CoD 1: Session 15: Panic at the Docks

 Pre-scene Notes

At this point, the party doesn’t have any urgent/ongoing quests really for the first time, despite the last scene pointing them in a direction they can go. In that case, I guess for setting the scene, it is a conflict that the party can’t decide what to do.

This is why having a main character thread helped at the start, but I still hoped for an altered/interrupted scene to keep revealing the threads interesting. 

In addition, this is when I started collating a list of possible expansion missions in my notes as well to dip into for any time this happens again. Basically, my threads tab in my spreadsheet is split into Character list, Party threads, PC threads, and Expansion missions now. This will allow me to roll for which of these categories and which item on each category will become next scene’s focus. For an author, that’s probably the last thing I want to do, as it’s not plotting or pacing; but as a DND campaign, I think it keeps things flexible as a GM or for soloplay.

Scene setup/conflict: 

Party to discuss and agree a way to build fame.

Interrupted Scene: PC negative: Abandon Masses

I fancied dipping into Weird Elf’s background more now. He was on a recruitment drive, and as he’s over-zealous, he’ll never abandon the idea of recruiting people to his church. So thinking the other way round, the masses have abandoned him somehow, so I’m going to say in his time giving out flyers, he’s caught up in a mass panic event. 

I already know I want to include Weird Elf’s yet to be disclosed PC thread, butwant to tie it into other threads as well. I rolled a d3 out of my NPC list, party thread, and Cavesmuth expansion thread to choose which of the other thread lists I should use. I rolled a 1, so that’s the NPC list. I then rolled a 4, so that landed on Osran surprisingly, which means he will also be the focus of this scene. 

At this point I’d thought I might as well roll for the other two thread categories as well to, and rolled the party thread of investigating the fog and expansion thread of starting a town guard.

I then looked up Osran’s character notes when I did his character creation, and per the initial motivations for his background, he had hoped his childhood sweetheart could have went with him on his adventure (a standard selection for the DND Inheritor background). I was in a mood for battle, and still to use my dockside map, so I guess this scene is going to be Osran waiting for his sweetheart to come visit him at Cavesmuth, but due to the fog, something happens at dockside that instil a mass panic that the party gets tied up in. Considering this is to do with Yankovic’s thread, I’d got an inspiration to tie into that, knowing how I’ll leave the scene. And that’s how I created the bones of the session, leading to an adventure arc. 

Scene:

Finally Zar was able to convince Filli to go out and look for Yankovic to determine what was their next step. They went down the high street South towards the Docks, and found Weird Elf easy enough, as another annoyed and baffled villager left the cleric. His enthusiasm did not seem deterred despite how he regaled his lack of any uptakes this morning and his massive pile of recruitment flyers still in his arms. 

The party was to decide if they should venture into the Dock’s pub for a quick drink and discussions, but found the place busier than it had been before. In the distance, they can see Osran Banquo and his second, Voldan Rudd just standing about for being two of the busiest people in Cavesmuth. 

Zar asked one of the passersby and they said the governor was waiting for his ‘sweetheart’ from the Capitol. He made no qualms or secrets about telling everyone who would listen the person he missed most from the Capitol was his childhood friend, and crush, when he had chosen to leave and make a name for himself governing Cavesmuth. It was not far leap to presume once Osran had achieved some results here, he would one day return to the Capitol to propose to her. No one in Cavesmuth, no even the nobles as they worked for Osran, knew anything of this woman who might become the future governess, which was why the gossipers were gathered around as well to try and catch a glimpse of her. 

The party headed towards the Governor just to join in on the hot topic of the town, and spotting them, he asked Voldan next to him who the familiar faces were. After being reminded by the ever stoic, and intimating to some, Voldan, Osran gave off quite a bit of a different air compared to when they had last seen him.

“Ah, if it isn’t the newest adventurers of Cavesmuth. I hear you’ve came back from your first Cave dive and helped one of my newest assistants at the office, very nice. And now, you’ve all came here to greet Lady Arrington’s arrival as well. Now these are the sort we want here Voldan, thinking of the settlement at every step. I’m sure if you know, but she and I have quite the history with each other since our births. She came all the way out here to see how her dear friend is doing. I mean, the Arrington’s family is our allies at the court and have some investments here, but it’s obviously it’s not strictly business. I would have planned a massive ball for her at the mansion, but alas my estates are just a mess at the moment with the barracks still outside. I do hope she won’t find it offensive. Look! That must he ship!”

Voldan looked slightly embarrassed at Osran showing his age for once and showing his one soft spot under his usually stern exterior. Osran ran off to the where the ship was going to dock down the pier, while the guard captain whispered a very unthreatening warning to the party, “He’s just a bit excitable with Lady Arrington’s arrival. The eldest daughter of Arrington is indeed serendipitously beautiful, but it is also a political move, if you were thinking lower of the governor otherwise.”

The party just grinned and nodded, at which point Weird Elf hazarded a question with the generally jovial mood. “Are you originally from the Capitol as well Captain Rudd?” 

“I have been a retainer for the Banquo family for a few years at the Capitol before coming here, but was from up the North East.” Voldan recomposed himself. “I’m just a stand-in captain. We only have patrols at Cavesmuth at the moment considering our manpower, but hopefully we can find a suitable candidate to take on this role and I can resume my primary support to the Governor.” 

“Were you always part of the court?” Filli asked naively. 

“No young one, I am very much not a courtier. Instead of court intrigue, I spent my childhood dodging daggers and cutting knaves. Even if that was not  the case, by my skin colour alone, the courts will never have me.” Voldan looked Filli up and down, “You too lad. You’re not a usual half-breed are you?”

“Yes, my parents are an elf and a halfling sir,” Filli said cautiously, not really sure the extent of racial bias here. His appearance was not one that drew that much attention, especially as he was still young so his height was not an issue.

“Much harder to come by than half elves for sure. I am glad you had known your parents lad. Humans are a randy bunch and weirdly has the highest chance of siring offspring, so my blood is most likely that. However, I most likely have some Duergar Dwarf and Giant blood in me as well with my size, which are not the most reputable folks. Well, don’t worry lad. As long as Cavesmuth is ruled by the Governor and I, you will find prejudices by race here will not go unpunished.”

Yankovic piped up, “ See, I’d thought you were a bit grey for a human. As you can see, I’m also a tinge of strange as well. And my friend here is half green. What a colourful mixture. You know, the Church of Xanthia also welcomes all races and mixed races, as long as they are a fighter! You dear sir, definitely fits the bill! Have you ever thought about -” 

Ignoring Weird Elf’s recruitment attempt or really having spotted something, Voldan barked out a request for a spyglass considering most Dockers were in the sailing business, and managed to commandeer one. He pointed it at the approaching ship, and the party’s expressions also changed to one of worry, as the massive ship did not seem to be furring its sails or slowing down on approach. 

“What? Locathah?” Voldan shoved the spyglass back to the passer-by, who scuttled away.  “We knew of the tribe nearby, but why the heck are they on that ship?”

The rest of the crowd that had gathered at the docks knew something was wrong by now, but it was too late. The massive ship crashed into the docks with a thunderous slam, and many bipedal fish-like creatures jumped off the ship, into the water, onto the docks. A mass panic set in while the villagers ran in all directions, some scrambling over the other. Some of the Locathah with their spears were already in fights with the villagers, and vice-versa, as the Dockers were not a tamed bunch. As the patrols were spread thin, there were hardly any actual guards fighting off or controlling the chaos. The Locathah had their own language, and therefore was unable to communicate at all.

Voldan cursed at the chaos and as his guards are not about him, he turned to the party, “Help me break a way through! I have to get to the Governor immediately, who knows how many more Locathah there were on that ship. Try and thin out the hoard, and don’t harm any of the civilians.”

The party drew their weapons and agreed, as Voldan set off a flare into the air, presumably to alert all patrols to gather at the Docks. Even before the party could move, Volden’s eyes turned grey and with a dash forward, he seemed to lift himself into the skies over the head of fleeing villagers, and landed right in front of one of the Locathah. With two quick strikes of his longsword, the creature shrieked in agony as the guard it had been wrestling took advantage of the grievous wounds to finish it off.  

Map by Limithron

I’d selected this map of the Docks if the party were ever to go anyway, but it turns out there are features I can use. There is a relatively narrow path on the right, so thinking about mass panic, this was a great way to basically have NPCs/enemies as party obstacles. 

As a GM, I might spend more time on the map by putting in obstacles (like barrels) or other elements the party may use, but I may just refer to Mythic if a PC comes up with an original idea. Again this is a time limited quest, so I’m going to makes sure there isn’t one for a while after this, but also having NPCs about means the party can’t just kill enemies and have to think of ways to move them otherwise.

For simplicity, each type of monster move on its own initiative turn (Locathah, villagers, guards as intelligent NPCs) and I’ll do the video game thing of Osran holding off whatever he’s faced with down South with the crashed ship until the party gets there. In my mind, party would be rewarded dependent on how long it takes them, while I control Voldan as an intelligent NPC.

Filli watched in amazement as the well-trained guard protected the villager’s escapes from the Locathah, his blood firing up as he beckoned his new Steel Defender for its first battle. 

“Let’s go! Protect the villagers!” Filli jumped on the back of Fido and commanded him like a mount to dash forward. He almost got bucked off however at the sudden jolt but managed to just got in front an old woman a Locathah was cornering. 

It proved to be a bad move however as the mechanical doll was a fast moving target that drew the attention of all the Locathah in the area. One came from the water, one jumped down from the roof. Within seconds Filli was swamped in Pack Tactics and a rain of spears. Gears flew out this way and that, and the Steel Defender retired without even landing a strike in its first encounter. Filli tried his best to hold on but as his creation fell, he somersaulted to land on his feet, readying his own spear. “I guess those lances really need to get  incorporated for Fido to start barking.”

I’d started feeling at this point giving Locathahs Multi-attack and Pack Tactics might have overdone it. Until later when I realised I’d forgotten to use Filli’s Mounted Combatant feat he’s got from custom lineage just for this build. If he had, he could’ve diverted the attacks, but I wasn’t going to retcon, so I guess more trying required from our artificer. 

“You idiot! Even Voldan and those guards are getting hit by that hoard, pull back!” Weird Elf shouted, seeing the carnage that was before him despite the guards being much well trained compared to the party. After all, just because they did not speak Common, the fish monsters were intelligent and was able to coordinate their attacks to maximum effect. Seeing one of the villagers down, Yankovic joined the fry and cried a Cry of Xanthia. 

Seeing at least some of the villagers have escaped the area as the guards and the party were entangling them, Zar cursed the closest monster to him and ran forward to throw his javelin at the monster trying to escape Yankovic’s spell. Both landed at the same time, but the Locathah still stands, and his allies escaped the holy flames.

Voldan out in the front like a general in battle, still had his sights about him. Seeing one of the villagers injured, and with a grey glow on his palm, moved the woman into the river and way from the monster fish that attacked her. As he did this, one of the Locathah surrounding him tried to take him by surprise. Without even looking back, a flex of his muscles and two strikes, the second one a grey kinetic force, sent the ambusher back into the sea dead. Voldan continued to run forward towards the boat, ignoring the strike that scarcely grazed his arm  as he left the Locathah behind him, though two others ran to block his way, only stopping him with a series of lucky critical hits.

Seeing Voldan still aware of the battlefield while slaying the enemies, Filli glanced at the villager behind him and resolved to save as many as he could. With an elaborate movement,  Filli put his body in the way as he shoved the villager out of the way of the three Locathahs. All three descended on the artificer and their spears pierced right through him, downing him.

At this point, thinking I would never succeed in being any meaningful help to Voldan in getting him to Osran quicker, I’d decided to go with Filli’s nature. Seeing Voldan saving others, that was exactly the type of knight Filli dreamed of being, and considering he wasn’t too dangerous without his Steel Defender now, so I allowed half a rule of cool by saying he used an action to shove the villager away and the opportunities attacks all got aimed at him. 

Seeing his companion fall, Yankovic’s eyes glowed in zeal and he downed the Locathah in his way with a sideway sweep of his warhammer, turning round with it and striking the back of of the other one in his way. A Thunderous Smite descended on the remaining enemy, who just managed to stay standing but was unable to stop Zar from dashing past it, and Laying a Hand on Filli to temporarily wake him. He cursed at the infernal beasts in front of him, “Let’s get them.”

Voldan was out in the front, striking another enemy with a psionic force embedded into his sword that it flung a fish man flying back into the ocean. He spotted a guard, surrounded by three other enemies, was about to be downed. His eyes glowed grey and a psionic force field managed to save him just as the last blow was about to finish the guard.

Seeing this, Filli shouted, “Don’t care about me, go on ahead!”

“It’s time to get serious!” Weird Elf chanted a spell and his warhammer seemed to have replicated itself in ethereal form. Swinging it and leave it behind as he ran after Voldan with Zar, the Spiritual Weapon struck the last of the group of Locathah in their way at the next set of enemies that were at a stalemate with a pair of guards, blocking the path. Zar’s blade came out from behind Yankovic and caught the cursed fish man on the back where a sliver of green smoke cinched its gapping wound. The well-trained guards who were on the othere side effective counter surrounded the Locathah and struck one of them down.

Seeing the way blocked, and a village having fallen, unconscious and unknown if dead or alive, Filli took a deep breath and recover a bit from just being downed. He looked Voldan, having aided another guard in protecting the Docks, and took a running jump into the water to the side of the narrow land strip that blocked his way because of the fight. 

 “What the hell are you doing?” Weird Elf yelled, but distracted, a Locathah landed two devastating blows to his side. 

Unable to heal him, Zar grunted and could only yell as he chopped at another fish head, “Get back here Filli!”

Filli hearing his friends swam back, cursing himself for playing the hero in his friends’ time of need. He leapt back onshore, dodging under the exchange of blows between a guard and  a Locathah. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Voldan finish off another Locathah as one of his guards finally fell. Without a glance back, a grey glow surrounded Voldan and he leapt over the unconscious guard, finally making it onto the ship next to Osran, who had been holding his own all this time. Filli had no more time for his eyes to wander, dropping down to the ground  and placing his hands on Yankovic’s chest, he cast Cure Wounds to waken his ally. 

A weird expression appeared on Filli’s face that made Zar think was this another case of Helena again. Consider Weird Elf was yanking his own beard out the moment he woke up, retrieving his axe and more than pissed off, Zar shook the horrifying thought out of his mind.

“You were cold. You body was cold.” Filli asked with a trembling hand.

“Just old age my young. I’ve got stiff joints as well.” Weird Elf gave out a roar, and leapt up as if he had not just been on death’s door. “For numerous battles in history, for countless men bring each other to the afterlife, and for the glory Xanthia!”

This series of event, per soloplay, was completely unplanned. I’d thought Filli would reach the unconscious villager earlier by taking a shortcut, but a Locathah crit’ed Yankovic in one turn. Zar used all his Lay of Hands, and in the process, Yankovic even had a Nat1 in Death Saving Throw and was lucky to be alive! This teases out a Weird Elf thread (not the one I’d initially plan to reveal at the start of the scene) and will initiated more character development for Filli later with Voldan. They were both rare mix breeds with appears to have shared noble values, so I’d impromptu decided to have them closer in the future. Filli seems to be the PC getting building all the relationships here.

With that, thunder deafened ears as the Priest of Zeal went round the guard and swung his warhammer with a leap forward into the last remaining Locathah. A flash of lightning as if it was the smite from Xanthia himself landed on the weapon just as the hammer went down on the Locathah’s head, splitting it open into pieces. 

The party had no time to process or celebrate their victory. Having cleared the way, although the narrow Docks now littered with corpses of the fish men, the remaining guards immediately ushered the party forwards to the rescue of their governor. Filli did not forget the fallen villagers and guards, him and Yankovic luckily were able to cast healing to those who still had their last breath. With some villagers having fled successfully and the party’s first aid, miraculously the disaster had brought no casualties to Cavesmuth today. 

The guard patrols finally all arrived as the party finished healing the last unconscious guard. The ship that crashed into the Docks were now empty on the deck, with fighting noises settling. Following the newly arrived guards, the party boarded to ship. 

The aftermath

Scene close-out:

• Chaos factor up to 6. 
• + Yankovic thread: Why does Weird Elf has cold and stiff limbs 

Post-scene Notes

I’m ending it here cause it feels too long already. I’ll continue with the aftermath next week. I don’t think my idea went very well here, as the battle did not feel that urgent, nor did it feel like they had to get through a lot of enemies in a narrow passage with Volden being able to jump past. Maybe it was a bit too ambiguous with too many NPCs.