DM Notes – C01.S01.04
Our party hits the road north from Mosstone with three new guards added to their caravan. Along with Nim and Norli (and Tronk) and their two guards, our party is quite large at the moment – a full tenperson – if that were a thing. One of the fun things about DMing, and writing, is that I can just say… a “tenperson” is a thing. It means a group with a nice even number of ten people. I recall Roman military units had similar names. A “Centurian” was called so because they commanded a certain number of soldiers – a “Centuria” or a nice even 100 soldiers.
But all that matters not.
I want to use this scene for several purposes… some social interaction to start. The new guards have traveled the Trade Way North from Mosstone many times (or at least … several) and they have some stories to tell about it. The youngest, Tolvathir, has heard the stories but this is his first time out.
My first draft of this social interaction feels a bit empty. Draft 02 should beef it up, expand it a bit. Display more of the characters of the Wwaldyr Syblings. Maybe Tolvithir is a little too ambitious or gets carried away. Maybe Ariola thinks he is still too young to take on the task but Argathen, the elder brother, is pushing to get him experienced and strong. Perhaps Ariola made a promise to their parents (who still reside somewhere in Tethyr? Probably in the capital Darromar? I imagine they are wealthy with some influence. Perhaps they have a nice estate on the River Ith? )
Perhaps (and I know I say maybe and perhaps a lot in my DM notes… it is my way of brainstorming without commitment… all this stuff is fluid. ) they are nobles of their culture and as such place high expectations on their children. But then why would their children become hired guards? Not sure any of this really matters… they are fodder NPCs most likely. But maybe it does matter, even if I never bring these details to the surface in game.
Maybe… the father was a military commander in the Tethyr Army. He poured a great deal of expectations into the eldest, Argathen. Something happened which brought shame to the commander and he lost is rank and standing. Maybe they still have wealth and a nice little place on the river but their social standing is toast. Argathen had a future in his fathers footsteps, but all that was lost when his father fell (or was pushed… who knows). At any rate, Argathen is compelled to leadership and strength and valiant behavior. Joining the Titans Fist Protection Company might have been seen as small first steps, but many months later they are still here.
Ariola was never interested in a military lifestyle, but she was always scrappy and loved to mimic her brothers fighting techniques while he practiced. She is loyal to their mother and shares a mothers concern over their youngest brother.
So there be the social pillar. The stories told will add to the discovery/exporation pillar because they are about the Wealdth.
And then we have trolls… Forest Trolls…
These things stink to deep-planes. They are stealthy hunters. But their stink and their stealth will conflict… so they learned the art of distraction. As prey gets close enough to the hidden trolls to smell them, they are often alerted to their presence. The trolls came up with a surprisingly smart tactic… diversion. As a party approaches, two trolls lie in wait to ambush while a third mimics the sound of an Owlbear somewhere nearby. This puts the prey on alert, but not for the forest to come to life on either side and eat them. Unless there is high passive perception, the trolls get the first round.
Before the trolls are dead (and because they have regen, it is unlikely they will die) we will bring in Joloobo the Gnome Soulknife. He has been hunting these three particular trolls for a tenday. He knows their tactics. He even had an early combat encounter with them but was overpowered and ran. He lost them for a while but is just catching up as the party is fighting the trolls on the dark roadway.
Their blood is mine
Joloobo is hunting trolls to harvest their blood.
He hates their presence in “his” forest… but aside from that… he makes a good amount of gold selling their blood to a sprite he knows (and secretly loves). She is an alchemist and makes potions with the troll blood (among other things) and some pretty dangerous poisons as well.
Who is this Sprite?
Rayni Honeywing.
Assuming the combat goes in their favor, Joloobo harvests the trolls. From a small satchel drapped over his small frame, he pulls out a large device of some kind – a little taller than he is even. He plunges it into the corpse of the trolls and the party will see the blood fill up bottle after bottle. Each of which he places carefully back into the satchel of holding.
Joloobo has spent a lot of time alone in the forest. His only social contact is with Rayni, and even it is often awkward. Joloobo is fearless in combat and survival, but timid and shrinking socially.
He asks the party where they are going. If they answer with anything about the Small Teeth or the Tehir Road, he warns them about a young green dragon which has been trying to make a name for itself along the southern side of the Small Teeth. This is important to the next scene… Joloobo finishes off his extraction with some comment about how much gold it will bring. Then he wishes the party well and vanishes into the forest
Next Scene… Joloobo returns when party is somewhere early along the Tethir Way. It occurred to him that the blood of a Green Dragon – especially a young one – would be worth thousands to him. He would like to tag along.. If they get attacked by the green dragon, they all stand better chances fighting together. Maybe some weird comment about their fighting skills be impressive – something awkward though.