Sarka, southwest farm, Klos 19th, 350AC, 13:30  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

You quickly hustle over to the southwestern most point in the city cavern.  You pass under the stone archway and down a long dark earthen tunnel.  The musky badder smell (which most of you aren’t noticing so much anymore) gives way to a more earthy smell, very much like the fungi forest on the surface.  You see the end of the tunnel, as there is the same dim flickering illumination as you left behind in the city.

You walk out of the tunnel to see yet another large cavern before you.  Its a little smaller than the main city, yet still impressively large.  To your right are a number of badder-made shruden structures.  The closest is a set of fencing or stockades , where a number of empty carts rest.  As you look to the left, there are large tracts of vegetation.  Well, actually all the “plants” seem to be fungi.  There are fields of low growing golden yellow pods interlaced with white-gray vine-like things growing onto 1-2m tall blue shrooms.  As you look further left, the golden fields give way to taller blue shrooms (3-5 meters tall) upon which rusty red shelf mushrooms grow.  And as you look to the far left, the edge of the cavern has a full forest of the tall purple shrooms that you think are the same ones as those growing above on the surface.

A number of badder peasants are moving around in the fields.  But there are 4 badder soldiers and a scribe standing right inside the entrance to this cavern.  The scribe, wearing a simple tunic and holding a clipboard, looks at your group and his yellow eyes scan over your bodies.

Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 13:16  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

Arvak was shouting at the crowd last turn, and now Ragnor puts on a show of outrage, yelling at the badder crowd.  Both PC’s get to make CH checks to project their aura of dangerous might or rage (not affected by Zeebo’s mutation).  Zeebo hiding and running, and Phallon standing mute do not get these checks.

Arvak (7): 3 8 = white.  Ragnor (8): 80 1 = green.  The badders have to make a morale check, at -1CS due to green result.  Badder mob (9): 10 5 = white.

Zeebo sprints northwards and makes it just north of the hut next to Ragnor.

The badders seem to lose their resolve.  After some half-hearted jabs with their tools and a couple of thrown rocks (see below), they start to retreat.  One of them points up towards the center of the cavern-city and babbles something in badder.  They then scatter chaotically.

The rocks target 1 Arvak, 2 Phallon, 3 Ragnor, 4 Zeebo: 1,3.

rock at Arvak (7): 80 2 = blue.  Arvak’s telekinesis defense (14): 5 8 = blue.  The rock falls harmlessly.

rock at Ragnor (7): 50 8 =blue.  BD reduced to 1 point of damage.  Hit points at 110.

Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 13:16  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

The badders move forward slowly in a ragged group, shaking and prodding their “weapons” at you, and throwing rocks.  Ragnor and Arvak remember the professionalism of the badder hoplites, and observe that these badders seem to be more of an unruly mob.  You are not sure if they are trying to scare and herd you like animals, or if they are “warming up” before they start to truly strike.

Phallon stands and blankly looks at the approaching mob, reflexively ducking when rocks come his way.

Ragnor moves up to the north.

Most of the badders, in addition to their farming tool “weapons” were also holding a rock or two.  Those that didn’t hurl one last turn, do so now. Arvak being the largest, and Phallon being motionless are the better targets.  Zeebo is cowardly, er, I mean strategically hiding behind Arvak, so less of a target from one side.  Ragnor has seperated from the group, which actually makes him less of a target, since the badders are throwing their not so accurate rocks into the group of people.  Target selection – 01-33 = Arvak, 34-66 = Phallon, 67-78 = Ragnor, 79-00 = Zeebo: 30 5, 30 8, 70 9, 18, 87, 00.

Arvak is using telekinesis defensivel.  (14): 0 3 = black.  Hmm.  The ill effect shall be:

• 1-2  alters trajectory of rock into friend (+1RS)
• 3      telekinetic force wave knocks Zeebo over
• 4      puts gesturing hand into trajectory of rock
• 5      draws rock into himself (+1RS)
• 6      “sprains” power for an hour (see you at Christmas telekinesis!)

2.  Friend shall be 1-3 Zeebo, 4-5 Phallon, 6 Ragnor.     6.

1 rock at Arvak, that now gets  launched away at Ragnor(6): 8 9 = green +1RS to yellow.  Armor reduces BD to 1 x 3RF = 3 points of damage.  Hit points down to 111.

2 rocks at Phallon (6): 10 0 = white, 20 0 = white.

3 rocks at Zeebo, hmm, they just don’t like him for some reason (6): 40 6 = white, 7 4 = blue, 1 7 = white.  Zeebo dodges (13): 6 5 = green, so no problems.

Zeebo whispers/hisses his advice in Arvak’s ear.  I’m picturing Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings.  And of course, Zeebo must have bad breath from something stuck in his teeth, just to skeeve out Arvak a little more.  Arvak bellows out:  ”We were invited by your king…  If you continue it is his wrath you must face!”  The badders continue to jabber and yell, you’re not sure they understand trade tongue, or care.

Initiative:

• Phallon 8 + 2 = 10
• Zeebo    5 + 2 = 7
• Ragnor  3 + 2 = 5
• badder mob 2 + 2 = 4
• Arvak    1 = automatic loss

Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 13:16  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ds2sound.mp3|autostart=yes]

One of the badder peasants cries out in a short but loud yell/hiss.  The six badders to your east start to snarl and walk towards you, brandishing their farm implements (similar to pitchforks, sickles, and hoes).  Several of them hurl stones at you.  Four more badders to your west run out from behind a hut, and similarly start to yell, shake their weapons, and throw rocks.

The initial shower of stones.  Targets randomly determined (1 = Arvak, 2= Phallon, 3 = Ragnor, 4 = Zeebo): 3 3 2 2 3 4

2 stones at Phallon (6): 40 0 = white, 10 3 = white.  Several egg sized rocks whistle past.

3 stones at Ragnor (6): 30 4 = white, 70 4 =blue, 30 5 = white.  1 stone bounces off your plastic armor, causing 1 point of damage.  hit points down to 114.

1 stone at Zeebo (6): 70 5 = blue.  Displacement (9): 1 1 = white.  You may have left most of you weapons behind, but you’re glad you kept your armor on.  1 point of bruising damage.  hit points down to 76.

Initiative:

• Phallon 0 = automatic win
• Ragnor 8 + 2 = 10
• badder mob 7 + 2 = 9
• Zeebo 3 + 2 = 5
• Arvak 3 + 1 = 4

Declare your actions…

Key to map: badders 1,7 have pitchforks; 2,4,8 have hoes; 3 has a sickle; 5 a scythe; 9 a short flail; 6 and 10 have a lot of rocks.

Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 13:15  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/semantics.mp3|autostart=yes]

After your purchases from the carver, you find yourselves back outside the shop.  The badder is still there, chiseling away at the block of stone.  You think he is roughly cutting it into a shape to create a statue.

The shop to the west has a hanging brown pelt with a badder rune branded upon it.  You can smell a mixture of must and hay in the air.  The very large hut behind it has the usual mushroom cap roof, but there are many smaller mushrooms of various shapes and sizes either growing, or attached to the main roof.  The walls have decorative vine-like stalks growing up and around the sides, many of them with mushroom caps, or making it to the roof.  There is a shruden archway, but you cannot see into it from your current position.

Several badders, either peasants in shoddy canvas-like clothing, or ones in cloaks walk through the streets or are standing about talking to each other.  Several look at you with narrow slanted eyes.

See private posts.

Sarka, marketplace, carver’s hut, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:55  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/carver.mp3|autostart=yes]

Zeebo purchases the fancy green zella on a silver chain.  Arvak is looking at the various sun symbols.  The carver says, “That ‘Fraaa‘.  Give warm bright and let things live outside Grazella.  You like?  Ahh, you wear different Fraaa on armor!  Hoops call theirs ‘Frith’.  What you call yours?”

Any further actions or purchases here?

Sarka, marketplace, carver’s hut, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:45  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/carver.mp3|autostart=yes]

The shruden door is open, but the doorway has a hanging “curtain” of beaded ropes.  The beads are all different shapes and sizes, and made from different materials.  You think wood/shrud, stone, bone, plastic, and glass.  You push aside the curtain and enter the hut.  The inside is a little brighter than out:  Many lanterns are situated around the periphery of the room, casting their flickering yellow light in all directions.  Many of the lanterns are sitting on or in elaborately carved shruden holders.

Shelves along the walls hold small carved figurines, pendants, wall decorations, and signs with inset badder runes. You notice a lot of polished stones upon which are carved various symbols and patterns.  The following one is most common:

The center of the room has several low tables made of the cross sections of large mushroom stalks.  Upon these are larger carved statues.  One is a roughly carved abstract pattern of badder hoplites (helmet crests and spears) forming out of grasses, carved from wood.  It stands about 3′ tall.

An elderly badder sits on a woven fiber mat in one corner of the room and works.  His claws have been cut very very short, and have sharp tapered points.  He has small metal carving tools attached to several fingers, and the points jut out past his natural claws (think mini Freddy Kruger, or the skeksis scientist).  Other hand-held tools lie on the mat around him, as well as several more lanterns.  He is carving a pattern of vines and flowers into a block of shrud.  His fingers tap/carve the wood in a kind of rhythm (krrick…krrick…krrick…).  A younger badder sits nearby the carver and is humming a low constant note, kind of a nasally throaty sound, like the low hum of a bagpipe.

You walk in, and the older one says in a hissy breathy voice: “Ekar shaana top walkurz.”  It sounds a little creepy.

Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:35  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

Time passes.  Nothing happens.

Tok, Tok, Tok, ping pang, tok tok   goes the hammer on the block of stone.  Stone chips fall off and add to the pile of debris around its base.  The badder pauses for a moment and pants a little as it notices your group and stares.  Then it goes back to work.

The other badders continue bagging up gray dust.  Those of you who were near the cart have a thin film of grey powder on them.

The large gray-blue stone building looms in front of you.  The detail again:  It has been shaped to look like a mushroom hut, including the roof.  The door has a very ornate arches around it, and is capped with a rune carved into a white block of stone.  The door itself is made of shrooden beams, reinforced with metal bands and rivets.  A dull and dented metal plate is set into the door.  Near it is a heavy looking hammer, hanging from a short chain.

What now?

Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:32  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

Phallon walks up to the cart and has a look.  IN check (8): XX X = ?   He doesn’t recognize this stuff.

The badder in the cart hisses out some angry sounding words, scoops up a bit of the stuff with his clawed paw, and chucks it at Phallon’s head.  (8): 20 1 = white.  The glob of gray particles disperses in the air leaving a shower of dust, and a few gritty pieces lightly bounce off Phallon’s chest or stick to his hair.  The other three badders put down the sacks they are carrying and stare at your group with slanted yellow eyes.  There are a bunch of empty sacks in a heap, and an orderly stack of sacks that have been filled up with the gray stuff, then tied shut.  The sacks have a rune painted on them of two horizontal bars (=) with a wavy line over that.

Sarka, marketplace, Klos 19th, 350AC, 12:30  (underground, 65 degrees, crescent moon)

You walk to the south.  As you go, you can hear faint percussion sounds repeating every second or so:  Tok, tok, tok…  The hut to your left seems to be some sort of storage or silo.  Piles of bundled hay lie outside it.  A dirty badder wearing a pair of canvas shorts, and a bandana tied over his face, is grabbing bundles and bringing them inside.

To the south of that is a cart.  A badder standing in the cart is shoveling heaps of gray powder into canvas bags, which are being tied and stacked by 3 other badders.  There is a haze of gray dust in the air and on the ground, and the badders are wearing bandanas around their faces.

[audio:https://gwevolution.netfarious.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/badgers.mp3|autostart=no]

To the southwest, another badder, wearing overalls and a toolbelt, is using a chisel to chip away at a block of stone.  Three other badders, who you suspect are just random shoppers in the market, are standing around watching.

A very large building is to the south, which is completely made from gray-blue stone, although it has been shaped to look like a mushroom hut, including the roof.  The doors have very ornate arches around them, and are capped with a rune carved into a white block of stone.