S01E04 - Waylaid in Cottongate

About this series

This article is not the first episode in this series. If you’ve just arrived, you might want to start with The Discovery which explains what the campaign is about or the ‘session zero’ post. You can then work your way forwards from there.

Introduction

Day: 1

Time of day: Late Afternoon

Weather: Sunny

Characters: Hadley, Tasha, Elena

Location: Lower city, Cottongate, Kethryn

Questions

I think the most likely scene is our three adventurers setting off towards the north gate of the city to join the old shrine road. I’m going to test the scene to see what happens - I’m using a static value of 5 for the chaos factor.

Scene test: 3 - Altered scene.

I’m going to use my own events tables to see what happens. They’re not actually complete but there’s enough to start off with. It’s a d6 roll and then another on a subtable.

1 - Close Threat, 4 - Cornered and Hostile

Oh dear. I bet it’s Ketter and Fen.

Is it? - Nearly Certain / 41

Yes. Yes it is.

Leaving the comfort of the Hunting Heron and the clamour of the Wharf Road behind, the three travellers enter Cottongate, where the smell of salt and tar gives way to sun-warmed linen and cut cloth. The district’s broad streets are lined with workshops and merchants’ houses, their upper windows thrown open to catch the afternoon breeze. Bolts of dyed fabric hang from wooden frames outside the larger clothiers, stirring gently above apprentices carrying baskets of wool and seamstresses haggling over thread. Instead of the raucous shouting of dockworkers and traders, there is the steady thump and rattle of looms and the rumble of handcarts.

Tasha walks ahead with a purposeful stride. Hadley follows several paces behind, one hand resting on the strap of his pack, casting a final glance back in the direction of the Hunting Heron as though still questioning the wisdom of leaving a comfortable bed and a hot meal for another stretch of dusty road. Elena walks silently between them, her attention caught by carved lintels, weathered statues tucked into shaded alcoves, and climbing vines that soften the old stonework. She says nothing, content to listen to Tasha’s quiet excitement and Hadley’s habitual grumbling.

Questions

I’m going to roll for surprise to see if anyone is taken unawares. In OSE a character or group is surprised if they roll a 1 or 2 on a d6.

• Hadley, Tasha, Elena - 1
• Ketter and Fen - 5

Oh. Damn. An ambush.

They turn into a narrow side street, anticipating cutting a little distance from their walk to the northern gate. The noise of Cottongate falls away almost at once. Here the houses stand close together, their upper storeys jutting over the lane until they seem to lean towards one another, leaving only a thin strip of bright afternoon sky overhead. The air is still and close, carrying the faint smells of dust, cooking fat and old drains.

They are halfway along when two men step from a recessed doorway and block the street ahead. Hadley stops so sharply that Elena nearly walks into him. His hand drops towards his sword, though he does not draw it.

“Uh oh,” he mutters.

Fen grins at them with the vacant anticipation of a man expecting sport, a long club resting casually on his shoulder. Beside him is Ketter, his expression that of a rat-catcher who finds his traps full.

Questions

I think it’s highly likely that dainties as unpleasant as Ketter and Fen would have brought some pals to join in the fun.

Have they? - Very Likely - 28 - Yes

Great. How many I wonder? Three maybe. I’ll use my quantity oracle to check if it’s three.

Are there 3? 3/Expected Result

Yes there are.

Elenor’s voice is quiet and tense as she murmurs “There are three more a little way behind us.”

Hadley’s voice is a low growl - “Gah! I’m getting sloppy… damn it!!” He’s suddenly acutely aware of needing to piss - it’s always the same just before a fight.

I’m regretting that ale now! I doubt they’ll let me take a moment either.

Tasha steps blithely forwards, seemingly oblivious to the look of obvious malice on the faces of both the men in front of her. The pewter dove of Shallya at her neck catches the light just enough to glint faintly.

“Shallya’s blessings upon you. Is there something we can help you with?”

Questions

I think there’s a chance that Ketter and Fen are a bit wary of cleric symbols, etc. I think they might be reluctant to earn the ire of a deity. I don’t think it’s particularly likely though.

Are they worried by Tasha’s holy symbol? - 50/50 - 62

No. Tasha is going to try to talk them round but I can’t give her a bonus of any kind unfortunately. I’ll make this a Charisma roll for Tasha.

Charisma (12) - 2

Success - great!

Fen gives Tasha’s holy symbol a casual glance and then grunts a laugh. “That won’t save you,” he says, unconcerned. Ketter’s grin widens in amusement. “Help us?,” he adds, “What he did on the docks made us look bad in front of everyone. Unforgivable. You can help us by making amends.”

Ketter steps forward with mock civility and gestures toward the three figures further down the street. “Allow me to introduce the rest of my company - Mace, Trenn and Dask. Mace is the one with the … well… the mace! I’ll let Trenn and Dask introduce themselves fully in a moment. " The three roughs each wear the same lazy grin and stand with the the same readiness for trouble. They wait about twenty yards down the lane, leaning on walls and nudging one another, their delight at sharing in some casual violence obvious.

Hadley lets his gaze flick back to them, assessing distance, numbers and temperament with a old soldier’s eye. His hand rests near his sword, fingers relaxed. His feet move a little, his stance shifting, his boots twisting slightly to grip the stones beneath his feet. He meets Ketter’s look and says nothing; the message is clear enough.

Tasha moves forward a pace, palms open, voice steady. “Bloodshed won’t fix anything,” she says. “It will only make it worse for all of us. Whether you honour her name or not, my goddess Shallya has power, and she protects her own. Violence will solve nothing and may cost you dearly.” There is no triumph in her tone - she is calm, sincere.

Ketter studies her for a moment, frustrated wariness flickering through across his face. He glances at Hadley, maybe recognising competence in the warrior’s steady gaze. He steps back and lets out a low chuckle. “Well - far be it from me to offend a goddess, whoever she is!” He laughs, grinning at Fen and the big man guffaws loudly. “We can avoid all this unpleasantness very simply I think.” He squares on Hadley “An apology, on your knees, here in the street. And compensation I think - a generous gift - for the trouble and embarrassment you caused us.” His tone is mean, confident, the voice of someone who is sure he has the better hand and demands to see his opponent’s cards.

Questions

Is there a slight chance that Hadley might accept? I seriously doubt it but let’s see.

Does Hadley apologise? - Nearly Impossible - 65

Thought not! Tasha knows him well though and will be trying to get him to take the easy way out. I’ll give her a Charisma roll but with a -2.

Tasha - Cha(12)-2 - 13

No. Hadley is unswerving.

Hadley stands perfectly still, controlled, icy - no apology, no flare of temper. Just the kind of calm that should, in a perceptive opponent, raise doubts. Tasha turns to him, her face full of hope even though she knows in her heart it’s useless.

Hadley’s voice is soft, quiet, toneless. “No”.

Tasha moves closer, reaching to touch his arm. She speaks quietly to him, pleading, but her voice carries the weary knowledge that she won’t convince him. “Hadley, please. It doesn’t matter and…”

He lifts a hand to stop her. “No,” he says quietly. “I won’t apologise for doing what’s right.” His eyes flick to Fen and the three men lounging down the lane, taking in their numbers and their leer. Then he looks back at Fen with an almost polite appraisal.

“You’ve made me regret my ale earlier and that’s something I can’t abide. If you want an apology, you’ll have to earn it. You fight me, one on one. If you win, I’ll apologise like you said. If you lose, you and your friends walk away and that’ll be an end to it.”

There is no bravado in his voice. Just cold certainty that he’ll keep his word either way. Tasha breathes out slowly - she knows Hadley well enough to see that his mind is set. Fen’s grin widens at the challenge, eager; Ketter’s eyes glint at the prospect of sport and spectacle.

Questions

I think it’s pretty certain that they’ll agree - Fen would jump at the chance to beat someone up and Ketter would enjoy the sport!

Do they agree? - Nearly Certain - 48

Ketter rubs his hands together gleefully. “A splendid idea! Fen can teach you manners, I’ll lighten your purse and then we can all be about our business safe in the knowledge that you know who your betters are.” He grins and steps back to the side of the street and Fen steps forwards, the long club sliding off his shoulder and slapping into his free hand.

Elena tightens her fingers at her side, every muscle coiled, her hand moving imperceptibly towards the pouch at her belt. Hadley feels the hair rise a little on the back of his neck and recognises the tension in the air that always comes when Elena begins to draw on her power. He glances back at her and shakes his head slightly, his voice soft - “No need.”

He shrugs off his pack, sword and bow and hands them to Tasha. Her face is pale with worry and he smiles at her. His voice is very quiet - “If this goes badly, run. Don’t wait for me.” He turns away before she has time to protest.

Damn it. I really need to piss!

He draws his daggers, one in each hand and walks forwards towards Fen. He’s fought men like this before - brawn and little brain. He’ll be strong but slow.

Questions

I’m just wondering if Fen or Ketter have any problem with Hadley using knives against Fen’s club. Fen is so overconfident that I think he probably wouldn’t object.

Do they? - Unlikely - 70

No then.

Combat

Right - nothing for it but for Hadley to fight Fen and hope it goes the right way. First combat of the campaign! Gulp!!!

Fen is using a long club which does d4+1 damage - I’ve bumped the damage a bit as he’s a big man and the club is designed for beating people up. Hadley will eschew his sword in favour of his daggers - better for close combat in the street. They do d4+1 damage, taking into account Hadley’s strength bonus which also gives him +1 to hit.

Hit points:

• Hadley: 9
• Fen: 11

Round 1

Initiative:

• Hadley - 2
• Fen - 5

Attacks:

• Fen - Attack - 11 / miss
• Hadley - Attack - 6+1 / miss

Fen is fast, much faster than Hadley expected. The big man jumps forwards and the club comes out of nowhere, whistling towards Hadley’s head. He ducks, sidesteps and slashes out with a dagger but his stroke is wide.

Shit! This bastard’s faster than I thought he’d be!

Round 2

Initiative:

• Hadley - 3
• Fen - 5

Attacks:

• Fen - Attack - 11 / miss
• Hadley - Attack - 14+1 / hit - 3+1 damage

Hit points:

• Hadley: 9
• Fen: 7

Fen spins, agile for a big man, and the club sings through the air towards Hadley’s midriff. This time however, he’s ready - he steps back, lets the club flash past and then his blade darts in, slicing across Fen’s forearm with a vicious cut. The big man roars with pain and surprise - no one usually fights back against him! His face reddens with rage.

Round 3

Initiative:

• Hadley - 6
• Fen - 4

Attacks:

• Hadley - Attack - 12+1 / hit - 3+1 damage
• Fen - Attack - 2 / miss

Hit points:

• Hadley: 9
• Fen: 3

Hadley moves fast, stepping around behind Fen as the brawler swings again, a thin spray of blood from his sliced arm following the path of the club. This time the dagger slashes across the meat of Fen’s leg and the man roars again, stumbling backwards, the leather of his breeches darkening as the blood seeps into them.

Round 4

Initiative:

• Hadley - 5
• Fen - 4

Fen has now lost way more than half his hit points in two rounds. I think a morale check is warranted. OSE has morale check rules - I’m going to house rule slightly and say that in a single enemy situation, losing more than half the creature’s hit points triggers morale checks. Fen’s morale score is 8. If he rolls more than 8 with 2d6 his morale fails and he runs away.

Fen morale check - 6 / success

Attacks:

• Hadley - Attack - 11+1 / miss
• Fen - Attack - 9 / miss

They circle each other, slowly. Fen is breathing hard, his face a grimace of rage and pain. Hadley is half expecting him to give up and run - his sort often do when confronted with a target that’s able to stand up for itself. Hadley leaps forwards, his dagger slashing towards the big man’s other arm. Fen twists, still agile and again, faster than Hadley expected. Hadley manages to spin away from the club as it arcs round towards him.

Round 5

Initiative:

• Hadley - 5
• Fen - 2

As per the OSE rules, if Fen succeeds on his morale checks twice in a row, he will fight to the end.

Fen morale check - 8 / success (close!)

Attacks:

• Hadley - Attack - 10+1 / miss
• Fen - Attack - 13 / hit - 2 damage

Hit points:

• Hadley: 7
• Fen: 3

Hadley ducks low and stabs forwards with his blade towards Fen’s gut. His foot slips in a smear of blood, the stroke misses and for a moment he is vulnerable. In the split second before the club hits him he curses himself - overconfidence gets you hurt every time. He manages to twist with the blow but the club still crashes painfully into his shoulder. Fen laughs and Hadley can hear Ketter cheering the big man on.

Round 6

Initiative:

• Hadley - 6
• Fen - 2

Attacks:

• Hadley - Attack - 17+1 / hit - 3+1 damage

Hit points:

• Hadley: 7
• Fen: -1

His shoulder throbs as they circle each other. He lets his arm dangle, making it look almost useless, wincing as he moves. Ketter and the others are roaring appreciation, urging Fen on with colourful descriptions of Hadley’s brains splashing onto the surrounding stonework. The big man grins and steps forwards his club lifting up to finish his opponent. Hadley steps inside his guard and drives one dagger into the big man’s shoulder and the other into his belly. With cold efficiency he twists them once, twice and pulls them free, stepping back and away from his opponent. He turns his back and walks over to Tasha, breathing hard.

Behind him Fen makes a wheezing groan and the club slips from his hands. He collapses to his knees, swaying slightly. Ketter and the others are silent, stunned. Hadley doesn’t look round at the sound of Fen toppling forward and crashing face first onto the stone of the street. But he winces slightly.

That didn’t need to happen you big lummox. Now you’re dead and I still need to piss. That didn’t need to happen.

He turns to Ketter, his voice low and a little raw from hard breathing - “Looks like no apology necessary then. We’ll be on our way.”

Questions

Do the others attack? Unlikely - 81

No - I think Ketter and the others are temporarily shocked at the speed with which Hadley dealt with Fen.

Ketter’s face contorts in a feral grimace of hatred. “I’ll remember you, you bastard. Your face is in my head now. You’re a dead man.” His lips flick spittle as he speaks.

Hadley straps on his sword, shoulders his pack and bow. He nods to Ketter - “Fair enough I suppose.”

He murmurs to Tasha and Elena - “Let’s go, now, before they decide to do something stupid.”

They walk quickly up the street and away into the crowds.

End Scene

Well! That was brutal and probably more of an Interrupt Scene rather than an Altered one but never mind. Hadley made short work of Fen in the end. A bit nerve wracking because it could have gone either way but it seems the dice gods were on Hadley’s side today! He’s made a serious enemy though - how will that play out I wonder?