Friday, April 27, 2012

Seven Kingdoms Session 1

Session 1
After action report - 1st session of 7k.
Players: Marcus (Brontus Malloy)

Jan 15/16
It's the night of the 15th of January.  Brontus is being quartered with a peasant family, living in a two room hut in village the lies in the shadow of the Darkwood.  Outside, a near blizzard rages, hurling windblown snow against the thatched roof, occasionally sending an icy draft through the cheaply built walls.  A fire keeps the main room warm in spite of this.

Brontus' sleep is interrupted by a heavy knock at the door.  The man of the house answers the door, revealing a cold, desperate peasant man.  He asks to speak to Brontus, and they let him in.  Warming himself over the fire, the young man tells Brontus that he was sent by his village chamberlain to summon Brontus, if he will come.  It seems that a certain man has raped a peasant lass, killed her father, severely injured her mother, and killed at least another man in fleeing the village.  His chamberlain doesn't think that the village militia is up to pursing the murderer, and asks that Brontus come.

Brontus agrees to go, but the young peasant is in no condition to make the journey.  Brontus sets out against the storm.  It is a long walk in those conditions, but he is able to arrive by first light.  He is greeted by Esquire Hawthorne, the chamberlain of the village.  He is told that a man named Ronson did indeed most certainly murder.

****
Interlude: "rape" has a very different connotation -- it can mean anything from forcible rape to out of wedlock sex without the father's consent.  In the legal system of Keltharian, the penalty is dependent upon the social status of the offender and victim, and the penalty can range anywhere from death to a nominal fine.  Murder, however, is generally frowned upon.  Some noblemen can literally get away with murdering peasants for nothing more than a fine, but if the status is higher, or the victims lie at a similar level, the usual punishment is death.
****

Jan 16th
Brontus hears testimony from some of the militia.  One of their number was killed, another injured by Ronson.  Ronson is described as a big, violent man, given to fighting among other vices.  As they are telling of this, a mercenary by the name of Gunnar who chose to winter in this village came and volunteered, hearing that there is a reward of 50 silver ($500 -- which is near to a month's pay).

Four of the militiamen volunteer to go along, but having been up all night and the trail completely snowed over, they decide to rest for a brief couple of hours.  After that, the 6 men set out.  Using Brontus' knowledge of the woods, they head for a cave where Ronson is likely to have taken shelter.

They split up, Brontus and Gunnar taking one likely path, the militiamen another.  After two hours travel through the snow, the storm having waned greatly.  Upon arriving, they find that the site had been occupied, but that they were 2 - 3 hours behind Ronson.  They set out along a probable, but Brontus sent the militiamen back, as they were ill prepared to stay behind.

That night, they sleep in a shelter Gunnar fashioned.  An odd crack in the snow 100 yards away put out steam like a breath, concerning Brontus, but nothing comes of it, and the night passed otherwise uneventfully.

Jan 17th
The following morning, they find a camp site that had been recently abandoned.  Sensing that he was going into the deep woods, they redouble their efforts.  Late in the day, they find his tracks, but the light fails them.  They spend another night in the woods, given the impression that they were gaining ground.

Jan 18th
They pass into the Deep Woods -- beyond the borders of Keltharian, beyond the edge of the forest ceded to them by the Elves.  They find a campsite that makes them believe they are less than an hour behind Ronson.  Brontus, on the point, comes upon a glade that gives him to believe it is a site of sacred or mystical power.  Brontus has been following a track which had looked upon the glade, pays his respects to whatever lays within.  Then he and Gunnar continue on.

Gunnar, taking point, iss jumped from behind about an hour later, as Ronson bursts from a hiding place in the snow.  Ronson turns on Brontus and beats him repeatedly with a maul.  Just before he slips into unconsciousness, Gunnar, recovered, comes up from behind Ronson and with a mighty blow cleaves his head clear of his body.

Later...
Brontus awakes in a strange hut in bed.  A beautiful woman of indeterminate age is there, tending to his wounds.  She tells him that she is the one many have called the "witch of the wood."  She seems to find that amusing.  Bronson falls back to sleep.

Some time later, drifting in and out of consciousness, he begins to feel better.  He awakens when the witch is gone.  Gunnar says she's an interesting woman.  Both Brontus and Gunnar agree that they should leave as soon as possible.  The witch returns.  Brontus asks how he can repay her, but she says that they paid her quite well -- with the head of Ronson.  She offers him stew, which turns out to be made with Ronson's body.  Brontus refuses.

The next day...
They leave the witch's home.  It is surrounded by a palisade of stout sticks, 12 skulls adorn it, one of them is Ronson's head.  A mysterious figure is guiding them back to a path they "will be able to find their way home on."  As he is leaving, just as the gate to the witch's house closes, Brontus looks back and sees Ronson in the witch's home.  They return, not knowing how to get back to the witch's home.

Three days later -- Jan 30th.
The two return to the village.  Esq. Hawthorne says he had given them up for dead, but is happy that they made it.  Brontus gives his half of the reward to the 4 militiamen as he told them he would.  Gunnar happily takes his share.  Brontus then returns home.

****
Mar. 10 - 15
Brontus goes on a spring patrol, looking for signs of bandits, poachers, or interlopers.

Mar. 16
Brontus hears a shout.  Cutting across a trail that includes shod horses -- a sure sign of either noblemen or bandits, he finds booted footprints.  Following those, he comes upon an ambush.  A nobleman and his retainers are fighting for their lives against bandits.  Jumping into the fray, after a difficult fight, he prevails and renders aid to the hunting party.

Mar. 17
With the aid of a young noble retainer, Brontus manages to bring the hunting party to a nearby village.  He has been wounded, and seeks medical aid, spending three days recovering.

Mar. 20
The nobleman is the Crown Prince Konrad (III) of Keltharian.  Derrick, a local baron, brings his retainers to protect the prince.  Brontus is given an audience with the prince, who, now recovered, thanks Brontus.  Brontus is offered a favor, which he may collect at a future time

GM Notes:
Really enjoyed the first session -- Brontus is a very interesting character.  I'm looking forward to seeing Alaric's necromancer (if that's what he's still inclined to play), and whatever characters the rest of you want to play!  As Marcus said, Brontus could use some help out there...

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