GAME

[tibbius]

You're a group of competent heroes, would-be legends. You're in the Grey Meadows, en route to the Valley of Shields where you are to scatter the ashes of a fallen prince across the muddy fields of battle. You may be gifted with Strength or Reason or Speed or Presence.

You're looking at a wyvern that is spiraling lower toward you from the cloudless sky. Lightning arcs between its talons. The waist-high grey marsh grass and ankle-deep water give nowhere to hide.

What do you do?

[sulldawga]

Melor bashes his sword against his shield, in the hopes of both frightening it and drawing its attack away from his friends.

Cristan nocks an arrow and watches. If it looks like the wyvern is scared off, he refrains from loosing his arrow. If it attacks, he does also.

[Dicey]

“Stand aside!” Hogarth the fae cleric proclaimed as he knelt on one knee, raised a hand to the heavens, and prayed. “Oh heavenly family above, grant me the power of Holy Hold over this beast!” Pointing to the wyvern and casting the spell.

“You go Hog!” yelled Dirk the Dervish. He knocked an arrow and prepared to fire.

[tibbius]

“Stand aside!” Hogarth the fae cleric proclaimed as he knelt on one knee, raised a hand to the heavens, and prayed. “Oh heavenly family above, grant me the power of Holy Hold over this beast!” Pointing to the wyvern and casting the spell.

“You go Hog!” yelled Dirk the Dervish. He knocked an arrow and prepared to fire.

Hog's Presence [1d8]=4

Hog feels a rush of holy power through his mind and body, and as sometimes happens, he feels immediately washed out and limp. He will be hindered (d4 for all rolls) until he prays.

The wyvern spasms in the air, clutches itself into a tight ball, and plummets to earth. It lands with a splash that sends water high in the air, and a dull thump that you vaguely feel in your feet.

[Dicey]

“My faith binds its body frozen, but not forever,” said Hog, sitting on the ground recovering.

“Let’s go Melor!” Dirk ran over to the body of the wyvern and hacked at its throat to kill it quickly.

“I hear that stinger is poisonous. I wonder if there a way to get the poison out for us to use on our blades.”

[tibbius]

“My faith binds its body frozen, but not forever,” said Hog, sitting on the ground recovering.

“Let’s go Melor!” Dirk ran over to the body of the wyvern and hacked at its throat to kill it quickly.

“I hear that stinger is poisonous. I wonder if there a way to get the poison out for us to use on our blades.”

Indeed, as Hogarth spoke, the distraction of his words began to dissolve the holy bonds upon the wyvern. Dirk, running toward it, had a moment of fear as it began to struggle and flap.

Trying to kill the wyvern is risky — Dirk will need to roll Strength, the worst risk (1–2) is that you will be stung, and a lesser risk (3–4) is that you will be knocked down by a wing.

[sulldawga]

Melor runs in to assist in slaying the wyvern before the spell fully dissipates.

Cristan watches carefully and will loose an arrow if it looks like the wyvern is going to free itself before the party slays it.

STR roll to slay wyvern: 1d8 7 STR roll, if needed.

[tibbius]

Melor and Dirk get in quick blows at the wyvern's stubby-horned head and it collapses into the shallow water. Utterly still. Bluish oily blood runs from its broken skull into the water, making a rainbow sheen among the broken marsh grass.

A cold wind begins to blow from the south, from the distant sea. The marsh reeds tremble and sway, rasping and rattling against each other.

What do you do?

I would rule that the following also is risky with a 1–2 causing direct harm to Melor or Dirk and a 3–4 causing them to lose an action.

Cristan watches carefully and will loose an arrow if it looks like the wyvern is going to free itself before the party slays it.

[sulldawga]

Cristan examines the wyvern corpse for any body parts that would be valuable to take.

Melor wants a talon as a trophy of his victory.

Melor wonders out loud, Where is this beast's nest? There could be valuable treasure there.

[tibbius]

The wyvern is a beast somewhat like a gigantic lizard-skinned swan, complete with 18-foot wingspan, savage beak, eagle talons, and stinger tail. In life, it is known for the stunning and sometimes fatal electric shocks that it can deliver with its talons and tail, as well as for the grievous wounds that its talons and beak can inflict. Wyverns are dominant predators, although the nine-foot-tall and four-armed trolls that roam the land sometimes hunt them for sport.

The talons and sting of the wyvern, and the associated electric glands, are valued by alchemists for preparing concoctions of Bolt. Some skill is required in handling the glands, which can deliver nasty shocks even in death. Harvesting the precious glands would be a risky endeavor, to which maybe Speed or Reason could be applied. Otherwise roll d6.

The wyvern's nest could be within fifty miles of here. The beasts ride thermals in a few hours further than a horse could go in two days.

[sulldawga]

Cristan tells Melor to stand back while he attempts to remove the electric glands. If this works, I'll get you a talon as well.

Gland removal: 1d10 7 Reason roll on d10.

[tibbius]

“My faith binds its body frozen, but not forever,” said Hog, sitting on the ground recovering.

“Let’s go Melor!” Dirk ran over to the body of the wyvern and hacked at its throat to kill it quickly.

“I hear that stinger is poisonous. I wonder if there a way to get the poison out for us to use on our blades.”

Cristan tells Melor to stand back while he attempts to remove the electric glands. If this works, I'll get you a talon as well.

Gland removal: 1d10 7 Reason roll on d10.

After Cristan has extracted the "lightning glands", the four of you look at each other. The nearest city, where you easily could sell the precious organs, stands a week northwest. Your ordered path is eastward into the mountains. Do you follow your orders? Who bears the gold and black-iron jar that holds the ashes of the prince?

[sulldawga]

Cristan tells his comrades, If you want some piece of the wyvern, extracting it now should be safer... although I make no promises when it comes to the poison in the tail. Selling these glands can wait though. Let's keep going toward the Valley of Shields. Who knows? Perhaps we can find clues to this creature's aerie along the way.

Melor takes a talon.

Cristan can carry the jar. Who gave us the order to spread the ashes? Do we know the purpose of such an act?

[Dicey]

Hack wyvern: 1d10 10

Dirk wiped the wyvern blood off his scimitar.

Hogarth stood back up, still breathing heavy. “The creature’s poison for your blades is a good idea Dirk, but dangerous. Perhaps we should leave be.”

[tibbius]

Cristan tells his comrades, If you want some piece of the wyvern, extracting it now should be safer... although I make no promises when it comes to the poison in the tail. Selling these glands can wait though. Let's keep going toward the Valley of Shields. Who knows? Perhaps we can find clues to this creature's aerie along the way.

Melor takes a talon.

Cristan can carry the jar. Who gave us the order to spread the ashes? Do we know the purpose of such an act?

You bear the prince's ashes on the order of King Magog IV. The prince, who recently died age 12 of a fever, had dreamed of leading regiments through the bloody ground of Valley of Shields. You are to scatter his ashes on the wind from the tower of Fortmayn, thereby inspiring the King's troops to rally and end the decades-long stalemate with the Eastern invaders.

[sulldawga]

I'm ready to keep moving.

[tibbius]

You head east through the marshes of Grey Meadows. As you walk, the grey sky remains grey, the grey reeds remain grey, and the shallow water splashes in a muted way.

After a while you see a person approaching from the east. They're leading a mule by a halter. The mule wears two large saddlebags.

What do you?

[sulldawga]

Cristan says, We should hail this stranger. Perhaps he is a tinker or trader. He may also know of things in this area.

Melor grunts in agreement.

[Dicey]

“Aye,” said Hogarth in agreement.

Dirk followed along.

What is involved in prayer or rest to recover from spell casting?

[sulldawga]

Cristan waves to the stranger when they are close enough to talk. Melor sheathes his weapon to look less threatening.

Ho there! What news from the east?