Play Report Feb 16-23 2026 - Crow's Keep #26-27
Introduction
Half a year of Crowโs Keep! Iโm thrilled at how long itโs run and how well itโs been received. We even had a new player this session.
Befitting this milestone, the band returned to the Caves of Chaos for the first time since session 1. A player commented on the campaignโs Ship of Theseus nature; none of the original players from this session were in attendance, but the legacy of the ass-kicking administered by the kobolds lives on. It was at this session the kobolds were finally destroyed as a faction as well.
This was the most complex operation to date! We had a ton of moving parts: faction relationships with the Woodfolk and the Spider-Witch; a longtime NPC revealed as a traitor; an offscreen mass combat; and of course, a good old fashioned dungeon crawl.
For the tunnel to Quasqueton, I pulled it more or less wholesale from Original Adventures Reincarnated #1, which explicitly links Quasqueton to the Caves by such a tunnel. I made a few substitutions, such as replacing the hook horror with an 8HD murderbug of my own devising. I also added the basilisks.
To resolve the battle, I broke it up into an 8-hour โfighting day,โ reasoning that this would be ample time to resolve all skirmishes, movement, and the meat of combat. From there, I did 2d6 contested rolls between each side, modified by +/-1 for certain factors like positioning, Father Armand acting as a mole, etc. 2 was a fumble and 12 was a critical success. Might blog about this at some point.
Naturally, the forces from the Keep rolled three fumbles in a row toward the end of the battle, leading to grave consequences. A beloved NPC ally and faction leader was killed, and the battle ultimately resulted in a bloody stalemate. The gnolls are still a coherent faction, but have taken enough casualties to withdraw and regroup.
Richter was also a highlight. Starting at day 100, I rolled a d100 weekly with a cumulative 1% for the Caves of Chaos to locate his head. A few weeks ago, I rolled under. I had initially expected Richter to come up late game, but with shit hitting the fan I was pleased to trot him out. He did not disappoint; several characters maimed and cursed is a good showing in my book!
They did deal with him quite early though, but I canโt be upsetโI was chuffed that the new player was able to get into the mix so decisively so early in their career. As the fantasy Terminator advanced he asked โdoes his head look like itโs really on there?โ and I couldnโt suppress my delight. Glad to have given him that first game.
From here, the band is focusing on licking their wounds. This has been a pretty major shake-up session, so Iโm eager to see what gets upended. Current plan is to continue keying the map; I have a few things to plug in while they look for a way to lift the curses upon themselves. Using ol d4caltropsโs red herring list, of course...
Report
Those keeping on the Borderlands:
- Aislinn, level 1 thief
- Sir Carrick, level 3 warrior
- Winifred, level 2 thief
- HBGB, level 2 halfling, and his retainer Ingham the cleric
- Tan Gnollbane, level 1 elf
And introducing Boris, level 1 dwarf and chestmaker in a previous life.
With Hommlet narrowly avoiding destruction at the hands of orcs and goblins, the Ogre-whelming Force prepared to strike back! With friends, allies, and mercenaries gathering, the band set about drafting a strategy.
The plan was twofold:
Troops dispatched from the Keep and the Woodfolk would enter the box canyon above ground and attack the gnolls in hopes of preventing them from invoking their foul wind magic. A rear guard of sappers and archers would dig trenches and pavises to repel any rear attacks.
The Ogre-whelming Force would travel through the tunnels under Quasqueton to the Caves of Chaos and sow destruction! They would be accompanied by Father Armand and six of Mallory Weaverโs spiders, though the Spider-witch was displeased by the Force roping her into such a conflict.
Before they departed that morning, the Curate of the Keep warned the band about Father Armand. Though the high priestโs reputation as a crusader in his youth was undeniable, there were rumors that all his most esteemed exploits led to the deaths of his allies and underlings.
From the great cavern filled with bats, the band traveled through darkened tunnels honeycombing the rocky hills of the region. The floor was thick with traps, which Aislinn and Winifred cleared systematically. Both thieves kept some beartraps for themselves. Early on, they encountered a nameless insect of immense size, feasting on a dead basilisk. In HBGB and Borisโs infravision, they noted that parts of the insect were much colder. Reluctant to leave such a monstrosity behind, they blinded it with torches and pressed it with spears. HBGB dealt the final blow, plunging two knives into its abdomen. Examining the corpse revealed parts of it had been petrified.
Later, the band reversed course and took a new route after locating the lair of another basilisk aheadโstone statues of Chaos warriors lined the tunnel, and traps here were thick. An alternate tunnel led them to a gallery of rock formations and an audience of glittering eyes. Father Armand seemed eager for violence, but the band only repelled the attacks of the strange cave-dwellers and advanced past their den. Carrick recognized them as being the figures they had met in Quasqueton some time ago.
After several hours, the Ogre-whelming Force came upon upward slopes and running water, and a thick cavern of mushrooms. Winifred became intoxicated by their spores and communicated with the fungi. When the fungi realized the nameless insect had been slain, they rewarded the Force with magic nectars.
Meanwhile, HBGB and Boris ventured down a side cavern looking for an exit. Instead, they found an elf slumbering in a coffin of crystal, with a ring around her finger. They attempted to remove the lid to the crystal coffin, but the elf crumbled to dust and the a curse fell upon the pair. They took the ring and some shards of coffin.
At last, light could be seen ahead. A line of kobolds where silhouetted against the dayline, and yapping threats echoed throughout the cavern. Eager to silence them, Tan shot one with his bow, but they were but scarecrows! The real kobolds announced their presence with a hail of darts and an eerie lantern that turned the bandโs armor to paper.
As the band readied to fight, Father Armand betrayed them, leaving them to the kobolds! The high priest taunted them, revealing that he had been passing information to the Caves of Chaos for months, and that their allies would surely die.
Though the last kobolds were a cunning and deadly adversary, the band prevailed, slaying the leader Belly and claiming his magic lantern. A few kobolds fled back into the Caves. Pressing on, they found the tunnel from Quasqueton opened up in the courtyard of the shrine that commands the Caves of Chaos. Drystone walls and bronze doors covered with the images of monsters and fiends adorned the structure. The band foiled an ambush by Father Armand and his acolytes, priests with a four-pupiled eye on their habits. After Armand fell, the voice of an old woman filled the shrine, summoning General Richter from his slumber.
General Richter, a revenant clad in gleaming black armor, advanced upon the Force despite their numbers. Reunited with his severed head, Richter was now protected from most mortal blows through some unknown charm. Carrick bravely stood his ground against Richter, but the champion of Chaos deftly severed Carrickโs hand with a flick of the spear. Inghamโs right eye was next, plucked from its socket by the weapon.
Thinking quickly, Boris bravely ran up to the monstrous knight and knocked his head clean off once more. This disrupted whatever dark charm protected Richter. Aislinn grabbed the head and ran, setting a fire with her last remaining oil. Richterโs head laid a curse of trembling hands upon her, a dire fate for a thief and archer.
With his head destroyed, his doddering body crumpled under the pressure of the attack. With the legions of Chaos amassing within and without the Shrine, the Ogre-whelming Force grabbed proof of their victory and retreated through the tunes to Quasqueton!
Returning to Quasqueton, the band was met with a grim sight: the Queen of the Woodfolk lying in state in the throne room. Although the plan had gone well initially, with the rearguard stymieing an attack by goblin wolfriders, the frontline failed to make effective inroads into the gnollsโ lair. Many gnolls were slain, but the advance turned into a slog. During that time, an unexpectedly large number of orcs moved into position. Sensing that a retreat would soon be impossible, Roisin Haregetter led the surviving cavalry and punched through the orcish lines. Most present agreed that many more would have died if not for her. It was said that she led the retreat safely back to Quasqueton before falling from her horseโrevealing that she had been pierced by an orcish quarrel.
With the Queen of the Woodfolk dead, the future of the faction was uncertain. The band paid their respects and wondered how they would lift the curses hanging heavy on their shouldersโฆ