Dark Sun Marauders - Episode 1

We began this 4th edition D&D campaign back in August 2010 and so you can all enjoy the detail of the adventures to date, I will be posting recaps from our adventure sessions. We meet once a month and I have taken over DMing the group since May 2011 and its my first long term stint at DMing.

If anyone feels like leaving comments about the campaign, please do :)

In the early episodes, I played Tak-tha, the Thri-Kreen monk. So on with episode 1 of the campaign...

Episode 1

The trek from the turmoil of Tyr through to the relative peace of Altaruk was long and harrowing.  The Highsun heat, coupled with the intense cold of the night, wore out more than a few of the caravan guards.  When the raiders attacked the caravan, the guards were almost overwhelmed - and indeed, Gretchan fell, much to her disappointment.

It was most likely this tired and exhausted state that convinced the elves to try their ploy - and allowed it to go mostly unnoticed.  Still, the elves did not prove to be as sturdy as the guards they had hired - which would explain why they were hired in the first place!  If it were not for the prompt response of Tellemon and his guards, Kaldras may well be dead, and the party free to continue their lives as wanted criminals...

Instead, they were challenged to a game in the arena, largely to allow Tellemon, and Governor Arisphistaneles through him, to profit off the disturbance.  The half-minute race around the thorny briars was intense, and went into overtime; but even with Gretchan being disqualified and Zadusic fainting from overwhelming pain (as the trapjaw munched on his leg), Kuoroar!, Magnus, Tak-tha and Beren were able to catch Kakdras and steal the final coin away from him, for a final result of 4-3.  They had their moment of glory, reclaimed the item he had gifted and retaken, and were eventually paid for their earlier work.

Tellemon even promised them a share of the earnings, whenever they wanted to call on him.

As the weeks wear onwards, a number of jobs come up which could prove to be interesting:

• After a few days in Altaruk, a fierce sandstorm blows over the town.  Later that week, a ragged caravan crawls through the town gates, reporting that one of its wagons has gone missing with valuable cargo aboard. Once the storm has passed, Rhotan Vor (a Balican dwarf affiliated with the caravan) offers a reward of 100 gp to the group that finds the lost wagon and retrieves its cargo of grain, wine, and wood.
• A dwarf messenger is wandering Altaruk, seeking someone to help repel desert raiders who continue to harass and disrupt their caravans.
• The arena, after the excitement of the game last time, continues to call to you.  There is always a prize to be won, or fame to be found in the games.  
• Karlen (a half-giant shop owner) is looking for someone who could seek out a ruin, and possibly collect some interesting items for his shop.
• There are rumours of the Veiled Alliance, a secret order of preservers and opponents of the sorcerer-kings.  If the stories are true, Altaruk, with it's reasonable laws and lack of oppression, would seem to be a likely place for them to have some measure of power.  They would no doubt be able to help supply food to "refugees", or track down certain missing persons.  Finding them could be of good value.