This is part of my on-going diary series for my Doom of Barrowmaze campaign run using Old-School Essentials.
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Session 7 - Jinkies! The Mystery of Bogtown
This week the party consisted of...
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Barry, Barbarian 4. Formerly of the "Buff Bastards" adventuring group. Expedition leader. Played by Zi. |
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Francis, Thief 2. A shifty and lazy sort. Played by Stony. |
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Kazrik, Dwarf 2. Dwarven shipwright of Clan Boatstone. Played by Ryan. |
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Narion, Elf 1. An unusual elven smith and tinkerer. Played by Andrew. |
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Psteve, Cleric 2. Enigmatic prophet haunted by eldritch whispers. Played by Andy. |
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Thaddeus, Paladin 4. Holy warrior in search of wisdom. Formerly of the "Buff Bastards" adventuring group. Played by Todd. |
| Hirelings | |
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Harvey. Porter/Torch-bearer. |
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Jules. Porter/Torch-bearer. |
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Ofilia. Porter/Torch-bearer. |
Sojourn to Bogtown
After some downtime in Tamhill, the party agreed to journey to Bogtown to check in on Francis' great aunt. After a two day trip through the Hartwood Forest, the group arrived in Bogtown without incident. Most structures in the village seem as though they are in disrepair and almost everything is covered in moss from the constant dampness. Francis informed the group that most of the outlying residents of Bogtown are woodsmen, loggers and peat farmers, though there are more traditional farmsteads closer to the large lagoon that sits in the center of the village.
The group visited Francis' great aunt Vilma, who welcomed them, though Francis seemed less enthusiastic. She discussed the village's recent troubles: disappearances and personality changes among the villagers in the past year. The group decided to investigate.
They had an awkward encounter at the Golden Grain Inn and a more pleasant one with the local tailor. The blacksmith proved less agreeable. Barry met with the constable but left when he sensed something was amiss.
The mayor, Zakarias, provided insights into the disappearances. Villagers vanished, some returning after weeks with altered behavior, while others never came back at all.
After renting rooms at the Inn of the Slumbering Serpent, they visited the Church of Saint Merrika. The assistant priest, Misha, answered questions but the group was suspicious of her intentions. Psteve snuck off to search the church, but left after he found a cadre of 8 skeletons standing in a hall on the second floor.
An Attempted Ambush
Around midnight, the group set Kazrik, Thaddeus, and Psteve near the north bridge as bait, hoping to lure out any sinister force at play. Barry and Francis hid, while Narion, on the Slumber Serpent's roof, spotted a posse heading toward the bridge from the north. Several shapes with no visible heat signatures accompanied them. The posse retreated upon seeing the heavily armed trio, and the group followed them to the church.
The adventurers waited until the posse left the church grounds, following a figure cloaked in black, and a cadre of 3 reptilian humanoids as members of the cabal split up. The session ended as the group watched the strange, retiloid creatures disappear into the abandoned tavern just before sunrise.
Final Thoughts
I had planted the seed of this adventure a few sessions ago as a possible pallette cleanser for the group, should they decide they needed a break from the mega-dungeon. The group seemed genuinely intrigued by the mystery and needed no convincing at all to get involved. Multiple players mentioned during the session that the vibe of the town felt off, and each new discussion with villagers raised further questions and theories.
I think the group is adapting to the old-school mindset naturally now. Notably, we didn't roll dice for the first two hours of the session, and the group displayed caution when dealing with the sinister posse that Narion spotted, fearing their numbers and home turf advantage. The presence of entities with no heat signatures probably added to their concerns.
Keen eyed readers may already have caught onto the scenario and realize what is going on in Bogtown, but I won't be talking about it further until this little side adventure is over, lest I spoil it for my players that read this blog!
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