Re: Main Thread

[Kyle]

Marcus gets back in the wagon and gestures for the driver to continue in the direction they were going.

[ifer]

I have been procrastinating far too long on this thing. My apologies all around.

You pack up and resume your journey. The going is achingly slow as the single mule struggles to pull the cart through the woods. You're not faring much better; the party is wounded and weary. At one point the trees are too thick for the cart to pass. Backtracking, you're able to find an easier route. All told, it takes you 5 hours to clear the woods.

You've come to an area that is largely grassland, scattered with trees and rolling hills. You can see mountain peaks off in the distance south-east of you.


After taking a much needed break, the caravan begins to move once again. One of the farmers had the bright idea of hitching the ox up to cart beside the mule. They don't work together well, but it's certainly better than with just the mule. The road is easier on the plains, and by the time the sun sets the forest can no longer be seen for the hills.

You come across a small brook as it darkens. A bit cloudy, but it's fresh.

[Kyle]

"I suggest we camp here for the night," suggests Marcus. [color:f335=dark blue]"We should also place watches, and I suggest whoever's on watch stays standing in the cart, for best view."

[ifer]

I'd like to see posts by the rest of you every now and then. Discuss your plans, roleplay eating supper, give details on how you're setting up camp, interact with each other, give alternate ideas and argue whose is better, use skills, etc. It's not nearly as much fun if only two people are playing.

The farmers start setting up camp. Sophia unhitches the mule and ox from the cart and hobbles the sheep, leaving them to forage for grass. Another of the group goes to get some brush from a nearby copse.

[ifer]

Okay, this isn't happening. So here's the synopsis!

(I seem to have lost the final image)
Shadowy figure was part a vampire slave trading ring. Vampires can exert some psychic control, usually just to make the victim more compliant, but repeated feedings can amplify the effects to full-blown mind-control. Most people however, are allergic to vampire bites. The wounds fester and scar, and the victim wastes away as if experiencing a famine. Obviously, that makes them next to useless as slaves or food, so they're used as cannon fodder to get fresh meat (pun not intended). The raiding party you encountered was made up primarily of thralls. On the upside, that means that none of the caravan was killed. If rescued quickly, no harm done. Otherwise, they'd resist your aid and would require some major (and dangerous) detoxing.

On the way to the city, you'd have two major encounters: the ruins of an ancient city, largely empty, and a distraught old lady with an arrow in her back. You'd (I assume) help the lady, and between sobs she'd tell you that monsters had killed her grandson and she'd barely escaped with her life. Performing first aid and bringing her with you until you find a proper healer will garner you a silver coin, her heartfelt thanks and a promise to return the favour some day.

Upon reaching the city, you will have earned your first level! Local guilds and teachers are available, training with whom takes a couple of weeks. The remains of the caravan garners you some gold, and the NPC farmers go home with a few armed guards. Some money will be made from the sale of the remainder of the crop. The festival this year is more rambunctious than usual due to the militia having slain a local dragon.


... to be continued when I feel like it.

[Kyle]

Sounds like it would have been cool, too bad it sort of fell apart (though that happens to even the bst campaigns sometimes, cough cough)

[ifer]

Indeed.

[ifer]

From here Janus would go to Hydi's father to ask for his blessing and her hand in marriage and be horrified to learn that not only does her father not approve, but has set up an arranged marriage! Depending on what direction they decide to take to solve this problem, the adventure could take several different directions.
If Hydi agrees to the new marriage, she would notice, through spying and political intrigue, that her fiancée is deep in criminal activity. Revealing the underhandedness publicly, with proof, and to the local authorities would annul the agreement and win parental approval.
Delving into the reasons for the marriage would reveal that Hydi's father is being blackmailed and threatened by the man, so if the threats are removed there would be no barrier to Hydi choosing her own partner.
Eloping with Janus would cause an arrest warrant to be set out for Janus as Hydi's "kidnapper" and the party would need to become more secretive (or leave) to avoid armed guards and bounty hunters. If arrested, a daring rescue plan would be appropriate.
Alternately, the wedding could be postponed and the blessing attained via public standing, heroic deeds, wealth, etcetera, that the party could obtain from adventuring.

[ifer]

If the party had chosen to return to Rosewood with the farmers, they would have been accompanied by a contingent of soldiers, lead by a knight, who would guard the farmers on their way before doubling back to the site of the battle and tracking the slavers from there.
If you had then decided to stay at the village -or if you'd returned there after going with the soldiers on their mission- your new levels would put you among the most battle-ready of Rosebud's civilians or amongst the lower ranks of their remaining garrison.
Should you remain there, the rest of the campaign would follow a relatively leisurely pace for a while; the village would be occasionally attacked, and you'd end up helping to defend it, rising in the ranks of the soldiery/town council depending on whether you retain your former professions. Gameplay would focus largely on defence strategies, especially if you gained positions of prestige in the village.
Eventually, the kingdom would find itself at war with one of the native races, and you could either report for service or prepare your hometown to withstand invasion.

Other than that, I don't have much in the way of plans for this scenario, since I highly doubt you would have gone down this road. Settling down immediately after becoming adventurers seems a bit outlandish for a gaming group, no?

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