The first Griffin Mountain game, (2003-04?). Session three (post four)
Notes: I will probably misremember something from twenty some years ago, and you may want to start with the first post in this (sub)series. Joining T. and I for this game was F. F.'s character was a former Lunar Soldier who left the Lunars for unspecified reasons. The soldier ran across the young native woman (T.) and the children in this session. They talked plans around a fire (T. and F. did this in character very briefly). At some point this session I added an NPC, SkullCracker, a Dark Troll hero. He would round out the party and act as a plot lead for the next part of the adventure. I think SkullCracker erupted out of the ground in front of the party and they talked to him instead of fighting him. At some point the party ran afoul of some Lunar Magicians who kidnapped the Magician child and the black puppy-dog for some reason. SkullCracker lead the party through the mythic Underworld in pursuit of the Lunar Magicians. He was mortally wounded fighting the Lunar's at some point but his dying instructions would guide the rest of the party for the next session. Take aways for me this session were One, that Players didn't mind giving each other reasons to join a party. Two, Some NPC's were player favorites (SkullCracker was one of these) and they really were saddened by his passing. Three, Watch out for PTSD in others (F. was somewhat Claustrophobic from mine work and didn't realize it. My descriptions of the Mythic Underworld were triggering to him). In hindsight I would have tried to watch for this last one very closely.