The Merry Days of Dolmenwood

  After the violent death of Gramorr, the party retreated back into the ruined chapel to reassess their options. This was when they met a newcomer---a strapping, but somewhat dull-witted fighter, named Couscous. Couscous wore platemail, and carried a dazzling sword, which we learned came from fairy. (It was a random trinket rolled in character generation.) Couscous apparently found the barrow, and crawled in through the wormtongue's burrow entrance, and, following the sounds of commotion found the party. They were, of course, happy to accept his participation. At this point, it was nearing 8:30 at night. They had been adventuring since early that morning, and exhaustion would set in soon if a good rest wasn't had. Before they turned in, however, they resolved to explore the final room, to the east, mirroring the chapel, that they hadn't yet entered. The room was a weapon repository. Seven tall footmen statues held weapons of fine design. A moldy mural covered one wall, feat...

  After D-Dane, Gramorr, Meowianne, and Perrin Ashbone closed the door to the northern chamber, they paused to re-evaluate their options. To the west was a circular chamber with a looming white figure. To the East was the quicksilver glint of a mirror. Deciding the mirror couldn't be that bad, they went that way... Two more paths opened from the eastern room, one running northwest, the other north. On one wall was a mirror, with an empty plinth before it. After a careful inspection of the other passages by Perrin, Meowianne and D-Dane went to investigate the plinth. The moment they crossed in front of the mirror (which both were careful not to look into), they froze, turning into frigid, petrified figures. Perrin and Gramorr were able to deduce the magic had struck from being in front of the mirror, not simply looking into it. Barring any other options, they dragged the two petrified bodies up into the open air. Meowianne happened to be placed in a patch of sunlight---and the magic...

  When we last left our four intrepid---and possibly experience-precocious---adventurers, they had spent a fitful night of haunted dreams at the Inn of the Tankards, a few miles north of High Hankle on the Tankards' Road. Colly, the 15th, of Lillipythe, broke clear and cool. At 5am, the sun was just breaking the eastern horizon, casting long shadows across the rolling countryside. Crump Tolmen, the four adventurers' new employer, rose with the sun, kicking Perrin, Gramorr, and D-Dane unceremoniously in the sides to wake them. It bears reminding that, up to now, Meowianne has remained entirely in her Chester form, spending the night curled up on Crump's ill-smelling feet, as a cat. As such, Crump seems unaware of her involvement with the party. In the courtyard of the Inn of the Tankards, Crump gave brief instructions. He checked his new retainers had rations and water. Upon finding that the thief, Gramorr, didn't have a waterskin, Crump irritably snuck back into the inn...

  "They say," said the wiry man in a gravelly voice, head drooping in his cups at The Chantry Inn, just outside the looming limestone walls of High-Hankle, "he fell in love... with a woman... a strange and beautiful woman... from the wood. And that was when it started to come undone for the great warrior, Sir Chyde. Now, mind you, this happened, oh, nigh nine hundred years ago, during the last wars of the Dukes of Brackenwold against those frosty elves of the Prince of Winter. And for nine hundred years, the tale has been told, and aye, me own dad told me, many a cold winter night, tall tales of Sir Chyde, riding his great hoary stallion into battle, cutting down elves like scythers in the harvest wheat. He told me how Sir Chyde was struck mortal in battle, and buried by the ring of stones he'd trysted at with the Woman of the Wood... But for all his love, she never visited his grave... For a hundred years, the place was consecrated as holy, as they were wont to do b...

  I know I said I wouldn't bog this blog down with rules and the nitty-gritty, but, before the party well and truly gets started, I want to give a brief explanation of what few house-rules we're using that may diverge from the basic Dolmenwood rules-as-written. Also, I'd like to give a very brief introduction to our players, and their initial characters. Highlighted Rules These were rules from the dolmenwood omnibus that I chose to especially highlight, to make the players aware of. Initiative and waiting (DPB 166) Missiles into Melee (DPB 168) Parrying (DPB 169) Retainers (DPB 134) Sages & Specialists (DPB 132) Ability Checks, Skill Checks, and Change Rolls (all very similar to other OSR systems, but slightly nuanced) Stealth (nuanced from other systems) Player mapping - Yes, we'll be using 100% oral-to-paper player mapping, the old school way... Downtime and Stabling - We will be adhering to the spell research and other downtime periods (i.e., weeks, months, etc.....

  The idea of this blog is simple, to be a rolling reference of my friends' adventures within the bounds of Dolmenwood, over an indeterminate amount of time. So, without further ado, let me introduce out players, and from whence they came. Perrin Ashbone is frail, nearly a cripple. Why he chose adventuring is anybody's guess (maybe to seek healing, from the miraculous shrines rumored to be lost within the darkened boughs of Dolmenwood's forests?), and how he'll get on seems undeniable and foregone. And yet, he traveled all the way from the Great Kingdom of Aerdy, across many a wild country and savage coast, to approach Dolmenwood in its pastoral seat between the southern arm of Keoland and the Yeomanry, where an off-branch of the Javan River redirects to run through the wood. Perrin, unusually for humans, is an Enchanter, having been fay-touched in the womb. Likewise from The Great Kingdom, a doughty thief named Greymorr has also made the journey, although whether they ...