KotB - Episode 5

A break down of the major happenings in the fifth episode of the Keep on the Borderlands play-through, with timestamps.

Character Recap
Andrew’s PCs:Feldrick the Far-voiced (Magic-User), Lumpy  (Magic-User)

Dave’s PCs: The Shadow (Thief), Rolph the Younger - (Cleric)

Hilary’s PCs: Thistle Turnipsworth (Halfling), Ingrid the Plain (Fighter)

John’s PCs: Hawthorne (Elf), Chunk Flunkins (Dwarf)

John’s Retainers: Julien the Weasel

 

At The Keep on The Borderlands - Recruitment, Labor Unions, and The Inverted Obelisk Scheme
   
 * 0’16” At The Keep, our band of brazen bravos meet an adventuring wizard, currently passing himself off as an itinerant interpreter.

NEW Character
Andrew’s PC:Translator Pendrick (Magic-User)  3hp    
 * 0’20” The party meet three greenhorn hirelings, as yet undecided about the mercenary lifestyle, and attempt to win them over.
 * 0’22” Bearing The Castellan’s sigil confers a +1 to the reaction roll for recruiting hirelings. (DM Ruling)
 * Lianna Moneybags, after an intense round of negotiations, accepts Translator Pendrick’s offer of: 50 GP per delve (cash up front) and joins the party.
 * Smirking Carlos isn’t sold on Chunk Flunkins’ Inverted Obelisk Scheme that starts out at: a share of the spoils, up to 100 GP per delve.
 * Dale the Mumbler is swayed by a pint of beer, and Ingrid the Plain’s bid of: 25 GP up front & a share of treasure, up to  50 GP per delve and joins the party.
 * 0’26” 0-Level retainers are considered to have a score of 10 in all their abilities, 1d4 hit points, and may use Magic-User weapons. (DM Ruling)
 * 0’45” Our impious instigators each donate 100 GP to the chapel, in exchange for having The Blessing of Gods of Law, bestowed upon them by Yorick the Curate.
 * 0’48”  With The Shadow  tending to unspecified shadowy business, and Rolph The Younger occupied with an obscure religious observance, our mob of main characters depart The Keep, and make the day long journey back to The Caves of Chaos.

At the Caves of Chaos - Squeaking of an Unusual Size
 
 * 0’53” Hawthorne’s acute Elven ears detect the tell-tail squeak of rodents from the cave West of the pit trap.  (Marked ‘2’)
 * 0’58” Our team of craven cartographers follows the tunnel Eastwards until it opens up into a roughly hewn room, that bears evidence of a recent and bloody conflict. (Marked ‘6’)
 * 1’03” Hawthorne and the rest of the party search the chamber thoroughly. Amongst the detritus and the stinking bodies of the dead Halflings and Kobolds (adults, infants, and eggs), they find a total of 125 SP, and a bolt of fine silk (worth 150 GP).

After the First Break - On a Philosophy of Evil & Kobold Babies
       
 * 1’20” Our paragons of pugnaciousness turn back Eastwards, pursuing the tunnel until it broadens into a crude chamber reeking of the offal and excrement piled waist-high upon its floor. (Marked ‘2’)
 * 1’23” While the party debate their options, several rats emerge, curious to investigate the intrusion into their lair.  Chunk Flunkins is eyed suspiciously by a huge black and grey rat with a gold earring. They share a silent moment of bonding over their love of bling, and the tension of the situation is defused.
 * 1’27” Thistle Turnipsworth flatters The Great Rat King, convincing him to lead his innumerable pack to the storeroom, (marked ‘3’) where a bounteous feast is prepared for them. In return The Great Rat King gives Thistle a leather pouch containing: a fine silver chain (worth 50 GP) set  with 5 small teardrop gems (50 GP apiece).
 * 1’35” Searching through the now rodent-free refuse, Chunk Flunkins and Hawthorne find the rat-chewed body of another of the seven Halfling adventurers.
 * 1’37” Thistle Turnipsworth announces her intent to retrieve “Hambone”, the sword of her fallen sister, Gristle Turnipsworth and the party head East, and then North. (Towards ‘4’)
 * 1’39”-1’52” From the around the corner, the party hear well spoken voices taking a stock inventory. Our heroes greet Victor the Trader, a paunchy older man with jowly sideburns and fine clothes. The six younger men and women standing by their trade goods are his family. Seeing the Keep’s sigil pinned to their cloaks Victor is relieved, him and his band were attacked and sought refuge here. After some negotiations Feldrick the Far-voiced intimidates The Trader and his family into a deal. They agree to part with all their trade goods in exchange for safe escort to The Keep on The Borderlands.
 * 1’49” Thistle Turnipsworth reclaims “Hambone” from one of Victor’s family.
 * 1’56” As our estimable explorers emerge from the mouth of the cave, they see three Goblins: Snot the Black, Richard the book-keeper and Al, all armed and waiting for them in the clearing between two gnarled stands of trees.

After the Second Break - Far-voiced & The Contracts of Chaos
 
 * 2’04”-2’13” Snot the Black and the other Goblins demand that the party hand over the Traders they’re escorting, but Chunk Flunkins points out the ambiguous terms of their covenant. While Richard the book-keeper studies the language of the contract, Feldrick the Far-voiced thows his voice, confusing matters with a flawless impression of Goblin dissent. Eventually, the Goblins accept a single keg of ale as payment.

On the Road - Drunkins WK
 
 * 2’16”-2’24” As our tired travellers schlep back towards The Keep on The Borderlands, Thistle Turnipsworth and Chunk Flunkins hear the sound a group of half-a-dozen approaching Dwarves, singing a mining song. Heartened, Chunk Flunkins rushes to greet Greybeard, Carl Coppertank and the Dwarven Ore Miners. Despite their initial suspicion, a quarter of hour later, with the help of The Castellan’s sigil and a keg of Victor’s ale, a now squiffy Flunkins convinces the seriously sauced Dwarves to return with him to The Keep.
 * 2’25” The Dwarven Mining trail is marked on the PC’s map.

Keep on The Borderlands - Hard Bargains & Adventurenomics
 
 * 2’27”-2’32” Once back within the safety of The Keep, Victor the Trader pleads with Ingrid the Plain for leniency, promising to broker her a better price for the sale of their trade goods, in exchange for 10% of the sale price. Ingrid offers him 10%, but only if the goods sell for over 150 GP. Impoverished and desperate, Victor’s bargaining ability goes from bad to worse, he only manages to secure a paltry 100 GP for the sale; but Ingrid the Plain mercifully gives him 8 GP regardless, so that he can keep a roof over the heads of his children.
 * 2’31” Determining the value of trade goods sold is a reaction roll. Circumstantial bonuses apply.
 * 2’33” Victor the Trader will likely set up shop at The Keep on The Borderlands.
 * 2’34” Dwarven miners Carl and The Coppertanks will come and go from The Keep to their Mining Claim.
 * 2’45” Our virtuous vagabonds once again donate 600 GP to the chapel, in exchange for having ‘The Blessing of Gods of Law’ bestowed upon them by Yorick the Curate. 

On the Road - Orcish Twilight
 
 * 2’49” Journeying East from The Keep, about an hour away from Campfire Hill, our ambiguous adventurers hear an Orcish shout bellowing out from the treeline: “There they are!”

After the Third Break - They Bravely Turned their Tails and Fled

 * 3’08” Confirmation of evasion and pursuit rules. (B24)
 * 3’13” Three Orc Hunters rush out of the woods and fire at the fleeing party. The party escape successfully, but Chunk Flunkins is wounded by an Orcish arrow.
 * 3’21” Fearing pursuit, our gallant gang beat a brave retreat through the darkness, to the Southern side of Campfire hill. Concerned that they’ll be spotted by the Orcs, they don’t make a fire.
 * 3’23” Without a fire to provide warmth and hot food, resting PCs must make a CON check to recover hp. (DM ruling)

At The Caves of Chaos - The (Kob)old Bait & Slime

 * 3’24” The journey to The Caves of Chaos passes uneventfully, but upon arrival, the adventurers spot a new sign crudely written both in Goblish and the Common tongue. It reads: “Attention Everybody! Kobold caves am now Goblins are having. Stay out!”
 * 3’26” Our foolish footpads proceed directly to the far end of the ravine, and cut a path through the twisted underbrush that obscures the little-used cave entrance (Marked “G”)
 * 3’28” Thistle Turnipsworth takes a moment to listen at the cave mouth (marked ‘32’), while the rest of the party stand guard or search for traps. She hears only the sound of dripping water, echoing down from the cave to the North. (Marked ‘33’)
 * 3’30”-3’34”  Picking through the bones and litter bestrewn upon the entrance floor (marked ‘32’), Translator Pendrick recovers 6 SP, 3 CP, and 1 GP. He doesn’t fail to notice that the bones, chewed, broken, and with their marrow sucked out, are likely the remains of some monster’s former prey.
 * 3’36” Our spunky spelunkers head North and discover a natural cave, (marked ‘33’) dominated by a shallow pool of water. Sticking out of the silt at the bottom of the pool is a shining gold and silver goblet.
 * 3’38” Feldrick the Far-voiced orders Lianna Moneybags to grab the goblet, but ever-cautious Thistle Turnipsworth stops her before she can wade in.
 * 3’40” Hearing reason, Translator Pendrick takes up 10 ft pole, attempting to use it to hook the goblet.
 * 3’44” Fine manipulation of a 10 ft pole, (such as scooping up a submerged goblet) requires a DEX check. (Optional rule B60)
 * 3’45” As Translator Pendrick recovers the goblet, a shimmering translucent Grey Ooze slimes out of the pool and wraps its pseudopods around him. He screams as his flesh and clothing start to dissolve.
 * 3’51” Seeing the Grey Ooze engulfing Translator Pendrick, Chunk Flunkins jumps back, urging the rest of the party to flee for their lives.
 * 3’55” A PC can pull another character away with them, if they take no other action, and move only at their ‘encounter’ movement rate, rather than at running speed. (DM Ruling)
 * 3’56” Retainers must make a morale check if it appears that the PC who hired them is about to die. (Expansion of B27)
 * 3’56” PC DEATH Translator Pendrick runs towards the party, screaming silently as the Grey Ooze liquefies his face. (Andrew’s PC)
 * 3’59” PC DEATH Two more Grey Oozes drop from the ceiling. One falls on Feldrick the Far-Voiced, immediately dissolving him into a steaming mess. (Andrew’s PC)
 * 3’59” A player may take control of their hirelings in the event that their PCs are dead. (Andrew takes over Lianna Moneybags.) (DM Ruling)
 * 4’06” Unintelligent monsters might concentrate on devouring a PC they’ve slain; rather than attacking other characters.(Expansion of B60)
 * 4’06” RETAINER DEATH Dale the Mumbler mumbles his last as he chokes on a Grey Ooze.
 * 4’09” Lianna Moneybags, emboldened by her brush with death, emerges from the cave with a steely determination to become a full-time adventurer.

NEW Character
Andrew’s PC: Lianna Moneybags is a retainer no longer.