Players in Attendance - Jason Jurisch (Froimos), Jason Alway (Kurok Stonehammer), Greg Sallee (Davros), Chris Rocco (Pendrynn Hamut)

Date: Daybreak, Morsday, the 1st of Rouenne, 617 S.R.

Every day in Blackfield seems to begin the same way. The sun begins to peek over the horizon, diminishing the light from whichever of the three moons deigned to grace the night sky. The Horn of the Watch slices through the crisp morning air from the tower crowning Town Hall, immediately followed by the squeaking sound of the grease smeared pulleys and grunting livestock as the elevators bring another crew of soot covered and squinting workers out of The Dig and into the light of day. The competing smells of fresh bread, sheep manure and distilling whiskey assail the senses based on the current wind direction. Unfortunately, today the smells from the stables and the creosote fires have melded together into an unfortunate combination of sheepshit stew. An oddly symbolic beginning to this special day, after all, it’s the day that everything changes for you; You turned seventeen years of age this year and it’s induction day, which means it’s going to be a very, very long day.

As you and your friends nervously gather at the entrance to the training fields, a gravelly shout pierces the crisp morning air. “Attention! Shut the hell up and stand at attention!” Hastily, your motley group arranges itself into something resembling a straight line and you fling your shoulders back in an attempt to replicate the stance you’ve seen the militia adopt at Blackfield’s front gate. “You! What’s your name, recruit?” A scar covered and grizzled dwarf asks stabbing his stubby finger into your gut, sizing you up with an obvious look of contempt.

DM note: Character Creation Step – Players choose their character’s name, and race.(Not Allowed: Eldarin, Tiefling, Dragonborn)

Sergeant Gim addresses the mass of inductees. “As you weak kneed, pointy eared pansies, short bearded bastards should know, every able bodied citizen of Blackfield is required to serve 2 years in the militia once they reach the ripe old age of seventeen. You lucky bastards will be grouped into cohorts and tasked with the protection of the Citizens of Blackfield, caravans, mines and surrounding countryside. All training of Blackfield’s militia is handled by me, Sergeant at Arms Gim, son of Nim, Cinderhearth, but you panty-waisted recruits will only call me Sergeant at Arms, if you’d like to keep yer tongue in yer head. I’m going to do my best to take you worthless pieces of goblin crap and make you into something resembling a fit fighting force (Pelor willing!). And if you do well, you might just survive your 2 year contract.”

DM Note: Character Creation Step – Generate Attributes with 4d6 (drop the lowest die, no re-rolls). Assign to stats after generating all six numbers.

The Obstacle Course

“Welcome to the thresher, where we separate the wheat from the chaff. It’s a devious obstacle course that will test of your will and your teamwork, it’ll let me know what I can expect from you in the coming years. Or more likely, what not to expect.”

Gin sweeps his arm across the training field littered with a variety of terrain and challenges. “First you’ll climb the wall, then pass the portcullis, jump the pit, swing across the next pit, Swim the pool, sneak across the mud, and cross the finish line. You’re not allowed to leave the track but you are allowed to help one another if you desire”. With that, Gim lines you up at the starting line, points you in the right direction, and pulls out a whip.. “Although you will be judged individually on how fast you complete the course, if any member of your cohort fails to cross the finish line in 4 minutes, you’ll all be be punished. We don’t let our cohort fail. One last thing, the course record is 2 minutes, if yeh can beat that, there might be hope for you yet, if not.. well, I’d be very worried.. Now GIT READY! LINE UP annnnnd…*CRACK!*”

DM Note: (EFFECT:

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, running music) PC’s roll for initiative.

Rules Tips: PC’s can’t move diagonally across an obstructed corner, can move through an ally’s square but can’t end there, run as a move action adding +2 squares to movement.

1. Run across a series of berms. Difficult terrain, costs 2 squares of movement, if you don’t have enough movement remaining to enter a square, you can’t enter it.
2. Climb a 10 ft high wall. Athletics Climb Check-DC10 p.182-PHB
3. Lift a portcullis (Approx 700 lbs). Strength Check-DC15 “Aid” adds +2 bonus for each helper
4. Once the PC’s pass this point, they must check to see if they’re getting tired. Endurance Check-DC8, If failed, reduce move speed by 1 square.
5. Swing Across a pit. Acrobatics Check-DC10, If they fail, they lose the remainder of their move and have to get out of the pit on their next turn.
6. Swim across a pool (10 sq long). Athletics Checks-DC10 p.183-PHB
7. Once the PC’s pass this point, they must check to see if they’re getting tired. Endurance Check-DC10, If failed, reduce move speed by 1 square.
8. Challenge – Dodge a series of 2 medicine ball attacks. Attack+4 vs. REF, Hit = knocked prone
9. Continue across a series of berms.
10. Sneaky low crawl through mud (6 squares of difficult terrain),  each PC does a Stealth Check vs. DC 10 (Observer) each round, If spotted by the millitia watchman, the PC must start over, however they get to add a +1 to their next Stealth check due to the clinging mud.
11. Once the PC’s pass this point, they must check to see if they’re getting tired. Endurance Check-DC14, If failed, reduce move speed by 1 square.
12. Finish line!

Reward - For crossing the finish line, the following experience was awarded.

• Froimos came in 1st Place - 100XP
• Davros came in 2nd place – 75XP
• Penndrynn came in 3rd place – 50XP
• Kurok came in last place - 25xp
• Because the  cohort set a new course record of 1 minute, 25 seconds (15 rounds) they each get a bonus of 50XP.

Gim “By the gods you worthless pieces of slurry set a new record! Well done! Now that we have better idea of how you handle yourselves, it’s time to get you assigned a specialty. Where will you belong in our organization? We’re gonna go talk to quartermaster Tunhill about what you think you can handle for a job, keeping in mind, if you choose something not suited to ya, it’ll probably mean yer death and that of your cohort on some battlefield or other.” Now go!

Outfitting

Quartermaster Turley Tunhill (Halfling – Slightly Irish, higher pitch voice) – Works with the PC’s to figure out where they will fit best in the cohort and get them equipped with a standard kit for all inductees including a backpack, bedroll, soldiers uniform, waterskin, whetstone, torches and tinderbox, as well as a set of basic weapons and armor, issues from the militia armory.

DM Note: The players now choose their Class, Powers, Skills, Feats, AC, HP, Healing Surges.

Lizette Tunhill also makes an appearance here to woo her lifelong love Pendrynn. Unfortunately for Pendrynn, Lizette has garnered the nickname “Lizette TON-hill” for her larger than normal frame. She’s not considered to be terribly attractive, understandable because of the inclusion of what looks to be a few days bear growth and an inexplicable smell about her. Rumors are that Turley was taken advantage of by a drunken dwarven shieldmaiden (who must have had a bit of Orc blood in her) and Lizette was the result. Mostly, people don’t want to know. Lizette has harbored a lifelong crush on Pendrynn, insisting that he be her “Knight in Shining Armor”, and due to his recent decision to become a Paladin of the Faith, she seems to think he’s well on the path.

Pugil Pit

Sergeant Gim “It’s time to see how well ye handle ‘yerselves. Since the village elders won’t let me throw you in the pit with an orc or two, we’ll have to pit you against one another to see how you can handle yer pitiful selves in a fight. Here’s how it’s gonna werk. We’re gonna do a little tourney here, single elimination. You lose if you’re knocked out, or pushed out of the ring. Here’s a little motivation, fer ye, if you need that kinda thing. Winner will get first pick of some extra goodies that Tunhill happened to scrape up for this cohort. Now, do me proud, if you’ve got some questions.. well, you shoulda been listenin! Go!”

DM Note: Used to teach players the basics of Grappling, Unarmed Combat and Melee Combat with wooden weapons and basic tactics. All damage dealt during training will be subdual damage. Everyone squares off with against another PC. Win by knocking the opponent out or pushing them out of the ring.

Rules notes: Tips – Actions the PC’s should learn: Initiative, attacking, grab, Second Wind, Total Defense, Charge, Flanking, Combat Advantage, Bull Rush, Shifting, Attacks of Opportunity.

Davros was pitted against Froimos, as Kurok and Pendrynn squared off in an adjacent pit. It looked bad for the warlock Davros, as he was facing down the well muscled and martially oriented Froimos, who was able to sieze the initiative and closed the 30 foot gap between them in mere seconds. A flurry of blows were exchanged leaving both combatants bruised and nervous. As Davros struggled for position, Froimos maneuvered to keep him boxed in and near the ring’s edge. The warlord in training leapt forward to land a powerful final blow when sizzling flames suddenly surrounded the desperate Warlock, lashing out at Froimos with crackling tendrils. In desperation, he attacked again, receiving grievous burns as a result. The fey pact began to awaken within Davros the power surging through him materialized in darts of arcane energy which danced off his fingertips, blasting Froimos’ already charred body.  The pain was too much for the warlord’s body to handle and he collapsed into a heap. Sergeant at arms Gim called the battle for Davros as he waved the white robed form of Brother Maynard onto the ring to deal with Froimos’ wounds.

Meanwhile, Kurok faced off against the lanky paladin in an adjacent pit. These combatants seemed to be more evenly matched, as they stood toe to toe smashing their wooden swords against their opponents armor in a fusillade of furious blows. The meaty thunks and hollow wooden cracks echoed across the exercise yard as the young dwarf proceeded to slam his shield into Pendrynn, forcing him closer to the short wooden ridge surrounding the arena. Sensing his impending ring-out, Pendrynn redoubled his efforts, dug in his heels and launched himself at the fighter. Kurok didn’t spot the wooden sword arcing towards his left temple until it was too late. *CRACK!* Then again, thought the short bearded dwarf, it might be nice to take a little nap…

Reward – XP awarded for all participants in the Pugil Pit Battle

• Davros won his battle - 100XP
• Pendrynn won his battle - 100XP
• Froimos lost his battle - 50XP
• Kurok lost his battle - 50XP

Tags: Induction Day, Obstacle Course, Pugil Pit