AD&D 1e Greyhawk Session 1: January 15, 2022

 Dramatis Personae:

Joruhn Half-blood: Half-orc fighter (Level 2)

Parnortieney Toughgrip (Pat): Dwarven Cleric of Berronar Truesilver (Level 2)

Mercennariorum:

Terryfarnicearael (Terry) Elven Thief (Level 1)

Quid Occurrit:

The trio, seeing their coin purses bleeding currency at an alarming rate due to lack of employment, decided to leave the town of Hochoch to investigate reported mysterious happenings plaguing the village of Orlane, This village was formerly regarded as an idyllic stopover, known for the friendliness of its folk and the fertility of its fields. In contrast, it has lately been known as a place where villagers go missing, crops fail, and where the folk are growing surly and suspicious of outsiders. Reasoning that rescuing a village down on its luck might at least garner some gratitude and coinage, or at least some free room and board for a while, the odd trio hit the road, leaving Hochoch behind them.

It only took a few days to reach Orlane, with the journey being uneventful. While formerly a land that birthed great civilizations, the continent of Oerik is now largely empty, with the ruins of former glories breaking the surface like the bleached bones of some great buried behemoth. That emptiness is still not without its hazards, as dangerous beasts and worse haunt the lands where the citizens of empires once trod. In response, enclaves of civilization send well armed patrols along the crumbling roads, maintaining vital links of trade and information in a precarious age. It was only these patrols the trio encountered. Looking jealously at the well-made armour, weapons, and fine steeds of the patrols as they passed, our heroes trudged on, seeking neither larceny nor beast's lair on their way to Orlane.

Upon reaching the town, the party first came upon a dairy farm. Some young children were playing in the yard. Upon noticing the strangers, an older daughter ran out to bustle them into the house while their father the dairyman (Nowell Graven) greeted the travellers. He recommended the party stay at the Slumbering Serpent Inn, known for its excellent drink. Pat purchased a jug of milk, drank it with Terry on the spot (Joruhn is lactose intolerant), paid double, and led the way to the inn. 

The Slumbering Serpent turned out to be a friendly place, with the proprietors Belba and Ollwin Cralloon providing the party with excellent wine (the best they'd ever tasted), and a delicious lunch. The party used the opportunity to overhear local gossip from nearby tables, which centred on the now ruined Foaming Mug Inn, which had mysteriously been the site of a lethal brawl some months back which left no survivors, and therefore no one to tell the tale of what had happened. People were hoping that perhaps the Cralloons could take it over. 

After lunch, the party decided to walk around town in order to get an idea of what was going on. While some farms look prosperous, others were run down and dilapidated. It seemed strange that adjacent farms could be faring so differently. They strolled through the town (their route went by the Foaming Mug), eventually making their way to the temple of Merikka, where Joruhn decided to pay his devotions, being raised on a farm himself. They were greeted by the cleric Misha Devi, priestess of Merikka, who guided Joruhn to the altar where he prayed before a large jade statue of the goddess. While praying, Joruhn had a vision. He sensed the goddess being both hurt and angry, and perceived she was far away (this was a very good percentile roll). The following smalltalk resulted in Misha recommending the peace and quiet of the Golden Grain Inn as a nice change of pace from the bustling Slumbering Serpent.

Concerned with this vision, the party circled back to the mayor's residence. The mayor turned out to be affable, shrewd, and aware of what was going on in the village. He lacked hard evidence, and as such could not take any certain action. He was convinced the person behind the disappearances was the hermit living to the west of the village. He gave the party permission to investigate the disappearances, and the party left to see the hermit.

With Terry shadowing in the forest, Joruhn and Pat approached the hermit's reported campsite, and came upon a run down cabin. They were greeted by a wizened old man (named Ramne) with a weasel perched upon his shoulder. They asked him about the goings on, and he intimated that there was some kind of cult activity going on. He thought the mayor a fool for suspecting him, and suggested the party start their investigation at the Foaming Mug Inn, the site of the mysterious battle that the village residents still talk about. As it was getting late, the party went back to their inn and found it bustling with activity. The locals here seemed quite happy to have visitors, and were perplexed by Pat presenting as neither male nor female, and tried to sate their curiosity by subtly asking questions to determine the hero's gender. Pat seemed to relish confounding the humans and their parochial ways, and left them in the dark, because it was none of their business anyway. After much good natured banter and boozing, Terry retired for the evening, as he was completely "extroverted out" by being the centre of attention for such a long time. Pat and Joruhn followed shortly thereafter and the party slept the night away. Even Terry, who tries to look like he sleeps like a human, complete with fake snores.

The next day the heroes investigated the Foaming Mug. It was remarkably run down, considering only a year had passed since the battle. The sign lay in the tall grass in the front yard of the inn, and the structure was boarded up. Joruhn managed to force the door without causing any undue damage or noise, and the adventurers entered the building. The place was seemingly left as it was found, minus the bodies. Broken furniture and dishes lay strewn about, bearing mute testimony to what had occurred a year ago. The door to the cellar hung by a single hinge, beckoning the party to investigate the darkness beyond. Descending the stairs, they found a fair sized cellar with two doors. The first door led to a side storage room which held essentially nothing. While investigating the room, the other door burst open, and the party was beset by a horrible stench. Terry succumbed to it, feeling very weak, but Pat and Joruhn resisted the effects of the vile odour. The smell was coming from their attackers: reptilian bipeds with a large crest on their heads. Armed with primitive stone axes, they fell upon the heroes, dealing some damage. The party regrouped quickly and counterattacked, but Terry was badly injured, barely staying on his feet. The following rounds saw two of the monsters cut down, and one attempting to flee, which was killed by Joruhn. Pat healed Terry with their divinely granted power. This was a close call, as hitting 0 HP in AD&D 1e is a serious situation, resulting in a long period of downtime for the injured character, even if healed promptly. The party found some treasure (a fair sized collection of coins and gems) stored by their foes in an old tool crate, as well as some tools. 

Given that these creatures (troglodytes) aren't the types of creatures that live in human villages, the party assumed this had something to do with the disappearances. The took the creatures' heads as proof of the encounter, and rushed to see the mayor, who was flabbergasted at the news. The party informed him that the hermit was likewise concerned about Orlane's problems, and that his suspicions were likely unfounded. The mayor told them to continue with their investigation.

Seeking to create more connections in the village, the heroes then visited the carpenter (John), and sold him the tools from the troglodyte room, and commissioned some folding camp chairs from him. The heroes then visited the constable , who wasn't particularly friendly, but like the priestess, recommended the Golden Grain Inn. The party thought this was worth investigating, so they decided to sup there.

The Golden Grain Inn was somewhat rundown, with a sullen crowd, mostly from outlying farms. The barkeep (Bertram Beswill) was friendly enough, and provided the group with food and drink. All was not well, however. It became very apparent that the food and drink were drugged with a soporific poison, causing the heroes to become very drowsy, but they quickly shook it off and made for the door, only to be stopped by four thugs. Now, Joruhn only naps when he wants to, and this was not Joruhn's nap time. He bashed one thug to the floor with the pommel of his sword, and stepped over the collapsed ruffian with Pat and Terry in tow. Strangely, the thugs did not pursue the party as they fled to Ramne's cottage.

Upon their return, Ramne was very concerned about the news of the Golden Grain and the troglodytes. He said that his weasel (Whiskers) could certainly help track the troglodytes to their main lair, and gifted Joruhn and Terry with silver daggers. He also provided some scrolls to help them on their way, and warned that they were to be used only at uttermost need.

Until next time...