Characters 

• Malik – Fighter 1 – a Thalazian blade master, with a spiffing helmet decoration. 
• Cleitus – Magic-user 1 – a thin young man with a fascination for the moribund.
• Aetos – Magic-user 1 – An Urr experimenter in the arcane. 
• Jassan Al` Nadir – Cleric 1 – A Dervish gentleman posing as a trader, known for dark whispers. 
• Chiron – Magic-user 1 – Come to expand his knowledge. 
• Vahan – Fighter 1 – Deep voiced and broad shouldered. 
• Maximus – Paladin 1 – Oath, “I dedicate myself and my actions to Phoebus. No matter the cost, I will fight for a world guided by law that is free of corruption.”

Retainers 

• Antifus – Ranger 1 – currently wounded. 
• Niarchos – Paladin 1 
• Mamercus – Fighter 1 – master of the shield. 
• Sharif – Thief 1 – cunning and wry. 
• Aegon – man at arms – Vahans squire. 

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The party started the session in quite a sticky situation, the survivors of the weasel assault were terribly lost in the middle of night. With some quick thinking from Malik the party orientated themselves using the two moons. They rode north but weren’t clear on where exactly they were. By sunrise they came across the old mine they had discovered. From there they rode back to Rubble Diamond. 

The party met up with the new characters, Chiron and Maximus. Jassan was reunited with the party as well. They had completed their mission to assassinate the wizard in Grand Alum, but unfortunately the character who had made contract was dead and hadn’t shared information about the patron. 

Oh well, they took Jassan’s advice and decided to deliver the magic sword of Gunther Wyrmslayer to Lord Blanbot who was attempting to bring this hex under his rulership. As the party began to prepare their horses, the Cleric of Ariens temple, Hel, came out to offer them his blessing. Hel wanted the sword to remain in Rubble Diamond, but the cunning tongue of Jassan had convinced the towns elders to release it to Blanbot so he might kill the dragon in the south. Hel was’t totally happy with this. 

As Hel bid Jassan farewell he muttered some magic words, casting a spell. His face changed instantly and he retreated to his temple whistling for his men to gather. Jassan inferred that the man had cast detect alignment on him, and was now pretty panicked. I wonder why? The party quickly rode off with the sword whilst Hel’s men took out their nags prepared to give chase. 

The party managed to evaded the fighters of Hel with a 70% chance, and then rode to the Villa of Blanbot. This was the first time they had encountered this subhex. There was a white walled villa atop a hill, fairly new in construction. As they approached a blue skinned herald rode out to meet them. The Urr herald was named Maloni and he began questioning the party. This wasn’t exactly going smoothly, as the party said they were arriving on behalf of Rubble Diamond, the same town that had been resisting Blanbots rule. 

Just as the diplomacy was getting going, and the PCs were explaining how they wanted to offer the sword to the lord, in the distance fifteen men riding horses were fast approaching. What happened next was pretty chaotic; Maloni blew a horn to prepare the villas defences. The attackers charged into firing distance with their short bows. Maloni began to doubt the party’s intent, and then Chiron tried to cast Charm Person on Maloni. This went terribly, as the herald won the initiative and managed to flee back to the villa and out of the magic-users spell range. 

The herald then initiated a volley of arrows at the party by blowing a horn. Simultaneously the attacking riders from Rubble Diamond were just coming into firing range. It looked pretty dire if they stayed around, so the Party fled, and with some lucky rolls were able to evade again. 

Riding as fast as they could they went north, but they were aware they were leaving a large trail of hoofs behind them. They spent an hour trying to find somewhere to hide, but only found a small woodland parted by a brook. This searching and backtracking around the hex allowed the stalkers to find them when they passed their search roll. 

The party heard the fifteen riders approaching from outside the wood. For some reason the party decided to dismount and allow them to come. Jassan hid the sword in the babbling brook. 

The riders approached, ready for a fight, bows at the ready. But the party surrendered immediately. They were instructed to lay on their bellies. All did this except for Cleitus, who, for some reason, refused to lay down, even after many warnings. He was then peppered with arrows and was sprawled out dead upon the ground. 

The warriors of Rubble Diamond then went through all the parties gear, but couldn’t find the magic sword. They pilfered all the gold they could find though, and why shouldn’t they keep it? There were some back-and-forths with these men, but ultimately the warriors decided to bring the party back to Hel as captives. They bound the PCs hands, tied them together into a chain gang, and began slowly walking them towards the South-West. 

This was when the party had a stroke of luck, their first in the session. Since their savage crimes against the barbarians of Grand Alum during the previous session, I had added those same barbarians to wandering monster tables of the grass hexes. Well, after two hours of walking they crossed into a new hex and with a roll of the dice the barbarians were summoned to try and get their revenge.  

Seven barbarians mounted on horses and carrying short bows crested a hill to the South, silhouetted by the sun they gave out a terrible war cry and began raining arrows down. 

There was a brief firefight between the mounted bowmen of Rubble Diamond and the barbarians, with large casualties on either side. Eventual morale checks when both fell under half strength caused both the fighters and barbarians to flee on the same turn. In all six fighters died and five barbarians died in the forty second skirmish. 

The party had no gold, no gear, but they were alive at least. Quite lucky considering. They marched to the Villa of Blanbot and begged to be taken in. There was a brief audience with the lord before the end of the session. They have agreed to find the sword, give it to him, and then quest for him to prove their loyalty. 

We’ll see what happens next, the situation in this hex is becoming more and more chaotic. Great fun. 

Judges note : riding horses and short bows are bloody amazing in the wilderness. Remember that all distances are measured in yards in the wild. Let the arrows rain. I approve this message. 

Also posted at Dragonsfoot.