really got into character building with his recap. As a DM, I now have a much better idea of how Bartolo views the world, his fellow adventurers, and their various missions. We did have to make a few concessions for this style of report; as you'll see, the adventurers had just re-entered the caves at the tail-end of our last session, so technically there would not have have been any opportunity for Bartolo to stop, write the letter, and have it sent off. But, I overlooked that in the spirit of the game and figured if something dreadful happens and Bartolo dies, we can decide that he'd dictated this to one of his companions before passing away.
As with the other recaps I've shared, I'd appreciate any feedback you have to offer. While John is an adult and doesn't need the complements that my younger players crave, I'm sure he'd appreciate your thoughts.
A few things John did that I really liked were including some world-building comments that didn't come from me, such as his opening about an undead plague in the city-state of Venoa. I've not mentioned that, but now that it's part of the recap, it means it happened. Time will tell if it has any impact on the adventurers.
Another thing John did, inspired by my post on Weird Cleric Ideas was to pick a day each week that he wouldn't adventure (for prayer), a food he won't eat, and some superstitions (which included a day he considers unlucky). I like that John is really getting into the idea of what it's like to be a cleric, instead of just being a walking medic for the group.
One last thing that cracked me up was John mentioning that his superior is "Brother Thelonious" which he used because he was drinking a Belgian Style Abbey Ale named, you guessed it, Brother Thelonious (and named after the famous jazz pianist, Thelonious Monk). John and I are craft beer buddies (John even brews his own!), so I found this little aside quite amusing.
As a reminder, we're going through the old-school module B2: Keep on the Borderlands, which I have modified a bit using inspiration from the DungeonCraft YouTube Channel's "Caves of Carnage" campaign, and also various blogs and message boards I found online, such as My Notes on Running Keep on the Borderlands by Necro on RPG Net.
For information on our previous adventures:
First up, a quick summary of the session by me. Then, John's full recap.
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A page from my DM's Notebook
for this session |
SESSION 8 SHORT RECAP (by Martin)
The adventurers once again spent much of the morning talking with the guests at the Greased Goat Tavern. Gustav made sure they had food and drink. Some in the group looked at the updated message board to see if any new jobs or information had been posted. Alex, as usual, had a private conversation with Scabs, and the others heard some more local gossip, including that the Castellan was a former adventurer of some renown but had a falling out with Baron Grimmig, resulting in his exile to this remote bastion on the borderlands. It is said that the witch was one of the Castellan's adventuring companions but that they two hadn't spoken in years, despite both living in the Keep. The news on everyone's lips, however, was that the young daughter of the Castellan, Rowena, had been betrothed to none other than the son of Baron von Hammerstein of Lower Oldenstein, an adversary of Baron Grimmig of Five Towns.
One new retainer was hired, a gruff and boastful dwarf named Gruumsh, who referred to himself in the third person and was curious why Bartolo adventured with, as he put it, "women and children." The others in the group did not take kindly to this and two of the slight elf girls, Cora and Holly, challenged Gruumsh to an arm-wrestling match. Not one to back down to the fey creatures, Gruumsh accepted but was handily beaten. Accepting his defeat, he agreed to lower his rate "for one mission only."
Ulrich von Munchberger called upon Clara, whom he had decided was the leader of the Shadow Hunters, and bid her to make good on their promise to find his brother, lost on the Bone Road and presumably a captive somewhere in the Caves of Chaos. Clara deftly managed to explain that they would leave on Tree Day, two days after, as they were "busy" on Moonday. In reality, Bartolo the Seeker refuses to travel on Moonday, as it is the holy day of his faith and he planned to spend the day in prayer and meditation.
At last Treeday arrived and the adventurers set out for the Caves. Despite ill weather hampering their travels, they arrived and chose to investigate a cave on one of the middle levels of the ravine. Inside was a huge tableaux built into the wall, in which the severed heads of various creatures (humans, dwarves, halflings, goblins, and other things) were placed as a warning. Shocked, but undeterred, the adventurers chose to continue on and began making preparations to head further into the caves...
FULL RECAP (As written by John in the character of Bartolo the Seeker)
Treeday, the 24th day of Redleaf
Very Reverend Father Thelonius, my Brother in Mystery,
Hail His Exalted Godhead, the Thrice Great Kule!
It was with great joy that I received your last letter to know that still you live, and my heart swelled with pride to hear of your successful turning of the foul undead that troubled the proud City-state of Venoa, where you have labored these long years to bring the light of Kule to the populace. Verily many souls were preserved on that great day, and praise be to the Thrice Great Kule for giving you but a fraction of his strength!
Mine own adventure continues, and I have much to relate to you. It is my earnest hope that this letter gives you the courage to sustain your holy mission, as your missives have done for me. I pray that this news finds you hale and growing in his glorious mysteries.
My fellow Shadow Hunters and I spent Soulday in the Keep at the Borderlands in the Province of Stadhof, in the Barony of the Five Towns. We gained much knowledge this day about the inhabitants of this lonely bastion in the wilderness. In the tavern, we heard tell that the castellan of this keep used to be an adventurer himself, and a revered war hero as well. He reportedly had a quarrel with the Baron Grimmig and was sent to live out his days on the edge of the known world at this very keep. The besotted tavern urchin who shared this news went further in describing the castellan’s adventuring days, saying that he was a guildmate of the very witch who lives beyond the keep’s walls, with whom my beloved elven friends seek to become apprenticed in magic. This poor woman today is rumored to be so hideous in aspect that men who have the misfortune of gazing upon her turn to stone! Surely she has befallen victim to a curse of the gravest nature, and mayhap the blessings of his Tripled Greatness will reverse her fate someday. Rounding out the rumors we heard in the Greased Goat was a story telling of the engagement of the castellan’s fair daughter to the son of none other than his liege baron’s mortal enemy, the Baron von Hammerstein of Lower Oldenstein. Such a union between these two households would no doubt drive a further wedge between the castellan and the favor of Baron Grimmig. Perhaps he intends to shift his loyalties entirely? Kule only knows what will come to pass, but his faithful servant can only hope that this reported rift does not lead to war.
In happier news, I was pleased to learn, as we continued to mingle among the folk of the keep, that the fame of the Shadow Hunters as righteous adventurers grows. Our reputation as bold and successful miners of truth and treasure has enabled us to bring more followers into the fold of our band, including a dwarven fellow from the east known as Gruumsh. With a colorful shock of hair atop his head, a braided beard, and a stoutness of build that would be the envy of a centuries-old oak, this compact combatant for hire was in the Goat seeking gainful employment to sharpen his axe against the bones of those who would oppose him. Turning our negotiation over wages into a feat of strength, our party challenged the wee warrior to an arm wrestle—his fit forearms against two of our dear elves, Cora and Holly. While I have always held Soulday to be unlucky, Kule’s fortune was with us this day, and the fey friends won the contest, while I gained a more fearsome servant than I have in Eisentrude, who is already in my service. With these retainers by my side, I have every confidence that we will have continued success in our quest to unlock the mysteries of these lands and smite the enemies of 3xG Kule.
We spent the rest of the day engaging in commerce, selling the curiosities collected in the cannibal caves to a collector they call Conrad, and purchasing provisions for the journeys to come from Hans Muller. Speaking of those cursed cannibals, Elf Clara of our party, who they mistook for our leader, was threatened by one Ulrich von Munchburger that if our party could not find his missing brother, Olaf, in three days, he would blame and punish her directly. Kule help us find this lost soul.
Our party learned from Friar Tublo Gorstowd of the Great (fah!) Church, who continues to smugly hold court among the easily impressed commoners in the tavern, that Brother Malleus of that same church resides in the center of the keep. Knowing from the posted notices that he was seeking information on a strange symbol resembling an eye and hoping that he would pay handsomely for this information, which we possess, our party sought him out. The keep’s center is well guarded by 24 soldiers, led by the captain of the guard, and protected by a sturdy gate manned by the sergeant at arms. We left a message for Malleus. It is my hope that these close interactions with that thrice-damned church, which I detest to my core, do not draw unwanted attention upon our holy adventures. I would not want that unholy institution to meddle in my mission once again. While we have right on our side, we are well and truly outnumbered, and I dread the thought of open conflict.
On Moonday we rested, and I observed the holy rites. Spending the day in meditation and in commune with my ancestors, I pray that Kule will accept my offering of wine and burnt flesh and thrice bless me with knowledge, courage, and righteousness.
On Treeday we ventured forth from the keep once more, gathering our arms and companions and setting out on the cursed Bone Road to the Caves of Chaos. What an awful day met us! The cold, clouds, wind, and rain depressed our spirits and made us weary ere our adventure had truly begun. Companion Alexandra sighted a majestic elk with glittering antlers, which Gruumsh proclaimed to be an omen of good fortune. Kule knows not what magic walked beside us that day, but I did notice a certain new boldness to Alex. Though she clings to the shadows like a cub does to its mother, I continue to hold hope that I will one day bring her to walk in the light our faith, brother.
At long last we reentered the ravine that hosts the mouths of the caves that we have spent these past weeks exploring. That entry march carried the sensation of walking into an open grave, and it was difficult to remain focused on the object of my exploration—additional sources of moon rocks and the mysteries that they alone can reveal. We entered a lower cave in the center of that grim gallery, and our senses were instantly assaulted by the foulest sights and odors. The reek of rotting decay and the offending odor of offal gave warning that death walked that corridor. As if to confirm that warning, the entryway of that cavern was decorated with severed heads of humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, and halflings. What terrible fiend had assembled the flesh-covered skulls of the fallen in such a gruesome and unholy way? Among this row of ghastly trophies was the head of a creature that I did not recognize, for many are the mysteries yet to be revealed. It was pale green, with pointy ears, and its teeth were formed into fangs. I knew well that it was not a member of the cursed undead, but to what class of being it belongs, I could not fathom.
We were faced with a choice from the moment of entry, as the cave immediately forked into east and west branches. Alexandra threw a stone to check for ensnarements and discovered none. Our other senses providing no useful differentiation, we chose to rely on the elves’ keen hearing to divine the proper path for our Shadow Hunters. The eastern route resonated with the stillness of a tomb, and the empty promises of death itself. The west, in contrast, stirred with a faraway din of uncertain origin. We knew not the source of this sound, but the party favored this route over the wretchedly silent alternative, for where there is sound, there is life. And where there is life, there may be answers for those who seek them! Onward, for His glory!
Kissing the hand of Your Reverence,
Acolyte Bartolo, First Seeker of his Name, and Keeper of the Faith
Glory to His Greatness! Glory to His Greatness! All Glory to His Greatness, the Mighty Kule!
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That's the end of the recap. Hope you all enjoyed it!
Hanging: Home office (laptop)
Drinking: Tap water
Listening: "Harlem River Drive" by Bobbi Humphrey, from the album "
Blue Break Beats"
Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to read these summaries from different authors and in different styles. I like seeing how different aspects of the game are of more or less importance to the players. Keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad you're enjoying them. It really is fun to see the different things each player focuses on. Not sure if you saw my tweet-storm today, but I wrote about our game this past Sunday. I'm looking forward to the recap written by one of the two remaining players who hasn't written one yet.
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