Session Report 1/24/2020: The Battle at Fennburgh

Kyle the Halfling assassinates another bandit.

Persons mentioned in the text:

• KYLE, a level 3 Halfling
• GRACE, a level 2 Dwarf
• ARMAND, a level 4 Cleric
• GREG, a level 2 Fighter
• KENNETH, a level 2 Thief
• TIMON, a level 1 Fighter
• SELENE, a level 2 Elf
• JOB, a level 2 Fighter

The time:
    The month of GARNET, first month of the year 1120 Anno Daedalus

The place:
    FENNBURGH, a swamp town in the GREYMARSH, on the continent of KATHON, on the planet YRTH.

The story so far:

    Our Heroes, after letting the Keep on the Borderlands fall to the Orcs, travelled North to Greymarsh, where they briefly explored a huge ruin of barrows underneath the marshes near the town of Flume. Finding them too dangerous, they went south, exploring the tower of Florymonde the sorceress. Near the tower, they found a hut, and disturbed the feral vampire dwelling within. They nearly defeated the vampire, but it turned to grey mist and summoned a pack of wolves, and not before charming Kyle. A chance encounter with an eremetic wizard on their way back to Flume resulted in the charm being lifted from Kyle, but for a price: the wizard, Pyrrhus, wanted his ring returned after having it stolen from him by a circle of Moon Druids living in the Small Mountains in the northern jungles. He directed them towards the floating town of Fennburgh, a few days’ travel to the south-east.

    Upon arriving in Fennburgh, the viscount Salmoneus Bondeville, a pale and severe man, greeted Our Heroes and alerted them to the troubles the town was facing: disappearances, bandit raids, necromancy, and religious strife. After exposing two chaotic apprentices within the Guild of Frog-Giggers (involving a heroic but ultimately futile and fatal attempt to save a child by the late Cleric, Dickon) and killing a roving band of raiders, Our Heroes decide to take the fight to the bandits, two days’ ride southeast.


Session:

    Job has been obsessed with learning the mysteries of the Guild of Frog-Giggers. At the beginning of the session, he stole a basket of frogs from two apprentices and tried to swim away in the River Grey. His so-called friends, Kenneth and Kyle, alerted the apprentices. Half-drowned already, Job dragged himself from the river only to be attacked by a Bog Body and die.

    Our Heroes hired two sturdy young men to take them ranging and lead them to the encampment of the bandits calling themselves the Fearless Fighters. After a few days of travel due to over-encumbrance, Our Heroes found the camp. Armand the Cleric approached the camp and offered his services as a healer. As the bandits were religious zealots who worshipped the same god as Armand, they welcomed him. Armand gathered information and relayed it to Our Heroes as they camped in the treelines. There were about 30 bandits in the camp, and one of the generals had a pair of wondrous bracers. Their leader had a magic sword.

    That night, Kyle the Halfling snuck into the latrines on the outskirts of camp and cut the throats of a few bandits as they went to use the privy. The bandits were suspicious about Armand being a spy, but he performed miracles for them to convince them of his loyalty. The bandits packed up camp and prepared to raid Fennburgh. Our Heroes sent back their two hirelings to warn the people in advance, and harassed the band from the trees as they made their way towards Fennburgh. Once there were only 20 bandits left, Armand convinced the bandits to form up and search the treelines. In their haste, they left their tents unguarded, as Kenneth and Kyle were making noise in the trees to draw them out. As the bandits abandoned camp, a few of Our Heroes snuck in, threw their sleeping gear and tents in a pond, and looted the camp, wounding their horses. Furious upon returning, the bandits forced a march towards Fennburgh to make a last stand. By the time they arrived, they were only a force of about fifteen, including four generals and their leader. A contingent of ten young men met them at the border to turn back their assault. During the melee, Selene blinded the leader with a Light spell, and the bandits suffered heavy losses. In the end, only a wounded general and the blinded leader remained. The general cut his former leader’s throat and surrendered. Our Heroes were hailed as champions by the town. Timon the fighter claimed the wondrous bracers for himself, and Greg availed himself of the sword.