Weekly Gaming Summary #04: 1E/2E Ravenloft PlayTest (05/17/20)

Thank You For Playing today's 1 st /2 nd Ed. AD&D game 05/17/2020 - From 8:15 pm EDT, until 11:00 pm EDT, and our 3rd Ravenloft Play Test Gaming Session, goes out to:   Cleric (of Lightning) – Hairfeet Halfling – Chandry Quick-Foot - Devin M. Fighter – Dwarf – Duncan Steelbeard - Roxxifarius Ranger – High Elf - Ricardo Jamez –  Buddy-D Ranger – Human – Estrel Tol - Christopher G. Thief – Human- Izabela Castorena - Phoenix   Whom Could Not Make It Today!   ???? - Jack J.   Game Summary for Sunday (05/17/2020):   Opening Scene: Day 1: April 27; 10:30 am:   Eofor, goes to his desk, opens a ledger, and begins to read from it, “It was four months five days ago that Elgin’s gang was brought in. They numbered seven in total. All of them had their throats torn out, as well as being stabbed, by a sword like the one Elgin is known to carry. This is actually something that is common to all but one of Elgin’s victims.”   Eofor turns to the next page in the ledger and says, “Next, a week later, Torr brought in Froda and Wulfgar. They owned a farm west of the village. Froda was the only one of Elgin’s victim’s to not have her throat torn out and be stabbed. She had the back of her skull crushed.”   The undertaker continued reading to the bottom of the page and then said, “And, oh yes, there was Jaspen the carpenter. He was brought in two days after Froda and Wulfgar. They said he had been working on a house for a newlywed couple, when he was killed. Once again, stab wounds and his throat ripped out.”   Eofor licked his middle finger, and turned another page before continuing, “After that, Elgin went to ground for almost three months. Then he killed Oslaf, a shepherd from north of town. Like the others, he was stabbed, and his throat was torn out. Finally, just three days ago, they brought me Donno. They say he was a Jeweler from Liara, who would come to the village every couple of months to trade with the locals. He’s out on my cart now, ready to go in the ground”.   After Eofor says all of that he adds, “So knowing all that, do you have any leads? Do you think you will have Elgin caught soon?” No one in the party currently has any leads to mention to Eofor. Estrel notes, "So, let me get this straight... Attacks were 125 days ago; 118 days ago; 116 days ago; 26 days ago and 3 days ago? Is that correct? Just looking for a pattern, but I don't see one. Certainly not one that coincides with the moon or anything" After the they leave the office, and exit, they have Estrel look at the neck wound on Donno’s body, and all he could tell was that it appears to be a canine of some sort. After leaving the graveyard, the party loops back through Kellee one more time before heading up to Alee-Onna’s cottage and meet Fflur, a young woman in her late teens. Her plain face is framed by her pageboyhaircut. Her hair is thick and light brown. She is wearing a green skirt and yellow tunic that istucked under her blue leather belt. She is carrying what looks like a small wagon wheel in her left hand. It is only about a foot and a half across. Estrel asked about the wheel and here it is for a wool spinner wheel for making thread, of which she just had repaired. Fflur is asked about Elgin and her response was, “All I know is he was seeing Alee-Onna and the folk here believe he murdered folks. I don't know anything more really.”, "I doo-nuta know how Alee-Onna keeps going. Hit be more than I could bare losing a love like that.” Heading up to the cottage was a two hour trip walking and no encounters occurred along the way. It is located north-east of Kellee at the foot of a tall snowcapped mountain. A well-worn foot path leads to it from the Timori Road. Behind the home is an apple orchard. They see the orchard is clear of foliage overgrowth, until it gets to the far side border. There is an open window with shutters on the west side and a chimney on the east side along with a well, laundry tub, clothing lines and a well. Estrel had gone to the side window to peek in and see what is going on inside and sees Alee-Onna, inside at the door with a dagger in hand, talking with the party through the  barred door. Alee-Onna Says, "Is that you Onela? Do you have any bread with you?" Duncan says, "Naw its not Onela, but we do have food for ya" Izabel says, “"I'm Izabel, we were sent to deliver the food by Onela." Alee-Onna says, “ Says, "So you have spoken to Onela? Can you tell me what she looks like?” Duncan first says, “Blonde hair, blue eyes, dresses in a blue and white dress.” Alee-Onna says, “Onela doesn’t have blonde hair!” Duncan then says, “Brown hair under a white cloth, plain brown dress.” Alee-Onna says, “Ok, so maybe you know her. Why did Onela send you and not come herself?” Estrel chimes in mentioning Aelswith the InnKeeper of the Tall Mug, as Izabel describes her as, “Rather portly, blonde hair, wears a tan and green dress, rather kind to.”

Alee-Onna says, “OK, but why would they send you up here?” Duncan says, “Because we are trying to find Elgin, to find out what happened to him.” Alee-Onna says, “Elgin, you say? Whom else have you talked to?” Duncan adds Eofor while, Izabel mentions also seeing Oslac the apothecary and Ingeld the high priest of Choosir. Tell Alee-Onna that Elgin may be suffering from a form of lycanthrophy and want to cure him if possible. Estrel sees her place the dagger on top of a piano near the front door and then unbar the door, opening it, letting the adventurers inside. He rushes to the front door himself. Alee-Onna is a woman of striking beauty. Her fiery scarlet hair, sparkling emerald green eyes, and flawless porcelain skin, turn heads wherever she goes. Her lithe form moves with the willowy grace of a dancer, but it is her lovely voice that really draws the crowds. Alee-Onna waves everyone inside. Alee-Onna Says, "I am sorry that some of you will have to stand. The only company I normally have is Onela and …” She trails off before saying Elgin’s name."   A second later rage sweeps over her face, and she shouts, “That bastard, that stupid bastard! I told him if he wasn’t careful, he’d end up like this! And what about me? He didn’t think about that, now did he?" The bard then buries her face in her hands and begins to weep. Estrel, not so gently nudges the Izabel, forward toward the weeping girl. Izabel, hugs Alee-Onna and says "It'll be alright, we'll find Elgin and bring him back. I promise." Estrel says, “ Miss, part off why we were asked to bring this food to you is that you haven't been to the Tall Mug in a while and folks there were concerned for you. Not to mention missing your singing!" Alee-Onna says, "Whether to slap his face or kiss it I can’t decide, probably both!", "So you are looking for Elgin for sure? I would certainly like to know what happened with him." Duncan says, “Any idea where he may be hiding?" Estrel says, "We were sort of hoping YOU might know a little about where he might be, and what happened to him."   Alee-Onna says, “I believe he may be in a hideout of his. He gave me a map of where to find it if needed. Let me get the map out for you.”   Estrel, “Ok, that makes sense, do you know where it is?”   Duncan, “Where is this hideout?”   She fetches the map and rolls it open upon a circular table and points to a location marked as “Mine” upon the map.   Estrel says, “So, the spot marked "Mine" is where he told you he might be".   Alee-Onna says, “Yes this is where he told me to go, tapping on where it says 'mine'.” "I met the fool not long after I moved to Kellee from Nova-Vasa, about 6 years ago." "I did not care for his thieving ways, but he is what he is."   Estrel says, "Ok, that looks like a long ways from here. Have you ever been there? I am guessing the answer is "No"?"   Alee-Onna says, "No, I have not been up there, It's the Candlestick mountain area." "Let me tell you about the last time I saw Elgin." "He had left for Candlestick Mountain the day before. No wait I have to start before that. Elgin, being my beau, used to bring me gifts when he’d come to see me. One day he gave me this bag of coins." She Pats the leather sack attached to her belt, which is full of coins. "He told me to never spend them. He said they might save my life one day. Well the night Elgin set off to the mountain he made me a promise. He said we’d want for nothing after this job. That we could move to a real city and we could live like a king and queen, the pair of us. The next morning, early right before dawn, he came beating on the door, screaming for me to let him in. As I got out of bed and ran to the door the first rays of morning came streaming through the cracks in my shutters there. His pounding on the door stopped. I could hear him wailing, and sobbing. Something was terribly wrong. I had never known Elgin to shed a single tear, so I tore open the door. He slumped in a heap on my threshold. I took him in my arms and begged him to tell me what was the matter. Between his sobs he coughed out, ‘it’s too late I couldn’t make it! It’s too late! They won’t come back. When I asked him who he was talking about he, shouted something about the mountain dwarves. He said if he could have got these coins to them before sunrise, that he could have undone the wrong he had done them. He said if these coins were laid on the eyes of anyone who had died in the last day, before the next dawn, that they could be brought back to life." The bard sniffed and wiped away a tear from her cheek. "After that he tore off into the sunrise, and I never saw him again. It wasn’t long before Torr came around the Tall Mug asking me questions. He said that Elgin, had killed his men by the river. Not long after that they said he started killing some of the local folks around here. That last morning, I saw him… I saw guilt in his eyes for the first time, but I can’t believe he did what they are accusing him of. There’s no way my Elgin would do all that! He may be a thief, but he’s no murderer." “Here take the map, please find him.” Estrel says, "Miss, we'll leave you alone. But if I might make two suggestions: 1) barring your door is a good idea, however, if you leave your window open, you are not safe. I watched you talk to the rest of us and could have easily entered behind you. 2) Go back to the Tall Mug. People there care about you, and you wouldn't be alone out here. Just some suggestions."

Izabel says, "Yes. Elgin isn't in control of himself anymore. There's no telling what could happen." Alee-Onna says, "Thank you for reminding me sir, I shall shutter my window after you leave. " The party exits the home and they hear Alee-Onna bar the door behind them them hear the window shutters slam shut. Estrel says, "While the map is crude, if the trip from town to "home" is 2 hours, I would think that the mine is a day's travel. Or more, if Elgin couldn't get to the coins before sunrise." The party discusses what do to next outside near the door and also see about getting at least a pair of coins from the sack that Alee-Onna has but she would not part with them at all, so the adventures head back down the path to the Timora road. Estrel, meanwhile has a looking along the rear of the house seeing a long pile of wood with an axe on top of them and the back door, as he looks for tracks. When he gets back to the now shuttered window, he spots what look like the hind footprints of a wolf but much larger in size than usual, both coming to the window and then apparently sprinting away from it. When they get about 200 yards away, from the direction of the cottage they hear a loud crash, followed by a piercing scream exclaiming, “ I’ll kill you, you filthy beast!”, then you hear a pained braying like the noise an injured dog would make. The party turns and runs back to the cottage. When they reach the front door, Alee-Onna screams out in agony once more. Then you hear a sickening thud, and another loud crash, followed by rapid foot falls, seemingly coming from behind the cottage, then all goes silent. Estrel tries to slam the door open but a roll of 14 is made while needing a 1 thru 7 for his strength score, so the door does not budge! Remembering the axe by the back door Estrel rushes to the back to see the door is still intact and the axe still there so he grabs the axe and chops away at the door until he can gain entry. Meanwhile, Duncan walks around to the window on the side to have a look.   Adventure Time is now April 27th at 1:15 pm.   And this ends the gaming session for the day, until next time!   The Adventurers Earned: No Experience Points awarded this session ------- Grand Total: None   Everyone is at 0 XP  Level 1 reached at 300 XP   Loot Found:     Number of Sessions for current Adventure Module: 4th  Session for “Ravenloft: Prey of the Black Wolf” Play Test 05/17/2020 [1st Session start was 04/26/2020]