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Great Basin Session (2023-02-12)

·583 words·3 mins
Matt Schwennesen
Author
Matt Schwennesen
Ph.D. Student and Tabletop Gaming Enthusiast

When we last ventured to the Great Basin…

The Task Force had just teleported to the Roksduens, the eastern edge of the Basin and home of Redfern. Once you reached Tomo, the closest thing to a capital of the Roksduens, you sought out Hibiscian Saffren, the elder of the Tomo tribe.

Upon entering the town hall, which also serves a number of other purposes ranging from tavern, inn, courthouse and legislature, you were approached by a young man a who told Redfern to cover his face and follow. He then lead you to behind a curtain in the rear of the hall, where Elder Hibiscian Saffren sat. He started by giving Redfern a warning; he had been outlawed upon leaving the Roks, meaning that any crime could be committed against him and he was outside any aid from the Roks.

He also assumed that your current appearance was about the devastating raid on the Calchiroos Tribe over a week ago. He told you that judging from where the black plumes of smoke were coming from, the raider band was moving south and attacking every nomad caravan they encountered.

After the meeting, Redfern borrowed Wil’s hat of disguise to remain unnoticed. At the market, you tracked down a merchant selling and renting camels to see about getting a guide for the desert journey ahead of you. The camel merchant told you that most of the local guides aren’t willing to approach such an obvious threat as the raider band, but that a non-local wanderer who seemed familiar with the desert came through recently and that she might be willing to risk both the heat of the desert and the threat of the raiders. A brief search later, you tracked down a drow druid named Guinevere in the tavern section of the town hall. Oisin was certainly surprised to be face-to-face with a type of elf which he had only heard of in myth and folklore. Guinevere did agree to guide the group and you set off the next morning.

At of the end of two days trekking through the desert, you caught with the raiding party just after they had attacked a small caravan and where starting to load the supplies. With a frighteningly effective blitz tactic, you launched an attack on the unwitting raiding party. Opening with a powerful Firefall, Oisin caused all but the leaders of the party to be blinded for five rounds. Given the numbers disadvantage, this was a combat changing move that dramatically reduced the number of active threats. Other highlights include:

  • The figure in armor nearly shattering Breagan’s sword with a powerful Sunder.
  • An enlarged Wil dealing approximately eighty points of damage in a single turn.
  • Meru doing the wiggle to cause the enemy bloodrager to become shaken.
  • The figure in armor quickly being knocked unconscious thanks to the focus of Breagan and Wil.
  • The enemy bloodrager fleeing from the scene and sounding a retreat horn before being vaporized by a Lightning Bolt cast by Zorro.

While the leaders where slain or captured, many of the raiders fled into the desert and where not apprehended.

We now resume late on the night of the 17th of Shimmerfall as you stand in the charred remains of a small nomadic caravan. The figure in adamantine armor with a vorpal sword has it unconscious but stable, bound and disarmed by Breagan, Wil and Jusa. The rest of the task force is returning from the brief chase caused by the fleeing bloodrager.