23 months ago, I backed a Kickstarter for a D&D accessory called Stonefold Kingdoms. It was a clever idea: 3-dimensional scenery that can fold flat for storage, similar to a pop up book. I had seen this done for wargaming scenery, but there was something very evocative about using the format for a role-playing game.
I showed them to Audrey, who agreed and greenlit the purchase as a part of my Christmas gift. The frozen mountains, port and jungle sets all looked great, but I thought the underground/dungeon pieces had the most versatility. When they finally arrived last week I hastily assembled them to show them off.
Audrey asked if I would ever bring them to D&D&D at Polyrhythm, but between set-up time and the fact they didn't really fit in the current campaign (Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden), I said probably not, and thought it more likely I could write up a one-shot for G&G sometime.
"Well," she mused, "why not next week when the Hawkins come?"
Why not indeed? What better way to ensure they get used?
We try to get together with our dear friends from Camrose this time each year, and had brought D&D into the picture a couple years back. It has subsequently become a key part of our shenanigans and their two sons (18 and 15 now, how time flies!) were looking forward to playing again. I am always up for some 'clickety-clackety, roll to attackety' action, and figured I could string some kind of narrative together within a week based on these new maps.
It eventually gelled together on Saturday, though it took me most of the day to write it out and add all the monster stats and such. It ended up becoming a tale I called "The Fate of the Forge", about a group of adventurers being asked to rescue an obsessed dwarf kinsman looking for the secret entrance to a long-lost forge. When they pick up his trail, they are (naturally) too late to save him from a band of goblins, but he begs them to finish his quest, find the vault of Morgurgan and re-kindle "the spirit of the forge."
Their journey leads them through the simmering smelting pits, battling both the ghosts of the ancient hearthguard and swarms of bats and ascending some dodgy stairs...
...before descending down to the forge itself, battling both a hideous troll and ferocious chimera!
Honestly, this is in no way a fair fight for third level characters...unless the players are clever enough to make sense of the clues, read the book near the throne and summon a fire elemental with the supplied brazier!
Even then, Galendan the wizard was hard-pressed and ended up needing to use his potion of gaseous form to escape the chimera, while Thoradin the cleric got knocked out covering the elf's escape. Z'baltazar the archer, Blessing Asmodeus the Bard, the knight Lady Marina, Thayna Silverbrew the fighter and Red Robbing Hood the rogue all acquitted themselves well.
The chimera soon fell to their combined might, and the bard's dissonant whispers spell drove the maddened troll directly into the elemental for a thrilling finale!
It went a little longer than I had intended, and we had to break for a bit when our Chinese food (another great tradition!) arrived, but there was a strong enough narrative to keep everyone engaged, and enough spectacle to keep folks from noticing now contrived much of my scenario was...I mean, a troll and a chimera? Really?
But it had a beginning middle and an end, and nobody felt it was too easy. Honestly, it will be a hard act to follow next year!
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