Warhammer Quest: Starting Out

[Oversoul]

This is the first thread in the new Warhammer Quest campaign. Currently, the players are Spiderman, Mooseman, Turgy22, and Melkor. If you are one of those individuals and did not read the PM I sent you (which should include a sort of character sheet), check your messages. If you want in on this, but missed the first thread, PM me and I'll work you in somehow...

This is a quaint, small tavern in the town of Sebmualblal. Presently, the tavern is empty except for one table. Seated at the table are two humans, an elf, and a dwarf. A third human stands at the table, theatrically addressing the group...

"Welcome to Sebmu, friends. I make my home here, but these days business has been taking me all over the Old World, which brings us to the reason I've gathered you here. I am Corticruss. I once worked as a treasure hunter for various guilds in Kislev, but I have recently moved into the world of commerce.

You may not know me well yourselves, but because each of you owes someone who owes me a favor or owes someone who owes someone who owes me a favor or whatever, and because I've heard that you have some interest in exploring the dungeons beneath the Worlds Edge Mountains, I have a little errand for you. Nothing too complicated. I found out where this book is, and I'd like to get my hands on it. I'd fetch it myself, but I'm pressed for time: my house has a heap of ancient scrolls that I'm in the process of cataloguing, and once I'm done with that, I have urgent business in the south.

The particular tome I'm looking for is The Levos Focus Compendium. The magic script it's written in is quite obscure, but any of you should easily be able to recognize it, because it's bound in a rare material not normally seen anywhere in the Old World. This material is a dark blue with a pattern of swirling red spirals. It's safe to say that if you find a tome fitting this description, it's the one I'm looking for. Bring it to me, and as a reward I will use its power to fortify you, as well as absolve you of whatever debt it is you owe to, uh, whomever it was.

Information I recently unearthed in my studies reveals that the tome was buried with a cache of other books in the tomb of a sorcerer named Shalaz the Meek (one of those ironic names, incidentally). They were put there by Shalaz himself, actually. I won't bore you with the details of why he faked his own death. And even I don't know why he stashed books in the tomb. If you find any clues, let me know. Right now all I have are the private journals of his apprentice, who also didn't know why the books were put in the tomb.

I do know where the mausoleum is, and I even know that Shalaz's tomb is the furthest one from the entrance, which should be enough to keep you from getting yourselves cursed for defiling the grave of some other sorcerer of poor disposition.

When you're ready to depart, visit Micah, the trader across the street. He works for me and I've instructed him to provide you with some equipment to aid you and point you in the direction of the mausoleum. But first, finish your drinks, which are on me, and perhaps introduce yourselves to one another. After all, you will be working together. Now, I apologize, but I must get back to work. Best of luck to all of you and I hope to see you again soon, only with the tome, of course."

 

[turgy22]

So we're searching for a tome within a tomb? Is that supposed to be funny?

Anyway, my name is Throg G'Nflor. Be nice to me or I'll kill you.

 

[Spiderman]

"Typical human humor. I don't like this sorcery business but if it gets this debt off my back, I'm in.

I'm Dorgath Rockhammer. And this is some good ale." <gulp>

 

[Melkor]

"Ale is often a distraction from proper consideration of Sigmar's holiness. Be careful to maintain temperance and keep Sigmar in the forefront of ones thoughts."

 

[Mooseman]

HA, Sorcery is a child's plaything. This adventure will be a diversion for Carrow Darkweald.

 

[Oversoul]

I still don't have a name for Melkor's Warrior Priest. Other than that, I don't need anything else, so when the group is ready, just announce that you'd like to cross the street and you can get outfitted for this mission.

There are two things you might want to consider though. First, there's divvying up gold (everyone keeps gold from their own kills, or it's divided evenly amongst the group). There's also marching order.

 

[Spiderman]

Dorgath glowers at the Warrior Priest. "I don't need a human weakling to tell me what I can drink and what I can't." To emphasize his point, he finishes the rest in one big gulp.

"Let's get this underway. The sooner we find this tome, the sooner we get paid." Dorgath strides from the tavern and crosses the street, setting his place in the marching order.

 

[Melkor]

"Kelgar is the name that I blessed Sigmar has given me. I will spend no more time in this den of vice, I will quickly and surely fulfill my obligations to Sigmar."

 

[Oversoul]

You cross the street and reach what appears to be a general store. The shelves look rather empty though. A short, stocky man who looks more like blacksmith than a merchant stands behind the counter and greets the Warriors.

"Well hello there. Name's Micah. I've been expectin' you. Corticruss told me to give you whatever might help you on your mission. But there aint much here right now on account of our last shipment bein' destroyed by orcs. But to start with, I've got some provisions for you."

Provisions can be consumed while exploring a dungeon. Each one restores 2 wounds. They will not last forever though. If left for several adventures, the provisions will spoil and become useless.

Micah turns to Throg, ducks under the counter and rises, chuckling to himself.

"You look like such a dark and gloomy fellow. But we'll fix that. You get this lantern. Now it'll be you who lights the way for your companions. Very important to have if you plan on explorin' an ancient crypt. I know I wouldn't go into one without a lantern. Or with one, for that matter, but it's still important."

Micah addresses Kelgar, unwrapping a bundle of cloth to reveal a dull, but clearly metallic ring.

"I heard that a priest of Sigmar was in town. Most in Sebmu revere you priests and the work you do. There was an old priest livin' here, very respected. He died a few months ago, and wanted this to be passed on to one of his own kind. I think Corticruss forgot all about it. He's too obsessed with his scrolls and books of ancient lore to care about the priesthood. But I remember. It's called the Ring of Command, I think. It can enhance your strength in battle, and I hear that the more skilled you become, the better it is at its job."

Micah reaches under the counter again, this time handing a flask with a blue liquid inside it to Carrow.

"Well, you're an elf. This healing potion was produced in Loren, or so I heard. It's of a potent variety and will fully restore yourself or anyone else you use it on, even one on the verge of death. So save it for an emergency. And I notice that you could use some arrows. I've a hip quiver for you as well."

Micah smiles at Dorgath and sets a rope down on the counter.

"Sorry, it's the only useful thing I have for you right now. Like I said, shipment was destroyed by orcs. And we've had our share of other problems lately. But hey, it's always good to have a rope, right?"

-Throg obtained the Lantern.
-Throg obtained 2 provisions.
-Dorgath obtained the Rope.
-Dorgath obtained 2 provisions.
-Kelgar obtained the Ring of Command.
-Kelgar obtained 2 provisions.
-Carrow obtained the Healing Potion.
-Carrow obtained a hip quiver.
-Carrow obtained 30 arrows.
-Carrow obtained 2 provisions.

Micah leads you to the edge of town, to a road that leads east.

"I don't have a map for you. But the crypt is down this road. It will look like it leads southeast, but eventually it'll turn north and you'll be able to see the entrance to the crypt easily from the road. It's next to it and to the east, which'll be on your right. If you can forage, there should be enough food in these parts for you to sustain yourselves. If not, there's a cabin just before the road starts turning north where the owner might give you a meal, and there are those provisions I already gave you. It's only a five days journey. Good luck."

 

[Oversoul]

Foraging conditions are good and the first three days of your journey are uneventful. On the fourth day, the road passes a village, which Micah failed to mention. A young woman from the village runs to the Warriors and, on reaching them, falls to her knees.

"Adventurers, please help us. Our village is in dire need of your aid. The elders seek an audience with you. Our leader is there right now (she points to a shack about 100 feet away from where you are standing). I beg you to go to him. He can pay you in gold if you help us."

 

[Spiderman]

"More gold is always good. Especially when it's in my hands. I'm interested - let's see what the leader has to say." Dorgath says, turning to the others.

 

[turgy22]

How are we divvying up the gold? For the sake of fairness, I think it'd be good to divide things evenly, but I think my character would prefer to keep his own gold from each kill.

And what's the marching order? I'm guessing elf last and either myself or the dwarf first. No other opinions on that.

"Gold is good, but I've got debts that can't be paid in gold. It'd be best to move on to the tomb."

 

[Melkor]

"The people's need here is obvious and Sigmar does not turn away from those in need. Neither shall I."

 

[Mooseman]

Gold is a noble enough recompense for services expended. So I say we split half the treasure evenly and the other half in kills..... as I will get mine before the knuckle-dragger can even get to them.
I will allow the others to have a "head start"... from the back of the party.
I would like to see what chaos these humans have created........ amusing.

 

[Oversoul]

An aging man greets you in the entrance to the hut.

"Greetings. I am Aylafi, chief elder of Dawnhills. I've asked the others in our village to alert me if they see armed men. A monster has been eating people in these parts. I have sent for help from the Imperial patrols, but I fear we are so remote that no help is forthcoming. But you should know more about this maneater before agreeing to help us. Mind if I show you? I may be getting old, but this is no long journey..."

Aylafi and some young men from the village take you back across the road, west for about half a mile, pointing out both a gigantic footprint, human in form, and the entrance to a cave.

"I have not seen the maneater. A youth in the village tracked it to this cave. He claims to have seen it and says that it is a minotaur. But one of the other elders is of the opinion that minotaurs have cloven hooves like cattle, and this print is like that of a man, as you can see, only much larger. Either way, I do not know. Minotaurs, we never see in Dawnhills, although some other smaller beasts have bothered us before. Whatever this creature is, it has consumed many of our people. The strongest man in the village entered this cave to slay the beast. He has not returned and the attacks continue. I tried to set traps, but the maneater eludes capture.

If you are willing, bring the monster's head to me and I will personally collect all the wealth our village has as compensation. But I'm afraid it won't be much. We are a poor village and have fallen on hard times even beside this."

 

[Oversoul]

Note to everyone: in case it isn't clear, you have the option of either going after the maneater, or refusing to help the village and moving on to tome in the tomb. How you resolve this dilemma is up to you guys.

Also, standard doorways and all but the narrowest of spaces would allow for a two abreast marching, so you won't usually need to have only one guy in the front, although you can choose to do this if you like.

 

[Spiderman]

I'll go with the group on how to divvy up the gold, I don't have a preference. I also thought my post #7 set my place in the marching order; i.e. in the front, but if someone else wants to do it, they're welcome to it

"Our tome collector didn't specify a timetable, so I think we should go after this 'maneater'. Minotaur or no, it sounds like the blight of Chaos and unnatural and it needs to be eradicated. I understand if the tree-hugger (Carrow's the elf, right?) wants to sit this one out, it's a job for REAL heros."

 

[turgy22]

I like Mooseman's idea for splitting the gold. Seems like a fair compromise.

"Sounds to me like these people need to learn how to protect themselves. If you act like a sheep, you'll get eaten like a sheep. Quite frankly, I'm thinking about eating some of these villagers myself. Let's move a big rock in front of the cave and be on our way."

 

[Melkor]

These "sheep" as you call them are all part of Sigmar's flock and are desperately in need of a shepard. I shall be that shepard. Remember this, the one who does not protect his fellow man in life, shall not have the protection of Sigmar in death.

 

[Oversoul]

OOC: I thought Carrow had chimed in for some reason, but I see that he hasn't. It looks like Throg is alone in his reluctance to do this quest. So...