“The Book of L’aif, Part 2″ (recorded October 4, 2008) continues the adventure as our intrepid heroes try to defend a village that doesn’t want to be defended. Please listen now or subscribe via iTunes. This episode features the following segments:

• The Staging Area: Due to underwhelming audience response, we go back to the old way of recapping the background to this adventure.
• The Weather Report: The PCs achieve victory over the dockside goblins, but earn the disapproval of the locals—and then find themselves embroiled in another fight against more goblinoid marauders!
• The Prop Shop: I give a short tribute to Dave Arneson before describing some of the props used in this part of the adventure and some of the inspiration behind the storyline.

For more detailed show notes, please keep reading after the jump. Thanks for listening to “The Book of L’aif, Part 2,” and please join us again soon for “The Book of L’aif, Part 3″!

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The Staging Area

While on Isla Calipha (episodes 10–13), the PCs heard a rumor that led them to sail for the island of Karnathi in search of the Book of Life. As the Broken Promise sailed into port on Karnathi, the PCs were confronted by Morori, a goblin hexer who insisted that they not dock, “by order of Urlglar the Vicious!” The PCs did not take kindly to this, and their attempt to dock despite the goblin’s protestations brought forth a hail of crossbow bolts from marksmen aboard the goblin’s ship. Just as we faded to black on episode 14, Drak’ith, the dragonborn warlord, had just muffed an Athletics check to jump on to the enemy ship, had fallen prone, and had dropped his greataxe.

The Weather Report

Our heroes overcome the goblins on the dock—no surprise there, but the PCs don’t expect the villagers to greet them by criticizing their violent actions. Three village elders explain to the PCs that their religious beliefs, informed by the Book of L’aif, demanded pacifism. (Eagle-eyed readers will notice the difference between “life” and “L’aif,” which Tyria Silverspray also noticed during the adventure.) As the elders tell our heroes about the abuse they have taken over the last year, a new threat emerges: Fangor, a lieutenant to Urlglar the Vicious, shows up with his entourage (Dost and Srag, two goblin blackblades, along with ten goblin mooks) and demands food from the villagers. The PCs defend the villagers violently—much to the villagers’ consternation.

The Prop Shop

I begin this episode’s prop shop with a very brief tribute to Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, then move on the usual type of Prop Shop content. I briefly identify some of the maps and miniatures used in this segment. We represented the village square using the Market Square map from WotC’s Fantastic Locations: City of Peril.

As usual, I used selected D&D Miniatures to represent the NPCs and monsters that the PCs encounter.

Fangor, hobgoblin soldier (Urthok the Vicious, Dragoneye)		Dost and Srag, goblin blackblades (Goblin Blackblade, War Drums)

Also in this episode’s Prop Shop, I acknowledge this adventure’s debt to Pixar’s second feature film, A Bug’s Life, and then I talk just a little about how, in general, I get adventure ideas for this campaign. To round out the Prop Shop, I promote the Tome Show, on which I will appear as a guest on episode #104 to join Jeff and Quinn in reviewing Arcane Power.

Of course, we always thank Wizards of the Coast for publishing D&D, D&D Miniatures, and Dungeon Tiles; Mongoose Publishing, for the original Stormhaven setting book; and Nox Arcana for providing our music. If you enjoy this podcast, please support us by purchasing your D&D books and accessories through our Amazon aStore or RPGNow affiliate link. But most of all, please join us here next time for “The Book of L’aif, Part 3″!