Strike Out Blackstrike
This was a D&D game run in November 2004 and is the basis of a continuing story, which is why it is included here.
Retiring an Orgre
In the begining the disfunction party finds itself forced together on a mountain path with four ogres to content to. Bash the barbarian bravely decided to face them down single handedly and beaten to a pulp for this efforts. Stomp, outraged that a fellow half orc had been brutally cut down charges in for the rescue with gusto. Fortunately for the hapless Bash a druid was on hand to bring him back from death's door. While Stomp was setting to the ogres a dark elf called forth his foul necromantic arts to sap the strength from one of the hapless victims, allowing Stomp to take one of the attackers alive.
Soon after a large group of heavily armed humans, working for somebody called Redfern turns up and sets up camp near by. Redfern agrees not to cut down the party to make some room and mentions he might have some work for them at some stage.
Then in a display of hardened cruelity and butchering excelence Stomp questioned the ogre about his pension plan (aka life savings aka personal stash). The Broken Spine ogre (as he identified himself while declaring clan retribution upon the party) decides to pay off his captors and heads off with Stomp and Smerts (said necro) and is not seen again.
The next day the party follows Redfern (at a judiciously safe distance) down into Cleftdeep. Cleftdeep is a large lake set in a plausibly circular valley between three mountains. At the western end of the lake a river exits the lake, cutting a narrow gorge between the two lower mountains while to the east a vast rock face rises from the shoreline.
Around the lakeshore is a large town of tents, tarps, pens and pits, and the place looks similar a country fair except that the range of goods and services on display is somewhat more exotic. The party make camp and spend the next few days exploring and trading, with Stomp and Bash winning against manticore in the makeshift arena.
Tales of the Hapless Horseman
Redfern, scraping up some of the lothesome scum from the pond of deprivation, hires our amoral and merciless adventures and forces them into a party bonded together by mutual greed and fear. He hires the party to kill the renegade Blackstrike for 5000 gp to each survivor. Blackstrike lives in Dashtdaj, a nice quiet law abiding city which about to be raiding by a thousand odd maurauding psychopaths. Redfern assures the party this is the perfect time to get Blackstrike, as everybody else will be desperately fighting to save their lives.
Stomp decides to join the Killing Spree as a secret fifth columnist (really, he's the party's agent provoceteur) while the rest of the heads out of the Kashhan (The Steel Mountains, the range of mountains the party is currently in), along the River Surhan into the Empire of Naraxlos. On the way a rockfall manages to hand the party's mighty warrior (and his hapless horse) a good kicking and they are forced limp away, victorous but broken.
After some weasel working from Smerts the party, sans half orc and druid, who have sagely decided that the wilds are much safer. [As a GM aside, a peregrin falcon can do 40mph sustained flight, so she could have wildshaped and flew in about six hours.] It takes the party two days to reach Tamja, where they spend a very damp night hiding out in the jungle a mile or so from the river. The morning sees Murgar once again show his horsemanship as both he and his horse slide down and hillside, finishing with a satisfying crunching sound as his hip encountered a particular stubborn tree. His ever helpful companions help him back on his uninjured horse (no, actually they just stood there and laughed at him, mocking his ineptitude) and after three days travels the party reaches Dashtdaj mostly unharmed.
Killers on the Road
There a killer on the road,
His brain is squirming like a toad,
Take a long holiday,
Let your children play.
Innocent patrolmen slaughtered in roadside ambush!!
Large human in fullplate and axe wielding half-ocs wanted for murder. Kill on sight and receive fabulous prizes. The party camp for the night near Dashtdaq on the banks of the river Andmur, near a broken stone bridge on the old highway. During the night a mounted patrol of eight investigated the area and were ambushed by Murgar and Bash, who successfully killed three and captured another before the remaining four routed and fled. After some constructive looting the bodies were thoughtfully dumped in the river, with the captive drowning during the subsequent river fording.
Making their way deep into the jungle between the river and the hills the party camped for the remainder of the night before setting off around the marsh to Dashtdaq. Leaving the half-orc to look after Bash and Murgar's new horses (three of them, fully kitted out and branded), Murgar (sans armour) and Tilrook enter the city. They then make their way to into the foriegn quarter and find a place to stay. They find a solid looking inn called the Black Crow and Murder, run by a dwarf called Cameron Hammerstorm, nested deep in the burning ward.
All for a kitten
While Tilrook decided to disappear into her room for the day Murgar cleaned himself up headed out into the Foreign Quarter, looking for a way to get the remainder of the party into town. After looking around for a few hours he is passed a message while at the Old Town gate, asking him to be at the kraken fountain somewhat up the hill. There he is met by Riven, a dark elf hired by Redfern to assist the party while in the Empire.
She decides to get the party in though the New Town and heads off to collect them. After leaving the captured horses behind the party cross back over the river and while on the old highway are met by a platoon of heavy calvary. The captain decides that the rope binding on Bash and Invail are inadequate and with a little encouragement from Riven beats the two of them with the sharp until they are both well bloodied. He then manicles Bash properly and sends the party on its way.
With little more ado the party reaches the Black Crow and Murder. That evening Riven locates five houses with large exotic animals and Invail hears that there an excessive number of Imperial officers about at the moment.
The next morning the authorities clear the lower slums of the Foreign Quarter by sealing the ringing the area with troops and using magic to burn it to the ground. The party decide to leave it all well alone. Late in the afternoon Riven decides to investigate the exotic animal market, located next to the main slave market in the Old Town. She manages to sneak in but in then betrayed by a rusty door while trying to snatch a raw white tiger cub. Realising an adult tiger to cover her tracks she flees into the falling darkness with only a trailing meow.
Getting badly Stomped
Stomp backstory: Having set off with the Killing Spree a week back Stomp and some likely lads decided to split with the main bunch and head west though one of the minor passes. However, no sooner had they sneaked out the back of the main pack then they ran into a large group of Broken Spine orges. After an unsuccessful stand against the ogres Stomp and remaining crew flee westward, persued by a number of particularly vengful ogres, a number seemly waiting to make Stomp personally suffer excruciating pain over an indefinately long period. Having crossed over the mountains to come out north of Dashtdaq the remaining Bad Lads noticed considerable mounted patrol activity and all except Stomp wussed out and headed south along the high foothills, back towards the main body of the Killing Spree. Stomp decided a dozen mounted light cavalry were no match for his mighty prowess he heads down the river and meets Riven, Invail and Bash as they are crossing the river. Reaching the otherside Stomp resists the idea of being bound and a group of passing heavy cavalry decide to take issue with his attitude, soundly beating him into bloody unconsciousness. The party then drag Stomp into Dashtdaq tied behind Morgar's horse and dump leave him in the inn while they go about their business.
Riven, having valiently rescued a tiger cub from heinous captivity makes her way back to the inn to find Stomp recovered and rearing for a good fight. Finding a couple of ogres in the taproom he decides that chewing an ogre's eye in front of them is a good way show that he isn't intimidated by their presence. One of the ogres finds Stomp's behaviour offensive and decides to beat the crap out of him. Stomp puts a solid struggle for a while, getting in close and grappling the ogre but eventually is forced to concede and withdraw. Just to show no hard feelings the ogre buys Stomp a mug of watered wine, but the peace offering is rudely rejected, resulting in Stomp being pummelled into the table and out for the count.
Watching this from the sideline was an elderly dark elf, who, after a rousing tale from Invail about a particularly vicious and machavalian family feud (plus a short coda about the actions of a foolish half-orc), reminisces about a story he once heard. That night Smerts and his raven scout for houses which have considerable activity about them and manages to find three places which fit.
The next day the party head out into streets. Around midmorning it becomes clear that a major search is on by the local authorities and that an attractive reward is being offered for any unclaimed half-orcs. This sets the party fleeing and after much ado Smerts, Bash and Stomp make it to the secret tunnel under the wall. Morgar and Riven also head to the tunnel, resulting in a mid tunnel interparty melee. Invail manages to get hopelessly lost and arrives at the Murder and Crow much later, pays his dues and exits stage left.
Striking it lucky
As evening deepened around most of the party, Invail finds a new inn to work and stay in. Settling in for the night at the Lazy Lion he picks up rumours that a large horde of invaders is about trash the city, and if not them, the a regiment of the emperor's special drug crazed psychotic killers will do so, as they have rumoured to have been seen recently. Meanwhile Riven, Smerts and Morgar head back through the tunnel, carefully diguised by Riven, leaving Stomp and Bash to their own devices. After some searching they find a late closing trader who is bluffed into finding the location of Blackstrike's mansion. Riven then spends time scouting out the area around the place, which backs onto the Causeway.
In between time Stomp notices a large number of fires to the east and some to the south. He heads off south to investigate and finds a farmer who states that he things they are imperial levies. Stomp then mugs him for his money and sandles, returning to the tunnel a few hours before dawn. Smerts also manages to locate Invail before the party calls it a night. The next day the party wakes lake in the morning to see horseman lining the ridge to the east of them, with some infantry units moving up to support. Deciding to sit tight until sundown the day passes uneventfully. Inside the foreign quarter Invail watches as the frantic panic provisioning of the morning turns to frantic panic boarding up, with the streets all but deserted by the late afternoon.
A couple of hours after sundown the party head though the now deathly quiet alleys to the alleged estate of Blackstrike. Near their destination they spot two ogres loitering near a passageway, hiding two dark elves with their bulk. Invail thinks he recognises one of the elves as the one they met previous in the Murder and Crow but only glimpses at his female companion. Before they can react all four are lost from view into the passageway. Reaching their destination a debate about the best course of action ensues but it cut short by Stomp kicking one of the side gates open, and passing though into the dark forecourt.
Lambs to the Slaughter
Much blood was shed. The enemy inflicted great wounds on Bash and myself. The Sharman used powerful magic to heal us. We killed many, out tribe is powerful.
Bash gained honor killing many enemies, but weak human upbringing showed through. Bash was lost the grip on his weapon, throwing it away, through a window, from the second story.
Darkstrike is a great warrior. He slew Bash in one blow and Invail in two. Murgar looked might angry as the dark woman drove a blade into his back, he was slain without seeing the face of the warrior that killed him. Darkstrike killed me last, in *three* blows. Murgar was slain before I, this pleased me.
The party charges through the wall gate and into the forecourt. Stomp tries to force the right hand gates of the house while on the left Riven carefully forces the bar, while snipers on the upper floor fire arrows at a hiding Invail. Morgar then takes the lead, revealing a small parade leading along side the house, illuminated by his glowing shield. While Riven and Bash investigate the ground floor pantry area Stomp and Morgar charge ahead up a wide set of stairs to an ornate set of doors. Stomp kicks down the door and surges into the vestibule, and straight though a pair of stained glass doors, only to be leapt apon by a pair of leopards. The party regroups while the Stomp and Morgar quickly dispatch the friendly cats. Before they can search any further half a dozen giant crocodiles from the gardens towards the back of the house make their presence noticed. Stomp is rapidly forced to withdraw, bleeding badly while Bash throws his weapon away. However before things to get really bad the whole party joins the melee and after some brutal slugging and clever magic turn the crocs into guchi goo. After a short respite the party are assulted by two bugbears and an ogre take issue with the party's presence but the ogre takes fright of Smerts and flees. The bugbears are soon slain and the party begins the search of the house. Quickly finding the main staircase they head up to the top floor where a group of human guards defends the top of the stairs. Meanwhile the ogre recovers from his fright. The guards try to create a spearwall but fail and are defeated. Positions quickly reverse with the party holding the top of the stairs against the ogre, who quickly succombs to a spectacular attack by Bash using a spear, as he had managed to throw his axe out the window.
Returning to the second floor the party check one room to find it occupied by a very large tiger. As the party carefully closed the door, the tiger watched them leave but did not follow. Entering a second room they spot an elven woman hiding in the shadows, but as Stomp leaps forward she backflips to the window before leaping out.
Checking the last room on the corridor they enter a well lit room with an late middle aged human sitting in a large chair, wearing full plate armour. After a short exchange of pleasentries Bash has a go at (presumably) Blackstrike and is cut down for his efforts. Invail then tries to blind Blackstrike who responds by cutting down Invail where he stood, before turning on Stomp. As this happens a figure appears behind Murgar and punches him in quick succession, leaving him unconscious and bleeding on the floor. Once Stomp had resisting (after pleading to change sides) Smerts and Riven both went down without further ado.
What was later seen
The party were seen alive one more time, having been presumably resurrected. They were reported to have been employed by Blackstrike to assassinate a member of the local elven nobility and were smuggled into the palace by an insider. The assassination was successful, killing the elderly elven man but were seen in the act by one of the ladies of the palace and forced to flee. The actual method of their escape is not clear but Blackstrike, Redfern, the two elven agent provocoteurs, the party and the body of deceased all went missing very shortly after.
It has been widely reported that the victim was Gorkara Kyzlbil and while most assume the witness was truthful about what she saw the subsequent disapperance of the body raises questions about the whole event.
