Cyenannore: Interlude

(Read the previous chapter here.)

System: Bivius and Bivius Companion  
Tools: Timmy (My Cat) Fell In The Well A one-page dungeon by GM Lily; Orcish Dictionary

 

<Author’s Note:  I had always planned that around the halfway point of my Cyenannore campaign I would go back to Baybrook and look in on Tozhug and Kelseen for one chapter.  I wanted their story to be low-stakes, possibly lighthearted.  What better system to use for that than Bivius.  I knew the system would allow me to manage the danger.  The lightheartedness, however, was a different story.

For the adventure, I chose a prewritten, one-page dungeon as my framework, making adjustments as necessary to fit the story I wanted to tell.  I used my typical “Fog-O-War” method to keep as much of the adventure a surprise and while I still had a lot of control over the tone of the tale, there was at least one encounter in the original adventure that may end up having some heavy outcomes. We’ll see how it goes.>

[Scene 1]

The hulking urook, clad in black, plated armor, towered over the young seven-year-old boy.  The beast grunted his conquest as he reached out to grab his victim.  Suddenly, without warning, the youngster ran toward the hunter and ducked through his legs, avoiding even the slightest graze from the urook’s hands.  The determined captor reached between his legs, a maneuver that ended with the snarling creature rolling into a somersault and ending up laying on his back.

Laughter broke out from the group of nearly ten children watching the scene.  “Don’t you know you can’t catch me, Tozhug,” Norris, the young escapee, chimed. “You’re too slow.”

On a nearby stump, Kelseen watched amused as the urook Tozhug, her long time friend, played tag with the local children in a courtyard located among the many houses in northern residential district of Baybrook.  Now one would have suspected, but playing with the city’s children was a favorite pastime of the Tozhug’s. Despite the fact that he was large and intimidating, characteristics that caused most people, even the burliest men of the city, to give the urook a wide berth as they passed, Kelseen felt he understood the goddess Ilmis’ tenants of love and relationship better than that self-absorbed elf Sylralei.

“Come join us, Lady Kelseen,” urged Madelon, one of the little girls.

Kelseen had to laugh.  Lady?  She was no more a lady than Tozhug was a handsome prince.  “No, thanks,” she responded.  “I just like to watch.”

“Help!” 

Everyone stopped.  Running down the street was another young girl, Ranee, no older than six.

“Help!” she repeated.  “Timus fell down the well!”  Timus was Ranee’s older brother by a year or two.

“We were coming to play and passed the well.  Timus wanted to show off, I guess, so he jumped up on the rock wall and started walking around the edge. He kept yelling, ‘Look at me!  I’m an acrobat!’  You know, like the ones in that travelling fair that came through town several weeks ago.

“I told Timus to stop.  He was going to fall in.  But he didn’t come down.  I started to come here and tell on him, but I heard him scream and call my name.  I turned and . . .”  Tears began to roll down her cheeks. “And he wasn’t there!  I ran back to the well and looked in. I couldn’t see him.  I said ‘Timus’.  I didn’t hear anything.  He must be hurt . . . or dead!”

Ranee barely finished her story before giving in to deep convulsions of grief. 

“Stay here!” Kelseen hastily instructed the kids. “Toz!  Let’s go!”

[Scene 2]

Kelseen knew exactly which well little Ranee meant; there was only one between the sibling’s house and the courtyard.  It was your average town well, a circular stone wall protected by a small wooden roof. A pulley system wound with a coil of rope held a pail above the well’s opening.  It had been stood unused for several weeks, due to it being the dry season.  The rains had to come before the water rose enough to be easily reached by the bucket.  In the meantime, the residents of the quarter either had to rely on water stored in barrels and cisterns, or travel to the deeper wells located throughout Baybrook.

Woman warrior and urook leaned in tandem over the edge of the well and peered down.  Together, they called out the boy’s name, Kelseen sounding like schoolmistress calling her student and Tozhug a growling bear.  They called a second time when they got no response.

 

“You need to go down,” Kel said.

“Na?” Tozhug questioned in urook.

“Yes.  You.  We don’t have torches or a lantern, and you’re the only one of us that can see in the dark.”

<When I tried to look up information on urooks, I found almost nothing in any of the Tunnels & Trolls rules or guides I own.  In fact, the only mention I found of them being a kindred was in the “Darkshade Chronicles Quick Start Guide for Tunnels & Trolls Solo Adventures”, which I’m not sure can be found online legally anymore. Since urooks are basically T&T’s version of orcs, I decided to look to those creatures for insight and found out that they indeed have darksight.>

“Quezst dak na rekka shux?” Tozhug asked, obviously not thrilled at the idea of squeezing down the well.

“The rope,” Kel pointed out. “You can get down using that.”

Kelseen examined the braided fibers and found that the rope must have been replaced recently. It showed almost no wear.  The pulley, however, was less than pristine.  She quickly unwound the rope and tied one end to a nearby fence post.  The end with the bucket she tossed down the well.  Tozhug cast Kel one last uncertain look before throwing his legs over the well wall and beginning his descent.

<For an explanation of the mechanics of Bivius, you can read the first post of my Mr. Jingles adventure. Basically, every roll is based on one of two options:  Option A/Option B, Yes/No, High Threat/Low Threat.  Using a d6, even rolls indicate the first item in each pair (A, yes, High Threat) and odd rolls mean the second (B, No, Low Threat).  Before the game, I sorted all of Tozhug’s abilities into High Stats (above average), and Low stats (average or less).  Anything that I failed to list would be determined as needed, based on his character statistics.

To climb down the rope, I randomly determined the challenge to be a Low Threat (odd roll).  I interpreted this to mean that the rope was strong enough to hold Tozhug.  Climbing is a low level stat for Tozhug.  So a low stat (Even) facing with a low threat (odd) means that whichever option gets two successful rolls first wins the challenge.

First roll: Even. Tozhug.>

Tozhug dropped into the well, not sure what to expect, but the rope held his weight.

“See,” Kel said.  “You’re fine.”

Tozhug smiled back and began to climb down.

<Second roll: Odd. Threat.>

The urook traveled several more feet when suddenly, some of the stones under his foot crumble away.  Tozhug gasped as he began to slide down the rope.  He grabbed it tighter, stopping his downward motion but leaving him dangling in mid-air.

<Third roll: Even.  Toz is successful>

Once he is steady, Toz reached out his leg to find another foothold.  With his foot secure, he pressed his back against the opposite wall for additional leverage.  He continued down, carefully releasing and applying pressure between the walls of the well to keep from sliding down, should he have another incident.

<When using a published adventure, one of the options of Bivius is that when you enter a room or have an encounter, you can choose to roll.  Option A (Even) corresponds to the adventure as written.  Option B (Odd) is something different that you decide.  At this point, my adventure has an encounter.  I choose just to go with what’s written.  Later, I will let the die decide.>

A little further down and the urook heard a sound: faint squeaks intermingled with the flapping of many wings.  The flapping got louder and instantly he was surrounded by swarming bats. 

<How big a threat are the bats? (Even) High  Tozhug’s climbing is a Low level stat.  Since the threat and stat are at different levels, only one successful roll is needed for the high option to win, while the lower still needs two. Character is always A/Even.  Opponent B/Odd.

First roll: Odd, the bats succeed and win the challenge.>

The cloud startled Tozhug and, without thinking, he let go of the rope to swat at the winged rodents.  It only took him a moment to come to his senses and reach out for the rope.

<Tozhug has a DEX of 14, which is on the high side of average.  Additionally, his finesse is a Low Stat. I’ll rate his skill for this challenge at low.  Roll for the difficulty and get Odd, or Low threat.  Makes sense, this is a tight area and there are a lot of hand holds.

First Roll:  Odd, Toz keeps falling>
Not finding the rope, he reached out for the wall . . .
<Second roll: Odd>

. . . and found a handhold. Because of the momentum of the fall, however, and Tozug’s added weight, the brick gave way and the urook tumbled down, splashing in the water at the bottom of the well. 

“Tozhug!”  Kelseen called, having heard her friend’s cries, first of surprise by being surrounded by bats, then of alarm as he fell, and finally of the splashing of water.

Tozhug flailed about in the water until he felt the bottom. Due to the dry season, the water was only a few feet deep and the urook could stand with the brackish water only reaching his waist.  He called back up to Kel to let her know he was okay.

“Are you able to get back up?” Kelseen asked.

Even though the urook could see in the dim light coming from the top of the well, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust and focus.  He was in a small cavern at the bottom of the shaft.  Along the algee covered walls, Toz saw the uppermost portion of several holes or tunnel openings poking out above the water.  He assumed those must be connected to the underground water sources that, in the wet season, allowed water to flow into the well. In the ceiling above him was a circular hole, the bottom of the well shaft he just fell down.  The bottom of the rope, with its bucket still attached, dangled several feet up that shaft.  Even if Toz could just reach the bottom of the shaft <Can he reach the shaft? Even=Yes>, his arm was injured from the fall and he knew he wouldn’t be able to pull himself up. <A consequence of losing a challenge is that your stat drops a level. Since climbing was already low for Tozhug, losing the challenge means he can’t use it for a certain amount of time to simulate an injury.>

“Gor! Rekka praskad linam.”

Get more rope? Kelseen thought hard.  Garlan’s shop was too far to get there and back quickly, as were most of the other shops.  She didn’t want to start knocking on doors.  Was there anywhere else she could get rope? Then she remembered. The temple of Ilmis was only a few streets away and they were renovating the north wing.  She was well known there, and she would be sure to find some long rope or chain.  Telling Toz she’d be right back, Kel ran to the temple.

Back down in the well, Tozhug could do nothing but wait.  A quick scan of the cavern confirmed Timus wasn’t there.  Suddenly, a movement caught his eye, followed by a low mew.  Sitting on top of a rock that poked out of the water was a soaking wet grey cat.
“Chu dra omur?”

The cat may not have been able to tell Tozhug why they were in the well, but the urook was pretty sure it didn’t belong there. He decided he would carry it back to the surface with him. Slowly, Toz stepped toward the cat, speaking quietly in what he believes is a calm tone but sounds more like a wild animal’s snarl meant to scare away an intruder. Despite that, the cat didn’t move. Instead, it meowed once more and sat watching the hulk of a creature come closer. When Toz was a yard away, something burst out of the water next to the rock. A green, rough-hided alligator lunged for the cat.

<The original adventure included both the cat and the alligator.  I had a great idea about the cat might fit into the overall story, so I just kept it, as I did the alligator, to add conflict.  The first thing I needed to know was if Tozhug saw the gator.  His LCK is average, so I deemed it a Low Stat.  I rolled for the gator’s threat level: Odd=Low threat.

The first test was Odd, a win for the gator.  The actual roll was a “1”, my  fourth in a row at this point. Maybe I should get a new die.

Second test another “1” or odd.  Gator succeeds in sneaking up unseen.  I throw the die several times to test it’s “randomness”.  Don’t you know, every roll was something other than a “1”.>

Neither Tozhug nor the cat were fast enough to react.  The gator’s jaws clamped down on the feline and dragged it underwater.  Horrified, Tozhug reached for the attacker, but the alligator was much more agile in the water and slipped right through his fingers.  Tozhug tried to chase the reptile in the waist deep water, but was unable to reach it before it disappeared through one of the holes in the wall located around the chamber.  The urook balled his fists and growled into the darkness, anger mixed with anguish.

<Tozhug was obviously going to try to fight the gator.  Even though his fighting stat is High, I felt that because he was surprised by the gator, it would make sense to penalize him and drop the stat to Low.  The gator’s threat roll was Even (of course), making it High.

The first test was one by the Gator (rolled odd), meaning his high threat automatically wins against the Low stat.  Result.  Gator gets the cat and escapes.>

Tozhug had just lost the cat to a hunger gator.  It seemed he wasn’t going to find Timus. And on top of all that was stuck at the bottom of a well.  This was turning into a really dark day for the urook.  With nothing else to do but wait, he began to feel around under the water. He thought it might be possible he would find Timus’ body, however, the was one task he truly hoped would fail.

[Scene 3]

Ten minutes later, the end of rope splashed into the water.  As it did, Kelseen called down.

“Toz, I brought someone to help.  Tie this around your waist, and we can pull you up.”

<Does Kel bring back help? Even=Yes.  Did she find a (A) rope, or a (B) chain?  Even=rope. Because two people are pulling Tozhug up, I say they automatically succeed without any normal checks needed.>

Satisfied that there was nothing to find here, Toz tied the rope around his chest, under his shoulders, and tugged, the signal to be pulled up.  For several feet the urook relied on Kelseen and her helper to pull him up until he was in the shaft. Once there, he could help by climbing, now that his arm was rested.

The walls were a bit damp and mossy, but not as much as the chamber walls below.  The climb was easy, at least until Tozhug’s hand slipped off  a jutting rock that was covered in slime.  He was still being pulled up and did the best he could to help.  Though he never completely fell, his footing was unsure for the next ten feet of the climb and one hand or foot was always slipping.  Eventually, the slime dissipated and the walls resumed their damp, rocky texture.

<Option A: Adventure as published (slime monsters)  Option B: No monsters, but a lingering remnant.  Odd=Option B>

“Gadza!” Tozhug called out for Kel to stop pulling.  He just passed a large opening in the shaft wall he missed on the way down.  No surprise, and he was falling at the time.  The opening, as well at the tunnel beyond appeared to be cut out of the wall and not a natural formation.  Placing  a foot on the bottom ledge to steady himself, Toz peered in. 

<Can he see anything? Even=Yes  That means two things.  First, I can uncover more of the map to see what’s coming up. Second, if it is a monster or obvious obstacle, Toz will not be surprised.>

The tunnel appeared featureless except for the outline of a door set in the wall at the end of the tunnel.  Something Toz didn’t need darkvision for was the smell. A strong, overwhelming odor wafted from the tunnel..

“Timus?” He called. 

When he got no response, he climbed fully into the tunnel and headed for the door.  The tunnel floor felt slick.  Could it be more of the moss that covered the walls below?  Or perhaps the slime?  While Toz was trying to figure it out, a few smalls creatures flew out of the dark and brushed by him.  Bats!  This must be where they live and where they all came from during his descent.  These last few must have been stragglers who didn’t join the main cloud.  And that explain the slick floor.  Guano!

Tozhug reached the door only to find a secured padlock hanging on a hook, holding a bar in place that was attached to the wall. He grabbed the lock in his fist and pulled, but it held fast.

<High Strength Stat (A) vs. Low lock threat (B)  Test 1: Odd=Lock wins>

If you can’t pull it open, Tozhug thought, Bash it open. He lifted his mace and, with what room he had, swung it at the padlock.  The clash of metal on metal rang through the tunnel, causing one or two more straggling bats to fly out. The lock held.  He gave it a few more blows but did not succeed. <Test 2: Odd=Lock wins>

No problem, he thought.  He’d just break the entire door down.  However, upon further examination, he realized the door iron. Rusted, but still solid.  He made one last call for Timus though the door. Getting no response, the frustrated warrior turned back to continue his climb to the surface.  <Does the door look sturdy? Even=Yes>

[Scene 4]

The rest of the climb was uneventful.  With Tozhug safely out of the well, the temple worker returned to his duties and Kel and Toz returned to the courtyard where the children awaited word of their friend.  Along the way, Toz recounted the events in the well:  finding the cat, the unfortunate encounter with the alligator, the bat tunnel and the iron door. Kel made a mental note to tell Garlen about the mysterious door, for no other reason so than to make him aware of it in case it ever comes up in a future mission. Timus’ whereabouts, however, was still a mystery and Kelseen, who was typically fearless, dreading facing the children with this news.

As they approached the courtyard they saw all the children grouped together in a tight circle.  The ones closed to the center were crouching while the rest stood looking over their shoulders.  Occasionally they would hear a laugh or an “Awww!”

“What’s going on?” Kelseen asked.

A crouching boy turned to respond.  Kelseen immediately recognized Timus.  Tozhug grunted in surprise.

“Timus!” Kel exclaimed.  “What are you doing here?  We were looking for you down a well!”

Tozhug snarled.

“Okay,” she corrected.  “Toz was looking for you down a well.”

Timus gives the urook a questioning look.  “Why would you be doing that?”

“Someone told us you fell down it,” Kelseen explained while staring down Ranee.

The little girl’s face flushed red.  “I guess I was wrong?”

“I saw these two kittens playing in the bushes,” Timus explained, pointing to two grey kittens rolling about in the midst of the circle of children.  “I called Ranee and jumped off the well to catch them.”

“He must have been behind the well,” Ranee suggested.  “That’s why I didn’t see him.” 

“Yeah. The cats ran away, and I had to chase after them before Ranee got there.”

Timus turned back to the kittens as though there was nothing more to say.

“I wonder where their mom is?”  Frankie asked.

“Perhaps they live near the well?” Syed wondered.

“Ooh!.  We should go look for her and take them home.” Arne suggested.

Tozhug cast a questioning glance at Kelseen.  Kelseen was about to shake her head no and avoid the whole mess, but Tozhug gaze shifted to concern.  She sighed. In her heart, she knew what was needed to be done.  The kittens needed someone to take care of them.  The children needed to learn responsibility.

“C’mon,” she said to Tozhug.  “Kid’s, we have something we need to talk to you about.”

“Lady” and urook kneeled down among the children in the circle and began to explain to them the harsh realities of life.

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John 4:5-14
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Imagesource: Map (Timmy (My Cat) Fell In The Well);  Orc (SVG SILH)