Wine Cellars of Duke Marqest: Beware the Howling Frogs!

This session occurred on 3/14/12

The Party was:

Wife: 2 elves Dechlin & Vahlia

Daughter: Navarria M-U

Dan: Fighter, UGH! a primitive barbarian, he rolled a 5 INT, 12 CON, all other stats 10's and a 9. UGH wields a great club and 2 hand axes. In a pinch he will use his bag of rocks for ranged attacks! Ugh also sports chainmail and a dusty pink cowl.

Ugh was released from an enchantment by Dechlin and they sat together with Vahlia drinking in the Dog & Bone. Navarria was nearby watching the dim-witted barbarian. Ugh overheard two farmers talking about frogs as big as cows! At this Ugh demanded to know where these giant frogs could be found as frog legs are a delicacy among his tribe. The Farmer asked if Ugh would be interested in driving the frogs from his meadow as they attack his cows. A bit a haggling and Ugh agrees to solve the frog problem for some coin and a cow as payment. The elves and Navarria decide to tag along and watch the spectacle.

After a short trek to the edge of the marsh near the cow meadow, a large mud mound is found and 2 small fist sized toads are perched atop it. UGH screams "frogs!" and charges!!!!!!!!! the tiny frogs respond with an eerie howl that causes UGh to go insane and begin attacking the bushes! Dechlin tosses a oil flask atop the mud mound and burns the tiny frogs to death! Ugh returns moments later claiming the frogs drove him "crazy" and collects the burned frog husks and eats one and put the other in a pouch. Just then a dozen or so giant frogs emerge from the bush surrounding the party! In unison they all emit the eerie howl and send everyone but Vahlia packing!!

The farmer watching from the meadows edge hears the weird frog howls and then moments later sees Ugh run out of the marsh, jump the fence and run back into town! Then Dechlan followed by Navarria do the same! At last Vahlia comes out of the marsh hops the fence and tells the Farmer they are still working on the frog problem. She then heads into town to find the others!

Spending the night in town behind the stables next to the Dog & Bone, Dechlin decides to break out some of the wine he has from his foray into the cellars. Ugh is given a bottle, which he promptly chugs! only to discover it makes the drinker instantly Greatly Drunk! Per AD&D DMG pages 82-83. He ends up losing 40gp and getting a "lame" tattoo; Dechlin gets a random Insanity from the DMG pages 83-84.

By morning Vahlia has deduced that the Frogs emit a Fear inducing howl, and that they must attack the frogs before they can do this. Going to the Trader they purchase 9 flasks of oil. Ugh purchases a mule and a large cask of ale! His plan is to roll the cask into the frogs lair then light it afire and watch it explode! (I'm pretty sure Ale isn't explosive, but might catch fire???) any way, the Elves think UGH is stupid anyway and head back to the marsh. Suddenly a large Eye appears above Navarria and says her master has need of her! A beam of light surrounds her and she disappears!!! "Hmph, wizards!" says Ugh. (it was somebody's bedtime, so...)

Tromping back to the frog lair with a laden mule, the party is set upon by 2 large frogs! Ugh shakes his bag of frog bones at them while the elves quickly slay them! Once in sight of the mud mound Dechlin (overcome by his Insanity: Suicidal tendency) charges the mound! followed quickly by Ugh and Vahlia with the mule! 3 more frogs are surprised and a quick melee sees them dispatched!

Otherworld Miniatures!

Ugh unlashes the ale cask, oils it and lights it and rolls it into one of the mud mound openings. within moments croaking is heard followed by billowing smoke, then 2 giant frogs emerge from the mound. oil flasks are hurled one of which shatters right in the mouth of one frog!!! a third frog emerges and Dechlin ends up with both arms entangled by different frog tongues and is being pulled apart! As Vahlia works to sever the tongues holding Dechlin another frog emerges and swallows Ugh's head! Ugh begins beating himself and the frog with his club!

After much comedic fervor the frog's are smoked to perfection, the bedraggled party returns to the farmer and collects a cow, a pouch of 20sp and a small goat! UGH is very pleased with his goat bonus!

Vahlia Caroused and earned 400xp. Dechlin brooded over not dying in combat, and UGH told very embellished stories of the slaying of the Giant frogs of Blackmash marsh.

beware the Howling frogs........

Wine Cellars of Duke Marqest: Be wary of Gnomes with gifts.

This session occurred on 3/5/2012

My Labyrinth Lord Dungeon was visited again, The following is an account of what happened.
Mike C. returned with Vexus Lustmort and his apprentice. 

Vexus

Vexus discovered after his last foray that he had a bottle of "Lick City" wine that is highly poisonous. It causes a painful wracking death in 1-4 rounds or save and suffer 25pts of damage! Harsh, you say... yes it is. He also had 3 bottles of "Fields of Mercy" vintage which brought him 10sp a bottle.My Brother created Brother Liam O'shea, a Cleric of St. Cuthbert. Come to wipe the unclean from the Keep. He hired 5 men-at-arms and a torch bearer to go along.

My daughter created Navarria a M-User apprentice.


This party passed through the ruined gatehouse and crossed the courtyard heading for the main Keep. Upon discovering the Keep doors were still quite sturdy they opted to take a moment and talk about what to do. A failed surprise roll allowed them to see the four gnomes on the rampart above just as they hurled masonry down upon them! The apprentice was brained and fell with a cracked skull! Navaria cast charm person on one and yelled for it to stop its friends from being naughty! Brother O'shea healed the Apprentice while commanding the hirelings to get the Keep doors open! Vexus cast web and caught two of the vile gnomes!

Brother O'shea and Navarria then led the charge inside looking for the stairs to the ramparts, while Vexus and his apprentice took cover by the well and prepped oil flasks for hurling! a few more rocks were thrown to no avail by a gnome and Vexus hit the wall with a firebomb!

Bursting out onto the rampart O'shea quickly grabbed and hurled the "charmed gnome" over the side and into the courtyard below! The hirelings and Navarria surround the 2 webbed gnomes and everyone realizes the 4th gnome is missing! Revealing himself from behind the tower door the 4th gnome screeches something and brings a chicken out from under his cloak that he throws at the party!

Dopple-Fowl??

There are rampant rumors back in town about gnomes, and chickens, etc. So a morale check has to be made for the hirelings to hold and not break at the sight of this gnomes actions! Brother O'shea keeps the lads together but one of them falls off the rampart as the chicken attacks! Vexus hears the screams of terror, the chicken, and then sees a hireling fall from the rampart to the courtyard as he and the apprentice were moving forward to check on the gnome which had hit the ground seconds before! He sees the hireling surprisingly is alive but gravely hurt, the gnome however has dissolved into a dark goo that seeps into the ground!?!

On the rampart above the hirelings are still afraid of the chicken so Brother O'shea smacks it with his flail only to see it spring back to life and charge the party!!! The hirelings keep shouting "Dopple Fowl! Dopple Fowl!" and scramble to stay away from its pecking beak!

The gnome rushes forward and stabs O'shea in the foot! dropping the holy man to "0" hp! The father has a bulldog that kills the gnome with a "20"!!! Navaria is beating the webbed gnomes with her staff! The chicken attempts to leap off the rampart but is caught by Rufus the Bulldog who mauls the chicken. Before it can revive it is placed in a large leather sack and tied shut.

The party revives Brother O'shea and along with the wounded hireling that fell they return to town. The Cleric suggests they go to the abbey and ask for healing and info on the chicken. The Elder at the Abbey tells of the gnomes twisted magicks and curses that create the "Dopple Fowl" and how they swap these for true chickens and lay waste to entire farmsteads. Some believe those pecked or scratched by the "Dopple Fowl" will become one when next the moon is full!!! The Elder assures them that is ridiculous but he better Remove Curse on the Torch bearer as he was pecked repeatedly!

The party rested for a day, then returned and entered the Keep. They found a locked door and set the Hirelings to opening it with a crowbar. Fluttering sounds above revealed a group of stirges in the rafters above! The door was opened and the group moved into the next chamber leaving the stirges unmolested. This large room held an old trestle table a broken long sword and an empty water skin. A stairwell leading down was also here. Vexus carved his name and the date into the tabletop, Brother O'shea did the same and added the Symbol of Cuthbert as well.

The stairs led downward to a large hall that went off into darkness beyond torch and bulls-eye lantern range, a side door is just 15ft away. However just at the edge or the lantern range a barrel is seen. A hireling is persuaded to check the barrel and quickly returns shaken about the contents. It seems the barrel is filled with assorted teeth!?! Human and monstrous.... Vexus sends his apprentice to gather 2 pouches worth of teeth. The side door is found to be open and lights are shined within to reveal a 10ft wide hallway leading into darkness. Brother O'shea got a sudden call from St. Cuthbert summoning him elsewhere and the Party decided to return to town. Easily avoiding the stirges they left the Marqest grounds to return to the Dog & Bone.

White Star: Star Sailors campaign begins!

So by now everyone seems to know how cool this is:

If you haven't checked this out yet then go here - http://www.rpgnow.com/product/148169/White-Star-White-Box-Science-Fiction-Roleplaying-Swords--Wizardry

Then is was followed by these two gems:

Go here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/150102/Star-Sailors-The-Magical-Girl-Supplement-for-White-Star-RPG

And finally :

Go here: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/149134/Star-Temple-of-Saturgalia?term=star+temple

Let me start by giving a BIG thanks to James M. Spahn, David Okum, and Darrel Miller. You see without these three gentlemen my Daughter's "Star Sailors of Quadrant 44" campaign would not have started!

I had downloaded White Star and really liked what I saw, but had put it on the back-burner as my Labyrinth Lord/OSE Mega-Dungeon was picking up some interest with some fellow gamers. Then the Magical Girl supplement and Star Temple ping my radar and my brain starts to tell me just how MUCH my Tween daughter would dig this. So this past Saturday night I set up my kid for a Starship full of AWESOME she never saw coming.

The afternoon started with me telling her a friend was coming over to game with us that evening and would she like to play? "Sure Dad ." she says, and I have her roll stats on an index card. I give her a brief background that we will be playing a "space" game and she is a teenager living on a desert planet with her Uncle. " Like a Luke Skywalker?" she asks, "Just like that." I reply. Instead of a droid I tell her she has a pet that is native to her planet.

Location:
Yellow Shift - Quadros Sector - Saturgalia System - Vector 10/21

The Story begins:
My Wife and our friend Bryan create the following PC's - Malbar Distain who is secretly a Star Sailor, and her pal a Space Pilot Gore Kutchek. They have come to the planet Saturgalia in search of a rumored ancient Star Temple home of the Star Amulet and hopefully the Star Sailor who defends it.

Avangaline is helping her Uncle Benn pick up supplies at Outpost 18, when she sees some strangers arrive in town in a speeder. "The skies have been busy today." remarks Zed the Snailoid merchant to the young girl.

Strangers arrive in town

The "Strangers" start asking about ruins in the area and Benn gets wary, so he tries to get out of town quick. However Avangaline keeps hearing a "voice" in her head saying "They're coming, they're coming!" She is overwhelmed by this and passes out just as a black ship pauses overhead and teleports a trio of beings into the town center! "Find the girl!" commands an albino man with a shock of pink hair as he draws a star sword. His minions are two creatures seemingly composed of living darkness...

"Oh no, not now!" mutters Benn as he tries to put the limp form of Avangaline into their speeder while Felix her pet Flyon circles about. The strangers spring into action as Gore draws his blaster, "I'll hold off these goons!" he says to his partner while firing off two shots that strike the mysterious pink haired man. Malbar rushes to aid Benn using her med-kit she revives the girl with a stim-shot. "They're here!" Avangaline cries out as she awakes from the psychic stupor. Malbar, Benn and a few brave townsfolk all join in defending Outpost 18 and the Albino teleports away leaving his minions to be blasted to atoms!

Benn agrees that Gore and Malbar should accompany them back to their home, where he can reveal the secret he has guarded for so long. At the desert abode the group is told that Benn came here to stay with a 2 year old Avangaline when asked by his sister and her Husband before they left on a quest 15 years ago. "Your mother was the Star Sailor of this Sector, and now I'm sure you share her power!" says Benn to the young girl. Malbar then relays the history of the Star Sailors to Avangaline who is completely surprised by this turn of events.

ED-O4 the robot calls from outside, "Sir there are two creatures approaching this dwelling!"
"It must be them!" grunts Malbar.
Gore urges Benn to get off planet as soon as he can, and that he and Malbar will help Avangaline now once they locate the hidden Star Temple. Benn reveals the location of the temple and rides off into the night vowing he will be in touch.

"The creatures are here!" alerts ED-O4.
Gore, Malbar and Avangaline step outside to face the threat. "Now, Avangaline! You must transform now!" a tiny voice urges the young girl. She realizes it is coming from her pet Felix. "Felix, has it been you I've been hearing!"
"Yes, we must activate your powers quickly. Or the Gloom could kill you!"
With the aid of her mascot and Malbar who now reveals that she is also a Star Sailor the young girl uses her Star Power Transformation and gets her Star Wand! The young Star Sailor discovers her Power of the Heart Color is Teal, and she has the Raging Sea Tsunami Power!

A Star Sailor is revealed!

The battle is short and brutal but our heroes win through. Binding their wounds they jump in the speeder and head out to the coordinates of the hidden Star temple. "So why are you guys looking for the Temple?" asks Avangaline. "We need to locate the missing Star Amulets before the Gloom, or all Star Sailors will lose their powers forever." says Malbar, "The Gloom is becoming more powerful everyday and I hope the legend of the Star Amulets location is true!"

As the sun sets over the desert of Saturgalia the party arrives at the location Benn gave them. It truly is an ancient Star Sailor Temple. Approaching cautiously the group is not surprised when a Pink haired man steps from the shadowy entrance with a star sword drawn.
"We knew you would eventually come here, and our Masters will be most pleased with not one, but two Star Sailors worth of power to drain!"
"Nobody talks to my friends like that!" says Gore as he quick draws his blaster and lays the villian out cold.

"Less talk, more shootin' "

The group disarms and binds the Pink haired man and leave him with ED-O4 as they venture into the temple. After a bit of searching around and recovering three star sector charts from a container that could only be opened by a Star Sailor; and a piece of ancient-tech from an old chest they discovered in a large meeting Hall with a statue of the first Star Sailor. "oh, Sailor Ysu." whispers Malbar the first and greatest of our line! The group approaches in awe, when a voice is heard echoing through the hall. "Welcome, I am the spirit of Ysu and you are welcome here Star Sailors and friend."

The first Star Sailor!

"Sailor Ysu," pleads Malbar "we need to find the missing Star Amulets, and one is rumored to be here. Can you tell us where it might be?"

"I can, but let the newest of you come forth as only she can see where the Amulet is hidden."

Young Avangaline steps up to the statue and reaches out to touch it, when she realizes this is an illusion and another Albino stands before her ready to strike her down with a star sword!

"Star Sailor Transformation!" the young girl is protected from the blow that would have surely killed her, and the star energy disrupts the dark powers of the female twin of the albino man from before. Her red eyes flare as she fumes over the fact that she has failed. Unlike her twin she has blue hair and a much more violent bent. "Arrghh! I almost had you child!" she yells as two Gloom creatures appear from the shadows. Malbar uses her Star Sailor Transformation and Avangaline sees that her Color of Heart is Black! The group fights together and defeats the Gloom minions but not before the unknown Albino woman teleports away with a final warning. "You can run Star Sailors but we will find you, and the Star Amulets will be ours!"

The girls are saddened that the bad-guys must have gotten away with the Star Amulet, and how can they stop them now. "Well I wouldn't say we aren't coming out of this with nothing." says Gore as he reveals that during the fight he pick-pocketed the Blue-haired Albino and shows them the Teal Star Amulet. "We better get out of her before she realizes and comes after us!"

The illusion revealed

The group return to the speeder and find that the Pink-haired Albino has vanished. Jumping in the speeder they head back to Outpost 18. Halfway there Malbar spots a Gloom fighter diving down and coming after them, blasts of energy boring holes in the hard packed dirt beside them! "I'm afraid the speeder just can't outrun a fighter." say ED-O4.

the chase!

"We can if I can just jury rig this engine!" yells Gore over the whine of the speeder. "Hang-on!"
With a sudden burst of amazing speed the group leaves the Gloom fighter in a wake of sandy dust!

Arriving back at Outpost 18, the group heads to the landing zone. They load the speeder back onto their ship the "Canary" and prepare to leave Saturgalia behind.

She may not look like much...

Just as the Canary leaves orbit a squad of six Gloom fighters close in for the kill! "Can we out fight them?" asks Avangaline.
"No, but I can out fly them any day!" says Gore.

Gloom Attacks!

The Gloom fighters pursue the Canary into space and inflict serious damage, the group realizes they might not make it unless a miracle happens. "Head for the asteroid field, I have an idea!" says Avangaline as she heads towards the airlock. "What are you going to do?" asks Malbar.
"Just watch." smiles the young Star Sailor.

Location:

Yellow Shift - Quadros Sector - Saturgalia Asteroid Field - Vector 11/20

Gore redirects all power to the shields and flies directly into the asteroid field with the Gloom gaining on them. Emerging from the airlock, the transformed Avangeline swirls her star wand, waits until the Gloom Fighters are within short range and cries out, "Raging Sea Tsunami!"

Raging Sea Tsunami!!

The wave of starlight energy ripples out and throws asteroids into the path of the pursuing Gloom fighters destroying them in a spectacular explosion.

The Canary emerges from the asteroid field and sets course for the outlaw hideout known as "Cleopatra Station".

Stay tuned for more!