Tonight I felt like changing up map night tonight with theatre of the mind taking central stage as shadow drenched ropes litter the deck of the Stardrinker. Tonight we look at some of the mechanics that we will have for the adventure this week but not all of them as there is some other elements that we have yet to explore.
So get ready, find your seat as we are delving into quite a scene in tonight’s theatre of the mind adventure!
The party counted four large harpoons that were large enough to take down dragons let alone other ships embedded into the hull of the Stardrinker. Five crewmember had been ensnared by the Shadow drenched ropes that had snaked forward to wrap around their limbs. Cutting them had proven effective at releasing other crew before they were dragged on deck of the much larger ship.
The party noticed that the more ropes they cut the less that returned to attack them. There was an end to the shadows it just required additional time to cut through the corrupted ropes of The Shadow to prevent more of their people from getting taken. But perhaps there was a way to rescue those already on the deck of the haunted ship.
A simple one tonight. Four harpoons with rope with AC10 and 50 HP. Resistance to bludgeoning damage and vulnerability to Fire and Slashing damage for these large tattered ropes. Once each of the ropes are cut or broken the ship is free.
there is twenty five foot of space along the port side of the ship where ropes lash out and attack. These ropes can be cut and damaged with a HP pool very similar to a swarm. The party can board The Shadow to rescue the men and women who have been captured if they wish but the ships wont hang around for long one the harpoons tethers are severed.
Thanks for joining for another scene/map night this week. Don’t forget that we have a few more nights left this week so make sure to come back each day to see what I add to this adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Tonight we have the Shadow revealed before the parties eyes as in a twist everyone saw coming the party are ambushed on the waves yet again. But tonight’s a bit different from the normal bandits or creatures of the sea as this is technically neither, but maybe both…
So get your swords ready, spells prepared as we go sailing into tonight’s adventure!
The Shadow Revealed
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The Shadow Revealed – Created in Co-pilot.
As the orders from Cali were called out and the reluctant men started returning to their posts that’s when the crew and party realised it was too late. A metallic. unearthly screech tore through the air as massive boarding harpoons launched outward from portholes with thick ragged rope attaching each of them to the larger vessel. Each harpoon snaked forward, moving not with the random chaos of an abandoned ship – but with precision, with purpose as if guided by a force.
They struck the Stardrinker’s hull with power causing the ship to shudder after each impact. The harpoons, biting deep into its wood as the thick, aged ropes Grew taught as the larger ship pulled the Stardrinker back in line with it. For a moment after an foreboding quiet blanketed the ship as the crew reeled from the sudden attack. As Cali and Roth called back to ship demanding to be freed the silence was all that met their calls.
‘I know what this is,’ Cali muttered the colour draining from her face. ‘The Shadow.’ the words cut like a knife through the air and the crew started muttering to the gods that watched over those that sailed the sea, or anything that was watching that they would blessed another day to sail. But only the Shadow answered.
At first, it was subtle – the whisper of rope shifting against itself, the faint creak of tightening fibres – but within seconds, it turned into a monstrous, living force. The coiled mass of ropes, thick as serpents, unravelled from the ships masts and the deck, shooting down and outward like grasping limbs, searching, hunting. The Shadow revealed its final plan – to leave no prisoners alive.
One ensnared a deckhand first who was barely able to cry out before it wound around his arms, his legs, jerking him backward in a sickening snap. The ropes did not pull him overboard, nor did they drop him into the sea. They dragged him up and over the ripped wood, up the hull, through the broken railing and onto the deck where his cries began in earnest.
His scream, raw and desperate, cut short as a presence oozed out from the ship, outwards across the deck of the shorter ship.
And then the others were taken.
The second mate, Roth, fought against the ropes as they latched around his waist. He slashed at them with a knife, but they tightened, pulling him toward the edge. A sailor grabbed hold of him – two, then three – all trying to keep their second in the Stardrinker’s grasp.
The ship shuddered beneath them.
For a moment, it almost seemed like The Shadow breathed – a deep, guttural groan of wood bending, shifting, drawing closer.
Cali roared for them to cut the ropes, but the moment her voice rang out, one shot toward her, fast – faster than any natural movement. She ducked, rolling instinctively, grabbing hold of the wheel as it whipped past her.
The party had moments, seconds, to act before the ropes came for them, before the crew was gone, before The Shadow revealed more ropes and took them all beneath its deck to unimaginable horrors.
Thanks for dropping by for another night at my tabletop. Don’t forget as we passed the midway point we have maps and monsters, well creature stat blocks left for this week. So make sure you don’t forget to come back the last few remaining days this week to stay up to date with what’s happening at my tabletop. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
The breeze of the new morning brings a herald of the shadow – and the revelation of what that means for the party and the crew aboard the ship.
So look to the horizon as something darker, a herald of the shadow, approaches in tonight’s adventure!
Herald of the Shadow
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Captain Cali – Created in WordPress.
The Stardrinker had been cutting through calm waters since dawn, its sails full, its crew settled into the rhythmic work of the voyage. The sea, gentle and predictable, stretched in all directions, kissed by warm sunlight. It was the kind of evening that made even the most seasoned sailors feel at ease – until the winds shifted. Captain Cali adjusted her course and watched the few gulls flying above them take off in the direction they last saw land. Calling out to her crew and the party who had been helping out on deck she got them to keep a look out for trouble.
Captain Cali noticed it moments before the party did as her fingers tightening around the helm as a breath of colder air curled across the deck. The golden hues of the midday sun dimmed unnaturally, as if swallowed by something unseen. To the east, an ink-black smear darkened the horizon, creeping toward them as the clouds spread outwards like ink in water.
The crew, unaware of their captain’s tension, continued their duties but started to notice the storm. They were heading south and with some luck they would avoid the storm entirely. But luck was not on their side and despite them exchanging good-natured complaints about the incoming storm. ‘A squall?’ The second mate, Roth, scowled at the distant clouds. ‘Nothing unusual.’ Yet Cali remained silent, her gaze fixed beyond the approaching weather, beyond the shimmer of rain and the chromatic hues that the fading sun sent their way signalling the guarantee of rain with the storm to come.
Yet it wasn’t until her eyes glanced back towards the storm that her breath caught, a party member calling out to her at the same time as they both reached the same conclusion. There was a ship sailing out of the storm at a great speed towards them.
At first, it was just another silhouette against the dying light – no visible sails, no visible crew, a vessel drifting in the waves as though the ship itself was fleeing the storm. Cali exhaled sharply, stepping back from the wheel, fists clenched at her sides. It was likely propelled by the winds and seeking to escape from what they had suffered through. The sails were in fact there but a tattered mess and were dark as if fire hate ripped through them. The ship looked like it was in rough condition but somehow still sailing – whoever was still on board would likely be in just as bad shape and needing help, that is if there was anyone on board.
‘It’s here,’ she muttered, though no one had asked. When Roth appeared at her side they had a brief discussion where Cali could be seen visibly denying a request.
The party caught wind of her hesitation – Cali had shown no fear against the pirate ambush the previous day, nor had she faltered in the face of storms. But this? This sight had unsettled her and that gave them cause to be unsettled. As the dark ship drifted nearby, Cali having ordered their sails to be taken in but ready to be let loose in an instant they watched and hailed the other ship to see if there were any survivors.
The second mate, Roth, and several crew members peered over the rail and up at the larger ship, their initial curiosity melting into unease. The Stardrinker had been holding course, yet somehow, impossibly, the phantom vessel had drifted directly into their path out of the clouds that had now caught them, but there was no storm just a endless shadow as the clouds above blocked the sun. Despite them calling out to the crew that was on the ship it appeared as though the ship had made it here without sails or crew.
The bilge rat reported in and gave an update of what she had spied from the top of the mast. The dark ship had its hull and deck was blackened, not just by time, but with a sickly shade of decay, as though charred by fire that had never burned away. Ragged remnants of sails fluttered despite the stillness of the air. Its deck, deserted, was lined with skeletal rigging, coiled and waiting like the limbs of sleeping beasts.
And then, it happened.
The clouds above had caused them to light the lanterns around the deck to ensure that they had sufficient light to continue working. However slowly the lanterns dimmed, the flames flickering from a wind that none of them felt and it was as if the light was being drowned out by something stranger.
‘Turn us aside,’ Cali ordered, her voice taut with something close to dread.
Roth hesitated. ‘Captain—’
‘There is no crew,’ Cali interrupted. ‘No signs of distress. We move on.’
But sailors were creatures of superstition, and hesitation wormed its way through the crew. Some murmured about the unwritten laws of the sea and the good folk that braved the waters. The laws about answering the call of stranded vessels and for what happened to souls that were left to go mad on a ship devoid of sails or aid. Others whispered old tales of ghost ships, and the stories that surrounded them how there was a tale of a ship just like this that used to appear before calamity.
And the party? Their choice did not matter. The Stardrinker continued forward – whether by argument, by the demands of its second mate, or by the sheer will of the sea itself.
As they neared The Shadow, something shifted. The ship was no longer adrift – it was as if it watched them, waiting for aid or something else.
Then, from deep within its hull, a sound echoed – a groaning, ancient voice of wood and rigging stretching unnaturally. The ropes tightened. The shadows beneath its deck crawled.
Thanks for visiting tonight for another update for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back the last few nights this week to make sure that you don’t miss anything that happens with this adventure. And, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Sometimes the long journey across from one continent to another just needs something to spice it up, but maybe shadowy sails isn’t something that anyone wants to see on the horizon. So let’s get ship shape for this weeks adventure that starts off with a small skirmish, then a large one, then the party praying for another…
So keep your eyes on the horizon as we once again set sail on tonight’s adventure!
When the party were offered a job across the sea they charted an affordable and well known ship to take them to their next job. But when the journey starts off with pirates attacking their vessel, however they flee just as quickly as they come. It wasn’t until a few days later that the party wished for the simple encounter between pirates.
As the skies darken dark sails breach the horizon and the deck goes quiet. The party are caught between open water and the cries that come from the dark ship sails along side them. However, there is something worse than the darkened sails and dark wood of the ship and as the parties vessel is approached by the ship the true horror is revealed.
Shadowy Sails
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Shadowy Sails – Created in WordPress.
The party looked back at the docks and inhaled the salty sea breeze. The party had been asked to travel across the sea for a particularly well paying job that would see them well off for a number of years. The crew and ship they had chosen was well thought of, reliable and dedicated to getting travellers across the sea to where they need to go, or getting things from across the sea to where they need to be.
The captain looked pleased with their progress and the weather as they sped across the waves, the mighty mast and sails providing the vessel with as much speed as it could want. The first day was peaceful and the party found themselves working alongside the sailors to make their journey more interesting and to keep their bodies and minds active. By the second day the ship was sailing along with very little intervention from the party or its crew as the captain kept a close eye on things.
It was around noon when a call went out that sails had been seen on the horizon, another ship. Keeping to their path the captain kept a watchful eye on the interlopers. Sure enough the ship turned towards them and their flag was revealed – pirates. As the smaller and faster pirate ship darted towards them a quick volley of bolts raked the side of the approaching vessel. As one of the pirates fell backwards, injured, the others launched their own attack sending bolts and arrows into their ship, The Stardrinker, causing the crew to shout back angrily.
A few volleys of bolts, arrows and some spells later and the would be water-bandits were sent scurrying back away from The Stardrinker to lick their wounds and look for easier prey, if there was any to be found. Yet as the party relaxed and helped clean up the ship after the attack a tension hung across the journey. If there was issues this early on what lay in wait for them during the rest of the voyage?
Thanks for visiting for another start of the week adventure kick off. This week I hope that its the last nautical adventure I do this year as I have done a few already, or so it feels. So don’t forget to come back daily to make sure that you don’t miss a thing and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
A special edition update tonight with the revelation of Garbell the Huntmaster – commander and master of the mastiff pack that has the party set in its sights. With his pack of Mastiff’s, including the giant one, no one will be safe from his spear.
So get an idea of what lays in wait with Garbell and his hounds with tonight’s bonus encounter!
Garbell the Huntmaster
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While the hounds of the Huntmaster have animal cunning there isn’t much that can outrun or outmanoeuvre the pack when Garbell command them. Ruthless to a point the only thing that can reason with Garbell the huntmaster is gold, cold hard and unreasoning coins. While Garbell is on the job he works efficiently with very little wasted movement or effort.
Generally employing his largest mastiff to attack from the front and to scare the party into focusing on what they believe is the biggest threat the smaller mastiffs will approach from the sides looking to attack from the quarries blind-spots, dragging them down while he closes in to finish the job.
Thanks for visiting tonight for the last update for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the end of week zine which will be a big one. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Welcome to another fight-night Friday where tonight we are meeting, unfortunately, the hunting pack that has been sent after the party. While not alone creatures work well with their master and each other as an efficient and lethal unit. Well that’s what the party will find out shortly.
So roll in some mud, mask your scent as we’ll need everything we can get to survive tonight’s encounter!
The Giant Mastiff is a rare and ferocious beast. Normally used to defend herds from bears of the regular, giant and owl-bear variety these creatures can go toe-to-toe with many of the worlds nastiest creatures and punch well above their weight. When hunting as a pact with its pack-mates and with a skilled master to guide it there is very little that these creatures can’t do.
While the larger giant mastiff may have size going for it there is little that escapes the senses of a well trained mastiff. Strong, loyal and brave these creatures will do as they are directed by their alpha or by their master and will track, hunt and take down creatures must larger than they are.
Thanks for visiting tonight for another set of updates for this weeks adventure. Don’t forget to come back over the weekend for more updates and lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Tonight map-night focused on a small section of Wolfhall land, Wolfcreek Crossover. This river cuts a mighty path through the land and eventually feeds into a larger river that feeds Wolfhall on the irrigation it provides to the farmers. But this week it provides cover, it provides water and it can provide a way to break the scent from the hunting party that is behind them
So grab your boots as we may get a bit wet around the knees in tonight’s map!
Plenty of trees provide cover for people moving across the land near Wolfcreek Crossing as the party move to cross the river and try to lose the hunters that have been following them. The other reason for travelling through this part of the woods is the standing stones that lay half buried throughout the area. These stones are known to interrupt with the flow of magic and could provide some much needed respite for the party from those who use the divination wards to spy on them.
A fun map tonight bringing out the layering (digging?) tool again to create most of the map as foreground and the river as a background. Giving a natural riverbank helps create depth that I believe is harder to do with the other art assets and textures.
There are a few textures at work here including the dirt one that helped to bury the rocks throughout the mission. This technique I use sparingly as it can make the assets look really dirty if you use it too often. Trees provide cover and the Rune Stones add a bit of character to this map. A small gully was made from the rocky hills asset that can provide an interesting opportunity for combat or a place to hide in.
Thanks for joining for another map night this week. Don’t forget that we have a few more nights left this week so make sure to come back each day to see what I add to this adventure. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
To we have a revelation of what’s happening, a hidden spy and a deserter of the Gift. How the party will respond to the information gained from knowledge shared by the deserter will be up to them but if they want to get paid then they need to deliver the gift.
So as we prepare for another night of watching over the wagon make sure to keep your eyes peeled in tonight’s adventure!
Deserter of the Gift
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Deserter of the Gift – created in WordPress.
Night had fallen without incident, the first time since leaving the Wolfgard. As the group had suffered some casualties and injuries in most recent encounter with a mage who practiced necromancy. As such the party had been nominated to watch the wagon over the night. The attempts had become less frequent as the days went on and despite the attack at the town where they were meant to pick up the draft horses – which resulted in the fresh horses being killed – there had been no more attacks during the night.
This was probably due to Captain Argent taking an alternative route off the main road which meant that only truly experienced hunters and trackers would find them. As the crackle from the small fired cast a flickering light across the crew that remained with them the party noticed an empty space where a bedroll was earlier that night. Investigating they soon found one of the guards, Buhfed, trying to sneak out using one of the small tents as a block.
Stopping him he sighed, dropped his sack filled with a few days of supplies and turned around. His face was one of exhaustion but not shame or guilt. ‘I kinda expected you would catch me. I just wont play the royals game any more no matter the bonus they were payin’ me to make sure it played out.’ he looked in the direction of the wagon but it was out of the line of sight.
‘The king is the one who put out the bounty on the wagon. The spells on it to protect the contents? Pah! they are spells so the king and his spoilt brats can watch the fighting that we have to do to get it there on time. I was promised a captains job, comfortable with a small team to guard the halls in the palace – nothing happens in there. But I didn’t sign up to fight the undead or necromancers. We lost too many men, I didn’t sign up for this.’ he added, his lips trembling.
As he returned to the fire and spoke in a hushed voice that he was sure the spells would not be able to detect he told the party of what the plan was. Men, monsters, fiends of the gutters would fight tooth and nail for a chance to get the bounty on the wagon. The king would pay it too as his gift wasn’t something in the wagon – it was watching what happened outside of it as the party moved it across the land.
Since Edward and Anna had changed course he would up the ante, leak information as to where they were and it would get worse on their final day of travel and Buhfed wouldn’t have the blood of more people on his conscious. The bounty was only if the wagon was opened before it made it to the city and so if they still wanted the payout from the king – and to keep their reputations in tact they had to get it there fast.
The question was now, how? If what they had faced was just those who were unskilled what would happen if a group who was skilled caught up to them. The party needed a plan, they needed to let Anna and Edward Argent know.
Thanks for dropping by for another night at my tabletop. Don’t forget as we passed the midway point we have maps and monsters, well creature stat blocks left for this week. So make sure you don’t forget to come back the last few remaining days this week to stay up to date with what’s happening at my tabletop. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Tonight we get a bit more information and insight into the adventure with A Guards Revelation potentially changing the parties view of the job itself. But that’s not just all as the threats keep coming and an end is not in sight with tonight’s adventure.
So sneak in a short rest when you can as we face more than just honesty in tonight’s adventure!
A Guards Revelation
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‘I didn’t think the head guard liked me that much to be honest.’ The guard mentioned as he chewed on some hard rations – his hands still covered in grit from the fight earlier. ‘You see this job is kinda make or break for me. I was told if I perform well then my previous failures would be overlooked and I can return to the job that I was aiming for – stable guard. It’s a good job and you get to work with magnificent horses!’. The guards name was Ymerman, a guard that worked at the palace in Wolfhall.
He had told the party that he had failed in guarding the stables that led to a prized foal being stolen. The punishment saw him demoted and sent to patrolling the worst of the districts. However, he was hand picked to guard the wagon that was carrying the royals gift and he showed more zeal than others in completing this test. With the promise of his old post back and a pardon they could not blame him.
What the party found odd was that all the guards from the palace had similar stories. Failed or found lacking in some aspect of their job and were given another chance to prove themselves in guarding the wagon. What made matters worse is that those attempting to get into the wagon had grown more violent and vicious since leaving the city with one guard being severely injured and a mercenary losing a limb when they were ambushed by a street gang near the market district. Ignoring the fact that the guards that patrolled the market also joined in the defence of the wagon these people, men and women, were desperate to get into the wagon. That was within the city walls of Wolfgard.
Now on the road to Wolfhall officially they thought the attacks would lessen – in fact they got more vicious. Traps set in the middle of the road, ambushes from the wagons that passed them by and a constant feeling of being watched haunted them at every moment. They had barely time to rest before they were moving again for fear of being found not moving at pace.
The leader of the company, Captain Edward Argent and his second in command, Anna, were a lethal and effective unit. Both of them had done this work for many years now and worked together like a well oiled machine.
Captain Argent had organised fresh horses to greet them at the next town – hopefully that would see them able to get to the city early and complete the job without being ripped to shreds.
Thanks for dropping in for another night at my tabletop. Don’t forget that the next few nights will expand the adventure further with tomorrow night revealing some pretty big ones. And so don’t forget to come back each night this week so you don’t miss anything this week and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Another year has come around since I did the A Royal Request adventure last year to celebrate the Birthday week for both my kids and this year we have another Birthday Request. This time we have a special birthday present to be delivered, a devious plan and some very underhanded tactics are involved to ensure that its the best gift ever.
So buckle up as this weeks going to be particularly bumpy with tonight’s adventure!
When the King of Wolfberg organised his gift to his two children born in the same calendar week it always had to be the best and unique. The party had been requested by the head of a guild to escort the magically sealed wagon from the City of Wolfgard to the capital Wolfhall where the king would present its contents to his children as a gift.
The wagon had costly divination spells cast upon it as well as several enchantments to make sure that it would arrive in one piece – the only part he couldn’t ensure was that the driver or their guards – and that’s where the party came into it. However, the gift itself isn’t what it seems, the spells while of the same school are very different to what would be expected and the road ahead? Catastrophically hazardous.
Birthday Request
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Birthday Request – Created in WordPress.
The party looked around the warehouse they had gathered in with the others that had been selected for this job. Several guards from Wolfhall, the royal capital of the kingdom stood around and discussed the job with a mixture of hope and anxious energy. Many of them saw this as an opportunity for redemption or an opportunity for promotion through the ranks. The job was pretty simple really; escort the kings wagon from Wolfgard to Wolfhall and don’t let anyone stop it from reaching the capital.
The pay was substantially more than other escort or delivery missions they had done in the past but there was a significant amount remaining that would be paid out once the spells and wards that had been placed upon the wagon had been examined by the kings wizard. The contents of the wagon were unknown but it was a gift to the kings son and daughter for their birthday about a week from now.
The wagon itself was sturdy with strong axles, spare wheels and large draft horses to carry it the distance. It was of fine dwarven make with evidence of gnomish tinkering along the entirety of the vehicle. Magic buzzed across it in a mixture of enchantment, divination and something else. It was powerful enough that only the king could afford it but some of the spells themselves seemed distorted, unfamiliar in some ways.
As the party gathered around the job leader, a captain of the guild of transport they listened to a the job briefing again.
‘So now that you know, for the stragglers that joined us late, what we are dealing with here there is something else that came to our knowledge through our information network this morning. There is a counter bounty on this job that is quite a sum for anyone who can retrieve the contents of the wagon.’ Several guards, whether mercenaries or royal exchanged nervous glances before the man continued. ‘I anticipate that we will encounter resistance and even outright hostility along our travels so we will need to move fast. A large amount of the pay for this job is tied up on the wagon arriving intact and on time so let’s make this a smooth, fast and flawless job. Do you hear me?!’ he roared at the end to a chorus of agreement from the others.
He could not be further from the truth.
The first signs of danger happened before they even left the warehouse with someone dressed as a guard trying to get into the magicked wagon itself. The party had stopped them, as their role was to stick to the wagon like glue for the trip, and the would-be thief failed to live up to the investigation from the party and was captured and sent on the way. However, the thief did mention something of interest – the reward was twice what they were being paid to deliver the wagon.
Thanks for stopping in a very special adventure this week that surrounds the perfect gift for a fathers little princess and prince. Don’t forget that each day this week we will expand this adventure further so make sure to stop in daily to stay up to date. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage, The Brazen Wolfe
Brazen Wolfe Tabletop 