SWAMPHOLD REVISITED

mid-to-late April, 1999 GM: Kenneth Newquist

The Blackrazors, who helped win the day in the Battle of Blue but had less luck during the Fall of Obsidian Bay, have wisely decided to sit out the liberation campaign. Half of their force has retired to Swamphold, a fortification they built as part of a deal with the Klas family of the Domain of Greyhawk. They were given the land in exchange for protecting the surrounding land from monster incursions from the nearby Mistmarsh. When they were ejected from Greyhawk, the Blackrazors left their henchmen, their newly-hatched wyvren eggs, and the beasts’ trainer at the hold. Now that things have calmed down, many of the Blackrazors have returned to the hold looking for rest, relaxation, and a few lizardmen to stomp on.

Leaving on the 16^th of Reaping, CY 588, the Blackrazors fought several parties of lizardmen as they worked their way into the depths of the swamp. Finally they found the monsters’ cave complex and discovered the lizardmen’s secret weapon -- a young black dragon. They fought and killed the beast as well as its lizard masters, sorted through the monsters’ loot, and made their way back to Swamphold. They arrived at the hold on Reaping 20^th.

Also during this adventure, a cleric of Trithereon named "Mackey" showed up, demanding to be taken to Kalib Ironfist. When told that Kalib wasn't around, Mackey -- who said he wanted to become a follower of the party's senior cleric -- decided to accompany the Blackrazors on their trip. If nothing else, it would get him acquainted with their adventuring style.

However, the Blackrazors had a hard time adjusting to his personality quirks. Within hours of signing on with the expedition, he was trading insults with Greggor, including one barbed reference to blade's half-elf, half-Rehnee history. The "half-breed" comment drew Aaron Windstalker's ire as well. Later in the expedition, after more disparaging remarks by Greggor, and some sharp retorts by Macky, Gregor drew his blades and attacked the priest.  The other Blackrazors separated the two, with stern words for the newcomer.  Later, after another series of traded insults, Mackey again taunted Greggor into a furious attack. 

This time, the Blackrazors did not intervene and Greggor tore into the smartmouth henchman, quickly reducing him to an unconsious, bloody heap.  Then Greggor leaned over the unconsious man, bared his throat and drew his dagger.  At that point, Dimitri and Alaric both moved to intervene and Greggor angrily let the man's head drop face down in the mud.  After giving the warriors menancing gltare, Greggor stalked away.  By adventure's end -- when almost all of the Blackrazors had resorted to calling him "Mackey the Lackey", he decided to leave the group and track down Kalib without their assistance.

THE RIVER RAIDERS
On the 22^nd of Reaping, CY 588, two days after dealing with the lizardman problem, Klas summoned the Blackrazors to his manor house again. This time he informed them that two barges sailing down the river had been destroyed somewhere between Crystal Lake in the Cairn Hills, and Klaston -- the only things to reach the Klas settlement were debris from the barges.

The head of the Klas clan was concerned -- if too many more barges went down the miners in Crystal Lake might start hauling their goods across the hills on the Nee River, rather than risk the eastern branch of the Ert. That in turn would cripple his plans for the future.

He ordered the Blackrazors to figure out what was going on, and to stop it.

They did exactly that.

Demetry, human cavalier of Trithereon, Ragnar, the human barbarian cleric of Kord, Greggor, half elf Rehnee thief and Alaric the human warrior, set out on the 22^nd looking for answers. After travelling a day upstream, they found the remains the first barge -- and a giant frog which tried to swallow the cavalier Demetry but was killed by the barbarian Ragnar Blackmane. The next day Ragnar dove into the water to examine the barge while Greggor hovered above the surface via a fly spell. As the big barbarian tried to look at the barge, a giant fish -- apparently a sort of carp -- swam up and attacked him. Greggor saw the fish and tried to attack, but was stopped when a second carp leapt from the water and swallowed him whole. The blade was barely able to fight his way out of the creature’s disgusting maw.

The Blackrazors killed the two carp, and then lured two more of the fish to the surface with another flying Greggor snack (thus following one of the Blackrazors’ most prized battle tactics -- "party member as bait."

After defeating the carp, the Blackrazors headed up stream, where they found a second barge. Again Ragnar and Greggor investigated, and this time they were attacked by giant crayfish. Ragnar managed to beat back the crustaceans as the blade continued his investigation. Greggor found that several planks had been pried from the ship’s bottom, and located one of its crew or passengers trapped underneath its bow.

The unfortunate soul was wearing a ring and waterlogged leather armor -- Greggor took the simple-looking bronze band and slid it onto his finger.

As night fell, the Blackrazors heard shouts carrying across the water -- a quick reconnaissance revealed that the voices belonged to the crew of another river barge. They flagged it down and explained their mission to the boat’s captain, who welcomed them aboard as added protection.

When the attack came the next day, it was brutal, but not totally unexpected.

The Blackrazors knew that something was purposefully pulling out the planks of the barges -- and that purpose implied intelligence. They speculated that the lizardmen they’d defeated only days earlier might have decided to launch a counterattack by disrupting shipping, but that seemed a little to devious -- and a little to well thought out -- for the humanoids they’d fought.

Shortly after sunrise, as the barge began its long drift south, Ragnar noticed that the barge was riding low on the river -- much lower than it should have been. A quick check below decks revealed water had begun seeping into the boat -- and that the seepage rate was increasing.

Alarmed, Ragnar, Demetry and Alaric jumped overboard. As they sank into the water, they saw that five large frog-like men were attacking the boat.

"Bullywugs" Alaric burbled as he pointed at the creatures.

Ragnar wasted no time, and immediately swam toward them. Alaric and Demetry -- incapable of swimming -- sank to the bottom of the river. They were instantly attacked by bullywugs who tried, and failed, to net them. The Blackrazors -- who had wisely been protected by waterbreathing spells at dawnbreak -- began to fight their way through the evil frogmen.

Above water, things were going badly. The crew was decimated by two waves of thrown spears before its own spellcaster and the Blackrazors could counterattack with magic and arrows.

The fight -- both above and below water -- ensued for several minutes with the Blackrazors eventually forcing heavy losses among the amphibians. The froggers moral broke when they realized their leaders had been slain and the barge wasn’t going to sink.   The feeling fish men left behind a goodly amount of treasure, including looted gold, precious gems, and magical items:

Gold Falcon of Return, a gold piece that always returns to the user after being spent (but not lost).

Gem of Recall (allows for the re-memorization of one 3^rd level spell)

Gem of Brightness (cast light once per day).

Marble of Stealthy Vision, 3x per day for 1 turn the wielder can send the marble rolling across the floor. Once the command word is mentally spoken, the wielder receives a 360 degree view of the 10 feet surrounding the marble. Objects beyond that distance are visible, but very blurred.

With the barge safe, the remaining crew was able to make temporary repairs to their craft and finish their trip to down river. Once back in Klaston, the Blackrazors were congratulated and thanked by a grateful Old Man Klas. "And the folks in Greyhawk said you all would destroy my town," he said with a laugh. 

This page was last edited on 07/25/99 -- The Griffin's Crier -- hosted by www.nuketown.com