Session 1 Recap & Experience Points Awards

Deep in the night, a vicious trog war party set up on the porters and lumberjacks of Camp Dorliff, an obscure logging operation cut into the forest several hours’ hike west of the village Horl.  The marauding trogs, bloodthirsty as always, viciously murdered sleeping loggers and set fire to tents, trees, and all manner of supplies.  Yet their attack was disorganized, as is the way of trogs—clumsy, loud, and inefficient.  They soon awoke the forbidding camp foreman, Mulder Vroso, and several other men who rose quickly to defend the assault.  Among them were the veteran dwarf Carmore, the cool-headed Parn Issa, his brash younger brother Sawn, and three lesser-known names: the young dwarf Jowdain, the elven mage Greyndalf, and Gambol, attendant to the centaur god Cygnival.  Surprisingly absent was the camp’s official guardian, the ever-drunken swordsman Yolo Mate.

The defenders soon found the trogs to be divided—indeed scattered, their isolated warriors presenting manageable targets for even the poorly-armed loggers.  Before long, many trogs had fallen—sliced on the axes of Vroso, Carmore, and Jowdain, bludgeoned down with Gambol’s fearsome club, or defeated by the guiles of Greyndalf and his arcane talents.  Even a second wave of trog invaders, properly organized behind their war party chieftain, was no match for this suddenly formidable company.  The trog leader turned and retreated, and the sounds of battle soon fell silent—all except Vroso, and his endless taunts.

Vroso had referred to the trogs as “bitches” and “lackeys,” and suggested they’d been sent by someone (or something) called “Osinella Biaka.”  And when the last remaining trogs fled into the woods, he’d declared that his patron, Lord Soo-Kiru Kiru, would have his revenge.

As usual, of course, Vroso hadn’t bothered to elaborate on his remarks.  He didn’t usually say much, other than to bark terse commands or define his extreme dissatisfaction with some logger’s hard work.  Only battle, it seemed, had brought out Vroso’s expressive side.  And even then Vroso fell speechless upon the charity of Gambol, when the cleric used the magic of his centaur god to heal a minor wound some trog had inflicted on Vroso in the melee.  What Vroso might make of the gift, none could know—perhaps not even Vroso himself.

Still, even as the remaining trogs withdrew, the defenders realized they had managed to save only themselves.  Camp Dorliff burned uncontrollably in the early light of dawn, its burlap tents and pinewood structures standing no chance against the blazing oiled torches the trogs had flung from the woods before the battle.  Vroso, his stoicism restored, calmly declared the camp a total loss and started along the path back to Horl—pausing to salvage literally nothing, not even the half-elven woman who’d visited the camp that night and now lie wounded in the northwest grass.  She might yet be saved, but Vroso silently strode down the path. 

Sawn Issa tagged eagerly behind Vroso, as did Carmore with only a moment’s hesitation.  Parn Issa, with his eyes imploring others to aid the half-elven, then reluctantly followed his brother.  Jowdain and Greyndalf might well have left the woman, but with Gambol’s insistence the three helped her stand and stabilized her condition.  Yet a foul black wound still marked her neck and face—a condition beyond Gambol’s magic.  “Take me to the House of Opposition,” the half-elf pleaded.  “Tis a heinous trog infection.  I require the sun priest Mata Vuvu.”

Her rescuers grudgingly agreed, and set off to Horl along the path Vroso had led just a moment earlier.  “But,” the mage Greyndalf warned, “there had better be something in it for us.”

Adventure Notes:

·      Trog Warriors.  Having faced numerous trog warriors in hand-to-hand combat, the adventuring company is now highly familiar with this foe.  Trog warriors are of average strength (compared to human/demi-human beings) and have about 5-8 hit points and an armor class of about 11.  They are not particularly fast or agile, and do not appear to have access to particularly effective armor or weaponry.  However, it is possible for a trog blade to inflict a diseased wound (“trog rot”) that worsens over time, and which requires higher-level magic to effectively treat.  Trogs tend to be disorganized and undisciplined when not under the direct leadership of a chieftain; they panic easily and if a fight is going poorly they will flee (unless cornered).

·      Trog Chieftain.  You also observed a trog chieftain in battle.  The chieftain was considerably stronger than the other warriors and those under his direct command fought with more discipline and teamwork.  Notably, even when the battle turned against them, the chieftain’s warriors fought to enable his escape—probably costing them their own lives in the process. 

·      Osinella Biaka.  Most in these parts know the word “osinella” as a term the wood elves use to denote their high queen or other esteemed female leader.  Biaka is not a familiar name, but most have heard of Osinella Tiamala, who leads the local tribe of wood elves (the Quilderran) to the west of Horl.  Some say Tiamala is a shapechanger, possibly a werewolf—others vehemently deny this.

·      Soo-Kiru Kiru.  You had certainly presumed Mulder Vroso to have been working for another—and Vroso himself confirmed this when he shouted in battle that his master, “Lord Soo-Kiru Kiru,” would have his revenge upon those responsible for the destruction of Camp Dorliff.  You were never paid for your labor, of course—and at 5 gp per day you are entitled to a rather significant wage.[1]  Perhaps if Vroso can’t pay what you are owed, you might collect from this Lord Soo-Kiru Kiru?  Then again, perhaps it would be wise to learn a bit more about this lord before presenting such a bold demand.

·      Mata Vuvu.  The wounded half-elf prostitute speaks of a “Mata Vuvu” at the House of Opposition in Horl.  You infer that he must be a cleric of some power if he is able to cure trog rot.

Experience Points & Inspiration 

Preliminary note: In this campaign, experience points are awarded for overcoming obstacles, solving problems, and achieving goals.  Although experience points are typically awarded for defeating adversaries, note that (in this campaign) it is not necessary to actually kill an adversary to earn those experience points if the adversary can be defeated in another way.   Experience points are earned collectively and then divided among the player-characters.  In addition to experience points, individual players can earn inspiration for creativity, superior tactics, and especially strong role-playing.

The party earned 900 experience points for defeating 15 trog warriors and their chieftain.  Eleven trogs were killed in battle, another was led deep into the woods by Greyndalf’s illusion, and three (including the chieftain) fled.  Though, several non-player characters (or “NPCs”) aided the party, I will collapse all of the NPCs into a single experience point share (i.e., I will divide four ways, with one share going to each of the player-characters and a fourth share going to all of the NPCs).  This comes out to 225 XP per character.

In addition, the party also earned experience for the following accomplishments:

·      Joining up to form a unified force (20 XP);

·      Fighting off the trog invaders (100 XP);

·      Avoiding the wrath of Mulder Vroso (by not trying to flee) (10 XP) ;

·      Aiding the wounded half-elf (50 XP).

These experience points are not shared with the NPCs, and thus the total (180 XP) is divided among the player-characters only, for a total of 60 XP apiece.

As for inspiration, Gambol the cleric was awarded one point of inspiration during the game, and is here awarded a second point for strong role-playing (particularly in choosing to heal Mulder Vroso despite having reasons not to, and in persuading his colleagues to assist the wounded half-elf).

Greyndalf the wizard is also awarded one point of inspiration for taking the least-orthodox approach to the battle of Camp Dorliff (particularly in using logging equipment as throwing weapons) and for tactical use of his sleep spell and illusion cantrip.

Final Session 1 totals:

·      Jowdain acquitted himself well in battle and earned 285 experience points. 

·      Gambol pleased his deity and gained 285 experience points, and now holds two points of inspiration.

·      Greyndalf proved himself a cunning and resourceful adversary; he acquired 285 experience points and one point of inspiration.

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[1] Each player should roll (d8+2 weeks plus d8-1 days) separately to determine how many days they worked in the camp.