SE06 EP01 - Not The Mohawk

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome, friends and adventurers to another episode of Dungeons and Blaggards. I am the dungeon Master, Robulon. Joining me in no particular order are the players. Eric! [00:00:16] Speaker B: I'm Eric and I'm playing Dr. Zozo Brightfeather. She is a level nine Aarakocra artificer potionsmith. Brandon! [00:00:25] Speaker B: I'm Ekurook Punschley. Level nine blood hunter, half orc. Caleb! [00:00:32] Speaker B: I'm a level nine warforged barbarian: Kaitoa Tata. Braeden! [00:00:40] Speaker C: Hey, I'm Braeden. I'm playing half elf, Belar Dygar, Level 9 hexblade warlock. Tomo! [00:00:50] Speaker B: Hey, I'm playing Steve Tehuman. I am a Gloomstalker Ranger level five, Battle Master Fighter, level three. And I have just a little schmeck of rogue. And I have an Owl. Vale! [00:01:06] Speaker B: I am playing Johawk the Gnoll, a champion fighter 4, Bear totem barbarian five. [00:01:16] Speaker A: Vale, Thank you very much for joining us this evening. [00:01:20] Speaker B: Thank you for having me. [00:01:23] Speaker A: Johawk, your brother Mohawk returns with an arrow to the forehead. The Gnoll shaman of the pack says he might not be the same if he is somehow preserved. Johawk, you are within the city of Iz. And Mohawk has just returned from pursuing this party that has set fire to Iz. It is the night of the firefight in Iz and you know Oldfoot is gone and many of your Gnoll cavalry have been dispatched. But now Mohawk has been returned to Iz with a terrible wound. I mean, he's unconscious. He's dead. What do you do? [00:02:09] Speaker B: I'm going to move the shaman away and hold Mohawk in my arms for a little bit. I'm going to turn to the shaman and say, do you know where they are? [00:02:25] Speaker C: I don't know anything. But my magic requires another's life to restore this one. [00:02:36] Speaker B: Willing or not. [00:02:38] Speaker A: Oh, can you roll a Persuasion as the Gnoll shaman looks back at you. [00:02:46] Speaker C: And says, mostly willing. [00:02:51] Speaker B: That's a 7 persuasion. [00:02:54] Speaker A: Okay. The Gnoll shaman shakes his little scepter and he's got a little bone scepter over Mohawk and yeah, I mean this arrow has pierced him right in the mo. [00:03:08] Speaker B: Oh no, not the Mohawk. We will give him a burial. [00:03:13] Speaker A: As you say that, the shaman steps away. They have deferred to your somewhat authority. But now shouts coming from around the mustering station near the front of the keep of Iz. [00:03:29] Speaker C: Alpha leader Contest! Yeenoghu calls for new leader! [00:03:36] Speaker A: Pack leader! [00:03:37] Speaker C: Pack leader! [00:03:39] Speaker A: And now you are being approached. There is a huge Gnoll and he is looking right at you. Johawk. There seems to be a contest for leadership. What do you do? [00:03:53] Speaker B: I lay claim to the leadership. [00:03:56] Speaker A: There is a wide variety of gnollish figures in front of you. Can you roll a perception? [00:04:05] Speaker B: Alright, not too bad. 12. [00:04:11] Speaker A: Okay. Well, you would see several notable figures from the pack stepping forward. And there is perhaps one that you see now, first most coming towards you. And he holds a cutlass in his hand. [00:04:28] Speaker C: And indeed "I'm Cutlass. I more leader than you. I smarter. I thirstier. I hungrier. I more leader!" [00:04:42] Speaker B: I have leadership in my blood. My brother was leader before me and I shall be leader after his death. [00:04:51] Speaker A: Can you roll an intimidation? [00:04:54] Speaker B: Oh, I'm good at that. Nice. [00:04:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:04:57] Speaker B: Natural. Two wonderful. Total of five. [00:05:01] Speaker A: Oh, so only three to add to that. So five. Okay. I would say in this moment you have just tripped over a small divot in the ground. And as you stumble forward to try and challenge this cutlass, as he charges at you, can you roll Initiative. [00:05:22] Speaker B: Wonderful. [00:05:22] Speaker A: With disadvantage. [00:05:24] Speaker B: Oh. [00:05:27] Speaker A: Oh. [00:05:27] Speaker B: That wasted my natty. Oh no. [00:05:30] Speaker A: Did we just soak up a natty? [00:05:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:05:33] Speaker A: Oh. What was your second initiative? [00:05:37] Speaker B: It was. It was great. It was a 14 for a total of 16. [00:05:40] Speaker A: That's actually not bad. You have won the contest in initiative. You will strike first. As you know, you lose a step and then you regain it. You are up, Joe. [00:05:51] Speaker B: I would like to rage as a bonus action. [00:05:54] Speaker A: Okay. [00:05:55] Speaker B: And then I'm going to draw my maul and charge cutlass. [00:06:04] Speaker A: Okay. Can you roll on ac? [00:06:07] Speaker B: I can roll. It's not going to be that good. 17. [00:06:11] Speaker A: That's going to hit. And as you charge forward with your mole, you are connecting. And you know what? He is very similarly armored as you are. This cutlass gnoll with a sort of medium armor, mostly chain link armor to allow them to move. And you have dealt a devastating blow. Roll damage. [00:06:33] Speaker B: I rolled a one and a two. But because of my class feature, I get to reroll them much better. [00:06:39] Speaker A: Salvaging those ones and twos is so, so cathartic. [00:06:44] Speaker B: Mm. 16 damage. [00:06:46] Speaker A: Well, you are showing your martial prowess here. As you connect, can you describe how you deal a really devastating blow? I mean, they are bloodied. [00:06:58] Speaker B: I am going to take it sideways into Cutlass's rib and I'm going to yell, your armor makes you weak. As I connect, hopefully breaking a rib or two. [00:07:14] Speaker A: And there is a winding of cutlass as he staggers back. Anything else in your move? [00:07:21] Speaker B: Yes, I get to attack again because of extra attack higher than 17 versus AC. [00:07:26] Speaker A: Okay, can you roll your damage dice? [00:07:30] Speaker B: Yep, another one and two. I just reroll them until they're not ones or twos. 15 damage. Bludgeoning 15. [00:07:39] Speaker A: So you have totaled over 30 here, Joe. Can you describe how you finish Cutlass? [00:07:48] Speaker B: After smashing him sideways with my maul, I use the momentum to swing it around over my head and deal a crushing blow to his chest. [00:08:03] Speaker A: And he falls down dead on the hard ground of Iz. There is a huge cheer coming up from the pack. [00:08:20] Speaker B: Since I'm in a rage, I'm not fully coherent so I'm going to yell. [00:08:24] Speaker C: Who challenge next? [00:08:27] Speaker A: There now, Johawk. You see a rather official looking human coming up out of the keep of Iz. And they are flanked by five gnollish cavalry, so mounted gnolls. And they are running up to you. As the circle that formed around you during sort of this leadership contest opens up towards them, you hear shouts of you Alpha. [00:08:59] Speaker C: You have had Johor. [00:09:02] Speaker A: And now there is one of these mounted gnolls reporting to you. [00:09:07] Speaker C: Other Nolena, what should we do with the garrison at Iz? [00:09:14] Speaker B: Um, could I just clarify why we're attacking Iz? [00:09:18] Speaker A: You are garrisoned at Iz. And in fact your Gnollish pack that once was about 500 gnolls now is down to about a hundred. And in fact this is the night where Oldfoot chases after this party that has lit a flame the center of Iz. So this town that you are sort of garrisoned in is burning. And in no small way, Johawk, you have inherited more than the pack. As the official looking human comes up to you and says, you must see the Ken-Meister in the Keep. [00:10:00] Speaker C: He's in the keep of Iz. If you are the new pack leader and Oldfoot is gone, I must know what the merchant guild should do. [00:10:09] Speaker A: And there seems to be a sort of official page asking you, a gnoll for some sort of direction. And he gesticulates towards the keep. [00:10:20] Speaker B: Insist that the guards stand down. [00:10:25] Speaker C: It will be done. And shall we pursue after Oldfoot? [00:10:32] Speaker B: No, I shall do that. [00:10:36] Speaker C: Very well. [00:10:38] Speaker A: And now the Gnoll pack begins to disperse in groups of. It looks like 9 to 12 gnolls. These squads now disperse and yet still there is this purple stone in your hand. You were the only one who would see that your brother Mohawk, you know, carried this in a small leather pouch. And of course his body now lies there and you have this purple stone and also what you took from his body. This small hand axe, this small but very heavy hand axe. [00:11:22] Speaker B: Is there anything distinct about this hand axe? Like the. The etchings on it. [00:11:29] Speaker A: Can you roll? You know, your choice of intelligence, wisdom, or history, whatever you think applies best. [00:11:37] Speaker B: I'll do wisdom. 16. [00:11:41] Speaker A: And as you look down at this hatchet, sort of tomahawk, that same person is looking at you at the doors to the keep of Iz as you withdraw this kind of artifact. There are almost no inscriptions on this, except for what barely looks like writing to you. Like, there's no way way you can read this, but it could be your knowledge. Brain begins to intuit it could be a language, not one that you speak. [00:12:17] Speaker B: It's not abyssal. [00:12:19] Speaker A: It is not. [00:12:21] Speaker B: Okay, brother, I shall find whoever delivered this fate and deliver theirs with your axe. [00:12:33] Speaker A: As you speak these words over your fallen brother, you know, the 5 knowledge cavalry come up and they begin to bear his body. [00:12:43] Speaker C: When shall we start a fire and send him to the afterlife? [00:12:50] Speaker B: Is this area forested or is it like plains? [00:12:53] Speaker A: You are in the middle of a city of about a thousand people. It is a rather ancient city. It is walled, completely walled. And in fact, I mean, there is a small district that is on fire right now only within about 300ft of you. Outside the walls of Iz, it's actually kind of a lush, fertile plain. And of course, you're on the shores of the River Polba, so there's a nice little delta as well. To talk about the kind of geography and topography. [00:13:26] Speaker B: Take someone's house, place him inside, light it on fire. [00:13:33] Speaker C: Ah, a fine house there. There is one that will make a funeral pyre fit for a warrior. [00:13:43] Speaker A: And there is a snarling and a yapping and a sort of a stamping of feet. And there you see a huge flame go up. Now the shaman comes back and taps you on the shoulder. [00:14:03] Speaker B: Joe, what's the shaman's name? [00:14:06] Speaker C: I'm Trash. [00:14:10] Speaker B: What is your guidance? Trash Bones. [00:14:15] Speaker C: I pick the bones of fate and the Trash after battles. Let's see what they say. Go to the dungeons of the keep of Iz. There is a scroll. You must seek to far travel where your enemies lie. [00:14:39] Speaker B: Do I have time to watch my brother's funeral? [00:14:44] Speaker A: As you turn around, there is a dark black cloud enveloping this house you have chosen as a final resting place for Mohawk. And the timbers crash in on themselves. [00:15:03] Speaker B: It was a fine house indeed. I will. I will stay here for a spell. [00:15:12] Speaker A: Okay, can you roll an Insight 13? Okay. As you stand and you see the flames of Iz begin to die down, most of these rooftop fires seem to have been lit with a sort of lantern oil, like not a long burning material. And Many of your brethren have fallen. You see. What is this? 2 score? 3 score? 4 score? I mean there are a lot of slain Gnollish warriors from the pack. You do think about what you could possibly do to follow on the trail of missing Oldfoot. You know you with these artifacts. So you have been given a sort of portent from the shaman. And now what is your next move? Joe? [00:16:11] Speaker B: I suppose I must not tarry for long. As long as trash is still there. I'm talking. [00:16:18] Speaker C: I still have bones to roll. What else would you have of me? [00:16:24] Speaker B: Find the party responsible for my brother's death. [00:16:28] Speaker C: Wow. Bones for that. Bones for everything. Five of them there are. [00:16:39] Speaker B: Of what races? [00:16:42] Speaker C: Those who came to life were all different races. But the bones don't tell me what exactly. [00:16:54] Speaker B: What cardinal direction have they gone? [00:16:58] Speaker C: The bones point north to the wizard's foul island of Tonwin. 1,000 miles. But the bones say you could be there by snapping your fingers if you read a certain scroll. [00:17:22] Speaker B: Where is this scroll? [00:17:24] Speaker C: In the keep of Iz. [00:17:27] Speaker A: And there is indeed the. You know the keep of Iz And it has. You know the gates are open because you know tonight has been a wild night here. And you can. You can indeed see that there is still that sort of human messenger person beckoning for the doors to be closed. [00:17:48] Speaker B: Lead the pack in my stead. I'm going north and I move to the keep of Iz. [00:17:57] Speaker A: Okay, as you come around the keep of Iz and enter through the outer barricades and enter down into the dungeons. There is a sort of library down here. And that human page or the human sort of messenger. The warden of the keep leads you down. And can you roll an intimidation real quick? [00:18:23] Speaker B: I'm trained in that 18 and he is terrified. [00:18:30] Speaker A: Although these humans and some gnomish population here - but very few halflings - and although they've kind of gotten used to the the Gnollish garrison and the Gnollish presence here. I mean they're still terrified of you. And he is shaking in his leather boots as he he leads you down a winding staircase. And here is a strange old man in a gray cloak sitting in front of a huge bookcase. [00:19:01] Speaker B: Well met. [00:19:03] Speaker C: Well met. [00:19:06] Speaker B: I am here for a scroll. [00:19:09] Speaker C: I'm the Ken-Meister of the Keep of Iz What scroll seek you? [00:19:17] Speaker B: One that can have me travel thousands of miles with a snap of the finger. [00:19:27] Speaker C: You may die with that sort of fart travel. [00:19:34] Speaker B: I will not. Yeenohg. Who has plans for me? [00:19:39] Speaker C: A brave soul. Well there are some stolen away Tomes and trinkets. Look, one has been left behind. [00:19:52] Speaker A: Oh, and he almost pushes the scroll away once. He pulls it out and it is a dark brown scroll. And there's black, black ink on it. You can see right through the scroll. And he sort of tosses it onto the desk. [00:20:08] Speaker C: Whoa. [00:20:09] Speaker B: Is it that scrol? [00:20:11] Speaker C: Well, you display the tokens of Old Foot's chief Gnoll there. [00:20:19] Speaker A: And he indicates to your, you know, your tomahawk that you're holding there. And in your other hand, you know, this purple stone. And he sort of nudges the scroll towards you. [00:20:33] Speaker C: Take it then. Take it. Now, I don't want the letterings of the wizards guild in my library. [00:20:43] Speaker B: I scowl at the mention of the wizards guild. If this is some trick, I will have your head. And I pick up the scroll. [00:20:54] Speaker C: No trick. But you'll have to read it. [00:20:58] Speaker B: I unfurl the scroll. [00:21:01] Speaker A: In it is in a language you cannot read. But Joe, it is very similar, almost identical to some of those markings on the hand axe. [00:21:15] Speaker B: I pull out my hand axe again and I touch them together. Does it do anything? [00:21:22] Speaker A: As you unroll the scroll there, can. [00:21:25] Speaker B: You roll a wisdom save or just. [00:21:30] Speaker A: Check a wisdom skill? Check. [00:21:33] Speaker B: 10. [00:21:36] Speaker A: Okay. I think you accidentally nick the paper, the scroll, just a little bit, and you sort of cut the edge of it. [00:21:48] Speaker B: Nothing happens. [00:21:49] Speaker A: Dude, be careful. [00:21:52] Speaker B: How do I activate it? [00:21:55] Speaker A: You must read the scroll. [00:21:58] Speaker B: I cannot read this. [00:22:02] Speaker C: I might be able to, but I don't want to. [00:22:07] Speaker B: You will do it. [00:22:10] Speaker A: Mkay. Joe, could you roll either a charisma based skill, you can either strong arm them, or you can intimidate them. [00:22:18] Speaker B: Intimidate. [00:22:20] Speaker A: We're getting a lot of mileage out of this intimidate skill. [00:22:23] Speaker B: Not much mileage because I rolled a total of 12. [00:22:26] Speaker A: That's true. That's true. [00:22:28] Speaker B: You will do it. [00:22:30] Speaker A: You've just tipped the scales towards you being able to persuade the Ken Meister here. How exactly would you persuade him as he is looking at both artifacts? [00:22:46] Speaker B: I put both artifacts onto the table. Activate the scroll or activate the axe. [00:22:55] Speaker C: Oh, oh, this one's much shorter. Name? Soul Reaper. [00:23:07] Speaker A: And he indicates the runes, these very linear runes on the hand axe. And then he goes to the longer passage on the scroll and he says, ancient. [00:23:25] Speaker C: Whoa. Listen carefully, for you must say this aloud to activate the scroll. I'm not transporting anywhere. [00:23:37] Speaker B: I pick up both items again. Okay, what will you have me say? [00:23:45] Speaker A: Ab esse ad posse valet consequentia ma. [00:23:54] Speaker C: And that's what the scroll says. And there, there is a circle it looks like a transportation device or circle rune of some type of. And in the middle, the word maw. [00:24:11] Speaker B: Is that the word to activate. [00:24:14] Speaker C: Seems. This will transport you to the town of Kozmaw on the island of Tonwin, a thousand miles to the north. [00:24:25] Speaker B: Forgive my density, but do I simply say Kozmaw? [00:24:31] Speaker C: I only wish it were so easy. [00:24:36] Speaker A: Ab Esse ad posse valet, consequentia... Maw. [00:24:43] Speaker B: I try my best to repeat that. Ab Esse ad posse valet consequentia, Ab Esse ad posse, valet, consequentia... [00:25:03] Speaker A: And then I'll invite you into the main chat very soon indeed. [00:25:07] Speaker B: Okay. [00:25:07] Speaker A: Okay. That was fun. [00:25:09] Speaker B: Yep. Thank you. [00:25:12] Speaker A: And that is where we will have to leave you tonight on this episode of Dungeons and Blaggards. Tune in to the next episode.