I normally recap our sessions in our own Facebook group, but decided to share this here because this time it was a different and particularly fun way to do it. Basically, I recapped the session from the viewpoint of the bad guys, letting the players get into the minds of their opponents a little bit. For this particular session, a pack of gnolls have been taken over by a drow demon, and the PCs are invading their underground den. It works particularly well this session because it was basically a dungeon crawl, and I think it’s a good way to show them that shit’s gonna get real… real quick…
INVADERS!
[Because of Shastina’s magical obsidian dagger, she has a quick vision…]
After facing some murderous invaders at the rope bridge, HoUelp barely escapes, and finds his older brother, Brakch… “Brother, we are under attack! I think they’re here to save the humans… We must tell master!” Brakch responds, “No. Master does not want to be disturbed. We must counterattack, and kill the intruders. Kchaabrik! Take six warriors through the small passage, flank the intruders at the rope bridge! We’ll barricade the corridor!”
Kchaabrik gathers six gnolls and they all move around the side of their home to flank the intruders–who have managed to get across the rope bridge. Brakch then forms a barricade in the corridor, and waits. This will be the first real fight his younger brother (HoUelp) will face, and Brakch looks upon him proudly.
The intruders then cast some red light magic, illuminating half the warriors in the corridor. HoUelp yells, “Brother! They have magic! Should we not tell master?! We MUST tell him!” Brakch relents… “Fine, we’ll go to the master…”
Meanwhile, Kchaabrik and his six warriors make it to the rope bridge and assess the murderous intruders… It’s an ecclectic group of horrid enemies… a couple humans, a really giant human, an elf, a dark-colored elf, and even a giant freaking cat… such a weird man-pack indeed… they must all be the runts of their own races, cast out and banded together. Nevertheless, Kchaabrik and his warriors begin their counterattack, but quickly realize their mistake as brave warriors begin getting knocked off the rope bridge.
With only two warriors left, Kchaabrik takes stock in his situation. These foul intruders are lethal, and he wonders why he should stay and fight. Two things tell him to run: (1) his new pack lord is a really nasty demon. Kchaabrik is not powerful enough to take him down, so he’s never going to get the chance to be the alpha anyway. And (2) just today, Kchaabrik’s hunger got the best of him, and he ate his own pups, so he really had no more family left here. So, yeah, it was time for him to leave. He took his last two remaining warriors and retreated. Maybe they can find some henchman or something at the bottom of the mountain to feast on… adventuring murderers always leave a henchman somewhere watching their horses…
Brakch and HoUelp get to their new pack leader’s den, bursting in. As the two look upon a scared human who is about to be brutally murdered in some bizarre ritual, HoUelp speaks… “Master! We are sorry for interrupting the rituals, but we are under attack!”
[Shastina tries, but she can not get a clear image of the Draegloth; only a looming shape and a pair of red eyes. She can, however, clearly hear his raspy whispers]
“I told you not to enter here.” With that, Shastina can clearly see the looming shape reach out with his large hand, as if to grab something, and HoUelp begins to whimper and yelp in pain. Brakch takes a step closer to HoUelp, wanting to help him, but it’s too late. HoUelp violently arches himself backward, and his heart bursts out of his chest, flying across the blood-stained room and into the Draegloth’s hand.
Brakch is motionless… covered in his brother’s blood. The Draegloth watches Brakch stand there… the large gnoll silently get angrier and angrier… foaming at the snout. For a moment, Brakch actually doesn’t know where he is, or what his own next action will be. He is paralzed in deciding if he will attack the PCs, or the Draegloth. Then he begins a slow, deeply gutteral growl.
The Draegloth finally speaks, knowing this gnoll now has no more family…
“Now, dog… get out of this room, and let no one else enter…”
So, Brakch is quite pissed that he lost his brother. Yes, it was the Draegloth who actually killed HoUelp, but in his fracturing state of mind, it’s the Draegloth’s command that focuses Brakch’s anger upon the PCs.
The PC’s will know of what has just transpired due to Shastina’s vision, and I imagine they might try to get Brakch to join them in fighting the Draegloth, but he’s now too far gone… totally rabid… I’m going to make him a badass and it’s going to be one hell of a vicious fight. Can’t wait!
Chris Stevens
In Chris's opinion, the very best vices are dirt bikes, rock music, and gaming, while the very best medicine is fatherhood. If he could just learn to balance them all, he'd live forever. He's much more creative than intelligent, often wakes up belligerent, and ponders many things insignificant. Lastly, in an effort to transform his well-fed body, P90X, Roller Blades, and Food are all laughing at him. And the pain continues.