Dark Sun: Escape into the Night!

Too Easy an Escape? 

Later that same night, Garthak came in to the barracks. "OK, boys. You get the fun job of getting rid of the dead tonight. Take the cart into the Ghost City and get these bodies to the city's crematorium. I'll send a couple of my guards with you so's you don't try no funny business." It was Zylyss, Sarunin Tay, Dar'ag Tan, Yvaak (played by Kyle), Fillin and Barlos who were in their bivouac at the moment and who were tasked with taking the corpses to be burned.

The cart creaked out on the road. It was a dark night. Four torches in sconces in the corner of the cart were the only light. The track back toward the city was deserted. As they wagon came to a bend, the group thought they heard some stones skittering down the hillside to their left. The slavers, one in front and one behind, grunted for them to slow. The wagon then stopped. The slaves looked around and Filling detected a grunt followed by a gurgle behind them. Zylyss hissed for the front guard to go see why his buddy was missing. But another grunt and gurgle and he saw the guard's shape drop to the ground. Suddenly above and below them on the hills, five raiders appeared, spiked spears slashing and dagger's dully illuminated in the torchlight. The slaves, having been armed for just such an eventuality, sprang into action.

Three were grabbed by the prickly spears of the raiders. Zylyss ducked away from the cart into the shadow as he flung rocks with his sling. Fillin, using his telekinetic power flung a torch from the wagon at the nearest raider but he dodged aside and the torch was snuffed out by its flight.

The raiders were quick and deadly with their daggers drawing lots of blood and bloodying some of the party. They shifted, trying to stay close to the wagon to keep in the light. Dar'ag Tan whirled on one of them and brought down his weapon with might, nearly killing the man outright. Sarunin Tay sent blasts of mental energy eliciting a scream from one as blood trickled from his ears. Barlos moved around the wagon, trying to take control of the encounter and support the others.

Dorvan, the man sent by Sarunin's father to find him, trembled in the meat wagon. The sour stench of urine was amplified in the stifling heat of the still night. Dorvan sat up, saw what was going on and fainted. Around the cart, Zylyss sent rocks hurtling out of the darkness. Fillin continued to scoot back, launching arrows at the raider who continued to advance on him.

After three raiders had been put down, the other two, bloodied, made their escape. They dashed up the hill into the darkness while the party stopped to catch their breath.


Now these slaves found themselves on the road to Raam, the lights of the city dim in the distance, and apparently free! They discussed their plans. If they left the wagon, it would be evident that they had escaped. They briefly discussed taking it on to the crematorium in the Ghost City. After a few moments, Dorvan spoke, having climbed out of the cart. The woman and man who had also still been alive, had likewise hopped out of the pile of the dead and run off into the darkness.

Dorvan spoke. "There is a rendezvous point in the city where Barlass and I are to meet. If we can get into the city, we can find him and get out." He looked around at the others. "You have aided my master's son, Sarunin Tay. Master Tay will reward you well if you accompany us back to the city of Tyr." The others agreed to go along for now.

Sarunin suggested they stage a complete attack scene. Using the remaining torches, they fired the wagon and shoved it down the hill. Hitting a rock, it overturned and landed as a pile of burning corpses and smashed wagon pieces. The party then turned toward Raam...

Game Notes

The kids had fun and the story moved forward. Baxter was excited to use his shadow hiding skills in the darkness during the fight. Kyle, new to the group, took Yvaak whom Nick was never able to play in this campaign. In retrospect, the encounter was on the easy side. (I don't suppose the same raiders who could be defeated by the players could so easily dispatch the slavers, but it was a sneak attack). The point was to move the story forward.

Most of the players had new sheets printed from Hero Lab. I find that we haven't played enough for their powers and abilities to be second nature to them. I think, also, that unless a person makes their own character, it's tough for them to assimilate their alter ego. The environment of the teen section of the library can also be a hindrance. But overall, they had fun and as Ben noted, one of their more successful encounters.

It bothers me that there is still no Dark Sun Creature Catalog information in the Compendium. The subscription service and its integration with Linux (via third party stuff) is still somewhat irritating. But we muddle along and have fun playing and that's what counts.

Searching for Sarunin Tay

The Executioners

The usual batch was off for the day. They sat in the hot, dry heat of the mess bivouac. The cook, a young kid who was new, was nervously trying to make conversation. "H-h-how did you guys get pulled in here?" he asked in a tremulous voice? Sarunin Tay, Dar'ag Tan, Vishrakth, Zylyss and Fillin listlessly ate their gruel, its putrid consistency revealing bits of some kind of meat and the occasional maggot. They briefly shared the circumstances which had brought them to the brutal servitude of Raam's arena. The heat was oppressive even as the day was winding down yet the roars of the crowd and the clash of arms in the arena were still going on. 

As darkness came to Athas, Garthak marched into the slaves' area. "OK, boys! Time to do yer civic duty! Execution detail tonight! Gotta remind the loyal subjects of her majesty what happens to criminals and traitors and spies. So get yer weapons and head out. You'll be killing criminals by firelight! And you'll be on cleanup duty too, to bring them to the crematory cart, eh?"

They were all quick to comply, though a worried look appeard on Fillin's face. He was a preserver of life. He didn't see how he could take it uselessly, certainly not for anything other than survival. But there was the rub. It was, as always, kill or be killed in Raam's vicious showplace. 

They wandered into the arena, lit by huge bonfires scattered throughout the fighting floor. The drums stopped and then began again, as some slavers brought out a line of malcontents and miscreants as well as a handful of plainclothes individuals who looked troubled. A couple of ruffians and obvious bandits flashed their daggers and waved large bone-clubs menacingly, hatred showing upon their faces. The others were a woman dressed in skins, a fierce look on her face, a couple of younger men in decent clothes and a heavy-set man in merchant type garb who was shuffling and wheezing and blubbering at his fate. 

"Citizens of Raam," boomed Abalach-Re's voice. "Here again we show the fate of those who would commit crimes, become traitors and work as spies! These criminals have been condemned to die in this arena! Our gladiators will be the agents of their punishment! However, we are not above mercy. If one of these can survive the weapons of our fighters, their lives may be spared so that they too may find a place among Raam's arena entertainers. Now, fighters, do your duty!" A huge gong sounded and the slaves made ready to take on the criminals and put them to death. 

A Message from Home

The two bandits jumped back and dashed away, seeking cover near one of the flaming piles of wood. Vishrakth charged the woman only to swing and miss her. The ruffians charged forward and tried to engage Vishrakth. Dar'ag Tan trundled over to deal a thundering blow that drew blood. Sarunin Tay came up and landed a powerful force punch which sent the scowling man backwards into the fire. He flailed and shrieked, and fell back out, a burning corpse. 

The others had scattered. The bandits made their way closer. In the shadow of the northern hill, Zylyss crouched, his sling at the ready. The group had decided that they probably ought to spare the plain-clothes people since it seemed obvious they hadn't committed any crime worthy of death. Or so they thought. In any case, Vishrakth took his swipes at the wild woman to show her who was boss. 

The two bandits had returned to the center of the action. Dar'ag Tan turned just in time to see two glinting flashes in the firelight before a couple of daggers sliced past him. Fillin launched his chatkcha and it swung wide, missing the bandit. One of the criminals was running back and forth along the edge of the chasm. The fat man knelt by the fire, sobbing and imploring the fighters to have mercy on him. Sarunin Tay and then Dar'ag Tan engaged the other ruffian nearby. Zylyss launched a shot from the shadows which sorely wounded the one bandit. They now stood back to back to take on any challenges, a feral, desperate look in their eyes. 

Another force punch from Sarunin Tay tossed the ruffian into the bonfire which immediately became his bier. Sarunin Tay then moved up to kill the next target, the blubbering merchantman. "Wait, wait! I didn't DO anything," he sobbed. "I was sent to find someone, that's all! They took me!" He looked up through his tears into Sarunin Tay's face. "Sarunin Tay!" he exclaimed. "I'm Dorvan! I was sent by your father to find you!" With that, exhaustion and fear overcame him and he passed out. 

Sarunin Tay quickly decided they must keep the rest of the criminals from being killed. Fillin let fly with his chatkcha again; it sailed over the head of the one bandit but on its return flight took the head off the other. The headless corpse dropped and blood pooled in the sand. The crowd, stirred up into a frenzy at the brutal punishment being meted out, was on its feet, "Kill! Kill! Kill the criminals!"

Garthak, observing the slightest hesitation on the part of the fighters toward the condemned men and woman, roared out, "Kill 'em all, boys! Do yer duty! Show the citizens what happens to those who cross her majesty! And remember, you don't come out alive if they live! Hahaha!" 

"I'll check 'em, boys," Garthak laughed as he readied his spear. They dragged the last four bodies of the unconcious prisoners toward Garthak. How would they get them past the ogre? Sarunin Tay looked into the stands and say one of the she-orgres he knew Garthak had his eye on. He mentioned it to him and the big oaf looked over, stealing a smile and wave. But he quickly turned back. Focusing his mind, Sarunin Tay let loose a flash of psionic power. Suddenly, a blank stare appeared on Garthak's face. he looked about oddly for a moment while the crew dragged the bodies out and threw them on top of the cart. Coming to his sense, Garthak looked over and saw the bodies on the cart. "That's right, boys, get 'em ready for taking to the crematorium in the morning."

The slaves dragged the cart out of range of Garthak's hearing. Zylyss slapped the face of the fat man to bring him round. Sarunin Tay questioned him. He was Dorvan, a servant of house Tay who had been sent along with another servant named Barlass to Raam. Sarunin Tay's father has sent several pairs of servants in search of his son to some of the cities nearer to Tyr. They had no idea he was in Raam. "But," he said," perhaps we can get you out since Barlass is still on the outside. If we could just contact him..."

The group decided they might try to take them out in the morning. It would mean a night of suffering for the criminals they spared as they lay in a heap of the dead but what else could they do? Whispering for Dorvan to keep quiet and wait until morning, the slaves slipped back to their barracks to form a plan...

Game Notes

I've been thinking of a way to introduce the first seeds of a possible escape for the party. I wanted to use a skill challenge and decided that the best way would be to have Dorvan appear and mention Sarunin Tay's father. It seemed to work out best to start the encounter like every other, as a fight in the arena and then to morph it into a skill challenge in which they had to decide which prisoners to spare, how to spare them while making it look like they were actually killing them, and getting them past Garthak without him noticing. I gave the barest suggestion that "not everything in D&D is fighting; you can use your skills, too. The players ran with it and did what I  thought was a fairly decent job of giving it a go with their skills. 

Some of the skills used included Intimidate, to get the prisoners to "play dead" when the slaves faked actually killing them. Vishrakth did that. Sarunin Tay tried Insight which he critted, thus spawning my suggestion that Garthak's girlfriend was nearby. Zylyss then tried to bluff him into paying attention to her. The check failed and so he wasn't distracted long. Sarunin Tay then did a Memory Hole which is a combat power but I thought was put to good use to make Garthak forget about them for a moment while they got the bodies past him.

I've been reading up on Skill Challenges and this is really the first I've tried to run. I'd say it was a success. I left it open-ended and let the players help me come up with what skills they want to use. I didn't really record successes and failures but it worked out to something like 4 successes and one failure. In any case, I think they realized how they might try their skills, though they're still in the stage of "I use Intimidate" or "Does Diplomacy do anything?" They'll get it as they learn and get comfortable with their characters. I was also impressed with Jacob's role playing in being uncomfortable in the role of executioner when his character has some Good in him. He did a good job of bringing that out. 

This was another very fun session and some even commented the best yet. The combination of fighting, some skill challenge, and a moving forward of their plot made for a good mix and a lot of fun today. 

Dark Sun: The Lady or the Tiger?

Or Both...

"No! Let me go!" The shrieking sobs of a woman being dragged past the barracks had the slaves on edge. Garthak trundled in. "So, worms, how many of you ever heard the story of the Lady or the Tiger? Well today you don't have to choose! You get both! The crowds like heroes so that's what you are today. Just save the lady and the crowds will love ya!" Today's lineup included Sarunin Tay, Dar'ag Tan, Zylyss, Fillin, and Vishrakth.

After the heroes had been equipped  with short swords, bows and arrows, they were led into the arena. Up against the chasm was a large cage inside of which was a smaller cage, tightly woven bones of some sort. In the small cage was the sobbing common woman who had been nabbed by slavers in the city. In the larger cage, terrifying her, was a large tiger, prowling and growling and rattling the bars which were secured with a sliding door and large lock. Toward the other end of the area were two large cages, each holding a tiger. A couple of slavers manned the latches, ready to set them free. "No fair attacking the tigers til they come out to play, boys!" they taunted the slaves.

The cages were opened and the tigers dashed out, half-starved and ravenous they dashed straight for the heroes and struck with vicious bites, their brutal teeth quickly drawing blood. Fillin was bloodied instantly and began shifting to get some distance and begin bringing his wild spirit powers to bear with a volley of arrows. Visrakth traded blows and immediately went into his macetail's rage with a howl. The crowd roared with delight as the big beasts hit the slaves hard.


It was clear this was going to be a tough fight. Zylyss, Dar'ag Tan and Sarunin Tay sent blows at the beasts, doing a little bit of damage here and there. After a bit, one of the tigers was bloodied. Sniffing the blood, the other loose tiger launched itself at it and began trying to finish it off. As the fighters got close, that tiger also snapped his jaws at them, drawing more blood. The heaving chests of the slaves fought to draw in air as they took their second winds.

Dar'ag Tan took a swing at the lock on the cage but to no avail. Zylyss appeard and began picking the lock with a piece of bone that he found on the ground. When the lock gave way, they tried to hold the door as the tiger inside raged against it. At the right moment, they slid it open and the tiger shoved forward to attack. The fighters began hacking at the beast when Fillin, who was a ways away, threw a force push at the tiger and shoved it aside, giving Zylyss, Sarunin Tay and Dar'ag Tan access to the cage. From inside, Zylyss eventually managed to get the small cage open to let the woman out. The crowd was on its feet as the tiger shoved its way halfway into the cage again. Then Zylyss unloaded his sling on the tiger and Dar'ag Tan began slashing it heavily. It was soon bloodied.

The bloodied tiger had gotten up and limped away, watching the battle but losing its will to fight, even in its starved condition. The other tiger suddenly dashed toward Fillin who unloaded his shard spirits upon it, shredding it and sending it howling in a spray of blood and fur (crit!). It limped away, not interested in taking more pain from the seeker. The crowd booed its disapproval.

Inside the other cage, Zylyss flung a stone hard and close from his sling, driving it straight into the tiger's eye and sending it rolling in a shuddering heap of blood matted fur that lay still. Suddenly, the slavers were there, hoop poles around the two bloodied tigers and began tugging them off the battle field. The crowd booed as the slavers dragged the tigers out of the arena but cheered the slaves as they walked the woman from her cages. Yet again, they survived another day of brutality in their captivity and gave some measure of satisfaction to a crowd of Raam's restless citizens.

Game Notes


I'll admit I'm still getting the hang of balancing encounters. Three tigers might have been a little more balanced for a full six fighters but there were only five today. The players continued to learn their powers although they miss some added damage which is certainly to their detriment when they don't remember to deal it out! The fact is that the tigers would have been too tough if they had gone full bore, so I toned them down a bit and had them go after each other too. That's part of the fun of being a DM is knowing when to gently keep the characters alive without making it easy.

The main thing is that the kids have fun. They like to get psyched up wondering what they're going to face each week and so far they've walked away from the table each week with smiles on their faces. Time constraints still limit us a little bit and I have to make sure the encounters fit within about an hour and forty-five minutes or so. The arena nature of the encounters coupled with the fickle nature of Abalach-Re are simple tools to be able to draw an encounter to a close if need be. So far it's been a lot of fun running this campaign and I'm looking forward to broadening the story eventually when the time comes.

Dark Sun: Gladiators Galore

Two New Heros


BARLOS THE BATTLEMIND: Human Battlemind (Ben)
Barlos was born in the arena and bred to be a Battlemind. His psionic powers were trained in Raam's arena by the psionic slave tutors whose job is to make entertaining fighters for the arena. Cocky and brash, Barlos lives for the thrill of the crowd cheering to his clever use of his powers to gain the upper hand on his opponents. Barlos is not easily riled but fights carefully, trying to provide a show for the teeming masses who cheer him on. Off the battlefield, he is also relatively unflustered, having nothing to prove but letting his accomplishments speak for themselves. While he loves to bask in the attention of adoring fans, Barlos nevertheless wistfully thinks of the day when he might gain his freedom and go his own way.

VISHRAKTH: Half-Orc Barbarian (Riley)
What better occupation for a half-orc barbarian than to be a thug in a gang on the streets of Raam, bringing some semblance of belonging and order to the murderous streets of this caste-separated cauldron of violence. Vishrakth has no fear of losing his life and would easily fight to the death. But in an attack by some of Raam's Mansabdars, Vishrakth's faithless fellow gang members ran and abandoned him to his fate. He was overwhelmed by these agents of some corrupt noble house and his vicious nature suggested he'd make them some money by being sold into the arena's slave barracks. Only a fool would provoke Vishrakth's temper and his eyes smoulder with the burning hatred of his slave captors, waiting for his moment to bring them down in the roar of his barbarian rage.

Facing the Gladiators and a Surprise


"All right you worm spawn, "roared Garthak the ogre, "off to the arena with you today. Time to fight some real gladiators. With a surprise twist! Hahaha! We'll arm ya with short swords cuz that's what gladiators fight with!" Out they were thrust into the arena: Barlos, Sarunin Tay, Zylyss, Dar'ag Tan, Fillin and Vishrakth. The slaves stood there, the heat from the shimmering ground washing in waves over them, the baking blood red sun in the sky. In the middle of the arena was a thirty foot pillar with a lumpy bundle on top. At that moment, out marched five gladiators, twirling short swords in each hand.

"Fighters fight!" came the serpentine voice of Abalach-Re from her gilded private box. With that, the heroes rushed forward and the battle was begun. Blasts of psionic power and the clash of swords slowly raised the volume of the murmuring crowds. On one end of the line, Barlos was battling one gladiator, another backed up to assess the heroes and another two were fighting with Fillin and Dar'ag Tan. On the far end of the line, Vishrakth was trading blows with another of the fierce fighters.

After a few seconds of battle, with the heroes quipping about who would be able to climb the pillar and get the "presents," the lumpy bundle suddenly jumped up, the covering thrown off. There was a vicious female elf, her longbow knocked, who began firing on the heroes as they fought! Zylyss unwound the sling from his wrist, picked up a stone and sent it flying to the top of the pillar.

Sarunin Tay sent waves of energy at the gladiator in his line of sight when suddenly the fighter charged him, slashing him with both his blades, bloodying him in an instant. Barlos then focused his mind, marking that same fighter to draw him over to him, taking on two at once. Zylyss teleported his short sword to Sarunin who then moved it telekinetically over one of the gladiator's heads, dropping it close by into the ground but missing the fighter.

"Hey," one of the slavers standing in the wings nudged Garthak, "don't that Seeker need a bow?" "Right you are lad," the ogre agreed and chucked a bow and quiver out to Fillin. He grabbed the short bow and began firing arrows, unleashing his ranged primal spirits to harass the gladiator that he was flanking with Dar'ag Tan.

"Bloody fool! You deserve death!" shouted the elf from the pillar and then sent an arrow into one of the bloodied gladiators. The heroes weren't sure whether she had suddenly turned friendly or not. Zylyss knew better. With a trick shot, he sent a stone smashing into her forehead, knocking her back a step where she teetered and dropped from the pillar in a crunching heap. Zylyss dashed forward to grab the elf's bow but the end of the fight was at hand.

With one gladiator and the elf dead, and most of the heroes also bloodied, a mighty gong rang again. The gladiators, followed shortly by the slaves, dropped to their knees to look with meekness at their sorceress-queen. "Brave fighters" echoed the voice of Abalach-Re, "you have fought well. But I grow weary of this combat. Let us see something other entertainments." With that, the slave masters appeared, urging their charges back out of the spotlight. The battle, inconclusive, was done.

Game Notes


Unfortunately, I was late to the session and we lost about a half hour. That's why I had to wrap up the session abruptly. The kids still had fun. Ben and Riley were new players and Risdon was absent. The purpose of these various arena fights are twofold: (1) To offer encounters which can easily be played with whoever is present and (2) relatively simple fights in which the players can learn their characters' powers and how to use them.

One thing I noticed is that our slave heroes tend to work more individually. As they learn their powers, I suspect they'll learn to use them together effectively. When they don't fight together, they get hurt pretty quickly. I figured that level-wise this was a tough encounter and it turned out to be a bit overwhelming for them. I suspect they would have pulled it off but it would have been really tough. They are hampered by the lack of a healer as Nick has been (and will be) unable to play. We may have to get Yvaak in there some other way.

The kids enjoyed the encounter though their rolls were all over. More bad than good but Jacob had a couple of crits of which he was proud. They really did get a lot of bad rolls and I suppose the combat would have gone quicker had they rolled better. I think if we had had that extra half hour that I lost, we would have been able to carry the encounter to its conclusion. As always, the game was a lot of fun. I am enjoying getting into the role of Garthak the ogre and walking around the table at the beginning of the session, growling and lecturing them on the way they get to entertain the crowds that day.