Let’s Play Dragonbane! The Lantern of Solitude, part 2

Gil and Warren hop on the first mission in High Cradle

Table of Contents

Let’s continue our adventure in High Cradle! Gil Burgundy and Warren Bragat move on to the windswept highlands and into the Whispering Cairn, where Branwyn told them the first shard of the Lantern lies.

Built long before the Lost War, its crumbled stones now sing with the murmurs of restless spirits.

Waypoint 1: Cracked menhir

Campaign Threat: 1/10
Mission Threat: 1/6

It’s a bard showdown!

Olma the barkeep warned us of the loose stones underfoot, giving us a Boon to this first test.

Gil and Warren squinted as the chilly wind whipped their clothes and bit their skin. A weathered stone leaned precariously at the cairn’s entrance. Soft whispers grew louder as they stepped near, then suddenly stopped when they reached the stone pathway leading inside.

Warren leaned and prodded the ground with his morningstar, then cast a worried glance to the shadowed opening. “I don’t like this place, Gil. It’s haunted.”

Gil waved at him. “That’s the whole point. We’re breaking the curse. Maybe I’ll even play a duet with a ghost bard.”

“That’s not funny. Besides, how would a ghost bard have a ghost instrument?”

“Instruments have a soul,” Gil said, caressing his lyre. “And that’s what you’re worried about, the logic in a ghost instrument? Ghosts are never naked either, you know.”

Warren shook his head. “It’s all unnatural.”

“There are rules. We just don’t know what they are.”

“Well, in any case, you stay close to me, and let me go in first.”

“Fine,” Gil replied, “but for now you follow me. I can see a proper way through.”

Warren wasn’t the most dexterous frog, and his heavy armor pieces didn’t help, so he didn’t argue.

I’m deciding that an Acrobatics check is required to go in. They’ll both have a Boon to this: Gil because of Olma’s tip. Warren’s armor gives a Bane that gets canceled, but he gets another Boon because Gil is mapping the way.

2d20 Gil’s Acrobatics check (7): 1, 16, a Dragon!

Awesome! Hitting a natural 1 is called a Dragon, a critical hit, and the dice number even has a different, awesome design to represent it.

Rolling Dragons and Demons (natural 20) gives us a mark for skill improvement! After this mission, we’ll roll a d20 against all marked skills. If we roll higher than their value, it increases by 1.

Gil paves the way through the loose stones with such grace, showing Warren exactly what to do and how, that it fills the knight with confidence. He gets another Boon!

3d20 Warren’s Acrobatics check (6): 1, 17, 10, Dragon!

I’m not fudging rolls here, you guys, we’re just off to a fantastic start.

They both cross the pathway in safety. Gil lights his oil lamp, and they head inside the cairn.

Waypoint 2: Chamber of Names

“Walls crowded with countless carved names surround you, each etched carefully into the ancient rock. Some glow faintly, pulsing like heartbeats. One name flickers gently, tugging at your memory.”

I’ll use Just One Dragon to see what kind of challenge we meet here.

Action + Theme Oracle: Defend, Corruption

Is it an enemy?
d6 Oracle: 3, no

Alright, so the runes blink and whisper as they try to corrupt anyone who enters. Warren tries to identify the danger.

d20 Myth & Legend (10): 7, success!

He reads the walls and realizes he knows those runes. They attempt to possess those enticed by their songs. Gil plucks his lyre along with the melody playing in his head, a song his mother used to hum when he was a tadpole.

He gets a Boon for an Awareness check, as Warren is aware of the situation.

2d20 Awareness check (12): 9, 4, success!

“We’ve studied those in the Greenleap Order,” Warren explained. “They’re Runes of Echoes that feed on the sounds and names from your memory.”

Gil blinked a few times, recovering from the trance. “How dare they use music and dear mother, two of the most sacred things, as traps?”

Waypoint 3: Unknown

Now we must generate the entire waypoint with spark tables or simply decide what’s in it, if that’s what you prefer. The Lantern booklet comes with some handy tables to generate these waypoints. It’s a pretty well thought out adventure. However, I’m gonna keep using Just One Dragon for this one.

Area: Vault
d4 area details: 2
Detail 1: Specific dressing > keys
Detail 2: Specific dressing > stone chests
Location + Description: Road + Protected
Contents: Encounter
Caves/Ruins encounter: Living dead

Let’s interpret all that! I got some pretty sweet rolls, actually.

I’m thinking that the ‘stone chests’ are coffins, since this is a vault or crypt. The exit is protected by a pair of decrepit zombies in rags holding shovels. Undertakers!

2d6 Encounter reaction: 7 > Neutral/Indifferent/Bored

They groan at the frog duo and tilt their heads. A keyring dangles from the frazzled belt on one of them. Opening the coffins could net us some treasure.

How many coffins are there?
d6: 3

Gil will attempt to convince the undertakers that he is the Vaultkeeper, coming to oversee the tombs.

d20 Bluffing (14): 11, success!

“You’ve done well, folks,” Gil told them, nodding approvingly at the coffins, the oil lamp held high. “Good job.”

“Mafter?” asked the undead without a lower jaw, visibly emotional.

“That’s me.”

Warren approached Gil and whispered, “Have you lost your mind?”

“Psst!”

The undead waddled forward. “Mafter, it’f been fo long! It’f boring down here. No entertainment. We barely hear the fong. It’f too dark and humid. We mif the wind, the fun, and ftarf!”

“Listen, this is an inspection. Open the coffins, then we can discuss better working conditions.”

After each coffin, I’ll roll again to maintain the farce.

d10 Coffin content: 6, treasure card! d6 silver coins > 1
Come on…
d20 Bluffing (14): 6, success!

“That’f all my favingf, mafter. For retirement.”

“Next one.”

d10 Coffin content: 1, ambush

A drooling undead lunged from the coffin, growling and reaching for the undertaker’s head. Then he stopped. “Oh, hi, Mark.”

“Mafter if doing the roundf.”

“Master?”

d20 Bluffing (14): 1, Dragon!

“Just go back to sleep,” Gil ordered.

“I don’t sleep, really, I just lie here and—”

Mark pushed the lid in place and moved on to the next coffin.

d10 Coffin content: 2, trap

A bolt swished and punched Mark’s chest with a thunk.

“Af you fee, mafter, they are well maintained and ready to fpring.”

“Good, good. Well, I have to take care of a few things, but when I return we’ll discuss a promotion.”

“Oh, mafter, you’re fo nife to uf.”

We managed to avoid a confrontation and carry on. As it took a while to open the coffins, I’m advancing the threat by 1.

I’ll also check the oil lamp usage. A roll of 1 means it went out.

Mission threat: 2/6
d6 Oil lamp check: 2, still burning

Waypoint 4: Wailing Passage

“A narrow corridor lined with polished stones vibrates faintly underfoot. With every step, the vibrations swell, setting your bones trembling.”

The Lantern of Solitude has a really great section with suggestions for all mission waypoints. It can help players who get stuck or aren’t feeling inspired. There are even examples of how to roll on random tables and use the results to create the unknown waypoints. Very cool, right?

Let’s use the suggestion for number 4 here. Gil closes his eyes and focuses on the tune resonating, feeling it in his very bloodstream. He pulls his lyre and attempts to harmonize with the vibrations.

d20 Performance check (14): 10, success!

Gil swiftly harmonizes with the ongoing tune. The vibrations cease as if acknowledging his worth.

Waypoint 5: unknown

Same rolls as before, but I won’t roll for the content this time. I’ll go for Action + Theme.

Area: Foothold
d4 area details: 2
Detail 1: Generic dressing > scrolls / parchment
Detail 2: Specific dressing > tents
Location + Description: Foothills + Cold
Action + Theme: Leave + Shelter

The pair emerges into the open air, greeted by gray skies, icy wind, and a scatter of tents. It looks like an abandoned camp, once occupied by scribes and adventurers mapping the cairn, taking notes. Scrolls and parchment lay spread out all over the place.

I’m gonna make an awareness roll with Gil. Warren is helping, so he gets a Boon.

2d20 Awareness check (12): 17, 16, fail!
Mission threat: 3/6

Well, our good luck has run out, I guess. Our froggies don’t notice any danger around, and I think there should be some. I’ll roll on the Alone in Deepfall Breach danger table.

d20 Danger table: 2, ambushing foe
That’s fitting, isn’t it?
d20 Creature table: 17, cultists

I’m using the simple minion table from the module.

Apparently, there’s still people roaming the foothold camp. Snow and wind make it hard to see or hear anything. When steps crunch on the ground behind them, it’s too late. Blades flash toward Gil and Warren.

By the core book rules, the cultists get a free attack with a Boon that can’t be parried or evaded. Ambushers get the top cards, and ambushees get the bottom ones.

Initiative

Cultist A: 1
Cultist B: 2
Gil: 10, 9
Warren: 7, 8

Cultist A attacks Gil, but Warren uses his Heroic Ability Guardian, spending 2 Willpower Points (12/14) to force the attack on himself.

Cultist A attacks Warren
2d20 check (12): 16, 18, miss
Cultist B attacks Warren
2d20 check (12): 18, 18, miss

It seems we still have some luck left!

Warren attacks Cultist A:
d20 Hammers check (14): 19, miss
d20 Hammers check (14): 1! Dragon, critical hit!

We can choose the effect: either roll double the weapon damage dice (another 2d8 for Warren’s morningstar), or perform a free attack against another enemy. I’ll attack Cultist B. First, though, let’s check the damage:

2d8+d6 damage: 7 > Cultist A HP 5/12

Warren attacks Cultist B
d20 Hammers check (14): ok, I don’t know how to write this without it looking like bullshit.
I rolled.
Another.
Dragon.

2d8+d6 damage: 15 > Cultist B down!
Warren attacks Cultist A again.
d20 Hammers check (14): 16, miss

Well done, Warren, well done. I believe a morale check is more than appropriate here, and likely.

Does the remaining cultist flee (likely)?
2d6 Oracle: 4, 2, yes

Warren pushed Gil out of the way as the blades drew closer. The attacks bounced off his armor, leaving the opponents wide open. But still he looked at Gil to make sure he was safe. He clutched his morningstar. They would not hurt him. Not while Warren still breathed.

Not Gil, his dearest friend. Since tadpoles, when Warren was a small, frail, and shy orphan, and the others made fun and bullied him for his clumsy leaps.

When the cruel children threw stones at him at the pond, Gil waded in and yelled that they would have to stone him first. They did.

Bruised and bleeding, they whimpered next to each other, little more than strangers back then. “That was stupid,” Warren had said.

“It really was.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Because no one ever does. I’ve seen you around, and you always look sad. What if I always just watched, and nothing ever changed? You would stay sad forever. I like stories with better endings.”

He stood up and extended a little hand. “I’m Gil.”

Warren took it. Even after all those years, he had never let go.

When Warren doubted himself, Gil made him believe again. When they mocked him and made his life miserable in the Greenleap Order, Gil wrote ‘Bragat the Brave,’ a folksong of gentle strength and loyalty that started a local legend about Warren.

When the fall seemed too deep, Gil could make him fly.

His morningstar smashed the target, hitting hard and strong. The enemy fell. An overhand swing got the other one in the temple. He reeled, dropped the knife, and bolted into the highlands.

Warren turned to Gil, still lying where he had pushed him, and extended a hand.

That was surprisingly easy. I have to say, though, I’ve never had such a run of insane rolls. Not complaining.

I’m gonna draw a treasure card as loot from the cultist.

Treasure card: Armor/Shield > d6: 3 > open helmet

It gives the user a Bane on Awareness rolls, so Gil will remain with his bard hat. Into the backpack it goes.

I could search the tents for more treasure, but the session is running long. The Leave + Shelter roll also gave me the idea that this could be a safe place to rest, but it’s unnecessary right now, so I’ll move on.

Waypoint 6: Final Niche

“An ancient pedestal cradles a shattered urn, glowing amid a swirl of fine dust. Within, wrapped in timeworn silk, rests a shard of the Lantern, pulsing softly with whispering memories.”

Gil reaches for the shard, but Warren grabs his shoulder and pulls him back.

“Let me, Gil.”

Warren stepped forward to grab the shard, but his hand slowed down as if sinking into honey. Memories scrambled across his mind, confusing him.

d20 Willpower check (14): 6, success!

Gil stayed behind, looking at Warren’s broad back, reminding him of that distant day when panic set in and his oldest friend turned darkness into comfort.

Once again, he stared at his mighty back as Warren faced the danger head on, fearless.

Once again, he was eternally grateful for having the best of frogs at his side, lending him strength.

Warren retrieved the shard and turned around.

Gil smiled. “Thank you again, my friend.”

And the first mission is concluded! I hinted at more backstory here that I’ll leave for next time as this is long enough.

Now for skill advancements. In AiDB, after every mission, besides the marks we get from Demons and Dragons, we can select another five skills to mark. I’m gonna use that rule here, but I’ll change it to three skills for each character.

Gil gets a mark for Knives, Bows, and Persuasion. Warren gets Spot Hidden, Bushcraft, and Beast Lore.

Gil
Knives (14): 4, no advancement
Bows (7): 11, increased to 8!
Acrobatics (7): 2, no advancement
Bluffing (14): 11, no advancement
Persuasion (14): 6, no advancement

Warren
Spot Hidden (10): 4, no advancement
Bushcraft (10): 14, increased to 11!
Beast Lore (10): 8, no advancement
Hammers (14): 18, increased to 15!
Acrobatics (6): 8, increased to 7!

Not bad! That’s it for this session. It went on long, but hopefully entertaining. I’m loving the game and the solo adventure, and I hope I can show in the text how much fun I’m having.

Our little green fellas’ adventure continues next time.

Thank you for reading!

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The Lantern of Solitude is available on DrivethruRPG.

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Frog images created by Artcher.

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