Mercenary Backstory: Ktzlx - Vermling Mindthief

What was your first memory? Green grass under your feet? A summer day? Your mother’s face? Something trite, I bet. This thing you take for granted? That all your kind appreciate? Vermlings must earn, and not all do.

I bashed her head in with a rock. I remember seeing it amidst our squabble, knowing what I could do with it, reaching out. After I’d secured my prize, I wondered why she didn’t do the same, it was right there, after all. Somewhere in the gibbering bits of bone and flesh I saw things I didn’t recognize, things I knew I didn’t share with her. There was a darkness behind my eyes, a darkness that spoke in my own voice.

Others in my pack noticed something different in me immediately, and I too could tell who had darkness behind their eyes as well as who didn’t. Those that did not, we treated differently, poorly. I’m certain I was among the unthinking flock, but I have no recollection of the treatment, just instinctual remembrances; pain, food, safety, leadership. Where in the sewers beneath Gloomhaven were our territory, and where others tread freely.

In the pack, together, we all feel another voice that guides us, moves us, forms and sharpens our emotions. We called it “Taat”, and it is our will collected. Even those lacking the darkness feel its pull and sway. The pack leader claims to have a closer connection to Taat, and has shown mastery over it, we saw him use it many times to call upon our animal brethrens, to force punishments upon wrongdoers and crush enemies to our pack and his rule. So when I began to feel my own voice shout louder within the Taat than others, when I could feel the presence and feelings of others, I fled, knowing I would be put down. I fled to the places I knew were not safe to skitter.

Vermling lives are a short, brutal fare, and above the streets was no different. No one offers charity to a rat, no one sees a partner or a friend, at best one sees opportunity and exploitation. Fortunately my gift made it easier to navigate the social circles of this new “underworld” and avoid traps laid in golden offers. Work was assured, Gloomhaven is a city of vice and greed, and it needs its rats.

However, I’ve discovered a place, a place that feels like the old safe hovels below the streets. And a man, with a darkness like I’ve never felt before, genuine, kind. He offers hope freely, and what wealth he has he does not hoard, but uses to assist the needy, the hopeless, the ones like me. He sees a different world than I, he knows something we don’t, hears a voice we’re deaf to he can see and shape something larger than us, invisible and ever-present.

The world I survive in now is no different than the muck-filled hole I ascended from. To him and his fellowship, I am no different than the hapless vermlings preyed upon by those thinking below. We are pitiable creatures, I’ll do anything to escape once again, to ascend once again, I merely need an offering suitable, an offering to show my commitment. Then they will show me, show me what gives them peace, what quells their anger, what they see that I can not.

Written by Chris

Published with permission

Mercenary Backstory: Groot - Inox Brute

As a child, you always felt you were different that the traditional Inox Brutes in your tribe.  Sure, you learned from your elders to subsist on hunting and gathering, but you always felt that there was more than that meager existence. 

As you grew older, you were average in strength and size with the others in your tribe, but your intelligence and sophistication were much improved.  You were smart in choosing your battles, not succumbing to brutish attempts at proving yourself, and in that way, were able to survive and flourish.

You saw limitations in staying with your tribe, so when the time was right, you abandoned them to embrace life in the human cities.  You used your size and strength to earn a comfortable living to perform menial tasks for the merchant guilds, all the while hiding your intelligence and sophistication.  You watched and learned their ways, realizing the wealth and power they commanded. 

You now know that in order to lift yourself to their levels, you would need to gather up enough equipment and establish yourself a shop in some small town.  Then you can slowly work yourself towards becoming a real merchant. 

So, you quit the menial labor and now task yourself to travel and adventure across the lands, looking for wealth and equipment to free yourself from fighting over scraps like all the other suckers.

Written by Steven
Published with permission

Week 1 - Montag's Marauders - New Beginning - Black Barrow (#1)

Editorial Note: Since I am starting this "story" over I am going to reuse some of what I wrote the first time:

"Mercenaries need to eat" the introduction in the Quest book for the board game Gloomhaven tells us.

We selected our starting characters which you can see listed at the top of the sidebar for easy reference. Then we started:

While we were spending quality time in one of our favourite establishments, the Red Lion, we were offered a job. Jekserah, a wealthy Valrath woman wearing a red cloak wanted us to find a thief and retrieve some stolen documents - Reward 10 gold. She told us of the Black Barrow (Map Location #1) and also notified us that Gloomhaven had of late turned Militaristic (Global Achievement: City Rule)

Everyone spent all their gold on the recommended starting items. We were broke.

Before we left for the Black Barrow though we decided to finish the evening unwinding at one of our favorite establishments - the Sleeping Lion (City Event #01). Just as we started to relax and our drinks were delivered a bear of a man came crashing into our table, scattering our drinks across the floor. Hovering nearby a massive Inox had apparently been insulted over his horns. The man stood up and proclaimed "I said the sight of them makes me want to vomit". The Inox roared and the fight was on with the whole tavern joining in.

Ktzlx apparently had built up a fair amount of aggressive energy from our extended unemployment and threw himself headlong into the fray - thereby involving the rest of us in the fight. Of course, nothing like busting some drunken skulls to lift one's spirits. It turns out to be a great way to unwind. Unfortunately, the proprietor of the Sleeping Lion doesn't exactly see it that way, he sullenly asks for compensation for the damage we caused. (Gain 10 Experience & Lost 1 Reputation)

Once on the road and well into the wilderness, we sensed a large animal approaching us. Slipping into some cover, peering through the trees, we saw a large bear approaching our location. (Road Event #06). Apparently the bar fight back in the Sleeping Lion had not burnt off enough energy because the party outvoted Tabbax and decided to set upon the bear. The bear was a worthy foe and roared as we approached. He seemed though to have other more urgent plans and after his initial charge into us, he grunted and ran off through the trees. (Start Scenario with a Wound)

Upon arriving at the Black Barrow hill we immediately found a worn set of stone stairs leading down into the darkness. As we descended we noticed both light emanating from below and the unmistakable stench of death. Six Bandits were in the room and a battle began. Cymbidium lead the charge and we were soon in the thick of it. Dispatching them lead us to another room with 3 more Bandits and 3 Archers. Going deeper we found a final room with 4 Archers and 4 Skeletons. Unfortunately, Groot ended up standing in the doorway and got hammered quite badly.

Unfortunately, due to our inexperience, by the final battle we were all low on resources and  all ended up falling near the end of the battle. Just before the battle ended though Ktzlx managed to jump over the crowd and open a small chest that had a map to a place called Magma Pit (Random Side Scenario #63)

We were forced to retreat from the Black Barrow not having met our objective - we really need the gold though so we resolved to return as soon as we could to finish our mission. Jekserah seems like a good ally to have and one we ought not to dissapoint besides, we need the reward money.

This ended our first game session. It seems somewhat appropriate to equate each session with a "week" of time, so the title of each entry will have a somewhat chronological ordering - even if the story timeline within each game session doesn't quite match up. Ehh, I think it will work.

I will try and highlight "notable" locations and game events in Bold for easier reference back to the game cards/stickers/elements. Hopefully it is not too cumbersome to read this way.

Peace,
Brent

Whiskey Bandits - Disbanded

Due to the whims of life - the Whiskey Bandits have been disbanded and are all travelling their own paths.

Of course - no vacuum survives long and new Mercenaries have arrived in Gloomhaven and have begun new adventures of their own. Oddly, the new adventurers all chose the same Mercenary classes the Whiskey Bandits chose...

I will be updating this blog for the new adventurers much like I did with the Whiskey Bandits.

Peace,
Brent