1.1.0 Introduction Hammerfall Catacombs

The introduction into Act 1 has the PCs play through the attack and fall of Hammerfall culminating in the PCs having direct visibility of a few very important events to the story. This was run as as a death-light dungeon where if the characters died, they simply assumed the characters of the next battalion of the army send down the well. This allows the players to explore with impunity but their characters retaining only enough of the story to make sense.

Opening Monologue

A great host of boats which stretches as far as the eye can see surrounding the elven riverside fortress. A great barbarian alliance has been forged between the Northern [[Human]] Tribes known as the Norse tribes and an Orcish Horde from the South. Although these peoples agree on few things they are united in their hatred of the Elves. This [[Great Barbarian Army]] has been assembled to finally shatter the walls of this Elven Bastion and take their revenge on the prideful Elves. The closest boats surge forward with a echoing warcry. A few moments pass before any response is seen but when it comes, it is swift and terrible. An outermost tower suddenly bursts with elemental power, the sound of crackling energy can be heard and mere moments later they are follow by the screams of dying men, splintering oak wood and the snapping of bone and sinew. The whole front line of boats, begin to sink and silence permeates the Fleet. Oars stop rowing and hang suspended, aloft as the waves lap against the sides of the ships unaware of the violence mere meters from them. The commanders scream over the deafening silence, to proceed onwards, to continue the assault. Despite the wariness the next few boats surge forward and moments later meet the same fate. The loss of life is brutal and hopeless and soon not even the commanders have the strength to demand the boats forward. What hope is there, what chance against a weapon such as this? Time passes and new orders come down the line.

A littering of boats, both Norse and Orcish exit the fleet and are instructed to row hard against a tributary river a small way to the south of the blockade. At the head of the detachment you can see a lead vessel and on the stern, a few you do not recognise. They wear black robes which drape to within only a few inches of the hardwood upon which they stand. Their arms and legs are completely hidden beneath the loose robes. The man rowing next to you follows your eyes and says "Call emselves [[Chosen]], can't tell what they are neath those black clothes. Say they have another way in. Another path they reckon." The boats have to work hard against the tide of the river but they eventually reach a point where the river narrows. The army is instructed to carry their boats further still until finally these "Chosen" tell everyone to stop beside what seems to be a small opening amongst the rock. You cannot see into its depths which are black and wet with moisture and mildew.

The players then step up, briefly introduce their characters and explain how they enter the hole before them which I narrate.

Catacombs

1. Entrance, small lake Chosen stands over them and directs them further. Says unhelpful shit when asked.

2. Main passage, 3 columns three torches, torches are described as long thin pipes with an ignitable substance on the end. 2 torches lit and one unlit is a hint that the third torch is not a torch but a key. On closer inspection and good perception roll the third column has scratches around the base and middle and there seems to be holes drilled all the way through the column. 1 door to the northwest, 1 tunnel to the southwest, a mural carved into the stone to the northeast and the party enters from a tunnel to the southeast. Secret: When the third torch is fitted into the third column and rotated into position the tapestry opens and reveals a secret third passageway. Mural: Seems to be an old man with one eye (Odin, allfather) who is whitting a small form from the enormous trunk of an oak tree. This small form has curved and pointed ears and lithe almost sticklike body, you recognise it as perhaps a small elf or elf child. The old man looks down on the creature and is smiling in a fatherly kind of way.

3. SW-[[Kobold]] passage, [[Scree-Scree-Rah clan]]. They have blockaded the passage with rubbish and set noise traps to warn them of attacks by the [[Chosen]], come to sacrifice more of their members.

4. NW-Chosen Sacrificial chamber, two deformed Blood Elves lie in wait here and act as guards to the Chosen. They tear apart anyone who enters. This is a death room. Narrate as the chosen revealing its deformed limbs as the monsters step from the darkness and devour their party.

5. NE - Odin mural, opens to reveal secret passage to Elven burial room and entrance to Upper Hammerfall. This room contains a few Elves which are either workers or guards. The guards are relaxing as no enemies are expected and the workers are simply fulfilling their duties attending to and preparing the dead.

Notes on player actions: Only went into room 4, death room once and the whole time they knew they should probably not be going in there anyway. Revealed [[Chosen]] as being fucked up monsters, but those characters died there so it is still Player-only knowledge.

Group decided to attack the kobolds but only after social attempts failed. It was a long and tough fight (but no real stakes) and they managed to kill the king. I roleplayed that the kobolds then surrendered and they took a mage prisoner. Can't remember what I called him.... He was able to give clues about how they get to the Elves/Elven city, which the group were able to remember was their actual goal.

Puzzle had to be explained (by the captive kobold) since no-one really inspected the columns, they had a good look at the mural and tried some Zelda-schenanigains with the torches but then got tired of the puzzle and started exploring haha.

Group then went through the secret passage and stumbled upon the Elves. I went a bit easy by making all the elves have to go pick up weapons before they could fight considering the whole group was damaged and had no resources after the Kobolds fight. This made the 2 elven guards and 2 workers very difficult and people started dropping quickly. In a tense conclusion Hanzt was able to make a stand and take down the last guard, the workers immediately lost their bravery at seeing the guards slaughtered and surrendered.

Tone of the game was nice and dark though with comedic bits. Kinda-survival-horror though the group didn't really understand the mechanic of just being soldier in the horde and that their 'character sheets' just replaced the next group of soldiers down the hole.