Pelor's Quest ep59

--/-- Welcome to SoloBickering! It's a solo rpg, which means I roll dice generate a story and decide outcomes, and lose arguments with myself as I portray the exploits of my adventurers. 

--/-- Join me on a journey into the game world I play face to face in, and it may sound vaguely familiar to you. Like many another DM I stitch my world together from any bits and pieces I fancy, adding them into a standard setting, Faerun's Sword Coast.  

--/-- AI and NSFW: For this possibly brief adventure the stars are young and moderately hot, and I'll be using CoPilot AI to buff my romance bar, because I'm useless at romance, and for side situations that need social interactions. Some of the situations the young protagonists find themselves in may turn out to be NSFW. I won't be deliberately aiming for that, but oracles are what they are. So if on either account you take an ethical stand against those, skip this episode and listen in to Rollohi, my other SoloBickering output. 

--/-- And having said that, let's get the game started. 

 --/--Music from Pixabay with thanks to: daynightmorning, Good_B-Music, JefWakeUp, LudoSoundX, makesoundmusic, Playsound, teodholina, and White_Records

--/--The adventure *the Lurker Beneath Red Larch* by MT Black: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/184581/the-lurker-beneath-red-larch-adventure
--/--MT Black's 5e Vol i collection: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/198501/complete-adventures-of-m-t-black-vol-i

https://larrymannplayssolobickering.blogspot.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Two days. Yes, that is reasonable. The breach will not widen in that time. And now that I have the scroll, I can't really afford to linger here myself. Every hour I delay is an hour the valley loses. But two days? Two days is the time I would have spent traveling with the survivors. I can give you that. If you strike at the threat beneath the red light and return in two days, I'll be ready waiting for you gladly. But no more than that. After two days, I will ride to Beliard with you or without you.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Join me on a journey into the game world I play face to face in. May sound vaguely familiar to you. Like many another DM, I stitch my world together from any bits and pieces I fancy, adding them into a standard setting, Fairun's Sword Coast. For this venture, the stars are young and moderately hot. And I'll be using Copilot AI here and there to buff my romance bar because I'm useless at romance, and for side situations that don't really need tools. Some of the situations the young protagons find themselves in may turn out to be NSFW. And if you're uncomfortable on either of those two scores, skip this and head over to the world of Rollohy. Otherwise, having said that, let's get on with this show. D-Day minus two morning. Using the ladder-like spike projections out of the wall, the party descends into the cavern below. They've seen it from above, but this is their first time to step foot on the ground. With the light of the torch that Natalie bears aloft, the walls glitter. Despite being made from limestone, there is something in the natural stone which sends back reflections. It is quite a beautiful sight, but none are there to simply admire the sights. The floor of the cavern abounds with slight hollows which are filled with water, and what must be stalacmites. For above them stalactites can also be seen, suggesting that the age of this cavern is more than some few years. A disturbing thought considering that Garrick the Ranger suggests that this is where the source of strangeness, bidding fear to affect a large part of the world and certainly threaten red larch stems from. Aside from the glittering moats, which are clearly not glowworms, but a reflective particle, there are mosses and lichens. Some of these may glow in the dark, but the torch will have to do the party for now. Let's review our party members. He has 31 hit points and armor class of 15. In this environment, he will have advantage making stealth checks. Lucinda prefers to use two weapons at once, her trusty old hand axe and a short sword plus one. She does carry a well-used bow as backup. Hit points 23, armor class 14 but 15 while two handing. She has a variety of skills, including bonuses to attack damage, melee, and backstab. Natalie prefers to use her blades, some of which can be easily thrown, some of which are better at stabbing. She too has a bow as backup. Hit points 12, armor class 14. She has thief skills and has gained the ability to shadow step, which will stand her in good stead in this dark environment. Sakheeb. Special note should be taken of Sakheeb's heavy gear. He prefers to use his magic longsword goblin grief, and his squire training gives him better use of his male armor than is often the case. Hit points 26, armor class 15, and while using his plus one shield, 17. He's the healer and spellcaster with a range of level 1, 2, and 3 spells. He worships the goddess Taimora, and it is to Taimora he calls as the party begins its exploration. Having all descended and prepared for what comes next, the party finds itself at the extreme east of a largish natural cavern, which narrows slightly to a throat to the west. Almost the first thing that Natalie notices as she begins pressing forward, holding the torch high, is that the ground is steadily sloping to the west. And since she's keyed up to it, she also notices that the air does not smell like old limestone cavern. It has rather a somewhat metallic tang. The survivor's words echo in her mind. The stone hummed. The air bent. We never saw it, we just heard it. Lucinda tests the ground with her boot. The limestone is solid. Natalie's voice floats back to them, just above a whisper.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

This is better than a blizzard.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

Drum grunts, not disagreeing, but not comforted either. Sakeb nods toward the sloping passage ahead of them. I think the next area is probably where the fighter lost his arm. We go real slow, Nat. Lysinda leads the other three. As Nat descends, the air changes. It's colder and denser. The torchlight flickers strangely, not from any wind. The walls seem to drink the light.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

Do you hear that?

SPEAKER_01 8:35

Nat says, despite herself. The others listen. Nothing. But the silence feels like something holding its breath, waiting for them. Ahead of Lucinda, Nat lifts the torch higher again, trying to peer to something to her left. Southward, if you like.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Broken rock!

SPEAKER_01 9:04

She whispers. Really bad ground. Sakheeb thinks back, running his mind back over the sketch map that Jaw made for them. He knows that this is a Y junction. Up ahead is some kind of dangerous area where the fighter lost an arm. In that area, Jaw remarked, Don't go. But the southern fork is bad ground, and the only thing Jaw listed on that branch is down.

SPEAKER_02 9:41

We're flight down here.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Lysinda half snarls.

SPEAKER_02 9:46

Assume every step past the bend is new ground.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Voicing a thought that none of them have dared yet give voice to, Drum adds If the ground is changed since they fled, no maps of any use. Maps lie, shadows don't Nat whispers back confidently. She wants to prove that she is the lead here. Drum Sakeb mutters.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

We know the bend and we know the fork. Everything else we learn as we go. Are you sure Natalie should be leading?

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Nat pushes her torch around up and down at the top of what we'll call a scree slope. She sees a crack in the stone. It might be natural. Or it might not. It's not on the map. She whispers to herself. But Lucinda catches this and says, Then why don't they wasn't here before? Pull back, Nat. Nat is keen to prove to Lucinda that she is tough and useful in this terrain. Her shadow step can get her out of trouble or keep her out of it. But only against foes that rely on sight. In Shadow Dark, no one can see in darkness. So Nat can scout ahead. But only to where she still has light. As she pulls back to Lucinda, the half orc smiles reassuringly and holds out a hand for the torch.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

I've got your back, girl. Sneak forward again. See what you can see.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Nat glances back at Drum instinctively. Her man is holding his longbow and he looks confident. Sakeb is the bulwark with metal armor and shield and magic sword goblin grief. And as the party closes up, he lifts the sword, and it hums and glows. Goblin kind, he mutters.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

Stay close.

SPEAKER_01 12:25

Lysinda rejoins.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

I'll stay where you can see me. But let me check the corners first.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

If anything twitches, I shoot it. Drum says in a voice that means business. They're down here, Sakeb mutters to them. Somewhere close.

SPEAKER_02 12:51

Someone's using these tunnels. Goblin kind.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Be ready. At this point I set up a D ten scale for where those goblins are. One or two, they're temporarily at area three, the area just below the scree. On a three, four or five, they've widened the area southwest of that, a good base for longer term stay. On a six, seven, or eight, they've set up a base further back at area seven and are beginning to dig upwards. And finally on a nine or ten, they have wandered from Earth into area eight. I roller one. It means the goblins are in the tunnels and really close to where Nat was just exploring. They've seen the torch, and they have just decided what to do about these interlopers. On the other hand, the party now know that there are goblins about and can pick which fight they take. They're all experienced in goblin fighting. Withdrawing slightly back to the first bend in the tunnel, or throat, west of the first cavern, the party confer very quietly. One option is to throw oil. It could panic the goblins, but send them fleeing, which would be rather pointless. They could be fooled by a girl crying, so pretending to be hurt might be a payoff. Storming forward has its attractions, but treacherous footing can easily hand the goblins the initiative. They decide to try Nat faking a bad fall and crying. She'll have a candle. The others will wait just around the bend where they are now. They'll avoid going anywhere further to the west where the map is marked. We can assume that they've heard our talk and seen our light, Sakeb says, his face stern despite his youth. But they won't know our exact numbers. We could set our debate, Lucinda says, glancing at Nat.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

Nothing goblins like better than hearing a little girl crying. Let me do it. I can fake a fall, a cry, Nat says. They'll come running.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Lucinda studies her for a long moment more, not doubting her but weighing how much time could be afforded. You get one scream. Then you hot foot it back to us. One scream.

unknown 16:08

Got it.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

Nat takes her single candle and moves just far enough down the bend that her silhouette will be visible to goblins in the scree tunnel. She positions herself where the footing is especially uneven, easy to fake a slip. Lisinda bears the torch and her short sword. Drum has his bow at the ready, and Sakeb has shield and goblin grief at the ready. Nat steps into the bend, candle flickering. She takes a breath. She lets her foot slide on the loose limestone, and she falls convincingly. A sharp cry echoes down the tunnel. Please her voice trembles just enough to sound real. The candle rolls, sputtering. Then she goes still. The sound of goblins creeping up the scree comes to her ears. A clatter of the scree, a shuffling of feet, a hissed whisper. She can hear them muttering in their foul tongue. They're coming and they're not cautious. And now for what could be a very unpleasant surprise for the party. I rolled 3d4 for the number of goblins. That is a seven. Not too bad. I also need to check if there are any bosses. No. And even less likely, if there are any shaman. Also, no. That means they're impulsive and opportunistic and prone to rushing towards what they think is easy prey. Lying on the ground, candle flickering, perfectly positioned to shad a step back the instant the goblins commit. Nat whispers.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

They're coming.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

Well, season two begins. I'm very excited. We hope that the party has great success down here, finds something that is worth a level change, and then levels up to level six before joining Garrick for a bitter overland winter trek. But for the next few sessions we'll be dealing with The Lurker Beneath Red Larch. Originally written by the esteemed MT Black, publisher of many different 5e adventures. I first ran this quite a long time ago, under different circumstances, adapting it for a very different world. And I've made some small changes here to reflect the fact that one party of adventurers has already been in here and has been dealt with very harshly. Ratings and reviews are much appreciated.com. That's Larry with two Rs and Man with two N's. Larryman Plays all one word at gmail.com. Thanks again and catch you later.