Making 'It' Up as You Go

Next Gen Session Stats
GM: Me
Players: +Ken H  (as Phrandor) & +Chris C. (as Odo)
Henchmen: Elizabeth, Oliva, Ragnor, Ravenna
Converts to the Goddess: PShaw
System: Pits & Perils
# of Killed Henchmen: 0
# of Visions: 4
# of Bandits Killed: 2
# of Tax Collectors saved: 1
# of Shitheads slapped: 1
# of Gold pieces gained: 120gp total
# of Drunk Henchmen: 1
# of Suspicious Nobles: 1
# of Mysterious Mages: 1
# of Bird Men: 6

 Last night was my turn to GM in our Wednesday night rotation.  I've had a very busy week at work and over the weekend I just his a brain dead zone so my adventure prep was nearly non-existent.  While I was tired from the week I really wanted to play.  I had a very sparse outline, a few encounters and a picture to draw inspiration from.  I took that and ran it last night.

One of the things I like to do when running (or writing) an adventure is to add small details to add depth or some semblance of a living world.  Give the spaces a lived in feeling.  Whether I succeed or not you would have to ask my players.

The adventure started off with the party returning to the main campaign area after saving an outlying village from a demon.  While traveling, the cleric Odo, spotted a raven with a white breast.  Ravens are known to be the messengers of the gods.  How they communicate the messages vary.  Odo approached the raven and was immediately struck by the image of a raven hanging upside down with a man forming out of the feather on top.  Over his right shoulder there is light, but from the light there is scream and shouting.  Some of the shouts are ones he has heard in the past.  And over the man's left shoulder is darkness.  From the darkness sound of inhuman growls and horrific cacophony of misery.

Adventure Note:  Our adventures have all had a strong religious seasoning to them.  Dualism has played a strong part in our sessions, especially my adventures.  With his training and intensive studies, Odo interpreted the meaning as a clash or a gathering of the armies of light and the armies of darkness.

When Odo awoke from his vision he heard one of the screams he heard in the vision.  A man yelling for help.  They came upon a older man holding the head of his mule that had been viciously attacked and bleeding from a large wound in its neck.  Odo was able to heal the mule (with exceptional success I might add).  The man was very thankful, but told them two men had killed his mule and took his two sacks of grain. 

He pointed to the other side of the ravine.  Two men were climbing their way up the other side.  The party went after them.  As the party reached the bottom of the ravine the bandits stood atop the other side.  They were going to throw rocks at the party and mock them, but Phrandor 'bolted' one of them causing significant damage.  And the archers let loose with some arrows that also caused more damage.

Adventure Note: Spell slots in Pits & Perils are a precious commodity so the fact that Odo use one on a mule and Phrandor used one (three total by the end of the fight) on a bandit was a significant use of resources. 

The party killed both bandits.  They dropped the sacks of grain fleeing.  Phrandor discovered that within the sack of grain were twenty small pouches with 10gp inside of each.  Odo check the sack of grain he recovered and it also had gold within.  There was a seal on a few of the pouches and both recognized it as a seal from a tax collector.  

They returned the grain without immediately telling the man they knew what was inside.  He evaded most of their questions and insisted on leaving, but the party insisted they escort him to his destination.  While having this conversation, Odo saw the image of this man's face on the darkness side.

 Coming Soon:
Part 2: Arriving at the Manor of Lord Walsh