TOPIC: R6 Dragonwilds

Hark! What is that strange cry upon the wind? Tis' no bird, nor ailing beast you hear - tis' the call to adventure! The city of Lanternlight needs heroes!

Welcome to the Dragonwilds!
Players: TheRanger, Dan, BjornBeckett
(two space still available if anyone is looking for a game)

"Today, the Dragonwilds is regarded as a far-flung frontier, a mysterious no-man's land where barbarians, outlaws, heretics & sorcerers go to be free from the laws of kings, a place where knaves travel to seek adventure, and plunder the lost ruins of old empires for long forgotten treasure."



After creating characters in week one, I will be plopping you down in the city of Lanternlight (hex I2 on the map). Having your characters be invested in joining the Adventurers Guild would be the simplest way to get things moving, but this campaign is all about player freedom, so you should feel free to do as you please. Just be aware, there may be a disparity in the quality of stuff I have prepped for, and the stuff I have to frantically throw together in the moment.

At the end of every session, I will be asking for information on where you plan to go/what you plan to do in the next session, so I can read the relevant sections of the gazeteer.

Since we are all new to Vagabond, I will be using a house rule based on the 'Plot Armour' sidebar in the core rulebook. Nomally, if you are reduced to zero HP, you die. No Death Saves here. However, once per round you can permanently spend a point of Luck to immediately recover 1HP. Luck is a finite resource, so you will only be able to avoid death so many times before your Luck literally runs out.

HI all
Apologies for the late notice... apparently Doug is running Scott's new RPG offfering. we have been reviewing it and next week is the playtest. I need to jump into that. Sorry Mike no Minsc and Boo for you!

Okie. I can still run with three, and that leaves two spots open if any randoms turn up.

The Dragonwilds, Session 1

In the city of Lanternlight (so named for the great beacon blazing atop the ramparts of Lord Erncord's castle), four strangers find themselves sharing a table in the bustling taproom of the Foamer & Fox.

WULGAR (elf/hunter 1), a stoic woodsman with elaborately braided hair. He is searching for his wayward daughter Anna.

BATUM (orc/pugilist 1), brawny and scarred. Recently released from prison after inadvertently killing a noble in a tavern brawl.

SI (human/dancer 1), lithe and athletic, heavily tattooed (spiderweb motif). Eyeshadow for days. Formerly a circus acrobat.

VAX TRIHORN (drakken/luminary 1), burnished orange scales and a chatty disposition. Seeks a cure for the illness afflicting his ailing mother.

At the call for last orders, the party stumble out into the foggy street. A wounded man staggers out of the gloom and thrusts a blood-stained scroll into Si's hands.

"You must deliver this to the Guildmaster! It is - urk!"

The man falls forward - dead! A crossbow bolt pierces his back. Three serious looking women approach, one cradles an evil looking crossbow in the crook of her arm. All three women bear the same tattoo of a black dove. This marks them as Unfettered, an all female gang operating out of the city's red light district.

"Hand over the body, and anything he was carrying. Then we might let you walk away."

Wulfgar nocks an arrow to his dragonbone shortbow and pops the thug with the crossbow between the eyes. Batum punches another thug hard enough to dislocate her jaw. Si fatally slashes the final thug with his kunai. Vax heals the one surviving thug and sets her jaw, but now her face is kinda' lopsided. In exchange for her life, she reveals Madame Thorne (proprietor of the Silken Sash) gave the order to kill the man, and recover any items in his possession. She doesn't know why.

Si examines the scroll the dead guy was carrying. It insinuates a scheme to overthrow Lord Erancord, but the particulars of the plot are obscured by blood. The party presume the intended recipient to be Guildmaster Palimor of the Adventurers Guild.

Si flags down a passing guard. The party are escorted to the station for questioning. Batum is grilled harder than the others due to his previous conviction, but the Watch Captain ultimately concludes the group acted in self defence and lets them go.

The party head to the Adventurers Guild and request an audience with the Guildmaster. Palimor is an elven warrior with a horrifically burnt face. He explains Lord Erancord's court mage Aggermundt hired the Guild to investigate the erratic/suspicious behaviour of Darix Erancord (Lord Erancord's youngest son). The man Palimor assigned to the investigation is now dead, so the Guildmaster convinces (pays) the group to complete the mission.

The party begin their investigation in the red light district. The Silken Sash does not open until dusk (it's now mid-morning), so the party settle in for some serious day drinking. Si lifts a purse from a drunk slumped over the bar to pay for his round. The district becomes increasingly bawdy as the sun dips below the rooftops. As night falls, the party head to the brothel. Si is propositioned by a buxom wench for a no thrills quickie behind some crates and immediately abandons the party to sate his lust. After being frisked for concealed weapons (they find most - but not all - of Wulfgar's hidden daggers), Wulfgar and Batum enter the Silken Sash. Vax starts asking the wrong kind of questions about Madame Thorne's affiliation with the Unfettered and is barred entry.

Inside, Wulfgar gets chatting to a pretty brunette called Layla, but he doesn't have the kind of coin required to maintain her attention. At the bar, Batum makes the acquaintance of the perverted Lord Osbert, who hints at the existence of a secret f*ck dungeon beneath the building. Wulfgar later sneaks down to said dungeon and observes Lord Osbert (now blindfolded and chained to wooden frame by fluffy pink manacles) engaged in scandalous activity with a leather-clad dominatrix.

Meanwhile, Vax wanders into a tattoo parlour and gets a black dove inked onto his scales, identical to the gang mark adopted by the Unfettered.

Si scales the rear wall of the brothel and enters via an open window on the first floor. He joins Batum at the bar. Vax sneaks in via the kitchen and joins Wulfgar in the basement. The leather-clad woman is doing something obscene with a long feather.

Wulfgar creeps up on the dominatrix and holds a knife to her throat, gesturing for her to be silent.

"Why did you stop?" Lord Osbert demands, "I didn't say the safe word! Is something wrong? Are you still there?"

His cries are getting shriller by the instant. Surely someone will hear! Wulfgar points to Vax, then to the feather. Vax shakes his head vigorously. No! Wulfgar nods emphatically. Yes!

With great reluctance, Vax takes the long feather and resumes tickling the old man's wrinkly balls. Lord Osbert is loving it. Vax not so much. Wulfgar interrogates the woman and learns Darix Erancord would often sneak out of the castle to visit Layla, but he has not appeared for the last few days and Layla seems anxious. Wulfgar and Vax lock the basment and exit the brothel.

At the bar, Batum spots Madame Thorne speaking to the Unfettered thug with the dislocated jaw. He sidles closer to eavesdrop, and learns the Madame is working with a mysterious third party to overthrow the current Lord Erancord. Batum and Si leave before they are recognised. They rendezvous with Wulfgar and Vax outside. Wulfgar detemines the party need to have a private conversation with Madame Thorne.

TBC