Posts From a Long Winded Gamer

Weeding Godsday 35th-51 degrees, strong wind, moderate branche move, small trees sway in the wind
(Royal Expedition in the Swamp-Passed room 1 via teleport, but no progress today, ticks on day one, nothing much day two, insect swarms day three, bobcats and a warnnig sign of dragon territory day four, insect swarms and torrential storms day five, wasps and hornets day six, nothing special on day 7)
(Elven Rangers-Passed Room 2-stirges, Pass room 1-traps day 1, Room 2 moral dillema (help Black Coven trigger traps and subsquent ambush, costing several members) on day 2 mosquito swarms day 3)
(Black Coven-Passed Room 1, no major events day 1, deal with room 1 on Day 2, traps, no encoutners day 3)-numbers depleted
(Keepers (Passed Room 3, hired Orias the Hunter as guide, +1 on future rolls, clouds of mosquitos, day 1, Door 2 is the bramble swamp, several mmembers sickened, Door 3 heavy fog, and possible ambush is on the 3rd day)-half sickened, +1 on search results each day, a leader betrays them
(Sea Devils Passed Room 2, Cats and game animals day 1, Room 1 capture guides and sacrifices on raid of nearby village, destroying watercraft Day 2 attack the bullywug village we raided on day 3)-numbers depleted +1 search distance each day
(Mendy-Passed Room 2, Obtain watercraft (Rm 1) and infiltrate Bullywood Village (Rm 2) on Day 1 )+1 Search distance, +1 roll for Scout, obtain 4 Black Coven captives

-Room 3 trial is the Mosquito Swarms, followed by Swamp Dressing no encounter-followed by Room 4, Magath’s lair

-Immersion-Smell-Ammonia-

Scene:
I wake up next to Littlefoot. I didn’t even notice her climbing into the tent alongside me when her watch duty ended. I am making notes in my journal when sits up and asks what I’m doing. “Updating my journal, so that when I am gone, my descendants know what I’ve endured.”

She looks at me quizically, “You have children? You seem too young to have children and not be home with them.”

I laugh, and turn the question back on her. She shrugs her shoulders and says, “I think there is time for that later. I want to explore, see the world like grandpapa has. Isn’t that what you are doing?”

I nod in agreement, “Two of a kind perhaps?” She smiles.

I finish with my journal while she collects her kit and joins the rest of the camp, now stirring with the morning meal. I join her a few minutes later for a delicious feast of dried meat so heavily seasoned it seems to burn the tongue, dried fruit so hard it cracks against one’s teeth, an a bread whose rind is so tough it must be cut with a knife, but the inside of the loaf is soft, and sweet, and filled with nuts and honeyed dough.

“What about us?” the prisoner ask, sitting bound, half naked, and hungry at the other end of the camp.

Wart leers, “There’s something you can do to earn your bread little lady…”

-Intimidate 17 (roll 15 +2 )vs DC 15 (Cha+Intimidate skill+ CR over mine)

“Shut up!” I warn him. “Check yourself” I caution as he glares at me in amused contempt. Littlefoot, her grandfather and Benar stop what they are doing to watch our exchange.

Ambar shakes his head and warns his brother to to behave, “We are here to do a job. If we can pull this off, you’ll live like a king in a brothel surrounded by willing whores prettier than that lot.” Wart laughs and stands down.

“Benar, unbind their hands and give them some food. Ambar, if they try to escape, kill them,” I command. The soldier nods.

Persuasion 18
While the rest of the men break camp and the prisoners eat, I ask them about the group they were with. It doesn’t take long to get them to start boasting of the power of Drouzal and how he will reward them for their sacrifice when he tears down the kingdoms of men and rules over his loyal servants, making them his princes, and I quickly grow tired of listending to them.

Persuasion 20
But then they mention Tendril Blaggard and I ask who that is. They explain that he is the leader of their expedition. They tell us how they were picking their way through bullywug hunting grounds, carefully avoiding traps and alarms when suddenly the air was filled with elven arrows. That Blaggard called icy hail upon the elves forcing them to retreat, but then the bullywugs attacked. Scores of them from the nearby treeline, and a dozen more on giant flies swooping down from above. The Tendril led the rest of the company to safety while these were ordered to hold the rear. Tendril Blaggard has promised to return, and they actually thought that I was him or his Cup when in disguise when I started cutting them free. They didn’t realize I was some soft hearted fool destined for sacrifice to Drouzal.

After breakfast, the boats are packed, and Swampfoot asks what I intend to do with these prisoners. “We don’t really have as much food as I’d like with us, and four additional mouths, four more people making noise, two more people in each boat?”

“Let them go,” I command.

“They are doomed in this swamp, unarmed and without any knowledge of the place,” he continues. His daughter and the rest of my men looking at me, trying to guess what I might do.

I pull my boot dagger from its sheathe and toss it to the woman who leads them, “Give them each a knife and a day’s rations. Bleakwater is about half a day north by boat,” I warn the cultists, “my your ancestors protect you, and may you no longer bring them shame.”

Q: Are they grateful? EXCEPTIONAL YES
They take the supplies, and then the leader starts to spit, but then…swallows. “Thank you?” she shrugs her shoulders, confused. “When next we meet, it may be in battle. Unless you join us, expect no mercy.” I tell her I won’t. Then she turns to Wart, “And I will take great joy splitting your gut and letting rats feast on your entrails.” He glares at her in seething rage.

Scene: We travel to where the Prophet set his fires, and start looking for signs of where he went. The air smells of urine and there are signs of something large having crashed through the foliage. Swampfoot and his granddaughter carefully search the area for tracks.

-Survival 7, Survival 8-

Unfortunately, there is no sign of the Prophet having passed this way. Just that leaves and branches were burned. Which is bizarre, for the unburnt parts are still saturated from the swamp’s humidity and the prior day’s rain.

-Arcane-17-Q: Can I get a look at the Prophet? Likely-NO

I pull out the dragon’s eye, and try to focus my mind on the Prophet, but nothing comes to me.

“Well?” Swampfoot asks. I shake my head, “We need to find the Temple of Maggath. The prophet has his own ways, and it wouldn’t surprise me to find him waiting there for us.”

-The Sahauagin raid have encountered Room 2, riding the village we dealt with the night before-

Suddenly, we hear the sounds conch horns from the direction of the bullywug village. A chill runs down my spine as I recognize the sound from my childhood, when the sea devils murdered my parent and destroyed our village. “We need to go.”

-Survival 7, Survival 15-
We push our boats into the channel and begin poling and paddling easterly. Swampfoot sits on the prow looking for signs that a large group of bullywugs passed by. We quicky find where they took refuge overnight before returning to their village this morning, but then Littlefoot finds a game trail, and points out the bullywug prints that lead down it.

“Good eyes, little one,” the old man says to his granddaughter. “My eyes must be fading. You follow these tracks on the ground, I’ll guide the boats along the channels, keeping you in sight.” The girl smiles. I call for Ambar to come with us, leaving Wart and Benar with the boats for their protection.

-Survival 7, Wisdom 20-

After a time, crossing yet another water channel, Littlefoot pauses, “I don’t see where they’ve gone.”

I point at a clump of reeds that are pressed down some distance across the water, “They jumped across rather than swimming or walking.” She nods her head, and wonders, why?

Q: Are the boats able to keep close? Likely-NO

The boats are no longer in sight, as has happened several times. I warn Ambar that there is likely some danger here, even to the bullywugs, and he kneels down with his crossbow. Littlefoot nocks an arrow as I creep down to the water’s edge.

-Stealth 11 vs my Perception of 14, Littlefoot 15, Ambar 11-

“In the water!” Littlefoot hurriedly whispers, but I see the large shape coming towards us as well. I channel as much power as i can muster into a bolt of lightning, which sends dozens of fish and frogs floating dead to the surface as a great fiend erupts from the water! It looks like a giant, but is covered in twisted vines and leaves. “Shambler!” she shouts.

-Nature 19-Intelligence 19-

Watching the sparks of lightning dancing across the creature’s “skin”, I see buds blossom and vines lengthen and recall reading of these “plant trolls” that grow stonger from lighting. It glides swiftly through the water and clambers up the muddy banks with ease as Ambar drops his bow, and lays into it with his sword and shortblade. Twigs fly from the creature’s arm, and Littlefoot’s arrow slams into its trunk as she quicky backs arrows, drawing another shaft from its quiver.

I hurl a bolt of acid at it, searing away bark and leaves, as it swings its limbs at Ambar. He narrowly avoids being smashed into the brackish pool as he calls out “Brother! I need you!” Blow after blow, Ambar cannot land a mortal wound, though Littlefoot puts one arrow after another into the creature’s massive trunk. Acid scorches the fiend, but it is too strong, and too quick for me to strike at its heart.

Q: Will help arrive? NO

Suddenly, the creature grabs hold of Ambar and envelops him within it’s massive body of vines and leaves. “No!” cries Littlefoot as she looses another arrow at it.

“No!” yells Ambar as he pulls himself free, scrambling away from the creature as it tries to grab him once more! As it pursues him, I realize our situation is truly desperate and focus more of my power than before into the acid bolts. This time, one scorches the creature’s entire backside as Ambar scrambles backwards while the creature tries to crush him with its fists!

Q: Does he have another dagger? YES

His weapons somewhere inside it, Ambar draws a blade from his boot and slashes at the thing, “I’ve fought worse than you! Not gonna die at the hands of some weed!” he yells as the creature swallows him up once more. My bolt of acid having flown over its “head” as it collapsed down on him.

The creature turns towards me, no sign of Ambar. Another bolt of acid strikes the think as one of it’s arms begins to peel away, shorn free from and scorched by the spell. Arrows protrude from its body, as I steel myself for what’s to come.

“Scutum!” I yell as a might limb crashes down upon my conjured shield. The second limb is similarly deflected, and then….the thing collapses, as an arrow strikes deep within, piercing whatever must pass for a hear inside this thing.

“Ambar!” I yell, quickly tearing at the creature with my knife, Littlefoot helping me.

We pull him free, his breathing is ragged and his skin burned from the heat within the fiend. I gingerly feed him a healing draught, allowing its magic to slowly revive him. Then I start working to bandage his wounds.

“You scared me old man,” I chastise him as his eyes flutter to life.

“I thought I was done for,” he coughs, “Where’s my brother?”

Littlefoot and I treat his injuries while the others catch up to us.

“What the hell is that?” Wart demands, staring at the plant beast.

“A badly tossed salad,” Benar jests, drawing an icey stare from the brother.

“One of the dangers of the swamp,” warns Swampfoot. “Your brother is lucky to have survived being swallowed by it.”

“Twice,” Ambar says, with a laugh that turns to a cough.

We carefully move him to the boat, and recover his weapons from inside the creature. But in cutting it open, we find a great many things that it could not digest, that simply lay within its belly. Two iron scroll cases catch my eye, a marble statue of a weasel with green gems for eyes, a globe of dull glass, and hundreds of coins that must have been carried by past victims, mostly silver, but also gold coins of various age, and even a few platinum pieces from the elven kings. One of the scroll cases contains a silken poem, stitched with golden thread. The words are in elvish, and Benar tells me it is a love poem. The other case contains a magical scroll, for a spell that is unfamiliar to me. It apparently allows one to see the unseen. I am delighted at the find, moreso since Ambar was not lost.

-Though I had rolled that the encounters for the day are two story progressions, I was in the mood for a fight. So, when the trail was lost by the tracker, but spotted by Mendy, I had to decide way. Some dangerous obstacle seemed likely. A swamp beast’s lair that Bullywugs could not tame. For the equivalent of two level 6 characters, a CR 5 Shambling mound seemed right. Had Mendy not opened with a maxed out Chromatic Orb of lightning, granting the thing 30 temporary hit points (not having yet been damaged), the fight would have gone much better for the heroes. Mendy had to use all of her luck rolls to ensure hits with her spells, but it turned out for the best. Ambar survived-For long term recover, he fails his DC 10 Con save, but Mendy passes her DC 10 medicine check, so he survives but with a lingering injury-Concussion, which takes 40 days to heal, and 9 days to recover from his more mundane injuries-

After he’s moved to the boat, Ambar seems to black out. I tell Wart to keep a close eye on him. Keep his feet propped up and don’t let him stay under, “Looks like he took a nasty hit to the head,” I warn. Wart, worry in his eyes, agrees with me, and gingerly looks after his kin.

“You fought well, Little Foot,” I nod to the girl. “I thought you didn’t fight.”

“That’s grandpa’s rule, not mine. My rule is that if it might run me down, best to try and kill it while I have help before trying to outrun it,” she laughs. I nod my thanks.

“Benar, you stay come with Little Foot and I, we are pretty sure our quarry went this way!” I point across the wide pool.

The three of us cross with the boats, which then start trying to trail us along parallel channels like before.

Immersion-Sound,
Scene: We come to a huge span of water, with some sort of haze over it and a strange humming sound, and something else beneath it. In the distance, there appears to be soem sort of mound or island.

“What’s that haze? It doesn’t seem like fog,” Benar asks, drawing close as his heavy footsteps squelch through the mud.

“It isn’t,” answers Littlefoot somberly, “Those are mosquitos. Millions of them.”

Q: Do we hear the bullywugs? YES

“That’s what I’m hearing, the sound of tens of millions of tiny little wings, each carrying a thirst for blood. And the name Magath…do you hear it?” I ask. My companions strain their ears.

Lightfoot shakes her head, but Benar agrees, “It’s coming from that island alright. We should wait for the others to cross.”

I hear a conch horn in the distance, from around the area where we fought the swamp beast. “We don’t have much time. Lightfoot, we need some herbs that will drive away the mosquitos. We can use some smoldering torches to help, but anything that will drive them away from our scent will help.” She nods and starts scouring the area for suitable plants.

-Survival 18-
She quickly finds a clump of marigold, and showing Benar and I what to look for, we soon have a sackfull of the plants as the rest of our company arrives. I quickly tell Swampfoot the plan, and he agrees it is best if we cross quickly. He too heard the horns behind us. He has his men help his granddaughte grind the plants into a past, while he checks over all of us to ensure that our clothing is as snug as possible to keep the bugs from getting at any more exposed skin than is absolutely necessary for us to see and breath. Then we smear the paste across our exposed skin, cuffs, collars and as much of our garments as we can until we run out of the plant. Lighting some torches, the porters push the two boats into mosquito lake, and we hope for the best!

-Proper Attire is a DC10 Survival check to avoid serious bits, Advantage from the Marigold and Smoke, only Benar fails. He does pass the check to avoid contracting Sewer Plague-

Slap! Slap! I look behind me and see Benar fighting against the cloud of bugs that seem have lighted on his neck. I pull my blanket from my pack, drag it in the water, and then slide it up across his back so that it hopefully forces most of the bugs out of the way as it becomes yet another layer of protection between his exposed skin and their bloodlust!

Immersion-Social-Enemy commands me
Scene: We soon approach the island, and can see there is a ruined, and overgrown structure that takes up most of it. We see movement, and the croak of bullywugs grows louder. And deeper. As our boats hit the shore, I leap onto the ground with Benar right behind me. Wart leaps from his boat as well.

Q: Does lightfoot come with us? NO

“something something, Magath, blah blah!” I hear as a large frogman with a feathered crown stares down pointing at me. Several other bullywugs, larger than those from the island, then turn to face us, and I see that their faces are half rotted away. Then the shaman calls forth a bolt of lightning that overwhelms my protective wards as I dive to one side, and sends Benar reeling in pain.

“Help us!” I yell back to the boat, hoping that my allies will decide to fight after all. I hurl a bolt of flame at him, and then three arrows fly overhead, striking the shaman and the lighting that had been crackling around his hand and staff fizzles out. Benar quaffs a healing draught and steps up to intercept one of the zombies that was drawing close to me, blocking its clumsy blows with his shield. Wart slashes at one of the creatures with his blades, ripping through dead flesh, but unable to slow it down.

round 1

The shaman conjures lightning again, calling it from a storm forming overhead and bringing it down once more upon my allies and I. One of his zombie slaves is destroyed, but we are all burned by the heat! I race to the side and cast a shatter spell upon the growing horde of zombies as my men try to hold off their advance. More arrows fly and I hear Wart and Benar encouraging each other, “Stand your ground! Keep your shield up!,” Wart yells. “Behind you!” Benar warns.

round 2
Another bolt of lightning strikes in the midst of my companions, “Benar!” I hear Wart yell, fear in his voice. I hurl a bolt of flame at the priest, and then dive into the water, swimming out towards the boats. The battle is lost!

Q: Would the prophet happen to show up right now? YES

“Run!” hear the Prophet shout, and I look back as Wart strikes down one fo the zombies. Hearing the Prophet’s words, he turns and leaps into the water, in spide of his heavy armor, just as the plants on the island erupt into a swaying tangled mass, grasping the zombies, tripping them and holding them fast.

Round 3
The shaman spots me as I break the surface of the water, and hurls a bolt of lightning at me. I don’t dive down far enough and I feel the heat as my skin burns fron from the jolt. I swim towards the bolt, and breaking surface alongside one of them, I grab hold of the side, and with my free hand, hurl a bolt of flame at the shaman. He topples from the altar where he was standing, and his magic is broken. The zombies collapse in a heap of skin and bone.

Q: Do the zombies fall? EXCEPTIONAL YES

“Wart!” I yell, and dive back towards where we last saw him. Surprisingly, the man is swimming towards us! A spectacular feat in heavy armor.

Reaching the boat, he looks at me, smiling, “Here I thought you didn’t like me.”

“You…are a very good swimmer!” I say in shock.

He grins, “Battle of Deadman’s Bog. They had us outnumbered with our backs to the channel. Those who couldn’t swim, died.”

I look back towards the island. Benar lies still among the dead frogmen. I swim over towards him while the boats follow. Checking is pale but bloodied skin, “He has a pulse!”

The Prophet kneels down next to him, and begins chanting some strange prayer. Benar’s eyes flutter open. “Did we win? I didn’t think we would win,” he mutters, drifting back into unsconsiousness. I start binding up his wounds, and Wart’s while Swampfoot and his daughter look around the island.

-Benar, no lingering injuries, out of action 8 days-

The prophet stands nearby, staring at the strange jacked red stone atop the altar where the shaman had been. It pulses with an eerie light which seems to flow into the altar below. “We need to move the stone off this island, now!” the Prophet says sternly.

I look to Swampfoot and his porters. “You heard the man. Throw some ropes around it to pull it to the side. Don’t touch it. I’ll be there to help in a moment.”

I set Benar down and join the men as they pull it down with with a might “Heave to!”

The stone crashes to the ground, and the light around the altar fades, and the buzzing sound of mosquitos fades to silence.

Q: Does Magath awake? EXCEPTIONAL NO

“Alright, make a litter that connects the two boats, cut down saplings, use our cloaks, whatever,” I say, as I begin tying knots and loops around the stone using my mystic hand. “We’ll hoist the stone with some sturdy branches through those loops, and transfer it to the litter,” I explain as the men get to work.

Soon, the light is fading, but we are off the island before the sun dips below the horizon.

-Survival 18 for camp concealment-

We pull the boats ashore, and carefully conceal them and the stone along with our camp and our two badly injured companions. I lay my warning incantations near where we came ashore, and then we try to get some rest. We still need to escape the swamp with our lives!

Heyday-Sunday 1st-67 degrees, light wind, smoke drifts to indicate direction, but leaves and weathervanes stationary
(Royal Expedition in the Swamp-Passed room 1 via teleport, but no progress today, ticks on day one, nothing much day two, insect swarms day three, bobcats and a warnnig sign of dragon territory day four, insect swarms and torrential storms day five, wasps and hornets day six, nothing special on day 7, nothiing special on day 8)
(Elven Rangers-Passed Room 3-stirges, Pass room 1-traps day 1, Room 2 moral dillema (help Black Coven trigger traps and subsquent ambush, costing several members) on day 2 mosquito swarms day 3, room 3 (getting lost in the swamp) on Day 4)
(Black Coven-Passed Room 2, no major events day 1, deal with room 1 on Day 2, traps, no encoutners day 3, the freed coven members lead the rest of the company back to the Bullywug village, Room 2, on Day 4)-numbers depleted
-Wiped Out-(Keepers (Passed Room 5, hired Orias the Hunter as guide, +1 on future rolls, clouds of mosquitos, day 1, Door 2 is the bramble swamp, several mmembers sickened, Door 3 heavy fog, and possible ambush is on the 3rd day find enemy party Room 4, betrayed by a leader Room 5)-half sickened, +1 on search results each day, a leader betrays them-Q: Do the Keepers prevail? NO
-Wiped Out-(Sea Devils Passed Room 3, Cats and game animals day 1, Room 1 capture guides and sacrifices on raid of nearby village, destroying watercraft Day 2 attack the bullywug village we raided on day 3 room 3 ambushed by Bullywugs on Day 4)-numbers depleted +1 search distance each day Q: Do the seadevils survive? NO
(Mendy-Passed Room 4, Obtain watercraft (Rm 1) and infiltrate Bullywood Village (Rm 2) on Day 1 )+1 Search distance, +1 roll for Scout, obtain 4 Black Coven captives, pass through Mosquito Swamp (rm 3) and sieze stone from Magath’s lair (rm 4) on Day 2,

-Immersion-Touch, NPC, Spongy?

E: Progress on ‘Unlock the meaning of The Dragon’s Eye’: the Movement of Fears

Scene:
I wake to the sound of a conch horn. Scrambling to my feet, i quickly slip out of my tent, Littlefoot close behind, already nocking an arrow. “What’s happing?” I whisper to Wart, who sits with the pilots and the wounded.

“Swampfoot has gone to see,” Wart nods back towards the lake.

I command the men to strike camp as quickly and quietly as possible while I too head down to the water’s edge.

-Stealth 9 & 10 but there is a battle taking place, so..-

I look towards the island where we fought the day before. I see a small group of sea devils trying to fight off scores of bullywugs. In spite of their priestess’ magic, and the skill with which their four armed chief wields his blades, they have little chance of survival. Which brings a smile to my face.

Q: Any signs of human captives? NO

“They were following our trail, weren’t they?” Swampfoot asks. I nod in agreement. “We’d best get moving…others might be as well.”

“Wait!” I say, pulling out the dragon’s eye. I look into it, trying to see if there are any surviving prisoners held on the island. Instead, I feel as though I am looking into the void between worlds. My breath grows shallow, and then there is a cracking sound, and I see stone walls marked with elven rooms beginning to split. Arcane symbols flare, and then are snuffed out as a darkness passes before them.

“Something’s happening,” I hear Swampfoot say, grabbing my arm. “Look at the island!” The air around the island begins to ripple.

“Magath of the Void?” I mutter, a memory coming to mind. Then I yell “Littlefoot! There is a steel chime in my pack! I need it!”

The girl soon joins us with the chime in her hand. “I hope Alynn was right about this word!” I say, looping one of my braids through it so the chime hangs free, and then tapping it with the hilt of my silver dagger.

Q: Does the void retreat? YES Q: Does the chime glow? YES

The chime flares brightly and then winks out of existence. The air above the swamp returns to normal, though the island is now crowded with frogmen celebrating their hard fought victory. The sahaugin’s heads being paraded on the ends of bullywug spears.

-With the keepers slain, likely led by a noble, and a sahaugin noble slain, it seems that “houses may fall”. The prophesy says that an evil is unleashed with the thinning of the veil between worlds, that is what was happening with the stone on the island. The prophecy was said to progress with a “Pursuit of the Public” and I was tired of it lingering. When Magath’s name turned out to be “The Void” that tied nicely with the chime Mendy found in Mypione’s lair. Creating an opportunity to tie up some loose threads And besides, Room 5 turned out to be:A plot twist: A seemingly insignificant event or detail from earlier in the adventure takes on new significance and changes the heroes’ understanding of the situation. For example, the heroes may discover that the map they were given to find the magical relic was misleading and actually led them into a trap. (On grabbing the fallen star, the hero realizes that it has no magical powers at all, but is merely an inert piece of very valuable metal, useful for forging sturdy weapons or armor, but not inherently magical –

“What just happened?” Littlefoot asks.

I smile and say, “I think I just banished a demon!”

We quickly retreat back to the camp where are men are now ready to push into a nearby channel away from the fighting.

Q: Is the Prophet there? YES

The Prophet stands by the boats, and as I approach he says, “You have been an excellent weapon! And this stone will be forged into many excellent weapons, now that the power has been drained from it. You have done well, Mendy of White Tower.”

Q: Does he vanish mysteriously? YES

The Prophet then shimmers white and floats away like dandelion seeds caught in the wind. “What the hells was that?” Wart demands.

His brother groggily asks, “We just got screwed didn’t we?”

With Swampfoot’s keen sense of direction, it takes little time for us to make our way back out of the swamp. At one point, we are attacked by giant horseflies, but a few flame spells and some keen eyed archery, and the things are quickly dispatched. We arrive at Bleakwater by nightfall.

-I figure pound of adamantine is worth about 50 gold…so a 200 lb chunk of this falling star, is worth about 10,000 crowns. A pound of gold also happens to be worth 50 gp, so that’s nice-

Swampfoot persuades his friend, Duskar, to let us stay overnight in the man’s barn, where Benar’s horses had been kept, and he returns the man’s boats, still intact. I have Wart bring us over some food from the village tavern, and the two of us take turns keeping watch. “You really think this rock is going to be worth something?” he asks. I smile and reassure him that the Trade League will pay us very well for metal stronger than steel.