Tag Archives: tabletop

The Cabal of Eight: Intro

Well, work on the Arvan setting continues and I am still exercising the material in the games that I GM. This new campaign has had a few stops and starts but now on its way to clear and open road. Hence, I’ll begin to blog it as I have the others in the past.

This campaign I call The Cabal of Eight. It takes place in the city of Ezmer at the tip of the Ezmerian headland extending into the Silverset Sea. This sphere collectively named Ezmeria. All characters are mages and involved in a secret cabal with the mission of enriching members and gaining influence.

The Player Characters are Gornix a Level 1 Wizard played by Gil, Fauna a level 1 Druid played by Jenn, and Excor a level 1 Mage played by Cris. Gornix is young Ivoran Wizard in white robes with a grey cloak, the emblem its back, a salt-water lotus on a starfish. He wields a wood staff with a quartz crystal in its head. Fauna, a young Southlander woman, dark-skinned, red-haired, with violet eyes has a tendency towards hotheadedness. Excor is a young Ivoran mage but dresses and tries to speak as a Westlander. He’s a schemer and a gambler. It has also become evident as well that he has other secrets as Gornix has realized that Westlander wannabe is of noble blood just as himself.

They find themselves at a table in a small, leased clubroom in the second story of the Red Helm Tavern in the West Quarter of the city of Ezmer. Across from them are four other mages…

Weird Races #6 – The Okisibuso

Okisibuso, a strange race of para-elemental humanoids where one-half of their bodies is solid stone. The PDF contains stats for the base race itself, a warrior and Stone-Walker NPCs. Also a brief description of their culture and ethnicity, and mass combat unit stats. The package also includes a unique racial class, the Stone-Walker, and a form of stylized martial arts, Stone Fist Wrestling.

Weird Races are pre-generated fantasy races for Dice & Glory. At the discretion of Game-Masters (GMs) Weird Races can add richness and variety to their game worlds easily and quickly. Because the Okisibuso are fleshed out enough GM’s can drop them into game-sessions using them immediately without any prep-work beyond reading the document.

Weird Races #6 – 760k

Earth worshiping half-stone Men!

Bizarre Beasties #9 – Gorvil

The Gorvil, a pre-generated monster for Dice & Glory that can add unpredictability to any summoner’s repertoire. They are horrible lizard-bats, creatures of the dark and lurkers of shadow! The Gorvil are unnatural enemies of light and often fight to the death. As such, summoners favor the near-mindless creature.

This time the monsters are inspired by those described in the notorious satanic-panic masterpiece of mediocrity, Mazes and Monsters by Rona Jaffe. I have read this and the other two in what can best be called the terrible 80’s-panic trilogy: Dungeon Master by William Dear and Hobgoblin by John Coyne. Frankly, Jaffe’s novel is the worst. At best it’s a chemistry-less romance with fantasy roleplaying tossed in as a shallow gimmick. Also it uses mental illness as a cheap story device. However, the few details about the RPG they’re playing are interesting. But there are very few of these details in the novel. The only idea given any elaboration is the Gorvil monster. Of what little service Gorvils are given anyway.

Bizarre Beasties can be used at the discretion of Game-Masters to add variety to their game worlds easily and quickly. So that GM’s can drop the fully fleshed Gorvil into game-sessions immediately without any prep-work beyond reading the document. Finally, the Gorvil are a great addition to any GM’s bestiary.

Bizarre Beasties #9 – 621k

One-eyed bat-lizard-monsters that skulk in shadow!

Note that the other two novels that I mentioned above are almost as bad as Mazes & Monsters. I cannot recommend any of these three books. Although there are flashes of interest or a little suspense sprinkled in. However, the work it takes to get to these tidbits isn’t worth it.

Brilliant Botanics #1 – Manfruit Tree

The mystical Manfruit tree, a pregenerated supernatural plant for Dice & Glory that adds a legendary element to a campaign. Especially if it’s revealed as the ultimate treasure or final goal. Also these trees are extremely tough though like mundane trees they are unable to take offensive actions. Additionally they are physically tough and can take certain passive actions to resist damage.

Brilliant Botanics can be used at the discretion of Game-Masters to add variety to their game worlds easily and quickly. The Manfruit tree is fleshed out enough for GM’s to drop them into game-sessions without any prep-work beyond reading the document. Finally, Manfruit trees are a great addition to any GM’s bag of tricks & treasure.

Brilliant Botanics also includes a brief Magic Abstract describing how mages may use these supernal vegetables in their spells and potions as components.

Brilliant Botanics #1 – 583k

Inspired by the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West!

Bizarre Beasties #8 – Throgg

The Throgg, a pre-generated monster for Dice & Glory that can add unpredictability to any summoner’s repertoire. Also these creatures are massive brutes with an appetite for anything they can successfully kill, chew, and swallow. Additionally they are fairly resilient against certain attacks as well as being tough.

Bizarre Beasties can be used at the discretion of Game-Masters to add variety to their game worlds easily and quickly. Throggs are fleshed out enough for GM’s to drop them into game-sessions and their bestiaries to use immediately without any prep-work beyond reading the document. Finally, Throggs are a great addition to any GM’s bestiary.

Bizarre Beasties #8 – 621k

Evil hippo-monsters!

Blog, Arvan, and Articles Update

About the BlogWizard-Skull_web.jpg

So, blog entries will be slowing down a great deal here since the current campaign (the one started after A Giant in Xuun ended so anti-climatically) has somewhat stalled out and we’ve lost a player due to work schedule. So it is uncertain as to when I will begin to post another campaign blog the next may be the campaign I will be mastering but that may be a few months in the coming.

New Articles

However, I will be releasing a new article here and there as I get time to edit and post them, the next article will be a Tabletop Meditations #11: Elves, and should be posted around Weds or Thurs next week on this site.

Progress on the Arvan Setting

Work on the campaign setting book – Arvan: Land of Dragons – continues as the illustrations are being mostly by me at this point with that kind of work load everything else is going to have to suffer. Who would’ve guessed a World Spanning work take so much illustration? <:)

The actual release date for Arvan is unknown right now due to the bog down on the artwork but I’ll try to keep everyone updated as work progresses.

Attention Artists/Illustrators

Sales have been better this quarter, thanks to all those who’ve supported us, so I am fielding for 1 or 2 illustrators and in particular we are looking for a Cartographic Artist. If any of you are interested email us with an approximate rate for full page, 1/2 page, and 1/4 page pieces. Please note are project budgets are always really small.

Other New Releases

As the work on Arvan is taking alot longer than we had originally thought and scheduled for any new releases for this year will have to be pushed back even possibly into next year. These releases being: The Monster Magnus Vol. II, The Great Grimoire Vol. II, and the Complete Character Codex (print only).

Sincerely,

Robert A. Neri Jr.

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A Giant in Xuun Pt.12: Tower of Darkness

The threshold where Nezor found himself extended as a ramp falling just about 10 ft. shy ofPassage into darkness the statue which stood at the center of the rather large ground floor chamber. It was lit dimly by a dull blue light that hid most details and seemed to deepen even the slightest shadow and intensify the darkness. The room was of an alien design its floor was like a bowl its surface sinking towards the center and in place of a staircase was a smooth ramp winding up to a balcony shaped into the likeness of large serpent with fangs bared. Set in the sculpted eyes of the balcony were a pair of fire rubies which glared with an angry red light adding a tinge of menace to the eerie chamber as it mixed with the source-less blue glow.

The statue which dominated the center of the room was only about half of Nezor’s height but was masterfully wrought of black marble with a pair of glinting ruby eyes. It was of a stylized Naga warrior armed with a master-work steel pole-sword. Phenox and Zacha having bypassed the entryway trap came to either side of the giant. Nezor strode to the end of the entryway ramp and stepped hesitantly onto the depressed floor. Phenox moved around him and to the rear of the black statue at the bottom of the spiraling ramp-way.

Suddenly the statues ruby eyes lit with a violent magic red glare and it struck with its steel pole-sword at Nezor whom was barely able to move in time to parry the blow. The giant replied with a titanic club strike followed with a massive backswing either of which blow could’ve brought any flesh and blood opponent down. The statue was chipped in a few places. Zacha cast a spell and filled the air around the statue with dancing glittering multi-colored lights to no effect whatsoever. Phenox made his way up the ramp towards an archway he had spotted at the top behind the snake-head balcony.

Nezor again struck valiantly at the animated statue knocking of some larger bits of oily black marble. Then a shadow beast stretched from the darkness behind Zacha striking at her with its inky claws. She dodged. Another unexpectedly emerged from the shadows near Nezor whose armor absorbed the damage and he in turn stomped on the beast nearly killing it. A third clawed at Phenox engaging him in battle on the spiral ramp. Nezor in a desperate attempt to reduce the number of enemies swept his club in a wide arc (fortunately Zacha was behind him) slaying both shadow beasts within his reach and cracking the statue a little more.

Nezor once again parried the slash of the pole-sword just before the veil of darkness fell over the whole room blotting out all vision and light. It was an opaque and nearly palpable darkness as if pure shadow had been dumped into the air like ink in water. Zacha shouted out, “It’s a Globe of Darkness!” She paused for only one tense second, “he’s here.”

Phenox: “Shadow Scale right!?”

The grim-warrior continued to fight blindly and then killing the shadow beast with a lucky blow proceeded up the ramp to the balcony. He could hear the mystery mage slithering over the stone floor from the archway up there. Nezor in a panic made another wide arc with his weapon cracking what he assumed was the statue. Then he felt the pole-sword drive itself through his armor and deep between his ribs. His pained groan echoed across the black chamber.

Suddenly it felt as if the very air that surrounded Nezor had congealed and time seemed to melt into a thick morass. He felt the magic take hold of him, he was a victim of a slow spell. The giant could hear Phenox shouting something but his voice was distorted, slowed down. No doubt the grim-warrior was a victim of the spell as well. Nezor again swept with his club and in his frustration strained his muscles to the point of agony. A sudden bolt of lightning arced through the room illuminating Phenox as it struck him but nothing else. Then it was gone.

Zacha (whispering to the giant): “I’m gonna swap places with him, so he’ll be right behind you okay?”

The giant wound up his strike and stopped suddenly when he heard Zacha’s voice scream pathetically, “it failed I’m still here, still HERE!”

Nezor was barely able to deflect an incoming blow presumably from the statue’s pole-sword. He replied with a crushing blow but could tell the thing was still standing. He wound up again and suddenly couldn’t move a muscle. Another spell had taken hold of him and he was unable to move or defend himself. Another flash of lightning revealed the death of Zacha’s familiar who was engaging the cloaked figure on the balcony. Then Zacha cried out in pain and the giant could hear the sound of her corpse flopping onto the tower floor.

Nezor felt the searing pain of the pole-sword as it jabbed deep into his thick neck again and again cutting deeper each time. He felt his own blood run down his chest and fill his shiny plate-mail. All the sounds in room began to drown in the darkness and seemed so very far away then a horribly sharp pain stung into his neck and rippled throughout his body. The last thing he heard was the crunch of steel meeting bone.

The End

 

Campaign Played between October 2015 and January 2016.

A Giant in Xuun Pt.11: Demon Day of Summer

The hill-giant Freeman Nezor, now officially Guardsman Nezor, stood proudly in the parade ground in front of the Southgate city guard headquarters. It was the happiest morning of his life though it was very damp out and the oppressive heat of the previous day was already mixing with that of the new. A tear almost dropped his eye as he was presented an armband striped blue and yellow signifying his promotion to the rank of captain of the guard by Lt. Krolin himself. If the air hadn’t been so still the giant would swear that his own cloak was wafting heroically behind him. It was a reward for foiling a burglary at the apothecaries down the street from the Troll a day or so just before he reported for training.

With the brief ceremony over Lt. Krolin began shouting his orders and the entire troop of new guardsmen began their rigorous drills and week-long training regimen. Occasionally it included jaunts into the swamp and a fair amount of mass-organized weapon-katas using the standard pike and long-shield. For most of the recruits it was hell for Nezor on the other hand it was a breeze. He never seemed to stop smiling. At the end of the seven-day stint of forced marches and wading through waist-high (or in Nezor’s case knee-high) muck and a very well-deserved bath at the local brothel, for Nezor it was in the carriage park of said establishment, Lt. Krolin took him with the usual entourage in tow to the Whiskey Troll to celebrate the giant’s new rank and probably in part to cement him as a permanent fixture of the Southside city guard. It wasn’t long before a bar-fight between two opposing pirate crews broke out but the guards didn’t interfere as they were busy celebrating.

The day after that and more towards the evening as the orange-gold and rapidly reddening rays of the dusk weakly flooded the entryway of the Troll, Phenox walked in with a curious looking companion unknown to Nezor. He guided the new potential addition to the ‘goodfellows’ up to the giant who was in his usual place flanked by his “men” on either side. He was signing up “new recruits” for his command. The scroll rolled out over his table even had several sloppy black ‘X’s on it.

Phenox introduced the new addition as Xxoosha, he struggled to pronounce her name as he was not fluent in Scael Split-Tongue. Nezor was having none of it as he despised Nagas, they had taken out Cantra after all and this one had black scales. He had heard that Scaels with black scales were marked by “other forces”. Xxoosha the Black Scael smoothed over the giant’s concerns in the course of the night through sheer charm. The giant took to calling her Zacháah, it was the natural pronunciation of her name in his hill-lander drawl.

Zacha was a mage and a mighty fine flutist, her familiar on her shoulder which appeared much like a small sized monitor-lizard with draconic wings; it was never far from her when not on her shoulder. The newly hired mage wore a hooded purple cloak and seemed eager enough to join whatever mission Phenox had planned out but he was reluctant to reveal exactly what that may be as “there were too many ears abouts”. The giant shrugged his shoulders. He was confident that whatever it was he could simply stomp, smash, or crush his way through it.

Another uneventful day passed, the Lt. was running forced marches every other day and at the end of the day the giant and the other ‘goodfellow’, he still wasn’t quite sure about the mage because you simply couldn’t trust that type, were drinking in the Troll. Zacha was piping on her flute, a nice and cheerful medley; someone tossed her a few coppers. It appeared to be another typical evening in the Troll until a massive explosion somewhere outside shook the walls. The patrons rushed outside to see what had happened.

The street was littered with shattered stone and disintegrate adobe. A tower that had overlooked the street around an alley from the Troll was partially destroyed and flying on its wings of glittering mist was what appeared to be some sort of frost demon. Nezor pointed ‘dog-smasher’ at the howling creature and before he could shout, “stop in the name of the law” the creature had landed heavily in the cobbled street before him and the grim-warrior Phenox; Zacha who had been behind them slithered for cover behind a large crate.

The demon was nearly the size of Nezor, about 20 ft tall, and had wings that seemed to be mostly immaterial composed of poisonously glittering mists. It had a pair of curling horns as jagged as bent icicles on its malformed skull-like head and claws on its hands just as formidable. A hideous bluish light shone from its empty eye-sockets and from between the spaces in its glassy ribs. For the most part the creature was bluish-white in color. The frost-demon bore a battle-axe of ice in one of its hands and in the other it held the bleeding corpse of an apprentice mage. A handful of guards charged the beast and it spat a ball of blue energy at them which simultaneously froze them solid, reduced, and blew them away like a gust of snow. The gathered crowd immediately panicked fleeing in all directions.

It was Nezor’s “men” that acted first, Oxwulf dropped his pike and ran back into the Troll, Derig charged the demon. The monster responded with a swing of its axe horribly wounding the boy who dropped to the ground at its hoofed feet.

The giant roared and rushing in put all of his power behind his carven great club smashing out most of its ribs in the first hit then on the backswing the entire beast shattered like an ill-conceived ice-sculpture filled with blue-flame and exploded. Nezor was left standing there triumphant but a little frostbit, Derig was down and unconscious but otherwise untouched by the demon’s death throe. The giant acting quickly snatched up the boy’s body and rushed him to the local apothecary for immediate treatment. After Nezor was assured that the young guard would recover by the old apothecary, he left him there and returned to the scene to find the Lt. and his men already there.

The investigation lasted for only about 2 hours. A group of elder mages from the Obsidian Guild had appeared all of them old men in plain but clean brown robes with golden eye on a brown escutcheon embroidered on the breast. Their fingers and necks were bedecked in gold however and each also carried finely carved and lacquered staffs some bearing gems. They were a little indignant and rude towards the Lt. until the giant stepped in with a disapproving glare. They got cooperative real quick. It appeared that they had no information on the case as the apprentice was unknown to them and he assuredly wasn’t licensed to practice magic within city limits.

After the investigation was finished Lt. Krolin commended Nezor on his conduct and promised him a medal for his slaying of the rogue demon. The hill-giant was in the clouds as he strutted back to the tavern. The new trio reconvened at the Whiskey Troll.

Over some whiskey and while Zacha noodled with her flute, Phenox talked with Capt. Nezor about that new caper he had been planning for some time now. It concerned an evil mage, he emphasized the evil part, and the horrible things he was doing under the noses of the city guard such things as hiring foolish young mages under the impression that they would be his apprentices then having them do suicidal things like summoning demons too powerful for them to control. This mysterious and evil mage was known only as Shadow-Scale. Of course Phenox neglected to mention the contract out on the mages life that he was holding.

Nezor stood up suddenly, held his club above his head, and declared, “I dub thee Dog-Smasher-Bull-Crusher AND demon-SLAYER!” The entire place erupted in a riotous cheer. The giant turned to his stunned companions and said, “let’s do some JUSTICE”.

It wasn’t long after that the 3 were standing in the dark underneath the moon-shadow of Shadow-Scale’s tower. It was a relic from another time, a crude and strange structure fashioned from what seemed to be a single titanic stone and the few orifices in its face including its main door were fashioned in the Scael fashion of things, circular and deep. Just a few moments previously they had fought their way through four monsters with skull-like faces, shriveled skin, and hoofed feet. The giant assumed that they too were demons and seemed to be guarding the alleys that led to the tower. He was determined to take this guy down vigilante style.

Phenox (kneeling by the recessed entryway and inspecting the ground): “Yup. There’s a trap door here. Guess we better…”

Nezor with an earth-shaking roar ran past his companions and leapt at the bronze double door jumping over the supposed trap-door hurling himself straight into it. Either the doors or his shoulder would shatter. For just a second he feared as he felt the doors flex only slightly that he would be catapulted backwards onto his back and onto the trap-door. Fortunately, the timber bar that held the door gave with a sharp crack and the giant landed heavily just inside on the smooth stone threshold as the metal doors swung open wide with a crash.

To be Concluded…

A Giant in Xuun Pt.10: Snake & Dagger

It was another humid morning in the Whiskey Troll Tavern and it was late morningDagger and snake assassins guild mark by the time Phenox and Cantra came rolling in looking for their hill-giant companion, Nezor. They found him at his usual table, the wall behind decorated with the trophies from last night’s fight with the Black Hoods along with what appeared as a pair of new recruits, a pair of very young men, accoutered in the standard equipment of the city guard: quilted azure gambesons, a dagger, a pike, and a wood longshield painted with blue and yellow vertical stripes.

Nezor introduced the young guards as Derig (an Ivoran youth from a prominent Northside family) and Oxwulf (a Westlander from an immigrant family). They were his “men” and with them he was going to clean up “this whiskey town”! Sent by Lt. Krolin both boys had been officially put in the giant’s charge.

A pair of hunters stinking like the marsh pushed past the stunned pair of killers carrying a butchered pygmy-deer. Shaken from the stupor of ill-surprise the grim-warrior and deathgrin rolled their eyes as they sat down. They wanted to talk business, something about a mage; the giant was again not paying particularly close attention to them as he kept turning to his “men” to throw what he thought were clever bits of wisdom their way about the harshness of the streets and the worthlessness of the criminal element.

The trio could overhear two well-dressed Southlanders discussing something about a deal to sell a dozen gladiators being “off” and now they had to deal with Corvo-Doom. His name was mentioned with a palpable level of distaste.

Suddenly all of the tavern patrons stood up and began to hurriedly file out into the streets and slithering through the entrance-way with the trio in their sights were 5 Scael-Nagas armored in scale-mail marked with the coiled serpent and dagger symbol. Another flopped out of the shadows apparently running into a table fumbling his crossbow the poisoned bolt thudding into the table just in front of Cantra. The fight was on.

Nezor stood up and kept the young guards behind him ordering them to guard his flanks. Phenox leapt headfirst into battle behind a storm of scimitar strokes. Cantra knocked away another bolt with her brand new buckler and ducked into the shadows. Phenox dropped one of the assassins and when 3 others converged on him waving their naginatas, Nezor swept them away with a single deadly swing of his great club ‘dog-smasher’. Another nailed the giant with a lucky thrust of his naginata.

It was then Cantra shouted out a warning, “There’s THREE crossbows over there!” Then the twang of the bowstrings signaled the flight of the poisoned quarrels one aimed at each of the ‘goodfellows’. Phenox was struck but the poison didn’t stop him, the giant was mostly unaffected but Cantra froze in place paralyzed by the exotic toxin. Seeing this Nezor flattened the last Naga within his reach and intended to move to her aid.

Phenox moved in her direction as well but was caught up in a fight with another assassin as was Nezor who easily squashed his enemy. Another Scael slithered from the shadows near Cantra’s paralyzed particolored form as he pulled his naginata off his back. Grinning the creature put the blade of his weapon on her throat and slid it in nice and slow then twisted before ripping it back out. She collapsed and died on the dirty floor of the Whiskey Troll Tavern in a pool of her own blood.

Nezor roared and finished Cantra’s killer in a single blow. Phenox finished his foe. After finding that they had “won” the fight the pair stood over the corpse of their dear departed companion. Phenox went through her gear and checked for valuables.

Nezor: “She’s gonna get a heroes’ burial, nah expense sparred!”

Phenox (a large amount of gems and coins in his hands): “Um. Okay?”

Three days later Phenox and Nezor were sitting at their table in the Troll, their mug and bucket of whiskey untouched before them. The hill-giant had been carving something into the mutilated tabletop with his dagger for the past few hours or so. Cantra’s funeral had been two days ago in the age-old cemetery that bordered the city along the swamp just outside of the old battlements.

A fair portion of the graveyard was partially submerged under green swamp-water the ground studded with whitened grave-stones and stone tombs of varying sizes and degrees of decoration. They had hired professional mourners and had a procession of flowers that had moved along the streets from the charnel house to the cemetery. The money that Phenox and Nezor had found on Cantra’s body had also paid for a small stone tomb. On the front of the mausoleum was an image of her grinning hastily carved and painted with bright colors.

Nezor punched the table and went on a tirade about the hoods that they were “gonna pay for what they did!” Confused, Phenox simply let him go on until the giant just suddenly stood up and stormed off. The grim-warrior looked at what the giant had carved expertly into the booze-soaked wood of the heavy oak table: an image of Cantra grinning and balancing on the blade of her bowie-knife with a flute in her hands which she appeared to preparing to play.

Phenox had neglected to clue in the giant as to exactly what had actually happened. It was the Coiled Snake & Dagger, Xuun’s premiere assassin’s guild, which had killed her because she had foiled their attempt on Corvo-Doom as well as adding insult to injury by working freelance right under their noses. The final straw was when she had taken an extremely high bounty on the head of a Creschan merchant, a mission on which Phenox had accompanied her returning bloodied but victorious during Nezor’s celebration of his signing with the city guard. But Phenox had a plan, he had the information on the last bounty she had taken up and the grim-warrior would need the giant’s might.

To Be Continued…

A Giant in Xuun Pt.9: Club & Hood

An arrow flew towards Phenox but missed by a mile shot by the ranger skulking with the hoods through the shadows into the Whiskey Troll Tavern. The ear-shattering crack of colliding wood thundered through the smoky-thick tavern atmosphere as the hill-giant mercenary, indeed that’s what he appeared to be as he was not like his partners wearing a hood, struck with his spiked great club the blow parried by Nezor’s own hardwood great club. Thunder struck again and again as Nezor swung, was parried, swung again and again parried.

Phenox yelped when a bolt from the lead-hood’s crossbow hit him. Immediately another bolt flew from the shadows imbedding itself in Nezor’s new plate-mail armor. Cantra somersaulted to avoid two quarrels launched in her direction both of which thudded into the wall. Two of the hooded thugs went at Nezor but their short-swords were parried easily. The other leathern-hood wearing thief moved into the tavern bearing a bearded-axe and another of the hooded thugs charged and swiped at Phenox whom dodged the blow.

Thunder exploded again as the hard wood of the great clubs met once again this time clinching. The weapon-wood creaked painfully, muscles pressed and bulged, and the battle of raw brute strength took all of Nezor’s concentration as the tavern battle raged on around him. Both giants identically matched neither giving an inch each was intent on plowing through the other. Nezor kicked at the other giant’s groin but missed his mark.

Meanwhile Phenox was engaged with the bearded-axe wielding leather-hood managing to avoid every blow and Cantra got a lucky shot in with her bow and a poisoned arrow which paralyzed the hood allowing Phenox to claim the coup de grace. One of the thugs that was looking for an opening between the giants to try to stab at Nezor saw this and went after Cantra. She parried the sword-strike with the wood of her bow as she backed away. The other thug finally found the opening he sought and stabbed Nezor but only managed to score the hill-giants plate. The sound of Nezor’s teeth gritting could be heard by all.

Phenox spotted out the enemy ranger and hacked a gory wound into his neck nearly killing him. The merc-giant broke loose of the clinch and Nezor taking immediate advantage smacked him with ‘dog-smasher’ then on the backswing the mercenary clinched again with his parry. Both giants grunted as they found themselves frozen in the same strained stances. Again veins bulged, muscles creaked as loud as the weapon-wood and sweat rained on the flags and filled Nezor’s plate-mail and the merc-giant’s scale-mail.

Again the battle raged and another hood dropped with one of Cantra’s arrows in him. One of the petty human thugs close by Nezor stabbed him, again only mauling his armor so the hill-giant stomped on him. Crossbow bolts flew, the tavern was in an uproar as the drunks and tavern-goers crowded into the opposite half of the place and began chanting ‘”goodfellas” over-and-over again. Then the mercenary giant jerked unexpectedly and broke the clinch disarming Nezor of his great club in the process flinging it across the bar.

The enemy ranger dropped dead his head partially shorn from the neck by the stroke of Phenox’s paired scimitars. Two of the remaining hoods converged on Cantra their angry blades gleaming in the candlelight.

Nezor lunged at the other giant trying to grapple his enemy. He managed to get inside the reach of the spiked great club but could not find a grip on his opponent. It was his only chance to survive as he knew the merc-giant could easily kill him with a single lucky blow. The merc-giant knew this as well and tried to take a step back underestimating Nezor’s penchant for dirty fighting. Nezor kicked one of his enemy’s feet from under him tripping him and immediately stomped on his head crunching his skull. A crossbow bolt launched from an unseen assailant sailed into a chink in the triumphant giant’s armor wounding him.

Nezor took a moment to assess the situation and take in some desperately needed air. His other two companions were still fighting with both of the leather-hooded thugs and a ratling, probably the unseen archer that had put that bolt into him. The hill-giant scooped up his club and rejoined the skirmish.

Nezor missed with an initial attack on the hood with the bearded axe but struck him on the backswing wounding him. Cantra began to laugh unnervingly chilling the spines of all that could hear her as she dipped her dagger in a vile of Black Thorn Poison. The hood with the axe swung at Nezor scoring a critical strike due to Nezor’s clumsy defense forcing the hill-giant to back off in order to recover his bearings.

Phenox moved in and struck the other leather-hooded thug wounding him. The axe wielding hood moved after and struck at Nezor clinching with him when the giant attempted to parry the blow. Nezor then realized that this thug was as strong and about as large as a half-giant. More arrows and bolts flew from the shadows at Cantra whom barely avoided them. Nezor forced the half-giant to his knees with some effort. The half-giant tried to force his way back up but could find neither the leverage nor the strength to do so.

Phenox was in a duel with the other leather-hood and more arrows flew at Cantra. Nezor broke the clinch and swung on the half-giant who lunged to his feet parrying the club with his bearded-axe. Splinters flew everywhere but the axe remained intact to clinch Nezor’s club yet again. Nezor using all of his might tried to force the hood down to his knees again but the hood was barely able to hold his stance and tried to use his newfound leverage to break free but Nezor easily kept the axe bound up.

Phenox finally gained the upper hand in his duel with the other leather-hood and cut him down, the body instantly teleporting away in a flash of light from the magic hood. Cantra ducked under a table for cover and downed a healing potion. The half-giant and Nezor continued to struggle strength opposing strength the half-giant ever at a disadvantage but Nezor severely wounded. Cantra and the ratling suddenly disappeared from sight undoubtedly both playing at a very deadly shadow game. The half-giant suddenly broke the clinch with a sudden spot of luck.

Nezor in utter panic power-attacked putting all of his supernatural strength behind the blow in an all-or-nothing bid for victory and life the concussion of the killing blow stunned the crowd and the half-giant’s corpse was gone in a magic flash just as was his companion.

Phenox and Nezor looked about and saw no other enemies nor did they see Cantra though Phenox detected the ratling squeak as if it had been hit. Nezor was distracted when he saw the faun bartender and the trollish barmaids looting the merc-giant’s corpse.

Nezor (thrusting forth a stern finger): “Hey YOO! I impounded that criminal’s stuff! Tha’s the LAW’s property!”

After a few minutes it became evident that the ratling had escaped when Cantra finally emerged from a dark corner. The looting of the corpses that were left behind commenced. The take was disappointing though Nezor took delight in pegging up the spiked great club and giant suit of scale-mail as trophies on the wall behind his table. Phenox and Cantra retreated to her villa to recuperate. Nezor left to get a free healing at the local White Star house of healing due to his status as a city guard then returned to pass the rest of the night eating and drinking as usual.

The next day was for the most part a quiet one. The air was heavy and it was muggy, dense cotton-clouds hung in the stark blue sky. It felt like a heat wave was picking up. Throughout the day the usual patrons came and went. The rat-trappers, those with coats of patchwork rat-skins and an embroidered patch of a rat impaled on a dagger on their backs, sat and drank with Nezor eventually paying for their own drinks in rat-tails cut from the vermin that had infested that very establishment. The Black-Skull pirates also filed in around noon and filled the place with rowdy laughter and salty language. A fish-monger wandered in with his cart trying to peddle fish-stew but was chased out by the Troll’s owner. Phenox on his way in bought a jack of stew as the monger was leaving. Cantra wandered in shortly thereafter.

The trio enjoyed some drinks until sundown when the Black Skulls stumbled back to their ship. Phenox and Cantra left as they were meeting someone for something. Nezor wasn’t paying attention he was mulling over an idea. Shortly after they left he decided to put his idea into action and gathered up some random guards and friendly toughs in the streets and led a mob rousting the local pimps along the way. Nezor ended the night at the Troll as usual though 30 silver pieces, 100 coppers, 100 gold pieces, and 1 gold medallion richer.

Later that night, the hill-giant was awoken by a foul stench on the air. He saw the large hunched figure of a troll lurch into the tavern bearing a very large barrel. The tavern owner came out and talked for a bit with the creature, some coin exchanged hands, and the troll wandered out leaving the barrel which the publican had some hefty servants drag into the back. The giant rolled over and commenced to snore.

To Be Continued…