Sea Princes #24: With Cat Like Tread...

Last episode out heroes escaped from the gassy death trap of Tamoachan only to learn the sage whom they seek had been kidnapped by Crimson Fleet pirates and taken eastward. A day behind, the crew gave chase through the jungle, while Captain Rennaud returned to the Bird of Prey and promised to swing around the Hook to pick them up. Days later, Osprem's Kiss arrived on the east coast of the jungle instead, and with both Olfon Trebus and Lord Key onboard. Where did the Bird of Prey go? That leads us to our current uh...protagonists:

W.B. McGarnagle (fighter, woman killer)
Wodrick "Shank" Grubbyhill (bard, conduct unbecoming a gnome)
"Blonde" Barry Picaroon" (fighter, assault and battery)
"Two-Bit" Jack Ginth (rogue, arson)
and Billy Palsy (rogue, impersonating an officer)

The desperation of the Cpt. Rennaud hit a new high when he learned from an exposed informant in the Seeker's camp that the Crimson Fleet had indeed taken Lockard Meek, the only man who could lead him to the Well of All Heals. Knowing his enemies, they would return to their haven of Scuttlecove and ransom the sage off, if he even survived the ordeal. Thus, for their own safety, Rennaud set Olfon and Lord Key off to Fort Blackwell to join Osprem's Kiss while he turned his ship west for Sasserine with the intent of buying or breaking out the pirate captain, "Ironclaw" McGrath whom he helped put in prison not long ago, for the purpose of trading for Lockard Meek. In Sasserine, Rennaud met with House Taskerhill and though he was on excellent terms the family would not part with this valuable hostage. That is when the "Blackguard" made another rash decision that would add to his infamy...

Limited in action by his curse, Rennaud hand picked an away team of five to sneak into the city and break out McGrath from a garrison prison in the Cudgel District. First he chose three former pirate crewmen; Jack, McGarnagle and Wodrick. The three had been itching for action, they knew what their former captain from the Hideous looked like, and lastly they were expendable if caught but if they succeeded the trio would be let out of their oaths to the Hold. To make sure the three didn't try anything mutinous, Billy Palsy was given a chance to redeem his criminal past by going and dependable Blonde Barry (actually bald) merely volunteered for the bragging rights. That night, armed with climbing gear and weapons, the five infiltrated by gondola through the waterways of Sasserine and came upon the Cudgel district. Lurking in the shadows of an alley outside the garrison, they grabbed a lone Cuthbertite guard who exited. Billy was dressed in the guard's livery and then throwing all stealth to the wind, they made to bluff their way in the front gate.

Posing as good samaritans who rescued a bloody, beaten guard (Billy was punched by McGarnagle to sell the ruse) the gate guards allowed the group to carry Billy inside to a nearby tower common hall. The three pirates laid the story on thick by implicating Barry and Billy's crewmates Salty Sal, Piper Kellin and Caine to the crime. Without warning the Hideous pirates jumped the gate guards; injury faking Billy and Barry had no choice but to join in or risk discovery. With a chance to stealth around the garrison in more guard uniforms and find the prison tower, the three pirates instead began their great diversion, burning down the garrison and with it the whole city of Sasserine. Two-Bit Jack apparently was a wanted arsonist before he joined the Crimson Fleet. Tapestries and tables were lit and the group raced outside to the stables, did the same thing then ran to hide in the shadows of the central manor to watch the mayhem ensue.

When more guards came running out of the smoking tower, horns started blaring, a loud bell tolled from the otherwise of the courtyard and bucket brigades began to form at the wells. The five slipped into the manor through the servants' entrance and using the hysteria of the fire to their advantage they got most of the staff to exit, except one young maid who was held back by sinister W.B. McGarnagle. Of all people in the garrison to ask where the prison was, this startled girl was the last person who would know and for this she got ran through. Barry and Billy began to get nervous as their loose cannon allies started to burn the kitchens next. Once smoke filled the back chambers, the "rescuers" proceeded into the grand hall where they were met by a warily armed band of Cuthbertite guards who were not be swayed by the bluffs and lies of the five armed scalliwags in their home. More guards raced for the stairs from the gallery overlooking the hall. The five swashbucklers were hopelessly outnumbered, so naturally weapons were drawn...

(to be continued)

Game note: I thought since the PCs got picked to do all the away missions, that it would be more realistic if five different crewmen were given a job (though suicidal). Everyone enjoyed picking these pre-generated NPCs randomly and completely threw themselves into the new roles, some of which were pirates that their regular PCs had originally pressed into service. I think mutiny was brought up within the first five minutes!

S3: Barrier Peaks Art Kickstarter

Pointed out to me by Allan Grohe, this project is quite interesting for those who know about and are into Kickstarter projects. Jeff Dee, one of D&D and Greyhawk's classic illustrators has been reworking his own art from various AD&D products and this time he has chosen to do the genre clashing Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Check out the video and all the pertinent details of Jeff Dee's project here. I'm keen to see what he does next!

Castle Greyhawk: Adventure Hook

Greetings Greyhawk fans! This week I have for you page two in my graphic novel collaboration of Castle Greyhawk by Scott Casper. The pilot page in the series can be read here. Each episode I will strive to bring you readers along for the ride by adding some artist commentary like I used to in my own Greyhawk comics.

Read the comic and enjoy!

Commentary: It may not be readily apparent or important right now, but the tavern where young Tenser spends his time is called the Roc and Oliphant. Located in Clerkburg, the City of Greyhawk boxed set describes the Roc and Oliphant best:

"This boisterous tavern is a favorite of students, renowned for cheap drink and ample portions of tolerable food. It is bust at mealtimes, and during most evenings. Earthday evenings are the wildest, usually with music from some group of minstrels or bards. Since most colleges do not hold classes on Freeday, the carousing goes on until well past midnight.
The large building consists of a huge main room heated by a central fireplace, and several smaller rooms to each side. The kitchen is to the rear. The whole place has a distinctive odor combining wood smoke, stale beer, and human perspiration."

Just my kind of place!

4e Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl

Fresh off the e-presses at Wizards is the next installment in Chris Perkin's adaptation of the Against the Giants module series: Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl. Previously we've seen Steading of the Hill Giant Chief followed by a wholly original chapter in the remake, Warrens of the Stone Giant Thane. The third part of four in this series, the Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl is of course only open to D&D Insider subscribers. While the game mechanics is 4th Edition (with 5e looming behind it), collectors of all things Greyhawk will not be disappointed in the content as this module positively adds more richness to the original story. Mention is also made of classic Gygaxian NPCs like Beek Gwenders, Flerd Trantle and Obmi. Chris Perkins takes care in his writing as this author's note attests:

"In reimagining "Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl," I made some changes to the maps and encounters to make the adventure a fun and balanced 4th Edition experience. I tried to keep the map scale on par with the original to capture the sheer immensity of the Glacial Rift, acknowledging that this scale creates some mapping challenges for Dungeon Masters with limited tabletop space. I hope that DMs with fond memories of the original read this latest incarnation and feel the same overwhelming desire to run the adventure that I felt back in 1980, when I read Gary Gygax’s adventure for the first time."

Download this module now if you have the means. I don't normally shill for Wizards, but with the news that more Greyhawk material might be written leading up to D&DNext there's probably no better reason than that for old school fans to subscribe to D&DI in 2012.

Update 4/30/2021: Like before I updated the 4E link to DMsGuild. You will have to purchase this module instead of the old subscription model.

Sea Princes #23: Escape From Tamoachan

Be warned reader, this episode of the Sea Princes' ongoing adventures contains spoilers for the classic module C1: The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. Last time, the crew had fell through the ground and ended up beneath the ruins of an ancient Olman city. Unfortunately they would not have much time to explore; poisonous game permeating the whole dungeon threatened to end the lives of our protagonists:

Victor Emmitt Hammond (rogue, savage slugger)
Araxo Tydan (rogue, door destroyer)
Cuahtehmoc aka "Cuahto" (ranger, trap tripper)

Brother Pickles "of the Jar" (cleric, starfish sender)

and Henri Morgan (rogue, debris delver)

Araxo, Henri and their guide came upon the cavernous lair of a near-nude nereid named the Child of Zotzilaha. The glowing unearthly woman urged the trio to come closer so she could welcome and gift them with a kiss. The scheming lieutenant and his shipmate were wary having never been that close to a woman without paying for it. They sent their Olman guide to test her intentions. Lightly kissed, the Olman wandered off in a happy daze but alive. She then pouted that the other two were spurning her advances. Araxo gave Henri a signal and they both approached her in a flanking position together. Drawing their blackpowder pistols they intended to sneak attack her but suddenly found that up close, their will was not strong enough and she was too beautiful to harm...

Meanwhile in a large water-logged hall of pillars, Cuahto, Victor and Pickles followed trails of silver slime on the walls and waded up to a glowing object. It was exactly what they expected, a giant slug. Much like before when they met the crayfish and crab, this giant creature turned out to be sentient. Turning its eyestalks toward them it introduced itself as Tecuziztecatli the Lord of Snails. In a surprising turn Cuahto spoke to it in Olman and asked for the way out of the dungeons to which the Lord of Snails obliged by pointing them toward the lair of the Child of Zotzilaha. Nothing of value was discovered and they left down another hall just in time to hear a gun shot...

Henri struggled to fight the allure of the nereid and in doing so incurred her anger, so she spit in his face causing temporary blindness. Henri fired at her wildly missing her and Araxo luckily. The Child then surged backward into her pool of water and sent a roaring wave to buffet all three away from her. By this time the others had hurried up toward the booming sounds to find their compatriots and the lurking woman. This time they asked for a way out, knowing the gasses would soon kill them. She agreed to allow them across her pool to a door provided they give her gifts. Without hesitation Vic gave up an earring, Cuahto and armband, and best of all Pickles, mesmerized by the aquatic beauty offered her the humble gift of a chocolate covered starfish which both confused and touched her. She vanished under the pool and the party waded over to the exit.

Eventually they came upon a hallway with huge decorative animal heads every ten to twenty feet. One of them, an eagle head had a gold bracelet stuck inside its open beak of a mouth. Cuahto, ever the fearless, reached in to pull it free and had the beak snap shut on his arm. Painfully he tried to extract his arm (the others offered to cut it off), but ultimately Lt. Tydan oiled the hinge of the beak and Pickles pried it open with his freakish strength. A bit bruised but in one piece Cuahto and company continued down another narrow hall until thick, metal bound wooden doors slammed down ahead and behind them. Moments later the hiss of sand was heard from small holes cut in the walls. They were going to be buried alive...

Victor Hammond was weakest of all from the gas, he had even taken a potion to get him this far. Seeing the sand start to slowly fill their stretch of hall he became despondent and was ready to sit down and accept death. Pickles and the others couldn't lift the doors and the sand was pooling up fast. In a moment of desperate inspiration the crew assembled a small bomb from all their collective black powder horns. Placing it at the base of a door and bracing it with sand so the charge would explode toward the door, they backed all the way up to the rear door, got low and lit a trail of powder. A deafening explosion filled the corridor with black smoke, sand and splintered wood. They were free!

Just beyond this hall they came to a chamber with mounds of refuse and giant beetles that react to noise. At the top of the largest mound of trash they saw moonlight peeking through, it was the way out! Most of the group tip-toed up the mound to avoid the easily startled beetles and in an act of roguish self preservation, Vic Hammond punched out their guide. The unconscious Olman rolled down the mound, attracting every beetle where the man was feasted upon. Vic, Araxo and Pickles slipped out of the muddy crevasse into the vine covered ruin where the air was fresh at last. Cuahto and Henri stayed behind to rummage through the trash and find minor bits of treasure, but the noise was attracting the beetles so they finally retreated to the surface.

Once the five were free, they were soon happily discovered by Cpt. Rennaud, Olfon Trebus and Scar. With them was another Olman guide from the expedition that came with Lockard Meek. They had been searching the rubble for their lost crewmembers and any sign of the sage, only to find the guide hiding out. From him they learn that Lockard had been kidnapped by Crimson Fleet pirates and Amedian savages, then taken east through the jungle; the opposite way from their ship. Someone had tipped the pirates off about the expedition and Rennaud was keen to get back to the Seeker camp and tell Quintus Marius he had a traitor among his group. After a quick discussion, Araxo, Cuahto, Scar, Vic, Pickles and Morgan volunteered to strike off into the jungle to find the pirates. Rennaud and the rest headed back west to the camp for the Bird of Prey. Rennaud said he would sail around the Hook of the Amedio jungle, get Osprem's Kiss, and pick them back up hopefully by the time they reached the coast. Things would not go entirely according to plan...

(to be continued)

The Mountain King is a Polyglot

Over at Hall of the Mountain King, the fine Greyhawk sage Jason Zavoda has been on quite a roll lately. First off, I really like anyone who is dedicated enough to write Greyhawk fiction and I promote it when I can find it. Zavoda has been doing this longer than most. Originally posted on the Greytalk mailing list a decade ago, Jason has been reproducing some of his episodic fiction for a new audience to read. Started back in January, there is currently the epic Nosnra's Saga and now his An Unsung Death in Geoff. Follow the links to start at the beginning and then catch up through the archived threads.

Never to be considered a slacker the Mountain King is also showing off his linguistic skills with another clever series on Languages of Oerthly Magic. In it Jason gives the translations of well-known D&D spells into the tongue of many common races found in (and under) the Flanaess. So far he has done: Affect Normal Fires, Burning Hands, and Charm Person.

Check all this and more out at your leisure; who knows what will issue from the Hall next?

Unique Greyhawk Magic Items

Ut oh! Evidently the Drow
got their hands on this!

I don't know why, but these items intrigued me the other day when I came across the cards for my old copy of Greyhawk Wars. Over at the Canonfire forums, I posted a challenge to develop these unique named items that so far exist only to influence the board game events of Greyhawk Wars. As this boxed set should technically be canon for Greyhawk, this is a rare opportunity for someone looking for a Greyhawk topic to write about. I'd love to do it, but come on, I got enough on my plate! I'm cross-posting here to see if anyone else but me remembers seeing these items before:

Bowl of Storms (game card power: apply a +2 strength bonus to one sea unit in battle)

Rary's Bulls-Eye Bow (card power: cause 1 automatic hit on an enemy at the start of battle) 

Drawmij's Dagger (card power: essentially identical to Rary's Bow) 

Bigby's Bottled Breath (card power: make 1 free STR 3 attack on each enemy unit before battle) !

Gloves of the Paladin (card power: heal one hit suffered by one unit) 

Dura's Deadly Poison (card power: flip one hero to its activated side)