This scene took place on the walls of Vigerfast, where the Company helped defend the city against the pashehah, creatures of Elemental Chaos. As with the Chaos Gargoyle this version is edited down from the original campaign journal that describes the event. David of Kerr took a deep breath and grounded his sword. The extended bout of heavy spell casting intermixed with swordplay
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The Reavers – Chaos Gargoyle May 7, 2021
The Company from Kerr is the name the Eric and Patrick's AD&D characters was called in the land of Shahrivar. Originally the group was Jake, David, Bisonbit, and the dwarven cleric Gilden. Later they were joined by David's henchman Sam. After being killed one time too many, Sam retired before death became permanent. In his place David hired the druid Faraz, and Jake hired the
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The Reavers – Oni Nobles May 7, 2021
I included a female oni as a prisoner in an adventure, held by evil giants. The idea was to see what Eric and Patrick would do with her. To my surprise they freed her and invited her to join them, and to my bigger surprise I rolled extremely well in the reaction roll. So Renki ended up joining the party as an NPC. At some
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Marissa, Trajan, and Etjar – Oculus Despot May 7, 2021
On Dragonsfoot forums Stuart Marshall challenged others to re-write AD&D monsters for OSRIC. I took up the challenge. Then a few years later I wrote this pastiche for publishing in & Magazine. Jannalanga, the Rathian owner of the tavern, asked Trajan a question as she handed him a mug of wine. "The other day Hal claimed he fought and killed a creature, Ock
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Marissa, Trajan, and Etjar – Gree-Kin May 7, 2021
As noted I the introduction, this was the first pastiche I wrote. The idea of Trajan and Etjar being childhood friends, and meeting up with Marissa on the road made sense. But they needed some shared trial to bond them. Being tracked for hundreds of miles by carnivorous monsters seemed like a good idea. "Hal, did you ever fight a gree-kin?" asked the
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Marissa, Trajan, and Etjar – Gas Spores May 7, 2021
My brother and I created dozens of variations on the original gas spores from AD&D. Nearly thirty years later I wrote this pastiche – because I felt the need to write another one and gas spores popped out at me when I perused my monster notebook. Hal was in rare form and it wasn't even noon yet. A family of nobles from the
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Marissa, Trajan, and Etjar – Draugar May 7, 2021
In the spring of 2014 Baen Books advertised a fiction contest. I wrote this one as a stand-alone, submitted it ... and didn't win. Bummer. It ended up on OSRtoday instead, while that site lasted. The elderly couple sat quietly in the corner of the tavern, their grandchildren chatting nearby about something interesting to a pair of teenagers. A group of older youths
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Marissa, Trajan, and Etjar – Cave Blinder May 7, 2021
I created the cave blinder after being inspired by a thread on Dragonsfoot. If I recall correctly, the author needed a low-level monster for an Underdark campaign, and this one flowed out of my word processor. The text for this pastiche flowed almost as easily, and this was published in Footprints. Jake was sick and tired of Bisonbit. The young priest had been
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Marissa, Trajan, and Etjar – Carrion Crab May 7, 2021
Like the bone guardian, this was someone else's creation – Nicole Massey. Nicole and I agreed I'd add the fiction, and the collaboration worked well. This is probably why I hit Andrew up to add to the bone guardian. "I have never heard of orcs eating their own dead," David interjected. Hal pounded his fist on the table in fury. The man was
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Marissa, Trajan, and Etjar – Bone Guardian May 7, 2021
Andrew Hamilton had the bone guardian ready for publishing for Issue 2 of & Magazine. I thought it needed more, so I wrote this to give it more flavor. I'm not sure he was really in favor of my addition, but he didn't say "no" so it's part of "and". "And that is how that miserable thing cut my arm off!" The old
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