The Campaign Thus Far [Challenge of the Frog Idol]

This post (and subsequent ones) will record the (mis)adventures and exploitations of our intrepid party in the region of the Black Mire and the city of Coruvon. Thus far, we have run five sessions, the summary of which I shall present here.

In Session #1: Ill Met in the Dungeon Part I, after a long journey from the north, the characters (Rodderic of Tyria, thief; Rodric, cleric; Dragnuk, dwarf) arrive with the last caravan at a waystation just before Coruvon. Just as they prepare to rest, the innkeeper introduces them to the mysterious owner of the waystation who promises them riches; this is all a facade, though, and under vile witchcraft, the characters end up prisoners in the Iron Overlord's dungeon. Their incarceration is brief, as they deceive their rather dull captors (a hobgoblin and a bandit) and break free. Exploring a little further, they also collect their equipment, and now can brave the dimly lit dungeon complex.

In Session #2: Ill Met in the Dungeon Part II, exploring the dungeon complex lead the characters into clash with bandits and lackeys of the Iron Overlord, who quickly betrayed their master, when things looked sour for them. A rather brief interrogation revealed that the Iron Overlord is behind a network of slavery, with the city's arena the main client. After finding the exit from the dungeons, the characters decided to avenge their incarceration and give an end to their captor's slave business. But the master of the dungeon and head of the slavery network is the mysterious owner of the waystation and also a potent magic-user, who trapped the characters and punished them for being "unruly slaves".

The first two sessions lead to a TPK but served as an introductory adventure for the players to be immersed in the decadent and dangerous lands they were about to explore, and also to better grasp the fluff and crunch of D&D B/X. I used a mix of a dungeon from D&D 5e Starter Set (particularly the Redbrand Hideout) and the Black Box (Zanzer's Dungeon).

In Session #3: Welcome to Coruvon Part I, new adventures (Rirna, magic-user; Blade, thief; Puck the Whisperer, halfling; Caledon, elf) step foot in Coruvon, also known as the Swamp Arena. Right at their arrival, they notice the city has more issues than shown: abandoned buildings, corrupt guards, and seemingly a conflict between the Red Lanterns and the City Garrison. Soon after, the characters are being approached by two factions: a broad-shouldered man with scarred hands, who claims to be working for the matrons of the Red Lanterns, and a mysterious person accompanied by a group of hooded men and women. Both want to employ the characters for the next days, without giving out any details.

In Session #4: Welcome to Coruvon Part II, a seemingly simple investigation of "demons" under a house plunges the characters into a complex of recently-dug tunnels, with undead hiding beneath rubble, hobgoblins and slaves digging underground passages, and hooded folk trying to bury a corpse that belongs to an officer of the city garrison, murdered under mysterious circumstances. Their investigation reveals a lot about the culprit and the crime, but the motives remain unknown and danger lurks everywhere down there - two of the four adventurers left their last breath in these dark passages (Blade and Whisperer), and the third (Caledon) had the Lords of Chaos smile upon him and survived an otherwise fatal combat. A hobgoblin they captured talked about the involvement of the Iron Overlord and a wealthy family with various members in high-ranking positions in the city; still, the characters are perplexed by how all these are connected.

In Session #5: Murder, She Said, the hobgoblin helps the characters find their way out and escape in their temporary lodge, only to be arrested and interrogated by the city garrison a few hours later. The clues imply that members of the Red Lanterns were behind the assassination, even though the characters are skeptical. News of the officer's murder spread around the city, and a general turmoil emerges, with hot heads speaking against the crimes of the Red Lanterns, as the characters are being joined by more people (Raven, Grom, Koulian) and trying to piece out the puzzles behind the murder and the involving factions. Accidentally or not, the characters are being charged as the instigators of a riot in the city's market, which is violently suppressed by the city garrison. The person who first ignited the upheaval is being chased down and after a brief meeting with the characters, where he claims he is one of the Brotherhood, he directs them to a location where more hooded people enlist them so they can get rid of a statesman.

By fifth session, we had grown our group to five players. These three sessions served as an introduction to the city of Coruvon and the power struggle between its two main factions, the Red Lanterns and the City Garrison. I chose to run The Veiled Society, modified to suit the factions involved and the setting, since I feel it's a rather easy urban adventure for low-level characters with enough mystery and little combat and perfect to show the intrigues of Coruvon.