Everytime At the Table: Arshoon II

So the gang assembled tonight and we got down to some FRPG nitty-gritty this evening. Though we had a brief session it was a rather productive one. Besides having some narrative fun, three of us are refining our usage of T&T rules while the fourth is seeing what the hubbub is all about.

Our three mages gathered; Max Kitch (really it's not kitsch) the human from a Boyar family, Jazen, our gorgeous furry from a leading pride of his Kin, and the alluring Zeluria from the elven family that runs a lot of lumber and agriculture in and around the city of Moonash. Along with their warrior escort, led by the dashing, if a bit dim, Grock the Warrior, the group is making their way to the Star Tower temple in the Lower Nels. They have been commissioned by the Astrology School of their Wizards Guild. 

The PCs are going to the dot just above the mountains

 The delvers have moved westward away from the Boz River making their way into the cold highlands of Hill Country. Using a Tunnelhack matrix set for this campaign, their travels had definitely made a wrong turn. they walked past a perfect spot for an ambush. Sure enough everybody missed their perception checks so nobody saw the three Gakk, four-armed green Martians, up in the outcrops around them. But as the Hack roll was really bad, the four bandit-warriors weren't there for them. They were more concerned about what was in the cave at the end of the passage that the players had just ambled up to.

Grokk bravely put himself in front of the two wizards, Zeluria and Max and the gakks as best he could. Zell, Z-girl's nickname, initiated peace with the would-be ambushers, who were holding up flintlock rifles, in the the party's general direction, by using her vast vocabulary of their language. According to her Luck Roll, her vocabulary was just enough to order a beer and ask where the bathroom was, So the sorceress held up her hand to sign and speak the word, "Beer?" to them. One of the gakk's then fired its rifle.

It was Jazen that was looking in the right direction to see what was being fired at. Unfortunately for the three swordarms, they were paying attention to the gakks and not seeing the Gug, yes, the Lovecraftian kind, emerging from the cave just behind them. The different kind of four-armed creature knocked two of them back and scooped up the third. The third, in this case, guard's name was Tue, by the way. The fired flintlock's bullet went wide of the mark slamming the rock wall behind the horrible creature.

The Ambush over, we had fun doing combat T&T 7th edition style. You know, with Sequence and all that. That sequence is Ambush, Magic/Missile (Speed goes first), Hand-to-Hand, then Spite.

Max K being the speediest, decided his Wizard being the conniving sort would want to be tactical about the situation so he cast Know Your Foe. But as he is young and inexperienced, he forgot about the range of the spell. I didn't make him expend WZ (Wizardry) maybe I am getting too soft. Zel, went for good old Take That You Fiend, the Player declaring that her PC's spell resembled a swarm of wasp-sized fairies carrying razor-sharp swords, and we coined the phrase "Razor-Pixies." Meanwhile, Jazen bravely rolled out of the carriage. All three of the Gakk's fired their rifles again, only one hit its target, which that target barely noticed.  Once again, the other two swordarms, with their captain Grock this time, engaged in hand-to-hand with the Gug, and taking the brunt of its damage. Poor Tue was used effectively as a flesh club, but his Armor was holding up even if it was increasing the Monster's damage points, I ruled. The creature itself rolled no Sixes so there was no Spite to randomly spread around the group.

In the next round, Max did his own TTYF, which JerryTel described as "basic Sith lightning", but Zel changed up tactics and did a Hold That Pose. The Gug suddenly stopped what it was doing, which was about to slam Tue into Max. Jazen held his action. Then the gakk's fired their volley again. One gakk Crit Failed its shot and got Tue in the forehead. Jazen did a Call Fire not having to worry about friendly fire, pun unintended, anymore. That wrapped up the fight.

While Zel, Grock, and Max shared the universal peace drink of Beer, namely some of the Party's beer reserves, with the three gakks, Jazen and the two remaining swordarms examined the entrance to the cave. Along its mouth there was a smooth area, like a pillar carved into the earthen rock. Strange hieroglyphs adorned it. Something about dark and eyes, but Curtis missed his IQ SR, so he did not learn the spell Cat Eyes.  

The gakks noticed it was getting dark and were not shy about showing that they were afraid to stay near the cave any longer. Jazen wanted to make camp there, just knowing there was something interesting about the place. Max and Zel overruled him and the group got their horses and donkeys moving out of the cul de sac.

The night would not be too restful. Even far away from the cave, unearthly howls could be heard and lights glowing into the clouds above the dark rocks around them. Zel and Max would insist that they were safe and if not they'd just handle it when the trouble came to them-- they need to get some rest (Make a CN SR) to get back their WZ spent earlier. The shadrakar and the swordarms would spend the night keeping watch.

In the morning, Max and Zel would once again overrule Jazen and insist that their little troupe get on the road. The group would meet many bands of gakk now and though they did not speak a word of trade, the word "Beer" would be bandied about until a peace cup could be had. One hunting party of gakk, even traded fresh provisions with our delvers for some of their beer.

After six, maybe seven days, the PCs have arrived at the village of Starach, which is below the small mountain where the Star Tower looms.

Quotes from the Game

"Razor-Pixies" Robin and Me
"Beer." Curtis, "It's the Rosetta Stone of drinks"
Jerry, "My Character has a Teddy Bear. It's Vlad the Impaler."