Codex
Who's who and what's where. Names in session pages link here.
The Party
Cassius magic-user · played by Nick
The party’s talker as well as its caster. His Sleep spells have decided several fights: nine goblins in Hogboon’s temple and a blink dog in the barrow. A very good Charisma roll convinced King Hogboon that the party was only hiding from the dragon, and Hogboon wants him as an advisor. He carries the Lives of the Saints codex.
Siobhan druid · played by Nick
Druid and brewer. Uses a spear, shield, and leather armor (since July 30). She entangled, calmed, and fed the golden fox that became the party’s Kitsune.
Erkan dwarf fighter · played by Nick
Dwarf fighter who carries a magical shortsword. Father William charges him double for healing because he is not human.
Aurelian alchemist · played by Tim
Alchemist. He can keep one ward of each kind active at a time: vs. swords, vs. insanity and magical influence, and Command (anyone crossing it obeys a one-word command). Casting the same ward somewhere else dispels the old one. He collects odd reagents, including Kitsune fur (4 doses), a vial of blink dog blood, and sweetgrass. He wants to find the alchemist’s repose.
Poldmere fighter · played by Tim
Fighter, sometimes transcribed as “Pulmir” or “Holdmere.” He wields the Holy Sword of Sir Brandon. Cleaning the chapel statue gave him a permanent +1 to all rolls in the woods around Brandonsford. The barrow’s ghost drained 2 points of his Constitution.
Nobbins Quickthumb thief · played by Tim
Thief with very few HP (2 max). He was named on Aug 10. He wears Grimney’s ring, which lets him see and speak with the dwarf’s ghost.
Companions
Naganin Cluricaun
A tavern-haunting fae, like a leprechaun, caught stealing Quinn’s beer through a fae portal. Goblins drove him from his home, a ruined temple to the north. He can turn invisible, which ends when he acts, and he can cast illusions and fly. He loses his powers while imprisoned, and the party can’t get lost while he guides them. He has flown the whole party (roped together with the Rope of Unburdening), and he dropped the elven hunters to their deaths. He still owes the party a 500 GP pot of gold hidden in his old temple.
Kitsune fae shapeshifter
A shimmering golden fox that the party rescued from elven hunters (Aug 10). It is a Kitsune, a fae shapeshifter. It owes the party one favor: it will turn into anything it has seen and act on the party’s behalf once. It usually travels disguised as an ordinary orange fox, and it is frightened of blink dogs.
People
King Hogboon goblin king
A boar-headed, human-sized goblin in a nobleman’s frock who rules a growing goblin kingdom from Naganin’s old temple. He claims his territory reaches the river. He wants the dragon captured alive and won’t say why, and he has promised to knight the party if they bring it to him. He gave them the Rope of Unburdening and a safe-passage token.
The Witch hedge witch
She lives in a hut in the woods past the Nixies’ pond. She told the party about the wine-sap trees and has an “understanding” with the giant. She is worried about her two missing dwarf friends (Grimney and Broll).
Quinn halfling innkeeper
Halfling owner of the Golden Egg. His business has picked up thanks to the party, and they rent a private room there.
Bentley rival tavern-keeper
Quinn’s rival, and put out by Quinn’s comeback.
Appears in: Jul 20
Warwick smith
The Brandonsford smith. He has no metal because of the dragon’s blockade. He will trade his Mithril chainmail for dwarven ore and news of his missing dwarf friends, with whom he used to trade at a post west of the river. He receives unsigned love letters from a secret admirer. The party traded one letter to the fauns and plans to tell her he can’t read. Warwick can’t make the party a safe.
Father William priest
A priest found at the Clumsy Fox. He hates the fae and mistreats non-humans. Two days before Oct 5 he sent Brother Dirk to the barrow for Brandon’s sword. As far as the transcripts show, he doesn’t know the party already has it.
Appears in: Oct 5
Brother Dirk missing monk
Short, plump, rosy-faced, and monkish. Father William sent him to the barrow and he hasn’t returned.
Appears in: Oct 5
Tad townsperson
One of the two dopey locals the party helped. He lost a hand trying to rescue them from the barrow.
Appears in: Oct 5
Zach townsperson
Leads the locals who want to burn Brandonsford down and leave.
Appears in: Oct 5
Grimney dwarf ghost
A dwarf miner who died in the mine cave-in. His twin brother Broll betrayed and killed him during a mine heist. His ghost is bound to the ring Nobbins wears, and he wants the ring carried to Broll so he can confront him. He never crossed the river. The witch called him “Jimny.”
Broll dwarf, fugitive
Grimney’s twin. He stole the heist hoard and is hiding in a cave to the west.
Sir Brandon legendary knight
A legendary knight who slew a dragon by driving his sword through its mouth. His companions were a giant of a swordsman (the chapel statue), a priest, and a wild-eyed axeman, and all were knighted. His tomb lies in the Barrow Mound.
Creatures
The Dragon the big threat
A huge, glistening black, alligator-like creature that drips acid and smells of rotting flesh. Its roar sounds metallic, almost mechanical. It is cutting off Brandonsford’s shipments. When it gave up attacking the temple, it lingered near the temple’s NW corner before going north. One-third of a dose of faun wine should knock it out.
The Giant man-eater
The giant lives east across the river and avoids hills. It eats people and hates goblins, which has kept them away from town. It has an understanding with the witch and an old standoff with Brandonsford. On Oct 5 the party saw smoke from a very large house between the barrow and town. One-third of a dose of faun wine should knock it out.
Fauns wine-grove guardians
Guardians of the wine-sap grove. They care nothing for the dragon and trade only for sentimental items. They offered the party a gate into Feyland, which Naganin warned against.
Nixies water spirits
Mischievous water spirits at the witch’s pond. Their toll is weapons thrown into the water in the witch’s name.
Appears in: Jul 20
Fae elven hunters hunters from Feyland
Pale, pointed-eared, and dressed in rich furs, they hunt with hounds. Six of them came after the Kitsune (“the season”) and were killed on Aug 10.
Blink dogs barrow predators
They phase in and out mid-combat and seem to follow the party. They killed the fleeing goblins and a giant spider in the barrow. Two were killed on Oct 5, and more may remain.
Appears in: Oct 5
Factions
Goblins Hogboon's kingdom
Militant “fey goblins,” but not fae, so faun wine works on them. One-third of a dose knocks out d20 goblins. About 19 hold the temple, and a band of 5 was searching the barrow.
Places
Brandonsford home base
The party’s home town, which is starving for supplies because of the dragon. Some townspeople distrust non-humans, and some want to abandon it.
The Golden Egg Quinn's inn
Quinn’s inn and the party’s base. Their loot sits in a private room, guarded by Aurelian’s Command ward (“leave,” plus clucking like a chicken).
Appears in: Oct 5
The Clumsy Fox tavern
A tavern in Brandonsford, where Father William was found.
Appears in: Oct 5
The Witch's Hut in the woods
A hut in the woods behind the Nixies’ pond. The pond bed held old tribute: coins, a bangle, and a gilded scabbard.
The Wine Grove west, across the river
Magical trees whose wine knocks mortals out with one sip. The grove holds a gate to Feyland, and the party gathered sweetgrass nearby.
Naganin's Temple Hogboon's seat, north
Naganin’s old home, now King Hogboon’s court. Naganin’s 500 GP is hidden there.
The Barrow Mound Tomb of Sir Brandon
The tomb lies east across the river. On the first level are mosaics of Brandon’s story (about 230 GP of gems set in them), four knight statues (Valor, Piety, Wisdom, Duty), a chapel, burial niches, a secret vault, and a scribe’s workshop. The second level held undead knights and the ghost, which has been defeated. The party left before opening every alcove.
The Acid-Scarred Cave suspected dragon lair
A lonely cave at the base of the mountains, ringed by trees that look acid-scarred rather than burned. Not yet explored.
Appears in: Aug 10
The Dwarven Mine mountains, north
A burned log cabin (with a dwarf corpse and a pick marked “Brenni”) stands in front of a sealed mine shaft. Grimney’s body lay in the cave-in.
Appears in: Aug 10
Broll's Cave west
Where Broll is hiding with the stolen hoard.
The Alchemist's Repose northeast
A place Aurelian very much wants to find. The route isn’t known yet.
Notable Items
Holy Sword of Sir Brandon +1, +3 vs. evil
Poldmere’s sword. It was +3 against the ghost and is +1 against non-evil creatures. Legend says it slew a dragon by being driven through its mouth.
Appears in: Oct 5
Rope of Unburdening magic rope
A 20-foot rope. Anything tied to it is weightless while someone pulls or lifts it by the rope, and cutting the rope ends the magic. It can carry the whole party in flight. It was meant for hauling the dragon.
Faun wine 3 doses
A wineskin from the grove. One sip knocks out a mortal. One-third of a dose can knock out a dragon, a giant, or d20 goblins.
Appears in: Jul 30
Grimney's ring ghost-bound
A pristine dwarven ring. Its wearer (Nobbins) can see and speak with Grimney’s ghost.
Lives of the Saints ~2,000 GP codex
A gold-rimmed vellum codex. Nearby fae double over in pain when it is read aloud.
Appears in: Oct 5