A bell tolled loudly through the bustling streets of Bristol Watch, an event more ominous than unusual. Inside the Bristol Watch Inn, Rend-fol heard the metallic chime and turned his head away from the bar to scan the crowd's reaction. Almost immediately, locals and new arrivals alike began murmuring as they put down drinks and forks and made for the door. Rend looked back at his new acquaintance, Rhogar, and asked, "A town summons? The people here don't seem surprised by the bell."
Rhogar took a long pull from his tankard, his scaled hide glistening in a rainbow of subdued hues. He paused for a moment, unleashed a terrific belch, and said, "No, they wouldn't be surprised. Hobgoblins frequently raid the surrounding farmlands. Cairth defends when he can, but we're talking large tracts of land here, none of it walled or fortified. Most likely, the bell rings to summon and organize the militia for patrols and defensive positions."
"Fight for this shit hole ? I'd advise pulling up stakes and following the shortest path to civilization," said Rend, smiling slightly.
"Stranger, that's the second time you've insulted my home. Do it again, and I'll test out how well my axe cuts through those wisps floating on the top of your noggin."
"I'm no lumberjack, but you look tall and thick. Maybe I should shout 'timber' so you don't fall and smother someone when I kill you."
The dragonborn set his tankard down on the bar and stood up, grasping the shaft of his great axe without even looking. Rhogar re-positioned it with both his massive paws, muscles flexing and rippling. He said nothing but took a combat stance, waiting. The bar was already clearing for the summons, but the crowd's pace quickened at the sight of the two armed men squaring off. From behind the bar, the inn keeper yelled, "Eh, Rhogar! You best be throwing this one back. I warn, you'll be payin' for the damages! Unlike last time!"
Rend's smile faded as he gazed darkly at Rhogar. His arms hung at his sides, his right fist alternately clenching and relaxing. The genasi took a quick glance around the now empty common room and then back at Rhogar. He seemed to be calculating something completely unrelated to the current confrontation. Finally, Rend turned his back to the dragonborn and strode out the bar in silence. Quinn nodded at the genasi as he walked out, but if Rend saw him, he gave no sign. Mikala leaned over to Quinn and remarked, "Nice social skills on that one." Quinn smiled and nodded, watching Rhogar lean his axe once more against the bar and grasp his tankard.
Outside, Rend saw what must have been the entire population of Bristol Watch converge at the Town Hall, a new building smelling of sap and pine. Mounted and waiting outside the doors of the Hall, Captain Cairth studied the flow of people with a tactical eye. Though most of the crowd were citizens of the small town, Rend noticed quite a few new arrivals, most of whom packed heavy weapons and armor with hardened countenances to boot. The genasi rearranged the sword strapped to his back and then walked confidently into the milling crowd until he was directly in front of the Captain.
"Captain," Rend called out, attempting to attract Cairth's attention. Cairth pretended to not hear, turning his head away and scanning the other side of the growing crowd. Irritated, Rend called out again, though this time more loudly. Cairth slowly turned his head back to Rend, his eyes narrowing.
"What." It was a statement, not a question.
"So what's going on?" Rend inquired.
Cairth eyed Rend for a moment, a flicker of recognition registering on his face. "You're that genasi that claimed Dirg Stiggler was most righteous in his beating of that farm boy. Said the hin had been cheated."
"Yeah, that's right." Rend crossed his arms over his chest and waited impertinently.
"Well son, I don't know how that kind of thing goes down where you're from, but around here, we don't take a pound a flesh for the smallest slights. You best keep that in mind for future encounters with my citizenry."
Before Rend could respond, the Captain clucked his tongue, lurching his horse forward into the crowd. When he got to the middle, he brought the horse to a halt and addressed the crowd in a commanding voice. "We've got hobgoblin raids up and down our farmlands. Looting, pillaging, even few reports of deaths. Sloan here brought the bodies of the Haskins family this past hour. I hope those to be the only casualties, but my gut tells me there'll be more. We'll be forming up militia patrols throughout the rest of the day and tonight. Lighter forces will walk the first part, and we'll save our strongest forces for the night, when the hobs are more active. I'll be expectin' every able bodied citizen to do his part. Bring what weapons you have, mounts too if you got them. New visitors to Bristol Watch, you aren't obligated to fight, but we'll pay you if you do. Rhogar! Galinndan!"
The Captain scanned the crowd until he spotted the dragonborn's head towering well over everyone else. "Ah, Rhogar, you're a difficult man to spot, what with that delicate profile you cut." The crowd laughed and Cairth continued. "Rhogar, I want you and Galinndan to manage visitor recruitment."
Rhogar nodded, effortlessly heaving his axe on his shoulder. Another man appeared next to him, a blacksmith by attire, and said, "It will be done."
Cairth nodded in approval and said, "For the rest that aren't fighting or patrolling, I'm declaring martial law. I want the inn and businesses closed and the citizenry to stay in their homes. The Town Hall is reserved for the refugees of the surrounding farmlands. That is all."
Cairth reared his horse back and cantered back to the Town Hall. He dismounted and immediately began issuing orders. The crowd immediately dispersed, some heading home to cower fearfully in their homes, others grimly checking equipment and swinging weapons.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Back to Str8 Rippin'!
Craig, the Dungeon Master of our hearts and our dungeons lo these past months stepped down last week and Blake officially took over the reigns last night. New Dungeon Master, new campaign, new characters. Well, mostly. All new but for Orchid, the tiny but vicious rogue.
The following is a breakdown of the party:
Dale - Human Cleric
Galinndan - Eladrin Fighter/Wizard
Gwenn - Half-elf Warlock
Orchid - Halfing Rogue
Quinn - Half-elf Artificer
Rend-fol - Genasi Swordmage
Rhogar - Dragonborn Barbarian
The campaign began with Orchid rolling into the tiny frontier town of Bristol Watch, deep in the Vilhon Wilds. Driving a cart full of supplies, Orchid delivers the cargo and then encounters the rest of the adventurers already about town. Rhogar and Galinndan are locals, but everyone else just recently arrived, all for various reason--some mysterious, other more mundane.
Look for future blog entries to pick up on the basis of this storyline. The group's name reverts back to "Str8 Rippin'" as an incentive for someone to come up with a better party name.
The following is a breakdown of the party:
Dale - Human Cleric
Galinndan - Eladrin Fighter/Wizard
Gwenn - Half-elf Warlock
Orchid - Halfing Rogue
Quinn - Half-elf Artificer
Rend-fol - Genasi Swordmage
Rhogar - Dragonborn Barbarian
The campaign began with Orchid rolling into the tiny frontier town of Bristol Watch, deep in the Vilhon Wilds. Driving a cart full of supplies, Orchid delivers the cargo and then encounters the rest of the adventurers already about town. Rhogar and Galinndan are locals, but everyone else just recently arrived, all for various reason--some mysterious, other more mundane.
Look for future blog entries to pick up on the basis of this storyline. The group's name reverts back to "Str8 Rippin'" as an incentive for someone to come up with a better party name.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Fall of Cedric
Summary:
Before plunging into yet another rune portal, the Victors paused for a moment to investigate four separate sets of doors. The first two sets led to the same room, a large chamber containing alchemical equipment and a glass cube full of bronze tubing and the floating head of a warder. Gareth took a couple of whacks at the cube, the glass shattering. Acid showered from the broken fissure, sizzling into Gareth's armor and skin. A robed figure suddenly popped next to Gareth and screamed, "Oh, you will pay for that, I assure you. You will all pay!" and then disappeared just as abruptly. The adventurers continued exploring the other two sets of doors, one leading to a library full of books with no words and the other a rune circle. Gilic collected a phial of acid from the other room and used it to destroy the binding of the runes. Everyone else made way to the last rune portal.
Just as they were about to step through, Queequeg screamed in pain. An imp suddenly materialized next to the dragonborn, its barbed tail lashing back trailing a wisp of blood. The demon disappeared before Queequeg could retaliate, so the dragonborn stepped through the portal instead, emerging inside a small room with three doors and four familiar crystal pillars. All but Taegahn and Cedric followed and the final battle began in earnest.
Orchid tried a door and found it to be locked. She quickly picked it open, revealing an empty room. The door directly north of it was locked too and stubbornly refused to open. The crystal pillars pulsed with energy soon enough and quickly the party came under psychic attack from hidden enigmas of Cyric. Queequeg, Gareth, and Gilic all tried to barrel through the door and hack it down, but it refused to budge. Meanwhile, Shava tried the final closed door. The handle surprised her when it turned with well-oiled ease. She swung the door open revealing a massive chamber, a thirty by thirty skull insignia of Cyric on the floor, the large skull statue on the wall opposite the door. Standing on top of the insignia, another bronze minotaur warden. The mechanical abomination whirled its head at Shava and began to stride towards her, swinging its axe with artificial precision.
Gilic raced past the priest and faced the warden head on. Three norkers suddenly sprung from either side of the wall and attacked the brave dwarf as well. Paldemar came into view from the very back of the room and began cackling loudly. The insane wizard paused a moment, concentrating strangely. Tall, sheer crystal prism throughout the chamber blinked in response and Paldemar seemed strengthened by them. He focused crackling lightning at the party, often arcing his strikes to three heroes.
The ensuing battle was pitched. Cedric cast spells at Paldemar bravely and strategically, hampering the wizard enough to blunt his elemental assaults. But Cedric soon found himself beseiged by both Paldemar and a Norker that had tore away from Gilic and Gareth. The mage finally collapsed from his wounds, unconscious and close to death. Shava darted underneath the rampaging warden and made her way to Cedric side. Time stood still for a second as she smiled down at him, placed her hand lightly on his forehead, and muttered a prayer to Corellon. Cedric's face relaxed in response as he stabilized. Shava sighed with relief, but as she arose, a crystal pillar unleashed a bolt of lightning on the helpless wizard. Shava screamed, "No!" but to little avail. Cedric breathed no more.
The death of their friend pushed the rest to fight harder and soon norkers and warden fell at the hands of Gareth and Taegahn. Gilic and Orchid encircled Paldemar and slew him before he could escape through the skull Cyric insignia. The adventurers finally made their way to the first room with the stubborn door and cut down the enigmas of Cyric, their shrieks drowned out by the rage and grief of the wounded, battle weary heroes.
Their foes dead, the party collapsed next to the still form of Cedric. Tears were shed. Sobs choked down. Finally, Gilic said, "Ack, he was good laddy. A wee bit chatty at times, but one of the good ones."
Gareth chuckled, "Yeah. Remember when he thought he could fly? He had to crawl across that blood chamber's ceiling like a hermit crab when it turned out he could only levitate."
The rest of the party laughed along with Gareth. A silence then came over them. Taegahn finally stood and said, "So, uh, what do we do with him now?"
When no one said anything, Shava responded, "We could take him back to Cormyr and perform a ritual to bring him back." Her idea seemed more a question then a statement.
The heroes glanced around at each other awkwardly. After a long time passed, Queequeg said, "I don't know, that seems like an awful lot of trouble. What with dragging the body back, storing the corpse, paying for the components. I heard the ritual only requires a thumb-sized piece of the person, but who wants that in their satchel for the next week?" The dragonborn's voice trailed off. No one said anything.
Gilic coughed uncomfortably. Orchid suddenly chimed in, "Say, didn't we meet a wizard in Seven-pillared Halls? That half-elf with the lazy eye and strange smell?"
Taegahn's face brightened. "Yeah, yeah. Babar, I think his name was. He asked if he could join up with us but we told him to piss off because, you know, we already had a wizard with a lazy eye and strange smell. Hey, do you think he's still there?"
Shava clapped her hands together happily and cheered, "Let's go see!"
"To Seven Pillared Halls!" Gareth bellowed. Gilic grinned broadly, slapping the fighter on the back smartly.
And so, the Victors of Shadowfell Keep made ready to depart, but not before relieving Cedric of his notable gear and coinage. The heroes shuffled out of the chamber one at time, Queequeg the last. The dragonborn paused before exiting, turning back for a final look. Cedric, stripped down to his underwear, lay still and calm, seemingly sleeping but for the charred flesh and the blood trickling down from his nose and mouth.
"Uh, yeah," Queequeg intoned apologetically and then turned and left the labyrinth forever.
Before plunging into yet another rune portal, the Victors paused for a moment to investigate four separate sets of doors. The first two sets led to the same room, a large chamber containing alchemical equipment and a glass cube full of bronze tubing and the floating head of a warder. Gareth took a couple of whacks at the cube, the glass shattering. Acid showered from the broken fissure, sizzling into Gareth's armor and skin. A robed figure suddenly popped next to Gareth and screamed, "Oh, you will pay for that, I assure you. You will all pay!" and then disappeared just as abruptly. The adventurers continued exploring the other two sets of doors, one leading to a library full of books with no words and the other a rune circle. Gilic collected a phial of acid from the other room and used it to destroy the binding of the runes. Everyone else made way to the last rune portal.
Just as they were about to step through, Queequeg screamed in pain. An imp suddenly materialized next to the dragonborn, its barbed tail lashing back trailing a wisp of blood. The demon disappeared before Queequeg could retaliate, so the dragonborn stepped through the portal instead, emerging inside a small room with three doors and four familiar crystal pillars. All but Taegahn and Cedric followed and the final battle began in earnest.
Orchid tried a door and found it to be locked. She quickly picked it open, revealing an empty room. The door directly north of it was locked too and stubbornly refused to open. The crystal pillars pulsed with energy soon enough and quickly the party came under psychic attack from hidden enigmas of Cyric. Queequeg, Gareth, and Gilic all tried to barrel through the door and hack it down, but it refused to budge. Meanwhile, Shava tried the final closed door. The handle surprised her when it turned with well-oiled ease. She swung the door open revealing a massive chamber, a thirty by thirty skull insignia of Cyric on the floor, the large skull statue on the wall opposite the door. Standing on top of the insignia, another bronze minotaur warden. The mechanical abomination whirled its head at Shava and began to stride towards her, swinging its axe with artificial precision.
Gilic raced past the priest and faced the warden head on. Three norkers suddenly sprung from either side of the wall and attacked the brave dwarf as well. Paldemar came into view from the very back of the room and began cackling loudly. The insane wizard paused a moment, concentrating strangely. Tall, sheer crystal prism throughout the chamber blinked in response and Paldemar seemed strengthened by them. He focused crackling lightning at the party, often arcing his strikes to three heroes.
The ensuing battle was pitched. Cedric cast spells at Paldemar bravely and strategically, hampering the wizard enough to blunt his elemental assaults. But Cedric soon found himself beseiged by both Paldemar and a Norker that had tore away from Gilic and Gareth. The mage finally collapsed from his wounds, unconscious and close to death. Shava darted underneath the rampaging warden and made her way to Cedric side. Time stood still for a second as she smiled down at him, placed her hand lightly on his forehead, and muttered a prayer to Corellon. Cedric's face relaxed in response as he stabilized. Shava sighed with relief, but as she arose, a crystal pillar unleashed a bolt of lightning on the helpless wizard. Shava screamed, "No!" but to little avail. Cedric breathed no more.
The death of their friend pushed the rest to fight harder and soon norkers and warden fell at the hands of Gareth and Taegahn. Gilic and Orchid encircled Paldemar and slew him before he could escape through the skull Cyric insignia. The adventurers finally made their way to the first room with the stubborn door and cut down the enigmas of Cyric, their shrieks drowned out by the rage and grief of the wounded, battle weary heroes.
Their foes dead, the party collapsed next to the still form of Cedric. Tears were shed. Sobs choked down. Finally, Gilic said, "Ack, he was good laddy. A wee bit chatty at times, but one of the good ones."
Gareth chuckled, "Yeah. Remember when he thought he could fly? He had to crawl across that blood chamber's ceiling like a hermit crab when it turned out he could only levitate."
The rest of the party laughed along with Gareth. A silence then came over them. Taegahn finally stood and said, "So, uh, what do we do with him now?"
When no one said anything, Shava responded, "We could take him back to Cormyr and perform a ritual to bring him back." Her idea seemed more a question then a statement.
The heroes glanced around at each other awkwardly. After a long time passed, Queequeg said, "I don't know, that seems like an awful lot of trouble. What with dragging the body back, storing the corpse, paying for the components. I heard the ritual only requires a thumb-sized piece of the person, but who wants that in their satchel for the next week?" The dragonborn's voice trailed off. No one said anything.
Gilic coughed uncomfortably. Orchid suddenly chimed in, "Say, didn't we meet a wizard in Seven-pillared Halls? That half-elf with the lazy eye and strange smell?"
Taegahn's face brightened. "Yeah, yeah. Babar, I think his name was. He asked if he could join up with us but we told him to piss off because, you know, we already had a wizard with a lazy eye and strange smell. Hey, do you think he's still there?"
Shava clapped her hands together happily and cheered, "Let's go see!"
"To Seven Pillared Halls!" Gareth bellowed. Gilic grinned broadly, slapping the fighter on the back smartly.
And so, the Victors of Shadowfell Keep made ready to depart, but not before relieving Cedric of his notable gear and coinage. The heroes shuffled out of the chamber one at time, Queequeg the last. The dragonborn paused before exiting, turning back for a final look. Cedric, stripped down to his underwear, lay still and calm, seemingly sleeping but for the charred flesh and the blood trickling down from his nose and mouth.
"Uh, yeah," Queequeg intoned apologetically and then turned and left the labyrinth forever.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Fun With Runes
Summary:
Flush with gold for quests well done, the Victors heaped patronage upon Seven Pillared Hall vendors, buying the mundane and the magical with equal abandon. Outfitted with powerful new implements, and party set out once more.
Key in hand, Orchid led the party down a twisting corridor. Some twenty yards outside Seven Pillared Hall, a set of runes burst into color on the floor in front of the party. At the same time, the key flew from the rogue's hand and into the side of the wall. The party heard an audible click as the key turned and a doorway emerged. The door slid open with a grinding sound, revealing a passageway and a room beyond.
VoSfK eased cautiously into the room. Inside, a spectral image inside a circle of runes cackled insanely about a range of seemingly random talking points, a common theme revolving around the futility of organized thought and sound. Gilic grimaced and said, "What ho, minion of Cyric? You babble incoherently with the best of his ilk." The visage responded with insane laughter and motioned slightly. Seven more images suddenly materialised along the perimeter of the runed circle. Each was a copy of a party member, though twisted, withered, mad versions of the originals. The minion of Cyric laughed with delight at the new arrivals and said, "Answer correctly the questions put forth by you and you may pass. Hahahahahahahahaha. Answer incorrectly and doom yourself to spreading Cyric's blessing of strife and torment upon Toril."
Each member approached their doppelganger and took turns answering questions specific to their profession and life experiences. Most answered correctly, enough so that the cackling Cyricist and his summoned images disappeared with a soft pop. "May Corellon protect us," Shave intoned as she pushed past the party and stepped onto the runes. She disappeared in a cloud of crackling ozone. The rest of the party followed.
Upon teleporting next to a duplicate rune circle, Taegahn strode through a short archway into a large room sprinkled with odd-looking pillars. The two nearest began to hum and vibrate and then suddenly pulsed translucent energy at the ranger. Taegahn screamed in agony as a thousand mind pricks pierced his mortal consciousness. The agony faded quickly but Taegahn staggered away, his battle prowess blunted.
The rest of the party fanned out. Queequeg and Orchid made first contact with a band of norkers, distant cousins to the swampy troglodyte. Orchid cried out, "Incoming!" and the two formed a weak front against the coming wave. Soon the rest of the adventurers swarmed to their aid and a massive battle ensued. In the back of the room, a new set of runes glowed cheerfully, sporadically churning out norker reinforcements. When the last norker fell, Shava said, "I'm going in" and then ran into the portal. Gareth yelled, "Shava!" but the cleric was gone before he could finish. The warrior muttered a curse and then followed suit, Queequeg right behind him.
At the same time, Orchid focused on a nearby door. She jiggled the handle and found it locked. She next attempted to pick the lock but it stubbornly refused to open. Gilic took a running charge at the portal but promptly bounced off. Gareth reappeared out of the rune portal and said, "Minotaur construct. Big" before he quickly accessed the problem at hand and plunged his great axe into the door. It fell before him revealing an empty room but for the two slobbering enigmas of Vecna. The party instantly inferred this pair as responsible for channeling psychic energy through the pillars. Queequeg followed Gareth through the rune portal and immediately charged one of the aspects. Shava came out of the portal grinning saying, "By Corellan, that's one angry minotaur." The party got to work on the two Vecna mindslayers and the two horrors were quickly slain.
The party rested briefly as Gareth explained what waited beyond the runed portal: a massive minotaur construct armed with a proportional great axe. The Victors readied themselves and then arranged for two teams to port back to the construct. The first wave teleported back to face not just the construct, but newly arrived norker and enigma of Vecna reinforcements. Gareth, Gilic, and Taegahn moved to face the construct, while the rest of the party harried the norkers and enigmas. Cedric cast a moving glob of snow and ice and damaged and slowed a good chunk of the enemy, while everyone else hacked and parried and thrust. Finally, Taegahn took careful aim and felled the churning minotaur. It collapsed hard, metal parts bursting and twisting at acute angles, the sound of metal on stone reverberating throughout the chamber. The enigmas paused for a moment as the metal heap came to a piled halt. They suddenly turned around and ran into yet another runed portal as the norker howled in fury at the naked cowardice.
The party soon silenced their indignant screaming.
TO BE CONTINUED
Line(s) of the Night:
"I don't have a dick." - Megan, explaining to Simon the physiological differences between them.
Flush with gold for quests well done, the Victors heaped patronage upon Seven Pillared Hall vendors, buying the mundane and the magical with equal abandon. Outfitted with powerful new implements, and party set out once more.
Key in hand, Orchid led the party down a twisting corridor. Some twenty yards outside Seven Pillared Hall, a set of runes burst into color on the floor in front of the party. At the same time, the key flew from the rogue's hand and into the side of the wall. The party heard an audible click as the key turned and a doorway emerged. The door slid open with a grinding sound, revealing a passageway and a room beyond.
VoSfK eased cautiously into the room. Inside, a spectral image inside a circle of runes cackled insanely about a range of seemingly random talking points, a common theme revolving around the futility of organized thought and sound. Gilic grimaced and said, "What ho, minion of Cyric? You babble incoherently with the best of his ilk." The visage responded with insane laughter and motioned slightly. Seven more images suddenly materialised along the perimeter of the runed circle. Each was a copy of a party member, though twisted, withered, mad versions of the originals. The minion of Cyric laughed with delight at the new arrivals and said, "Answer correctly the questions put forth by you and you may pass. Hahahahahahahahaha. Answer incorrectly and doom yourself to spreading Cyric's blessing of strife and torment upon Toril."
Each member approached their doppelganger and took turns answering questions specific to their profession and life experiences. Most answered correctly, enough so that the cackling Cyricist and his summoned images disappeared with a soft pop. "May Corellon protect us," Shave intoned as she pushed past the party and stepped onto the runes. She disappeared in a cloud of crackling ozone. The rest of the party followed.
Upon teleporting next to a duplicate rune circle, Taegahn strode through a short archway into a large room sprinkled with odd-looking pillars. The two nearest began to hum and vibrate and then suddenly pulsed translucent energy at the ranger. Taegahn screamed in agony as a thousand mind pricks pierced his mortal consciousness. The agony faded quickly but Taegahn staggered away, his battle prowess blunted.
The rest of the party fanned out. Queequeg and Orchid made first contact with a band of norkers, distant cousins to the swampy troglodyte. Orchid cried out, "Incoming!" and the two formed a weak front against the coming wave. Soon the rest of the adventurers swarmed to their aid and a massive battle ensued. In the back of the room, a new set of runes glowed cheerfully, sporadically churning out norker reinforcements. When the last norker fell, Shava said, "I'm going in" and then ran into the portal. Gareth yelled, "Shava!" but the cleric was gone before he could finish. The warrior muttered a curse and then followed suit, Queequeg right behind him.
At the same time, Orchid focused on a nearby door. She jiggled the handle and found it locked. She next attempted to pick the lock but it stubbornly refused to open. Gilic took a running charge at the portal but promptly bounced off. Gareth reappeared out of the rune portal and said, "Minotaur construct. Big" before he quickly accessed the problem at hand and plunged his great axe into the door. It fell before him revealing an empty room but for the two slobbering enigmas of Vecna. The party instantly inferred this pair as responsible for channeling psychic energy through the pillars. Queequeg followed Gareth through the rune portal and immediately charged one of the aspects. Shava came out of the portal grinning saying, "By Corellan, that's one angry minotaur." The party got to work on the two Vecna mindslayers and the two horrors were quickly slain.
The party rested briefly as Gareth explained what waited beyond the runed portal: a massive minotaur construct armed with a proportional great axe. The Victors readied themselves and then arranged for two teams to port back to the construct. The first wave teleported back to face not just the construct, but newly arrived norker and enigma of Vecna reinforcements. Gareth, Gilic, and Taegahn moved to face the construct, while the rest of the party harried the norkers and enigmas. Cedric cast a moving glob of snow and ice and damaged and slowed a good chunk of the enemy, while everyone else hacked and parried and thrust. Finally, Taegahn took careful aim and felled the churning minotaur. It collapsed hard, metal parts bursting and twisting at acute angles, the sound of metal on stone reverberating throughout the chamber. The enigmas paused for a moment as the metal heap came to a piled halt. They suddenly turned around and ran into yet another runed portal as the norker howled in fury at the naked cowardice.
The party soon silenced their indignant screaming.
TO BE CONTINUED
Line(s) of the Night:
"I don't have a dick." - Megan, explaining to Simon the physiological differences between them.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
White Light
The party awoke to a pounding fist outside their inn room doors. Groggy and sleepy eyed, Orchid opened her door and poked her head out. She spied Uthlin hammering away two doors down, shouting, "Ach! I nuu yor 'in there, thieves. I bought the crown fair and square from ye and stealing it after a fair exchange was a sorry bit of dirty pool to be playin'."
In the midst of his tirade, Uthlin hadn't yet spotted Orchid who stepped out and waved a friendly greeting. "Hello there, good Uthlin. How's that pig of yours?"
The dwarf stopped mid-pound and whirled to face Orchid. His eyes narrowed down to slits and he crossed his arms in front of him as he squared his shoulders and feet to face the halfing. "Oh, he's just dandy, thanks for askin'. I suppose you'll be stealing him next, will ya? Worth a pretty penny, my sweet Uthlik, but not exactly fittin' in your pocket, is he now?"
Orchid's face scrunched in confusion. "Um, Uthlin? What are you talking about?"
"You nuu very damn well wat I'm talkin' abuut. And if yuu dunna return it right nuu, I'll put me sweet Uthlik in your pocket meself and bid him chew is way out, if ya get me meanin'."
Hair standing straight up from a particularly restful sleep, Cedric poked his head out the door. "Return what?" he asked as he smoothed his hair back. "Are you talking about the pig's leash? Because I think we returned that too."
Uthlin's face turned beet red. The dwarf lowered his arms to his side, fists clenched and took a step towards the two adventurers. Spittle shot from his moth as he shouted, "YOU NUU DAMN FOOKIN' WELL I'M NOOT TALKIN' ABOUT THE DAMN FOOKIN' LEASH. The crown, twit elf! The crown! I bought it from yuu fair and square and now i's gone and I nuu you took it!"
Orchid and Cedric looked at each other and then back at Uthlin. "Um, Uthlin, we didn't steal your crown. You see, we never sold it to you in the first place. Remember?"
Uthin's rage boiled over, but he lowered his voice as he unbuckled the axe at his hip. "Nuu, I remember no such thing. I guess we'll be doin' this the hard way then. Which is fine by me as I could use a bit of exercise."
The dwarf swung the axe at empty air and then sprang at Orchid with remarkable speed, taking the rogue so unaware, she didn't feel the axe sink into her chest until the blood began bubbling into her lungs, up her throat, out her mouth and down her chin. Cedric stopped managing his hair long enough to shriek with surprise. The mage tried to slam the door shut, but Orchid's limp body thoroughly blocked the egress, her limp head repeatedly squished between swiveling wood and the door jam. Uthlin leaped over the hafling's carcass and cornered Cedric. Queequeg sat up from a bed in the room, sleepily asking, "How's that now? What's all ruckus?"
"Quiet lizard! I've had enoof of your scaly hide to last me a life time!" Uthin hopped deftly to the bed and sunk his axe deep into the dragonborn's skull. The dwarf chortled with glee at the shattering sound. "Ahahahaha! Now that was an egg worth crackin'!" He turned to a cowering Cedric. "And nuu for the main course."
Cedric tucked his head behind his arms and wept for mercy. Uthlin laughed. "Too late for that, twig. Me axe will be tastin' your hide. I might slip and slide in your blood and guts lookin' for the crown later, but that's a price well worth payin'. Nuu say a pray to your maker! It's time to crack another egg!"
Cedric peered out from behind his sleeve. Uthlin stood directly in front of him, axe raised high. The dwarf laughed madly as he began to bring the axe down on the hapless mage. Suddenly, the room got brighter. Just as steel met skin and bone, white light washed over the entire room. Uthlin and his axe faded away in a flash. When color returned, Cedric gazed around the room. Orchid and Queequeg slumbered peacefully across from him. The mage reached up to the top of head and felt blood leaking from a mild cut. Cedric shuddered.
He exhaled, "What the fuck."
In the midst of his tirade, Uthlin hadn't yet spotted Orchid who stepped out and waved a friendly greeting. "Hello there, good Uthlin. How's that pig of yours?"
The dwarf stopped mid-pound and whirled to face Orchid. His eyes narrowed down to slits and he crossed his arms in front of him as he squared his shoulders and feet to face the halfing. "Oh, he's just dandy, thanks for askin'. I suppose you'll be stealing him next, will ya? Worth a pretty penny, my sweet Uthlik, but not exactly fittin' in your pocket, is he now?"
Orchid's face scrunched in confusion. "Um, Uthlin? What are you talking about?"
"You nuu very damn well wat I'm talkin' abuut. And if yuu dunna return it right nuu, I'll put me sweet Uthlik in your pocket meself and bid him chew is way out, if ya get me meanin'."
Hair standing straight up from a particularly restful sleep, Cedric poked his head out the door. "Return what?" he asked as he smoothed his hair back. "Are you talking about the pig's leash? Because I think we returned that too."
Uthlin's face turned beet red. The dwarf lowered his arms to his side, fists clenched and took a step towards the two adventurers. Spittle shot from his moth as he shouted, "YOU NUU DAMN FOOKIN' WELL I'M NOOT TALKIN' ABOUT THE DAMN FOOKIN' LEASH. The crown, twit elf! The crown! I bought it from yuu fair and square and now i's gone and I nuu you took it!"
Orchid and Cedric looked at each other and then back at Uthlin. "Um, Uthlin, we didn't steal your crown. You see, we never sold it to you in the first place. Remember?"
Uthin's rage boiled over, but he lowered his voice as he unbuckled the axe at his hip. "Nuu, I remember no such thing. I guess we'll be doin' this the hard way then. Which is fine by me as I could use a bit of exercise."
The dwarf swung the axe at empty air and then sprang at Orchid with remarkable speed, taking the rogue so unaware, she didn't feel the axe sink into her chest until the blood began bubbling into her lungs, up her throat, out her mouth and down her chin. Cedric stopped managing his hair long enough to shriek with surprise. The mage tried to slam the door shut, but Orchid's limp body thoroughly blocked the egress, her limp head repeatedly squished between swiveling wood and the door jam. Uthlin leaped over the hafling's carcass and cornered Cedric. Queequeg sat up from a bed in the room, sleepily asking, "How's that now? What's all ruckus?"
"Quiet lizard! I've had enoof of your scaly hide to last me a life time!" Uthin hopped deftly to the bed and sunk his axe deep into the dragonborn's skull. The dwarf chortled with glee at the shattering sound. "Ahahahaha! Now that was an egg worth crackin'!" He turned to a cowering Cedric. "And nuu for the main course."
Cedric tucked his head behind his arms and wept for mercy. Uthlin laughed. "Too late for that, twig. Me axe will be tastin' your hide. I might slip and slide in your blood and guts lookin' for the crown later, but that's a price well worth payin'. Nuu say a pray to your maker! It's time to crack another egg!"
Cedric peered out from behind his sleeve. Uthlin stood directly in front of him, axe raised high. The dwarf laughed madly as he began to bring the axe down on the hapless mage. Suddenly, the room got brighter. Just as steel met skin and bone, white light washed over the entire room. Uthlin and his axe faded away in a flash. When color returned, Cedric gazed around the room. Orchid and Queequeg slumbered peacefully across from him. The mage reached up to the top of head and felt blood leaking from a mild cut. Cedric shuddered.
He exhaled, "What the fuck."
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Green Dragon
Summary:
"So, does everyone have their assignments?"
Shava scanned the chamber. Her fellow adventurers grunted affirmations as they made ready for the battle ahead. As they walked out of the chamber to stand at their posts, Shava blessed them, "May Selune protect you."
Together, Orchid and Shava had outlined a plan to begin the ritual within the Well of Demons. With all four ritual pieces in hand, the rogue and cleric placed teams of two at each of the runed pedestals: Shava and Gareth in the room next to the bars, Gilic and Cedric in the room with the broken statues, Orchid and Taegahn in the room with the alter to Baphomet, and Queequeg in the room with the four colored pools. The previous day, Cedric, Orchid, and Queequeg had tasted from the four pools, discovering that red and green provided some kind of enchantment, while yellow poisoned and blue seemed to do nothing. The green water specifically protected against poison, so all but Shava drank from it before the ritual began. With all the doors in the Well spiked open, the teams made their way to the runed pedestals.
The stage was set. The countdown begun. On the count of three, the ritual pieces, mask, tome, bell, and blade, were set down on the pedestals. From deep within the dungeon's bowels, machinery churned to life. Gareth, closest to the magically bound doors, watched carefully as the barrier vibrated slightly and then began to creak open. In the middle of the Well, a bestial roar echoed out from the bottom of the massive pit. Around the pit, a ball of force shimmered into being and rolled clockwise around a grooved path, like a moon in orbit at breakneck speed.
Suddenly, skeletal arms erupted from the stone floor and attempted to grab Shava and Gareth. The Baphomet alter screamed a subliminal message at Taegahn, forcing the ranger to run into the path of the ball of force. Gilic and Cedric drew fire from hidden crossbow traps embedded in the wall. And Queequeg was enveloped by a blob that oozed out of the deceptively benign blue pool. To make matters worse, the dreams that had plagued Queequeg's sleep suddenly coalesced into an irresistible urge to hunt down and slay the party's beloved priestess, Shava.
In full blood rage, Queequeg easily broke from the blob that was trying to drag him into its hued depths and sprinted directly to Shava's last known location. He spotted her quickly and charged. His rage broke the moment he struck her and he cried out, "Hold, dear Shava. I was not myself!" The priestess paused for a moment and then lowered her mace. Rather than striking the recently possessed warlord, she instead brought forth a divine light to push back the subterranean skeleton hands; a few hands went limp, but too many still grabbed at feet and ankles.
Across the Well, Gilic and Cedric encountered the source of the earlier roar as a massive green dragon swooped into their room, attacking and biting the dwarf as it flew by. Also under fire by the crossbows, Gilic and Cedric shouted their retreat as they made his way past the force ball and back to the Well's middle chamber. Taegahn, Gareth, Queequeg also sprinted across the Well to reinforce Gilic's pull. Orchid, intrigued by the crossbow turrets, made her way to the statue room and attempted to disarm them.
The green dragon pursued Cedric and Gilic back to the middle chamber, the force ball passing through it harmlessly. The majority of the party awaited it, none more eager than Queequeg. The dragonborn charged it on sight. The warlord's sword blow rang loudly over his primal scream and the dragon despaired at the sight of such rage and found its movement hindered. Gareth also charged, his axe tearing into the dragon's hide and sprouting hot springs of blood. Taegahn and Cedric fired from range and together, the party began to defeat the dragon.
Shava, meanwhile, continued pulsing forth divine energy until the last skeletal hand went limp. Orchid tried to disarm the turret traps, but while she tinkered, they continued pumping bolts into her. She finally succumbed, on the verge of death.
Taegahn sensed his little friend in need and sprinted out of the middle chamber, with Shava close behind. Upon entering the statue room, Taegahn fell upon the rogue, shielding her from the worst of the fire. Shava arrived on scene and brought Orchid back from the brink. Under focus fire from the rest of the party, the dragon suddenly disappeared! The gigantic lizard teleported to the statue room, prepared to unleash a gaseous cloud on soft prey. The rest of the party ran to the statue room where the dragon made its last stand, finally succumbing to a very healthy dagger barrage by none other than Orchid.
As the dragon rasped its last breath, the party paused a moment, chests heaving from exertion and wounds alike. Machinery continued thundering from below, but then stopped ominously with a thud that rippled through the dungeon like a wave.
The door was now open. The final battle awaited.
TO BE CONTINUED
"So, does everyone have their assignments?"
Shava scanned the chamber. Her fellow adventurers grunted affirmations as they made ready for the battle ahead. As they walked out of the chamber to stand at their posts, Shava blessed them, "May Selune protect you."
Together, Orchid and Shava had outlined a plan to begin the ritual within the Well of Demons. With all four ritual pieces in hand, the rogue and cleric placed teams of two at each of the runed pedestals: Shava and Gareth in the room next to the bars, Gilic and Cedric in the room with the broken statues, Orchid and Taegahn in the room with the alter to Baphomet, and Queequeg in the room with the four colored pools. The previous day, Cedric, Orchid, and Queequeg had tasted from the four pools, discovering that red and green provided some kind of enchantment, while yellow poisoned and blue seemed to do nothing. The green water specifically protected against poison, so all but Shava drank from it before the ritual began. With all the doors in the Well spiked open, the teams made their way to the runed pedestals.
The stage was set. The countdown begun. On the count of three, the ritual pieces, mask, tome, bell, and blade, were set down on the pedestals. From deep within the dungeon's bowels, machinery churned to life. Gareth, closest to the magically bound doors, watched carefully as the barrier vibrated slightly and then began to creak open. In the middle of the Well, a bestial roar echoed out from the bottom of the massive pit. Around the pit, a ball of force shimmered into being and rolled clockwise around a grooved path, like a moon in orbit at breakneck speed.
Suddenly, skeletal arms erupted from the stone floor and attempted to grab Shava and Gareth. The Baphomet alter screamed a subliminal message at Taegahn, forcing the ranger to run into the path of the ball of force. Gilic and Cedric drew fire from hidden crossbow traps embedded in the wall. And Queequeg was enveloped by a blob that oozed out of the deceptively benign blue pool. To make matters worse, the dreams that had plagued Queequeg's sleep suddenly coalesced into an irresistible urge to hunt down and slay the party's beloved priestess, Shava.
In full blood rage, Queequeg easily broke from the blob that was trying to drag him into its hued depths and sprinted directly to Shava's last known location. He spotted her quickly and charged. His rage broke the moment he struck her and he cried out, "Hold, dear Shava. I was not myself!" The priestess paused for a moment and then lowered her mace. Rather than striking the recently possessed warlord, she instead brought forth a divine light to push back the subterranean skeleton hands; a few hands went limp, but too many still grabbed at feet and ankles.
Across the Well, Gilic and Cedric encountered the source of the earlier roar as a massive green dragon swooped into their room, attacking and biting the dwarf as it flew by. Also under fire by the crossbows, Gilic and Cedric shouted their retreat as they made his way past the force ball and back to the Well's middle chamber. Taegahn, Gareth, Queequeg also sprinted across the Well to reinforce Gilic's pull. Orchid, intrigued by the crossbow turrets, made her way to the statue room and attempted to disarm them.
The green dragon pursued Cedric and Gilic back to the middle chamber, the force ball passing through it harmlessly. The majority of the party awaited it, none more eager than Queequeg. The dragonborn charged it on sight. The warlord's sword blow rang loudly over his primal scream and the dragon despaired at the sight of such rage and found its movement hindered. Gareth also charged, his axe tearing into the dragon's hide and sprouting hot springs of blood. Taegahn and Cedric fired from range and together, the party began to defeat the dragon.
Shava, meanwhile, continued pulsing forth divine energy until the last skeletal hand went limp. Orchid tried to disarm the turret traps, but while she tinkered, they continued pumping bolts into her. She finally succumbed, on the verge of death.
Taegahn sensed his little friend in need and sprinted out of the middle chamber, with Shava close behind. Upon entering the statue room, Taegahn fell upon the rogue, shielding her from the worst of the fire. Shava arrived on scene and brought Orchid back from the brink. Under focus fire from the rest of the party, the dragon suddenly disappeared! The gigantic lizard teleported to the statue room, prepared to unleash a gaseous cloud on soft prey. The rest of the party ran to the statue room where the dragon made its last stand, finally succumbing to a very healthy dagger barrage by none other than Orchid.
As the dragon rasped its last breath, the party paused a moment, chests heaving from exertion and wounds alike. Machinery continued thundering from below, but then stopped ominously with a thud that rippled through the dungeon like a wave.
The door was now open. The final battle awaited.
TO BE CONTINUED
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Whip It Good
Summary:
Gilic stooped down and lowered his gauntlet into the pool. On the surface, it appeared as a red, viscous substance. Upon taking his hand out, Gilic straightened and gazed across the chamber's full expanse. Just fifteen feet away, an island platform arose straight from the pool. Atop it, a massive iron minotaur statue, jointed at the limbs and holding a coiled whip. Taegahn squinted and noted dried blood at the whip's end. In the middle of the chamber, a stone walkway some twenty feet wide. At the far end, another large platform displaying a second minotaur statue, its whip less coiled, but similarly bloodied on the ends. To the left and right of that platform, smaller stone islands, one holding a hilt, the other a blade.
"The blood, it burns," Gilic said, holding out his smoldering glove. "And I don't like the jointed look of those statues either."
"Nor I," Taegahn replied as he stepped forward and loosed an arrow at the farthest minotaur. The minotaur didn't react as the arrow's impact echoed over the current of the blood pool.
"I think I can jump that," said Gareth. Of like mind, Queequeg motioned for Taegahn to step away and then sprinted across the foyer. The dragonborn lept across the channel of blood and onto the platform, his clawed feet scratching for purchase as his arms spun for balance. A second later, he righted himself and peered cautiously at the inanimate statue.
He looked back at the party and rumbled, "What are the chances this statue isn't going to come alive?"
"Ack, uhboot as good as your mother not walking the streets tonigh for rat blood money," quipped Gilic.
"By Bahamut's sacred hide! Halfpint, I'm going to jump back over there and dip you head first into the blood. If you come out with any hair left on that patch you call a beard, at the very least the fleas--"
The dragonborn never finished as an evistro suddenly jumped out of the blood pool and pulled him down off the platform and into the drink. As the same time, a loud winding sound could be heard from underneath, like chains on a pulley; the nearest minotaur jerked to life, its movements scripted and choppy, its whip uncoiling.
Gareth reacted instantly, taking a running jump and landing on the platform Queequeg just vacated. He brought his great axe up high and drove it hard into the statue's hide, a resounding blow that vibrated through the weapon into the fighter's feet and arms. Taegahn responded with devastating firepower, calling upon ancient boar ancestors to drive back the evistro. Cedric cast a ray of frost upon the carnage demon just before it dove back into the red murky depths. At 6' 8", Queegqueg's head emerged from the surface of the blood pool, his face grimacing with pain as he waded back to the initial foyer.
Unseen mech arcana suddenly crackled with energy as the minotaur statue roared to full animation, cracked its whip back, and unleashed a whip blow that struck everyone within 35 feet of him. Most of the party was hit and driven back, except for Gareth who managed to anchor himself to his position like a boulder against the tide. Returned to the foyer, Queequeg jumped once more across the pool, joining Gareth next to the statue. The fighter continued raining blows upon the statue. Gilic attempted a similar jump, but cannonballed spectacularly into the pool, well short of the platform. Marking Gilic's air bubbles, Orchid attempted to use Gilic's head as a stepping stone to reach the statue, but she also landed in the pool with a thick splash. Shava also attempted a jump but missed; the cleric began wading to the chamber's central walkway.
Meanwhile, Taegahn lightly jumped from the minotaur platform to the central walkway in what appeared to be a single bound. The second minotaur came to life as the ranger's foot touched the second walkway; Taegahn never seemed to stop as he unloaded on statue and evistro alike at every opportunity. Cedric cast a spell that lifted him high into the air. Upon reaching the ceiling, however, the wizard flailed about, arms and legs gyrating in a vain attempt to launch himself forward. "It seems I, uh, can float but not fly," Cedric mused, "I thought for certain a spell named 'levitate' would grant free-range flight."
Emerging from the blood pool, dripping in liquid gore, Shava sighed contemptuously at the mage. "Dammit Cedric, use the walls and ceiling to push your way across."
"Ah, capital idea!" the wizard replied. Tilting horizontally, Cedric floated as close to the ceiling as he could and grabbed for any handholds he could find as he slowly made his way across the chamber.
Taegahn, meanwhile, studied the whipping motion of the second minotaur and plotted a strategy. As the whip circled around the chamber, the ranger timed the lash's approach to him and grabbed for it. He deftly hung on as the whip continued its circular arc over the blood pool and released his grasp just over the smaller platform. Taegahn landed expertly and grabbed the hilt.
Queequeg plucked Orchid out of the pool just as Gareth fell the spinning minotaur. Shava conjured a divine hammer that rained blows upon the farthest statue as Cedric continued to float ponderously towards the platform holding the blade. Evistros continued harassing the party, attempting to pull in and submerge anyone standing next to the pool. After making his way to the central walkway, Gareth vaulted himself more than 20 feet across the pool to the opposite statue platform. His great axe poised to strike, Gareth saw he was going to fall just short of the platform. At the very last moment, he swung his axe down. Steel met stone as the blade sunk deep into the floor, anchoring Gareth enough to pull himself face-to-face with the remaining statue.
The party finished off the remaining minotaur after Cedric lowered himself down to fetch the blade. Pursued by the remaining evistros, one by one the adventurers leapfrogged across platforms or waded through blood and headed back to the entrance door.
The Victors retreated deep into the Well and broke camp. Orchid set the blade and hilt side-by-side as Queequeg took out a pair of spectacles and studiously examined the two artifacts. Shava did a double take at the warlord and said, "Dragonborn, your spectacles."
"Hmm?" Queequeg said, distracted by his study.
"They don't have lenses in them."
"That's right."
Shava glanced at the rest of the party for insight. Cedric shrugged his shoulders while Queequeg suddenly snatched the two pieces, connected the hilt to the blade at a 90 degree angle, and then twisted while pressing a hidden button at its base. The blade merged together with a blue glow that faded within a second.
Queequeg intoned, "The Blade of Baphomet. A deadly effective weapon in its own right, but forged to be wielded only by a minotaur. Any other race that tries to use it will go berserk with blood lust."
"So if we handed it to Orchid, we really wouldn't notice a difference, huh?" Gareth said.
The Victors paused for a moment and then broke out laughing in unison, their shoulders moving up and down with the force of their mirth.
The laughing continued longer than it should.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewt(z):
The Blade of Baphomet
The Mask of Baphomet
Line(s) of the Night:
"I load and cock Orchid!" - Simon, metaphorically referring to the deadly weapon that is Orchid.
Gilic stooped down and lowered his gauntlet into the pool. On the surface, it appeared as a red, viscous substance. Upon taking his hand out, Gilic straightened and gazed across the chamber's full expanse. Just fifteen feet away, an island platform arose straight from the pool. Atop it, a massive iron minotaur statue, jointed at the limbs and holding a coiled whip. Taegahn squinted and noted dried blood at the whip's end. In the middle of the chamber, a stone walkway some twenty feet wide. At the far end, another large platform displaying a second minotaur statue, its whip less coiled, but similarly bloodied on the ends. To the left and right of that platform, smaller stone islands, one holding a hilt, the other a blade.
"The blood, it burns," Gilic said, holding out his smoldering glove. "And I don't like the jointed look of those statues either."
"Nor I," Taegahn replied as he stepped forward and loosed an arrow at the farthest minotaur. The minotaur didn't react as the arrow's impact echoed over the current of the blood pool.
"I think I can jump that," said Gareth. Of like mind, Queequeg motioned for Taegahn to step away and then sprinted across the foyer. The dragonborn lept across the channel of blood and onto the platform, his clawed feet scratching for purchase as his arms spun for balance. A second later, he righted himself and peered cautiously at the inanimate statue.
He looked back at the party and rumbled, "What are the chances this statue isn't going to come alive?"
"Ack, uhboot as good as your mother not walking the streets tonigh for rat blood money," quipped Gilic.
"By Bahamut's sacred hide! Halfpint, I'm going to jump back over there and dip you head first into the blood. If you come out with any hair left on that patch you call a beard, at the very least the fleas--"
The dragonborn never finished as an evistro suddenly jumped out of the blood pool and pulled him down off the platform and into the drink. As the same time, a loud winding sound could be heard from underneath, like chains on a pulley; the nearest minotaur jerked to life, its movements scripted and choppy, its whip uncoiling.
Gareth reacted instantly, taking a running jump and landing on the platform Queequeg just vacated. He brought his great axe up high and drove it hard into the statue's hide, a resounding blow that vibrated through the weapon into the fighter's feet and arms. Taegahn responded with devastating firepower, calling upon ancient boar ancestors to drive back the evistro. Cedric cast a ray of frost upon the carnage demon just before it dove back into the red murky depths. At 6' 8", Queegqueg's head emerged from the surface of the blood pool, his face grimacing with pain as he waded back to the initial foyer.
Unseen mech arcana suddenly crackled with energy as the minotaur statue roared to full animation, cracked its whip back, and unleashed a whip blow that struck everyone within 35 feet of him. Most of the party was hit and driven back, except for Gareth who managed to anchor himself to his position like a boulder against the tide. Returned to the foyer, Queequeg jumped once more across the pool, joining Gareth next to the statue. The fighter continued raining blows upon the statue. Gilic attempted a similar jump, but cannonballed spectacularly into the pool, well short of the platform. Marking Gilic's air bubbles, Orchid attempted to use Gilic's head as a stepping stone to reach the statue, but she also landed in the pool with a thick splash. Shava also attempted a jump but missed; the cleric began wading to the chamber's central walkway.
Meanwhile, Taegahn lightly jumped from the minotaur platform to the central walkway in what appeared to be a single bound. The second minotaur came to life as the ranger's foot touched the second walkway; Taegahn never seemed to stop as he unloaded on statue and evistro alike at every opportunity. Cedric cast a spell that lifted him high into the air. Upon reaching the ceiling, however, the wizard flailed about, arms and legs gyrating in a vain attempt to launch himself forward. "It seems I, uh, can float but not fly," Cedric mused, "I thought for certain a spell named 'levitate' would grant free-range flight."
Emerging from the blood pool, dripping in liquid gore, Shava sighed contemptuously at the mage. "Dammit Cedric, use the walls and ceiling to push your way across."
"Ah, capital idea!" the wizard replied. Tilting horizontally, Cedric floated as close to the ceiling as he could and grabbed for any handholds he could find as he slowly made his way across the chamber.
Taegahn, meanwhile, studied the whipping motion of the second minotaur and plotted a strategy. As the whip circled around the chamber, the ranger timed the lash's approach to him and grabbed for it. He deftly hung on as the whip continued its circular arc over the blood pool and released his grasp just over the smaller platform. Taegahn landed expertly and grabbed the hilt.
Queequeg plucked Orchid out of the pool just as Gareth fell the spinning minotaur. Shava conjured a divine hammer that rained blows upon the farthest statue as Cedric continued to float ponderously towards the platform holding the blade. Evistros continued harassing the party, attempting to pull in and submerge anyone standing next to the pool. After making his way to the central walkway, Gareth vaulted himself more than 20 feet across the pool to the opposite statue platform. His great axe poised to strike, Gareth saw he was going to fall just short of the platform. At the very last moment, he swung his axe down. Steel met stone as the blade sunk deep into the floor, anchoring Gareth enough to pull himself face-to-face with the remaining statue.
The party finished off the remaining minotaur after Cedric lowered himself down to fetch the blade. Pursued by the remaining evistros, one by one the adventurers leapfrogged across platforms or waded through blood and headed back to the entrance door.
The Victors retreated deep into the Well and broke camp. Orchid set the blade and hilt side-by-side as Queequeg took out a pair of spectacles and studiously examined the two artifacts. Shava did a double take at the warlord and said, "Dragonborn, your spectacles."
"Hmm?" Queequeg said, distracted by his study.
"They don't have lenses in them."
"That's right."
Shava glanced at the rest of the party for insight. Cedric shrugged his shoulders while Queequeg suddenly snatched the two pieces, connected the hilt to the blade at a 90 degree angle, and then twisted while pressing a hidden button at its base. The blade merged together with a blue glow that faded within a second.
Queequeg intoned, "The Blade of Baphomet. A deadly effective weapon in its own right, but forged to be wielded only by a minotaur. Any other race that tries to use it will go berserk with blood lust."
"So if we handed it to Orchid, we really wouldn't notice a difference, huh?" Gareth said.
The Victors paused for a moment and then broke out laughing in unison, their shoulders moving up and down with the force of their mirth.
The laughing continued longer than it should.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewt(z):
The Blade of Baphomet
The Mask of Baphomet
Line(s) of the Night:
"I load and cock Orchid!" - Simon, metaphorically referring to the deadly weapon that is Orchid.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Ghosts and Columns...
excerpt from the Pages of “The Tales of Gilic Durcral, of the Stone Wolf Clan”
‘Twas gud to be in the mountains. The sense o’stone around me was welcoming. But the foul stench o’ the place was more than muh whiskers could take. We had been down there for a few weeks at this point. I was still quite new to this whole ‘venturing business and was a little unsure as to what our goal was. But I had taken up me hammer in the name of the Soul Forger and strode out from m’clans halls to experience the world, and see what good could be done.
We had gone from killing Goblins and their larger cousins, to damnable Druegar, and were now killing stinking Gnolls. I’m not sure which I hated most ‘bout the wee buggers. Their stench or their incessant cacklin’.
The group had cleared out their archery range and were securing the boar, Uthlik. I helped Taeghan with a few words of m’own tongue to help in calming the beast. Not sure when we became fetchers of pets? But, that old longbeard back in the hall had some attachment to the creature and had plenty o’gems with our name of them I think.
After a short rest we pushed further into the temple. The wee one, Orchid, she scouted ahead. The temples walls had been built well, but housed many an evil. We all crept forward on her command, sneaking into another hallway, two doors could be seen on the left wall. We all got inside and Taeghan and Orchid slid forward, they had not gone ten yards when that cackling returned. The two doors burst open and again we were thrust into battle.
A large Gnoll bitch stood in one door, runes covering her ragged armor, while in the other door, an’ right on front o’ Taeghan stood some planar creature. Its stony hide pulsating with vile energy. Taeghan quickly shot at the beast and forced it to stumble backwards, quickly slamming the door closed again. Gareth charged the Gnoll, his axe cleaving a mighty rent into her side. We split our forces and dispatched them without too much trouble, we had become quite a force in the past few months.
We were just cleaning up when we heard chains rattle from down the hall. We rushed forward to keep the battle moving. But seemingly to Orchid’s dismay, what we found was not to be killed. A couple o’Tieflings shackled and chained t’the wall. We approached with caution, this labyrinth had held many a surprise. They asked for help, saying that they were fellow adventures, here to seek riches, their names where Katal and Azkalek. They had been accosted by the Gnolls and were going to be sacrificed. Their armor and weapons where on the table on front o’ them. Upon inspection Orchid noticed that the weapons were poison blades. We questioned them at length, but discovered nothing. They even offered their service, which we declined and we escorted them from the temple.
I got out a bit a’ jerky as Orchid deftly searched the gnoll that we had slain. She found some magical gloves that Cedric took, did some arcane trick or another. After a swig from my skin, we were off again. We had come to a dead end in the passage we were following and decided to go back to the main hall and take the other way.
The passage grew colder as we progressed. We reached a door, large and black with a brass knocker. Orchid opened it and we went to enter. The coldness seemed to take shape on front o’my own eyes. Ghost like creatures came to life, a large human in plate mail, a greatsword in his hand, and a massive gash down his side. A female human, dressed in long robes, her face was like a dark cloud, featureless and sullen. And a dwarf finished up the trio. He was clad in chain, his beard was braided and looked madder than me own father. “Why do you seek the well of Demons, why do you seek the proving grounds?” The faceless woman boomed.
It took a few seconds for me t’release the grip I had on ma’hammer. And I could see the rest of the party take a sigh of relief upon realizing a fight was not imminent, at least not right away. The ghosts, if that’s what they were, went on to ask us many a question. It was as if they were testing us. It seemed as though they were long dead adventurers, who tried to assault the Temple, and who had failed. Now cursed to see if newcomers were up to the task. After more than a dozen questions, most of which we seemed to get correct, though few of our answers to the stern faced Dwarf, seemed to please him. They let us pass. With some information of what lay ahead.
It was told to us that the temple had four rune marked spell circles. Each was keyed to a certain item. The items sounded familiar, Mask, Blade, Bell and Tome. It turned out Orchid had found a wee book back in the Gnoll bitches room, which she brought forth. One down, three to go I thought.
The ghosts told us of other treasure rooms and that upon placement of the four items, a portal would open and a green dragon would come forth. This was an ancient proving ritual of the followers of Bahamut. These bloody Minotaurs, like to have fun I see.
The ghosts faded into the shadows after they had told their tale. We headed for the southern room. Making our way through the temple area, with no ill effects. A short hallway ended in a black door. Taeghan slowly opened the door. The room beyond was pale stone with many tall carved pillars. The pillars had humanoid shapes carved into them, many different bodies all on top of one another. Gareth an’ I, shouldered our way into the room, t’check it out. Not five feet inside the door and the columns came to life. Moaning and shrieking, their arms flailing wildly and grasping at us. Shava called forth the power of her god and smote one of the columns, the divine energy seemed to do very little as the creatures kept on flailing. We all moved in to investigate. Taeghan strafed off to the left, while Shava and I pushed straight ahead. Just then the moaning from the columns subsided for just a minute. The moaning was replaced by a loud scream. It disoriented those around the columns, just about all of us.
Taeghan came across a foe, calling out as he moved in on it, at the far end of the room. Another of the planar creatures, and there behind it on a small altar, a large hand bell. One of the four items we were looking for. We all moved to intercept the creature, just as more demonic gnolls burst forth from the very pillars. We were fighting on all sides. Gareth had made it to the planar creature and was tackling it and a gnoll. A gnoll had come at me, and I had just gotten ma’ shield up in time. Queequeg had a couple Gnolls on him, but he looked like he had it in hand. His scaly hide turned the maces o’ the beasts away.
It seemed to be going fine till that wee Elf Taeghan went ahead and picked up the damnable Bell. CLANG ….ooowwWWWW. He had rang the bell, and it had sent out spikes into his hand. Hopefully it will lessen his ability to play his harp.
The sound that came from the bell was not just a musical note, it seemed to cause those around it, friend and foe alike to come alive with some sort o’ bloodlust. This was no more evident as when Shava strode past me, swinging her mace above her head shouting something about Corellon. She went right up to the Planar beast and let him have it. Aye, it was good to see the dust knocked off that mace. Between her and Gareth they felled the beast.
We made quick work of the gnolls after that. We retreated from the chamber, trying to avoid the dangers posed by the columns. Their shrieks had various effects, we were almost out when a dark mist came ‘bout us, and made us appear in different parts of the room. We ran at this point to exit the chamber, bell in hand as well as a bauble that Cedric had found beneath the altar.
Quotes:
“Save the world, one Gnoll at a time” – Shava to the tieflings
“Luskin…..thats a wretched hive of scum and villany” – Kenji (playing Queequeg) and having failed a knowledge check about the town
“Pati’s got your sack in her drawers!” – Simon to Blake upon Pati putting blakes dice bag in the table drawer.
Spoils of War:
Bracers of Defense – Gareth
Shadowfell Gloves - Cedric
‘Twas gud to be in the mountains. The sense o’stone around me was welcoming. But the foul stench o’ the place was more than muh whiskers could take. We had been down there for a few weeks at this point. I was still quite new to this whole ‘venturing business and was a little unsure as to what our goal was. But I had taken up me hammer in the name of the Soul Forger and strode out from m’clans halls to experience the world, and see what good could be done.
We had gone from killing Goblins and their larger cousins, to damnable Druegar, and were now killing stinking Gnolls. I’m not sure which I hated most ‘bout the wee buggers. Their stench or their incessant cacklin’.
The group had cleared out their archery range and were securing the boar, Uthlik. I helped Taeghan with a few words of m’own tongue to help in calming the beast. Not sure when we became fetchers of pets? But, that old longbeard back in the hall had some attachment to the creature and had plenty o’gems with our name of them I think.
After a short rest we pushed further into the temple. The wee one, Orchid, she scouted ahead. The temples walls had been built well, but housed many an evil. We all crept forward on her command, sneaking into another hallway, two doors could be seen on the left wall. We all got inside and Taeghan and Orchid slid forward, they had not gone ten yards when that cackling returned. The two doors burst open and again we were thrust into battle.
A large Gnoll bitch stood in one door, runes covering her ragged armor, while in the other door, an’ right on front o’ Taeghan stood some planar creature. Its stony hide pulsating with vile energy. Taeghan quickly shot at the beast and forced it to stumble backwards, quickly slamming the door closed again. Gareth charged the Gnoll, his axe cleaving a mighty rent into her side. We split our forces and dispatched them without too much trouble, we had become quite a force in the past few months.
We were just cleaning up when we heard chains rattle from down the hall. We rushed forward to keep the battle moving. But seemingly to Orchid’s dismay, what we found was not to be killed. A couple o’Tieflings shackled and chained t’the wall. We approached with caution, this labyrinth had held many a surprise. They asked for help, saying that they were fellow adventures, here to seek riches, their names where Katal and Azkalek. They had been accosted by the Gnolls and were going to be sacrificed. Their armor and weapons where on the table on front o’ them. Upon inspection Orchid noticed that the weapons were poison blades. We questioned them at length, but discovered nothing. They even offered their service, which we declined and we escorted them from the temple.
I got out a bit a’ jerky as Orchid deftly searched the gnoll that we had slain. She found some magical gloves that Cedric took, did some arcane trick or another. After a swig from my skin, we were off again. We had come to a dead end in the passage we were following and decided to go back to the main hall and take the other way.
The passage grew colder as we progressed. We reached a door, large and black with a brass knocker. Orchid opened it and we went to enter. The coldness seemed to take shape on front o’my own eyes. Ghost like creatures came to life, a large human in plate mail, a greatsword in his hand, and a massive gash down his side. A female human, dressed in long robes, her face was like a dark cloud, featureless and sullen. And a dwarf finished up the trio. He was clad in chain, his beard was braided and looked madder than me own father. “Why do you seek the well of Demons, why do you seek the proving grounds?” The faceless woman boomed.
It took a few seconds for me t’release the grip I had on ma’hammer. And I could see the rest of the party take a sigh of relief upon realizing a fight was not imminent, at least not right away. The ghosts, if that’s what they were, went on to ask us many a question. It was as if they were testing us. It seemed as though they were long dead adventurers, who tried to assault the Temple, and who had failed. Now cursed to see if newcomers were up to the task. After more than a dozen questions, most of which we seemed to get correct, though few of our answers to the stern faced Dwarf, seemed to please him. They let us pass. With some information of what lay ahead.
It was told to us that the temple had four rune marked spell circles. Each was keyed to a certain item. The items sounded familiar, Mask, Blade, Bell and Tome. It turned out Orchid had found a wee book back in the Gnoll bitches room, which she brought forth. One down, three to go I thought.
The ghosts told us of other treasure rooms and that upon placement of the four items, a portal would open and a green dragon would come forth. This was an ancient proving ritual of the followers of Bahamut. These bloody Minotaurs, like to have fun I see.
The ghosts faded into the shadows after they had told their tale. We headed for the southern room. Making our way through the temple area, with no ill effects. A short hallway ended in a black door. Taeghan slowly opened the door. The room beyond was pale stone with many tall carved pillars. The pillars had humanoid shapes carved into them, many different bodies all on top of one another. Gareth an’ I, shouldered our way into the room, t’check it out. Not five feet inside the door and the columns came to life. Moaning and shrieking, their arms flailing wildly and grasping at us. Shava called forth the power of her god and smote one of the columns, the divine energy seemed to do very little as the creatures kept on flailing. We all moved in to investigate. Taeghan strafed off to the left, while Shava and I pushed straight ahead. Just then the moaning from the columns subsided for just a minute. The moaning was replaced by a loud scream. It disoriented those around the columns, just about all of us.
Taeghan came across a foe, calling out as he moved in on it, at the far end of the room. Another of the planar creatures, and there behind it on a small altar, a large hand bell. One of the four items we were looking for. We all moved to intercept the creature, just as more demonic gnolls burst forth from the very pillars. We were fighting on all sides. Gareth had made it to the planar creature and was tackling it and a gnoll. A gnoll had come at me, and I had just gotten ma’ shield up in time. Queequeg had a couple Gnolls on him, but he looked like he had it in hand. His scaly hide turned the maces o’ the beasts away.
It seemed to be going fine till that wee Elf Taeghan went ahead and picked up the damnable Bell. CLANG ….ooowwWWWW. He had rang the bell, and it had sent out spikes into his hand. Hopefully it will lessen his ability to play his harp.
The sound that came from the bell was not just a musical note, it seemed to cause those around it, friend and foe alike to come alive with some sort o’ bloodlust. This was no more evident as when Shava strode past me, swinging her mace above her head shouting something about Corellon. She went right up to the Planar beast and let him have it. Aye, it was good to see the dust knocked off that mace. Between her and Gareth they felled the beast.
We made quick work of the gnolls after that. We retreated from the chamber, trying to avoid the dangers posed by the columns. Their shrieks had various effects, we were almost out when a dark mist came ‘bout us, and made us appear in different parts of the room. We ran at this point to exit the chamber, bell in hand as well as a bauble that Cedric had found beneath the altar.
Quotes:
“Save the world, one Gnoll at a time” – Shava to the tieflings
“Luskin…..thats a wretched hive of scum and villany” – Kenji (playing Queequeg) and having failed a knowledge check about the town
“Pati’s got your sack in her drawers!” – Simon to Blake upon Pati putting blakes dice bag in the table drawer.
Spoils of War:
Bracers of Defense – Gareth
Shadowfell Gloves - Cedric
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Uthlik Unleashed
Summary:
At last, the party arrived at a massive set of double doors, fashioned in the image of a sneering minotaur face. Double doors opened at the minotaur's mouth and the party entered carefully, pulling out everburning torches and sunrods to illuminate the passage before them. The hallway ended soon enough, expanding into a huge chamber with five columns depicting fanged minotaur faces. The adventures discerned an open passage to the south and a set of double doors to the east. An ominous pit lay closest to the south east passage. The columns suddenly spoke in the voice of a minotaur, referring to Baphomet and power to come from mask, blade, bell, and tome.
Gareth stepped carefully into the chamber, his axe readied, magical torch stuffed in his belt. He paused for a moment as the ground rumbled softly and dust fell from the ceiling. He looked back at the party just as the ground exploded in front of him, two writhing tentacles emerging from the floor and slamming into Gareth and Gilic. Two more tentacles descended from the ceiling, enveloping alternating party members. Taegahn took aim at one of the chokers attached to the ceiling; at the last second, the choker suddenly flung Gilic in the reign of fire, shielding itself at the paladin's expense.
The phalagar and two cavern chokers proved dangerous foes, rooting adventurers with wrapping tendrils that oozed acid that burned through armor and flesh with equal ease. Gareth managed to approach the phalagar and even prevented it from shifting away while Taegahn circled around for a better view of all three foes, completely unaware of a ghoul lurking in the nearby shadows. Observing the merciless sneak attack on her brother, Shava focused divine light on the ghoul, shoving it back several feet into the yawning pit. It landed at the bottom with an audible thud and then rose from prone and began clawing at the walls in a vein attempt to escape. The phalagar and cavern chokers died not long after.
The Victors next approached the east double doors. Ear to egress, Orchid reported the signature barking giggle of gnolls. Gareth led the way down a passageway that branched north and south and ended in a room to the east. Just fifteen feet from he doors, two gnolls stepped out from the north passage and the battle was joined. In the midst of slaying the two ambushers, a giant gnoll stepped into view at the end of the hallway. Gilic held his hammer to the heavens and prayed for the wrath of his god to aid his friends in righteous might before he charged the demonic gnoll and his pack of laughing hyenas. The ensuing battle was fierce and bloody, but ultimately the demon gnoll and his pets breathed their last. Weary from fighting, the party made camp. Upon awakening, Queequeg complained of sleeping and dreaming badly.
Gathering their equipment, the Victors turned down the south passage. Two sets of double doors were a good distance from each other on the west side of the wall. Orchid listened and heard more barking along with some incongruous snorting. The party discussed skipping the door with its odd barnyard sounds, but Queequeg was intrigued and flung the door open. Beyond, a rectangle chamber, a pen of chicken wire taking up much of the north end, a six foot high wall of hay bales the south end. A set of double doors led out the west wall. Four hyenas circled the pen which held a humongous, enraged boar. Someone in the party shouted "Uthlik!," Uthlin's missing and beloved pet pig. Half the party stepped into the room and engaged the hyenas. Gareth leaped over the pen and began hacking at the chain staked into the ground.
Suddenly, an army of gnoll archers peeked over the south wall of hay. A leader barked a command and the company all focused on the dragonborn warlord and opened up withering fire. The warlord nearly felled, Shava healed him before dashing after Gilic, Taegahn, and Cedric as they headed out of the room and back down the passageway to the southern set of double doors. Queequeg bounded into the pen to help Gareth break the chain holding Uthlik the Angry Dire Boar. The latter, tortured and persecuted for countless days, was long past the point of telling friend from foe and savagely gored Queequeg just as Gareth broke the chain. Orchid made quick work of hyenas, her dagger a blur of blood, sinew, and steel.
Gilic, Shava, Taeghan, and Cedric meanwhile flanked the gnolls, flinging the southern doors wide and charging to attack. Gilic nearly fell numerous times from a series of gnoll archer volleys, while Shava brought down divine light to heal friends and harm foes. Orchid stepped out of the room, closed the doors and spiked them for good measure. She backtracked north and around to spike the west doors as well. Gareth and Queequeg ran to the wall of hay, avoiding Uthlik charging into the last remaining hyena. The pair climbed the bales deftly, reinforcing their friends soon the last gnoll archer died.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewt(z):
Cloak of Resistance +2 - Orchid
At last, the party arrived at a massive set of double doors, fashioned in the image of a sneering minotaur face. Double doors opened at the minotaur's mouth and the party entered carefully, pulling out everburning torches and sunrods to illuminate the passage before them. The hallway ended soon enough, expanding into a huge chamber with five columns depicting fanged minotaur faces. The adventures discerned an open passage to the south and a set of double doors to the east. An ominous pit lay closest to the south east passage. The columns suddenly spoke in the voice of a minotaur, referring to Baphomet and power to come from mask, blade, bell, and tome.
Gareth stepped carefully into the chamber, his axe readied, magical torch stuffed in his belt. He paused for a moment as the ground rumbled softly and dust fell from the ceiling. He looked back at the party just as the ground exploded in front of him, two writhing tentacles emerging from the floor and slamming into Gareth and Gilic. Two more tentacles descended from the ceiling, enveloping alternating party members. Taegahn took aim at one of the chokers attached to the ceiling; at the last second, the choker suddenly flung Gilic in the reign of fire, shielding itself at the paladin's expense.
The phalagar and two cavern chokers proved dangerous foes, rooting adventurers with wrapping tendrils that oozed acid that burned through armor and flesh with equal ease. Gareth managed to approach the phalagar and even prevented it from shifting away while Taegahn circled around for a better view of all three foes, completely unaware of a ghoul lurking in the nearby shadows. Observing the merciless sneak attack on her brother, Shava focused divine light on the ghoul, shoving it back several feet into the yawning pit. It landed at the bottom with an audible thud and then rose from prone and began clawing at the walls in a vein attempt to escape. The phalagar and cavern chokers died not long after.
The Victors next approached the east double doors. Ear to egress, Orchid reported the signature barking giggle of gnolls. Gareth led the way down a passageway that branched north and south and ended in a room to the east. Just fifteen feet from he doors, two gnolls stepped out from the north passage and the battle was joined. In the midst of slaying the two ambushers, a giant gnoll stepped into view at the end of the hallway. Gilic held his hammer to the heavens and prayed for the wrath of his god to aid his friends in righteous might before he charged the demonic gnoll and his pack of laughing hyenas. The ensuing battle was fierce and bloody, but ultimately the demon gnoll and his pets breathed their last. Weary from fighting, the party made camp. Upon awakening, Queequeg complained of sleeping and dreaming badly.
Gathering their equipment, the Victors turned down the south passage. Two sets of double doors were a good distance from each other on the west side of the wall. Orchid listened and heard more barking along with some incongruous snorting. The party discussed skipping the door with its odd barnyard sounds, but Queequeg was intrigued and flung the door open. Beyond, a rectangle chamber, a pen of chicken wire taking up much of the north end, a six foot high wall of hay bales the south end. A set of double doors led out the west wall. Four hyenas circled the pen which held a humongous, enraged boar. Someone in the party shouted "Uthlik!," Uthlin's missing and beloved pet pig. Half the party stepped into the room and engaged the hyenas. Gareth leaped over the pen and began hacking at the chain staked into the ground.
Suddenly, an army of gnoll archers peeked over the south wall of hay. A leader barked a command and the company all focused on the dragonborn warlord and opened up withering fire. The warlord nearly felled, Shava healed him before dashing after Gilic, Taegahn, and Cedric as they headed out of the room and back down the passageway to the southern set of double doors. Queequeg bounded into the pen to help Gareth break the chain holding Uthlik the Angry Dire Boar. The latter, tortured and persecuted for countless days, was long past the point of telling friend from foe and savagely gored Queequeg just as Gareth broke the chain. Orchid made quick work of hyenas, her dagger a blur of blood, sinew, and steel.
Gilic, Shava, Taeghan, and Cedric meanwhile flanked the gnolls, flinging the southern doors wide and charging to attack. Gilic nearly fell numerous times from a series of gnoll archer volleys, while Shava brought down divine light to heal friends and harm foes. Orchid stepped out of the room, closed the doors and spiked them for good measure. She backtracked north and around to spike the west doors as well. Gareth and Queequeg ran to the wall of hay, avoiding Uthlik charging into the last remaining hyena. The pair climbed the bales deftly, reinforcing their friends soon the last gnoll archer died.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewt(z):
Cloak of Resistance +2 - Orchid
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Alas, Poor King Thane! I Knew Him.
Summary:
The Victors of Shadowfell Keep marched deeper into the Underdark on their way to Well of Demons and the gang of demon worshipping gnolls that dwelled there, the Blackfang gang.
The journey marked in days, not hours, the party encountered frequent denizens of the Underdark, including a clutch of firebats that proved only a momentary distraction. The following day, the party ran into a dwarf leading four scraggly humans. The dwarf turned out to be none other than King Thane who wasted little time in confronting the party, ascertaining them as foes of Underdark evil, and demanding they join him as followers. Surina, the mysterious dragonkind who recently attached herself to the Victors, asked Thane if he intended to conquest the Underdark for good or evil. The King began to explain himself, but before he finished, Surina attacked the dwarf and his followers. Before the party could barely react, Orchid launched a wickedly gyrating dagger that twanged too solidly into the side of King Thane's head, killing him instantly. The party wasted little time in berating Surina for her hasty reaction; the dragonkind spewed bile-filled nonsense before stalking off. Orchid relieved Thane of his crested neck piece.
The party next came upon a strange undead being, leading some fellow mindless zombies. Curiously, the undead requested peaceful passing with the adventurers. After talking with the undead, the party agreed to let them pass, though Shava and Gareth expressed grave misgivings at the idea of allowing the walking dead to roam free.
On the third day, the party stumbled upon a gelatinous cube joined up with some phase wights. Unlike the last undead encountered, these made no attempt at parley, their gaping jaws and shrieking howls yearning humanoid flesh. The party made short work of them.
TO BE CONTINUED
The Victors of Shadowfell Keep marched deeper into the Underdark on their way to Well of Demons and the gang of demon worshipping gnolls that dwelled there, the Blackfang gang.
The journey marked in days, not hours, the party encountered frequent denizens of the Underdark, including a clutch of firebats that proved only a momentary distraction. The following day, the party ran into a dwarf leading four scraggly humans. The dwarf turned out to be none other than King Thane who wasted little time in confronting the party, ascertaining them as foes of Underdark evil, and demanding they join him as followers. Surina, the mysterious dragonkind who recently attached herself to the Victors, asked Thane if he intended to conquest the Underdark for good or evil. The King began to explain himself, but before he finished, Surina attacked the dwarf and his followers. Before the party could barely react, Orchid launched a wickedly gyrating dagger that twanged too solidly into the side of King Thane's head, killing him instantly. The party wasted little time in berating Surina for her hasty reaction; the dragonkind spewed bile-filled nonsense before stalking off. Orchid relieved Thane of his crested neck piece.
The party next came upon a strange undead being, leading some fellow mindless zombies. Curiously, the undead requested peaceful passing with the adventurers. After talking with the undead, the party agreed to let them pass, though Shava and Gareth expressed grave misgivings at the idea of allowing the walking dead to roam free.
On the third day, the party stumbled upon a gelatinous cube joined up with some phase wights. Unlike the last undead encountered, these made no attempt at parley, their gaping jaws and shrieking howls yearning humanoid flesh. The party made short work of them.
TO BE CONTINUED
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Ze Plot Thickens
Summary:
An hour later, a crossbow bolt came whizzing past the party, clattering harmlessly against the hold's stone wall. The Bloodreavers agreed to the Victor's terms, though amended the time it would take them to vacate to a week. Gilic spoke for the party, finalizing the deal, insisting the Bloodreaver send over the slaves immediately. A sorry pack of humanoids trudged into view soon after, three humans and a goblin. The goblin wasted little time asserting himself, gesturing widely and chattering in his native tongue. As no one spoke goblin, Cedric conjured a spell and began translating what proved to be mostly incoherent babbling. The goblin suddenly shrieked and pointed! All eyes looked as the goblin moved to grab Cedric's sheathed dagger. Taegahn almost yawned as he emptied two arrows into the wretch.
The other slaves, human Cormyrians, stared in abject horror, though they were assured the same fate did not await them. One of the slaves, a weathered miner, reported that the Bloodreavers has been particularly active lately, gathering more than twenty slaves the past week alone. He and the others knew little else, but assured VoSFK an award awaited them if they provided safe passage back to the Seven Pillar Halls and the Deep Gem Mining Company.
The party gathered their gear and set out back to the Halls. Along the way, a mob of monsters slid out of hidden panels and attacked the adventurers. A fire drake and three bugbears attacked from the front, an ettercap from the back. The latter spewed warm webbing all over the tightly bunched party, immobilizing Shava and Queequeg and making movement more difficult for everyone else. Cedric sprayed sizzling acid on the drakes and bugbears, while Taegahn fired into the chittering ettercap. Gareth absorbed three separate mighty blows from blunt bugbear weaponry and then returned as good as he got. The slobbering monsters fell dead like dominos in a parlor game and the party traveled the rest of the way unmolested.
The Victors first stopped at the Deep Gem Mining Company office. Rejoiced at the return of his employees, the old dwarf Uthlin gave each party member a heavy amethyst gem. As the adventuerers made to leave, Uthlin asked that they keep their eyes open for his prized boar, Uthlik, who followed some of his miners out into the Underdark, but never returned. Taegahn snickered when Uthlin proudly intimated that Uthlik meant "little son" in dwarven. The elf muttered under his breath that the name more likely translated into "pig-fucker."
"Eh, what's that you say elf?" Uthlin bellowed.
"Oh, nothing!" chimed Taegahn musically.
Uthlin glowered, sure he'd been insulted but uncertain what was said. Cedric, meanwhile, shook his head and said, "A boar roaming the tunnels of Underdark? Let me stop by the nearest butcher and bring you back a rack of ham for surely the denizens of Underdark feast well on bacon this night."
"Why you little bastard! Uthlik's alive I tell you! He's a smart pig, smarter than you I dare say! Smells better too!" Uthlin hollered, lunging a hard right hook that landed heavily on the side of Cedric's face. The rest of the party quickly ushered out its two diplomats before more could be said, assuring Uthlin they would look for his lost pig.
On the way out, the drow merchant Gendar motioned to Shava. The cleric warily approached. Gendar intimated that he knew the party recently acquired a skull-tipped scepter and that he would pay 200 gold and some information for it. Shava nodded curtly and his terms and said she would get back to him. Upon hearing the drow desired to purchase the scepter, Orchid plotted that the group sell it to him, kill him, then take the scepter back.
The party next visited the Mages of Saruun. As always, the mage representative appeared after uttering the word "justice," hidden behind a golden mask and flanked by a bronze minotaur. The mage nodded acknowledge that the Bloodreavers had been dismantled but indicated that a new problem had emerged: the Black Fang gnolls. Reaching deep into a small bag, he withdrew a robe covered with alternating blinking eyes and offered it as a down payment for an assault on the Black Fangs. The party agreed. Cedric donned the robe, with Queequeg trying to poke out some of the eyes. Shava asked the mage to examine the skull-tipped scepter and he agreed.
Queegueg broke from the party, making his way to the Halfmoon Inn. Inside, he once again procured the map drafting skills of Rendell. Rendell agreed to make the map, but cautioned the dragonborn not to find the Black Fang lair, ominously known as the Well of Demons. In his many studies, Queequeg had read of the Well. In the days of old, an order of monastic monks tested applicants at the well; success welcomed them into the fold, failure embraced death. History told the minotaurs worshipped Baphomet.
Later that day, Cedric performed a ritual, summoning the Hand of Fate. He asked three questions of it, one concerning the skull-tipped scepter and the other about the singularity the party was sent to investigate. The Hand provided little helpful information. At the same time, Shava returned to the Mages of Saruun. The masked mage returned the scepter, now thoroughly cleaned and polished. The dirt and grime peeled away, the trinket appeared to be made out of ivory. He said the scepter was nothing extraordinary and could likely fetch no more than 10 gold to the right bidder.
With the support of the rest of the party, Shava traded the scepter to Gendar for 300 gold and some stunning revelations. Gendar told the group they were pawns of a larger plot they knew nothing of. He told them they were really sent to find the disenfranchised Cormyrn noble, Paldemar Spellkeeper. It seems Paldemar seeks to destroy Cormyr and has allied with the Black Fangs to plot against the kingdom. Gendar said that Cyric also backs Paldemar and has promised to aid him when the hour is at hand. Finally, Gendar revealed the most stunning news of all: Paldemar recently visited the Mages of Saruun. A battle ensued for unknown reasons and Paldemar slew all the mages. But one. Before the party left, Gendar requested the adventurers look for a statue of Baphomet and the Eyes of the Broken Dragon.
On his way back to fetching the contracted map from Rendell, Queequeg was approached by a fellow dragonborn named Surina. She told the warlord she had been tracking the party and that she knew they meant to assault the Well of Demons. She seem consumed by rage and hatred for the Black Fangs, making Queequeg wary of her. Nevertheless, she told him she would meet the party at the entrance to the Deep Stairs when they set out.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewt(z):
+2 Robe of Eyes
Line(s) of the Night:
"He may not have to suffer your ass." - Craig, misspeaking "acid damage" for "ass."
"I'm only slow when I want to be." - Sean, in his best Barry White voice.
"Sounds like my kind of man!" - Megan, on a potential male prospect.
"What, breathing?" - Simon, in response.
An hour later, a crossbow bolt came whizzing past the party, clattering harmlessly against the hold's stone wall. The Bloodreavers agreed to the Victor's terms, though amended the time it would take them to vacate to a week. Gilic spoke for the party, finalizing the deal, insisting the Bloodreaver send over the slaves immediately. A sorry pack of humanoids trudged into view soon after, three humans and a goblin. The goblin wasted little time asserting himself, gesturing widely and chattering in his native tongue. As no one spoke goblin, Cedric conjured a spell and began translating what proved to be mostly incoherent babbling. The goblin suddenly shrieked and pointed! All eyes looked as the goblin moved to grab Cedric's sheathed dagger. Taegahn almost yawned as he emptied two arrows into the wretch.
The other slaves, human Cormyrians, stared in abject horror, though they were assured the same fate did not await them. One of the slaves, a weathered miner, reported that the Bloodreavers has been particularly active lately, gathering more than twenty slaves the past week alone. He and the others knew little else, but assured VoSFK an award awaited them if they provided safe passage back to the Seven Pillar Halls and the Deep Gem Mining Company.
The party gathered their gear and set out back to the Halls. Along the way, a mob of monsters slid out of hidden panels and attacked the adventurers. A fire drake and three bugbears attacked from the front, an ettercap from the back. The latter spewed warm webbing all over the tightly bunched party, immobilizing Shava and Queequeg and making movement more difficult for everyone else. Cedric sprayed sizzling acid on the drakes and bugbears, while Taegahn fired into the chittering ettercap. Gareth absorbed three separate mighty blows from blunt bugbear weaponry and then returned as good as he got. The slobbering monsters fell dead like dominos in a parlor game and the party traveled the rest of the way unmolested.
The Victors first stopped at the Deep Gem Mining Company office. Rejoiced at the return of his employees, the old dwarf Uthlin gave each party member a heavy amethyst gem. As the adventuerers made to leave, Uthlin asked that they keep their eyes open for his prized boar, Uthlik, who followed some of his miners out into the Underdark, but never returned. Taegahn snickered when Uthlin proudly intimated that Uthlik meant "little son" in dwarven. The elf muttered under his breath that the name more likely translated into "pig-fucker."
"Eh, what's that you say elf?" Uthlin bellowed.
"Oh, nothing!" chimed Taegahn musically.
Uthlin glowered, sure he'd been insulted but uncertain what was said. Cedric, meanwhile, shook his head and said, "A boar roaming the tunnels of Underdark? Let me stop by the nearest butcher and bring you back a rack of ham for surely the denizens of Underdark feast well on bacon this night."
"Why you little bastard! Uthlik's alive I tell you! He's a smart pig, smarter than you I dare say! Smells better too!" Uthlin hollered, lunging a hard right hook that landed heavily on the side of Cedric's face. The rest of the party quickly ushered out its two diplomats before more could be said, assuring Uthlin they would look for his lost pig.
On the way out, the drow merchant Gendar motioned to Shava. The cleric warily approached. Gendar intimated that he knew the party recently acquired a skull-tipped scepter and that he would pay 200 gold and some information for it. Shava nodded curtly and his terms and said she would get back to him. Upon hearing the drow desired to purchase the scepter, Orchid plotted that the group sell it to him, kill him, then take the scepter back.
The party next visited the Mages of Saruun. As always, the mage representative appeared after uttering the word "justice," hidden behind a golden mask and flanked by a bronze minotaur. The mage nodded acknowledge that the Bloodreavers had been dismantled but indicated that a new problem had emerged: the Black Fang gnolls. Reaching deep into a small bag, he withdrew a robe covered with alternating blinking eyes and offered it as a down payment for an assault on the Black Fangs. The party agreed. Cedric donned the robe, with Queequeg trying to poke out some of the eyes. Shava asked the mage to examine the skull-tipped scepter and he agreed.
Queegueg broke from the party, making his way to the Halfmoon Inn. Inside, he once again procured the map drafting skills of Rendell. Rendell agreed to make the map, but cautioned the dragonborn not to find the Black Fang lair, ominously known as the Well of Demons. In his many studies, Queequeg had read of the Well. In the days of old, an order of monastic monks tested applicants at the well; success welcomed them into the fold, failure embraced death. History told the minotaurs worshipped Baphomet.
Later that day, Cedric performed a ritual, summoning the Hand of Fate. He asked three questions of it, one concerning the skull-tipped scepter and the other about the singularity the party was sent to investigate. The Hand provided little helpful information. At the same time, Shava returned to the Mages of Saruun. The masked mage returned the scepter, now thoroughly cleaned and polished. The dirt and grime peeled away, the trinket appeared to be made out of ivory. He said the scepter was nothing extraordinary and could likely fetch no more than 10 gold to the right bidder.
With the support of the rest of the party, Shava traded the scepter to Gendar for 300 gold and some stunning revelations. Gendar told the group they were pawns of a larger plot they knew nothing of. He told them they were really sent to find the disenfranchised Cormyrn noble, Paldemar Spellkeeper. It seems Paldemar seeks to destroy Cormyr and has allied with the Black Fangs to plot against the kingdom. Gendar said that Cyric also backs Paldemar and has promised to aid him when the hour is at hand. Finally, Gendar revealed the most stunning news of all: Paldemar recently visited the Mages of Saruun. A battle ensued for unknown reasons and Paldemar slew all the mages. But one. Before the party left, Gendar requested the adventurers look for a statue of Baphomet and the Eyes of the Broken Dragon.
On his way back to fetching the contracted map from Rendell, Queequeg was approached by a fellow dragonborn named Surina. She told the warlord she had been tracking the party and that she knew they meant to assault the Well of Demons. She seem consumed by rage and hatred for the Black Fangs, making Queequeg wary of her. Nevertheless, she told him she would meet the party at the entrance to the Deep Stairs when they set out.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewt(z):
+2 Robe of Eyes
Line(s) of the Night:
"He may not have to suffer your ass." - Craig, misspeaking "acid damage" for "ass."
"I'm only slow when I want to be." - Sean, in his best Barry White voice.
"Sounds like my kind of man!" - Megan, on a potential male prospect.
"What, breathing?" - Simon, in response.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Assault First, Negotiate Later
Summary:
The room calmed for a moment before a distant clatter came to ear through the locked doors. Gareth braced himself while yelling back to the rest of the party, "Incoming!"
As if on cue, a duergar mounted on a giant wolf burst through the door and tore into VoSFK's ranks. The mounted duergar held a flaming poker in one hand, a war hammer in the other. In the midst of the party's ranks, he shouted, "Glimmerzuhl!" and bouts of hot flaming burned the party with magical intensity.
They were followed by another mounted pair, flanked by three howling orcs. Taegahn thrust his nose in the air and inhaled deeply. He then tilted his head askew, listening. Notching an arrow he said, "Though much more used to the heavenly scent of my personally arranged floral arrangements, I nevertheless detect additional foes that my ears and nose hear and smell, but my eyes fail to see. Tred carefully my most dearest friends."
The party tred, though indelicately. The fight was a bloody affair and before it was over, both Gareth and Queequeg and fallen, the former twice. If not for the combined healing efforts of Shava and Gilic, the two would likely never had arisen again. The worgs used as mounts were a mated pair, and together the two let out synchronous howls that made party members hesitate, if only for a few precious seconds. As Taegahn had intimated earlier, a pair of orcs suddenly blinked into the middle of the battle, crossbows in hand. They unloaded a vicious attack before easing back into the shadows. One a time, the worgs fell. Unmounted, the dwarven riders proved equally lethal. They too fell eventually. Soon, the cloaked crossbowman and shock troops joined their comrades as still heaps on the granite floor.
The party rested next for their weariness was nearly as great as their hunger and thirst. Some hours later, they heard a knock on the door, now barricaded. Queequeg slid the obstruction aside and peeked out. A lone duergar stood waiting. The dragonborn quickly opened the door, grabbed the dwarf by his beard, and wrenched him inside. The duergar howled in protest as the party circled around.
The dwarf claimed to be a messenger, sent for having lost this section of the larger keep. He asked the party why they attacked, to which no one gave a good answer. Next, he asked the party's terms. After much haggling, the dwarf agreed to send message to his superior the party's requirements for a peaceful conclusion to the Horned Hold assault: that the slavers release all currently enslaved Cormyrians, abandon Horned Hold, and cease attacks on Cormyrian interests. The dwarf sighed with resignation while he wrote the bullet points to paper. Attaching the treatise to a bolt, he shot the terms across the expanse to an opposite hold.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewtz:
None /cry
Line(s) of the Night:
"So I can tie you up AND whip you." - Megan, enjoying the idea of employing both options on Simon? Blake maybe?
"Did you just have an elfgasm?" - Sean to Blake after Blake moaned with ectasy from pure elfy roleplaying joy.
The room calmed for a moment before a distant clatter came to ear through the locked doors. Gareth braced himself while yelling back to the rest of the party, "Incoming!"
As if on cue, a duergar mounted on a giant wolf burst through the door and tore into VoSFK's ranks. The mounted duergar held a flaming poker in one hand, a war hammer in the other. In the midst of the party's ranks, he shouted, "Glimmerzuhl!" and bouts of hot flaming burned the party with magical intensity.
They were followed by another mounted pair, flanked by three howling orcs. Taegahn thrust his nose in the air and inhaled deeply. He then tilted his head askew, listening. Notching an arrow he said, "Though much more used to the heavenly scent of my personally arranged floral arrangements, I nevertheless detect additional foes that my ears and nose hear and smell, but my eyes fail to see. Tred carefully my most dearest friends."
The party tred, though indelicately. The fight was a bloody affair and before it was over, both Gareth and Queequeg and fallen, the former twice. If not for the combined healing efforts of Shava and Gilic, the two would likely never had arisen again. The worgs used as mounts were a mated pair, and together the two let out synchronous howls that made party members hesitate, if only for a few precious seconds. As Taegahn had intimated earlier, a pair of orcs suddenly blinked into the middle of the battle, crossbows in hand. They unloaded a vicious attack before easing back into the shadows. One a time, the worgs fell. Unmounted, the dwarven riders proved equally lethal. They too fell eventually. Soon, the cloaked crossbowman and shock troops joined their comrades as still heaps on the granite floor.
The party rested next for their weariness was nearly as great as their hunger and thirst. Some hours later, they heard a knock on the door, now barricaded. Queequeg slid the obstruction aside and peeked out. A lone duergar stood waiting. The dragonborn quickly opened the door, grabbed the dwarf by his beard, and wrenched him inside. The duergar howled in protest as the party circled around.
The dwarf claimed to be a messenger, sent for having lost this section of the larger keep. He asked the party why they attacked, to which no one gave a good answer. Next, he asked the party's terms. After much haggling, the dwarf agreed to send message to his superior the party's requirements for a peaceful conclusion to the Horned Hold assault: that the slavers release all currently enslaved Cormyrians, abandon Horned Hold, and cease attacks on Cormyrian interests. The dwarf sighed with resignation while he wrote the bullet points to paper. Attaching the treatise to a bolt, he shot the terms across the expanse to an opposite hold.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewtz:
None /cry
Line(s) of the Night:
"So I can tie you up AND whip you." - Megan, enjoying the idea of employing both options on Simon? Blake maybe?
"Did you just have an elfgasm?" - Sean to Blake after Blake moaned with ectasy from pure elfy roleplaying joy.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Assault on The Horned Hold
Summary:
The Victors of Shadowfell Keep reassembled and then set out through the dank tunnels of the Underdark. With a crude map as guide, they stumbled past narrow passages, dripping ponds, and tall stalagmites. At a curve in the path, they party stumbled upon a fiery being leading a group of lizard-like humanoids up the opposite direction. Gilic started to cluck a hailing greeting when the flying man of fire signaled to his followers to attack.
The troglodytes charged into the parting at alarming speed, cutting through front line and making way directly to Cedric. The mage defended himself well, unleashing a torrent of spell work upon his foes. He ultimately fell, though revived by Shava. The battle quickly broke into two front, with Gareth and Gilic fighting the angel of valor while the rest of the party focused on the troglodytes. As the last troglodyte fell, the angel of valor surveyed the carnage and flew off up the tunnel.
VoSFK rested before pressing on. Three hours late, they saw light at the mouth of an impending cavern. Taegahn stealthily scoped out way lay ahead: a massive gate house, guarded by joking but alert orcs. Orchid snuck to the gate and managed to pick the lock unnoticed. Gareth crept to her side and on signal, pushed the gate open and charged forth. The orcs recovered from the shock of the opening door quickly and the ensuing battle was pitched. The adventurers quickly tore into the five orc guards and felled all except for one who managed to step into the only other door in the guard house. An audible click sounded behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewtz:
None :(
Quote(s) of the Night:
"Quote board!" - Megan, repeatedly trying to add to the quote board.
"What's between us? A gulf of hatred." - Blake to Craig, after Craig told a "what's between us" chicken joke.
"Only if it's Craig's forehead." - Megan, on if Taegahn can jump and stick to a wall.
"That's a fresca not a wet rag. You are god awful at this." - Blake on Craig's map skills, as the two continue bickering like a cute old married couple.
Baked Good(s) of the Night:
Megan's Pumpkin Pie Crunch:
Yummy!
The Victors of Shadowfell Keep reassembled and then set out through the dank tunnels of the Underdark. With a crude map as guide, they stumbled past narrow passages, dripping ponds, and tall stalagmites. At a curve in the path, they party stumbled upon a fiery being leading a group of lizard-like humanoids up the opposite direction. Gilic started to cluck a hailing greeting when the flying man of fire signaled to his followers to attack.
The troglodytes charged into the parting at alarming speed, cutting through front line and making way directly to Cedric. The mage defended himself well, unleashing a torrent of spell work upon his foes. He ultimately fell, though revived by Shava. The battle quickly broke into two front, with Gareth and Gilic fighting the angel of valor while the rest of the party focused on the troglodytes. As the last troglodyte fell, the angel of valor surveyed the carnage and flew off up the tunnel.
VoSFK rested before pressing on. Three hours late, they saw light at the mouth of an impending cavern. Taegahn stealthily scoped out way lay ahead: a massive gate house, guarded by joking but alert orcs. Orchid snuck to the gate and managed to pick the lock unnoticed. Gareth crept to her side and on signal, pushed the gate open and charged forth. The orcs recovered from the shock of the opening door quickly and the ensuing battle was pitched. The adventurers quickly tore into the five orc guards and felled all except for one who managed to step into the only other door in the guard house. An audible click sounded behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewtz:
None :(
Quote(s) of the Night:
"Quote board!" - Megan, repeatedly trying to add to the quote board.
"What's between us? A gulf of hatred." - Blake to Craig, after Craig told a "what's between us" chicken joke.
"Only if it's Craig's forehead." - Megan, on if Taegahn can jump and stick to a wall.
"That's a fresca not a wet rag. You are god awful at this." - Blake on Craig's map skills, as the two continue bickering like a cute old married couple.
Baked Good(s) of the Night:
Megan's Pumpkin Pie Crunch:
Yummy!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
And . . . We're Off Again
Some are camping, others are throwing a nekkid LAN party for Left 4 Dead. I don't quite understand the appeal of playing a zombie first person shooter nekkid because I know first hand there won't be any hot chicks present.
But anyway, no session this week.
But anyway, no session this week.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Back on the Attack!
Summary:
After raiding the Chamber of Eyes and dismantling the slaver organization, Bloodreavers, VoSFK searched the den and found information that implicated Grimmerzhul's, a trading post in the The Seven-Pillared Hall. Upon returning to the Hall, the group met with a representative of the Mages of Saruun. Upon reading the intel describing Grimmerzhul duergar trading goods for slaves, the Mage representative charged VoSFK with the task of storming Grimmerzhul.
The adventurers made haste to plan. But a single plan couldn't be agreed upon. Cedric mentioned using a knock ritual to unlock a door and sneak in by night. Many others advocated a blunt assault. Taegahn offered to scope the trading post out first and since a plan could not be readily agreed upon, the ranger set out.
Taegahn avoided the main building, instead spying a nearby tunnel. As he got closer to its entrance, four duergar guards came into view. Undaunted, Taegahn approached them and said, "Hail. Where does this tunnel lead."
"It leads to your timely demise. I'd like nothing more than to see a fancy pants like yourself chopped down a few notches, but that's play. And I'm working right now."
"So, the tunnel leads to Grimmerzhul?" the ranger persisted.
The lead dwarf hocked a wad of pleghm and shot it at Taegahn's feet, hitting his boot square. Taegahn looked down at the spittle and then back at the duergar. "You spat on me."
The duergar hocked again, hitting Taegahn's companion boot. "You'll rue your actions this day, friend," Taegahn said.
"Huh?" the duergar grunted, not following Taegahn's eloquence.
"I'll not suffer your spittle upon my newly shined combat boots."
"What?" the duergar grunted again.
"What I'm saying is I'm going to shoot you in the face," Taegahn enunciated slowly and clearly. He then turned and paced back a good distance before pivoting while donning his bow. He let loose an arrow aimed at the spitting dwarf, but missed widely. The dwarf hooted loudly as his companions took a few steps back, activating a lever. A steel portcullis came crashing down in response, blocking the tunnel entrance. The spatting dwarf taunted, "What ya doing now, bow boy?" The other dwarfs reared back in laughter.
Taegahn returned to the rest of the party, who were busy milling around in front of Grimmerzhul's like grazing cattle. A lone duergar eyed them suspiciously. Taegahn summarized his encounter with the duergar guards. Shava listened intently as her brother described his humiliation. Her tiny fists clenched and before anyone in the party could react, she turned to the duergar guarding the trading post, pointed at him, and uttered a single commanding word that brought the guard to his knees. The party stared in surprise and then executed plan B: storm Grimmerzhul's by bashing its door down and killing whatever resided within.
Gareth arrived at the door first. He paused for a moment and tested the door handle. It gave way, clearly unlocked. The fighter flung the door open wide to reveal four readied duergard led by a dwarven woman. Orchid stepped alongside Gareth, scoping out the situation. Gilic let looses a battle cry, but choked on it when he inhaled a passing insect; he ran through Gareth straight into the room, marking most of the dwarves, daring them to attack. Cedric unleashed a ray of frost on the prone dwarven guard while Queequeg ran completely past him; the tactical warlord completely missed the duergar's presence, exposing his flank as he focused on Grimmerzhul's. Shava ran towards the post, stopping behind Orchid.
The dwarven leader, Kedhira, pointed at Orchid. The rogue felt pain ripple through her and found herself suddenly teleported directly beside the woman dwarf. A swordmage! The other duergar helped tear into the hapless rogue, who did all she could to backpedal herself away from the carnage. Gilic and Gareth meanwhile pushed into the front as best they could, while Cedric and Taegahn continued attacking the prone duergard outside. The latter rose up and stepped towards Queequeg whose back was to him. He shook his head briskly, firing prickly barbs out his beard that tore into the dragonborn warlord. Queequeg felt woozy, his body felt on fire where the barbs landed. Kedhira teleported Orchid beside her again in a mist of blinding pain. Cedric ignored the duergar outside, instead moving towards the post and casting sleep. Orchid slumbered peacefully along with a duergar. Meanwhile, Taegahn dropped the guard outside, strode into Grimmerzhul's, killed the remaining upright duergar inside, and only came to a halt after resting his boot upon the chest of the remaining sleeping guard.
"Wipe clean my boot, curr!" he shrieked.
The battle over, the party attempted to interrogate the last duergar. The questioning ended with Taegahn putting an arrow in the dwarf's head. Searching Grimmerzhul's, the party found various high quality weapons in stock and a note. The note inside mentioned Horned Hold and requested additional provisions to better feed the "new merchandise." The party took the evidence to the Mages who asked the party to pursue the duergar to the Hold, deep in the Underdark. They also handed Shava a glimmering mace as reward for services rendered.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewtz:
+2 Holy Healer's Weapon - Shava
Line(s) of the Night:
"What I'm saying is I'm going to shoot you in the face." - Blake, speaking to a dwarf guard who had trouble understanding Taegahn's previous subtle innuendo.
"What ya doin' now, bow boy?" Craig, responding as the same dwarven guard when Taegahn shoots at him and misses.
"It'll be coming out his bush." - Craig, talking about Gilic's potential to shoot pointy barbs from out his thick beard.
Baked Good of the Night:
Castle Bundt Cake. Yup, it was chocolate and shaped like a castle. Megan fretted that it didn't taste good, but my slice was scrumptious.
After raiding the Chamber of Eyes and dismantling the slaver organization, Bloodreavers, VoSFK searched the den and found information that implicated Grimmerzhul's, a trading post in the The Seven-Pillared Hall. Upon returning to the Hall, the group met with a representative of the Mages of Saruun. Upon reading the intel describing Grimmerzhul duergar trading goods for slaves, the Mage representative charged VoSFK with the task of storming Grimmerzhul.
The adventurers made haste to plan. But a single plan couldn't be agreed upon. Cedric mentioned using a knock ritual to unlock a door and sneak in by night. Many others advocated a blunt assault. Taegahn offered to scope the trading post out first and since a plan could not be readily agreed upon, the ranger set out.
Taegahn avoided the main building, instead spying a nearby tunnel. As he got closer to its entrance, four duergar guards came into view. Undaunted, Taegahn approached them and said, "Hail. Where does this tunnel lead."
"It leads to your timely demise. I'd like nothing more than to see a fancy pants like yourself chopped down a few notches, but that's play. And I'm working right now."
"So, the tunnel leads to Grimmerzhul?" the ranger persisted.
The lead dwarf hocked a wad of pleghm and shot it at Taegahn's feet, hitting his boot square. Taegahn looked down at the spittle and then back at the duergar. "You spat on me."
The duergar hocked again, hitting Taegahn's companion boot. "You'll rue your actions this day, friend," Taegahn said.
"Huh?" the duergar grunted, not following Taegahn's eloquence.
"I'll not suffer your spittle upon my newly shined combat boots."
"What?" the duergar grunted again.
"What I'm saying is I'm going to shoot you in the face," Taegahn enunciated slowly and clearly. He then turned and paced back a good distance before pivoting while donning his bow. He let loose an arrow aimed at the spitting dwarf, but missed widely. The dwarf hooted loudly as his companions took a few steps back, activating a lever. A steel portcullis came crashing down in response, blocking the tunnel entrance. The spatting dwarf taunted, "What ya doing now, bow boy?" The other dwarfs reared back in laughter.
Taegahn returned to the rest of the party, who were busy milling around in front of Grimmerzhul's like grazing cattle. A lone duergar eyed them suspiciously. Taegahn summarized his encounter with the duergar guards. Shava listened intently as her brother described his humiliation. Her tiny fists clenched and before anyone in the party could react, she turned to the duergar guarding the trading post, pointed at him, and uttered a single commanding word that brought the guard to his knees. The party stared in surprise and then executed plan B: storm Grimmerzhul's by bashing its door down and killing whatever resided within.
Gareth arrived at the door first. He paused for a moment and tested the door handle. It gave way, clearly unlocked. The fighter flung the door open wide to reveal four readied duergard led by a dwarven woman. Orchid stepped alongside Gareth, scoping out the situation. Gilic let looses a battle cry, but choked on it when he inhaled a passing insect; he ran through Gareth straight into the room, marking most of the dwarves, daring them to attack. Cedric unleashed a ray of frost on the prone dwarven guard while Queequeg ran completely past him; the tactical warlord completely missed the duergar's presence, exposing his flank as he focused on Grimmerzhul's. Shava ran towards the post, stopping behind Orchid.
The dwarven leader, Kedhira, pointed at Orchid. The rogue felt pain ripple through her and found herself suddenly teleported directly beside the woman dwarf. A swordmage! The other duergar helped tear into the hapless rogue, who did all she could to backpedal herself away from the carnage. Gilic and Gareth meanwhile pushed into the front as best they could, while Cedric and Taegahn continued attacking the prone duergard outside. The latter rose up and stepped towards Queequeg whose back was to him. He shook his head briskly, firing prickly barbs out his beard that tore into the dragonborn warlord. Queequeg felt woozy, his body felt on fire where the barbs landed. Kedhira teleported Orchid beside her again in a mist of blinding pain. Cedric ignored the duergar outside, instead moving towards the post and casting sleep. Orchid slumbered peacefully along with a duergar. Meanwhile, Taegahn dropped the guard outside, strode into Grimmerzhul's, killed the remaining upright duergar inside, and only came to a halt after resting his boot upon the chest of the remaining sleeping guard.
"Wipe clean my boot, curr!" he shrieked.
The battle over, the party attempted to interrogate the last duergar. The questioning ended with Taegahn putting an arrow in the dwarf's head. Searching Grimmerzhul's, the party found various high quality weapons in stock and a note. The note inside mentioned Horned Hold and requested additional provisions to better feed the "new merchandise." The party took the evidence to the Mages who asked the party to pursue the duergar to the Hold, deep in the Underdark. They also handed Shava a glimmering mace as reward for services rendered.
TO BE CONTINUED
Phat Lewtz:
+2 Holy Healer's Weapon - Shava
Line(s) of the Night:
"What I'm saying is I'm going to shoot you in the face." - Blake, speaking to a dwarf guard who had trouble understanding Taegahn's previous subtle innuendo.
"What ya doin' now, bow boy?" Craig, responding as the same dwarven guard when Taegahn shoots at him and misses.
"It'll be coming out his bush." - Craig, talking about Gilic's potential to shoot pointy barbs from out his thick beard.
Baked Good of the Night:
Castle Bundt Cake. Yup, it was chocolate and shaped like a castle. Megan fretted that it didn't taste good, but my slice was scrumptious.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Another Week Off for VoSFK
Shava is taking the week off to concentrate on assembling her cabinet team in preparation for Faerun's transfer of power. The newly "elected" Queen promises to rule the land with an iron fist . . . holding daisies and a puppy dog. Rumors abound that she's already named Orchid her Chief of Staff. When pressed about her choice for Secretary of Treasury, Shava promised to move with all deliberate haste, but mentioned no names. Gareth and Taegahn are said to be competing for the Secretary of Defense position.
We can only hope high adventure within the context of high fantasy will continue next week.
We can only hope high adventure within the context of high fantasy will continue next week.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
A Week Off
The Victors of Shadowfell Keep took the week off to celebrate Halloween and various other social activities.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Chamber of Eyes
Summary:
The party entered The Chamber of Eyes, killed everything inside, and took all the treasure. Queequeg was named MVP and given all the loot.
Phat Lewtz:
Queequeg's Tier 6 Set
Line(s) of the Night:
"I miss James." - Blake, Craig, Jeff, Megan, Pati, Sean, and Simon
The party entered The Chamber of Eyes, killed everything inside, and took all the treasure. Queequeg was named MVP and given all the loot.
Phat Lewtz:
Queequeg's Tier 6 Set
Line(s) of the Night:
"I miss James." - Blake, Craig, Jeff, Megan, Pati, Sean, and Simon
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