Together again - DM Marcin Thursday July 8th, 2004 3:00:39 PM
With the final words of the god still ringing in their ears the party finds themselves back on the narrow, silvery road suspended in the blackness of the void. It is hard to recall how the Hamleters found themselves here - one moment they feel the flagstones of the hall of Gargul under their feet, and in the next second the group is back on the road that led them here from the temple with no perceptible transition whatsoever. In a strange way it adds a dream-like quality to their encounter with the god of the dead.
The road leads back to the portal, which is, aside from the road itself , the only source of light in this strange place. One by one, the Hamleters return to the familiar surroundings of the somber halls of Domi. Stepping through the rip in the fabric of the Wold is like a cold shower - all of a sudden senses that were previously dulled and asleep spring back into action. The intensive smell of incense being burned by the clerics is both sharp and refreshing. The echoes of the chanting somehow sound very loud after the total, dead silence of the emptines on the other side. As soon as the last of the heroes steps through the singing ceases and the black opening above the altar seals itself.
Kiriana, deadly pale, drops to the ground. Two of the clerics immediately come to her aid. Blood is coming out of her nose.
The attention of everyone else concentrates on the body laying in the middle of the altar.
The chest of Setanos is gently rising and falling.
. . .
"It worked."
One of the older clerics issues some quiet commands. Kiriana is gently carried out of the chamber. Then he approaches the group.
"We did it. Your friend and Kiriana will be all right. Both need rest. The rooms you have stayed in the last time you were here are vacant at the moment. Why don't you take your friend there and retire? He should be waking up any moment now. You too look as if you needed rest. Badly. I will have one of the brothers organize some food and hot water for you. You can discuss whatever business you have with Kiriana tomorrow."
Gaxx Thursday July 8th, 2004 7:03:44 PM
Gaxx looks around in amazement as they return to where they started. He raises his hand to wave at the clerics and notices his purple skin. "Oh poo! Ah wa'gonna ask da god iffin he could make Gaxx not purple. But ah done forgot." Gaxx turns his hand so he can look at it from all angles then holds it up to Renik, "So what you tink? Tink Gaxx look good in purple?"
Tratain Friday July 9th, 2004 12:36:38 AM
Tratain Helps to take Setanos back to the rooms that the group used on their last visit and goes and gets some rest and spend some time praying for Domi and reflecting upon the events of the last few days.
Draax Friday July 9th, 2004 1:02:12 AM
Away from the god it feels to Draax as if a great weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. He realizes that the visit to the god has taken a lot out of him and he welcomes the invitation to rest.
He goes with the others to the room, eats whatever is brought to them and then collapses on one of the beds trying to get as much sleep as he can.
Renik Friday July 9th, 2004 4:05:28 AM
The rogue simply stands soaking in reality for a few moments when the group return. He feels his stomach lurch with emotion as he spots the gentle rise and fall of Setanos's chest. They have brought their friend back from death itself! Somehow all their previous adventures seem to pale beside this astonishing achievement.
The ever-cheerful Gaxx waves a purple hand in front of his face, and Renik shakes himself out of his reverie. "Hmm? Oh, I think it suits you fine, Gaxx. I mean look at it this way. You turning purple, that was a freak accident, right? A thousand to one chance? You know what that says to me? That says that the hand of Wardd was at work, that your turning purple is the divine desire of your God. And having just had first hand experience of Gods and their desires, I wouldn't rock the boat too much if I were you. If Wardd wants you purple, hey, go with the flow!
And just think on this; there are an awful lot of dwarfs in the Wold. There are probably even a lot of ogre-slaying dwarfs. But how many purple ogre-slaying dwarfs do you think there are? I'd offer you fine odds that you are the one and only. You are unique my friend, and you have Wardd to thank for it."
And with that the rogue, still somewhat emmaciated, haggard and dishevelled from his life-draining ordeal on the Soul Forge, goes to find a bed to collapse into.
Setanos Friday July 9th, 2004 12:28:03 PM
Setanos stirs, and with great difficulty opens his eyes. A soft whisper escapes his lips. "The machine....destroyed?" When a positive answer is given, he nods and closes his eyes. You can soon hear the sound of deep snoring.
Feng Friday July 9th, 2004 6:33:48 PM
Feng immediately started towards Kirianna but the other clerics were faster. He would have been devastated if their desire to return their friend to life caused the death of another. He would have to go and check on her later. It was risky doing what they did but it was worth it. It was a good day, a very good day.
The morning after - DM Marcin Saturday July 10th, 2004 4:08:04 AM
Night comes and goes. The sun is high in the sky when tapping on the door wakes up the heroes of Windhorn Hamlet. Two younger boys wearing simple gray robes of Initiates of Domi bring in washing basins, buckets of hot water, and, later on, a breakfast. The food is simple and nourishing - a few loaves of dark bread, milk, honey, a basket of boiled eggs, and two rather small roasted chickens served cold. The servants are quiet but look around with great curiosity - their stares are especially drawn to purple Gaxx. After the breakfast is cleaned up the party is left to their own devices.
The city has changed, and the change is deeper than the scars of physical destruction left by the dragon rampage. To see that it is enough to look out of the window and glance at people's faces. There is fear in their eyes now - sometimes deeply hidden, sometimes obvious. Every now and then somebody glances at the sky. If it was merely an earthquake that leveled part of the city flat the people would just mourn their dead, rebuild their homes and get on with their lives. But to know that this much pain, suffering, and evil has been inflicted on them on purpose, and that the incident can happen again, and that if it does there is nothing they can do about it is unnerving to the bone.
The people have always known that it is a dangerous Wold out there, but somehow they thought they are exempt from dangers more serious that being mugged in a dark alley. This illusion has been brutally dispelled. The lives of the citizens of the Plateau City lost their innocent freedom of care.
The Temple is more quiet and empty than usual. Before Feng has a chance to go inquire about the health of Kiriana the heroes get some visitors.
There is a knock on the door and two people enter the chamber occupied by the party. One of them is a woman wearing dark cloak with a hood. Her hair is dark brown and cut short. Her face is unremarkable, a face that can easily blend into crowd. She looks to be in her thirties. It takes a moment for the heroes to realize that they have actually seen her before. She was one of the people Kiriana brought in yesterday to replace them. The second visitor is a tall, thin man, wearing a robe of a cleric of Domi and thick spectacles on his nose. His face is wrinkled and the hair on his balding head is white. He is carrying with him a thick tome and a set of writing utensils.
"I'm Sharrianna." - says the woman - "and this is-"
"Hagemenes, Assistant Treasurer of the Temple" - interrupts the man. He pronounces his title with visible pride, like others would nicknames like <Dragonslayer>. "May we?" Without waiting for an answer the pair walks in and sits at the table.
"Forgive us for coming in unannounced, but we have other duties later today and don't have much time for formalities." says Sharrianna. "First of all, a word from Kiriana. She says she is all right, but she still feels weak and the Healer ordered her to stay in bed. She wanted me to let you know that you will have some free time now. Expect a new assignment in a week, maybe two."
The man takes off his glasses, and, while rubbing them, comments in a low tone of voice: "She may say what she will, but she's not all right. Watching so many people die and being unable to do anything about it has shaken her up pretty badly. I have seen that in her eyes. Always wanted to have everything under control, this one did. A kind of pride if you ask me."
"Of that I do not know." says Sharrianna. "But I do know that it is inappropriate to gossip about your superiors, especially behind their backs. Let's move to the conference chamber."
After walking over to the room protected from scrying and settling around the table, the conversation resumes.
"To business. We have done as Kiriana ordered and sealed up the thing under tons of rock and stone. Sealed up a good bit of the passage leading to it too, just for good measure. I was actually starting to get afraid - you know how these Horns of Blasting are when overused - but my half-brother - never mind."
"We searched the entire complex. You did a very thorough job cleaning it up. Couldn't leave a few undead for others, could you? We burned the necromancers and their buddies, collected whatever seemed to be of value, set up a handful of Alarm spells around the site, and left two people hidden aboveground keeping an eye on the place. Now Kiriana has to figure out how to get rid of the blasted thing for good."
"Oh, and we found a dwarf on the surface. Brought him here for healing and questioning."
"Bad news: the library has been removed. According to the dwarf it happened right after your first attack. Seems that Lemmar didn't want to take any chances. The tomes have slipped through y- our fingers again. Kiriana will want your full report as soon as she is up and running again. Over to you, Brother."
"Ah." Hagemenes puts on his glasses and opens the book. "Financial business. I dislike to be so picky, but nowadays the only think we don't run out of is red ink, so you understand..."
"Let's see. The spell components used up yesterday were worth 25,000. As I understand you have 10,000 coming from the Catacombs as the second half of the reward - if you completed their mission, that is?"
"Sharrianna and her team managed to scavenge some stuff from the site."
"We practically took everything that wasn't nailed down."
"410 platinium pieces, worth 2050 gold."
"These were strewn in the dragon turtle's nest. It wasn't pleasant to pick through its guano, I tell you."
"Two statues of drow matriarchs, black marble, appraised at 1000 gold each. Smithing supplies, worth 500 gold."
"There were other goods, but it turns out they have been stolen from the Catacombs. They have already sent someone to pick them up."
"By my count that leaves a sum of 10450 gold you need to supply us with?"
Sharrianna leans back. "I still have a moment. If there is anything you wanted to ask me go ahead."
Gaxx Sunday July 11th, 2004 10:57:55 AM
Gaxx goes to his backpack and roots around inside until he finds a rather heavy bag. He pulls the bag out and opens it, peering down inside. He reaches in and pulls out 8 silver coins and puts them in a pouch on his belt. He picks up the bag and carries it over to the man and sets it down in front of him. When Hagemenes counts the coins, he will discover 1846 gold coins. "Here be ma part o da money." Gaxx returns to his friends.
Renik Sunday July 11th, 2004 3:53:51 PM
The rogue looks to his companions and comments "We should really get all the gear together we took during the mission, decide which bits we can do without, and sell them. Any volunteers?
Arien Sunday July 11th, 2004 10:42:49 PM
"I agree with you Renik," Arien says for the first time since they had convinced Gargul to return Setanos. "However once I get a chance I need to visit the Star Mages' guild. These last few battles really showed me I need a larger library of spells to draw from. Since I'm a Star Mage myself I can use their libraries to fill my spellbook without needing to purchase any scrolls."
Tratain Monday July 12th, 2004 1:16:48 AM
Tratain says "We can give you what we owe you before we leave on our next mission. We have Deliveries comming from the Catacombs. Arien, there is a scroll of Analyze Dweomer comming for you with the focus. In a day or two you should be able to identify all of our Items with it once you learn it."
OOC: If anyone doesn't remember what they are getting send me an e-mail or post. We haven't identified the most recent items but the gold from the items we sold earlier should be available now.
Settling financial matters - DM Marcin Monday July 12th, 2004 2:08:19 AM
"Fair enough." - says Hagemenes. "We can wait for a week or two." The man reaches over for Gaxx's bag of gold, but, seeing that there will be discussions on how the amount will be paid, hands it back to the Purple Dwarf. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have this nagging feeling that somebody somewhere is wasting Temple's money. Assistant Treasurer to the rescue!" Hagemenes stands up, bows, and leaves the room.
Sharianna smiles. "Tell me just one thing. How did you find the entrance to the upper level? It's practically invisible when the stairs are retracted."
[We are (hopefully) back to our normal posting routine (I post early every day M to F). If anyone has items coming from the Catacombs they can be claimed now. We can't begin the next module until I have updated sheets for every character. So far I have them for Setanos and Gaxx. Your next post can describe actions of your characters for a whole day.]
Setanos d20+13=25 Monday July 12th, 2004 8:04:20 AM
Setanos wakes feeling more alive then he has in weeks. He rises early, and with typical Setanos stubbornness he throws himself into a routine, which hides the inner turmoil and shock he feels at his death and return to life.
He first visits each of the Hamleteers privately, embraceing them and thanking them honestly and fully. He visits Tratain last, and among other things aquires (hopefully) his catacombs deliveries. He gives Tratain the ruby dust.
He then visits the temples of Domi and Gargul in the city, and offers prayers of thanks. At the temple of Domi, he engages in some martial practice. At the temple of Gargul he is more subdued. He tries to find someone to speak with about the faith, in regards to what someone like himself, who is devoted to another god, could do that would please Gargul without violating his oaths to Domi, or his personal morals.
After some hearty food at a good tavern, Setanos turns to more practical matters. He finds someone to ink the tatoo he wishes drawn, a High Woldian Glyph on the palm of his left hand.
He then begins scribing a spell from one of his scrolls, spending the rest of the day on that.
At night he meets with the Hamleteers, and discusses the financial situation. He offers his 1713 gold, and a scroll of Polymorph Self. He will also offer to sell any of his gear if needed.
OOC: If possible, I have about 2 weeks worth of things to do. 8 days of item crafting, and a few days of spell scribing. I'd really like to get those taken care of, but if the next module is pressing, no worries.
Ink the Brahmah's Tattoo Scribe Haste: SC 25 vrs DC 18: Passed.
Sarigar and Black Paws Monday July 12th, 2004 11:04:01 AM
Not really understanding the concept of money, as he's never had to use it, he's more than a little confused when the others talk about needing it. As he sees the others begin to pool up various coins, it dawns on him that he has some of those. He begins digging through the pouches of his pack and begins to withdraw handfuls of coins and tossing them in to the pile.
ooc: He puts in 5000 gp which is roughly what he got as the split from the first split he was with the group for. I don't recall exactly what he got as I don't recall ever seeing an exact amount. If anyone has that info, raise or lower this contribution please.
The sights and smells of he city are a violation to their senses and Sarigar and Black Paws try to find somewhere...anywhere they can smell the green. Undoubtably, they get lost a fair number of times. With any luck, they find Gladiator Park where there is some semblance the natural world.
It is here they "set up camp" which entails little more than dropping his backpack into a semi-hidden hole and scouring the area for any number of small creatures or other morsels to eat.
Renik Monday July 12th, 2004 2:46:46 PM
The rogue has 3000 GP to put into the pot, but suggests they wait until they have the proceeds of their sales before parting with any of their own items.
He spends the day visiting a bath house, getting his hair washed, cut and treated with luxurious oils at an exclusive salon, and then having a full facial, massage, manicure and pedicure. That done he returns to his companions (if asked about his morning activities he claims to have been "seeing a man about a dog") and suggests a slap up lunch. He eats heartily, drinks a bottle of nice red and ends up feeling very merry. Thoughout he absent-mindedly rubs the small patch of stubble left on his chin.
Feng Monday July 12th, 2004 7:59:23 PM
Feng watches the gold pile up to pay the bill before he could dig his pouch out of his backpack. By this time there isn't much left to put in which doesn't sit well with him.
"Perhaps we should figure out what the sum each of us has to put in before we give them an extra couple thousand."
Gaxx Monday July 12th, 2004 9:51:37 PM
Gaxx awakes bright and early in the morning, eagar to be about his business for the day. He attends the early service at the Temple of Wardd, to give thanks for his great luck in being the only purple dawarven Mendicant of Warrd in existance! He also gives thanks that he has met so many nice people who seem to like him and that he seems to have a purpose in life now. And last but not least, he gives thanks for the successful completion of his Luck Quest, which was to find people who would accept him for who he is.
Next, Gaxx makes his way to the Temple of Gargul to find out when the next festival day is so he can make sure he is here for worship.
Gaxx swings through the market, thinking that it was awfully lucky that the money guy gave him back his money cause Gaxx needs some ingredients to brew up a surprise for Setanos. Gaxx swings through the market to pick up the things he needs for his potion spending 525 gold pieces for all the things he needs to make his potion.
Gaxx heads back to his room and spends the rest of the day and a good potion of the night (as well as 42 xp) brewing up a potion of Cure Serious Wounds.
Draax Monday July 12th, 2004 11:13:31 PM
Draax listens to the generosity of his comrades, "I agree, if the items do not cover the cost, a few thousand or a donated item or two from our pockets will probably cover it."
Draax finds a large area or training ground where he feels he will not be disturbed and spends most of the day practicing with his weapons. He concentrates most of his time familiarizing himself with his newly acquired spiked chain. When he returns and the others ask him why he has some many bruises he smiles and says, "You should have seen the other guys."
Rest and relaxation - DM Marcin Tuesday July 13th, 2004 4:50:17 AM
Another day passes. A day of busy activity for some, quiet contemplation for others, and rest and relaxation for yet other heroes.
Draax, Feng, and Setanos spends some time in the familiar halls of the temple to Domi on a sparring practice. Sometime during the day Setanos leaves and seeks out the shrine dedicated to Gargul. It is a tall structure erected out of blocks of black marble. The inside is quiet and somehow feels very cold. The temple never enjoyed many visitors; now however there are quite a few people here lost in silent prayer, petitioning for the safe passage of their relatives or friends into the realms of the God of the Dead. Another scar left on the city by the dragon raid.
A young priestess, who introduces herself just as an Eye of Gargul, listens to Setanos's question, and then ponders it for a moment, turning her holy symbol absentmindedly in her hand. Finally, she responds:
"Understand that sometimes the aims of my Lord might be at odds with those of Domi. For example, one who would seek to rid the Wold of all diseases would be working against the will of Gargul. Other times, however, our goals match."
"Gargul hates the unclean spirits of undead and those who create them with fiery, eternal hate. Destroy undead and slaughter necromancers without mercy, and you will be doing Gargul's work. Gargul also hates the things whose souls do not come into the Wold by His hand, but are crafted by mortal men - the constructs."
"If you wanted to please my Lord you could, for example, swear a vow to destroy all undead and constructs that cross your path."
Setanos notices that Gaxx has just arrived from the temple to Wardd and is standing nearby. Asked about he next festival of Gargul the Eye mentions that it will be in three weeks. The faithful will gather on the cementary and thank Gargul for the blessings of the previous month.
Renik spends quite some time and coin in the beauty parlor. When he comes back to his friends he is smelling of good perfume and expensive wine. He noticed that there are much less people enjoying themselves in the inns and taverns now that there used to be.
Sarigar causes quite a sensation with his move-in into the Gladiator's Park. Soon there is a small crowd of children following him around, pointing fingers at him, laughing, shouting, asking him a thousand questions, and trying to feed things to Black Paws. Gaxx also has made quite an impression: more than once he has been mistaken for a Derro by a passer by.
Later in the evening Setanos scribes his scroll and Gaxx manages to brew a potion [be sure to make a note on the character sheet that it is at CL7].
Another day comes and goes. A week of activity passes by and still there is no word from Kiriana, though others assure the Hamleters that she is recovering from her ordeals. It seems that Setanos will, after all, have all the time he wanted for item creation.
[The call from your spymaster won't come in in the next 15 days of game time. Write how you would like your characters to spend two weeks of down time. The next module is approved, but I would like to see all character sheets with updates before we begin it.]
Arien d20+18=24 d20+18=23 Tuesday July 13th, 2004 4:53:42 AM
Arien spends a little time at the start of the day to wander about the city and stop by the shop that the party had set up to see how things were running. After that he heads over to the Star Mage's guild and spends the rest of the day scribing spells.
(Spellcraft: 24 for Dismissal, Passed; Spellcraft 23 for Break Enchantment, Passed)
(Have we divided up all the treasure from the module yet?)
Setanos d20+13=30 d20+13=20 Tuesday July 13th, 2004 8:23:47 AM
Setanos spends the rest of the time working scribing spells into his spell book and creating a vestment. As time passes, his soft, quiet withdraw disolves, and he becomes the boisterous, loud and good natured person everyone knows.
OOC: Craft Setanos' Vestment of Holy Incantations Scribe : Darkvision Scribe : Water Breathing
Renik Tuesday July 13th, 2004 4:22:28 PM
The rogue spends an extremely pleasurable fortnight in the amorous pursuit of a wealthy nobleman's daughter. During the course of their brief but passionate affair he samples a number of finest bottles the nobleman's wine-cellar has to offer, greatly enjoys the charming company of his daughter and is only inclined to leave that good lady's chateau when her father returns home unexpectedly early from his hunting trip in surprisingly ill temper.
Thoughout this period he offers sincere and regular thanks to Gargul. That goattee was a stroke of genius, he thinks to himself on more than one occasion.
Gaxx Tuesday July 13th, 2004 5:46:05 PM
(ooc: I need to know what Gaxx's finances are before I can make a definite post. We need to get the debt paid and the money divided so Gaxx can do some more brewing. :)
Gaxx spends the next few days brewing potions for his new friends.
Draax Tuesday July 13th, 2004 10:09:26 PM
Draax spends his time training and moving around the city trying to get a feel for the damage that has been done.
Tratain Wednesday July 14th, 2004 12:42:15 AM
Tratain Casts Continual Light on the Burned out Ioun stone for Setanos, and hands over the Scroll and Focus for the Analyze Dweomer spell to Arien asking him to identify the items that the party newly acquired.
Tratain will Inform the Temple that the Group needs to be here on the Next festival day so they can keep their agreement with Gargul. Whatever needs to be done will either have to be very quick or wait until the group has completed their end of the bargain.
During the Down Time Tratain asks Setanos and Arien to help him work with Sarigar and teach him a little about magic, saying it is to dangerous both for the party and to Sarigar himself to know so little about magic.
Renik (extra post, sorry) Wednesday July 14th, 2004 1:44:42 AM
Renik also hands over the dagger he was given to Arien.
During his two weeks of R&R he regains his old physique, with the aid of a great many slap-up dinners.
Arien Wednesday July 14th, 2004 2:34:09 AM
Arien spends all his spare time in the Star Mage's guild scribing spells into his spell book adding to his collection a variety of different spells.
((I figure Arien can scribe 2 spells a day if he does pretty much nothing else, so one week would be 14 spells plus another 30 for the fifteen days would make 44 spells he can add to his spellbook. Also I get +20 to spellcraft, forgot the +2 synergy bonus on those last rolls so its impossible for me to fail the check even with a one. In interest in saving space I'll send the spells I scribe via email.))
In the city - DM Marcin Wednesday July 14th, 2004 4:06:38 AM
Time passes quickly. Renik spends it enjoying the company of a young lass. Gaxx is brewing potions. Draax wanders around the city. The damage is noticeable, though people already started rebuilding and the city seems to be healing itself as if it was a living being. The attack left more serious and prolonged impact on the psychique of the citizes: the people are no longer feeling safe. From what they are saying it seems that the raid didn't have any specific purpose other than to cause as much destruction as possible. Many mention that other settlements got attacked by dragons at the same time, including Windhorn Hamlet itself. Tratain spends some time with Sarigar, trying to familiarize the wild man with various visual effects of magic. Setanos is working on his vestment and Arien spends most of his time in the library of the Star Mages Guild.
[Whoa, whoa whoa! Adam, hold your horses. 1. Is Arien already a memeber of the Star Mages Guild? Did he pay his dues? 2. Scribing a single spell takes full 24 hours, so only a single spell per day please. Same goes for Setanos, Troy. 3. If I haven't made it clear let me repeat: the party will have a total of 16 days of down time. Not three weeks. 4. You need to either have enough space in the spell book for your new spells or buy a second spell book. 5. The cost of components needed to write in the spell is 100 gp per page. The fact that Star Mages Guild doesn't charge their members for browsing their library doesn't mean that they will provide the expensive inks for free. Arien needs to pay that cost for every new spell he writes in his spellbook (with only exception being the ones he obtains when leveling up). Same goes for Setanos. The details are in the PH on page 179. 6. You ALWAYS fail a skill check when you roll a 1. This is a house rule. But you can Take10 on these Spellcraft checks, so there is no need to roll if your skill modifier is high enough.]
Sarigar and Black Paws Wednesday July 14th, 2004 9:43:31 AM
Being uncomfortable in the city as a whole, Sarigar and his brother pretty much stay in the Park the entire while they are in the city. They try their best to make a den off the beaten path to avoid the crowds and all but ignore those that gather and point.
Sadly, he has no way of informing the others of where he went and likely has no idea how to get back to where they were. However, with all the commotion he's caused in the park, I'm sure it's fairly likely they'll hear rumors of the wild man and his wolf in the park soon enough.
Arien d20+10=23 d4=2 Wednesday July 14th, 2004 3:42:17 PM
Arien uses the Analyze Dweomer scroll (Caster Check 23) and uses it to identify as many items as he can (11) before the spell ends. Then tucking the focus away for future use Arien cloisters himself in the Star Mages guild, studying and scribing.
((1. Yes Arien is a member, it was roll played out via email with Cayzle and Arien paid the lifetime membership costs.
2. Sorry about that I only checked under Spellcraft's skill description which I see now is only for understanding the spells. So if it takes 8 hours to understand a spell I should be able to study a spell I should be able to study 2 spells a day and scribe one per day. So if I study for 5 days I should be able to scribe 10 spells.
3. Sorry, I misread your post about the down time. I read it that the two weeks would come after the week that was already past.
4. Arien has a Boccob's Blessed Book, that has a thousand pages.
5. The Boccob's Blessed Book allows Arien to scribe without needing to pay anything for the scribing.
6. Ok then, I was not aware of this house rule but taking 10 works for me.
So with the two spells for leveling up then the scribing I should be able to get 12 spells total if this is ok. Oh and the d4 is for Arien's Hp for leveling.))
Feng Wednesday July 14th, 2004 4:02:30 PM
Each day Feng inquires about Kiriana and requests to see her. When he is denied, Feng thanks them politely and goes about his buisness. Over the next two weeks Feng trains lightly but uses the time to give his body a much needed rest. He busies himself with attending church services of the various gods who have a temple in the city, especially Gargul.
Renik Wednesday July 14th, 2004 4:20:05 PM
Although regularly absent on nocturnal shenanigans, the rogue makes a point of being around to see what their haul is worth when Arien casts his spell. He proudly shows off his new facial furniture to anyone not nailed down, explaining that he never realised paying tribute to a God could prove such a hit with the ladies.
Draax Wednesday July 14th, 2004 10:40:39 PM
Hearing that Windhorn Hamlet was also attacked, Draax tries to find out if anyone knows how much damage the town endured.
Identifying the loot - DM Marcin Thursday July 15th, 2004 4:41:35 AM
After two days Feng is allowed to see Kiriana. The cleric of Domi looks as if she hasn't had a night of good sleep for some time, but, as she is quick to assure the paladin, she is getting better.
"I am now feeling well enough to resume all of my duties. We need to discuss what has happened in that Academy and make some plans for the future. I would like to hear your report as soon as possible. How about this evening? Would it be possible to gather everyone in the conference chamber tonight?"
"I am looking into restoring our communications system. It turns out some, ah, highly unusual and worrying events took place during the dragon raid. Something important that could be potentially disastrous to the Organization if it falls into wrong hands went missing. Don't leave the city. Your help might be called upon soon. Oh, and if this wild man and his lupine are still around you might want to keep their company for a bit longer. You might have to spend some time in the wilderness."
Draax asks the refugees from Windhorn Hamlet about the extent of damage. He gets some very vivid descriptions: a dragon perched on top of the Mayor's House and such. One thing is for certain: there was more than just one dragon over the Hamlet that day. The settlement is, however, still standing. The destruction was not complete.
Setanos and Arien scribe their spells into spellbooks. The Boccob's books prove indeed blessed saving them lots of resources.
Finally, Arien finds the time to use the scroll of Analyze Dweomer to identify the party's loot.
The belt that the giant was wearing proves to be a Belt of Giant Strength +4.
The greataxe that has been wielded by the minotaur turns out to be just a masterwork weapon.
The first wand holds the Rainbow Pattern spell. It has 7 charges remaining. The second one contains Tasha's Hideous Laughter. This one has 11 charges. [Both are at minimum caster levels].
The scepter wielded by the female necromancer turns out to be a Rod of Lesser Metamagic: Maximize. So this is why it didn't want to shoot lightning bolts.
Perhaps the biggest surprise comes from the greatsword that used to be wielded by the salamander. This weapon, made out of damascened adamantite and that strange, dark alloy, turns out to be a shiny, newly forged, +4 Greatsword.
[This covers all the items on the list you have sent me a while ago. If anything is missing let me know.]
Tratain Thursday July 15th, 2004 11:05:12 AM
Tratain goes out into the city to find Sarigar to bring him to the conference chamber for the meeting. During their stay in the City Tratain also works with Sarigar teaching him about a little about magic so he understands more about it and isn't so afraid of it, demonstrating some spells and enlisting the aid of Setanos or Arien when they become available.
Tratain also makes sure that Kiriana knows that the group must spend the next festival day attending one of Gargul's services to fulfill their part of the bargain, so whatever the next assignment is it will have to wait until they have done this, as the next festival day is close at hand, or be in a place that has a temple to Gargul so they can attend there.
Joe OOC Thursday July 15th, 2004 11:21:00 AM
I forgot to say in both my post and the E-mail i just sent that there is no Belt, it was from earlier in the module and was sold unless its something different I'm forgetting
Well, it was on the list you have sent me, so you must have probably sold it after the list was compiled. There was just one belt in this adventure. In this case scratch the belt from the list. M.
Feng Thursday July 15th, 2004 7:06:47 PM
Feng spends the afternoon with Kiriana. He talks with her and tries to make her feel better. She went through a lot on their behalf, it was the least he could do. Later he leaves and heads out gathering the others for Kiriana's meeting.
Gaxx Thursday July 15th, 2004 7:09:57 PM
Gaxx manages to brew 3 potions of Cure Serious Wounds before he ran out of money. Once he's done brewing, he spends the rest of the 2 weeks working with the Temple of Wardd, to repair any damage that was caused during the dragon's attack.
Renik Thursday July 15th, 2004 7:17:01 PM
Renik has far too much to drink, and lies down.
Draax Thursday July 15th, 2004 10:52:36 PM
Draax feels some of the stress lifted from his shoulders when he hears that Windhorn Hamlets has survived the attack. He still feels some concern, but he knows that the town has recovered from hardship before.
Arien Friday July 16th, 2004 1:11:45 AM
Taking a brief break Arien tries out one of the new spells he has learned on Gaxx. Finding the purple dwarf Arien casts Break Enchantment on him to see if that gets rid of the purple coloring, assuming of course that is ok with the dwarf. Otherwise Arien lets Gaxx knows if he should ever wish it Arien has the spell in his spellbook now and could cast it on him whenever he should wish. That done Arien hustles back to the guild and continues studying and scribing.
Meeting with Kiriana - DM Marcin Friday July 16th, 2004 3:43:01 AM
Feng tries to keep Kiriana's spirits up. She chats with him for a while, and the paladin notices that she is absent-minded, as if her mind was constantly occupied with some troubling thoughts. The conversation is brief - soon a line of messengers forms at her door and the cleric of Domi has to excuse herself.
Arien suggests an attempt to remove the purple color.
Later in the evening, when those of the party who wished to come are gathered in the room protected from scrying, Kiriana says:
"I already have heard the report of Sharri. Let me listen to yours now."
Tratain mentions the upcoming festival.
A frown.
"Well, let's hope this won't be a problem."
[It is a long story. You can post multiple times over the weekend if you wish.]
Sarigar and Black Paws Friday July 16th, 2004 9:48:02 AM
Even with the crowds watching that have apparently gathered to watch him, Sarigar goes about his daily routine (as much of one that he can salvage here). He occasionally catches a squirrel or rabbit, ignores the food the people throw at them as he finds it strange and foul smelling. They sleep a good portion of the day and do most of their hunting at night.
When Tratain begins searching the Park, Sarigar and Black Paws follow him quietly for a time (not unlike a game of tag or hide & seek). As they're led through the city, Sarigar is noticably uncomfortable and I'm sure the city guards are none too fond of a wolf walking the streets.
During the magic "tutorial", Sarigar I'm sure cowers quite a few times, but when coaxed and assured that things are safe, he takes to the sights as a child might take to a fireworks display. Any lingering spell effects (duration longer than instant) will almost undoubtably be poked or swatted at.
While with the others, they might notice some changes in Sarigar. His finger and toenails as well as his teeth seem to be a bit more pronounced, sharper and stronger than normal. Black Paws seems to have changed somewhat too, his coat seems thicker and he looks slightly larger than before.
Once done with his "lessons", Sarigar and Black Paws make their way quickly back to their den in the Park.
Renik Friday July 16th, 2004 4:54:06 PM
"You want a report of events since we left you last? Asks the rogue. "By happy coincidence last night I took the opportunity to regail a charming young lady with details of our exploits, and had my good friend Bill's trusty Journal of Writing take dictation. Let me read you the passage."
...we set out, guided by Kylean, in pursuit of the unknown. Were Brother L and Lemmran one and the same? Was the Soul Forge being rebuilt? Was this mage school linked in some way to the library? We set off, and on the way met up with a fine fellow named Thelonius and took up the trail of a necromancer who had butchered an innocent camp of halflings for undead servants. Suspecting he might be linked to our quarry we pursued, catching him at an inn called the Silver Seagull.
Beneath the Silver Seagull
The Inn proved to be merely a cover for the sinister activities of the Sons of Dread. Battle ensued, and before long the mage, his retinue, a hill giant and a duplicitous bard lay dead by our hand. The staff proved to be merely ensorcelled innocents, who quickly vacated the premises. We were left facing a locked and mysterious door. Bypassing the hurdle we discovered a stairway leading down into the depths of the earth. We had uncovered the secret entrance to the evil mage school of the Sons of Dread.
After some debate as to whether a frontal or crafty approach might prove best (Pantheon spare me from the purity of paladins!) we headed down into the darkness and the unknown.
We came across a chamber containing 4 large skeletons and a series of riddles. After some debate we determined them to be magical in nature, and decided to allow our spellcasters sufficient time to bring the necessary spells to mind. This done we were able to assemble a key which successfully opened the far door, revealing the gigantic metal-encased skeleton of Yharathik, once gladiatorial champion of the Middle Dark. He was about to set us a further magical challenge when Feng, unable to contain his righteous fury at such an unholy abomination, attacked. Battle was joined, and a ferocious battle it was too. The spiked chain of our foe inflicted significant damage before the horror was felled.
It was at that point that I (acting purely from healthy curiosity I assure you, dear reader, and not, as some have since suggested, from base avarice) examined the fallen Monstrosity's battered iron crown. It was a trap. At once I was teleported away from that place, captured by the foul mages of the Sons of Dread and beaten senseless. The following hours and days are a blur; I remember little more than the endless beatings, questions and finally a period of horror as I was strapped to the very engine we had come to destroy. The Soul Forge drank greedily from my life force.
My companions, not knowing what had befallen me, realised that the Mage School was mobilising against them. The battle had sorely taxed them, and in the face of overwhelming odds it was decided to retreat to the relative safety of the tavern above.
The respite proved short-lived. Upstairs they were ambushed by a Drow assault team, supported by a fire elemental and more undead. Once again the Hamleteers were able to survive the battle, with the timely aid of a feral warrior, Sarigar and his lupine companion. But more enemies were in pursuit. Taking the unconscious drow leader with them (a priestess of some beauty, so I'm told) as well as one of her flunkies they followed their new companion out into the storm-lashed night, and to the safety of his hidden cave.
There a dark bargain was struck. The priestess was freed, on the condition that she would make no move against the Hamleteers for a period of one month. In return she gave us clues about how best to defeat the mad Brother L.
Return to the Dread Caverns
The Hamleteers returned to the Silver Seagull, determined to put an end once and for all to the twisted souls that dwelled beneath. In the kitchen area they discovered a trapdoor that led them once more into those underground tunnels. Before long they ran into the stiffest challenge yet; beside an underground lake the hamleteers were hit with wave after wave of enemies. Sahuagin, dark mages, undead, drow, a flaming devil-creature, a demon comprised entirely of chains, the dragon turtle known as the Hidden Master; the assault seemed endless. And yet, despite seemingly unbeatable odds, the Hamleteers prevailed. Time after time they fought their attackers back. During that battle they discovered my bandaged body on a makeshift funeral pyre, and freed me from my bonds. The tide of the battle had turned, but the cavern itself was now collapsing! We raced for the relative safety of a small chamber, instants before the entire ceiling gave way in an almighty crash of rock and dust.
So there we lay, trapped in the darkness. It was at that point that we discovered, asleep in a crate, a sleeping dwarf. His name, it transpired, was Gaxx, and he was a follower of Wardd. Lucky indeed, to have slept through that great battle and cave-in.
It fell to Arien to teleport us out, over the course of the next several hours. Once again we regrouped and determined that this assault upon our enemy's stronghold would be the last.
Once more Unto the Dread Caverns
And so we returned once more. Once again our infiltration did not go unmarked. Before long we were attacked by a number of dark mages, and in the ensuing spellcasting inferno Setanos fell to their dread magics. And yet we had little time for grief. We took a moment to honour our fallen comrade, but we had no choice; a greater evil awaited us, and we pressed on. Tratain had spotted hidden door in the ceiling, and it was through here that we discovered the target of our quest; the crystalline structure to which I had been strapped was found and destroyed, despite powerful magical defences.
And then the final stage; the Soul Forge itself, protected by the Mad Fixer himself, Lemmran. It seemed as though his powerful magics might overwhelm us all, but we were able to penetrate his elaborate defenses. Sadly the crazed mage was able to make his escape, but we took control of the Soul Forge and were able to shut it down. Kiriana and her team arrived from Plateau City to perform a mopping up operation, and before we new it we were back in Plateau City, ready to entreat Gargul for the soul of our fallen comrade.
"If you think me indiscrete fear not, dear lady, my charming companion was snoring like a docker before we reached the Silver Seagull. She'd had a busy night, poor dear."
Draax Sunday July 18th, 2004 8:27:05 AM
Draax listens as Renik tells the priestess about their journey. I will add one part to Renik's report. "The ranger, Rond left the party as we were reentering the inn on the guise of going to the far rear to watch our backs. No one believed him because we could hear the farewell in his tone of voice. So, we were not surprised that he was not waiting for us when we returned. I have no idea what happened to him or where he really went to when he left us."
Debriefing - DM Marcin Monday July 19th, 2004 4:19:25 AM
Given the amount of wizards with familiars in the city a well behaved wolf accompanying a human, no matter how savage looking, doesn't draw more than glances and casual remarks from the guard.
***
Kiriana listens to the report, nods, and occasionally asks for a detail to be filled in.
"Well, it is a great achievement that the Machine passed into our hands. Also, the Catacombs are greatful for removing the Dragon Turtle."
"As usual, there is also unfinished business left behind. We are trying to figure out how to permamently get rid of the new Machine. The Library is still out there in hands of the Sons of Dread, and if it isn't recovered or destroyed they will be building new machines. In fact, they might have already started the construction of another one. Brother L is still out there and he is bound to learn from the lesson you gave him. Defeating him next time round might not be as easy as it was during your first meeting."
"I will look into all these matters, giving priority to locating the library, but right now I have another problem on my hands that takes up most of my time. We have located the Coin of Communications that went missing during the dragon raid. The person carrying it is being tracked by scrying. The man fled into Red Hills taking with him other items of critical importance. Be sure to be packed and ready to move out any time of day and night. As soon as we figure out whom he is bringing the items to we will send you in to recover our property."
Kiriana ponders things for a moment, and then relaxes and claps her hands. Servants bring in a roll of ripe cheese, two baskets of grapes, and a few bottles of fine wine.
"Let us now discuss the terms of your employment with our Organization. It might be best if we started with you telling me what kind of agreement you would be willing to enter."
"Somehow I have a feeling that Brother Hagemenes will be joining us shortly."
*** MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE ELSE ***
The hooves of the horse have been beating on the road all day. Both the animal and the rider were covered in dust. The sides of the mount were rising and falling heavily; the warhorse was reaching a point where it might collapse from exhaustion. The rider turned around. Wind snatched drops of sweat and tears from his face.
He didn't see anyone. But he knew they were there.
[So far I have 3 character sheets out of 8.]
Setanos Monday July 19th, 2004 7:55:28 AM
Setanos watches Kiriana as she speaks, a mixture of respect and awe for the priestess. When she is done, he replies with a grin"Well...ya didna bring me back from tha dead fer me charming conversation. As long as Domi smiles on it, I'm willin ta do what ya need done. I owe ya all me life." At this he pauses, a little solem. He recovers quickly and changes the subject. "Speakin o owe, here's the first a it.", passing a large pouch to Kiriana."I'll have some more once I visit tha catacombs one more time."
OOC: 3200 gold in the bag, more to come once my old greatsword is sold.
Renik Monday July 19th, 2004 2:47:43 PM
The rogue also contributes 3000GP also, and smiles at Kiriana's opening gambit in negotiations. "We would ask for no more than fair recompense for the risks we undertake. I understand with the city suffering its current plight that coin may not be as readily accessible as before. That being the case perhaps we could come to some other arrangement; as we have all just seen restoring a life is an expensive business, but one that may prove ever more neccessary as the dangers we face increase. Perhaps we could agree some sort of reduction in that cost. It is difficult to accept that despite our suffering, our blood and our sacrifices below the Silver Seagull some of us end up worse off than we were before. Perhaps the Temple has items that may help us in our work, or perhaps you have some other suggestion."
(OOC: was the adamantine dagger given to Renik magical, or just adamantine?)
Gaxx Monday July 19th, 2004 3:08:38 PM
Gaxx, who had been listening quietly, suddenly pipes up. "Iffin ya lets me stay here fo free when I be in da city, an' provide me wit da stuff ta brew up a few potions, like dis one," Gaxx holds up one of the potions of Cure Serious Wounds that he brewed up yesterday, "an' make me alives again iffin I should die, den I be more den happy ta do tings for youse. "'Ceptin I is also gonna need someting sose I kin give someting to ma temple so dey can help dose who aint so lucky as me."
Draax Monday July 19th, 2004 10:18:53 PM
Draax sit and listens while eating some cheese, and having a couple of glasses of wine. He waits quietly letting Renik haggle over the terms of their new agreement.
Tratain Tuesday July 20th, 2004 1:44:20 AM
Tratain sits and Listens to the Conversation.
OOC: It is an +1 Adamantite Dagger
Discussing terms of employment - DM Marcin Tuesday July 20th, 2004 4:38:38 AM
There is a knock on the door and the group in the conference chamber is joined by Brother Hagemenes. As usual, the tall cleric is lugging around a thick tome and writing utensils. After nodding a general "good evening" to everyone he sits at the table next to Kiriana without waiting for invitation.
The man puts on his spectacles and accepts both bags of gold. "Excellent. That reduces your obligation to 4250 gold. Just so that you know, most of this gold will be spent on aiding those who lost the means to support their families in the dragon attack."
Kiriana listens to what the party has to say, and then says:
"You are most certainly welcome to stay in the Temple whenever you are in the Plateau City. We would be honored if you accepted our hospitality, so you don't have to worry about accomodations expenses while you are here."
"If I am able to assist you in any way with Domi's magic you just need to ask. I am able to draw upon His power up to incantations of the sixth circle, so be it Heal, Restoration, or other magic you might need we are ready to provide it for free."
"We are?" Hagemenes rises his brow.
"We most certainly are, Brother."
"Of course, as long as there is no exorbitant cost in material components." - Hagemenes quickly adds. "If you ask for a spell that costs thousands of gold it will have to go through me."
"Brother, please."
"Sadly, magic above sixth circle of spells is beyond me. As you might have guessed after watching the ritual we were performing after your return there are several items scattered around the temple that, when combined, allow me to use any scroll without risk of failure. I can assist you in using powerful divine scrolls, but you will have to obtain them on your own - either in the Catacombs or otherwise."
"For that reason, I can't offer you to provide a True Ressurection for everyone who might happen to die. It is, however, in my power to promise to try to bring back anyone who might die with a Raise Dead spell - free of cost."
"As for our aid in your creation of magic items: if there is a spell you need to have cast in the process that you don't have access to yourself, and one of our clerics does, we will ask him to cast it for you."
"You can use our labolatory for brewing potions" - says Hagemenes - "but I'm afraid you will have to bring the reagents yourself."
"So, this is what we offer: room and board, spells up to the sixth level for free (or the cost of their material components, if signifficant), aid in using higher level scrolls, access to our libraries, labolatories, and forges, and a promise to bring back your fallen comrades with Raise Dead free of charge. Frankly, I don't see how a Temple to Domi could offer any less to people who do their work."
"But, of course, it wouldn't be fair if we didn't offer you a more substantial compensation for your hard work. What kind of additional benefits would seem fair to you?"
[I have 5 out of 8 character sheets.]
Arien Tuesday July 20th, 2004 4:42:52 AM
Arien listens for a moment to Renik's haggling before something comes to mind. Not wanting to interupt the bartering Arien writes down on a slip of paper his suggestion that the upkeep on their property might be a good thing for the temple to take care of. Then Arien slips the note over to Renik and pulls out his spellbook to review his new spells.
Setanos Tuesday July 20th, 2004 2:15:12 PM
Not one for negotiations, Setanos remains quite, and enjoys the chease and other foods set before them.
Renik Tuesday July 20th, 2004 4:09:39 PM
Renik attempts to run his fingers seductively through his new goattee, but it's still too short to be toyed with effectively, and he just looks like he might have an itchy chin.
"A difficult question, dear lady. Fair is such a relative concept, is it not? Fair to me might well not be fair to you, and visa versa. As Arien has just pointed out there is the minor manner of the upkeep of our properties. Assuming they still stand after the Dragon attack, of course.
Perhaps it would be best if you gave us an idea of what the city can reasonably afford, and we can start from there."
Gaxx Tuesday July 20th, 2004 6:31:49 PM
Gaxx simply cannot believe how lucky he is to get a chance to hook up with a group of people who will take care of him while he is resting up for his next asventure. And as if the room and board were not enough, they want to pay out some cash as well. Gaxx sits and listens intently, content with the knowledge that Wardd is once again looking after him.
Draax Tuesday July 20th, 2004 10:52:22 PM
Draax continues to listen to the negotiations. He is glad that Renik decided to work out an agreement with Kiriana. At the moment Draax would probably work for the temple for free, but he might not feel that way in the future.
Draax smile as he thinks about how well the negotiations would have gone if he was conducting them. He probably would have had the group paying the temple the privilege to go on the missions.
Feng Wednesday July 21st, 2004 3:04:53 AM
"Personally I find it difficult to put a price on doing good but there has to be something. healing magics, weapons, and armor are things that cost money which we need."
ooc: I've been a little busy this last week. I haven't received a mail lately about character sheets or recent xp notifacation, but that doesn't mean I haven't just forgotten. Though if somebody can tell me what's the address I'll send it.
Continuing the discussion - DM Marcin Wednesday July 21st, 2004 3:16:14 AM
Hagemenes flips a page in his book and sharpens a pencil with three quick strokes of a small knife. "Exactly how minor is that matter, mister Dacour? What amount of gold per month are we looking at here?"
Kiriana responds: "I dislike the word <relative>. Whenever I hear it mentioned it soon turns out somebody is trying to feed me a chunk of suspicious philosophy of life. Well, tell me first how would you prefer to be compensated. A monthly wage? Paid per assignment? Something else altogether?"
[6 out of 8]
Sarigar and Black Paws Wednesday July 21st, 2004 8:09:28 AM
The brothers sit in a corner on the floor, barely listening. Compensation, work, wages, etc. are all very foreign terms to him. He's seen a dragon or two, but from so far off they may as well have been bats or birds. Hearing that so few did as much damage as he's seen is quite shocking to him, but really not all that interesting to him.
Mainly, he just sits in the corner, occasionally scratching himself in various places, digging through Black Paws coat, or digging through his pack, looking for nothing in particular.
Renik Wednesday July 21st, 2004 2:18:20 PM
The rogue grins broadly, his eyes sparkling. "Dear lady, you wound me! I can assure you, my philosophy of life is above reproach! As trustworthy and friendly a philosophy of life as you are likely to find, I assure you!"
He looks over at Hagemenes briefly and shrugs. "I know not, sir. I believe it to be a minimal amount, but am uncertain of the details. Perhaps one of my companions has the details?..."
Leaning back he looks up[ at ceiling, then back at Kiriana. With a charming smile he continues "I do not wish to appear mercenary, Lady Kiriana, but thus far our relationship with the city has been one of employment. We undertook secret assignments for Marcus, and were paid or our work. I am assuming that with his passing you have taken leadership of his organization, that we continue to work for the Plateau City Secret Service (for want of a better term). As such you must have standard terms of employment for operatives of our calibre. We ask only for that. As for method of payment, well I suppose by assignment would be easiest all round. My suggestion for a figure? Well, I'm unsure. I am willing to trust to your sense of fair play. I'm sure you will pay us what is both reasonable and affordable."
As he says this last part he looks directly at Kiriana, ignoring Hagemenes altogether.
Gaxx Wednesday July 21st, 2004 6:15:21 PM
Gaxx frowns then tippytoes over to Renik. He tugs on Renik's sleeve to get him to lean down so Gaxx can whisper to him. "By da month be easier to make donations to da church. Iffin we get paid only by da assignment and dere is no assignment fo us, we gots no income til we gets anodder job. But iffin dey pay us a monthly salary, we may not get as much when we finish da job but we will set get paid even when dere is no work."
Draax Thursday July 22nd, 2004 12:58:18 AM
"Any payment agreement is OK with me, but I perfer the pay by assignment method."
Concluding the negotiations - DM Marcin Thursday July 22nd, 2004 2:48:10 AM
Kiriana smiles. "Well, I can't say I am making all the decisions within the Organization, but I have a say in most of them."
"Perhaps, then, you would like to retain your freelance status? We would approach you whenever there is a job to be done with an offer of specific work and compensation adequate to dangers involved. This would allow you some flexibility to pursue your personal goals."
Feng Thursday July 22nd, 2004 4:05:56 AM
Feng just sat there wishing the negotiations would end. They were good people but its the same anywhere. They don't want to pay very much and we can't work for free. There was never a chance to agree on a price. It was foolish to try in the first place. One can't set a standard rate when the danger and what had to be done can change like the wind.
Sarigar and Black Paws Thursday July 22nd, 2004 7:46:05 AM
As the talks drag on, Sarigar's attention begins to wander even further. So much so that he soon drifts into utter boredom. Slowly he finds himself leaning slowly, heavily, limply into the corner until he falls asleep, mouth wide open, arms hanging to his sides like sausages hanging from the meat wagoneer's cart.
Black Paws starts sniffing around the room, although not looking for scraps, if he happens to find anything that has been dropped onto the floor, he'll gladly snatch it up as a little snack.
ooc: No, I'm not trying to imply this part is boring for me. However, since Sarigar has no apparent need of money, it would be very boring for him at this juncture.
Setanos Thursday July 22nd, 2004 8:03:55 AM
Setanos continues to eat, listening to the negotiations between the priestess and Renik, and very glad he doesn't have to deal with it.
Looking over at Sarigar in the corner, he grins a slightly envious grin. When Black Paws comes close, he sneaks some food to him under the table.
Arien Thursday July 22nd, 2004 1:06:20 PM
Arien continues to flip through his spellbook as he listens to the conversation. The latest proposal definetely was what he prefered, after all if they were regulars they would never have time to do stuff like go slay a dragon to put the ghost of an ancient king to rest and the like.
Renik d20+13=19 d20+5=15 Thursday July 22nd, 2004 4:09:07 PM
The rogue leans forward and offers a hand to shake. If it is taken he swoothly leans down and kisses Kiriana's hand delicately (Bluff 19, Dex 15).
"Dear Lady, I knew I could rely on your good grace and wisdom. Your proposal is of course the perfect solution to our problem. You have my heartfelt thanks."
He glances over at the book keeper and adds "And my thanks to you good sir, for so kindly looking after our properties in our absence. A man of precision like you is better suited to the task by far than such feckless adventurers as ourselves."
Draax Thursday July 22nd, 2004 11:42:20 PM
Draax sits eating while he enjoys the downtime while it lasts.
Concluding the negotiations - DM Marcin Friday July 23rd, 2004 4:58:14 AM
Kiriana smiles, amused by Renik's gesture. "Mister Dacour, I bet you say that to every High Priestess of Domi you meet."
Hagemenes scratches his head. "When did I agree to-"
"Hagemenes! Please. I don't want to spend the whole evening bickering over details."
"Let me repeat the terms of our agreement then" - Kiriana continues - "just to make sure everything was understood. Your group is welcome to stay at the Temple's guest chambers any time you might want to. Our library and alchemical labolatory are also open for you to use whenever you wish. If the staff is able to assist you in item creation by casting spells they will do so."
"In addition, when you are performing a mission for the Organization, we will support you with our magic (which, at the moment, is limited to the sixth circle of spells, unless you bring us a scroll to use), and raise your fallen companions from the dead for free."
"Hagemenes will look into your property, make report of any damages sustained during the dragon raid, and we will come back to the subject later on." [all right, help your DM here. What property does the party own, where it is located, and was the monthly upkeep ever calculated?]
"If that is everything then I wish you good night. There is still a lot of work for me to do before I can retire."
*** MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE ELSE ***
It didn't work. The human didn't know that yet, but he was going to die.
"Master, something's wrong. We lost control again."
"Curse these humans! Curse their little, petty, unpredictable, barbaric minds!"
"Adding the brother to the mix was a bad idea. If you ask me-"
"Silence! Nobody asks you!"
A delicate, thin hand wrote in a large notepad: Trial thirty seven: two days: failure.
"I'm off to sleep. Tell the innkeeper I want scrambled eggs for breakfast."
"Yes, Master."
The human died.
[I have 6 sheets out of 8. Come on people, I would like to start the next adventure!]
Feng Friday July 23rd, 2004 10:25:14 AM
Feng leans back in the chair and sighs. He was glad that the negotiations were over becuase he really had better things to do. He needed to clean his gear and see if he needs to buy anything before their next mission.
DM Marcin OOC Saturday July 24th, 2004 1:53:43 AM
[It turns out it was my mistake that was holding up the game! I messed up Walter's e-mail address. Sorry guys! Everyone is now accounted for - the next module starts on Monday.]
Sarigar and Black Paws Saturday July 24th, 2004 8:54:10 AM
Lying limply in the corner, Sarigars breath come in long, slow and deep rushes. He does not snore despite the odd way his neck is tilted, must be from his need to keep quiet in the wilderness.
Black Paws continues to sniff around the room. When Setanos lowers food toward him, he waits a moment to be sure it's really offered to him, then snatches it up and gulps it down.
Draax Sunday July 25th, 2004 10:24:23 PM
With the negotiations over Draax gathers a plate of food to go, bows to the priestess and then goes to the room they gave him.
Renik Monday July 26th, 2004 2:20:49 AM
Renik bows and retires.
LOG ON